Chapter 79

The story of Albertine's allies and enemies.

The king, who has many worries, and the clumsy Duke Bear.

And then, the heroine is more like a villainess.

She is more of a dark heroine ( ) than a brainless flower field. The content in parentheses is up to you.

To be honest, I'm not good at coming up with subtitles every time. I groan at my lack of sense.

But without a title, it's hard to distinguish.

Duke Fortuna's Gandalf was summoned by King Lauses.

Lauses' face was deeply worn, having lost one of his most trusted ministers, Duke Latitche. It was no wonder. For Gandalf, who had been a pillar of Sandis Kingdom for many years and a long-time soldier, it was an unprecedented and significant event.

Moreover, the nobility of Sandis Kingdom were not united due to the extravagance and hedonism of the previous and the one before that king. It was common for nobles to vie for power in any country, but in this Sandis Kingdom, the royal family had been increasingly neglected in recent times.

Instead, the power was wielded by the Council of Elders and the nobility.

And the one who had been suppressing them was Duke Latitche.

The privileges of the royal bloodline were not overtly displayed, as they were directly linked to national defense.

The current king, originally a prince with a low succession right, had ascended to the throne after the princes with higher succession rights died one after another.

The intense struggle for the throne, plots, assassinations, and the plague known as the Megil flu all combined, and King Lauses was crowned.

He was gentle, but he had not been raised to be a future king.

Naturally, he did not have a particularly powerful noble as a backer.

However, fortunately or unfortunately, the calm and steady Lauses got along well with Latitche, a prodigy of God with demonic, even demonic, talent. Other princes would likely have found his intense temperament and talent off-putting or frightening, but for some reason, there was no conflict.

Lauses, who was much younger, always showed a certain level of understanding when Grail made suggestions that did not treat the king with due respect. If he did not understand, he would ask for the reason.

Grail, in response, would explain the reason matter-of-factly, as a duty.

Without resistance or flattery, just efficient, Grail. In fact, there was a reason for Grail's proposals, and the results were evident. It was not for personal gain, but simply because it was the best way.

Lauses accepted it with a wry smile and a broad-minded attitude. On the contrary, the Council of Elders were the ones who bristled at the idea of accepting it.

It was the same for Gandalf.

Gandalf, a member of the prestigious Four Great Dukes, was more of a warrior than a noble.

Rugged and stubborn, even such a Gandalf was accepted by Lauses with a gentle demeanor.

He was the best in the country with great swords and battle axes, and was so sturdy that he was called a human fortress.

Indeed, until Grail, as a mage, a soldier, and a strategist, rose to prominence, Gandalf was hailed as the strongest in the country.

When Lauses first ascended the throne after a series of twists and turns, there were doubts about whether such a seemingly weak king could handle the job.

But now, looking back, it was probably only Lauses who could skillfully mediate between Grail and Gandalf, the top of the military and the nobility, who were like scorpions, and the scheming Council of Elders and the unruly nobility. If the king had been too strong-willed, he would have been ousted.

Lauses, though not flashy, was thoughtful and not swayed by desire. If it had been anyone else, the Sandis Kingdom might have collapsed.

People around him called him a puppet of Grail, a king controlled by Grail.

But despite all the talk, it was undoubtedly only Lauses who managed to stay on the throne without being abandoned by Grail. Any other person would have been easily kicked off the throne and thrown into prison by a careless act that incurred Grail's wrath.

Grail was extreme in his likes and dislikes, and in his hierarchy.

Despite his strong tendency to shun the royal family, he had a stance of listening to Lauses to some extent. It was undoubtedly due to the moral character of this old king.

"How is Albertine?"

"There has been no change."

"I see. Be sure to protect her well. She was quite fond of Grail... No matter what the Council of Elders says, do not hand her over."

"I understand."

Gandalf could not afford to make any more mistakes.

His granddaughter, whom he had brought to the palace in a fit of anxiety and impulse, was a princess with the bloodline of the royal family, with the eyes of the young royal family, and was being hidden and protected.

Albertine, who strongly resembled his beloved late wife and daughter, could not be disliked by Gandalf, no matter how much she might fear and detest him.

Especially since those feelings were the result of his own mistake.

He should have been able to infer from the rumors that Albertine was delicate and fragile.

He wanted to protect Albertine and, deep down, to recover Christina, who had been taken away like a prize. Albertine, with her wavy black hair, fair skin, Sandis green eyes, and breathtaking beauty, reminded him of his late wife and daughter.

It was impossible not to be reminded of them.

And, though he did not want to admit it, he understood why Grail did not want to let Albertine go.

There had been no young royal family members with the eyes of the royal family for over a decade. There was no one prominent even among the collateral branches of the royal family. It must have been unbearable for Grail to lose his only beloved daughter. It was easy to imagine.

