Chapter: 120
It was the first time I had been taken down by the Minister—not through force, but through words.
‘You bastard.’
But instead of resenting the Minister, I found myself angry at myself. Not a single word he said was wrong. How could I argue against such an accurate statement?
Truth be told, I wished to revolt rather than just passively endure. I wanted to shout back, asking, “What should I do then? What do you know about my situation?” You know—the cliché rebellion where you feel like you have to yell and fight back.
But that was impossible. He had detailed exactly what I needed to do, and few understood my circumstances as well as the Minister. Whatever I said would just tilt the scale further in his favor.
‘The Minister certainly is the Minister.’
Perhaps after spending two years as Minister, his eloquence had improved dramatically. Or maybe I was such a mess that even this rough nobleman saw plenty to critique. Perhaps it was a mix of both.
The way back to my office today felt unusually long. I guess my heart felt heavy.
“In a few years, are you still going to push her away? Can you take responsibility if she misses her prime waiting for you?”
Honestly, if I had no reaction hearing those words, I’d cease to be human.
One day, I would indeed marry. And if I did, the only person that came to mind as a partner was Marghetta. But when would that be? Just when would the day come?
After Marghetta had passed the eligible age? Once she’d given up hope for me? When it was too late to find someone else? When she had no tears left to shed?
‘Have I lost my mind?’
Even a damn bastard couldn’t be this selfish. I was being absurdly egoistic.
I had assumed that Marghetta, who showed me such kindness, would understand my situation without me having to explain, and—despite it all—would wait for me. As if it were a given.
I sighed while scrubbing my face roughly. If I hadn’t used the excuse about Marghetta being a civil servant with my mother, I wouldn’t have felt this suffocated.
No, that’s not quite right. Even before that, I had already committed an unforgivable act against her. My thoughts almost spiraled out of control.
Shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts, I noticed a glimmer of light escaping my chest. Who was it this time?
‘Of all times, why now?’
Honestly, given my current state, I could twist even the most mundane words in a weird direction.
Still, I couldn’t ignore it, so I pulled out my communication crystal. If someone was contacting me directly, it must be urgent.
“Executive Manager Carl Krasius speaking.”
— Sir Carl, do you have a moment?
I hesitated, then confirmed the caller’s identity and quickly rearranged my expression. I hadn’t expected a call from the Invincible Duke right now.
“Yes, of course.”
— That’s good to hear. Please come over when you can. I have something important to discuss with you.
“Understood. I’ll be there shortly, Your Grace.”
As soon as I hung up, I hastily made my way to the Imperial Military Headquarters. The Invincible Duke greeted me with his usual warm smile, but the corners of his eyes were oddly stiff.
It was exceedingly rare for him to initiate contact like this. The last time was during the incident with the Mage Duchess when he just wanted to see me briefly before I left. But it seemed this time there was something significant happening.
Damn it.
I clutched my chest as I quickened my pace, feeling the pain from earlier inside and out.
“How does it feel to taste the fist that humbled the scoundrel defying heavenly decree?”
The Minister’s imposing voice still echoed in my ears. Oh boy, what a spicy encounter with the Minister.
The Invincible Duke welcomed me just like any other day. Lavishly, he had me sit down and personally served tea. However, being face-to-face instead of over the communication crystal made his expression clearly tense.
He looked deeply troubled. For a Duke and the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army to show such emotion indicated that something extraordinary was at play.
‘Is it about the Emperor?’
After all, the Emperor was the only one who could overshadow the Invincible Duke and had recently begun to curb his influence.
As the conclusion formed in my mind, my throat felt parched. Could it be that the Emperor had finally decided to make a move? If a conflict erupted between the Emperor and the Invincible Duke, the Empire would surely tremble.
“Now, have some tea. It’s a popular blend these days and quite decent.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
I took the cup and bowed my head slightly while holding it. I pretended to sip the tea, stealing glances at the Invincible Duke’s expression sporadically.
“Sir Carl.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
It seemed he was about to broach the topic that was troubling him, so I set the teacup aside.
If the issue was indeed Emperor-related, there might not be much I could do. My position as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office was ultimately based on the Emperor’s authority.
Still, there had to be some way. Surely there was a method to halt or weaken the Emperor’s actions if I looked hard enough.
“I heard from the Minister of Finance.”
“Yes?”
What was the Minister’s involvement in this?
“Marghetta… I know that child well. How can a young child be so intelligent and endearing?”
