Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Chapter 38. It was a beautiful voice young and pretty like a nightingale, but a cold and twisted voice to the extent unable to feel that beauty.

A small shadow revealed its appearance from the darkness.

“L-L-Lucius!”

Unlike Blant trembling and pulling his butt back, Catherine held the bars and appealed.

“Lucius! Long time! Right, aren't you sick somewhere? This aunt came because worried?”

Lucius quietly stared at them with a doll-like face.

Catherine then felt something strange.

“...

Lucius?”

“Aunt, do you remember? From childhood aunt coveted what I have.”

“Umm?”

“As aunt said a child abandoned even by parents, but still occasionally received precious things. I still remember. The cravat decorated with red jewels.”

Did they say it's embarrassing to show like this with a precious guest coming.

Or was it the indifferent father's charity.

The memory didn't come well.

“Aunt said that is pretty. So took that and gave to aunt's son.”

Not raising the voice or the tone vicious yet somehow unpleasant.

“L-Lucius. Listen to my words. At that time that... because it seemed you didn't like it...! So it was like that. Did that upset you? Sorry, sorry. If wanting I'll buy a new one...”

“Still it's okay. Because that is not important to me. But aunt.”

Lucius reached his hand between the bars and roughly pulled Catherine's chin.

Catherine struggled but the boy's arm couldn't be easily escaped unlike the slender appearance.

“Ugh, ah...”

Catherine's face was pressed against the iron bars.

It hurt as if the face bones were crushing.

“Older sister won't do.”

The moment meeting the blood-colored eyes, Catherine belatedly realized.

Mistaken.

That is an item that shouldn't be touched.

“Rather if trying to harm me I would have understood. Aunt also knows? Because mother always said that and scolded me. As mother said I am an unpleasant child, a child that gives chills just looking so getting angry is also natural.”

Catherine's body trembled noticeably.

The sharp nails dug into Lucius's tender flesh, but Lucius's face was calm as if feeling no pain.

“I am not as bold as older sister, nor smart. I know well that everything I have, even the money aunt covets is what older sister gave me.”

At the thought of Felia a smile first floated on Lucius's face.

A smile lovely enough for anyone to fall in love, but Catherine felt her hands and feet cooling cold.

Have to apologize, have to beg for the wrong.

No, even doing that will that monster send us back safely?

Lucius smiled brightly and sentenced Catherine.

“But I can do the work that the kind and gentle older sister absolutely can't do.”* * *“Wow. Isn't this too severe?”

Butcher who entered the prison grumbled looking at Lucius standing with the sword drooped.

“Do you know how hard it is to clean later if doing this?”

Blood water was pooled on the floor.

Even at the blood smell piercing the nose Lucius's expression was calm.

Lucius ignored Butcher's words and wiped the blood stains splashed on his face with his sleeve.

The white shirt sleeve was all dyed red.

“If going like this will older sister faint again?”

“Don't say obvious things. Knowing Madam is secretly weak to cruel things.”

“So I like more. Cute.”

Lucius's voice bounced.

The pale cheeks flushed and vitality gathered a bit.

“Huu. Madam should know the master's such appearance.”

“It's okay. Older sister said whatever I do she won't abandon me.”

Lucius lifted his chin and said arrogantly.

“Have you heard the sound of cute from older sister?”

“...”

“I have.”

Butcher was absurd.

Honestly hearing the sound of cute from Madam is a bit, no, actually very envious.‘Even so if really hearing the sound of cute from Madam will nag a lot behind!’ Then, Lucius's face that recalled something turned pure white.

“What to do.”

“Why?”

“Older sister said not to make a woman cry, but I made cry.”

At that moment Butcher thought.‘I lived knowing I was quite a crazy guy, but actually I was a normal person!’* * *Blant Valfruga's corpse was discarded on the plain, and Catherine's neck was conveyed to the Schutrim Viscount territory.

And formally declared a territorial war on the Schutrim Viscount territory.

The Schutrim Viscount who received his wife's neck went wild.

“These guys daringly who are they touching? Beggar bastards seeing a bit of money taste seem to have gone crazy!”

Every time the Schutrim Viscount got angry the chubby cheek flesh trembled.

A woman was crouching at his feet.

“Please... please. Save me... Send me home. I have a husband...”

“Noisy!”

He roughly slammed the floor with the whip he was holding.