However, it was also dangerous to openly oppose the royal family and the Council of Elders. It could split the country. Albertine would inevitably become a source of conflict.

That was why she had been hidden.

The maids assigned to Albertine did not let any other servants help with her dressing or bathing. The scar on her back was probably not a lie. But more importantly, they wanted to hide the royal eyes.

Given the extent of Grail's doting, it was a trivial matter that she would not be used as a political pawn. Rather, he probably intended to protect her for life. He even took her in as an adopted daughter, not just through marriage.

And from the looks of it, Albertine had accepted it.

When she heard of Grail's return, her pale cheeks turned rosy, and she even smiled like a blooming flower.

When Gandalf brought her to the castle, she was weeping and looked utterly despondent.

Her fidgeting in the audience chamber was scolded by her brother-in-law, Kistaria, and her childhood friend, Domitrius. Their presence was probably a factor in her good mood.

It was then that Gandalf first saw his granddaughter's smile.

"I will protect her with my life."

He had made up his mind. From the moment he made her cry, from the moment he saw her, even before he met her, it was already decided.

Even if his beloved granddaughter, who resembled his late wife and daughter, disliked him.

Even if that smile was not directed at him.

Compared to the pain of being left behind, it was nothing.

Albertine, with her royal blood and the blood of Latitche, was a rare existence. While the Fortuna bloodline had a successor in the next head, Clift, and his children, the other two families were different. They were on par with the most powerful and wealthy in Sandis. She would be targeted by many.

Even if her life was protected, her body and mind could be violated.

Her greatest protector had died in the previous incident.

What remained of the Latitche family was the sheltered Albertine. Kistaria, her brother-in-law, had spent years in society without a flaw. If one had to choose a target, it was obvious.

Moreover, if Albertine could be successfully deceived, she could become the successor to the Latitche family and a member of the royal family.

No matter how much Albertine resisted, there would be many who would try to take advantage of her.

As a noble, he had known many young people who had been used in such a way.

He would not let her be taken by some lowlife.

Gandalf glared at the floor with his single eye.

Anna looked down at the unconscious Albertine and swallowed a sigh.

Because she was being injected with high-nutrient potions every two days, she was not emaciated, but it was dangerous if it continued for a month.

With Grail's words, the house calls were alternated between Sebastian and Zephir, and the Latitche family's attending physician was also involved, so it should be foolproof.

Zephir, in particular, was busy, but because Cain had been targeting Albertine, he was thoroughly checking to see if any form of curse remained.

A weakened person is more susceptible to curses. Albertine was exactly that now.

In the end, Albertine was not even able to see the funeral, or the last face of the deceased.

According to Kistaria, who came to visit, she was buried in the Latitche family mausoleum.

However, because of the circumstances of her death, she was placed in a crystal coffin of holy crystal, which purifies the unclean. It is used to weaken and contain cursed objects and to imprison undead. Normally, the body should be burned with holy fire, but there were no priests, saints, or holy women who could handle it. Recently, there was a major incident in a neighboring country where a vampire incited undead and minions, and they were busy with the aftermath. The church responded that it would take time to transfer the holy fire, so such measures were taken. Zephir could use it, but it was emphasized that it should be done by a professional. Considering the threat of those monsters, it was understandable.

It was possible to use wealth to forcibly bring it in. Kistaria and Latine thought it was too cruel to separate Grail and Albertine, so they prepared a crystal coffin of holy crystal. In it, decay would not progress. If there was any residual curse, it would not progress and could be eliminated. Of course, it cost a fortune to prepare such a special coffin, but neither of them hesitated.

In principle, nobles mourn for a year. The higher the rank, the more strictly and thoroughly the mourning is observed.

At the same time, the body must be burned when the mourning period ends a year later. If Albertine wakes up by then, she can at least meet to say goodbye. Arrangements are being made for the holy fire for the cremation.

Kistaria, as acting head of the family, and Latine, as duchess, are moving without even the time to shed tears.

They are not without sorrow.

But they were looking at the harsh reality.

Albertine, the only direct descendant of Grail, the head of the Latitche family.

A sheltered young lady whose body and mind were worn out. She would be the perfect target for someone to approach the wealthy and powerful Latitche family.

If she could be married and bear a child with the eyes of the royal family, she could become a member of the royal family. Even if not, a child of Albertine would be a worthy successor to the Latitche family.

At the same time, it would be a perfect opportunity to bring down Latine, the second wife, and Kistaria, the stepson. They could not afford to show any weakness. To prevent Albertine from being used, they were acting bravely.

If Anna were to judge, Albertine would not want anyone other than Kistaria to succeed the ducal family.

He was a doting brother who would even become a commoner to protect her.

