Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Scattered Pieces

There is no person who doesn't experience loss while living.

Whether big or small, poor or rich, low or high status everyone has painful memories about loss.

That's because everything in this world is ultimately finite.

Even stainless steel rusts if used long, even steel ships wear out if hitting rough waves.

If there's meeting there's parting, if the moon fills it wanes is the law of nature.

But that didn't mean the moment of loss wasn't painful.

People one cherished, time, moments don't just disappear. Even the traces they left are washed away together.

No matter how hard one tries, the helplessness and despair of realizing the lost things don't return again is only heavy.

The deeper one sinks into memories, the clearer the wounds loss left become. Those negative emotions never fade.

The sea of tears one simple question of mine triggered clearly proved such a fact.

It was like the dam of suppressed sadness burst.

Loud wailing.

Suddenly Princess Louise buried her head on the table like a child who lost a precious doll and started crying loudly.

"Leopold...! Leopold!"

And that while continuing to repeat one person's name.

"No, wait a moment, princess?"

I just asked who Isabella and Leopold are?!

No matter how much I'm a person with little agitation, if others show such a big emotional reaction being flustered was the same.

And sadness, in my thought is the emotion that spreads best in the world.

"Sob sob, Madam Isabella...!"

"Guh..."

Following mother also burst into tears, and father also covered his face with one hand and quietly wiped tears.

As soon as everyone except me started crying, in an instant I lost what to say.

While living on Baker Street the poor life was hard, but there was hope that circumstances would improve sometime and small happinesses.

Even if poor there wasn't no laughter.

Kind mother and playful father.

So seeing the appearance of parents shedding tears, no matter how much I turn memory now was the first.

Can't help it. It was no longer a situation one could converse.

I couldn't further interrogate Princess Louise who fell into great chaos, or the crying parents.

Since I've lived well even without knowing until now, this truth isn't important to me right away.

Pushing curiosity to one corner of the heart, I decided not to dig now.

So I just hugged the parents with both arms.

It was the parents' body temperature felt after a long time. It was very warm.

Yes, this is enough. Let's just bury it like this.

And at that moment I, absolutely didn't imagine that the secret hidden and hidden would be dug from the mouth of a completely unexpected person.

That time came much faster than thought.

###

I quietly waited until Princess Louise and the parents composed their emotions, then said farewell and came out.

Below Mr. Doyle was waiting with a worried expression.

That was so, because the princess burst into tears in such a loud voice, there's no way it would be soundproof.

I don't know but people passing outside would all have heard.

Everyone pretends not to know like that, but later strange rumors might arise.

'Jean-Paul Durand who made Durand Barbecue and peanut butter in the end even made Princess Louise cry!' like that.

It wasn't wrong words.

"Mr. Durand, did something happen?"

"No, it's fine. Mr. Doyle, sorry but is it okay to postpone the dinner appointment a bit? I'm tired and want to return to the office."

"...Understood. Let's make an appointment again next time."

He didn't ask more, and I also had no thought of wanting to inform the detailed circumstances.

The way returning to Lombard Street riding the carriage. Mr. Doyle parted in the middle and left for the hotel he was staying at.

So I quietly fiddled only with the documents I rolled and put in my bosom alone.

The only income I obtained on Baker Street was only this.

Written in French so I couldn't know the content, but documents Princess Louise forcibly entrusted saying must safely have them.

The words I heard from her were all that.

And I was thinking of just shoving this in the safe without anyone knowing.

I want to sleep soundly because I'm tired. That was my only feeling now.

But when arriving at the restaurant, I couldn't ignore even someone's visit waiting for me inside.

"Lord Frederick."

"Sir Durand."

It was a face seen after a long time. He fiddled with the monocle worn on one eye.

"...What's the matter? It's late evening now. If you haven't eaten I can treat."

The sun was setting. Already time approaching 7 o'clock.

But Lord Frederick lightly shook his head.

"Sir Durand, did you check today's evening newspaper article?"

"Yes?"

Suddenly omitting even greetings and throwing questions from the start Lord Frederick.

