CH 75

Count Delphinium was one of the main contributors in the past to the raid on the ethnic minority village and brought back a butterfly.

The scene of the massacre, which he had never seen before, seemed to unfold like a panorama.

Karaf didn’t dare imagine how scared Asha must have been at that moment, how desperate and guilty she must have felt before the villagers.

No wonder, in the last tribute ceremony, she was turning white looking at someone, and she seemed to be looking at Count Delphinium.

Karaf laughed bitterly at himself.

At that moment, he only cared about winning her heart, but he couldn’t see what kind of person she was uncomfortable with.

Karaf looked at him blankly and said.

“I am very grateful that the count thought of me a lot.”

Karaf didn’t appreciate it at all, but Kiam cheekily responded.

“It’s my pleasure, Your Majesty. I was really worried that Lady Vanessa might have gone looking for another flower.”

Some nobles hid their expressions by pretending to wipe their mouths with napkins at that daring remark, which was tantamount to saying that they were worried that the butterfly might have tricked him.

Karaf said, suppressing his rage inwardly, grabbing a knife and gracefully slicing the steak.

“I heard that social gatherings have increased significantly these days, but it seems that some aristocrats with nothing to do have been roaming the salons spreading such rumors.”

When he also answered directly, the mood at the table gradually subsided.

Everyone was looking at the tension rope that was taut between the two of them.

Count Kiam replied leisurely.

“I’m glad it’s just a rumor, but as one of those who are eagerly awaiting the news of Your Majesty’s blossoming, I would like to make a proposal to Your Majesty.”

“Proposal?”

Karaf looked at him with the look of asking him to try it.

“Yes. How about having another woman who can soothe Your Majesty’s heart? I remember that there were many decent women among the butterfly candidates during the Flower Banquet.”

“……Are you saying that Vanessa can’t soothe me?”

Karaf’s face darkened.

He then responded eloquently.

“Ah, I never meant to say that, Your Majesty. It just occurred to me that it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Your Majesty had one or two more women. There have been many cases in the history of emperors having concubines, so it’s not strange, right? The former emperor had many women by his side throughout his life…….”

Before he could finish speaking, Karaf suddenly hit the table with his fist.

The deafening noise caused everyone to open their eyes wide.

“…….”

There was a terrifying silence in the dining room.

Karaf said, calmly shaking his fist and wiping it on his handkerchief.

“Oh, sorry, you were talking. A fly flew around my plate.”

“…….”

Karaf held the edge of the table with both hands and looked up through the black hair that fell to his forehead.

“Don’t mind me, let’s keep eating.”　

As his eyes lit up like crazy, they all looked at the bowls in front of them and gulped.

The servants by the door were pale and kneeling when they heard the word fly.

It was a metaphor for Kiam, but if there really was a fly, it would be big trouble in its own way.

Karaf chewed the meat and spoke calmly.

“The meat is overcooked.”

The chefs rushed to take the plate and brought another steak with a bit of blood.

Even then, the silence continued in the dining room, as if they were sitting on cushions of thorns.

When the steak came out, Karaf settled back in his chair and calmly began to cut into the steak.

However, it made a squeak every time he moved the knife, and the blood from the meat pooled on the plate.

No one moved a spoon, which made the sound particularly horrible.

Karaf spoke calmly, concentrating only on the meat.

“Ah. Count Delphinium. I think you were talking, I’m sorry I interrupted you. So what were you talking about?”

Kiam couldn’t answer, just wiped the cold sweat from his face with a handkerchief.

Karaf immediately recognized his dirty intentions as soon as Kiam spoke.

His one and only daughter also participated in this flower banquet.

Of course, he couldn’t even remember what color dress his daughter was wearing or what she looked like because he didn’t even look at her, but Kiam Delphinium was an ambitious and power-hungry man. 

It seems that he firmly believed that his daughter would be the butterfly of this generation, and he couldn’t help but know that there were strange rumors that his daughter had a secret upbringing in the count’s residence.

He must have raised his daughter in a stricter and harsher environment. The more hardships and adversities she goes through, the more likely she is to turn into a butterfly.

Only to turn her into a butterfly and fly her to his side.

He had more hope in the fact that no woman with a butterfly pattern had yet appeared, and he believed that his daughter would turn into a butterfly on the day of the Flowering Ceremony.

However, on the day of the long-awaited flower banquet, it must have been very disturbing for him to hear that the butterfly had suddenly appeared and that she was an insignificant minority person.

