Chapter 44

“Navia, that child is disturbing!”

He heartlessly abandoned Navia.

“Actually, that child has a problem. The storm that happened yesterday was caused by my son who was caught up in that child’s vicious pranks.”

Nikan was cutting its tail.

‘Just like the child said.’

Suleiman’s expression, which had no movement, became cold.

As expected, that child’s dangerous.

It was when that thought was going through.

“Even if she’s my foster daughter, I tried to correct her behavior like she was my real daughter… but since it became like this, there’s nothing I can do now.”

“You’re saying this was actually the work of your foster daughter?”

“Wood is an innocent child. He was almost killed time by time because of Navia’s tricks.”

Nikan apologized politely with a distressed look on his face.

“I sincerely apologize for causing trouble to the Eseled family because of my house’s affairs. This is a sin needed to be repaid for life, I will pay back financially.”

Poorly skilled contractors and Wood couldn’t have hurt a single strand of hair on Eseled.

But, it was the kind of thing that could be done smoothly if Navia’s life was given up and a sufficient financial compensation was promised.

As long as Nikan kept a low profile and a cooperative attitude, pursuing more would be excessive.

Since he’s pushed all the wrongdoings onto Navia.

Nikan expected that Suleiman would show bewilderedness even though he knew the truth.

But Suleiman expression stayed the same.

He moved his cane as if Nikan had finished talking.

“Are you saying Princess Navia Agnes will be passed to our jurisdiction?”

“Of course. That kind of wicked woman is not an Agnes. I will report this to the Emperor today and soon drop her from the family.”

Suleiman nodded when he heard the answer he wanted.

“Then we will organize this part and send a messenger to the palace from our side.”

Nikan smiled brightly.

Although it was a pity to lose Navia, he didn’t feel much as little property could always be lost.

“It’s nice that the conversation went well. I would like to make a formal apology to Duke Eseled… is that possible?”

Nikan threw the bait with the intention of properly infiltrating the Eseled Duchy.

Suleiman twisted his lips for the first time and smiled slightly.

“Well, if Duke Agnes is really okay with it, we will invite you.”

At the ambiguous words, Nikan paused, unable to speak. Suleiman continued,

“Then take Young Master Agnes. I’ll take the contractor’s bodies.”

Nikan glanced at the pile of corpses with slightly reluctant eyes.

‘There aren’t any other problems, right?’

He nodded and took care of Wood with a forced smile.

Blood was the most important thing anyway.

Suleiman fixed his hat and spoke,

“Then, when will be a good time to formally report this matter to the Emperor and sign it in writing?”

“I will get back to you within a week.”

“I understand. I will get back to you too.”

As Suleiman climbed into the carriage, Nikan apologized with a look of abomination with success.

“I am sorry about today. Get home safely.”

Eseled’s carriage started to slowly make its way through the snow.

Nikan stared at the carriage and turned his head in annoyance with falling eyes.

“What are you doing! Attend Wood right now!”

“Yes.”

Nikan strode into the mansion with a stretcher carrying his son.

‘I’d better take care of Navia first, just in case.’

It was time for a professional assassin, not a sloppy mercenary.

“I have to go to the Imperial Palace.”

Nikan suddenly remembered Edward as he spoke while putting on his coat again.

“Where’s Mr. Spencer?”

“I showed him to the drawing room.”

“Tell him I’m sorry but the dinner tonight will be postponed.”

“I understand.”

Although Nikan may lose some face in the process of overturning his plans with Navia, which he told to the Emperor and Empress today, he considered such an error to be nothing.

The important thing was that Vivian’s illness was healed and that she will be the future Empress who will produce the next Emperor.

There may be another way to swallow Eseled.

‘Yes. That’s it.’

Nikan set out for the Imperial Palace.

***

Suleiman headed to the third floor as soon as he returned to Eseled to report his business.

In a short period of time, the white snow that piled up on his black coat melted away.

‘It’s already snowing in November.’

Snow in November and a mysterious girl from Agnes.

Today was a strange day.

‘Is it a good thing that Nikan told me that I could kill his foster daughter?’

That didn’t mean he’s going to kill that poor girl.

Just as soon as the treatment was over, he planned to get her out of the duchy.

A year. What was the Lord thinking in allowing it?

‘I don’t think he helped her because he felt sorry for her…’

Still, he thought it would be reasonable to give such a measure as there was profit gained from the girl.

“Ha… still, was the big fire put out?”

