Herscherik (Reincarnated Prince Series)

Chapter Three: Pocket Watches, Counts and Puppets Part Five

The temperatures in the sun-drenched barn, albeit in early spring, turn Count Luceria's exhaling breath white.

The Count, who was entering this chamber for the second night, sat on a simple bed and blurred up at the only small window with a lattice connected to the outside.

(Will His Highness Hershelik be all right?

He showed up alone this morning, and the prince couldn't get out of his head long after the blonde blue-eyed who offered him his pocket watch.

When I first saw it at the feast, my first impression was that it was a prince who seemed as weak as the king. Bee, who inherited from his father, was somewhere anxiously swayed during the feast. The Count was planted with the impression that the pale blonde hair, which was never extravagant, was even more dull, as if it were a weak light poured out of a dark cloud gap.

But Prince Hershelik, who showed up yesterday, was someone else. He was slightly anxious, but his eyes were filled with a light that was so strong that it could not be compared to the time of the feast. And from the gentle emerald-like eyes of the prince worried about his own injury, the Count of Luceria could no longer deviate.

Never out of fear.

The moment I saw the prince, feelings similar to fear and respect dominated me, and I couldn't distract myself from those eyes.

In his eyes Luceria reflexively gratefully thanked his subordinate, telling him almost everything as he was urged to. And after hearing everything, the prince ran away saying he would stop the death penalty.

(I hope you're okay………)

It was all about the last prince who now occupies the heart of the Count, even though he said he was Setouchi of Life.

Maybe because the last prince is the same age as his dead son and somewhere similar. Even though my own son is not blonde, blue-eyed, or quite as beautiful a boy as Hershelik.

I heard shoe noises from the exit. The number of people is one from the sound. The Count kept looking up at the window because the person was expecting someone cheaply but was not interested.

The footsteps stopped in front of his room.

"Sounds good, Count Luzeria.

When the Earl leaked his inner sigh into his voice as he had expected, there was a man there who had begun what he had expected.

"What can I do for you, Viscount Grimm?

"Well, next time I'll be an Earl.

The middle-bodied man raised his mouth angle and looked proud of his victory.

He was Viscount Grimm and a nobleman who would form a faction of ministers Barbasse. The injustice found by the Count of Luceria is the embezzlement of this Viscount's treasury. He made false declarations and wrongfully received large sums of money.

"So has the new Count come to see it even in the face of sinners? As long as you're free and envious.

To the Count of Luceria, who answers depressingly, Viscount Grimm becomes a very bitter face biting the winning face.

"Give me the array. Only then will I save your life.

"Ale? Now, which is it, Count?

Don't be ridiculous.

Viscount Grimm kicks up a cell door made of iron. A lot of noise sounded but the watch never came. The Count turns around saying that he must have let him grip even the gold.

"That's the letter you grabbed!

"Aah...... is that it? Hmm."

(That said, which one...)

Count Luceria does not put it on his expression, but twists his head in his mind.

It took me so long to gather all the evidence and testimony that it became quite a lot. Though it must have brought definite and serious evidence in its vastness, it is not inconceivable that it was a trap.

It is already irrelevant to the Count of Luceria, who became a prisoner, but some of them seemed very bad for Viscount Grimm to panic about.

"You don't have to ask me, you just have to look.

(Rather considering that I showed up much after being put in here, my luggage must have already been roughed up.

The Count answers the throw while keeping his heart around.

"I can't find it, I'm asking."

Viscount Grimm kicked up the iron door again.

Count Luceria frowned uncomfortably at the hustle and bustle of the iron door, fed up with the answer as expected.

"If you tell us where you are now, we'll put the death penalty on top to stop tomorrow. Give me the letter."

"You can't escape the death penalty just by calling, can you?

Count Luceria thought it was a terribly cold voice himself. Open the pocket watch in your hand and look at the watch. I was already around eleven o'clock at night.

"I can't imagine that a man who's been pointing his way up to the assassin would miss such a great opportunity to keep you safe.

Yes, he did. --Minister Barbasse sent an assassin. It rewarded the Count with the time he had left and the fact that there was evidence in the evidence he grabbed that he could not miss. That's why he came to the King's Capital at his own peril.

(Wrong choice of evidence not to be missed………)

The Count mocks himself and closes his pocket watch and grips it firmly. I was already ready for the worst case scenario when I came to King's Capital.

"Go away, Viscount Grimm. No, Count Grimm. I'm grateful to you.

Count Luzeria smiles coldly. When he saw the face, Grimm ran from his toes to the top of his head with a chill as if he had been exposed to cold water.

"Thanks to you, I can martyr in my country. Let's say we wait at the bottom of the earth for the Keepers and you to fall.

The living are sent to the world after death. There are two destinations.

Those who have been recognized by God as souls of good are invited to the garden of heaven, where they spend time until they are reborn into the Hereafter, in a garden where there is a supreme happiness for a time.

On the contrary, he who is punished by God as the soul of evil is sent to the bottom of the land where the Pluto dwells, where the Pluto judges the sins of his soul and purifies sin with the corresponding torment, and is reborn into the afterlife.

