Chapter 99

=====[Princess Ha-shal-leur Ai-shan Gi-or]=====

“Not only did you completely ruin someone else’s child, but you don’t even remember it!”

Gilbert shouted.

His flaring nostrils twitched, and saliva mixed with the smell of alcohol sprayed from his mouth.

Ha-shal-leur’s brow furrowed in displeasure.

Though it wasn’t visible to others since she still wore her veil.

“How dare you raise your voice in front of me? A mere baron, no less?”

Even though he was drunk, his rudeness was beyond measure, and Ha-shal-leur’s temper flared as well.

If this weren’t the Imperial Palace, she would have ripped out his tongue, cut off his limbs, and left him as a pig-like carcass.

She would have hung him on a spear, heading towards the land of Bernstein.

After slaughtering every living thing without leaving a single one, she would have captured his proud family and thrown them to the dogs.

Plucking out his eyes would have been the next step.

A chilling aura began to emanate from her body.

She was holding back to avoid causing a scene, but even her displeasure alone oozed with a sinister malice.

From behind the thick veil, a deep blue light began to glow.

It was like a mad tiger glaring, sending shivers down the spine.

Gilbert, who had unconsciously stepped back, felt ashamed of his retreat and grew even angrier.

Perhaps the alcohol coursing through his veins fueled such recklessness.

Or maybe it was the lingering pride of a father.

“No father wouldn’t be angry if his child was left in tatters!”

Gilbert recalled the image of his once-proud son, Kenneth.

Though not a genius, Kenneth had never lacked talent in magic.

Unlike his father, he had a noble demeanor.

On the day Kenneth was admitted to the academy with high marks, Gilbert celebrated alone in the study with wine.

He thought the day to pass on the Bernstein family wasn’t far off.

But that child returned home a wreck in just a few days.

Thanks to the academy’s treatment, there were no visible wounds.

However, ever since, Kenneth would scream and lock himself in his room at the sight of any woman.

Whether it was the maid, his sister, or even his own mother.

It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him.

He consulted priests in every way possible… but the only answer he got was that while physical wounds could heal, only time could mend the wounds of the mind.

His wife fell ill from grief, and his daughter sighed in worry for her brother.

Gilbert spent his days drunk, trying to find out who was responsible for this.

The academy gave no answers.

They only repeated that they bore no responsibility for accidents during training.

He learned the culprit today, through a noble from the Third Prince’s faction.

Apparently, his son had also been injured that day.

By that savage beast, Ai-shan Gi-or.

Gilbert glared at Ha-shal-leur.

Of course, Ha-shal-leur, who didn’t even remember Kenneth, couldn’t care less.

She merely thought, ‘At least he seems like a better father than Or-han,’ and brushed it off.

‘Since he’s acting like a father for his child, maybe I should just calm him down and send him away.’

For Ha-shal-leur, this was perhaps the first act of mercy she’d shown in years, though she honestly couldn’t remember.

“If your child is so precious, why not stop doing things that would make them sad?”

“What did you just say?”

“Well, if a father dies a dog’s death from reckless bravado, no child would be sad, right? So shut your mouth and leave, and I’ll let your rudeness slide this time.”

Gilbert trembled like an epileptic.

Ha-shal-leur nodded in satisfaction.

She thought that showing this much mercy would make this pig know his place and leave.

“You… crazy…!”

‘He’s not coming to his senses.’

Annoyed, Ha-shal-leur picked up a wine bottle.

She debated whether to smash it into his mouth or just drink it herself.

In the end, thirst won.

She could always break his mouth after finishing the bottle.

After downing the wine, Ha-shal-leur wiped her mouth and glared coldly at Gilbert.

“Watch your mouth before I rip out your tongue. Do you think the Imperial Palace will protect you forever?”

Frightened by the realistic threat, Gilbert took half a step back.

Then, gritting his teeth, he stepped forward again.

Even in her irritation, Ha-shal-leur couldn’t help but admire him.

It seemed like beneath that bulging belly was nothing but sheer guts.

“Are you going to kill me just for asking for an apology…! Go ahead, try it!”

“An apology? Why should I?”

Gilbert’s demand was incomprehensible to Ha-shal-leur.

“Because you turned someone into a wreck during a duel…!”

“A duel? Oh, that. That’s just because your kid was weak-minded.”

Ha-shal-leur said it casually, as if it were nothing. To her, it was ridiculous.

Getting injured during a duel was common on the plains.

Without priests or magicians, there was no way to treat serious injuries there.

Meanwhile, she had seen Westerners recover from near-fatal wounds multiple times.

She couldn’t understand why they were making such a fuss over something so trivial.