The next words made my lips dry in a different way than before.
First, it wasn’t about the Emperor. That was encouraging news. However, the Invincible Duke decided to bring up the same issue that had just been thrown at me by the Minister, which was a complete disaster.
“I was surprised to hear the child’s proposal was rejected, but once I learned it was you, I understood.”
The Invincible Duke casually sipped his tea, laughing lightly.
“But I couldn’t accept the news this time.”
“Well… I apologize.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize to me.”
I closed my mouth at his words.
Upon seeing my reaction, the Invincible Duke offered a bittersweet smile and continued.
“I understand your circumstances well, Sir Carl. How could I not?”
Right. The Invincible Duke was also fully aware of this situation. During the Great War, I had served under him in Division 4 of the Prosecutor’s Office, and it was with his assistance that I managed to forge Hecate’s signature.
Yet, even as he openly acknowledged my circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to mention the reality of my actions. This behavior of mine must have been so despicable that he felt compelled to confront me.
“Sir Carl, I know your wounds are deep. However, I held back because I believed you could rise on your own. Forcing you to mend them might only make things worse. I believe the Minister of Finance felt similarly.”
“I’m sorry for disappointing you.”
“Honestly, you don’t need to apologize to me.”
Of course, the one I needed to apologize to first was Marghetta. But that didn’t lessen the disrespect shown to others, did it?
“Sir Carl, have you made efforts all this time?”
His incomprehensible query left me speechless. Efforts? What kinds of efforts?
“It seems, from my perspective, that you haven’t made any effort to distance yourself from the past.”
His words felt like a sharp stab to the chest, but with the Invincible Duke saying it, I had no grounds to argue back. Plus, I was just coming off a confrontation with the Minister’s factual smackdown, which left me feeling like a complete idiot.
As I quietly looked down, I heard the Invincible Duke let out a sigh. I couldn’t muster the courage to meet his eyes.
“If you could have moved on by yourself, it would have been the best situation. The problem is, it looks like you couldn’t.”
“Yes…”
“Then you ought to share it with someone. What difference does it make if you carry a burden you can’t solve alone?”
I knew all too well how heavy the burden was when it was impossible to lift it by myself. I didn’t want to pass that weight onto someone else. What crime had they committed to bear such a load?
Even if it felt impossible now, I believed I would be able to overcome it alone someday. I thought that was the right way to think.
“By the way, this reminds me of when you first became Executive Manager. Was that when the Managers were still inexperienced?”
He abruptly changed the subject, but I didn’t feel any relief.
“At that time, you told me you were frustrated by the Managers whining alone when the department was meant for teamwork. Why were they struggling alone when cooperation was available?”
“Yes, I said that.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
I sensed the inevitable turn toward attack as he shifted the conversation this way.
But that analogy felt a bit unjust. The department was indeed designed for collaboration, while personal matters were, quite literally, personal.
“It seems you think those matters are different from this one.”
“Oh, no! That’s not it.”
I panicked at his words, which felt like he could read my mind. Did it show all over my face?
Yet, no matter how I felt, the Invincible Duke continued without hesitation.
“There’s no difference. If you can’t resolve something alone, you must share it with others. The person who is willing to confide in you wouldn’t mind sharing your burdens as well.”
“…”
“If you don’t believe me, just look at me. Am I not a living witness?”
“Your Grace, that’s—”
I attempted to speak given how poorly the conversation was trending, but the Invincible Duke raised a hand to stop me.
“I originally had three children. Aside from the child who would inherit my title and the child designated to be the Crown Princess, there was one more.”
I felt wholly ashamed. Here was the man who had saved me, now bringing up his grief to persuade me.
“My youngest child was a son. Had he not passed away before me, he would have been just about your age now.”
The Invincible Duke then grasped his teacup with trembling hands. No matter how much he’d opened up compared to before, the pain of losing a child was not something one could broach lightly.
“I first mentioned this to you three years ago.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How did you feel then, Sir Carl? Did you resent me for suddenly springing such a heavy topic on you? Did you find it silly that I was talking about needless matters? Or did you just feel indifferent?”
“No… I didn’t, Your Grace.”
“If that’s the case, it’s simple.”
At my answer, the Invincible Duke nodded, seemingly satisfied. His hands still trembled, yet his gaze remained tranquil.
“Sir Carl, you already know the answer. You’ve merely been turning a blind eye to it.”
I remained silent for a while, my head bowed.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.