kscans

Chapter 105 - The King of Castrato and the Little One

‘...Wait.’

He had intended to say it, but the word never left his lips. Before he knew it, he was covered in something hard and cold, unable to move, unsure if he was even breathing.

The distorted smile of his son.

The King of Castrato screamed at that mocking gaze.

Wait, at least let me talk...!

A voiceless cry.

In the king’s vision, his silver-haired son turned on his heel and closed the door.

How did it come to this...?

He had loved them. His country, his sons. So why, why had it come to this?

As the King of Castrato despaired without a voice, the door that should have been closed was open. Kiii..., the door opened with a creak, and a woman with dark brown hair and glasses entered. The woman, wearing a maid’s uniform and a short haircut, nonchalantly removed her glasses and whispered seductively with thin lips.

"It’s been a while, Your Majesty. ...To think it would come to this."

He recognized that face.

‘Cyril...?’

The beautiful woman laughed, fufu, and stroked the black crystal imprisoning the king with her fingertips, a small, pale purple vial in her other hand.

"Why did you have to return to your senses? I wanted something more interesting to happen. I wanted this country to fall to ruin."

The king could not understand the meaning of Cyril’s calmly spoken words. Before him, she swished the medicine in her hand with a chapun.

"This medicine tends to be seen only for its mind-control properties, but if you adjust the dosage, it can be used in various ways, you see?"

Cyril chuckled, kusu kusu.

She had disguised herself and infiltrated the royal palace, lying low as an underling to the king’s personal maid. Her purpose was singular. To put just one drop of this medicine on the king. The ambitious King of Castrato held a grudge-like animosity towards Frontier. To fuel that, Cyril had humbled herself to work as a servant and hide within the palace.

This medicine, which could make one lose their sense of self, had the same effect as a narcotic in very small doses. It filled one with a vague sense of euphoria and omnipotence, loosening the reins of reason and unleashing instinctual ferocity. In short, it liberated the desires of the heart. Humans all live their lives putting up a front with reason and self-control. Without them, they are no more than beasts.

Cyril watched the King of Castrato’s misdeeds, licking her lips in anticipation.

But that, too, came to an end due to an unforeseen situation.

"To think it would come to this. What a shame. I wanted to see you perish along with your country."

Medicine...?

Many memories flooded the King of Castrato’s mind. Outrage after outrage. His sons desperately trying to admonish him. Getting angry at his sons who would not do as he wished, enraged by things not going his way, and the terrible things he had done.

Was it all Cyril’s medicine’s fault?

Her agitation must have been transmitted. Cyril’s mouth stretched into a wide grin, nii~, at the King of Castrato, still alive within the black crystal.

"It’s not just my fault, you know? It’s simply that you originally had that disposition. I just helped you release it♪"

Cyril held a deep, grudge-like resentment towards the king who had treated them like disposable pawns ten years ago.

"Everything is your own doing, you know? Fufu, it was fun. Castrato won’t last much longer. Not with a son like that."

Leaving those words behind, Cyril exited the room. Stunned within the crystal, the King of Castrato screamed.

No, that’s not it! I was...!

Dark magic crept into his despairing heart. Deep anger and sorrow were the favorite foods of the dark spirits.

I was...!

As his consciousness faded while being slowly consumed by the dark spirits, the king had a dream. A dream shown by the dark spirits. In it was a young Charles, shouting, "You mustn’t, Father." The King of Castrato stared blankly at him and smiled gently.

‘You are right. I shall stop.’

Charles beamed brightly.

As he was swallowed by that hazy memory, he smiled.

Ah. I can swear to God. I loved my children.

With that, his consciousness was cut off, putsuri, and the cracking sound of the growing crystal, meki meki, filled the room.

And so, without ever seeing the Little One’s face, the King of Castrato, bearing the infamy of his outrageous deeds, quietly departed on the road to death.

"So?"

The Little One, ignorant of the King of Castrato’s past, was about to return to Frontier, thinking the matter was settled, when she was caught by the Crown Prince and the others.

"I want you to look after Charles for a while."

"Don’t be stupid!"

The Little One roared, and the Frontier knights nodded emphatically in agreement. The thoroughness of it all was such that even her monster retinue nodded.

"I get it! I completely understand what you want to say, but please listen to me!"

At Augfel’s desperate plea, the Little One reluctantly listened.

According to his story, it seemed the nobles had found out that Charles was the one who caused the current situation. It was a huge commotion, and above all, the king was missing. Soldiers had witnessed Charles’s words and actions that were deeply related to the cause of his death. Furthermore, soldiers had followed them to the tower where the king was confined and had overheard the conversations of the Little One and Cesare. A gag order would be meaningless. If this continued, Charles would be forced to take the blame for the incident.

"Isn’t that obvious? You have to reap what you sow."

The Little One declared this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I know, I know, but my brother doesn’t have the ability to judge right from wrong. Probably..."

Charles, whose sense of self had collapsed due to Cyril’s mind-control drug, would not be able to distinguish between good and bad. Even after it wore off, he was likely still far from sane. In fact, due to his partial involvement with the dark dragon, it could not be denied that he might have been trapped in dark thoughts.

The Little One looked up to the heavens with a groan, and the Crown Prince begged her as if he were about to prostrate himself.

"Please! Just until I am enthroned! I don’t think it will take even half a year! Until I can reduce Charles’s sentence with an enthronement amnesty!"

The Crown Prince had no other connections. If he left Charles in the wrong hands, nobles who were part of the king’s faction might try to kill him, and he might retaliate, adding to his crimes.

"I know it seems like a convenient request, but could I possibly ask this of you? I’ll take care of the trouble, you just need to shelter him!"

Augfel also pressed the Little One with a desperate look on his face.

"...You’re really gonna take care of him?"

"Yes!"

"Hero?!"

"Chihiro-sama?!"

It can’t be helped, sheesh.

Chihaya, Dorfen, and the rest of the Frontier faction had loud objections written all over their faces. Conversely, the Castrato princes were all smiles.

"We’re leaving tomorrow morning! No being late, nyo!"

Once it came to this, there was nothing to be done. It was the Little One’s final word.

Augfel and Louis Charles nodded their heads vigorously.

However, they did not know. The Little One's party's return journey would be by honeybee flight.

The next day, the Honeybee Carriage soared into the sky, trailing Augfel’s voiceless screams.

Rest in peace♪