“Ouch!”
The noise of knights running around treating Karl’s wounds combined with Valerie’s crying made such a racket that there was never such noise. Naturally, the child’s anxiety was escalating.
“Shh, be good. Come on, hush, I’m here. Shh……”
“I will go check on Miss Valerie. Miss, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine, Hannah.”
Karl had shielded me with his body.
Coincidentally, Karl had taken on the role of my shield. In the chaos immediately after the accident, I didn’t realize how odd it was, but upon reflection in the security office, Karl’s actions seemed quite strange.
‘The child’s mother is Celeste, and the child’s father might be that man.’
They had such a relationship. But when? How? No, more importantly…why?
Were Celeste and Karl really lovers? If so, it made sense that he would risk his life to save me. The male protagonist in novels would sacrifice everything for the woman he loves.
The transparent potion still sparkled in my eyes. Witnessing a truth unknown to anyone else was exhilarating. Too much information was pouring in all at once, and I had to handle it all alone!
I squinted my eyes as much as I could and dissected every part of Karl’s body. By narrowing my field of vision, the target became clearer.
His well-tailored suit was now covered in debris and had lost its original color, the blood drips mixing with the ash had made a mess of it.
But his protagonist buff was truly remarkable. Even with his disheveled appearance, he seemed like a shining sculpture, like a character in a movie with special effects on his face. His appearance was flawless, unblemished by bloodstains or ash.
That man was this baby’s father. The female protagonist made some child elsewhere, and then…
As I scrutinized him, one thought, rather amusingly, stood out:
Despite his disheveled appearance and messy hair, Karl Rudolf Johann Albrecht still looked remarkably handsome.
Considering Celeste’s depiction as extremely appearance-oriented, his level of attractiveness might have even sparked some love in Celeste.
So, did Celeste’s excessive admiration create a peculiar affection between them?
“…Whether that was true love, I’m not sure.”
“What? What are you saying, sir?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Are you really okay?”
Having raised all nine of my siblings on my own, it seemed entirely true. Valerie, who couldn’t calm down easily in my arms, stopped crying as Hannah embraced her.
The sound of the child’s crying, which had been bothering my ears all along, disappeared, and my mind gradually became clearer.
Yes. Celeste probably fell in love with Karl Albrecht’s handsome face first. Wasn’t that the case in the original?
Celeste had a separate lover named Franz, but she sometimes made efforts to attract Karl, the male protagonist, only to be rejected.
However, even if Celeste might have fallen in love with Karl’s face, there was no clear reason why Karl would reciprocate those feelings. He was described in the story as someone who would not be swayed by a woman’s appearance.
In other words, while Celeste had a high possibility of falling in love with Karl’s face, Karl was definitely not of the same opinion.
I gazed at the mirror on the opposite wall from where I was sitting. In it, there was a pretty woman with delicate violet hair. She had remarkable beauty befitting Celeste’s reputation as someone anyone, regardless of gender, would fall for.
Her eyes were large in her small face that could be covered by one hand. From her bridge-like nose to her delicate tip, there was an elegant curve resembling a button nose.
Her lips, sparkling with a natural shine even without any makeup, were said to be lips that beckoned for a kiss. In any case, they were so beautiful that one would never forget after seeing them once.
It sounds quite conceited coming from me, but that’s the truth. Celeste was set as the most beautiful woman in the world.
However, Karl valued inner beauty over outward appearance. He was not the type to be swayed by Celeste’s beauty.
Then, was it because of her inner qualities? That’s unlikely. Unless I’m wrong after being possessed, the original Celeste was almost a disaster in terms of personality.
“I really don’t know.”
The potion wouldn’t lie. The fact that a child was born ultimately meant there was such a relationship. So, the baby became decisive evidence that the two had shared a bed.
That hand must have touched this hand, and Celeste’s lips must have touched those lips…
“Count Louisette.”
“Yes, yes?”
Karl suddenly turned his head to look in my direction. He caught me peeking at him surreptitiously.
His face flushed as if I had revealed his thoughts, even though he didn’t know what I was thinking.
“The explosion earlier…”
“Inspector Rentum, from the Copfield Police!”
Fortunately, my embarrassment was interrupted by a slightly disheveled middle-aged man rushing in as the police officer. Everyone’s attention shifted to him as he loudly introduced himself, buttons undone on his uniform and water dripping from his hair, likely hurrying after falling asleep and quickly washing up at home.
You’re a member, you’re a Major General, and you’re absent as a group during business hours when you should be working, and that’s a serious offense. I’m sure the warden knows this. However, he would never have thought that the imperial family would show up unannounced in such a rural village. His earth-colored face was pitiful.
“Call for a councilor, and some laborers to help with the treatment…….”
“Yes, yes!”
The brown-haired knight, Clovis, who gave the warden’s attire a disapproving glance, immediately ordered a doctor to be summoned. It wasn’t the time to reprimand him for his lack of discipline, and he didn’t like it, but he seemed to let it slide.
As if he was just glad to be out of here, the Major General gave a curt salute and rushed out the door without looking back.
“Your Highness, I’ve sent for a doctor, but first I’ll give you as much first aid as I can.”
Karl nodded. Then he turned his gaze back to me and locked eyes. It was a different look than the first time we met.
What the hell, why is he looking at me like that?
Surely he didn’t see the spilled potion earlier?
My palms began to sweat.
***
“The capital of LaHart, the Duke’s palace.
The sun was shining brightly outside, but inside the mansion, it was dark as if it were midnight. Thick curtains covered the windows, indicating that the owner of this mansion lived a lifestyle where day and night were reversed.
“Your Highness, it’s morning.”
Breaking the silence, a middle-aged man with white hair pushed the curtains wide open.
“It’s time for you to wake up now.”
“Ugh….”
There was a stir on the bed. Disheveled, golden hair peeked out from the messy sheets.
“What time is it?”
“It’s noon.”
“It feels like dawn. Why are you waking me up so early, Schultz?”
“It may be noon, Your Highness. But it’s already past the second mealtime of the day.”
Schultz was the one who best understood the prince’s preferences at the Duke’s palace. In other words, he made sure not to disturb the owner’s rest unless absolutely necessary. So, he had opened the curtains, signaling that something urgent had come up.
The man was aware of it too. He let out an irritated sigh and sat up. The white blanket slid down his body as he got up.
In the sunlight that entered through the window, the man’s bare chest glistened. His well-toned body complemented his golden hair perfectly.
Schultz recalled the various nicknames that followed his master – LaHart’s Golden Rose, the Golden Jewel of the Royal Family, all praising his handsome appearance.
As the man got off the bed and grabbed his nightgown, he casually draped it on and sat at the table.
“Ah….”
A sip of water was the first thing in the morning. Though the physician always advised him to care for his health, the man’s choice was always a cigar to freshen up.
“So, what is it?”
Exhaling smoke heavily, he lazily threw the question not to Schultz but to a figure standing in the corner of the room.
“A message has arrived from Samuel in the South.”
Samuel from the South… Who was that again? Instead of answering, the man exhaled smoke again.
“He says the magic stone sent along with Count Louisette’s daughter has finally shown a reaction.”
Pause. The man’s gaze slowly turned away from the opposite side.
“Who?”
“Samuel was newly appointed half a year ago…”
“No. Did you just say ‘Louisette’?”
“Oh, yes. Your Highness. A disturbance was detected from the magic stone sent to Viscount Louisette.”
