CH 74

“Ah.”

Karaf frowned slightly as he remembered that he had decided to have lunch with the nobles.

He wanted to enjoy the time alone with Asha and have a cordial conversation, but he felt that a distraction had appeared again.

The chamberlain looked at Asha and bowed politely.

“Lady Vanessa will have to come to lunch as well. Everyone is waiting.”

Asha suddenly recalled old memories thanks to those words, and she felt sick to her stomach.

Not long after the blossoming ceremony ended like now, she had lunch with nobles for the first time.

However, at that time, she was no different from a commoner who had just entered the palace, so she could not master table manners or court etiquette, and for that reason, she attracted the secret ridicule of many aristocrats.

Karaf watched Asha’s pale expression.

“I feel like I’m going to get sick, so let’s just pretend there was no lunch today.”

“What? But… but Your Majesty. The five nobles are already gathered in the dining room…”

The chamberlain was perplexed and sweating profusely, not knowing what to do.

No matter how rebellious an emperor he was, he would get a bad reputation if he didn’t go out on his whim after inviting the five families that contributed to the foundation.

Karaf sighed with an expressionless face and said.

“Even if you become emperor, you always have to do things you don’t want to do……”

He added, looking at Asha.

“But my empress doesn’t have to. I’ll make sure you don’t have to do what you don’t want to do in the future.”

At those words, both Asha and the chamberlain’s eyes widened.

Karaf said calmly.

“This lunch is sure to be uncomfortable, so the empress should not attend. I tell the nobles that you are resting because you are not feeling well. Rest assured, I will protect you in case of any inconvenience in the future.”

After he finished speaking, he quickly added, afraid that his words would sound like she was being held back in a different way.

“……If it’s unnecessary protection, tell me right away. I don’t want my arbitrariness to become more uncomfortable for the empress.”

Asha was taken aback for a moment by Karaf’s surprising change. 

If he had been like this in the past, she would have tried to dress up and take her place where she would be formally introduced as Vanessa.

In fact, he has been like that in the past as well.

Karaf remembered the nobles’ taunts leveled at her in the past and promised himself that from now on he would not expose Asha to them as little as possible.

He didn’t know that he forced Asha to attend the last tribute ceremony, but when he remembered her pale face, he was able to strengthen his mind.

“I’ll be back then.”

He left the room with a heroic face as if he were heading to a battlefield.

* * * * *

As soon as Jackal recovered from his injuries, he immediately prepared to leave the hideout. 

It was to keep his promise to Asha.

Sosa, who was ready to go out together, knocked on the door.

“Captain, the preparations are complete.”

“Okay. I’ll be out soon.”

Jackal tied up his shoulder-length hair and wrapped a waist support around his waist, hiding a silver dagger inside.

Likewise, fine metal fittings that can cut ropes are hidden in the soles of the shoes. It was because if they were caught alive, they had to escape.

His expression as he tied the laces on his leather shoes was very serious.

The two planned to visit the ethnic minority village.

He left the village before becoming an adult. And it’s been a long time since that time.

However, Jackal and Sosa did not go to their long-awaited hometown, instead, they felt as if they were entering the middle of the enemy lines.

The sunny sky was cloudy and windy as if something was about to happen.

As they were about to leave, Gabe came out from behind just as they were ready. 

Jackal and Sosa looked at each other curiously, and he said with a determined face.

“I’m going too.”

“What?”

“I think that my heart will only ease when I get rid of that traitor. Don’t stop me”

Gabe carried a bag full of dangerous weapons on his back like he was going to a battlefield.

The Lycaons who were seeing them off shook their heads at the sight.

While Gabe was imprisoned in the imperial palace, he constantly spat curses at two people, one was Karaf and the other was the traitorous Nasson Clan.

Cursing the emperor was one of the great insults, so Sosa made an effort to keep his mouth shut so as not to create a bigger problem.

Karaf’s direct order of knights stood guard in front of the prison, and it was really dangerous to curse the emperor in front of them.

Gabe then got even angrier at the Nasson Clan and cussed at them, saying he’d kill half of them if he got out of prison.

Sosa couldn’t even stop him.

Various kinds of swear words came out of his mouth colorfully, but if this was a hideout instead of a prison, he would have done it again like a drunk, which he thought was lucky among misfortunes.

Jackal stared at him and blocked his way.

“You stay here.”

“Captain!”

Gabe looked at him with his big, heavy backpack on his shoulder, his eyes wide as if that was unfair.

He had already packed everything, but now he doesn’t know how to stop him.

