CH 128

The coffin was empty.

Richard looked at the empty coffin and turned his head to Michelle, who was frozen.

“What is this, Baron Sablen?”

“…….”

“I heard that Baron Sablen was going to retrieve the body… ”

Richard’s gaze fell coldly.

Michelle didn’t respond, but only chewed her innocent lips.

I didn’t know he was going to check it so recklessly, but it was a failure.

“Where is the body?”

“…….”

“Ah, did you even leave it behind in the northern castle?”

“……”

“That’s not true.”

Michelle, surprised by the sudden burst of informal speech, looked up at Richard.

It was a completely different look from the man who usually wore a noble mask and showed polite manners as if he was drawing respectful words.

It seemed that Richard had no intention of pretending to her any longer.

“Why can’t you say anything?”

Slowly scanning the coffin, he dropped his body without any hesitation and approached Michelle.

“… I was surprised and didn’t say anything. There must be something wrong, that the body is not here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I don’t know. I’m afraid there’s been some kind of mistake…”

“Mistake?”

The corner of Richard’s mouth slid upwards.

“Mistake. Yes, mistake.”

“…….”

“Without the body, the coffin would not have been very heavy either. And yet you didn’t notice?”

It felt as if his youthful voice became a cold blade and swept through her skin every time he spoke.

“It seems that the servants moving the coffin made a mistake because they were tired.”

But Richard didn’t seem to believe it at all.

Michelle turned pale, trying to keep up with Richard’s gaze.

“I will ask you one last time. Where is the body?”

Michelle’s complexion grew pale, but she did not back down and protested strongly.

“I have no idea what kind of rudeness this is! the sudden attack on my carriage, but, what the hell am I supposed to do with the body!”

“……”

Michelle glared at Richard with a anger.

“Does the temple even know about this?”

It was funny to see the cornered rat find a way to scare him away, as if trying to drive the lion away.

As always, no matter how much the rat rushes in, it can’t do anything to the lion.

‘Should I cut her?’

There was no reason to hesitate any longer.

Strength entered the hand holding the sword.

Richard tried to pull out the sword as it was.

If she doesn’t listen in words, shouldn’t I make her listen in other ways.

But at that moment, a thought flashed through Richard’s mind, and he withdrew his arm.

“I see. Excuse me.”

When Richard stepped down unexpectedly, Michelle had a puzzled expression on her face.

“It seems that I has become sensitive because it is a country where demon worshipers are raging. I hope Baron Sablen will forgive me with an open heart.”

The man’s behavior was too much to dismiss as mere sensitivity, but Michelle nodded quietly.

It’s a bad situation for her anyway, it’s right to keep her mouth shut.

‘Never let him know that Lina is alive.’

It was when Michelle was heading north to collect the body, crying for several days and upset her stomach.

A letter from Marquis Evantes arrived in a hurry for her.

Surprisingly, it was a note that Lina was still alive.

You don’t know how happy I was then.

‘I will never put Lina in danger again.’

In order to do that, I had to pretend to collect her body in the north first.

Because what was written in the letter was also about asking for help.

“For now, it seems that the body is not here, so we must go find it quickly.”

“… Yes, I think I must also go back to the northern castle urgently, Commander.”

Richard looked at her and smiled meaningfully.

“Yes. Go to the castle, Baron.”

“… Aren’t you going with me?”

“It doesn’t make sense to have multiple people looking at one place.”

Richard smiled at her and left.

As he disappeared, Michelle felt her legs draining all the time.

I clenched my fists tightly so as not to fall.

I still can’t forget the crazy blue eyes.

“Crazy bastard….”

She shuddered as she recalled the discomfort again.

*****

<Come to think of it, I heard that Marquis Evantes is leaving today too.>

It was a word that I didn’t listen to because I only thought about bringing Rosie’s body.

The sound of whispering around him strangely reverberated in Richard’s ear.

Perhaps…

He may be related.

Richard went off to find her again.

I’m sure I’ll find Rosie’s body and get it.

