Chapter 305
My Villains Episode 305
55. Marquis of Eavon(4)
I don’t know what my expression was like at that moment when the atmosphere in the chapel’s separate room turned upside down. At least he doesn't seem like a jerk, such as turning pale or opening his mouth wide..
“Did you really think that you would never be found out??”
But it seems that just a brief hesitation was enough for the Marquis. He continued speaking with a smile on his face..
“If you expected that, well. I want to ask if I treated the land guys too foolishly..”
I stayed silent..
Even at first glance, the Marquis of Eavon did not look like he was at ease. It was a confident attitude..
In this situation, 'I'm not that kind of person, am I?' Picking up words like 'You're looking at it wrong' would be no different from insulting the other person..
But that doesn't mean 'Oops, I got caught. 'How did you know?' It is also funny to reveal at once the identity that has been hidden all along..
While I was hesitating, not knowing how to respond, the Marquis of Eavon buried himself deeply in the backrest..
“……“Zeot, who founded the kingdom, entrusted the important task of protecting the frontier to his trusted but extremely capable younger brother.” He told an interesting story as he had just before, but with a slightly different tone..
“King Os, unlike the Conqueror, is famous for being cautious, sensitive, and cautious. You were perfect for protecting the border..”
“The King of Oth, who became the Margrave, split off and founded a new family. That is the Ariaga family, and I became the ninth head of the family, following his lineage.” It was a bit unexpected, but I had no choice but to listen. It's also because I couldn't figure out how the story would go in a different direction..
“After nine generations, the family's fiefdom, Antrum, was no longer a frontier, and Arriaga became a marquess. So many things have changed, but there are also quite a few things that haven't changed at all..”
“……what is that?”
“Two things come to mind right away. The first is that the Aria family was and is the guardian of the kingdom..”
The Marquis just smiled and shrugged his shoulders..
“Second, the head of the Arriaga family is still the most paranoid person in the kingdom. It is a beautiful tradition that has been going on for three centuries and a terrible hereditary disease..”
“Evidence of this psychosis hangs over the kingdom. From Highcastle on the west to Midisle on the east, from Bygaard on the north to South Harbor, yes, Tow's Den, on the south..”
Tauz Den.
It is the capital of Eyland and the base of Zahakar and Baluin..
The Marquis of Eabon lifted his glass and quenched his thirst, staring at me with my mouth shut. As the silence continued a little longer, he let out a sigh..
“I don't know what you're hesitating about. Wasn’t there any intention to hide it in the first place??”
“……what do you mean by that?”
“He's a swordsman with black hair, black eyes, and a magnificent physique, and he even uses blood magic. Don't even joke about saying that you were planning to hide it..”
“You even wrote Kyeong’s name as is. I recently heard that Seonhyeolbaek had an illegitimate child, and his name was Poinix. Honestly, it was a little absurd..”
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Hayla, who had been quietly sipping her drink, stepped forward first..
“It's not an illegitimate child..”
“••••••hmm?”
“Count Akele has officially taken over Phoenix's mother. Phoenix was also born in Tawz Den, not anywhere else. Putting Poynix's name on the family register half a year ago was not registering an illegitimate child, it was just putting off work..”
The Marquis glanced at Hayla and then back at me..
“…… I forgot that Eyland's culture is a bit unique. I interpreted the information to my liking. I apologize if my mistake was an insult to you and your mother..”
“no, it's okay.”
I also did something rude to Marchioness Panabel, so I guess I should just let it go..
Also, I personally felt it was a bit awkward for my mother, whom I did not even know, to be truly angry at me for being indirectly insulted..
“And you……
Marquis Eavon's eyes turned to Heila..
To be honest, I felt a little fortunate. I was worried that I might get into trouble if I spoke carelessly here. It would be much better for Hayla to start the conversation than for me..
“Kaisis - I heard that she is the duke's sister..”
“yes.”
The Marquis waited for a moment to continue, but Hayla just sipped her drink as if she had nothing more to say. It was my last drink that I held on to until the end even as the servants were clearing the table..
The Marquis and I alike were dumbfounded and looked back at her to see that, a little worryingly, the pinna of her ear was slightly red..
“……okay. As I heard, her beauty was extraordinary and I could recognize it at a glance..”
“yes.”
“I don't know what to call you. As I already said, the culture of Eyland is still unfamiliar..”
