Chapter 248
Rufus only knew that the Crown Prince had a daughter, but he had never actually met her even once. In his previous life, after killing the Crown Prince, he had tried to find the man’s wife and daughter, but he remembered that he had ultimately failed. They must have fled to another country the moment the rebellion began.
So this was what the royal granddaughter Esmeral looked like.
Only then did Rufus begin to see traces of Viren in the royal granddaughter’s face.
Under the light of the chandelier hanging above the staircase, the royal granddaughter’s pale sulfur colored hair shimmered. It was a color that reminded him of Sarubia’s ivory hair.
‘How unusual.’
He had assumed that royalty would naturally inherit golden hair generation after generation through the royal bloodline, but it seemed that wasn’t always the case.
“I-I apologize. I will escort Her Highness back to her room immediately.”
The maid bowed her head toward the aide and hurried to take Esmeral away. However, Esmeral’s stubbornness didn’t break so easily.
“No! I won’t sleep until I see Daddy!”
Perhaps it was the combination of a child’s natural stubbornness and her high status as the royal granddaughter. Esmeral refused to quietly allow the maid to take her back to her room.
“Your Highness Esmeral, if you return to your room I will give you some warm cocoa. So let’s go back now, alright?”
“No! I’m not a baby, do you think I would fall for something like cocoa?”
“T-Then I will give you cookies with the cocoa.”
“…Cookies?”
Her ears seemed to perk up at that word, and Esmeral stopped making a fuss for a moment. The maid seized the chance and quickly added more.
“Yes, I will give you cookies. The kitchen actually has a huge pile of cookies right now. There are many animal shaped cookies too. Wouldn’t it be delicious to dip cookies in cocoa in your room?”
“Animal shaped cookies…?”
“Come now, Your Highness Esmeral. Let us return to your room. You can see His Highness the Crown Prince again at breakfast tomorrow morning.”
“Hmm…”
Esmeral seemed to think for a moment after hearing the maid’s tempting offer. However, the hesitation didn’t last long.
“Put marshmallows in the cocoa.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“A lot.”
“Yes, yes. Understood, Your Highness.”
The maid quickly lifted Esmeral into her arms. As she did, Esmeral’s eyes met Rufus’s gaze as he stood on the staircase.
Her bluish eyes scanned Rufus’s face. Those innocent eyes that knew nothing curved slightly into a small smile.
At that moment.
His heart began to ache.
The heart buried beneath his ribcage pounded painfully on its own. The pain he thought he had grown used to began slowly paralyzing the muscles of his entire body.
Clenching his teeth, Rufus gripped the stair railing tightly.
“I apologize. I will continue guiding you… is something wrong, Lord Rufus?”
“…Nothing.”
Rufus answered coldly, his fist clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palm. The heart buried deep inside mocked him with pain, but Rufus refused to yield to it.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting. Lead the way.”
Recovering his usual calm composure as if nothing had happened, Rufus urged the aide to proceed.
The Crown Prince was in his office.
“Rufus Inferna.”
As soon as Rufus entered the room, the Crown Prince rose as if he had been waiting. He walked straight toward Rufus without hesitation. An unpleasant smell came from the Crown Prince’s body as he approached.
What is that?
Rufus frowned without realizing it. It was a foul stench. It was also a smell he had encountered somewhere before.
What kind of stench is this?
Rufus soon found the answer. The desk was covered with empty bottles of recovery potions. It seemed the sacred magic contained in the potions smelled particularly harsh to Rufus.
“……”
Rufus was momentarily speechless as he looked at the empty bottles lined across the desk. Just how many recovery potions had he consumed?
“It is nothing.”
Viren spoke slowly, misinterpreting Rufus’s gaze. However, Viren’s complexion looked terrible. His face was haggard and pale, as though all the blood had been drained from his body.
“…Why have you taken so many?”
“I drank them because I couldn’t regain my composure otherwise. It isn’t because my body is injured, so do not worry.”
“……”
Rufus unconsciously closed his mouth.
It was absurd.
Worry? What nonsense was this damned Crown Prince talking about?
Yes, he had worried. Just a little. He had worried that this weak Crown Prince might die too peacefully.
But that was all.
“What happened, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
Rufus asked Viren with a voice that sounded concerned.
“…Rufus Inferna, you said that you personally found Her Majesty the Queen’s magic sword in Prince Tarek’s palace.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“At that time, did you see Her Majesty the Queen’s ghost?”
Viren’s voice trembled violently. Even asking the question seemed to bring back memories he desperately wished to cast away.
“……”
Instead of answering immediately, Rufus quietly looked at the Crown Prince.
What kind of answer did he want? What response was he expecting?
There was no need to guess.
Because.
“Rufus Inferna, did you also know that His Majesty the King ordered the desecration of Her Majesty the Queen’s grave!”
The Crown Prince himself would say it.
Watching the Crown Prince who had half lost his reason in fury, Rufus sneered inwardly with amusement.
As expected.
As expected, the Crown Prince had completely broken as well.
And broken things must be dealt with.
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