116 monster
“That child, my daughter, was raised with great care. Like a precious treasure, but menarche did not come even when she reached her age.”
As Rudy approached, Mr. Keller exclaimed urgently. It seems that Rudy hates being close.
“so?”
“The midwife said that my daughter would never be able to give birth to a child. As a woman, her body is too immature, and she probably won’t be able to do it in her lifetime.”
“Did you realize that you couldn’t have children, so you didn’t need them anymore? Did you try to promote the family’s interests by sending a useless daughter to another country?”
Rudy couldn’t even deny it and looked at the face of Keller Dangju, who was still and turned away.
“Ah, so that’s why you couldn’t marry the emperor of the empire. If you cheat on the emperor, you don’t know what kind of revenge you’ll get later.”
“…”
It seems to have been the correct answer. Keller’s face became pale. Even now, he is as good as deceiving the former emperor.
“Why did you choose the Duke of Watoring?”
At Rudy’s question, Head Keller’s face distorted as if in agony.
“He was the most zealous suitor for his daughter. If so…”
“Did you think that a duke would fall in love and not protest later?”
“So…I thought so at the time. But I didn’t. I was tricked by him. He and the witch colluded and tricked me.”
Mr. Keller said, “I don’t know how much is true and how much is false.”
We don’t even know if the duke’s appearance of love was a trick, or if it started out as a ruse, but later he really fell in love, or if his daughter knew about it, or if she died without knowing it at all.
The head of the Keller family hadn’t seen her daughter since she moved to the Duke of Watoringu.
He said that he wanted to meet him several times and that he wanted to see his grandson once, but he was refused for one reason or another.
I don’t know how far the lie detector chair can find out from Mr. Keller.
It could be reading everything he was saying, or he could only judge Rudy’s answer to the question he was asking.
But Mr. Keller seems to think that this chair sees through everything. So most of what he says is probably true.
Rudy quietly listened to Keller’s words pouring out.
***
What is certain is that the Duke of Watoringu was aiming for his own daughter from the beginning.
I don’t know when or why. But it wasn’t for the same reasons as everyone else. That was clear.
Being a woman with a coat of arms may have been one of the goals, but there was something else. It was a story after a long time that I noticed that.
As is always the case with daughters marrying in Taga, several ladies-in-waiting were sent to the Duke of Watoringu.
The ladies-in-waiting were in charge of taking care of the daughter who would live in a strange land, and at the same time monitoring her and giving advice to the head family.
It wasn’t until many years later that the news that her daughter was pregnant came.
My mind got complicated.
If she had known she would be pregnant, she would have left her daughter in the family. At least she should have married the emperor of the empire, but she felt sorry for her daughter.
In addition, the marriage contract clearly stated that the daughter had nothing to do with the Keller family even if she had children, and that the daughter was not a member of the Keller family as long as she entered the house.
It was a condition that was added later so that words would not come out because of her daughter’s infertility, but it rather tightened her neck.
None of the daughter’s future children will belong to the Keller family.
Even if the first child becomes the heir to the ducal family, it would have been better if a clause stating that one child was adopted or married was included in the contract.
The news reached Keller’s head, who had a bitter aftertaste, right after giving birth.
The letter with the news that her daughter had given birth was placed in a box that was promised to be used only in case of an emergency.
To others, it would have seemed like the happy news of childbirth was sent in a special box.
The box, designed to hold simple items or letters, had a thin double bottom and was made to fit a few sheets of paper.
What was on the floor was a short letter written in the maid’s handwriting.
[What the young lady gave birth to was not human.]
Since then, the daughter has never had a child in her body again.
***
The head of the Keller family shuddered.
“At first, I didn’t believe what was written in the letter, but I got a call that the lady-in-waiting had suddenly died. She was young and healthy.”
The lady-in-waiting died in an accident while riding in a carriage when the horse was frightened by something. He said he didn’t know if it was the work of the Duke of Watoring or if it was really an accident.
Rudy urged him to continue with his eyes, wordlessly.
“Then I searched for the midwife who helped give birth to my daughter, but I couldn’t find it. I heard that she left the house because of a fire.”
The head of the Keller family twisted his face.
“After that, I continued to look into it, and found out that the woman who was the duke’s nanny had given up because she had a nervous breakdown.”
When it comes to the nursery of the heir of the duchy, a carefully selected person will be in charge. A woman with a character that would not be shaken even in the face of external invasion, of course, would have been in charge of the job. Even so, it was not an ordinary thing to say that the nerves were sick.
After that, a woman who had been the duke’s lover moved in as a nanny. The wet mother was brought in separately, but I don’t know who it is.
From then on, no further rumors or information could be obtained.
