Chapter 122  

Luisen looked once more at Count Doubless. Though the count's expression was slightly stiff, a smile still lingered on his mouth–how impressive. Though the man must have been quite agitated, the young lord couldn't read the count's expressions.

‘As expected, it would be difficult to deal with him at my current strength,' the young lord thought.

He had plenty of questions for the count: Why are you doing this to me? What do you want? What are you currently scheming? Luisen thought he might divine some answers to those questions when he met Count Doubless in the castle but, looking at the man's face now, that seemed impossible.

Luisen was far too simple a man to deal with someone as complicated as the count. Regardless of the young lord's intelligence, the way they thought was far too different. Luisen felt as if he might be manipulated if he were to recklessly face the count.

So, let's just go home. Morrison, over there, was also shaking his head, signaling to stop the flow of needless information.

"I think this is enough to prove my innocence. What do you think, Count?"

"… Yes. It seems that I acted under a false report."

"Right. It's not wise to be so rash over baseless claims. I'll overlook today's impertinence since we met after so long today, but be cautious in the future."

"I'm grateful for your mercy, my Duke." Count Doubless bowed slightly. The count's knights, following their master, bowed their heads as well. There was no sincerity–merely surface courtesy. They had created such a vicious atmosphere, the sudden reversal in attitude, as if someone flipped their palm, in both master and knight was so disgusting.

"Enough. Then, I'll be going." Luisen was about to turn around, however Count Doubless mentioned something out of the blue.

"By the way, have you heard? There's a strong, growing sentiment that the Great Lord of the South should be changed. That the Great Lord should be a ‘Doubless' not ‘Anies.'"

Luisen was bewildered–why was he bringing this up all of a sudden? Was this mere provocation or an attempt to assert his own pride?

If this was provocation, then he had completely failed. Luisen thought little of whatever the count had said. He learned, from eavesdropping in the library, that the first prince was being manipulated by the count. This power-change discussion would naturally disappear if Count Doubless and the demon worshippers were executed and the prince was saved. That is to say, the Anies duchy would be restored through Luisen's efforts to destroy Count Doubless and demon worshippers.

"Ah, is that so?" Luisen replied apathetically.

"Is that your answer? Your duchy's authority is being threatened."

"Is it…being threatened?"

"Are you saying, ‘No matter what the Count does or how well the county does, it won't be a threat to the duchy?'" Count Doubless's face twisted with rage.

It was different from his usual composed noble demeanor or the cold expression he used when dealing with his fellow cult members. This was a more intimate, closer-to-his-nature look, as if the count had thrown off a mask and revealed his true face. His eyes glinted with hostility, carrying deep-seated resentment that had likely been festering for a long while.

Morrison and the Paladins instinctively gripped their sword hilts at the sudden change; Luisen swallowed dry saliva. He had lived for about 30 years if one counted his life before the regression. That wasn't a short amount of time, but it still wasn't long enough to build a grudge with a man that was a part of his father's generation.

The vitriol the count spewed was enough to make him involuntarily shrink back. However, simultaneously, he felt a strange sense of incompatibility… as if the count was talking past Luisen.

Regardless, the situation was dangerous. Despite being accompanied by the Paladins, they were still in the heart of the capital, amidst potential enemies. If Count Doubless suddenly snapped and launched an attack, Luisen and the Paladins would be helpless.

Luisen tried to look resolute, "That's not what I meant. I only meant that I believe in your and your territory's loyalty."

Was that an appropriate answer?Count Doubless exhaled, a sound that was part laughter, part lament. Something indecipherable. Then, with an intense gaze, he peered at Luisen's face, "You speak like the former Duke."

"Are you referring to my father?"

"Like father, like son."

"Thank you…for the compliment?"magic

"Did that sound like a compliment?"

"Huh?" Luisen's brain slowly started to hurt. ‘What in the world did he want to say? What did he mean? And why was he bringing up my father all of a sudden?'

Luisen shot an anxious look to Morrison when the young lord felt that he couldn't do this anymore. ‘Save me!'

Morrison approached–perhaps his desperate signaling worked.

The inquisitor opened his mouth, "My Duke, it's almost time for your questioning. I think you'll need to return to the mansion."

"Ah–ah, that's right. Yes. I have an appointment with a priest. For questioning. I'm a sinner now, after all. Well, I have to leave now. It was nice talking to you!" Luisen quickly whirled around.

The count's voice echoed from behind him, "Return home safely; we'll see each other soon."

‘Ayeesh–what kind of curse was that?'

Luisen wondered what sort of expression the count would wear, but he felt like he shouldn't turn around. So, he stubbornly looked forward, placing one step after another. With the Paladins following behind, no one stood in Luisen's way anymore.

"Haah." After mounting the carriage, the young lord sighed as if his blood pressure was finally lowering. Due to the thorough search, the interior of the carriage was in complete disarray. Luisen pressed at his eyes gently and recalled the count's actions.