I immediately recalled that it was the 'hamburger recipe matter'.

"Yes, well I did see but..."

"Then the talk will be fast. By any chance is there an important appointment or schedule tomorrow evening?"

Appointment? Schedule? There's no such thing...

But from his nuance I could sufficiently guess the business.

From the start there was only one reason the Lord Chamberlain would visit up to here.

So I just quietly shook my head.

"Just in time His Majesty left time one can have a meeting tomorrow. It means he invited to dinner. I'll send a carriage so wait. Then I'll go."

"...Wait a moment, Lord Frederick, is the business only that?"

It seemed he'd ask this and that but?!

The manor matter or something? Hamburger recipe or something?

"Only that?"

It really seemed the business was only delivering the invitation appointment.

Just for that one thing the Lord Chamberlain comes up to here?!

"Ah, I almost forgot one notice. Tomorrow's dinner invitation of His Majesty is secret. It's planned to go through an unknown place."

"Yes...?"

Unknown place?

"There is a private place His Majesty has secretly used since the Prince of Wales days to freely experience other lives and relieve stress. For now just know that. I came directly to deliver that matter. So please keep the secret. There must be no one who knows."

The appointment place isn't Clarence House that talk...

Is it something similar to the Duke of York's hideout?

Even in the Joseon era kings experienced commoners' lives with secret outings, there was no law Britain wouldn't do so.

Right away even Charles II of the 17th century until the Restoration hid his status and acted like a commoner and fled was a well-known biography.

Anyway Lord Frederick left one riddle and left as is.

I had no choice but to quietly wait for the appointment time.

###

The next day afternoon. The carriage that came to pick me up ran at speed as is through the middle of dense woods on the outskirts of London.

Is it Richmond Park? As far as I know green space of this scale created near London is only about that.

The place we arrived after running for a long time, was really a quiet 2nd floor mansion with rare presence around.

A bit old, but an exterior that looks well managed.

The trees surrounding the mansion were sparsely separated as if artificially planted no matter who sees, and somehow the sound of a stream flowing nearby also seemed to be heard.

There were no attendants, no maids, no any person to serve the king there.

I was guided to the vacant lot behind the mansion by a guard disguised as a coachman.

And His Majesty Edward VII, was there wearing a blazer and tweed pants, flat cap that working class might wear and leisurely poking between trees with a fire poker.

Firewood piled in one corner, and a grill that seemed someone directly hammered cast iron and made, pieces of chopped pig belly meat piled up a lot.

It wasn't difficult to predict.

His Majesty was trying to grill barbecue himself.

And that samgyeopsal.

"Your Majesty! Knight Durand, I came receiving the call!"

"Hahat, Jean-Paul Durand! Seeing after a long time is glad! Yes, did you like the manor received as a gift?"

"I'll do that work! If handing that to me—"

"Wait, this is exactly my enjoyment! You just sit down on the wooden chair there and watch! It's the command of the monarch of the British Empire!"

Oh! It was an area skill one absolutely couldn't defy as the king's knight.

I had no choice but to just sit on the chair according to His Majesty's command and stay quiet.

His Majesty unlike someone at Windsor Castle really skillfully lit the fire. It wasn't skill of doing once or twice.

In the meantime some young woman appeared holding a tray full of cleanly washed butterhead lettuce and various sauces.

She was also in attire of a simple cotton dress and white apron that commoners might wear.

Looking closely who it was it was the Countess of Albemarle.

When eyes met she nodded to me and went back inside.

Ah, here was exactly such and such a place?

I wondered where His Majesty was meeting the rumored mistress, it was certain he secretly set up a new household here and was doing weekend couple.

The atmosphere looked very lovey-dovey.

...Let's just pretend not to know. That was wise.

"Yes, you, you saved Princess Alice at Windsor Castle? And that you were together alone for several hours in a hut in the forest?"

As expected a report went in. With the Countess of Albemarle there there's no way he wouldn't have heard the talk.

"How was it? As a London man talk frankly. Did you fall in love at a glance?"