“Please call me whatever you feel comfortable with..”
“Is that so?.”
The Marquis looked a little steamed at Hayla's calm appearance..
“Even though your identity was revealed, you don't look surprised or embarrassed at all..”
“Because there's no reason for that..”
“……there is no reason for that?”
“As you said, we have almost nothing to hide. Anyone who has even the slightest interest in Eyland will know who we are..”
“I guess I expected this moment to come someday. also. That's the part that's beyond my understanding.”
The Marquis continued speaking, tapping his index finger on the table..
“I didn't reveal my identity, but that doesn't mean I completely hid it either. The world was blinded by the preconceived notion that the Blood Knight of Eyland could not have been ordained by a prince, wrapped around it like a flimsy cloak..”
“yes.”
“Why is that so? What is the intention?.”
Hayla put down her glass and slowly opened her mouth..
“Do I have an obligation to tell you, Your Excellency??”
“......duty?”
“yes.”
The Marquis, looking at the eyes shining like glass in the dim candlelight, crossed his arms and shook his head..
“No, there isn't. What duty do you, who will give birth to the future masters of Eyland, have to the Marquis of Antram?.”
Before I knew it, Marquis Eavon's wrinkled face had become expressionless like Hayla's..
“but,”
Even though he didn't say it forcefully, his words had power..
“It wouldn't be a good idea to ignore my suspicions..”
“What suspicions did you have??”
“……3There is a suspicion that loyalty to the prince may not belong to Sir Poynix personally..”
“okay.”
Hayla continued speaking with slightly sleepy eyes..
“Would you believe me if I told you that it’s unnecessary to worry??”
“Honestly, that must be difficult..”
“ Why??”
“Lord Phoenix is the pregnant one..”
The Marquis Eavon's emotionless eyes turned to me..
“You know the story of Admiral Oleg, right? It's the 'index war'.”
“……Admiral Oleg.?”
“Yes, Admiral Oleg. In the past, he led the Iron Scale Fleet..”
When I looked puzzled, the Marquis frowned slightly. Then Heila joined in in a low voice..
“I forgot because I never saw it in person. your grandfather.”
He's Phoenix's grandfather.?
“......ah”
There's a name in the household account book in my head. But I don’t know what the index war is..
Well, it's not strange. Poynix is a guy who wasn't really interested in people around me..
The Marquis must have seen my shocked expression and continued..
“This happened when I was ten years old, so it's already fifty-five years ago..”
……What, were you sixty-five? You're so correct.
“Your grandfather, Admiral Oleg, gained notoriety, no, fame by burning and plundering countless castles and villages during the war with the Allies. Thanks to this, in the East, they call him a nickname meaning devil..”
Why is everyone in this family like this?.
“At the end of the war with the whole country, the admiral was appointed concubine and returned to his kingdom with his fleet. Meanwhile, we stopped at a peaceful port in the southeastern part of the kingdom for supplies. It's a port called Radenkee, on the Southern Shore..”
Since it was a story I had no idea about, I just listened quietly..
“There, there was a fight with a nameless knight, and Admiral Oleg killed him in a duel. It's not a big deal, it's a common story. Until here.”
Up to here?
“Three months later, thirty ships and fifteen hundred men attacked Southern Shore. To burn Radenkey.”
“……yes?”
“Okay, now it's a pretty uncommon story.?”
The Marquis smiled coldly..
“Baton Earl Shore, the Earl of Southern Shore, who was famous at the time, set out to protect his territory and vassals.……
A cold gaze landed on Hayla..
“His Royal Highness, Duke Buhale, personally took Count Baton's life. Isn’t that so??”
Duke of Buhale.
I remember this person clearly. He's the former duke of Illant..
“yes.”
Hayla nodded obediently..
“I heard that my grandfather was proud of killing such a brave man for the rest of his life..”
Duke Buhale is Hayla's grandfather and Poynix's great-uncle. Yes, he is the same man who enjoyed sodomy..
“……“I guess so.” Seeing that her expression was still calm, the Marquis of Eavon was silent for a moment and then turned to look at me again..
“The armies of Jahakar and Baluin burned Overlock, the capital of the Southern Shore, as well as two ports, three castles, and more than twenty villages. The five noble families of Radenki were exterminated, and countless others died. Do you know why such a cruel war is called the ‘Geokji War’??”