Planting his own son as a spy, orchestrating the sequence of events that lead him to flee by foot, trying to kidnap him… Why would he concoct such intricate, complicated plans? The threads of motives, not entirely attributable to greed for power or fanatical devotion, left Luisen's mind in a whirl, as if any clue in hand would slip away instantly.

Perhaps it would all become clearer if he just talked to Carlton. His chest felt stuffy.

"Let's go to the mansion quickly," Luisen hastened the carriage driver. He missed his lover so much.

***

By the time the eerie feeling Count Doubless had given him had subsided, the carriage had arrived at the mansion. As soon as the carriage's door opened, Luisen jumped down. When he rushed through the front door, Carleton was in the first floor lobby.

It must have been a long time since the mercenary arrived, but he had been waiting for Luisen to return and didn't even change out of his clothes.

Tears in his eyes, Luisen jumped into Carlton's arms; they didn't look at each other right away. The tenderness between them was even stronger than before due to the fact that they had to separate as soon as they met. Merely embracing wasn't enough–Carlton, feeling overwhelmed with emotions, held Luisen tight and spun him around.

Morrison, who entered the lobby belatedly, applauded at the touching reunion. The deputy chancellor, who had been looking awkwardly at Luisen and Carlton's tight hugs, gave Morrison a stunned stare.

Morrison's applause brought Luisen back to his senses.

"Carlton! Let me down! Your arm is injured!" Luisen tapped the mercenary on the back. Only then did Carlton regretfully place his lover back down on the ground. Startled, Luisen checked the mercenary's body. Sure enough, there was a faint bloodstain on his left arm. "You're bleeding! How injured are you? You should've gotten treatment first!"

"I left my Duke there and returned on my own–how could I leave the entrance."

"Still! Let's get you treated first. What about other places? Are you hurt anywhere else? Your clothes are absolutely tattered and filthy!" Luisen grabbed Carlton's right arm and headed for his–the lord's–bedroom. Carlton's lieutenant and Ennis followed behind.

Carlton sat on the sofa and took off his shirt. Old wounds and new wounds littered his torso, and his left arm bore particularly severe injuries.

Morrison examined Carlton's wounds; meanwhile, Luisen held Carlton's right hand in both of his while he watched his lover getting treated. Carlton began to recount his side of the story from when he met with the first prince to his disappearance.

After breaking the window in the Audience Chamber and escaping, Carlton's situation had become dire. His injuries were serious, and, while the entire palace was searching for him, he was stuck in a precarious position within the palace's confines. In his current state, breaking through the strict surveillance and leaving the palace was impossible. Just as he thought, ‘am I going to be caught?'… Just when he was cornered, luck was on his side.

He had collapsed for a while in an empty room to escape pursuit and, by chance, he found a secret passage hidden behind the furniture.

Thanks to the secret passage, Carlton managed to hold on by stealing herbs while keeping out of the public eye; there, he was able to staunch his wounds and steal water and food.

"You should have come to me–I'm the only one who would've helped you in the castle." Ennis complained.

"I know. But, if you got caught helping me, we both wouldn't have had a way to ask for help from the outside." Carlton shrugged his shoulders.

He had established a hideout since he knew rescue would come eventually. In the meanwhile, Carlton leisurely explored the secret passage. He roamed freely around the palace, investigating anything that could be of help in the future.

"All this while… you've been searching for something like that?"

"I had nothing to do, and my legs were intact."

"Wow–look at that. I said you don't need to worry for someone like that. We were all worried for no reason. He's fine, see–we're the ones that lost out." Carlton's reply heated up his lieutenant's temper. Ennis hugged the lieutenant out of compassion and sympathy.

"Honestly–what do you mean he's fine! He's been hurt so badly!" Luisen pointed to the mercenary's left arm.

"That's true. If all went wrong, one of his arms might have been trashed. Even if he's been slashed, he's miraculously fine." Morrison piped up.

"My Duke gave me a lot of presents."

"?"

Before Carlton left, Luisen had handed him various things–anything he could grab. Most of the extraneous items were left behind, but something remained in Carlton's pouch. As the mercenary changed his clothes to visit the first prince, he kept one item he had received from Luisen: tincture of medicine infused with the tears of a fairy. It prevented his injury from worsening.

"Without it, as Morrison said, I would have had to abandon my left arm."

"Oh, the power of love."

Carlton laughed elatedly at Morrison's words.

"How can you laugh about almost losing an arm?" Only Luisen was on the verge of tears. The mercenary was leaps and bounds above others even with just one arm, but the thought of that loss made Luisen's heart ache.

The saint also lacked an arm as well; similarly, the man was several times as good as others with both their arms, but the missing arm still proved to be a source of discomfort. Though outwardly the saint fared fine, he sometimes suffered due to that loss and pain.

‘Come to think of it, the saint's missing arm was also his left.'

The injury was extremely similar; the image of the one-armed pilgrim overlaid atop Carlton. Such overlaps had occurred before, but this time it bothered the young lord more than usual.TL: He's slowly piecing things together!!!!