Chapter 41: Honorary Count Deon Hart

Wow. Just wow… The Crown Prince really is something else. So much for being honest.

Looking at him now, it’s clear he’s a sly fox through and through. I definitely need to steer clear of the Imperial Palace in the future.

Feeling like a fish on a hook, I was still reeling when I caught the stern gaze of General Nemesius and hurriedly nodded.

‘Goodness, that loyalty is terrifying.’

It’s no wonder he’s the Empire’s premier hero.

His devotion to the Emperor and the recognized imperial family was renowned throughout the Empire.

“Well then, I should be going. I came on a bit of a whim, so I can’t be away for too long. No need to see me out.”

“Ah, yes. Goodbye….”

Wait a minute, if the Crown Prince leaves now, doesn’t that mean I’ll be left alone with that fearsome General?

I glanced sideways at the man who had stood like a silent sentinel while the Crown Prince and I were talking.

Yep, still looking scary.

I could easily imagine the atmosphere after the Crown Prince left, and a dry swallow escaped me.

Maybe it would be better if the Crown Prince stayed….

“…Please, go ahead….”

But how could I possibly dare to detain the Empire’s Crown Prince? In the end, I reluctantly saw him off.

Once the Crown Prince was gone, the burly man who had been standing motionless finally took a seat.

The anticipated silence descended.

…

…

I can’t breathe.

Unable to decide what to do, I simply kept sweating and subtly averted my gaze from his direct stare. The unpleasantness radiating from his eyes made it impossible to do otherwise.

I don’t understand why this man dislikes me so much.

No, rather than dislike… perhaps ‘detest’ is more accurate. In any case, it’s clear he harbors negative feelings towards me.

This uncomfortable silence, seemingly prolonged by my inability to initiate conversation, was finally broken after several minutes.

“It’s been a while since we’ve exchanged greetings like this.”

“Yes… That’s right, General.”

“Are you feeling well?”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

“I see.”

The air shifted. As if to signal the end of trivial talk, the General’s gaze changed.

He straightened his back. Even seated, his considerable height made the difference in our eye levels obvious. His deep voice resonated.

“Before we discuss the purpose of my visit, allow me a few questions. I understand only one Revolutionary Army member was captured.”

“That’s correct.”

“And there were three who attacked.”

“That is also correct.”

“Of those, two are dead.”

Something about this feels unsettling….

It feels like I’m being interrogated, but the facts are correct. I tried to ignore the faint alarm bells ringing in my head and nodded.

At that moment, the General’s eyes flashed sharply.

“The report states one died in an explosion, but the other’s death is rather vague.”

“…Uh….”

“So, let me ask. How did the other one die?”

***

Nemesius scrutinized Deon Hart with sharp eyes, as if determined not to miss a single detail.

His gaze seemed less about genuine inquiry and more about testing Deon Hart’s response.

Truthfully, he had a good idea of the cause. He was simply interested in the answer.

Deon Hart hesitated, looking flustered. Even that seemed contrived, and Nemesius’ brow furrowed slightly.

Nemesius wasn’t the kind of narrow-minded person who disliked someone without reason. He had valid reasons for his dislike of Deon Hart.

Who else had witnessed Deon Hart’s transformation during the eight-year war firsthand?

Nemesius had been observing Deon Hart even before he became a vanguard commander.

As such, he was one of the few who knew the truth behind Deon Hart’s drastic personality shift,

And therefore,

‘Simply ‘dislike’ wouldn’t accurately describe it.’

The weight of his feelings matched the gravity of the truth.

However, he couldn’t continue to harbor such strong negative feelings toward someone who had become a hero.

It had been two years since the war ended, so he’d hoped things might have improved, prompting this direct visit.

“…Coincidentally, I wasn’t present at the time, so I don’t know the specifics. However, I was told they were mauled by stray dogs.”

—Nothing had changed.

“…Is that so.”

Without another word, he stood.

