Episode 107

Now Marco was completely out of sight of the family head. Carola was overjoyed and took Jacob's hand.

“You know. Jacob. I think Marco will be out of luck. But he'd love to have one more shocking thing to drive a wedge into…….”

Carola grinned.

“Still, wouldn't Merha be curious about Marco's safety?”

“Ah. Okay. Right. After all, Carola, you are a genius.”

When Jacob heard that, he grinned.

“Isn't Mimosa so good at copying other people's handwriting?”

*​ *​ *​

That's how Marco came to be hated by the family head. Besides, Merha also earned the hatred of the family head. Marco was sent to a distant province by the governor. There was only one reason why the householder saved Marco.

It was because he didn't want to make Jacob the obvious successor right now. Besides, because he was afraid of the family head, Jacob couldn't get rid of Marco either.

'Arien, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Forgive me for being ugly…….'

Marco received a note from Merha just before leaving.

[Marco, come see me. Your father worries about you. He was told of Arien's death. My poor son…….

I've taken measures, so if you bribe the jailer, you'll be able to come in.]

Marco felt like he was going to cry.

'Yes, I had a father. If it's my father, he'll lead me……. Ah, I hope you will grieve with Arien's death. Sorry. Arien…….'

Marco mustered up the courage to go see Merha. After he stabbed a large sum of money, the guards of the Heretic Questioner let Marco in for some reason.

However, the atmosphere inside the prison was strange.

“This……. What happened?”

“Ah. There has just been an injury incident.”

“…… I beg your pardon?”

The story was simple. It is said that a fight broke out between Gunner and Merha, who were using the prison next door, for some reason. Gunner had been briefly released to be transferred to another prison. At that time, he jumped at Merha and hit her head and tried to kill her.

People went inside the prison to rescue the fallen Merha. At that time, the gunner was free from surveillance for a while, shook off people's hands, and entered the prison. And in an instant, a fight broke out between Gunner and Merha. And Gunner was pushed by Merha and was in critical condition.

“Father?”

Marco saw Merha in prison. He looked at Marco with bloodshot eyes.

“Marco, you're finally here. Dumbass! You such a loser! At best, you haven't been able to use the evil spirit's poison I gave you a hint.”

“…….”

“But one went well. Arien's family is useless. You get a new girl with a family that will help you and start over. It's a pity that Arien died. Does the head of the household think badly of her divorce?”

“…… Father.”

Marco, who was deeply guilty of Arien's death, was greatly shocked by those words.

Marco, who was staggering with one hand covering his face, was startled. Gunner's blood was still on the bars.

'My father always did. Beating the priests under his command, hitting me…….'

Marco hesitated and backed away.

“Dad, don't you care about Arien's death?”

“The jailer tipped me off that you killed Arien. Good job. Marco.”

Merha couldn't afford to care about Marco's feelings. That's also the case. Last night, Gunner received a solo drink from the householder. The reason why Gunner was moved to another prison was to receive poisoned liquor.

Although Gunner is a collateral, he was Cartier. The family head had no intention of saving him, and Merha's patience exploded when she saw Gunner, who was in the prison next to her, die. Besides, Lucerne's treatment of Merha was terrible.

“…… Dad always did! He treated me like a tool. Poor Arien. Ah sorry……. Arien…….”

“Marco! Marco!”

Marco stumbled and turned and ran away from the dungeon. He departed for a provincial estate as if he had become a disabled man.

And no one asked about his whereabouts. Except for Merha, who is imprisoned in the dungeon. However, since no one listened to Merha, it was as if no one was there.

*​ *​ *​

It's spring. Every spring, the imperial family called the knights to prepare a grand hunting festival. It was only natural that the pride of the Empire, the Black Lion, would be the center of the hunting festival, where each Knights competed for might.

The Black Lion was winning the annual hunting event. And the emperor was very proud of that fact. The Black Lion Knights always went out on a hunt like victors, so Elisha had a lot to do.

She said, “Put on this newly tailored black cloak, and the tabards on your shoulders should be blue. Here, Sid adds a gold decoration. I like this decoration.”

Elisha was at the gymnasium. In the middle of the arena was a long table covered with white cloth. The table had various items prepared for the hunting event. Elisha was shopping with her butler.