In the past, when his daughter was not chosen as a butterfly, he immediately went out to subdue the minority village to make another contribution, but luckily he found a butterfly and offered her to the emperor.

When Karaf remembered his past self, who had promoted him from count to marquis and given him more power after he had made great contributions to the empire, he suddenly felt disgusted with himself and felt sick to his stomach.

What he hates the most are debauched people.

Because his father was such a person, the memory of making his mother, miserable and neglecting her, left him with indelible scars. 

So he never intended to have multiple women around him like his father. 

Karaf took the blood-dripping steak into his mouth and munched on it.

“The steak is amazing. The sliced meat tastes great.”

He took the last piece of meat to his mouth, rinsed his mouth roughly with wine, then put down his glass and said.

“Listen, everyone. I hate repeating things twice. I don’t need fake butterflies. In the future, if some fake butterflies or flies crave my sweet nectar, I will cut everyone’s throat like this steak. Do you get it?”

When he finished speaking, he took a glance at the nobles with his glowing red eyes.

His voice sounded like the growl of a beast.

The nobles swallowed at the terrifying impression that the flower was unbelievably a nightmare.

Even though it was a beautiful rose, it is really scary when it brings out its sharp thorns.

They all knew that he would stab his opponent with enough thorns to see him bleed.

Karaf looked at Kiam one last time.

“One more thing, Count Kiam. I have high standards, I’m not satisfied with a butterfly with an average appearance… Even if it’s your daughter.”

When Karaf raised the corners of his mouth and spoke in an openly dismissive tone, Kiam’s face turned red.

“Then let’s finish lunch. You all look hungry, eager to bite into your steaks.”

The nobles began to eat without saying a word.

No one said anything, and for a moment there was a heavy silence in the dining room except for the sound of cutlery hitting plates.

* * * * *

Jackal and Sosa ran for a long time until they reached the Minority Alliance Village.

As soon as they entered the village entrance, some people who recognized their faces shouted with wide eyes.

“It’s the kelpie clan……!”

The two of them were soon surrounded by villagers.

They didn’t look kindly on them, and anyone could overhear whispers here and there.

“……Why did these traitors crawl all the way here?”

“If you’re here to beg, get out of here!”

The men with grim faces openly shouted at them.

However, despite the unusual atmosphere, Jackal was calmly looking ahead.

“…… What is this ruckus?”

People moved to the sides upon hearing someone’s voice.

Chief Horak, who led the village officials, walked with authority.

He was a leader who also served as a priest in the village, and the officials next to him were the tribal chiefs of the other four clans, excluding the Kelpie clan among the five minority tribes.

Horak stopped some distance away and looked at Jackal.

“Look who we have here. Aren’t you the heir to the Kelpie clan? Oh no, I can’t call you heir anymore. You have abandoned your clan.”

Chief Horak’s eyes grew cold.

Jackal spoke to him calmly, ignoring the whisperers.

“I wanted to greet you first since I haven’t seen you in a while, but before that, please speak clearly, chief. I have only left the village, but I have never abandoned my clan.”

Sosa looked at Jackal’s profile with serious eyes.

The chief’s words saying that he abandoned his clan were wrong just because Jackal took Sosa with him when he left town.

Both men’s eyes were tense.

“What are you doing here then?”

“I came here because I have someone to hold accountable.”

The village chief frowned slightly.

“Take responsibility?”

“Yes. This time, the Nasson clan betrayed us with a single request. Thanks to that, Lycaon was captured and taken to the imperial palace and we were almost killed by the emperor.”

People began to murmur loudly.

Jackal confidently said, without blinking.

“Even though the Nasson clan is a minority, they tried to overthrow Lycaon in cooperation with the imperial palace, which was no different from an enemy. Not only that, but they also put the butterfly in danger. As the leader of Lycaon, I must hold them accountable and receive compensation for the false request.”

The village chief made a small groan as he was deeply troubled.

He was also well aware of the fact that this time a butterfly came from an ethnic minority.

Also, the day the Nasson clan betrayed Lycaon when the emperor released that person he confessed to him crying, so he knew exactly what had happened.

“If you came here to ask for an apology from us, we’ll do as you wish.”

“No.”

Jackal said, looking at him with a charismatic look.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t come back to this village just to get an apology or something.”

His words caused the people around him to murmur even more.

The village leader asked, wriggling slightly.

“Then, what did you come for?”