CH 147

Another farewell

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Zil

It was the same time that Célia returned to her hometown.

The Prime Minister’s daughter, Mertina Marcell, did not see her off, but went to a certain place.

By now, Raidorl and Célia are probably saying their goodbyes.

Mertina, who has been living in Raidorl’s house for some time, also has a reasonably close relationship with Célia.

Nevertheless, Mertina didn’t want to interrupt the conversation between Raidorl, Célia and Neimilia, so she had to say goodbye beforehand.

“…… It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

Mertina got out of the carriage and sighed as she looked up at the building.

Dressed in a purple dress of simple design, Mertina stands at the gate of the mansion in her heeled shoes.

It was the Marcell House in the noble quarter of the capital – Mertina’s birthplace.

“My Lady! You’ve come home!”

At the entrance to the grounds stood a security man. When he saw Mertina, he looked surprised, opened the gate and let her in.

“I didn’t think I’d ever come back here, and…… I didn’t know I could come back again.”

Marcell’s house, though larger than the average person’s, was quite small for a house where the Prime Minister lived.

The exterior is unadorned, and the house has been designed with the bare essentials in mind, as long as a person can sleep in it.

There were only a few trees in the garden, and no flower beds. She never complained to her father, Lockwood, but as a child Mertina was secretly unhappy about it.

Mertina was Raidorl’s childhood friend and former fiancée.

However – five years ago, she abandoned Raidorl to be exiled from the royal capital, and even after they met again, she used a curse to restrain Raidorl and was rude to him, so he has completely lost trust in her.

Nevertheless – in recent months, she has been able to regain some credibility for her work in coordinating the efforts of noblemen and royal court officials to make Raidorl king.

She is now allowed to walk freely in the Royal Capital and to return to her birthplace in this way.

“But …… that’s probably because of the collar.”

“Hmm!”

As Mertina slowly stroked her lower abdomen, she felt a sweet numbness deep within her body, as if it were tightening.

Mertina’s body has been cursed by Neimilia in a number of ways. The majority of these curses are sexual in nature. It’s all about the obscene effects that can arouse lust.

Although she has only recently become accustomed to the sexual pleasures the curse provides, her body and mind have long since succumbed to it.

Mertina, who once betrayed Raidorl for the sake of her country, for the sake of her king……can no longer dream of doing so.

In the chains of pleasure, Mertina has lost all sense of purpose except to serve Raidorl with her life.

“Still, thanks to…… Raidorl becoming King……No, Regent, I can now serve the Kingdom of Zain without betraying it. The path I have chosen coincides with the loyalty of the House of Marcell. This is a joyous occasion.”

“…… Perhaps my father called me out on it too.”

Mertina’s first visit to the Marcell House in many years was at the behest of her father, Lockwood Marcell.

The Prime Minister – Lockwood Marcell – is so loyal to King Granard that he even exiled Raidorl to protect Granard’s throne.

He is supposed to be hated by Raidorl for this, but during the recent battle at the palace, he invited Raidorl into the palace to rescue the hostages. He even manipulated information to prevent confusion from spreading among the people.

Lockwood’s position is a delicate one, the result of having been turned from older brother king to another the younger brother king.

Although he has not been stripped of his position as Prime Minister, he is not trusted as a bat. The nobles, who had switched to Raidorl at an early stage, looked upon him with suspicion.

“The only difference between……early and late would be that both would be traitors. It’s silly.”

Sighing inwardly, Mertina steps into the house.

“My Lady! Welcome back!”

“It’s been a long time, Theresa.”

The woman who greeted her at the door was a housemaid who had been in the Marcell family since before Mertina was born.

Theresa, who is a well-built woman of advanced years, embraces Mertina with her large body.

“Ah!　Thank goodness, my lady!　I’m so glad you’re back ……! Theresa here has been praying for your safety every day!”

“Aa……! Thank you so much. Theresa.”

Mertina managed to squeeze out a few words, choking on the force of the embrace.

But Theresa, her eyes full of tears, still tightens her hands and squeezes the young lady with her full body.

“My lady, my lady! You’re safe. ……!”

“Oh, Theresa, that’s enough ……!”

“If I don’t, I’ll be crushed.”

Feeling her life was in danger, Mertina managed to escape Theresa’s embrace.

Mertina puts her hand on her chest, breathes hard, and asks Theresa.

“Oh, where is father? I’ve been called here today……”

“If it’s the Master, he’s upstairs in his study. Lady Mertina is coming home today, so no one is going upstairs.”

“Very well, then, I will go and see her.”

If Mertina stays here with Theresa, she might end up like a frog strangled by a snake. Mertina tried to walk quickly to the stairs.

“Ah! Miss, please wait! It’s the Master…….There’s something a little strange going on.”

Mertina is about to ascend the stairs. Theresa says to her in a panic voice.

“I’m sorry to say that all the servants, except myself and the gatekeeper, are suddenly absent. …… Today, too, they have been locked in their rooms since morning, and they don’t want to eat. There is not a sound from upstairs, and I would like to go and see what is the matter, but I am under orders not to come up. ……”

“…………”

“I don’t know what to do, I’m worried and concerned…….”

“……I understand. Please let me take care of my father.”

Mertina leaves it at that, and goes up the stairs.

At this point, Mertina had a hunch in her mind.

It is something that is hard for her to accept, but at the same time, it is something that sits naturally in the back of her mind.

“………….”

The closer she gets to the study, the stronger her premonition becomes.

As she stands in front of the room, a foul smell pervades her nose from behind the closed door.

“….Father, it’s Mertina. I’m coming in.”

At first Mertina bangs on the door and then knocks.

But – of course – there is no answer from inside.

When Mertina turned the doorknob, it was unlocked.

“…… Father, are you not here?”

Mertina opens the door.

The smell is so strong that the contents of her stomach rise up into her throat.

“Father……?”

She looked into the room and……there, indeed, was Lockwood Marcell.

He was sitting in his chair, as he always did when Mertina lived in the house.

But–

“…… So, it’s come to this, Father.”

A small trickle of water sounded, shaking Mertina’s eardrums.

A puddle of water had formed on the floor. The bright red water was spreading over the floor.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Zain, Lockwood Marcell.

The man who had been Granard’s confidant had died in a chair, bleeding from his abdomen.