One Hundred Nights with the Devil - Chapter 26

“They say that man looks exactly like the Late Emperor. They say he doesn’t just resemble him, but that he looks so much like him that some people who saw Duke Conrad on the first day of his exile fainted?”

“Ah ha. So that must be why the Emperor hates his nephew and uses him as a substitute for his brother.”

A son who looks exactly like the brother he hates. Elena tried to imagine how she would feel if the Pope had a son who looked exactly like him. The mere thought sent a surge of unpleasant nausea.

‘And I’d have to consider him family?’

Now she could understand, even if only a little, the feelings of the Emperor who called his nephew ‘Lloyd’s son’ instead of ‘nephew.’ If it were her, she would call him ‘the Pope’s son’ if she ever needed to address him, and would never call him brother, even if her mouth were to tear.

“But it’s a bit strange.”

“What part?”

“The Late Emperor Lloyd was so belligerent he was called a warmonger, but the Deposed Crown Prince, who looks exactly like him, didn’t rebel against his uncle even after being chased out of the Imperial Palace. Did they only inherit the face and not the personality?”

“It seems so. The castle repair work at Conrad Castle before the Devil appeared was because the Duke, seeing the territory residents starving because the spring harvest was so poor, used his private funds to order the construction. That’s why there are more people who feel sorry for the liege than those who resent him.”

“If that rumor is true, he is certainly an unusual person.”

“A liege who pities even the territory residents, let alone his escort knights. He really is unusual, isn’t he?”

Elena nodded and tried to imagine him. What kind of person would he look like? In a vague way, the image that came to mind was a round-faced, spiritless, rabbit-like man.

But hadn’t they said he looked exactly like the Late Emperor, who was called a warmonger? A face that could simultaneously hold such extreme personalities. She furrowed her brows because she simply could not imagine it, no matter how hard she tried to recall. As if sensing this, Bella added a comment.

“They say he’s handsome.”

“Huh? Who is handsome?”

“Dieter Conrad. More accurately, the Late Emperor Lloyd and the 4th Head of House Conrad, who look twin-like in resemblance to the Deposed Crown Prince. They say he is so handsome it makes people fear their eyes might go blind if they look too long, and that the Founding Emperor must have definitely fallen for that face.”

Ah. Elena had been trying to hold back her urge to object to Bella’s explanations so far, but she could not let this remark slide.

“A liege who is good and pitiful, and on top of that, handsome. That’s impossible.”

Bella burst into laughter the moment she heard that.

“Still, being handsome is much better than being ugly, isn’t it?”

“It’s nice to look at, but…… what’s the use? He’s probably already dead.”

“But the Emperor said the Duke would be alive.”

At Bella’s puzzled look, Elena clicked her tongue briefly.

“Bella. I told you. You shouldn’t easily believe anything related to the Devil. Especially…….”

“…when they say things like ‘promised’ or ‘certain,’ right? But wouldn’t it be better for you, Lady Elena, if that man were alive? You said you had a hard time in Swabia because only stupid people were alive there. The Deposed Crown Prince not only survived the battlefield but is also an Imperial family member, so he won’t be completely stupid, and he’s even handsome!”

Bella passionately argued with her hands clasped together, giving Elena no chance to interject. Elena wondered if she was just joking to make her laugh, but judging by her eyes, she seemed to genuinely mean it.

“That’s all fine. It’s all fine, but what does being handsome have to do with anything?”

“If you’re going to exist in the same space, the handsome one is better. Just look at Sir Zenobio. He’s a fool who says frustrating things every time he opens his mouth, but at least his face and body are pleasing to the eye, so it’s somewhat bearable!”

Bella described Sir Zenobio’s thick chest and broad shoulders with very exaggerated gestures. Was it just her imagination that a personal desire seemed mixed in with that? Or did it mean that Sir Zenobio’s good looks were effective enough to endure something she truly disliked?

‘Well…… maybe I’ll look for that portrait they say he resembles if I go to the Ducal Castle. I’ll have that much free time.’

Up until this moment, Elena was certain that Duke Dieter Conrad would be discovered as a corpse. She firmly believed, without a doubt, that the fact that good and pitiful people die first was as clear as the fact that Emperor Lowell was a madman.