Chapter 37: Honorary Count Deon Hart

I did my best to keep the pudding in my mouth without letting my cheeks puff out. Usually, I’d be offended and turn away, but the Duke insisted on greeting me with a kind smile.

“This is our first time meeting face-to-face, isn’t it? A pleasure to meet you, Count Hart. I’ve heard many good things about you.”

“……”

“Count?”

The moment the Duke approached, Cruel took a step back, his gaze piercingly fixed on me.

Sir Lien’s face turned ashen, and the faces of those around us paled as well.

‘I know, I know.’

I’m well aware that a mere honorary count is daring to ignore the Duke!

This won’t do. I’ll end up making another unnecessary enemy. Even if it tears my throat, I need to swallow this and respond.

I hurriedly crammed the mouthful of pudding down my throat.

The moment I forced my Adam’s apple to move,

“Count-nim!”

“Cough!”

It was a tremendous assault.

The pudding that was halfway down resurfaced.

I stared blankly at the red liquid and chunks that had ruined the banquet hall floor, then cautiously addressed the person plastered to my back.

“Cough… Your Imperial Highness, the Princess…”

***

“It’s been a while, Duke Illuster.”

“Yes, Your Majesty… But…”

“You haven’t been around the Imperial Palace much lately. You must be very busy.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. But, Your Majesty…”

“Or is something the matter?”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. It’s just…”

“Ah, if you had personal matters, I apologize. My mistake.”

The Princess diverted the Count Hart’s attention, and the Crown Prince diverted the Duke’s attention.

All of this was planned on the spot the moment the Duke spoke to Count Hart.

Duke Illuster is the head of the noble faction. What good would come from him talking with Count Hart, the Emperor’s excellent sword? He must have some sinister motive.

The Crown Prince and the Princess intended to pull Count Hart away from that dark scheme.

But it seemed the Princess went a little too far.

“Your Imperial Highness, with all due respect, Honorary Count Hart is currently…”

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the Princess’s piercing scream echoed.

“Kyaa! Count-nim! Blood, there’s blood!”

“!?!”

I faintly heard Count Hart mutter, ‘No, this is…’, but his voice was drowned out by the commotion without making an impact.

It wasn’t just blood; there were even clots. No one could simply ignore that.

“Get the Imperial Physician!”

While hastily calling for the Imperial Physician, the Crown Prince glanced sideways at the Princess.

Seriously, you need to be more careful with your physical attacks from behind. I’ve told you repeatedly that Count Hart’s body is as fragile as glass due to the Demon King’s curse.

‘I understand wanting to win Count Hart over… but this was too much.’

Once this incident is resolved, I need to sit the Princess down and warn her again. With that resolve, the Crown Prince hurried over to Deon Hart.

***

“Kyaa! Count-nim! Blood, there’s blood!”

“No, this is…”

“Don’t speak.”

It’s not blood, it’s pudding…

Before I could explain, Sir Lien stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth.

Flustered, I struggled until I managed to pull her hand away. With a bewildered expression, I looked at the handkerchief stained with the distinctly sweet substance and turned my head.

The banquet hall was in chaos.

“Get the Imperial Physician!”

Starting with the Crown Prince calling for the Imperial Physician.

“What’s going on?”

Shit, even the Emperor.

Even the person following behind him is General Nemesius, the commander-in-chief during the Eight-Year War and my superior. I haven’t seen him recently, but how could I forget that scar across his face?

So, with the addition of the damned hero Cruel and Duke Starbe, it was safe to say that I had the attention of all the major figures in the Empire.

‘If I had actually coughed up blood, it wouldn’t be a huge problem…’

The problem is that this isn’t blood.

It seems they think the smell of blood is masked by the perfume in the banquet hall, but I don’t know what will happen when they find out the truth.

My heart felt like it was going to stop, and the Emperor’s mutter made it even worse.

“Is it because of the Demon King’s curse?”

No, I was never cursed by the Demon King in the first place.

The day I returned to the Imperial Palace carrying the Hero’s corpse, I coughed up blood in front of the Emperor due to exhaustion. Somehow, that became known as the Demon King’s curse, and that’s how it ended up like this…

‘Good heavens, isn’t that the Imperial Physician?’

Shit, shit, this is bad.

The real Imperial Physician has arrived.

***

The Imperial Physician was examining the patient with an unusually serious expression.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say his expression had frozen.

After all, His Imperial Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, Her Highness the Princess, Duke Illuster, the head of the noble faction, and even General Nemesius and the hero Cruel Hart were all intently watching his every move.

Moreover, the patient was the infamous hero Deon Hart, laden with fearsome titles.

If he did anything to displease them, his life wouldn’t be safe.

Therefore, he was examining him meticulously with all his might, filled with tension.

‘Why…’

Could there be nothing wrong?

Aside from being excessively weak, there was truly nothing wrong.

Even if he had vomited blood, there should be a fishy smell left, but surprisingly, there was no smell of blood.

At first, he thought it was masked by the perfume. This was a banquet hall filled with all sorts of perfumes.

He even thought the strong cherry scent emanating from him was the smell of perfume he’d picked up from somewhere.

‘But there’s no way he’d have a cherry scent in his mouth!’

To confirm whether he had really vomited blood, he slightly parted his lips, and a strong cherry scent wafted out instead of a bloody one.

That’s when the Imperial Physician was certain that Count Hart hadn’t vomited blood.

