Chapter 18

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“Let’s see how heavy you are.”

“Ah! Brother! Let go of me!”

Julien struggled when Fabrice glared at Julien as he picked the boy in his arms. Still, a smile appeared on Julien’s face.

“You’re a lot heavier than last time.”

When Fabrice put Julien down, Julien replied proudly.

“Of course, brother! I’ve been eating a lot lately! Let’s ride a horse together.”

As Julien got on the horse with the attendant’s help, Fabrice jumped and got on his horse. Then they started going around the mage. Fabrice strolled, then kicked his feet and started running.

Julien and Fabrice had just come out of an outdoor horse racecourse at the back of the royal palace. Elliot was resting in a tent under a beautiful tree. He sat comfortably under the awning, sipping whiskey.

Julien’s condition has improved considerably recently, and the father and son had come outside together. Elliot smiled proudly at Julien’s appearance.

Wasn’t he always lying in his bed? He felt satisfied to see his youngest son laughing and chatting like his age.

The staff chief helped Elliot by saying kind words. It was a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere for the first time in a while.

“I am moved to tears because Prince Julien is so healthy, Your Majesty.”

The staff chief made a gesture of wiping tears with a handkerchief for nothing.

“Oh, my God, you’ve got a lot of tears, so you must be old.”

“Come to think of it, 40 years have already passed since I entered the palace.”

Elliot shook his head and glanced at the staff chief. A few strands of white hair remained on the crown of his bald head. Elliot and the staff chief had been together since the days when the top of their heads were full of hair.

Like the staff chief, he must have been old by now.

The futility of time approached.

“So, are you going to quit and return to your hometown?”

Elliot hinted at him.

“Don’t say that, Your Highness. I will support you until I die and lay in the coffin.”

Elliot smiled as if satisfied with the answer as the staff chief refused with a wave of his hand.

Meanwhile, Julien and Fabrice, who finished their horseback riding, tied up their horses and came to him.

“Father!”

“Our prince!”

Julien ran to Elliot.

Even though he was eight years old, Julien was in his father’s arms without hesitation. When Elliot held Julian in his arms, the child smelled of horse dung and sweat, and Elliot was happy to smell it.

Fabrice wiped off his sweat and sat down beside them.

Elliot looked at Fabrice.

Fabrice looked like him.

The same was true of personality as well as appearance.

“Father, can I have some crepes?”

“Sure.”

Elliot personally took out the crepes from the picnic box. It was Julien’s favourite food, with ham, vegetables, and apples. Fabrice was eating crepes while unbuttoning three of his shirt’s buttons.

“Let’s have a national wedding as soon as possible this time. Keep the engagement short.”

“Yes, alright.”

Despite Elliot’s absurd remarks, Fabrice answered without panicking. Because he thought there must be a reason for calling him to meet Julien today.

“Your grandfather was very worried.”

Fabrice took a sip of the juice and looked at Elliot. Most of the Duke’s worries were that Fabrice would not become the King. And 80% of the trouble was because of Elliot’s lukewarm attitude.

“I will be very careful.”

“If you like entertainment, there’s enough to do when you’re the King.”

“…Okay.”

Fabrice answered meekly. It was foolish to say no in front of the King.

Fabrice was suddenly afraid of how much his father knew about him.

“Father, is brother going to be the King?”

Julien, who was listening next to them, said.

“Maybe. Or, Julien, will our Prince be the King?”

Elliot said with a smile, wiping Julien’s chin with his handkerchief.

“If I become king, what will happen to my brother and the First Prince?”

At the child’s innocent question, Elliot stroked the tip of his chin.

“That’s right. Julien. There are three princes, but there will be only one King, so what should I do?”

“Um… can’t the three of us take turns doing this?”

Julien replied innocently.

“Haha, I guess so. That should be it. Our Prince is very smart, huh?”

Elliot smiled broadly. The courtiers also smiled happily.

After spending time outdoors, Elliot ran to a room located in the corner of the main palace with a recalled expression on his face. The room Elliot entered was just as ordinary as the other rooms looked from outside the door. But on the inside, it was different.

The room, made of three rooms, was stacked with exotic items that are not often seen in Valloise.

A candlestick made by cutting the horns of a buffalo was placed randomly on the table, and a large fox was hung on the ceiling next to it. And the headdress made of peacock feathers fell on the floor.

It was a dark place with an unknown scent.

Elliot went in without hesitation.

“Where are you?”

Elliot shouted and called someone.

There was no answerback.

Instead, a pointed, round object fell to the floor and slammed into his feet, making a thumping sound. It was a sheep’s skull. Elliot kicked the object without hesitation and went deeper.

