Chapter 125: Chapter 125

a mess (11)

he was a muscular giant, so the amount of food he ate was considerable. so the food on the plate was not enough.

“are you hungry in the middle of this?”

matthias, who looked at the empty plate with regret, flinched. someone was at the door of the prison where he was locked up.

“you are…”

“be polite, lord. unlike you, who are only the son of the count, i am an official appointed by his majesty.”

standing in front of the prison was a slender-built young man with sky blue hair. at the sight of matthias, the eyes of the knight became ferocious.

he wanted to swear right away, but there was something he had to do.

“open the door and pull it out. his highness must not be kept waiting.”

the official ordered the guard and two knights next to him. matthias was nervous at the thought that he was finally called out to the crown prince.

* * *

the crown prince sat on the throne. even if the emperor was sick, he wouldn’t have become the emperor yet, but cecil was indeed a good fit for the position.

the way he sat crooked and turned over the documents was like a monarch who had reigned on the throne for 10 years.

“your highness, the count of adelia has arrived.”

“come in.”

cecil, who handed over the document to his secretary, replied. the heavy front door opened silently, and paul adelia moved to the front like the knights.

as he stepped on the carpet, he looked at cecil, who was sitting on the throne.

the palace was a place that nobles living in the capital could set foot in once or twice a year. it was because there was a time when all nobles saluted the emperor.

paul also came and went here every year, but the atmosphere and dignity were quite different from then. there were no splendidly decorated flowers and jewels, and the eyes of the knights who stood guard at the palace were fierce.

paul, who was stepping on the wide and fluffy carpet, had to kneel down without any further access.

paul didn’t ask why he treated him like this.

“as expected, the child is later than the father.”

paul glanced back at the sarcastic voice. as expected, it was matthias. he was being dragged by the knights with straws all over his body.

unlike paul, he was tied back to his wrist.

matthias gritted his teeth when he saw paul already kneeling before him. but he, too, had to be kneeling by paul at some distance.

cecil leaned crookedly and stared at them.

“…lord adelia.”

“yes, your highness.”

“you know i’m engaged to your sister, right? that’s why she has the same rights as a princess.”

“i know.”

matthias answered so and glanced at cecil. his thoughts jerked around in his heavy-looking head.

if rowena was treated the same way as a princess, he, as her brother, deserved the same treatment. so wouldn’t he be able to escape the sin he committed? that’s what he thought.

fortunately for paul, cecil said before matthias could open his mouth.

“a criminal conspiracy against the imperial family carries a minimum sentence of 20 years. what i don’t understand is that you committed such a crime even though rowena has never done any harm to you.”

it wasn’t uncommon in aristocratic society to kill one’s own flesh and blood, but it was only done when there was some leeway or benefit.

from cecil’s point of view, they were in a situation where their lives would be filled just by sitting still, and now it was like they sprayed dirty water onto themselves.

“did you do this because your head attached to your neck was heavy? or did you want to commit suicide in the most painful way, touching my woman?”

“your highness! that child did it because he was immature! i-i beg you…”

cecil clicked his tongue at the sight of paul desperately praying with his head attached to the floor.

“even so, i was going to hold the count guilty.”

cecil turned to paul. fierce blue eyes filled with life.

“you said that the lord, who hadn’t been caught, was missing, yet helped commit the crime? are you still rowena’s father?”

“t-that’s not what i…”

“do you lie to me?”

bang!

a heavy fist hit the throne’s armrest. the solid one fell with cracks.

“hit him right now until he says the right thing!”

matthias realized and came to his senses. he knew why rowena wasn’t here. the crown prince had no intention of sparing them.

she was a weak-hearted girl no matter what. if she saw them as haggard as they were, she might have been scared and prayed to the crown prince to save them.

“r-rowena! please call rowena! she knows everything!”

in a hurry, matthias cried out, but it was like pouring water into boiling oil. the house became quiet.

even paul, who was begging on the floor, stared at matthias like a madman.