Then the problem was the red liquid and chunks that came out of his mouth…

‘Judging by the cherry scent, it must be related to cherries.’

Come to think of it, he remembered there was a cherry pudding among the desserts.

It seems like he choked on the pudding while eating it…

With a cold gaze, he watched the red chunks being cleaned up by the servants, then turned his attention back.

‘Should I say something?’

It was only a matter of time before the others realized.

At first, they were disoriented and couldn’t notice due to the strong perfume, but eventually, most of the people here had experienced blood.

Eudoardo Deserte, the tyrant who not only rose to the throne through a coup but also started the Eight-Year War almost immediately after his coronation, General Nemesius, the commander-in-chief of the Eight-Year War, and of course, the hero Cruel, who was inseparable from battle.

Having seen so much blood, they would be able to grasp the situation quickly if given a little time.

He was deep in thought when,

The Imperial Physician’s eyes inadvertently met the bright red eyes staring down at him.

‘……Hic!’

That was definitely a look that said he would be killed if he spoke the truth!

He reflexively gasped. The expressions of those around him, who took it seriously, darkened further, but the Imperial Physician had no time to care about that.

Should he lie to His Majesty, or risk death by telling the truth?

He pondered at the crossroads of life and death for a while,

“Y-You mentioned there was an attack on the way here. It seems the internal injuries sustained then, combined with fatigue, caused him to cough up blood.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and chose to save his life for the moment.

***

“Y-You mentioned there was an attack on the way here. It seems the internal injuries sustained then, combined with fatigue, caused him to cough up blood.”

I’m alive! It seems my desperate, pleading gaze worked.

He stuttered a bit, but the Imperial Physician skillfully covered it up.

Honestly, when he squeezed his eyes shut, I thought he was going to tell the truth and my heart sank.

Seriously, what would have happened if he had told the truth?

I would have been embarrassed, and I would have incurred the wrath of others, but more than that, I can’t even imagine the Emperor’s reaction.

He might have tried to kill me for contempt.

“There’s no way to treat it other than rest, so it would be best if you got plenty of rest…”

“I see.”

He replied nonchalantly and stood up from the chair he had been forcibly sitting on.

Finally, he’s getting up. It was so stressful, I was going crazy. They offered me a chair, saying the patient should sit, but unless you have nerves of steel, who could sit alone while the Imperial family is gathered?

Even the Emperor was standing!

If the Emperor hadn’t given the order, I would have stubbornly stood there and received the examination.

‘Anyway, it seems to be roughly resolved.’

Now I can use this as an excuse to go home. Surely they won’t try to hold onto a patient?

I turned towards the Emperor. I was about to bow lightly and say I was leaving when, unfortunately, my body was more tense than I thought.

So much so that my legs gave out!

My mind was definitely offering a flawless greeting to the Emperor. So why was my body collapsing forward?

Feeling my body helplessly crumble, I cursed inwardly.

‘Ah, damn it.’

I’m showing all sorts of undignified behavior in front of the Emperor. How ridiculous will the people in the banquet hall think I am?

Since I haven’t frequented high society, this incident will be firmly etched in their minds.

As the honorary count who tripped clumsily in front of the Emperor.

‘My social life is ruined.’

With that thought, I stared blankly at the floor getting closer.

–No.

‘It’s not getting closer?’

Does time usually flow this slowly?

Ah, is this a flashback? No, a flashback should bring back old memories.

Lost in various pointless thoughts, I finally realized after a few more seconds that someone was holding my arm.

Who is it? Among the people nearby who would catch me… Is it Sir Lien?

Regaining my balance, I followed the hand holding my arm with my gaze and opened my mouth.

“Tha…”

…nk you!

The words of gratitude that were about to come out vanished the moment I saw the person’s face.

The eyes that held goodwill, as befitting someone offering thanks, turned cold, and almost simultaneously, I recoiled with intense disgust, shaking off the hand that was supporting me.

“……”

“……”

In the heavy silence, Cruel looked silently between his hand and me before taking a step back. I bit my lip hard and stumbled back a couple of steps as well.

I didn’t want to go this far in front of the Emperor, but I couldn’t help it. This was a reflex.

I spent eight years on the battlefield, repeatedly dwelling on my hatred.

My disgust was deeply ingrained, to the point of being a conditioned response. How could I calmly accept his touch?

–Even if it was for my own good.

Fortunately, the silence was quickly broken.

“…Your condition seems quite poor. How about you return and rest?”

“My apologies.”

I readily bowed in respect.

The Emperor’s words were a dismissal often used by hosts at banquets.

Depending on the context, it could be an insult or a gesture of consideration. In my case, it was the latter.

Regardless of my feelings towards Cruel, the star of this banquet was Cruel, and the host was the Imperial family.

As such, the Emperor’s taking the initiative to lightly reprimand me for my rudeness, framing it as being ‘due to poor health,’ prevented anyone from openly criticizing me, averting what could have been a major issue.

The Emperor was definitely protecting me.

‘He’s a person who’s generous towards talented individuals.’

That’s why it feels even more burdensome. I’m not the talented individual you think I am.

I’m already dreading the Emperor’s reaction when that expectation bursts like a bubble.

The realization made my legs feel weak again, and I didn’t refuse Sir Lien’s support as she helped me quickly walk out of the banquet hall.

I intentionally ignored everything related to Cruel.