The vassal who conveyed the news chattered and matched the Schutrim Viscount's mood.

“Completely crazy guys! Daringly not knowing their place and rushing at us!”

“Hmph. Daringly a woman stepping forward and governing the ducal territory or what so such things happen.”

The Schutrim Viscount snorted.

“But rather it turned out well. Earned money but still Valfruga is weak, isn't it? So this time we'll eat all the gold coins in the Valfruga territory.”

“Are you saying absorb the Valfruga ducal house completely under us?”

“Yes. Anyway ducal houses in the Empire are only four. How about absorbing the Valfruga ducal house this time and becoming the Schutrim ducal house?”

“Schutrim ducal house...”

The words rolling in the mouth were sweet.

From Viscount to Duke at once.

“Good! Send a messenger saying accepting the territorial war!”* * *“Older sister, already waking up. Isn't it too overdoing? You can rest a few more days.”

“Madam. Are you really okay?”

Lus and Bella chased behind me chorusing.

If only Lus and Bella I wouldn't know.

Beyond that pillar Butcher was hiding his body, and far away Treon was glancing at me while pretending to work.

At first I thought it was an illusion but if this overt it wasn't easy to pretend not to know either.

I let out a deep sigh and asked.

“What are you all doing now?”

“To protect because older sister might be in danger again! And recovery might not be complete yet!”

“Nowhere hurt yet already rested for three days?”

For three days I really rested fully receiving Lus's nursing.

Actually words are nursing thanks to Blackie nowhere hurt so just played with Lus all day without moving a finger.

Lus firmly shook his head.

“Still insufficient. Even fainted so have to rest for a month.”

“No, not that weak... Eek!”

Moving steps looking at Lus chasing behind me for a moment the foot twisted.

“Older sister!”

“Madam!”

At that moment, all the people around ran toward me.

Lus who supported my waist hurriedly checked my complexion.

“Older sister, does your head hurt? Seems like you'll collapse? As expected recovery not complete yet?”

No, this is just the foot twisted.

Bella also added a word.

“As expected Madam is delicate. The day is this warm yet still saying cold wearing such thick clothes.”

No, yesterday also snow fell.

You guys are too strong to the cold.

Treon who approached beside me at some point said solemnly.

“It seems won't do. Have to send the knight order immediately and catch a bear. Now is the time to unlock the family's secret recipe.”

At those words Lus's eyes shone.

“Is bear good for the body?”

“Yes. From old times the bear's gallbladder...”

At some point even Butcher joined and was making plans to go bear hunting even tomorrow.

At the fear that if going like this might really eat bear paw soup I urgently shouted.

“Stop! Stop! Is it time to go catch bears now? Aren't you all working?”

I looked at Lus and Treon and said.

“Especially you two. There's something to say to me? The Lus relatives who came to me, how did you handle?”

At my words Lus slightly avoided his gaze.

Originally asked as soon as opening eyes, but Lus acting cute saying ‘I handled well. Older sister don't worry and rest fully’ so...

I knew for the first time if I was a person that weak to faces.

If Lus was an idol in Korea I would have offered all my property to Lus.

Barely chasing all to work, I dragged Treon and Lus and sat in the office.

And hearing the punishment given to Lus's relatives held my forehead.

“Killed both? And doing territorial war with the Schutrim Viscount?”

Territorial war was in one word a life-or-death deciding I can't live together under one sky with that guy so you die I live.

Simply speaking it was like rock-paper-scissors.

But the thing that actually happens was very rare, that was because territorial war had to go through very tricky conditions.

First, both territories have to agree.

Second, have to obtain permission from three or more places among the Emperor and the four great ducal houses five places.

“The first condition aside... How on earth did the second condition? We are also one of the four great ducal houses so one vote done, the remaining two votes?”

“The Summerhild Duke and His Majesty the Emperor approved.”

At Treon's words I held the back of my neck.

That California uncle really!

“Why on earth did the Emperor accept!”

The answer to this question came from Lus.

Normally Treon would have informed, but the answer coming smoothly showed traces of the effort Lus made in the meantime so almost soaked in a bit of emotion.

“Because it's a fight happening in the north. The north is traditionally a place where the Emperor's power is weak. Seeing our growing momentum these days hoping power drains while fighting each other.”

“Right. What I worry is also that. We're weak.”