Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 19.2

Since I haven’t even touched them, if we send them back as is, other soldiers could eat them. Wouldn’t the chef who made them prefer someone who eats them with enjoyment?

“If you don’t eat them, we’ll have to throw them away…”

“You said it’s precious food, why throw it away? Can’t you eat it instead, Lupe?”

“What? No, I can’t!”

Lupe turned pale and shook his head.

“Only the lord and those permitted by the lord can consume magic stone dishes. If anyone else eats them, they’ll be cursed!”

“Cursed?”

“It’s said that those who defy the lord are cursed to have their bodies break down or lose their emotions, becoming like dolls. I’ve already lost my eyes… I don’t want to be cursed anymore.”

Losing emotions. Those words reminded me of Dienes’ status ailment.

This individual is under a [Curse] that prevents them from perceiving emotions. They do not fall into [Anger], [Fear], or [Confusion] status ailments.

I suddenly got goosebumps. Dienes’ status ailment, was it cast by the lord? Did they curse him in case the commander might rebel?

‘Am I going to be cursed too?’

Suddenly, I felt even more reluctant to eat. I didn’t want to eat originally, but now I felt an even more intense desire to refuse.

“The commander ordered me to feed Ju-in…”

“Did he say to force-feed me even if I don’t want to eat?”

“Ah, no…”

If I send everything back without eating, Dienes might scold Lupe, but I don’t want to eat such heavy dishes on an empty stomach and get indigestion.

The menu is uncomfortable, and the magic stones in it are uncomfortable too. Moreover, I can’t completely rule out the possibility of suspicious d***s in the food.

“Should I really clear it away?”

“Yes. Please do.”

“Understood…”

Lupe began moving the dishes onto the trolley with a dejected face.

Although his expression made him look a bit pitiful, Lupe was still a soldier of this central palace, wasn’t he? I didn’t want to sympathize with him.

‘He probably thought I would reluctantly comply if he asked with such a pitiful look.’

It seems they sent Lupe, who looks young, on purpose, thinking I would be wary if they sent a large soldier, but I didn’t want to act according to Dienes’ expectations.

Lupe, who had placed the trolley in the corridor, closed the door and approached me again.

I was curious how he walked so well without a cane despite being blind, and when I looked, there were shallow grooves in geometric patterns on the floor. Is it some kind of braille?

“Where did Dienes go?”

“The commander went to see the lord.”

“What?”

Is the lord alive?

“Is the lord alive, no, I mean, is he nearby?”

“Because he was attacked by intruders last night, we moved him to a safe place. I’m sorry, but I don’t know the location so I can’t tell you.”

“Ah, no. You don’t have to tell me.”

“The security has been strengthened, so now only the commander can enter and exit where he is, so it’s reassuring. He’ll recover soon.”

There’s no way the lord is really alive. I confirmed it through insight. The hidden quest to become the lord appeared, so it must be true.

‘Then, given the circumstances, except for Dienes and… his closest aides, it seems they don’t know the fact that the lord is dead.’

Lupe looks like he’s of a low rank, so he might not know.

Well, not informing the public is one thing, but it’s a bit strange that these ragtag soldiers don’t waver and follow Dienes’ orders perfectly even though the lord is dead.

They probably really believed the commander’s words that the lord was in danger for a moment due to the threat of intruders, but is now safely moved to a secure location.

Even so, it’s a bit strange that no one tries to confirm the lord’s safety when they should. Is this also because of Dienes’ skill?

‘A commander who brainwashes and incites.’

It’s a wonder this castle hasn’t fallen yet.

Lupe asked me if I wanted to go back to sleep or rest. He said he was ordered not to let me go outside because the central palace was still in turmoil.

‘Is it because they’re afraid I might be discovered if I encounter other soldiers?’

Well. If I had to serve a traitor who invaded the central palace and set it on fire as my master, I would join the revolution with a torch too.

Since I wasn’t particularly sleepy, I decided to sit on the sofa and ask Lupe various questions.

“Since only the commander can see the lord, it seems the lord trusts the commander quite a bit?”

“Of course. The commander is the lord’s son.”

“…What?”

This time, even more surprising information came out.

‘Dienes is the lord’s son? Really?’

But how can he talk about the lord’s death so casually? Is he a psychopath?

“From before this castle was built… or was it right after it was built? The lord took in a partner.”

“Yes.”

“That partner had a son, and that’s Commander Dienes.”

“Ah, so they’re not biologically related.”

“Yes. The lord adopted him as his son and passed down the position of commander.”

Taking in a man with a child as a partner, the dead lord had quite an unusual taste. Seeing that he not only adopted a child that wasn’t his own but also put him in the commander’s position, it seems the couple’s relationship was extremely good.

Is this what they call family management?

‘Family companies are the number one companies to run away from.’

I almost felt sorry for the soldiers working in this castle, but then I remembered they were the ones who drank and harassed women, so I stopped. They deserve to be fired.

“If he’s adopted, then Dienes’ birth father was someone else. What happened to him?”

“He committed a crime against the lord…”

Oh, I see. The lord who had his eye on Dienes’ mother wielded his power to drive away her husband and took her in as a partner, right?

‘Then does Dienes hate the lord?’

If he resents the stepfather who drove out his father and took his mother, it’s not incomprehensible that he’s indifferent to the lord’s death… No, why am I trying to understand that man?

“Hmm. Was Dienes on good terms with his father… I mean, the lord?”

“Of course. The lord cherished the commander very much. Even now, the commander is the only one who can see the lord.”

That’s not because he’s cherished, but because they need to hide that the lord is dead… I decided to keep my mouth shut since I had no intention of telling him.

“Ah, but don’t worry.”

What worry?

“The lord has changed his mind a few years ago, thinking that the commander would need a partner too. He won’t oppose your relationship.”

“…What?”

“If the commander takes in a partner, it’s like becoming the lord’s proxy.”

“What? No. I don’t have that kind of relationship with Dienes…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t spread rumors. Since the castle is still in turmoil, your marriage will be a bit later, right?”

Lupe’s face, smiling broadly, saying he noticed right away when he was told to ‘address you respectfully as Ju-in,’ was certainly cute, but I couldn’t feel pleased.

They said they would hide that I’m the lord, but now I’ve become a bride?

***

“Did you hear? They say the commander has brought in a woman.”

“I heard the lord has permitted it?”

“He’s been trying to find a match for the commander for a long time. Although the commander himself didn’t seem interested at all.”

The lord was very fond of his adopted son, Dienes. There were even rumors that he took in Dienes’ mother as a partner just to adopt Dienes as his son.