Episode 135: Spread the Word (XII)
âDo you have such a book?â
Deheen asked with a cool chuckle.
Judging by the title, the book seemed to contain many more methods of torture besides what Dennis had brought up.
If itâs Dennis, who enjoyed reading regardless of genre, it wouldnât be strange for him to read such a novel.
âIn boiling water, aliveâŠ?â
However, Esther, who was surprised by the crueler method than expected, caught her breath and hiccupped in surprise.
Dennis hurriedly brought water and patted Estherâs back.
The hiccup didnât stop right away, so she grabbed the cup with both hands and gulped down the water.
Meanwhile, Judy and Dennis were enthusiastically discussing how to punish Rabienne.
âI think Iâll get her portrait and throw darts at her every night.â
Recalling the famous curse, Judy grinned as he crossed his arms.
âWhen you get it, get one for me too.â
Even Dennis, who would have normally told him not to do anything stupid, agreed, saying it was a good idea.
âI have to go to the bookstore tomorrow and buy more books about punishment and curses. We must find a more painful method.â
Frozen from shock, Deheen couldnât join the childrenâs conversation openly, but he listened with his ears perked up.
âBen, bring three⊠No, please bring about 20 copies.â
Tempted by the idea of throwing darts, Deheen asked Ben to obtain the portraits.
He thought that at least that would relieve some of this resentment.
âY-Your Highness, are you going to do it too?â
âNo, no. Itâs okay.â
Trying hard to not show his shock, Ben wrote down the order in his notebook.
Deheen glanced at his watch and belatedly realized that it was very late.
âItâs bedtime. How about sleeping together tonight?â
âAll of us together?â
Estherâs eyes widened at Deheenâs suggestion, while Judy and Dennis said it was a good idea and prepared to run.
Jumping off the couch and tying his shoelaces, Judy looked around, asking where to go.
âWhose room are we sleeping in?â
âFor the four of us, a guest room is probably better.â
It should be a room with two large beds, pushed together so that they could sleep side by side.
There was a suitable guest room, so it was decided they would sleep there together tonight.
The eyes of Esther, Judy, and Dennis, who washed their faces and huddled together in the guest room, were still bright red.
âThen letâs choose our spots.â
With a hand on his waist, Judy moved across the wide bed.
âEsther, of course, is in the middle.â
After the unanimous decision, Esther went first to the bed and lay down in the middle.
She brought the stuffed rabbit and a stuffed snake from his room, one on each side.
âIâll take the spot next to Esther.â
Judy tried to sneak over to Estherâs left. It was the best spot because it was next to the wall.
âI said Iâll be there first.â
âDonât you know that the one who lies down first owns the spot?â
Seeing the twins arguing over trifles, Deheen made them play rock-paper-scissors fairly.
âHa, I knew it would be like this.â
âThe world of competition is cold.â
Ultimately, Dennis won the rock-paper-scissors game. With a triumphant smile, he occupied the spot next to the wall.
Pouting, Judy laid down on Estherâs right side.
Deheen laid at an angle on the edge and pulled the blankets up to the childrenâs chin, covering their necks.
âEsther, thank you for telling me a difficult secret.â
Although the full extent of Estherâs 14 regressions still did not completely reach him, the desperate pain was wholly felt.
âThank you for trusting me.â
Suddenly, Esther felt that the whole situation was like a dream.
It seemed that the reality couldnât be more perfect than this, so she felt uneasy.
âWhen I wake up⊠It wonât be gone, right?â
âNo way. After sleeping, itâll be a happier tomorrow.â
Esther clutched at the blanket and gazed at DeHyn with wide, glazed eyes.
A soft smile appeared as she took in Deheenâs warm voice, which seemed to protect her forever.
It was much narrower than sleeping alone in a room, but it was nice to be close to one another.
âI am not alone. This isnât just a dream.â
She always had nightmares whenever she recalled the painful memories.
Perhaps this time, she could sleep well without nightmares.
âGood night, I love you.â
Since he was shy, Deheen usually wouldnât say things like this, but tonight, he mustered up his courage.
He moved slowly and lightly kissed Judy, Esther, and Dennis on the foreheads.
Having received a kiss on the forehead for the first time, Esther was very shy and kept touching her forehead.
âCome on, letâs go to sleep.â
Deheen continued to comfort and pat the children so that they could fall asleep.
Slowly but surely, the chatters died down, and after a while, there wasnât even a whisper.
Deheen observed the sleeping children for a long time before quietly getting out of bed.
Then, on his tiptoes, he got up and went out of the room, completely silent.
Right in front of the door and squatting against the wall was Ben, who was asleep.
He jumped up at the sound of the door opening, his eyes wide open.
âYou havenât gone to bed.â
âI was waiting for you to come out.â
Indeed, he was Ben. He knew Deheen better than anyone else, which was why he waited, having read his agitated mind.