“……“I’m not sure.” “Because Admiral Oleg lost his left index finger during the duel with the nameless knight. In return for the Conceiver's finger, the entire Southern Shore was burned to the ground..”
Candlelight shimmered in the Marquis' eyes, which were turned straight toward me..
“Did I say it was no reason to worry??”
“When I look at the sutra, the fire from back then comes to mind. Knights in dark red armor, ruthless armies, and ships with snake scales come to mind. “Still, I’m worried for no reason. I’m afraid that Radenki’s nobles will rise from the ashes.” The Marquis finished his sentence with a sigh and raised his drink. One of the drivers sitting on the couch came over with a bottle of alcohol and filled my glass..
Meanwhile, I sat still and remained silent..
I searched through Phoenix's memories and thought about what would be an appropriate answer, but I couldn't find any useful information..
……Poynix, this kid like Byeok Chang-ho, did he really just eat and train?.
I glanced back at Hayla to ask for help, and saw that she was holding out her glass to the driver holding the bottle..
Heyla acted as if it was so natural that the driver filled her glass with a shocked expression..
After taking a sip of alcohol, Hayla let out a pleasant sigh and opened her mouth..
“I understand your suspicions and the reasons for them..”
As the silence continued again, the Marquis narrowed his brows and opened his mouth..
“Is that the end??”
“yes.”
“……What more to say?”
“ no.”
The marquis' wrinkled face distorted slightly..
“I'm sure you've already told me that it wouldn't be a good idea to ignore my suspicions..”
“My thoughts are different..”
“ different?”
Hayla nodded calmly..
“Your Excellency's suspicions, no matter which way they proceed, will end with the imagination of the entire kingdom burning..”
“……It's roughly similar..”
“Then it would be better to leave the suspicion aside..”
“That statement leaves a lot of room for misunderstanding. Do you know exactly what that means??”
“no.”
To the Marquis, who looked puzzled by his firm answer, Hayla spoke while leaning against the backrest with sleepy eyes..
“If I tell you the reason, your suspicions will change. But I can tell you one thing.”
“……Tell me.”
“You are free to have doubts, but when you take action to resolve those doubts,.”
The drowsy voice paused for a moment..
“To be responsible for one's actions.”
“……must take responsibility?”
“yes.”
“That sounds like a threat..”
“dismissal.”
Hayla blinked her eyes slowly and continued speaking in a tone as slow as the blinking..
“Your Excellency already knew the identities of Poi and me. In other words, he brought all of Zahakar and Baluin's concubines into the depths of the cathedral guarded by dozens of knights and wizards..”
“that,”
“And now, Your Excellency, you want to be assured that all your suspicions are in vain and that the kingdom will never become a sea of fire. “It’s like making an oath to God.” Blink again. Because of the silence that has fallen in the room, I think I can hear Hayla's eyelids closing and opening..
“Doesn’t it seem like a threat??”
“How does that happen? I am,”
“Since you gave Poi advice on nicknames, let me give you some advice as well..”
Underneath the sleepy, blinking eyelids, the black pearl-like eyes did not waver. The marquis' face hardened..
“Sometimes it's better not to know anything.”
Marquis Eavon stared at Hela with a stern face..
I tried my best to see what was in the marquis' eyes, but it was nearly impossible to read the old nobleman's thoughts with just his eyes..
And after a while.
“Good.”
The Marquis smiled brightly, as if asking when he had hardened his face..
“Thanks for the advice. I remember your words.”
Not only his facial expression but also his tone of voice suddenly brightened. It was exactly like him chatting in front of his wife and grandson..
“I want to continue this fun conversation, but-”
The Marquis tapped the table with his palm and pointed at Hayla..
“Unfortunately it's late at night. The girl over there seems a bit sleepy too..”
“yes.”
“Then there is nothing we can do. Let’s slowly leave the place..”
Unable to adapt to the sudden change, I stared at him blankly, while the Marquis looked at me and Hayla alternately with a smiling face..
“But it's too bad we have to part ways like this. How about making a promise for the next time??”
“Next, if.”
“I would like to give a taste of sweet wine from Deli to the renowned knight, Lord Phoenics, and the clever lady, Miss Hayla..”
“……Dandelli wine.”
Hayla muttered that and her closed eyes sparkled. The Marquis of Eavon nodded with excitement..
“Oh, you know something about the wines of Dandelli Hill..”
“yes. I know very well.”
