CH 148

A Vassal of Loyalty and Reputation

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Zil

“Father……”

Mertina gasped at the horrible scene in the study, but stepped into the room undisturbed.

Lockwood Marcell sat on a chair in his study, gasping for breath, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

In his hand was a dagger, the tip of which had sliced through his abdomen. His abdomen had been ripped open and was bleeding profusely, running down the legs of the chair and creating a pool of blood on the floor.

Obviously it was a suicide.

Lockwood Marcell had chosen death of his own free will.

“………..”

Mertina looked away from the piece of guts protruding from the wound in his abdomen and turned her gaze to the desk in front of Lockwood.

On it lay a sheet of paper and a brass key. On the surface of the paper, carefully written in ink, were evenly spaced letters.

“Is this a …… will or a suicide note……”

Mertina gently took the paper and followed the text with her eyes.

It was written in such a simple manner that it did not seem like it was written by someone who was going to die.

First, it describes Lockwood’s reasons for choosing death.

His motive was to apologise for banishing Raidorl. He also wanted to take responsibility for what Granard had done.

After swearing allegiance to Granard and plotting with him to oppress Raidorl, he felt that he could not survive under Raidorl’s reign alone.

The remainder of the letter was purely business – the handing over of his duties as Prime Minister and the inheritance of his property.

It was typical of the diligent and earnest Lockwood. Mertina, who knew her father’s character well, forgot the situation and almost laughed at the sentence.

“Couldn’t you have written something more …… until the very end?”

The annoying thing is that there is not a single message for her daughter, Mertina, in his will.

Mertina has no brothers or sisters, and her mother died when she was very young.

She was the only child of her parents, but this was not the right way to treat her.

“It’s a bit late for that now, but …… in the end, was I just a useful pawn for my father? ……”

When she was sent to the pioneer city, Mertina was already cut off from her father. Since she was taken prisoner by Raidorl, they have not spoken, or even exchanged a single letter.

They were never father and daughter from the start – Mertina knew that. But that didn’t stop a feeling of emptiness coming over her.

The House of Marcell has been a loyal family in the service of the Crown since the foundation of the country.

They have been willing to give their lives and their families if necessary to serve their country and their royal family.

Mertina’s father was a martyr for it.

Just as he was forced to do by his father and grandfather, he did it to his daughter.

“…… he really can’t help it. Couldn’t he have lived with a little more dexterity?”

And it’s the same for Mertina. They may have been separated, but they were still father and daughter.

Taking a small breath, Mertina picked up the key next to the will.

She walked to a corner of the office and peeled off a piece of wallboard with her hand. Underneath the wallboard, embedded in the wall, was a safe.

It is a vault in which important documents of the Marcell family are kept. The only person who knows of its existence, apart from Lockwood, is Mertina.

“………….”

When she opens the safe, she will find countless documents in it.

Documents relating to the business of the Prime Minister. The title deeds to the property of the Marcell family. Drafts and budget estimates for the reform of the state administration. Information and evidence on the injustices of the rival noble families.

The vaults were filled with a miscellany of documents that were worth their weight in gold to the right person.

“I’ll have to report this to Master Raidorl. It will be necessary for him, as Regent, to take charge of the affairs of state. ………… Eh?”

Mertina’s brow furrowed.

Buried amongst the many documents was something wrapped in linen. Mertina took it out and opened the linen, revealing a dull silver pendant.

“This is, by any chance, my mother’s …..”

Suddenly, there was something that tugged at the heartstrings of Mertina’s memory.

Mertina knows about this pendant. In her childhood memories, she remembers that it was displayed on her mother’s chest.

If Mertina’s memory serves her right – it was sent to her by her father when he married her, as her mother told her.

It would be uncharacteristic of Lockwood to keep a memento in a safe for the rest of his life.

“I guess that means father had a few human feelings……”

Mertina laughed and put the pendant around her neck.

The head of the family, Lockwood, has committed suicide and his successor, Mertina, is a slave to Raidorl as a sinner.

The history of the House of Marcell, which has continued since its foundation, may now be at an end.

“Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Zain will continue under the Regent Raidorl . I can continue to be loyal to him.”

Despite almost everything has disappeared, there’s one thing that has been left behind. The proof and it’s existence that the House of Marcell, the House of Loyalty, hangs on Mertina’s chest.

“Thank you for your hard work,……Please have a good rest”

Mertina clutched the pendant that had belonged to her father and mother, and closed her eyes to pray for Lockwood’s soul.

(TL RANT: HA! You delete your comments from NU? Despite you wrote shit more about this novel and the author, you’re still reading this. Next time, just stay quiet if you don’t have anything good to say. You didn’t read the raws and gave early judgement. I saw your comments wait back during chp 40+ and check your profile, you really like to talk shit huh? If dislike that much of a novel stop reading and make your own novel)

P.S. 4 new chp coming soon, editor is a little bit busy, probably tomorrow I’ll post it.