Deon Hart’s mindset was still stuck in the past, during the war, and Nemesius wasn’t one to offer second chances.

He hardened his previously wavering resolve and finalized his pending judgment.

Deon Hart was a dangerous element.

‘We cannot allow such a man near His Majesty.’

Stray dogs on the Hart Count Estate’s grounds? That was preposterous. He needed to come up with a believable lie.

Nemesius guessed that Deon Hart himself was the one who killed him.

He must have exploited his convenient ‘personality.’ It was a personality that seemed sickeningly convenient as always.

“Understood. Then let’s proceed with the main purpose of my visit.”

He knew Deon Hart wasn’t evil. He also knew that weakness wasn’t a crime in itself.

However, hadn’t His Majesty himself said:

‘Even if the crime is the same, its weight differs depending on one’s position, and things that are not usually crimes can become crimes depending on one’s position.’

The weakness of someone in a position of power becomes a disaster for those beneath them.

His own liege had taught him this, yet how could he keep such a man by his side?

As a knight serving the Emperor, Nemesius’s options were extremely limited, so he simply resolved to try persuading him once more as he glared at Deon Hart.

His eyes gleamed coldly as he began to state the purpose of his visit in a businesslike tone.

***

Honestly, I was a little taken aback.

Asking about the cause of death of a Revolutionary Army member? From the Empire’s perspective, weren’t they expendable?

Besides, I don’t know why that guy died. When I checked the prison later, there was only one left, and when I asked about it, all I got was ‘stray dogs mauled him.’

Rememver’s expression was odd when he said it, but I didn’t pay it much mind.

When it came to Revolutionary Army deaths, as long as there was one to interrogate, no one cared about the others.

That must be why Rememver didn’t go into detail.

My hesitation caused the General’s brow to furrow slightly.

His displeasure was evident, and I forced my reluctant lips to move, twisting into a strained smile.

“Coincidentally, I wasn’t present at the time, so I don’t know the specifics. However, I was told they were mauled by stray dogs.”

“…Is that so.”

After a brief silence, that simple reply was all I received.

A myriad of complex emotions seemed compressed within those words, and I tilted my head questioningly for a moment before the General stood. As I rose as well, my gaze happened to meet his.

I saw his coldly indifferent eyes.

…Seriously, why?!

“Understood. Then let’s proceed with the main purpose of my visit.”

His unfathomable attitude baffled me, but the change of topic prevented me from asking.

I kept my mouth shut as a purely businesslike voice continued.

“His Majesty wishes to take custody of the Revolutionary Army member you captured. The goal is to locate and completely eradicate their headquarters.”

“Underst….”

“Of course.”

He cut me off!

“Since you were the one who captured him, His Majesty said you don’t have to hand him over if you don’t wish to. That’s why he’s conveying this message through me rather than an imperial decree.”

“…Is that so? I’m honored.”

But that wasn’t a statement important enough to warrant interrupting me.

Since the Emperor wanted to take him, I had every intention of handing him over without protest.

Why would I object to getting rid of baggage that wasn’t particularly useful anyway? I could even gain favor with the Emperor this way, so giving him up was much more advantageous.

Furthermore, whether it’s revenge or a complete eradication, the Emperor’s side would have a higher chance of success than I would.

Instead of saying all that, I pulled the cord for the reception room’s attendant.

“Bring the Revolutionary Army member here.”

“No. Take him to the mansion entrance.”

“Pardon? Yes, I understand. Take him to the mansion entrance, not here.”

The General headed towards the door without hesitation.

Seeing his clear intention to leave, I cautiously inquired.

“Are you leaving already?”

“There’s no longer any reason for me to remain here.”

“I’ll see you to the main gate.”

“I’m aware of how busy you are.”

A clear refusal. I inwardly shrugged and backed down.

Well, even if I followed him, there wouldn’t be any conversation, just an oppressive atmosphere. And considering the pile of paperwork I needed to deal with, seeing him off was definitely inefficient.

