Sorry, the Patricidal Tyrant Seems Beastly - Chapter 53

“You don’t have much luggage.”

Benjamin said quietly.

“There’s almost no trace of you staying at the mansion.”

“…There wouldn’t be any traces. I spent more time outside than at the Windsor house. I only stayed briefly.”

She had stayed in this mansion for less than a year. As a child, she grew up in her paternal family’s home, and after her tutor left the family register, she stayed at the Windsor house, but left the imperial palace when political turmoil broke out in the imperial family.

The place was tidied up for someone to stay, but traces of their stay had been erased.

“I always left things behind when I departed.”

The Windsor family always waited in the background. Like building a sturdy wall for protection, they guarded Charlotte’s back.

That wall was tall and built with a strong core. Some might have criticized it as stiff. But that’s why the Windsor family existed as the Windsor family.

“Is it because of the foundation of trust.”

“…”

“I believe you’ll always be behind me too. I thought I’d never get used to it, but maybe I already have.”

Charlotte whispered as she took off her shawl. She had set aside imperial formalities. She removed the accessories worn around her neck or ears, and put on a loose-fitting dress. The deep forest green color of the dress stood out without any special decorations.

She had dinner with her family.

She only exchanged brief greetings with her family members.

Her maternal relatives also set aside formalities and spoke comfortably, which seemed to help her adapt a little more easily.

“Is the temperature in the room alright? I told them to turn up the fireplace, but I’m not sure if it’s okay since the place has been vacant for a while.”

“You remember.”

“Your uncle and I are both sensitive to cold.”

Aster chided Leandro from beside him.

“You didn’t have to mention that.”

On this day, Aster conveyed the sentiment of “Why is this child still so thin?” and urged her to put on more weight. He seemed worried.

Dinner ended. Afterwards, maids visited the room.

“If the fireplace is weak, please pull the bell-rope.”

“It’s fine. You may go now.”

Though the Windsor family was also strict about etiquette and their maids didn’t tend to speak at length, they seemed quite pleased.

“Your expression reveals everything.”

“It means I’m being honest.”

Since it was an unofficial imperial outing and the visit wasn’t publicly announced, the entourage was small.

“Don’t you need servants to change into indoor clothes?”

“I just need help loosening the seams on the back.”

Also, it was a simplified outfit, not the formal attire with imperial etiquette.

“Shall I loosen this seam for you?”

Benjamin loosened the seams on her back.

He traced his hand down along her shoulder line. As he massaged her stiff shoulders to relieve the neck muscles, the calluses on his fingertips felt rough. A shiver ran down her spine.

“What are you doing?”

“Did I tell you before? That it felt like you were putting your head in my mouth.”

Benjamin whispered softly.

“It might sound like a terrible thing to say.”

“…”

“I want to put you in my mouth like this. When I see you, I feel hungry. If I could bite you and fill my mouth with you, I feel like my hunger would be satisfied.”

Like a wicked beast cub.

“Like a wicked one.”

Benjamin buried his mouth in her shoulder.

“That’s what I’m doing.”

He set his teeth as if in self-mockery. A sharp pain arose. A faint breath escaped. The scattered breath that grazed her skin became hazy.

“Is this enough to loosen the seams?”

“…I’ll do the rest myself.”

Charlotte fumbled at her shoulder. The stinging quickly faded, and the bitten skin was clean without a mark.

She changed into cozy indoor clothes behind a partition.

“…”

Charlotte smiled faintly.

[This is the timeline separator]

The country of Taran.

An old temple in the eastern forest.

Thistles blocked the temple entrance, and moss covered the ruined temple walls. Vines climbed up the walls, their leaves covering what used to be the building’s walls.

A long alleyway extended out from the temple.

– Rustle

Grass was cut, and a demon’s head fell. The demon died and burned black. Tatante sharply jerked his body back at the killing intent aimed at his back. His attendant swung his sword and was covered in demon fluid instead.

“Ugh. I feel nauseous. I’m dizzy from being covered in all this demon fluid.”

“It’s your own fault for not avoiding it. Why are you complaining to me?”

“I took the hit for you! Can’t you see I’m soaked in demon fluid trying to help you? My clothes are nearly all burned from the poison.”

The attendant pleaded as if protesting.

“This is the extent of my loyalty!”

The attendant gritted his teeth with an aggrieved look. How could this be! Is it easy to support someone thrashing about madly covered in demon fluid?

The ground was muddy and messy.

“The political situation is unstable. His Majesty the King is very worried.”

“Indeed. In the past, his main concern was me, but these days he’s more worried about the succession. He says that especially in such chaotic times, we need to establish a successor to bring stability.”

“Ahem. I agree with that opinion.”

“Shut your mouth. Your words and actions are very vulgar.”

Tatante grimaced.

“The royal marriage has already been delayed enough. Before it’s too late, we should hold the royal wedding mmph…!”

“Such rigid thinking. Do you think if we hold a royal wedding because the country is in turmoil, the political situation will stabilize afterwards?”

Tatante attached the scabbard to his waist. When it’s this muddy, it’s right to stop the subjugation here. The forest is sensitive to moisture. Especially with poisonous energy seeping out, we shouldn’t underestimate such small anomalies.