After that…

And then…

So after that….

I felt like I was sinking to the bottom again, but I couldn’t sit down yet.

He turned his head into the drooping trees as if his life had died out.

The pure white snow fell on the dry branches.

Even if you try not to think about it, the bad memories unfold before his eyes like illusions.

The moment Rosie was buried and died.

“Damn it…”

His hastily walking steps slowed down.

He wandered through the mountains for a long time, but his breath never wavered.

It just felt like I was falling into a swamp the more I walked.

At that time,

“Richard.”

The voice that had soaked him into the sweet swamp flew in like a butterfly.

He turned to the direction the voice came from, like a madman.

Pink hair like cherry blossoms fluttered in his vision.

If I buried my nose in that hair, it would smell like a fragrant flower.

Richard rolled his eyes and looked at her.

“… Rosie.”

She was standing in front of me.

He stared blankly at Rosie.

The northern sky, which was overcast with black clouds, did not light the ground below.

But when she smiled brightly, it seemed as if a ray of light came out like salvation.

Is this an illusion?

Created by his desires.

“Hug me, Richard.”

It was an irresistible word.

Illusion or whatever, it didn’t matter.

He approached as if possessed, Rosie clasped him in her arms.

A slender hand crawled up to his cheek and whispered.

“Kiss me.”

It was then that Richard realized.

This was no an illusion.

*****

Three years ago, when Rosie helped Yurtha escape in the harbor.

Yurtha tried to kill Dylan.

He was thinking of getting rid of his brother who had been nagging and annoying him right in front of his eyes.

But just before the knife cut off his throat, the moment the tip of the knife barely touched his neck. Yurtha changed his mind.

<Brother.>

Yurtha laughed significantly while calling Dylan.

<Isn’t brother more afraid of not seeing sister by your side than death?>

<What do you think?>

<I had a good idea.>

Yurtha laughed.

I thought of a way to present a painful life to the blood that gnawed at my flesh and gave me pain.

So Yurtha asked someone who could cast a curse.

<Brother, please listen to me from now on.>

<What kind of bullshit are you talking about?>

<From now on, I will curse you, brother.>

He wanted to tear Dylan’s mouth open when he was talking about Rose and himself not being destined.

But Yurtha did not.

Dylan stared at him with a smirk. Looking forward to rolling in the mud soon.

<The more you think of things related to sister, the more painful it will be for you.>

<……>

<Not only that, the pain is amplified when you are close to sister.>

Dylan’s eyes trembled slightly.

In the meantime, Rose has been relying on Dylan a lot, but in fact, in the relationship between the two, it is Dylan who suffers the most without her.

<What a crazy bastard….>

<I was originally crazy. So I’m going to try something more crazy.>

Yurtha smiled brightly.

<Do you think I’ll be docile?!>

<Okay. What kind of power does my brother have?>

Dylan resisted.

Those who want to protect their world and those who want to destroy it and make it their own.

Dylan resisted with all his might, and Yurtha crushed him.

And the winner was Yurtha.

Dylan is cursed.

<The curse does not end there. If you ignore the curse and stay with sister, you will go crazy someday.>

<… Crazy bastard.>

<I’m looking forward to the day my brother becomes a madman.>

Then my sister will no longer look down on me, right?

Now I’m the only one left with Rose.

Yurtha laughed brightly.

*****

“… Cough.”

Dylan, who was leaving the North, coughed.

When I removed the corner of my mouth that was covered with my palm, red blood came out on the leather glove.

“… Ugh.”

Dylan smiled sadly at the blood on my hands.

His curse began three years ago when Yurtha let go and returned to the mansion.

Just thinking about Rose makes the curse try to destroy him.

And yet, how can I…

Can I not think of Rose even for a moment?

If that’s the price, I’ll have to embrace this pain as well.

“Maybe someday I will become a madman.”

Saying so, Dylan laughed as if he had already gone crazy.

Even today, dark clouds engulfed the northern sky, and a flock of crows flew under the black clouds.