Volume 5 - CH 1

I basically had to look up his name on the royal family bloodline all this time.

That’s why I couldn’t immediately identify his name.

Because I didn’t consider it to be reasonable…… for the king to lost his memory, wandered into enemy territory, and became a Toono.

‘He was the king.’

But, if Valhail was indeed the king, wouldn’t Cedric recognize him?

I meant it’s been a long time since Cedric indulged himself on the battlefield.

‘From what I can see, Cedric doesn’t appear to recognize Valhail.’

Cedric did nothing but marvel at Valhail’s abilities. As if he had no idea where such an outstanding warrior came from.

I told Cedric that Valhail was a Toono who had been taken as a prisoner of war from the principality, but Cedric showed no bad feelings toward Valhail.

Cedric even convinced me that the present was more important than Valhail’s past involvement in the wars.

‘……when I heard him say that, I believed he could be a good leader for the family.’

Cedric is a young man with old-fashioned principles who is occasionally unexpectedly open-minded.

Leaving aside the problematic human being Cedric, I reach for the book containing the spy’s record.

Fortunately, Valhto Heinrich was mentioned in the first chapter of the lengthy book.

‘……missing.’

It has been reported that he has been missing for five years.

This coincided with Valhail’s arrival in the Empire.

‘The cease-fire was also declared five years ago.’

Even though they may have won the war, the principality had no option but to end it.

Because their monarch suddenly disappeared.

In exchange for the cease-fire, the empire acknowledged the principality’s monarch as a king.

In this regard, it is the same as the empire recognizing the principality as a kingdom.

Didn’t they say the king was missing?

Yes, that’s right. Their king has been wandering around here.

I spent the entire night reading the spy’s report and became sure that Valhail is, in indeed, the principality’s monarch.

There were several explanations behind this.

First, Valhto Heinrich is claimed to have worn a helmet because he was a child soldier.

Valhto is claimed to have always worn a steel helmet with giant deer antlers, as the golden deer symbolized the principality’s royal family.

Because he wore it so frequently, people labeled him “The Steel Monarch.”

The nickname became his trademark, which perhaps led him to wear the steel helmet even while he was with his personal aides.

‘Or was he attempting to avoid assassination?’

Because he has a slew of enemies.

There was also a rumor that Valhto grew up as an ugly man who had no choice but to wear a helmet since he was a child.

However, no one was aware of Valhto’s actual face.

‘That’s why Cedric didn’t recognize Valhto Heinrich.’

The second reason was Valhail’s statement on the original story.

In the original story, Valhail assured Shannon, who was trembling with fear, that if they traveled to the principality, she would be able to live peacefully.

This meant that even when he was back to the principality, he would be welcomed with hospitality.

Because he has absolute power in the principality, no one can replace him.

The third and last reason.

The final reason was the simplest.

‘No one with the surname Castaques is alive.’

According to the book of the royal bloodline, Valhto Heinrich had six brothers.

They, however, all died off eight years ago.

Valhto Heinrich murdered all of his brothers.

‘Is this the prince’s rebellion?’

His birth mother was the Grand Duchess.

Despite being the direct heir, he grew up competing with his six brothers, resulting in a harsh personality.

The spy also described Valhto Heinrich’s dog-like behavior throughout his three years as monarch before his disappearance.

To strengthen his authority, he conducted a conquest war and expelled all of his father’s followers.

“Haaa……”

I closed the book immediately since I was suffering from a headache.

It was clear what type of person Valhto Heinrich Castaques was.

“A tyrant……”

The man who has been a tyrant to others yet a gentle giant puppy to me!

He was a tyrant.

A war maniac who slaughtered all of his brothers, purged his father’s people, and terrorized the country!

For a brief while, I recall him staring down at the scar left by striking iron on his forearm.

“This is the proof that I am yours.”

When he said that, Valhail’s eyes looked like a wolf staring at its master.

‘No, no way……’

I felt sorry for him at first, so I healed his body.

Later I visited him frequently for the welfare of my eyes.

I also wanted to make Shannon’s man my own man ahead of time since I was concerned he’d torment me as in the original story’s plot.