“If you go to Lianwell, you can truly enjoy the finest wine..”
As Hayla blinked, the Marquis pulled up a chair and sat down, looking back at me..
“I heard from Marcel that he plans to leave soon.?”
“……Uh, yeah. you're right.”
“Where is your destination? No, it's obvious. You're probably going to High Castle, where His Highness Prince Ulkar is.?”
When I saw the Marquis suddenly raising his tension and asking a question, I nodded with a shocked face..
“yes. you're right.”
“Very good! Then stop by Lianwell..”
“••••••yes?”
I unfolded a map of the surroundings in my head..
Here, after passing through the northwest highlands along the forests and mountains from Seteniora Monastery, you reach High Castle, where Ulcar is located, and after passing through the northern plains along the river, you reach Lianwell, the palace of the Marquis of Eavon and the capital of Antrum..
“Well, I'm sorry, but if you go to Lian Well, you have to go back almost twice as long.,”
“In terms of distance, yes. But see.”
When the Marquis snapped his fingers, one of the knights laid out a real map on the table. It was a proper map centered on Antrum..
“The road here to the northwest is so rough that it will take more than ten days to get to High Castle. On the other hand, if you take a boat along the river and drive along the well-paved road, six days is enough to get to Lianwell. Take the road from Lianwell to Highcastle and arrive in eight days..”
……In the end, going northwest is 10 days, and going via Lianwell is 2 weeks.?
“I know what you're thinking. I will give you a gift that will make up for the difference of a few days..”
“A gift, you mean??”
“okay.”
The Marquis tapped one side of the map as if knocking. West of High Castle, I mean, it was the Mitergeland Empire..
“The two electors, Avilambus and Burcard, are making unusual moves. As the greatest noble in the West, it is natural to help His Majesty, Prince Ulkar, who is dedicated to protecting the border, but he has been unable to move his troops because of the undead and fishman army. But it's different now.”
He gestured to me with a smile..
“Now that Sir has performed a heroic act and defeated the King of Death, I can now send my army with a feeling of resentment..”
Makseueueueu?”
“okay. What they're saying is that they're sending reinforcements to the west..”
……Reinforcements? suddenly?
“I gave instructions to prepare for deployment before coming here, but since the scale is so large, we need a little more time..”
“To what extent.”
“One thousand conscripts, five hundred and one..”
“……fifteen hundred.”
“yes, fifteen hundred.”
The Marquis tapped the hill south of Lianwell on the map with a smiling face..
“We're gathering at Dandelli Hill, famous for its delicious grapes..”
It is said that the number of troops currently under Ulkar's command is a little over 2,000, so 1,500 is quite a large army..
“Let's see, the day after tomorrow is my grandson's second baptism, so let's say we leave around lunchtime. We'll be ready to go after three days of rest in Lianwell, and it would be a good time to head west then. Can we get to Highcastle before February?.”
As I was unable to come to my senses due to the sudden story, the Marquis of Eabon asked for my consent with a smiling face..
“What are your thoughts? It'll be okay?”
Uh...uh ”
......35 3
I quickly shook my head..
The Marquis of Eavon, who had raised suspicions about our identity, immediately changed the mood and topic with Haila's words, which contained a hint of threat..
And now, out of the blue, he is telling Prince Ulkar that he will send reinforcements and that we should go together to his territory..
First of all, I don’t think it’s a trap..
It seemed unlikely that the Marquis, who clearly remembered the war that had taken place decades ago, would kidnap or harm Eyland's pregnant children..
So, should this be accepted as a gesture of friendship or reconciliation??
While thinking about it, I glanced back at Heyla, and she nodded as soon as we made eye contact..
……That guy, it's not like he's doing that because of the wine.?
I scratched my eyebrows to hide my anxiety and then nodded..
“All right. I will do as you say..”
“That's great!”
The Marquis clapped the table and clapped his hands in succession..
When we first met earlier, he extended his hand like that and showed the back of his hand. But it didn't happen this time.
“kyung? Are you planning to embarrass me??”
“Oh no.”
After quickly shaking his hand, the Marquis smiled and waved..
“I'm looking forward to the journey ahead..”
“ yes?”
“Please take care of me, Lord Phoenics, Guardian of the Holy Land..”
I made eye contact with the Marquis of Eavon..
Beneath the smile-creased eyelids, dark brown eyes sparkled with an unknown color..
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