“An excellent choice.”

The butler nodded her head. Even if she pretended to be Elisha, she had a knack for picking out luxurious items.

'A truly amazing person. She was poorly educated, I heard, and she was good at negotiating with her merchants. You really have a good eye for things.'

Most of the items Elisha chose were not overly expensive, but looked very rare, and when put together, they harmonized well. Her butler could only admire Elisha's competence every time.

“Did you pick them all?”

In the empty gymnasium, Lucerne said while touching her bow. He had been practicing archery for a long time.

“Yes. I'm almost done.”

Elisha approached Lucerne. He was wearing a light shirt, pants, and boots today. His strong muscles and wide shoulders were visible, so Elisha had no choice but to take a look at Lucerne.

“Looks like things worked out for Marco, Marco made Arien's death his own, as we instigated him. It's easy to drive him because he's insane.”

Lucerne was moving very slowly, testing his new bow. As Lucerne drew his bowstring, his hard biceps twitched through his thin shirt. And the thick arrow hit with a pinging sound of the wind.

“Good for you.”

Elisha nodded her head in an ambiguous way.

“Arien is just a daughter-in-law. But she, the head of her family, will not allow her offspring to die.”

“…… Then what should I do?”

“It will break your heart. To become unrecoverable. If you show weakness in this family, you will be trampled on.”

“…… Are you referring to her commotion in her prison?”

Elisha raised her eyes and saw Lucerne.

“It's important to separate Marco and Merha. Neither of them will ever recover.”

Elisha nodded her head. Lucerne took a look at Carola's trick. The orders he gave were insignificant.

After making Marco wait for him to come to the prison, he tells him to release Gunner temporarily.

That Gunner and Merha constantly fight across the prison wall. And the moment you release the gunner, give him a solo drink. These were all pre-orders.

Elisha and Lucerne exchanged glances.

“It's good to have something to use when you need it. This time Carola was playing a joke.”

“As expected, you're quick to understand words, you.”

Lucerne smiled happily.

“What about Marco?”

“It is said that if you cannot see it, it will disappear from your heart. The head family will try to save Marco's life, but the Jacob couple will try to ruin Marco somehow.”

“…… How?”

“It's an obvious trick. Send someone around to drink every day. Send a woman to be bewitched.”

Then, Lucerne added as if spilling.

“But I think it will lead to drug addiction. If it were me, I would do that.”

“…… Who do you send to make it?”

“There are other agents who do that. If Marco achieves even normal results in a place like Behil Manor and comes to his senses, the Lord will forgive Marco in a few years. But what if you find Marco years later and he's a deranged lung?”

“…….”

Elisha felt a faint fear of the people of the Cartier family.

“Even in just one year, it's easy to make people sick. If Jacob won't do it, I will.”

Lucerne spoke softly.

“Marco is done now.”

Elisha closed her mouth for a moment before replying.

“It seemed that he had no intention of recovering. It is said that after Arien's death, she was completely disappointed. Rumors have even reached me.”

“Stupid bastard. She must have given her heart to Arien. So her wife became her killer and she was shocked.”

It may not have been that Marco loved Arien. But gave her a piece of her heart and she broke down from it.

“If you give her heart, you lose and become a gap. It's stupid.”

Lucerne clicked her tongue. Lucerne was obviously laughing at Marco like that. Elisha felt a strange little scratch in her heart. At the same time, Elisha recalled that she almost poisoned herself.

'The Marcos believe that Lucerne has a special opinion of me, so I thought I was his weakness, and he attacked right away. For the Cartier family, it is foolish to give someone affection.'

His direct descendant, Marco, suffered the same. If it had been Elisha who was being attacked by them, it would have been incomparably worse.

“Why?”

“It's nothing.”

“What are you afraid of? Do you even remember your situation?”

Lucerne asked calmly. Elisha sometimes thought he was too quick-witted and scary. Maybe she didn't even know what she was.

“…… It's not that I'm moving in with Marco. Yes. I see.”

“So you can't get out of this family anymore. If my protection is gone, the Jacobs will catch you right away. You will suffer much worse than Marco or Arien.”

“…….”

“Wouldn't it be much more fun to be tied to me and pick out a dress?”

Elisha suddenly felt like a child in Lucerne.