A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

88 – Closing, Farewell Behind the Scenes (2)

We must protect Astasia.

Even if it means revealing everything about the regression, Astasia must be protected unconditionally.

“…I understand.”

My father nodded silently.

“Increase the number of articles.”

“Yes?”

“I will also hire a wizard. I will inspect it myself and prevent people like Archen from entering.”

“Father.”

“The festival… Was originally like that, but I think we’ll have to put it on hold for the time being. We’ll also have to continue to manage the arrival of others from outside.”

“Do you, father, plan to keep Astasia in your territory?”

“Then?”

My father tilted his head.

“Wasn’t it you who said we had to protect Astasia?”

“No, father.”

“…Sounds like the method is wrong.”

“Yes. Astasia must be protected, but Gibraltar must not be protected.”

My father’s eyes instantly turned to my hand

“…”

When I looked down for a moment, I noticed that my fists were clenched without realizing it.

“Yes. To be honest, I want to protect it. It is none other than me. Myself. Just as my father protects my mother, I also want to protect Astasia.”

“Until you grow up, I can be the fence for you.”

“That’s no different from locking a bird in a cage for its entire life.”

There is a world of difference between protecting and only protecting.

“If you don’t let her go outside and confine her inside the mansion just to protect Astasia, that will actually eat away at Astasia and cause her to die.”

“If you’re worried about going outside…”

“A second Archen Gilarus may appear. Deacon Malcolm, Sir Carlos, and even Lord Mente may one day become members of the vampire family and attack.”

“…”

“When the enemy targets Countess Charlotte and the granddaughter of Astasia at the same time, it is obvious where my father’s sword will go.”

My father did not deny it.

This issue has always, always been a major premise that exists as an immutable truth.

“It may seem paradoxical, but the safest place for Astasia is the imperial palace of the empire.”

“What?”

“To be exact, next to the crown prince. Just as I am next to her father, it is the safest for her to be next to her father.”

I don’t want to admit it, but I have no choice but to admit it.

“And the crown prince probably thinks the same.”

“How? Are you saying he knows what’s going on here?”

“It may feel like the emperor and crown prince are at odds with each other, but they are basically blood relatives and members of the imperial family of the same empire. What the emperor knows, the crown prince also knows.”

It can’t be the other way around.

“And the Emperor also knew that Astasia was here in the first place, right?”

“…That’s right. I guess there’s no reason to kill him now.”

“What if the government, or something like a concubine, wants to kill Astasia and has just found out?”

“…”

It cannot yet be said that the target is Crown Princess Isabella.

“That person clearly deals with vampires, or he is a vampire himself.”

“Either way, the emperor won’t be able to refuse the request. He’ll just pretend not to know.”

“Vampires will continue to attack Gibraltar.”

“Yes. The Emperor will pretend not to notice as he has done so far, but the vampires sent by the Empire will continue to cause terror in Gibraltar.”

So there is only one answer.

“… The crown prince will definitely try to retrieve Astasia from her as soon as possible. Because I cannot protect her.”

Astasia is dangerous, and there is no means in Gibraltar to protect her at all times.

“Of course, no matter what danger comes, there is someone who can stop it. It’s my father.”

“…”

“Yes. There is no need for my father to protect granddaughter Astasia Hwang with her life. Not even her mother.”

“Hmm.”

“They know a little bit about me, and no matter how good I really am, I don’t think I can overcome the level of threat they think I am.”

I pointed to my father.

“If only I were as strong as my father.”

“You can become strong.”

“Thank you for your appreciation of my talent, but that’s not ‘now’.”

Of course I know that I can become stronger.

It’s a path I’ve already walked, and I’m getting stronger every day.

“No matter how hard I try, I’m at the level of a low-level knight.”

But not at this moment.

“I cannot protect my granddaughter Astasia.”

“Then what did you plan to do?”

“…Of course.”

It’s so obvious.

“We should leave the granddaughter of Astasia to those who can protect her.”

“I…”

“Not my father. Not Morgania, not even anyone in this Gibraltar estate.”