Jackal said, putting his thick hand on his shoulder as if he knew his heart.

“Protect Lycaon here instead of me and Sosa. I’m trusting you.”

Gabe’s eyes trembled. Jackal didn’t say anything else, he just looked seriously into his eyes.

He knew very well how to deal with Gabe, the epitome of simple ignorance.

However, he was really touched by Gabe’s behavior the other day, and he was determined to entrust Lycaon completely to him.

Gabe looked puzzled when suddenly the load on his shoulders was barely a backpack full of weapons.

Jackal drove a wedge.

“You’ll do well. If we both get into trouble, you’ll have to lead Lycaon. So put your revenge aside for a while. We’ll even get your share of revenge.”

Gabe lowered his head as well, giving up.

“…… Alright. But you must come back. As the captain already knows, I have a dirty temper, so I can’t be a leader. If you don’t want to see Lycaon ruined, you’ll have to come back soon..”

Jackal smiled slightly.

“Yes, I’ll be back.”

It was a precious second life given by Asha.

He never intended to die easily.

He could never die at will until he made her happy.

Jackal and Sosa’s faces when leaving were quite serious.

* * * * *

“Long time no see, Marquis de Iris. My God, you don’t look good.”

Someone said, arriving at the dining room in anticipation and looking at the Marquis de Iris sitting helplessly.

When he turned his head and looked towards the door, a pink-haired man was entering the restaurant with a smile as bright as a cherry blossom.

It was Duke Sihan Blossom.

“I heard that you brought the Lycaon leader directly to the palace. From your appearance, I see that you just got out of prison.”

The Marquis de Iris shuddered but turned his head away because he had nothing to say.

Just as he said, Karaf, crazed, threw him in jail.

It was because he was the decisive reason that Jackal was able to infiltrate the Imperial Palace.

Duke Sihan spoke at ease.

“Don’t be too heartbroken.  Well, things happen. You just came from the border, and of course, you didn’t know the situation of the capital and the palace.”

“Are you making fun of me…… Duke?”

“What do you mean… I’m just watching an interesting incident take place. Didn’t the marquis have an eye for excellent horses? I don’t know if you have a good eye for people.”

Sihan grinned back.

The sarcastic comment made the Marquis of Iris lower his head.

The other nobles snickered as well.

The Duke of Lilac did not join the two in their conversation, but he let out a silent grin as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

They knew very well that the Marquis de Iris had an inferiority complex and was jealous of the two dukes.

When he won His Majesty’s favor with just one excellent horse, he was in high spirits, but his appearance looked very ridiculous.

But it was then.

“Your Majesty is entering.”

At the chamberlain’s report, the dining room door was flung open.

Karaf walked with dignity making his uniform flutter.

The representatives of the 5 flower families stood up from their seats at the same time and bowed their heads.

“Sit down.”

Duke Sihan Blossom asked with a slightly curious face.

“Your Majesty, Lady Vanessa did not come?”

Other nobles stared at him with curious expressions.

They all seemed determined to find out more about Vanessa at this lunch.

Everyone in the empire already knew that Vanessa was not in an ordinary relationship with the Lycaon leader.

Furthermore, all the nobles knew that when she returned to the imperial palace, she was indeed captured along with the Lycaons.

Although she may not have left voluntarily, everyone assumed that Vanessa had at least the slightest thought of leaving the Emperor’s side.

No one was unaware of Karaf’s tyrannical nature and his nervous and impulsive nature.

They all secretly expected and laughed at the fact that it would not be easy to handle and love such a man.

Sihan said as if he was very sorry.

“There are no butterflies in the flower garden, so the flowers seem to have lost their vitality.”

The other nobles were stunned by the remark. 

They wanted to know how much the Butterfly knew about politics, if she was from the imperial faction, or if she was just playing nice with him for imperial power.

Karaf said flatly.

“The empress is not feeling well right now. She is a weak person, but her health seems to have deteriorated a lot while she was away. Of course, she was with those wild dogs, so she couldn’t be in good shape. She must have gotten more tired of holding the Flowering Ceremony twice, so please understand.”

Karaf spoke lightly as if everything that had happened so far was nothing.

But then, again, someone opened their mouth.

“…… I believe that Your Majesty must have been deeply saddened by this incident.”

The nobles looked in the direction of the sound.

Karaf also glanced in that direction. 

A blue-haired man was sitting where everyone could see him.

It was Count Kiam Delphinium.

Karaf’s expression hardened as he glanced at him.