“You’re impossible…! Fine, this is my final warning. Either apologize to my son, or become an enemy of the Bernstein family. Choose!”

“Why should I listen to threats from those weaker than me? Here’s my final warning. Leave now if you want to live.”

Ha-shal-leur waved her hand dismissively. She had truly done her best to handle this.

Her patience was wearing thin.

“I won’t let this insult slide…!”

“Insult? The fact that you’re even speaking to me like this is the real insult.”

“Who do you think is standing in front of you?”

Gilbert, who had been trembling, gritted his teeth and turned his body. He muttered curses under his breath.

Unfortunately for Gilbert, Ha-shal-leur had very sharp ears.

“…A bastard born from a whore spreading her legs for savages…!”

At that moment, Ha-shal-leur made up her mind.

This guy had crossed the line.

There was no reason to hesitate. The one who had taken over her body had already been granted permission by the prince to act.

‘Clearly, this is how it’s done.’

Ha-shal-leur pulled off the glove on her left hand. But before that, she had one last question to ask.

“Baron. Who are your parents? …Are they still alive?”

“What…?!”

Gilbert, startled by the unexpected remark, turned around. Ha-shal-leur, holding a glove in her right hand, stared straight at him.

Her eyes burned with an intensity that no veil could hide.

“No… On second thought, I don’t need to know. If the outcome of the duel doesn’t satisfy me, they’ll crawl out on their own.”

“What nonsense are you—”

Gilbert’s words were cut short.

A person whose neck has been twisted seven times can’t speak.

Gilbert’s body twitched and convulsed before collapsing to the side. A heavy thud echoed through the balcony.

The glove that had struck his cheek shattered into fragments, scattering in the air.

The space between his legs darkened with a deep stain.

Disgusted by the foul smell, Ha-shal-leur kicked the corpse off the balcony and calmly walked away. Behind her, the sound of a leather balloon popping and people’s screams filled the air.

She didn’t care about the aftermath. The usurper would handle it. After all, her time in control was running out.

“What have you… done?”

Prince Leopold asked, unable to hide his shock.

“A duel. I won.”

With those words, Ha-shal-leur’s consciousness began to fade. Her body collapsed weakly.

==============

Gilbert’s death was ruled as an accidental fall. It was said that he, drunk, leaned against the balcony railing, slipped, and fell.

Everyone knew it wasn’t the truth, but there was no major backlash.

After all, the youngest master who had recently saved the capital and received a medal of honor directly from the Emperor couldn’t be tarnished by something as trivial as the murder of a mere baron.

It would only damage the royal family’s authority, which had just held a grand ceremony.

Since the Bernstein family was aligned with the third prince’s faction, it was only natural that Leopold would want to bury the incident. He had even said that duels were acceptable.

Of course, Leopold hadn’t expected the Ka`har’s duel method to be like that.

What surprised everyone more was the reaction from Ernst’s faction. Contrary to the nobles’ expectations that they would demand accountability for the murder, Isabella and Ernst remained silent. It was incomprehensible.

Leonor, on the other hand, was pleased. Though everyone kept quiet to preserve the princess’s dignity, she reportedly said, “That pig finally got what he deserved.”

In the end, the incident of Ha-shal-leur Medyan Ai-shan Gi-or killing a noble was quietly swept under the rug. Officially, at least.

—-

“Ugh… my head…”

I woke up in the bed of the special ward. As soon as I opened my eyes, I clutched my temples from the pain.

My head throbbed horribly, as if it had been crushed in a press and then inflated again.

What was I… doing again? My head hurts so much I can’t think…

Ah, right. I went to the banquet hall, met Claire and Leopold… yeah, I had a glass of wine. Did I really black out from just one glass?

No way, I’m not that weak with alcohol, am I? I don’t get it. Didn’t that guy Mersin say something about Hersela being strong with alcohol?

Wait, more importantly, did I cause some kind of trouble?

“Are you awake?”

I turned my head at the familiar voice.

Nigel stood by the bed, looking down at me with slightly cold eyes. It wasn’t contempt or anything like that, but more like… the look a mother gives her troublesome child.

Yeah, I definitely caused some trouble. I cautiously opened my mouth, removing my hand from my temple.

“Uh… I don’t remember anything. Did I cause some kind of trouble?”

“…Yes, you caused quite a scene.”

Nigel sighed and handed me a letter.

—-

I will definitely kill you.

– Bernstein.

—-

It was a letter filled with inexplicable hostility. …What on earth did I do?

“…What is this?”

“It’s a duel declaration from the Bernstein family. Probably written by the baroness herself.”

Bernstein? …Who’s that?