There are watchmen at the gate that leads to the bottom of the land. The watchmen never miss the soul of a sinner trying to escape. The children of this country, when they do something wrong, say from their parents, "The keeper at the bottom of the earth will pick you up!" and grow up. "

Count Luceria's words were the howl of a loser. But Viscount Grimm somehow creates the illusion that he lost. So I kicked up the iron door again to escape the illusion.

"Losing is good too. Come on...! This world survives the strong, the wise. The other fools are either used to die or disobeyed to die! So I survive, you die!

The Earl of Luceria silently dropped off Viscount Grimm, who turns back on his heel.

(You can take your time looking for me. Because his territory will be mine.

That's what I told myself, Grimm, but the sense of defeat never went away.

The remaining Count of Luceria flaunts his shoulders and strokes his pocket watch. Then I pushed the button hard and opened it and looked at the portrait. My only memories of myself, my wife and my children.

By this time my son had just been born, leaving work to go see him, something that my wife used to piss me off about. With each passing month, my son was happy to grow up, and my wife chewed on my happiness by smiling and staying by my side, and this world felt wonderful.

But now I've lost everything, and tomorrow my raw is about to end.

Like he said, can only the strong and the wise enjoy happiness in this world? Do the weak have no choice but to accept even if they are abused?

"… Count.

"Your Highness?"

Peeping out of the iron plaid, just like this morning, was the prince at the end of the blonde blue eye.

Her face, illuminated by moonlight, appeared slightly red and swollen. And now he looked down at the Count with a crying face.

"Your Highness, I thought in the morning, are you not with us? Acting alone is dangerous.

Despite the end, the prince, on top of that, a three-year-old walks alone at night with no one to provide for him. It's impossible if it's normal. To the worried Count Hershelik shook his head sideways and seemed unsure what to do to open his mouth.

"Your Highness, what is it? The evening is cold, albeit in spring. Please go to your room…………………………"

"I'm sorry, Count Luzeria. I told my father, but he couldn't.

The moment Count Luzeria blocked his words and Hershelik said so, a large tear fell from his jade-like eyes zero.

Hershelik wiped many times with the sleeves of his clothes to stop those tears, biting his lips off but never stopping the tears that conveyed his cheeks.

(My father tried to do something about it, too, but he couldn't.

But that was like an excuse, and I couldn't say very much.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Me..."

Hershelik had decided not to cry until he came here. But in fact, when I look at the Count of Luceria and speak of my helpless consequences, my tears overflow, and at the end of the day, I can't speak with whimpers. You will no longer be able to face the Count, face down and squat on the ground without thinking about getting dirty.

I didn't like my helpless self. I didn't know what to look like to the Count.

"……… Your Highness Hershelik, please raise your face.

In the squatted Hershelik's ear, the gentle voice of the Count reaches.

Slowly, when the dreaded prince raised his face, there was a Count's face right over the iron lattice in front of him, and he was offered a pocket watch.

"Please take this.

"What…………?

Count Luzeria did not wait for Hershelik's reply and pressed his pocket watch against him.

"Count, this must be something important to the Count, right? I can't have it!

"Tomorrow you'll be a dead man. It's unnecessary for you.

I pushed Hershelik to hurry back and thought it would be disrespectful, but the Count wiped the dirt on the prince's face with his hands.

The Earl remembers the old days as he narrows his eyes to the feeling of the skin of a longtime child. Speaking of which, my son used to play with sand and put sand on his face. My son laughed happily when he wiped the sand like a prince.

But the prince in front of me doesn't laugh like his son. The Count felt so sorry for it.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I just found out that you are in this country, and I can pass away without despair.

When the charges ended in failure at that feast, I dared to bet on this pocket watch.

I hoped someone would notice that.

And the bet won.

The seeds to save this country were sown.

"Your Highness, please grow up healthy. And save the country.

I have a sense that I am saying something very strange. I wonder what a three-year-old can do to a seventh prince.

But I can't help but hope. Because he is the only person in the royal family who was there who showed up to him, exchanged words, judged and acted on his own.

"…… Your Highness is in danger if someone finds you. Please return to your room.

We must not lose hope here because of what we find in the abyss of death.

"Count Luzeria!

"…… My you.

Count Luzeria takes his hand off his soft cheek and steps back one knee. Place your right hand on your chest and lower your head. It's my best salute as a minister.

"We are a sword that cleaves your enemies, a shield that protects you from the fierce blade, a scepter that supports you.

And lower your head even deeper.

"Even if I am not beside you, this soul will protect you forever and for a moment... forgive me.

Count Luzeria couldn't help but beg to die tomorrow.

I don't care if we wait for the Grimes at the bottom of the ground.

I just wanted to be with him.

I wanted to see the prince as soon as I could.

That could have involved my end of the day.

Hershelik wipes his tears with the hem of his coat and rises. He still knows very little about the practices in this country. I did not know what to do with the words of the covenant issued by Count Luceria. So put what you thought into words.

"Count Luzeria, allow me. That even if that body decays, my soul will be with me forever. Never will I waste your words, your thoughts, your lives.

Hershelik never wept until he finished his words. Then he grabbed Silver Komi's pocket watch.