Entering the innermost part, there were red insignia all around, and a three-tier platform was seen in the middle. It seemed to be a place for religious ceremonies. The woman, who was bowing and praying in front of him, had just finished the ceremony, and she took off her robe and greeted him.

She was a woman with an exotic appearance not often seen in Valloise. Most of the Vallois was tall with fair skin, the opposite of which was the woman. She had a small, toned-down body, dark skin and a low nose, small black eyes, and stiff hair.

“Did you have a good time?”

Saying so, the woman took Elliot’s coat and removed a stick with beads and a piece of paper written in unknown letters.

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“Of course. I wish you’d come with me.”

Elliot’s appearance as he took off his coat and the woman who was taking care of him was perfectly natural.

“Don’t you know that we hold a memorial service at this hour?”

The woman grinned at him lightly.

“I did. I want you to go with me next time. There are a lot of good places in the palace.”

“I will.”

“It’s a promise.”

Elliot said with a stern expression on his face.

“Okay.”

The woman snorted.

The woman naturally laid Elliot next to her and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing.

Elliot laid down and looked at the woman’s face, as if she were lovely.

Every time the buttons were released one by one, the fluffy chest hairs hidden in the navy shirt stuck out their heads.

“Then what shall we do today?”

“You know what I’m always curious about.”

The woman gently stroked Elliot’s shoulder and waited for him to speak.

“Huh? You know better. What is my wish?”

The woman massaged Elliot’s neck and head.

Elliot responded to her touch.

“You remain on the throne until you die.”

The woman answered instead of Elliot.

Elliot smiled as if satisfied with her answer. He naturally slipped his hand into the woman’s skirt.

It was a skirt that was open on both sides, a type of attire that could not be seen in Valloise.

“I don’t want to hand it over to anyone. You help me.”

The woman answered with a smile.

“I will make that wish come true. My lord.”

***

Denis was heading towards the central temple of Lubern.

Even if he was a prince of a country, there was someone he could not meet. Even if they met, they were someone who could not sit face to face and talk. That was Pope Felix Clair, Pope of Nateism.

Valloise had Nateism as the state religion, so all the people of Valloise believed in Nate. However, it had not been strong enough to overshadow the term “national religion.”

However, the atmosphere has changed since the current Pope came to power. Never in Valloise’s history has Nate been so revered.

A person who was more frugal, honest, and respectable than anyone else.

Maybe someone with more authority than the King.

He was the current Pope.

“The Holy Father is now in the prayer room. Could you please wait a moment?”

If he had not sent a letter to the Pope in advance, they would not have met today.

Denis clasped his hands together and posed as if in prayer while sitting in the chapel. No matter how unbelievable it was, he didn’t know what action was appropriate in the temple.

Denis closed his eyes and organized his thoughts. He had things to say and hear when he met the Pope today. As he closed his eyes, the sleepiness that had rested on the tip of his eyebrows seemed to subside. He hadn’t slept properly for weeks.

It’s been weeks since he didn’t see Tehez since the last split at the Marquis of Benchetrit’s mansion.

She didn’t come looking for him unless he found her first.

So, it means he hadn’t been to Tehez’s room for weeks.

The fact dawned on him.

‘Get your hands off. From now on, I’ll take care of it.’

What was the look on the woman’s face after he said that?

He felt stabbed by what he had said. The more conscious he became of her, the more he struggled to escape from her shadow.

It took him a day or two to fall asleep with twice as many sleeping candles as usual.

There were days when he lost all my physical strength through vigorous exercise and then fell asleep as if fainting. There were days when he gave up sleeping and worked all night.

It was pointless.

In the end, Sylvan was angry and shouted at him.

“If you stay like this, you will die, Prince! Just go and have her put you to bed!”

“Is that so? Then I’d be better off dead.”

At dawn, Denis sat down on a day bed in a hazy mind and answered with a sly smile.

He didn’t even drink a sip, but he felt drunk.

“Oh, really! I don’t know, then.”

Sylvan closed the door and left.

Denis raised one of his arms and placed it over his eyes, closing his eyes.

Nothing meant anything to him after losing his mother, who was the only meaning in his world. He wandered in the midst of meaninglessness and lethargy. He made up his mind to get revenge, but he knew that the dead would never come back alive. Those were the days he endured.

Between revenge and helplessness, or meaninglessness.

But the woman kept trying to mean something to him…

“The Holy Father said that his prayers are over. Follow me, this way.”

Denis awoke from his thoughts.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and seemed to have awakened a little.

With the guidance of the priest, he gradually entered the depths of the temple. When the priest opened the door, he saw an open room with a small table and chairs.

“Thank you for coming a long way.”

The Pope came first and sat down. He was an old man with fully grey hair.

He had been reigning as Pope for 30 years.

Denis straightened his expression.

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“No, Holy Father.”

(To be continued in the next episode)