She was worried about what kind of seeds of conflict would be sown if she left her bloodline.

Grail's strong rejection and the way he easily made her give up. But Albertine would not be so attached to the title as to push aside Kistaria, whom she doted on so much—though others might not think so.

She had even avoided having a lover or a husband if Grail did not want it.

If an unwanted marriage led to her family being cornered, how much would Albertine suffer?

Anna bit her lip.

There was little Anna, as a maid, could do. But because she was a maid, she could be by her side and support her mentally and physically.

(At the very least, I wish there was someone to support her heart, even if not as much as the duke.)

Grail was overwhelming.

He was absolute.

There was no one who could fill the hole left by such a person.

Anna was frustrated with her own powerlessness.

"Grail-sama is dead...?"

The masked figure, deeply hooded in a dirty black robe, nodded. The voice, which could be that of an old man or an old woman, was hoarse and low, making it hard to understand.

Their meeting place was a stall a little off the main street in the bustling area.

The stall sometimes changed location or was not open.

Lanaria, who had frequented it since her school days, bought presents for her targets and items to increase affection. It was thanks to the 'Love Elixir' from this stall that she could push through with affection, despite a lack of parameters.

At first, it could be bought for a few copper coins, but recently it required gold. But since it could not be obtained elsewhere, there was no choice.

Moreover, this 'Love Elixir' had a habit-forming, almost addictive quality. Without it, not only would Graham not listen, but he was recently becoming unstable. Many others were also being controlled by it. It was because of this that even nobles were serving Lanaria.

However, recently, the crackdown had become stricter, and Lanaria was also being pursued, making it difficult to obtain.

Moreover, this merchant was not just a stall owner. Though she thought it was a general store, it was more like a fixer. If you wanted it, he could provide love potions, slaves, internationally banned cursed items, and even assassination requests.

"He and Cain Druitt killed each other."

"I can't believe it! Who killed Grail-sama, that fool! He was supposed to kill Albertine!"

The power-enhancing item she had given to Cain was also expensive. It altered the mind and body, but in exchange, it granted immense power.

She had given it to Cain, the strongest in magic, thinking that with this, he could kill Albertine, no matter how strong or well-protected she was.

But the result was that Cain was dead, and the target, Grail, was also gone. And yet, the intended victim, Albertine, was still alive. It was the worst outcome.

She had arranged to enter the castle in a dress, but it was all for nothing. She had spent most of what she had earned from selling the drugs on this plan.

"Everyone knows that Duke Latitche doted on Miss Albertine.

He probably protected her when they were in the same place."

"Why was she in such a place...?"

"Until now, Miss Albertine was protected by strict security and barriers. It was so strong that even top assassins could not penetrate it, and no number of mages could dispel it.

I waited for a long time until she finally came out. There was no other chance to target her except when she appeared in the audience chamber.

Didn't you instruct me to send Cain?"

Lanaria fell silent.

She had been urging him to tell her when Albertine would come out. She wanted to get rid of that woman as soon as possible.

Lanaria could not stand Albertine.

No matter how much she investigated, the tragic young lady who had been kidnapped as a child, the sickly and sheltered young lady, the saintly young lady who worked for the welfare of the people, the pitiful young lady who had been unjustly oppressed by the royal family and called for leniency—none of these were the Albertine she knew.

In the first "Kimi no Koi" series, she was the original villainess, the most straightforward and pure evil. A wanton and unrestrained 'Evil Princess.' A villainess who had nothing to do with being a saint or compassionate. That was Albertine.

Recently, there were even rumors that she would join the royal family.

After Lanaria became queen, it was an eyesore to have such a woman nearby.

"That woman should die! If not, I can't become a duchess or a queen!

Why, why is it always that woman! I won't forgive it! Because of that woman being alive!"

Grail did not come to Lanaria. He did not whisper love to her, and she could not enjoy his beauty. She had been looking forward to how he would please her in bed.

Albertine was a harbinger of misfortune. Everything was going wrong because of her.

The masked figure watched Lanaria, who was shouting angrily, in silence.

He glanced at the man standing behind him. The man understood the meaning of the glance and stepped forward, away from the wall. He had rust-colored red hair and eyes that glinted like gold or silver. His eyes were fierce, but his features were rugged and well-defined. He was tall and had a brown, muscular body like flexible steel. He was over 190 cm tall. He wore a linen tank top and loose black pants. Several weapons of different lengths and shapes hung from his belt. He wore simple leather shoes.

"...Who is that man?"

Lanaria, who had not noticed him until now, looked at him with a pout and a puzzled expression.

Her appearance, shouting in anger, was hideous, but when she was quiet, her face was lovely.

For Lanaria, the most beautiful and powerful man, who had disappeared, was a great