"Yes...?"

Your Majesty, what on earth is that sound?!

"It's not because she's my nephew's granddaughter, but objectively seeing the most beautiful in the royal family is Alice! But the personality is aloof so it's no good to be loved by men! So I advised Alexander too rather than bothering to connect with other noble or royal families just leave her to do free love! If you liked I'll make a place. How is it, Sir Durand?"

Alexander? Ah, it was the name of Colonel Ludwig the father of Princess Alice.

But the content His Majesty is saying was clearly just a joke.

Mésalliance.

No matter how much Britain is a country free from the class system, if connecting a chef of working class origin with royalty it was obvious it would become the laughingstock of all Europe.

So instead of answering I just let out a laugh.

Sizzle sizzle.

His Majesty Edward VII also didn't ask more and continuously played his hands on the grill.

On the sparks jumping from the firewood samgyeopsal browned and cooked and gave off a tremendously delicious meat aroma.

Gulp.

Meat the British king personally grills!

Who could enjoy such a luxury in this era? To the point one could regard it as honor for generations.

This was surely gratitude for the hamburger recipe.

Chairman Balfour invited to Britain's best restaurant as repayment for grilled eel and treated delicious French cooking, but if only comparing the level of pride it couldn't compare to cooking the king personally invites and personally makes.

His Majesty even personally portioned well-grilled meat on my front plate!

Really overwhelming!

The meat was also really delicious! It was a different dimension from cheap pig belly meat easily obtained at London markets.

Even if the shape is like that it was clearly the highest grade Berkshire breed the royal family eats.

"How is it, delicious?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Really delicious! Even the banquet Richard I the Lionheart ate wouldn't be inferior to this!"

"Hahat, wrap the butterhead there together and eat. Eating vegetables and this meat in the way you informed really matches to the point of regretting why I didn't eat like this until now!"

Oh! Suddenly the Countess of Albemarle brought out butterhead lettuce so I wondered but as expected the Earl of Derby ran to His Majesty and spread the ssam culture.

It wasn't bad. His Majesty eating a lot of vegetables and becoming healthy is helpful to me!

"That's that, you made tremendously soft boiled meat dish at the manor for Arthur? When are you thinking of doing that for me?"

I tried to answer with as correct pronunciation as possible while mumbling the mouth.

"If just catching time anytime possible!"

"Good, then as repayment I'll inform the contents you're curious about! The secret of yours that you couldn't properly hear because you made Princess Louise cry yesterday!"

"Yes?"

And His Majesty, whether accepting my retort as agreement suddenly started spilling the secret of my birth.

Exactly that content I couldn't hear from Princess Louise yesterday.

The content was brief, but it contained shocking facts to the point I couldn't properly chew and swallow the lettuce ssam I pushed full in the mouth.

I'm the last descendant of the French royal family? Moreover illegitimate child?!

And both biological father and biological mother were assassinated? By French republicans?

"There would be documents Louise handed over to you, that's exactly the birth report! A document the Duke of Bordeaux your biological father stamped the last seal of the Bourbon-Capet dynasty and guaranteed!"

I barely held the one about to spit all the contents in the mouth on the floor for a moment!

I wanted to say something but the spirit left and strength didn't enter the chin!

"The Duke of Bordeaux married early but couldn't leave even one descendant in his life. That was also the problem of his wife Marie-Thérèse! She was a body that couldn't get pregnant and it was a political marriage so they didn't love each other either! The first love the Duke of Bordeaux did when old is Isabella your biological mother! She was very beautiful to the point one couldn't describe with words..."

His Majesty's gaze seemed to trace somewhere in the past and briefly swam in the air.

The name Isabella he unconsciously repeated when first meeting His Majesty before.

I now knew what meaning that name was.

She was my mother.

"It's regrettable for you, but the count realized Isabella's pregnancy and after divorcing Marie-Thérèse tried to formally marry her. But before that he was assassinated so you lost the succession right of the bloodline. But it's not that there's no way to regain at all. Will you listen?"

At those words I nodded as if possessed by something.