The rage that had been dormant for a while flared up in Deheenâs eyes.
From the moment he peeked into Estherâs memories, he was already angry.
Benâs hand, which was next to Deheen, was tingling from the strong energy he was radiating.
The two moved to the balcony and continued their conversation.
ââŠIs it related to what really happened to the lady at the temple?â
Deheenâs eyes darkened as he pressed his clenched hand against the wall.
In the dark hallway, sparks seemed to fly all around him.
âI will destroy the temple.â
âPlease donât start a war.â
Flustered, Ben advised Deheen with the utmost caution.
âThere will not be a war. I will just bring down the fake and give those involved proper punishment.â
âYouâve already decided to spread rumors about that, havenât you?â
Ben was still careful. If such rumors about Rabienne spreaded, her fall would surely happen, it was only a matter of time.
The temple was one thing, but Deheen also couldnât forgive the Brions family, the background of Rabienne.
âIsnât the creation of the four great families in line with the history of the empire?â
âWill the empire stumble if one of those four great families disappears?â
âYour Highness, donât tell meâŠ?â
Inferring Deheenâs thoughts, Ben covered his mouth, astonished.
âYes. I will bring down the Duchy of Brions.â
âBut⊠but a family of the four great families canât be destroyed that easily.â
Each of the four families had considerable power and deep history.
This was especially true of the Brions family, which produced many saints.
âI know there was a treaty between the families in the beginning.â
âYes. Definitely⊠There is also a clause for termination. If any family loses itâs honor, the other families will expel that familyâŠâ
Itâs true. There was such a provision regarding the termination of the treaty.
However, since the four great families were symbols of the empire, no one attempted it, so it was a one-way treaty.
Ben stammered out the clauses, barely remembering what he learned at the academy a long time ago.
âRuins the honor. Thatâs right.â
A foreboding energy rose from Deheen as he twisted the corner of his mouth.
âDo you think I canât?â
ââŠNo. There is nothing that cannot be done if Your Grace wishes.â
Deheen had enough strength to aim for the position of emperor.
âHowever, I am worried that if you attack the ducal family, you will be accused of treason.â
Since everyone was watching and wary of Deheen, Ben was worried that there would be people who would view his actions in a distorted way.
âIâll do it anyway.â
Deheenâs heart was already firm.
Recognizing that, Ben nodded; he would follow his order without interfering.
âFrom now on, find out all of Duke Brionsâ weaknesses and his misdeeds.â
Deheenâs hand that was placed on the railing was still shaking with rage.
It didnât seem like Estherâs anger would ever subside unless she paid back what she had suffered.
âA mere downfall is not enough. I will drag them down to the bottom.â
The eyes looking up at the round moon were colder than ever.
âAh, by the way, you asked me to find out the connection between Lady Catherine and Duke Brions.â
Remembering he had something to report to Deheen, Ben cleared his throat.
âDid you find something?â
âYes. There were people who had seen Duke Brions going in and out of the teahouse run by Lady Catherine.â
It was a long time ago, so it was very difficult to find a tip. Thankfully, this information surfaced after asking almost all the nearby residents.
âWhat? Youâre amazing.â
Deheen was absolutely dumbfounded that he burst out laughing.
âItâs most certainly not a wrong account. Iâve checked with several people.â
He wondered what kind of connection there was between Duke Brions and Catherine, but the teahouseâŠ
It was something he couldnât even imagine.
ââŠI donât have a good feeling. I guess I have to meet Duke Brions in person.â
âIâll make an appointment as soon as the day dawns.â
The various complex thoughts made Deheen let out a deep sigh as he clutched the railing.
The handsome face reflected in the soft moonlight was full of sorrow.
All the vassals were called into the meeting room one by one.
Each of them went into the meeting room nervously at the appointed time and came out with a puzzled expression.
The same was true of Hugo, the commander of the grand ducal knights.
âWhat the hell is going on?â
He tilted his head, wondering why there would be an unexpected private meeting, and soon became even more dumbfounded.
Judy waved his hand and ran up to Hugo.
Hugo was Judyâs first swordsmanship teacher, so the two were very close.
âYouâre here? Sit down.â
Deheen called Hugo to the chair in front of him. Even if he was the leader of the knights, there were no exceptions.
âYour Grace, whatâs the matter?â
Judy and Dennis smiled and approached the puzzled Hugo.
âMister Hugo, I will demonstrate, so you can sing along.â
And without time to figure out what it was, Judy started singing.
By Hugoâs side, Dennis recited the lyrics, urging him to memorize them quickly.
The voices of the two blended together and echoed softly in the meeting room.
The holy flower that should have bloomed in the temple has bloomed elsewhere.
What is in the place where the flower should bloom?
What should be done now that there are no flowers?
Weeds cannot replace flowers