The baby was cut off from the outside world, surrounded by few people.
There’s definitely something there, but there aren’t even rumors floating around. It was as if he realized that he was in the same situation as when he hid his daughter in the past.
“At first, I didn’t know that a witch was involved, but after a while, the lady-in-waiting who was looking after my daughter confessed to me that she often slept as if she had lost her mind, and that it seemed like she saw a crow every time she woke up.”
The lady-in-waiting said she was not sure whether it was a dream or real life. If I was sure, I would have told him in advance, the owner of the house.
“But I knew. The duke and the witch had approached me deliberately. I had my daughter robbed.”
Keller Dangdu looked at Rudy with a face full of resentment, but the next moment he lowered his head in amazement. It seems that he realized belatedly that he was too rude to the emperor.
And after noticing the circumstances of the witch’s intervention, he continued to say that he completely gave up.
This man knew nothing more than that.
This world is a world where magic and superstition coexist.
Wizards were the objects of admiration, but witches were fear and loathing at the same time.
It is no different for commoners and nobles.
From nob le mt l dot com
Don’t buy the witch’s grudge. The witch casts a curse.
The nanny often said the same thing.
For people of this era, being associated with witches would be fear itself.
After that, the Keller family almost cut off contact with the Duke of Watoringu.
Even the ducal family hadn’t done anything special, the head of the Keller family said with a little relief.
Well, it must have been ruined without time to do anything.
‘But why did the duke act so strangely? Am I really not human?’
Suddenly thinking about that, Rudy was startled inside and denied the idea.
No, not like that.
No matter what the witch did or what the duke had, he was clearly a human being. Rudy himself knew best that he was human.
However, when he saw the face of Keller’s head, who was frightened and trembled in fear when he approached, a corner of his heart felt cold.
Rudy inhaled softly without anyone noticing.
At any time and under any circumstance, do not let others notice your confusion. The emperor is something God gives, an agent of God. It is not a person who rises to that place. The Emperor must exist only as the Emperor.
Taehyungje taught that.
Rudy stood tall and looked at Keller’s head with a cold expression.
Head Keller, who glanced up at Rudy as if anxious, hurriedly avoided his gaze.
This man has deceived the Empire.
If it was simply that there was someone who was rude to the emperor, it would have been over after applying some sanctions to the family.
However, the Keller family said they had punished the man, but in reality, they tried to trick the emperor by showing someone else’s body.
It’s not something that just goes away. That way, the young emperor would be laughed at as an idiot even if he cheated.
If they were nobles of other countries, they would apply indirect sanctions or take measures to protest and pressure the country, but the Keller family is in a vassal state conquered by the Empire.
The country’s current king is a child only six years old. In fact, the one in charge of politics was the chancellor sent by the empire.
Rudy quietly opened his mouth.
“You should retreat from the family head and go into seclusion, and have Müller kill himself. Send his head to the official of the empire. If you do that, there will be no other accusations.”
“Lungs, Your Majesty!”
Head Keller’s eyes widened.
“Yo, forgive me! Please, that, that kind of thing is too cruel. Müller is a genius who was never born into our family, losing him is too much… Please. Our family has the highest lineage among the Corea Dynasty…”
Unable to move a finger, Dangju Keller pushed his head forward as if he were digging.
“We are sorcerers. Are you sure your Majesty intends to turn the entire Corea dynasty into an enemy?”
“It’s a magic tool.”
Rudy laughed.
“What is it that you are sitting on right now? Isn’t it a magic tool? How many people in the Corea dynasty can make something like that?”
“…”
Mr. Keller kept his mouth shut without saying anything.
[Liberation!]
When Rudy spoke in Korean, Keller’s body, which had been unable to move, loosened up and slumped on the chair as if it was collapsing. It’s because the muscles are relaxed.
But as if he didn’t know that, Keller’s eyes were wide open.
At the time of the first arrest, it seems that he was so embarrassed that he did not pay attention to the language. Hearing it now seemed to realize that this is a very special language.
“That language, no way.”
monster.
The head of the Keller family muttered involuntarily. There was hardly any sound. It was almost a muttered word. But the lips were cleverly recognizable.
Looking down at Mr. Keller, who couldn’t even sit properly, Rudy said quietly.
“I’ll give you ten days. Take care of things within that time.”
“That…no…Your Majesty…Your Majesty the Emperor…”
Calmly watching the trembling head of the Keller family, Rudy continued.
“This is my mercy as flesh and blood.”
Rudy turned around and left the audience room.
monster.
Those words were deeply embedded in my heart.
The attendants quietly follow Rudy as he leaves the audience room door.
“I’ll be alone for a while.”
When Rudy spoke quietly without looking back, the attendants stopped their footsteps without a sound.