I’d be better off handling paperwork with Rememver during that time.

Ugh, paperwork… Just thinking about it makes me feel stressed. This is maddening.

“Goodbye then.”

“Farewell.”

With that dry farewell, the General left the room.

Only after the door closed did I collapse onto the plush sofa, completely drained.

“It’s over…!”

I thought I was going to suffocate.

If this kind of day repeats itself, I might have a nervous breakdown. No, I definitely will. It would be strange if I didn’t.

After zoning out for a while to recover my depleted mental energy, I sluggishly got to my feet.

‘I should go back to dealing with that paperwork….’

It’s awful, but avoiding it will only lead to more accumulated documents. There’s no way around it.

Ugh, I really don’t want to. Should I just run away to the Demon Realm?

With a deep sigh, I forced my reluctant feet to move.

***

Aside from the visit from the Crown Prince and General Nemesius, the day was progressing much like any other.

…Let me be clear. It ‘was’ progressing.

If it weren’t for the knock on the door while I was dealing with the cursed paperwork, I might have managed to finish the day relatively peacefully.

Thump! Thump!

Knock knock.

“Count, are you in—”

“Nooooo! Stop!!”

“Won’t you let go of my hand?! You guys started it!”

“Are you really going to make a fuss over something like this? You’re a knight, don’t be so petty! We’re practically family!”

“We are not family!”

What in the world is this now?

I buried my face in my hands, looking at Rememver’s placid smile.

It seems I’ll never have a peaceful day in my life.

Judging by the voices, one of them is one of the mad dogs, and the other is one of the knights from my estate….

It’s obvious which one is the problem.

‘If I go to the Imperial Palace, the first thing I’m going to do is demand they take these guys back. I mean it this time.’

Those Killer Knights.

If it weren’t for those guys, the usually quiet knights of my estate wouldn’t be coming to my office.

“Come in.”

“Nooooo!”

“Excuse me.”

The door burst open,

…

Slam!

…and closed.

The commotion resumed outside the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Are you really going to tell him?”

“Would I lie about something like this?!”

“Ugh, fine, we messed up, so just let it slide this once.”

“Your apology lacks sincerity.”

The door swung open again, and a knight entered, dragging one of the Killer Knights by his leg.

Ah, yes. A perfectly predictable situation.

‘Though, I didn’t quite anticipate this.’

I watched the documents near the door get scattered by the mad dog’s flailing and addressed Rememver, my hand gripping the pen tightly and trembling.

“…Please summon Sir Lien.”

“Understood.”

It seems he managed to catch the mention of Sir Lien amidst the chaos.

The fellow who had been clinging to the knight’s leg abruptly stood up and began dusting off his white uniform.

But it was too late. I coldly turned my head and called out to the knight who was watching the scene with a bewildered expression.

“So, what is it that brings you here….”

“Ah, representing all the knights of the estate, I humbly request that we can no longer be stationed with those men.”

“! ?”

Wasn’t that a little too direct?

More importantly, did I detect a strong emotional current in his words? Are they really that unbearable?

Well, I can understand.

“Speaking on behalf of the Killer Squad, no, the Killer Knights, I’m saying we can’t stand being around these prissy types!”

“Then leave.”

“We can’t do that!”

These bastards are impossible to like, no matter how hard you try.

Where’s Sir Lien? I need him to drag this one out already.

Ah, before that, I’m a little curious about what they did to make the knights say they couldn’t stand being with them. I looked back at the knight.

His name was probably Cain. …Right?

“Sir Cain.”

“Yes, Count.”

Looks like I got it right.

“What exactly did those guys do?”

The pleased expression he had upon hearing me remember his name instantly twisted into a grimace.

His face resembled a demon’s for a moment, startling me, before he apologized and composed himself, speaking with angry undertones.

“They ate all the meals meant for the estate knights.”

“…Huh?”