Currently.

Whatever the reason, there is only one person who can keep Astasia safe from the threats around her, just like her father protects her mother her.

“The crown prince will send someone soon. To retrieve her imperial granddaughter her.”

I believe.

Whether the crown prince or the emperor, in the end, both are human beings called ‘Hapsburgs’.

It has the same roots, and by its middle age, its stem has grown thick and even bears fruit, growing large enough to spread seeds.

If the person I know is capable and crazy about efficiency, he will definitely move according to the ideal result I want with just a little bit of information.

‘I didn’t believe even before the regression, but this is the first time in my life that I have to believe.’

It’s statistics, it’s faith.

‘Please, don’t disappoint.’

No matter how much we struggle, we are only a handful now.

I am helpless and all I can do is believe.

* * *

Imperial castle, a small room.

“…”

The crown prince lay on the bed wearing only a shirt and pants.

In a dark room with no one around, he lay alone for a while and then stretched out his hand to his side.

Something large and spherical that is difficult to hold with one hand.

As soon as the crown prince touched it, the light of the large magic stone began to sparkle in ultramarine blue and slowly began to twinkle.

[What. What kind of communication is this all of a sudden?]

A woman’s blunt voice was heard from the crystal sphere.

[I’m busy at work, Your Majesty the Crown Prince. If you don’t have anything to say, hang up?]

“Astacia.”

[…What is Astasia?]

“I think you should bring your daughter back to me.”

[What?]

Beneath the large magic stone, the name ‘Erwin Aiferia’ began to turn red.

[Suddenly, what kind of nonsense is that? It’s a breach of contract! Because of that-]

“Things have changed. I-“

[Send them to Gibraltar and seduce the people of Gibraltar! You’re probably listening to the regular reports!]

“Okay.”

[Even I, I… ! He even sent me a photo directly! And yet you still say that?!]

“Don’t interrupt what people are saying… Haha.”

The crown prince covered his face with one hand and picked up the printed photos lying next to the stone.

“Who does Asta Sia resemble? She is definitely pretty. Did you say she is Gray Gibraltar? You made the master of Gibraltar wear her collar like this.”

In the photo.

Astasia’s hair was a different color, but she was clearly tied to her leash by Gray Gibraltar herself, and her noble family was following her around like a petty thief obsessed with her young lady.

The moment the crown prince saw the photo, several thoughts came to his mind.

They may go so far as to pretend to be incompetent to the outside world, but can they really go this far with just an ordinary mindset?

Not at all.

If a man can do something like this without any sense of rational affection, he is either a eunuch or a crazy being who only has s*xual desires for animals.

At least the image of Gray Gibraltar shown so far is simply that of a ‘boy in love for the first time’.

“Would I want to get Astasia out of Gibraltar in this situation?”

[…What do you mean?]

“That situation has arisen.”

So it was very disappointing.

“Since Astasia has succeeded in seducing Gray Gibraltar, Astasia must be protected unconditionally.”

[Are you saying that someone is targeting Astasia?]

“I plan to aim for it.”

Because it was disappointing, he directly questioned the emperor, even spitting out harsh words.

“Isabella seems to know the location of Astasia.”

Beyond the magic stone, the sound of breathing stopped for a moment.

“It seems that my father sent vampires to assassinate Princess Naria, and it seems that one of the vampires spotted Astasia at the scene.”

[That…]

“Don’t ask why. You were the one who allowed me to enjoy the festival in the first place.”

[…

“I didn’t have a chance to tell you to enjoy the festival later and quietly go back to your room because it was dangerous. You don’t mean to say that, do you, Erwin?”

[Don’t call my name carelessly.]

“I guess now is not the time to be so angry.”

The crown prince continued speaking in an irritated voice.

“If you have time to be annoyed, run to Gibraltar right away.”

[Right now?]

“Yes. I will send a message to Marquis Claydoll. You can go directly and bring Astasia back.”

[…You’re not trying to make me think strange things, right?]

“The strange thoughts are what you are thinking right now, and I am sincere in protecting Astasia.”