But.

But!

To think he was the grand duke who the Empire regarded as a king!

A war maniac, to be clear!

‘How did I end myself in this situation?’

I can’t believe I chose a tyrant from another country to avoid a playboy.

‘Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!’

But one thing that is fortunate is that in the original, Valhail didn’t like Selina at all.

He tormented Selina solely on Shannon’s orders. Aside from that, Valhail appeared to have no affection for Selina.

I’m not going to go down the obsession-abduction-confinement path that the other man who liked Selina undertook.

‘Now that I think about it, why didn’t Valhail fall in love with Selina in the original plot?’

Selina was the finest heroine in the story of <Bound of Salvation>.

There was a scene in which all the men in the world couldn’t take their gaze away from Selina’s stunning beauty.

So why didn’t Valhail fall in love with Selina?

Because he fell in love with Shannon at first sight?

‘First, let’s just sleep.’

A headache throbbed in my skull.

Anyway, I’m confident I’ll find a solution tomorrow.

That’s correct!

‘I’ll put my faith in you!’ Myself!’

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

However, no solution came to mind even after waking up.

‘Damn it……’

In the morning, I went to the study and learned books about the Castaques family.

Before its independence, the Principality and The Empire were one country.

It was similar to European history.

The Emperor’s ancestry was initially descended from the Castaques lineage.

However, it was entirely because of Valhto Heinrich that the principality, which was a small independent country at the time, grew large enough to affect the war’s outcome.

‘Ah, Valhail was his birth name.’

It is reported that his grandpa gave him the name.

He was the only member of the Castaques line to inherit his grandfather’s authority.

As a result, he had joined his father in a conquering war while still the crown prince.

And as soon as he came back from the war, he slaughtered all his half-brothers and ascended to the throne……

‘Did he have any wives?’

There is no way a monarch who embarked on a conquering war could be without a wife.

Marriage was the easiest and toughest bond to make when the two powers formed an alliance.

Nothing is wrong with political marriage.

‘He might even have children.’

However, no matter how hard I looked, no woman was related to him.

Not a single person.

‘Why……how can there be no one?’

The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

A frightening tyrant that is obsessed with blood and spends his time prowling around the battlefield!

A war maniac who has no regard for women!

There was a rumor that he was ugly, but no one had ever seen his face!

‘I think I’ve seen this setting a lot before.’

The typical…… romance novel’s male lead……?

‘No, I really don’t understand.’

Why does this person only become the supporting character?

Because not only that, his body and his face totally unmatched for a supporting actor!

That’s how I spent a half-day studying like a sick chicken.

My mind was still full of question marks.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

“My lady, the commander has stated that he would want to have dinner with you.”

“Alright.”

The deer horn ornament on the wall in the corridor leading to the dining hall caught my sight and shocked me.

“What’s the matter, my lady?”

“Ah, no. Nothing.”

I calmed down when I saw Penny’s frightened expression.

‘Right, this is not the time for me to be concerned about Valhail.’

The spiteful Camilla is gnashing her teeth, Cedric is on the verge of dying, and Count Crawford’s family is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Whether he’s a tyrant or war maniac…

‘He’s going to leave anyway.’

In the original plot of <Bound of Salvation>, Valhail revealed his name to Shannon and departed to the principality.

Because he had recovered his memories.

There was no explanation of how he regained his recollection. So I was unaware of it.

What was important to me was that Valhail would return to the principality once he regained his memories.

Though it is unsettling that he is clinging to me this time…… He’ll lose interest in me once he recognizes himself as Valtho Heinrich.

Why?

‘Because he is the king.’

Valtho Heinrich was a monarch with a clear cause.

And he would take Shannon to the principality because Shannon would die if he didn’t.

‘That thing would never happen to me.’

I’ll proceed to the capital, and he’ll return to the principality.

Isn’t this a natural breakup?

‘That’s right.’

That was the only conclusion I could reach after much deliberation.

‘Let’s just be nice to him until he gets his memories back and leaves. Yes. That’s all I need to do.’