As Rudy walks again, he follows from afar. The attendants could tell that they were following them, but they were far enough away to not be bothered by them.
Maybe Tae Sang-hwang also controlled his mind in this way sometimes.
This palace is a place where officials who manage government affairs and nobles who enter and leave the palace come and go.
When people walking down the aisle saw Rudy, they stopped and bowed.
I quietly pass by them without showing a face. My heart felt tight.
From nob le mt l dot com
Difficulty breathing, Rudy went out of the building.
Upon touching the cold air, I was able to breathe a little.
When the emperor wanders around the imperial palace aimlessly, people notice him.
Rudy moved toward the villa.
There was a way to go through the passage inside the building, but it was also possible to go around the outside.
I didn’t necessarily think of going to the royal palace. I just wanted to show people that I was aiming that way.
If you go and feel free, you can go back.
I thought so and walked slowly, but a gorgeous palanquin approached from the other side of the road.
The palanquin of Taehwanje.
Ever since he couldn’t hide his illness, Tae Hwang Je often rode in a palanquin.
The chair-shaped palanquin was held by two attendants, one at the front and the other at the back.
I don’t want to see you now I didn’t want to see someone’s face with such a messed up heart.
However, Tae Hwang Je is coming to him on purpose, but he cannot turn away from it.
Rudy sighed lightly and waited for Emperor Taehyung’s palanquin to come closer.
Behind Taehwangje, there was an empty palanquin that looked the same.
On the palanquin that had come closer, Emperor Taehyung gestured.
“Emperor, climb into the palanquin.”
“…”
Can not help it. Rudy quietly nodded and climbed onto the palanquin behind.
There must be a separate palanquin, but for some reason, attendants carry the palanquin.
Shaking and shaking, the two palanquins quietly moved forward.
quiet. Tae Hwang Je did not look back or speak.
Leaning on the swaying palanquin, I stare blankly at the empty space.
The palanquin went to the back of the building and traveled a fairly long distance. It was a secluded corner that I had never been to.
The building is not visible. I saw sparsely seen trees and heard birds chirping somewhere.
Going a little further, we came to a small cabin. It looked solid, but it was a shabby hut with no decorations.
Could it be the place where the servants who do chores in the imperial palace stay?
However, there are no mountains nearby, nor are there any facilities that can be managed. Only a hut and a few trees. It seemed to be a place where few people came.
The two palanquins were quietly lowered in front of the hut.
While sitting on the palanquin, Taehyung called Rudy closer.
As we approached, Emperor Taehyung lowered his back and spoke quietly.
“Right next to the audience room, I was listening to the conversation between the two. I think I know what bothers the Emperor.”
Taehyungje took Rudy’s hand.
“A long time ago, when the founder of the Corea dynasty appeared in this world, he was called a monster. Everyone feared him. The emperor of the empire accepted him as he was chased by people and had nowhere to go. That’s why he worked for the empire. .”
An old, wrinkled hand stroked Rudy’s head.
“But no one calls the Correa dynasty a monster right now. They are the object of admiration. So there is no reason for you to be troubled. People will reject something unfamiliar when they see it. The emperor of. Our emperor is the representative of the gods. He is a special being, but our bodies are unmistakably human. Don’t worry.”
Taehyungje playfully winked one eye and smiled.
“But if you feel frustrated and want to cry, come to this cabin, Emperor.
Taehyung slightly pushed Rudy’s body.
“The only people who come here are the emperor and the cleaning servants. You can go and scream and get angry, kick the walls and bang your head on the door, but no one comes. Once inside that hut, all the attendants retreat far away from the hut, at the emperor’s will. to do.”
As Rudy looked at the cabin, the Emperor spoke on his back.
“When I entered that cabin, I took off all my clothes and wielded a knife. You might as well do the same.”
After that, Taehwangje and the empty palanquin quietly left in front of the hut.
Rudy watched Tae Hwang Je’s palanquin as it receded and opened the door of the cabin.
Inside was a chair and a few sticks of wood about the length of a baseball bat.
When I held the wooden stick in my hand, it fit perfectly in my hand as if I had hit it.
On one side of the hut, for some reason, there was a single thick wooden pole. There are several scratches on the pillar that seem to have been taken with wood.
A smile came out involuntarily.
Imagining the most powerful man in the world relieving his anger with one insignificant stick made me laugh for some reason.
Tuk-tuk, after hitting the floor with a wooden pole a few times, Rudy grabbed the stick with both hands and swung it toward the wooden pole with all his might.
A tingling vibration came to my hand along with a pop. It hurts a bit, but rather it feels good. I felt alive.
As I swung the stick at the pillar several times, the word monster flew out of my head before I knew it.