The crown prince raised his upper body

“I won Gibraltar’s heart like no one has been able to do before, so should I hurt or kill that being because I’m crazy?”

[But right now…]

“If you don’t move right now, your father will move first.”

When the crown prince quickly tapped the magic stone with his hand, something square that had been floating on the surface of the magic stone began to fly into the magic stone.

“Isabella, if that woman even whispers from her pillow, she will immediately send the demons of the polluted zone on a rampage and advance towards Nostrum.”

[In the meantime, will vampires come down from the contaminated area and attack Gibraltar and Astasia?]

“Okay.”

[…Do we really have to go that far?]

“Of course.”

The crown prince asked with a laugh.

“The nursery is far away from the count’s castle, and there are not even a lot of manpower to guard it. If I were you, I would send high-ranking vampires to surround the mansion, and then send powerful men to assassinate Astasia.”

[Is that what you want to say now?]

“That’s what I’m saying. I’m afraid my father won’t think what I’m thinking of. In fact, Isabella, not Your Majesty, will come up with the idea. To make her son the official royal grandson.”

[Tsk…]

“In the first place, you aren’t even listening to me right now.”

The crown prince chuckled and swept his magic stone with his hand.

“It seems like my body is already heading towards the garage while I’m talking on the phone.”

Bu-euung.

“Are you saying this is in lieu of an answer? Okay. Go ahead. Communication won’t work properly while moving, so I’ll call you again when I arrive later.”

[Okay. Instead… Please at least say goodbye.]

“Goodbye?”

[Even if I just bring her here, I can’t bring her here like kidnapping her. I need to explain the situation properly and bring him in. At least… About 30 minutes.]

“Of course. I’m afraid they won’t even let me do that. It would be better.”

The crown prince stroked his beard and smiled slightly.

“Even if the breakup is sudden, if you break up with affection at the last moment, it will remain in your heart in a special way.”

* * *

From noble mtl dot come

“…Then, I can’t help it.”

Should I say I am fortunate?

“If not only Naria but all the people of Gibraltar are harmed by my presence here, then it is right for me to disappear. Hehe.”

Or should I say despair.

“It’s okay. Ugh, it’s not going to disappear forever, it’s just going to fall for a moment, right?”

When I invited Astasia to my room and told her the story, she smiled bitterly but humbly accepted my offer.

“Please don’t feel so bad. Uhm… Oh, that’s right. Anyway, I was originally supposed to come to Nostrum when I was 17!”

“Is it okay to say that?”

“…Uh, uhm.”

“And you already know. The Academy’s thing.”

Astasia tried her best to say anything to comfort me, but I wasn’t really shaken.

“If we meet at the academy… It will be almost 4 years from now.”

“Three years and several months! Academy admissions take place in the spring!”

“So can we meet again in the spring?”

“Right? … Ah! Just a moment.”

Astasia places her hands on her head and closes her eyes.

“Now that I think about it… Lord Gray, didn’t you say you wouldn’t enter the academy?”

“It was like that.”

“Well, you shouldn’t do that. I think I’ll definitely be sent to the academy…”

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry. There’s a way.”

Since it was already planned from the time of regression, meeting was no problem.

“Princess.”

I took out her ring to give to Astasia.

“It’s like this now, but first-“

“No, I won’t take this.”

Astasia firmly extended her hand toward the ring I handed her and refused.

“I already received other things. It’s not that I don’t like this.”

“Then… ?”

“This is… Hehe.”

Astasia smiled mischievously and put her ring on the index finger of her right hand.

“If I’m going to receive it, I want to receive it for the first time someday in the most meaningful place… That feeling?”

“…”

“Oh, that’s not a strange sound! It’s just that…”

“Received.”

After all, it is the same person.

“I make a promise. One day, we will meet again.”

After I raised Astasia’s hand.

“I will become strong so that I can protect you no matter who comes.”

She promised, kissing the back of her hand.

“Aha. This makes me feel like a queen.”

“She’s the queen. If that’s what you want.”

As much as you want.

“For my queen.”