Duke Eseled did not use any servants, so he was able to set low labor costs.

One problem was the soldiers.

‘We’re at our limits of maintaining the soldiers now.’

Until now, they were maintained by dispatching Duke Eseled’s soldiers to the border with compensation from the Empire.

But that was also about to be blocked.

‘The Imperial family said they would no longer borrow Eseled’s hand…’

There was a high probability that Theorban’s breath would have touched it.

Eseled’s soldiers were not ordinary wizards. They’re Eseled’s strong knights grown through Eseled’s magic.

It was dangerous to let the powerful army glow into the hands of others.

‘Especially Theorban.’

Most of the families would have been wiped out if the soldiers fought a territory battle.

But Lark was indifferent.

He blocked all possibilities of ‘forever,’ as if he were about to die.

You don’t have the money to keep your men alive?

If so, he would dissolute the soldiers without mercy.

“……”

Suleiman rubbed around his wrinkled eyes with a tired look.

He wanted Lark to to be attached to something. He wanted him to live like a human being. He is able to do that.

Actually, his feelings are closer to those of a Father towards their son rather than to a Master’s.

Maybe he couldn’t help but feel that way after spending 23 years together.

He still couldn’t forget the brilliant performance of a seven-year-old who suddenly appeared and led the war against the Allied Army undefeated.

Outside, the undefeated march was known to have been credited to Suleiman and Margaret, but the reality was different.

That was Lark’s achievement.

“Do you think people will believe the fact that I did it?”

The boy snickered at him when he was advised to reveal the truth.

“I don’t care about that. I’m interested in you and you, you two.”

Lark spoke proudly with his legs crossed.

“Pledge your loyalty to me. You’re going to do it anyway, so just do it early.”

Until then, Lark definitely had the smell of living, even if it wasn’t the smell of a human being.

When did he change?

‘Eight-years-old.’

Yes. Lark suddenly changed from the age of eight.

The Duchy was dyed in black and Lark trapped himself in it.

“Why don’t you go outside?”

“Do you know the fairytale about a prince trapped in a castle who turns into a monster?”

“Why a fairytale suddenly…?”

“You can roughly think that it’s similar to that.”

The boy was strange.

Without taking a step outside, he was mastering the world as if he had a clairvoyance.

Those who swore allegiance to Lark had dimly approached his secret.

Their Lord’s beyond human, and perhaps, that’s why he can’t leave the mansion.

If Navia wasn’t Nikan’s foster daughter, Suleiman would have cherished her without doubt.

‘I have a reason to protect the Duchy.’

This was their home. It was natural to remove risk that could destroy the home.

Knock knock.

“Lord, I’m coming in.”

Suleiman opened the door and entered without waiting for permission.

That’s because he knew that Lark wasn’t interest in anything like that anyway.

“I’ve taken care of it as you asked. He said he would hand over his foster daughter’s disposition to us.”

Lark raised his hand as if he knew without making eye contact.

“Then what are you going to do with that child now?”

At that, Lark spoke,

“I told you. Leave her for a year.”

Suleiman tilted his head.

Are you really going to accept that ridiculous deal?

“Having that child will do more harm than good. The label that she used to be Nikan Agnes’ foster daughter will follow her to her death.”

That means that no matter how many children Nikan adopts, people would change their words like flipping the palm of their hand if they show any signs of embracing Navia.

The shameless act will be done like water flowing from the top with consent of the Imperial family.

“They’re going to put Miss Navia in Eseled. And they will marry their son to Miss Navia to swallow Eseled.”

What would happen when Navia stays here is obvious.

There were times when he didn’t know what was going on in the world, but there were times when he had to suffer even though he knew.

That was the case now.

A year was enough to do so if willing.

Suleiman thought about what to do with Navia.

“That’s why the child also has her ideas, when she turns 15, she’ll isolate herself from the family and become independent.”

Suleiman shut his mouth.

Thinking of it, this situation was strange from the beginning. Like…

‘Was this planned from the beginning?’

You didn’t just improvise because of a sudden incident?

No, whether it was improvised or planned, it didn’t make any sense.

It’s not something an ordinary eight-year-old, other than Lark, could do!

‘Why didn’t I realize that before?’

Suleiman felt goosebumps all the way down his spine.

“…I will leave now.”

It will be bad if the child continues to stay under the Duke’s roof.

Click.

Suleiman left Lark’s bedroom as his expression hardened.

“I can’t go easy on you if you’re a threat.”

First, he was going to dig into reality with his own eyes.