Chapter 40

When I go back to the royal capital, the scenery changed.

My uncle Cain staged a coup d’etat, and the capital took considerable damage.

I’ve only thought that we were dismissed to Mother’s parent house, the Valerie territory because Father’s love for Mother had diminished. But it seems that Father got the information in advance, and it was one of his effort to deal with it. In front of the rubbles around the royal castle, Mother, younger sister, and I were told that it was a just-in-case evacuation, not a homecoming. And the reason he kept a little distance from me was so the coup mastermind won’t target the Second Prince, he said.

“Was it not because you have come to hate me?”

When Mother asked timidly, the shocked King endlessly talked about how much he loves Mother with his voice (which’s originally already loud) raised and all sorts of gestures. Forgetting that he is in front of the servants, let alone his son and daughter, he keeps on and on to the point I’m amazed that he can say so much until Mother’s face turned red and said ‘It’s fine… already…’ with a small voice.

・・・

I want to go back to the royal capital quickly. Though I’ve thought so.

Even when I looked at the bustling streets, heard about Father’s heroic figure during the coup, it doesn’t move my heart like it used to.

We should’ve been happy from the entirely different treatment we receive before and after going to Valerie, but neither my nor mother’s heart is clear,

because the news that Emma regains her consciousness still doesn’t come even after over a month.

That day, if we hadn’t invited the Stuart siblings to our house, Emma wouldn’t have been injured.

Mother has apologized many times to Leonard, who had rushed over, but those apologies have never been accepted.

“That is the result of my children’s judgment. Instead, the damage would be a hundred times greater without them. Please praise Emma a lot when she awake. She will be happy.”

Leonard’s face, who’s saying that and laughed, is pale. Count Stuart’s famous for doting on his daughter. Even so, he didn’t blame us, even thanking me for my selfish action.

“What the Prince did was by no means good, but thanks to him, my son and daughter didn’t need to give up their lives. I deeply thank you.”

Leonard, who bowed his head deeply, had the resolution of a Count that governs over a borderland. The three siblings too.

How much effort have they put into the knowledge of monsters and the sericulture family business they’ve always talked about like it’s nothing.

The environment surrounding this family that looks like without a care in the world is harsh, where every monster’s appearance is accompanied by the danger of death.

And what they get from the country is nothing but tax reduction. Hunters’ employment, a lot of equipment all come from the borderland lord’s pocket. Many downfalls of borderland lords are the fault of the country who only leaves everything to them.

The coup d’état that happened in the royal capital feels stupid. A strife over a position between humans. In the royal capital, the center of the barrier, where there is no danger of monsters, they live carefreely by pushing all threats to the borderland lords.

They don’t even know how harsh it is.

I, who live in the royal capital, have almost no knowledge of monsters. I made light of it because I didn’t know and take action on my own.

Even if I were told that George and Emma’s lives were saved as that result, it was not a feat at all. Just because nobody blamed me, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t guilty.

If Emma won’t ever wake up,

Every day, every day, I will be crushed by anxiety.

Emma’s dresses adorned Mother beautifully, and she is once again called the flower of high society.

There aren’t a few who tries to worsen her reputation, like spreading rumors that the Stuarts and the Second Prince have colluded, but even so, Mother was beautiful. Nobody calls her ‘vulgar’ anymore.

She has a confident beauty, different from those days when she was obsessed with beauty.

All of it is thanks to Emma and the others.

I have not paid back anything. I let Emma get injured, and monsters continuously appear in the borderland.

Rather than a foolish power struggle, rather than foolish rumors, rather than foolishly asserting dominance, there are a lot of things that should be done.

Let’s properly work hard for this country, for the monsters. Because it’s all things I don’t know about, I will be busy from now on.

Let’s study hard so I won’t be ashamed the next time I meet Emma.

Let’s study hard so I will be able to protect Emma the next time I meet her.

That’s why, Emma.

Wake up soon. Get healthy.

And after that, prepare yourself.

I will become a good man and definitely make you fall in love with me.