“That successor must also be able to plan for the future.”

The attendant asked, “Pardon?”

“If there is no future, everything after is meaningless.”

Tatante’s gaze extended beyond the temple.

The temple was closed long ago. Neither demons nor humans approach its interior.

Even demons and animals avoid that interior. There aren’t even insects. Even these vines only spread on the temple walls. The vines raised their thorns to block approach.

The interior was clean with only dust settled.

Since then, only the altar priest has managed the temple on a regular basis.

“Such anomalies are not very welcome.”

Tatante recalled that day.

‘This is a tomb. It is a paradise and graveyard made of flesh and blood, an altar commemorating the souls of those unrecorded.’

Such anomalies are not welcome.

Especially when facing an uncertain future.

[This is the timeline separator]

An arm wrapped around her slender waist.

The sleeping person’s breath touched her shoulder. Charlotte stopped her movement as she was twisting her waist.

It seemed like she might wake him, sensitive to the slightest movement.

She traced the thick arm. The contours of the tightly gripped muscles were clear.

Benjamin interlocked their fingers in his sleep. His hand entwined with hers as if binding them together.

Short hair scattered over her shoulder. The black hair tickled her shoulder. A faint heat rose to her neck.

‘Is it a bit hot?’

It seems the fireplace was turned up in the middle of the night.

With the blanket on top, it was even hotter.

Charlotte lay on her side and stared blankly beyond the bed.

Darkness had settled thickly. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, her vision became clearer.

The arm wrapped around her waist loosened. She raised her upper body.

As she sat blankly tilting her head back, her long hair spread out on the bed.

‘It’s hot.’

She stroked Benjamin’s cheek with the back of her hand as he slept.

His skin was a bit rough.

If the calluses were like scars, traces of life were also imprinted in his expression.

“…Were you tired?”

You must have been tired, looking busy lately with the information officer exchanges and all.

His eyes buried in his short hair were calm. The cool, sharp energy was also asleep.

She averted her gaze from there.

Charlotte went to the bedside table and poured water into a glass. The lukewarm water moistened her throat.

She leaned against the windowsill with her back to the bed. The interior was cut off from the outside.

The window cracks were tightly sealed, and this wasn’t a room abandoned because someone had left.

‘They’ve been maintaining it continuously.’

Without showing the slightest sign.

“Was there a reason it felt out of place?”

“…”

“The room seems to be waiting for someone.”

As she was catching her breath leaning against the wall, she dropped the water glass. The fragments shattered noisily. As she was about to step back in her slippers, she stopped at the arm wrapped around her waist.

“Don’t step on it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I was already awake from you rustling around next to me.”

“Ah, I thought you were asleep because you were tired.”

“You’ll step on it. Come here.”

He wrapped his arm around Charlotte’s waist and moved her to the side. Stepping on the carpet, she ruffled her long hair.

“Did your hand slip?”

“I let go of it while half-asleep.”

“If you’re tired, why didn’t you sleep more.”

“It was a bit hot.”

“The fireplace must have been turned up high.”

“The maids must have put in a lot of firewood trying to be considerate.”

He came closer and touched her cheek.

“You have a slight fever.”

“…It’s because I’m hot.”

“But it’s not good to catch a cold draft either.”

Benjamin cleaned up the fragments.

The transparent fragments sparkled in the moonlight in the darkness. Fragments had scattered all the way to the wardrobe across.

As he was picking up the fragments, the wardrobe door cracked open.

It was by chance that he found a paper box there as he was trying to push it closed. The old box was caught on the wardrobe door.

“What’s wrong?”

Benjamin straightened up.

“Be careful of your feet.”

“You cleaned up the fragments.”

“…There might be more broken pieces left. The fragments shattered completely. If you step on them, you’ll get scratched.”

Charlotte was about to put the old box back in the wardrobe and close it, but when her fingertips touched it, the lid of the paper box opened.

“Is it a diary?”

“Yes. It looks like a diary.”

Charlotte took out the old box and placed it on the bedside table.

“It seems to be a keepsake from when my mother was young.”

“…”

“It’s not my belongings. It looks old, but they’re all locked with padlocks.”

As Charlotte lifted the diary, the old diary’s padlock broke. The lock’s joint opened. The first page opened limply.

The diary cover was tattered as if it would crumble. But the inside was clean.

[I don’t want to. I don’t want to leave. I want to stay a little longer with my family, in my clan. What should I do now? Can’t I stay just a little longer?] [I chose this marriage myself. It’s okay. You’re okay. Even if it’s a bit rough, there’s nothing that can be done anyway.] [I won’t cry. I’m not weak.]

This seemed like self-brainwashing.

[I want to die. No. This isn’t blaming you. Please. Don’t blame yourself. This, this, I was just a little afraid. I won’t say weak words.]

Becoming a woman of another family through marriage, leaving her family’s side, those feelings were recorded here. It was deep sorrow.

[I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s my fault.] [If that path is difficult, it’s my fault. If you break, that’s also my fault, and if the path you walk is arduous, that too is my fault. So, blame me.]

Who is this talking to?