Children of the Holy Emperor Chapter 199

§ 199. Louise (2)

“Max! “Anything is fine, so please just say something.”

Wong wong!

“What the hell is going on? Have you ever suffered a serious head injury within a day? Amnesia?”

licking.

“Oh, stop licking and be quiet. sit down!”

Kiing.

“Oh, good job. Are you smart? hand! Hey, that’s nice!”

Seongjin, who was gently scratching behind the ears of Max, who was whining aegyoly, and giving him a ton of praise, suddenly noticed the strange gaze and raised his head.

Sure enough, Louise had a strange and mysterious look in her eyes, and the old zookeeper literally said, ‘What kind of crazy person is this?’ He was looking at Seongjin with that expression.

what? What’s wrong with you?

[Lee Seong-jin, come to your senses.]

The devil bastard sighed.

[No matter how you look at it, that dog is not the same as before. First of all, the size itself is so different, right?]

‘is it?’

Seongjin stroked the bridge of Max’s nose and between his eyebrows and looked at the dog closely.

but. The Max I met on the snowy mountain looked to be about the size of a pony or calf. However, although this thing is large, it is not much different from the size of a normal wolf.

‘More than anything, your eyes are different… … .’

In the eyes of Max, who was looking up at Seongjin, the pumpkin-colored irises unique to wolf blood were shining.

On the other hand, how was Max in the snowy mountains? Weren’t they horribly pitch-black eyes whose true nature was unknown?

‘Common sense suggests that linking the two is a ridiculous idea… … .’

But yeah.

“Max.”

At Seongjin’s call, Wong! A strong answer comes back right away.

See, after all, this guy is Max.

* * *

Seongjin arrived at the restaurant a little late.

This was because Max and Huwon had been rolling around for a while unexpectedly, and their clothes were all messed up with dirt and dog hair.

After asking for understanding and taking a seat, the Countess smiled kindly and asked.

“I guess you like animals very much. “Do you have a dog?”

Well, Seongjin’s every move is being reported to her in real time.

However, rather than blaming him for his rudeness, my reaction was that I just thought it was cute. Since there are many children of the same age, they seem to be tolerant of these issues.

“I think I would like to raise one. “This is my first time seeing a wolfdog, but it’s very impressive.”

“Ho Ho. is it so. “They are certainly elegant dogs that retain the majesty of beasts of prey.”

The woman who answered like that raised her wine glass and continued speaking.

“But despite their cool appearance, wolf dogs are unfortunately not suited to being raised like normal dogs. “They rarely rely on humans.”

“Is that so?”

“yes. Wolf dogs have strong self-esteem and do not particularly crave affection from humans. “Because they are so independent and aloof, training is also very difficult.”

Seongjin chewed his appetizer and listened quietly to her explanation.

“They don’t think of humans as their masters. That’s probably the biggest difference from regular dogs. When fighting against demonic beasts, they clearly stand on the side of humans, but they only recognize that they are protecting the same group. They have no loyalty to their owners or a desire to be loved by their owners. “No matter how much you want to keep them by your side and pet them, they are indifferent children who do not show any affection to their owners.”

… There was a lot of cuteness, right?

Seongjin, who remembered Max rolling over on his stomach and rolling on the floor, immediately shook his head and thought.

‘Well, he’s a guy who speaks with thoughts, so he’s probably no different from an ordinary wolfdog.’

From then on, the meal proceeded in a friendly manner.

The Count’s children, including Orden, and Sir Martha were sitting there together. However, most of them were engrossed in their meal and were quietly listening to the conversation between Seongjin and the Countess.

Mostly, the wife would talk about the characteristics of the estate or its unique cuisine, and Seongjin would enthusiastically chime in with her comments.

“You can’t tell me how surprised I was when I first got married and tried bear meat.”

The main dish was bear meat steak, which the countess explained was also a dish rarely seen except in the Sigismund region and the northern region of Ortona.

“It’s embarrassing, but at that time, I cried in secret, thinking that all northerners only eat scary food. But when I actually tried it, I realized it was lighter and more delicious than deer meat.”

“It certainly is. “The flavor is amazing.”

The meat, covered in strong spices and grilled to a crisp, was just edible, but Seongjin let out a sigh as if he had just encountered an unprecedented delicacy.

It was clearly a service for the countess.

‘I think my gastronomic standards have increased while living in the Imperial Capital.’

Of course, there were some who were truly moved.

[ah! This is so delicious! After all, meat has a strong fiery taste! Seongjin Lee, let’s ask for more of this, okay?]

Well, anyway, since the demon lord is satisfied, I guess that’s the end of it.

But that peaceful time ended the moment tea with dessert was served. This is because Orden, who saw the contents of the tray, became thoughtful and shouted at the Countess.

“mother!”

“Oh, what a surprise! “Why are you doing this all of a sudden, Orden?”

While everyone was startled by the sudden shout, Orden jumped up from his seat and shouted in an angry voice.

“Didn’t I tell you this clearly before? This tea is not good for your health, so stay away from it! “Have you forgotten my warning?”

It is said that they were secretly investigating the car without the head of the family knowing, but it seems they couldn’t just sit back and watch other family members drink it.

Then the Countess looked around with a very embarrassed face.

“No, dear! Orden! If you say that, what does that make me a host? “Wouldn’t your Majesty greatly misunderstand?”

“So why are you doing this here?”

“I just wanted to introduce the unique foods of the Sigismund Territory to Prince Mores, who is visiting after a long time. “Everyone has been drinking well for years, so why are you so special?”

As her face suffered in front of a member of the imperial family, the countess’s voice began to raise her voice little by little.

“Orden! It’s such a shame! “Where on earth do you leave all your etiquette behind and do something like this in front of such an important guest?”

“The real shame is me! It is I, the prince, who personally visited your estate at my invitation! “What kind of disrespect is this to serve something like this whose origin is unknown?”

“You don’t know the source! Isn’t this the product that the head of the family personally inspected and signed a contract to supply? “I must tell the matriarch about this matter!”

What should I do now?

The Countess, whose pride has been hurt, does not seem to back down easily, and Orden, who must move without the head of the family, is now expressing his suspicions to make the entire Count’s house buzz.

The guest, Masaine, was naturally embarrassed and couldn’t say anything, and the rest of the Count’s children were just watching without even thinking about stopping the two people’s argument.

At first glance, they appeared to be quiet and reserved, but Seongjin did not miss the faint mockery and hope that passed through their eyes.

Orden’s younger brothers were secretly hoping that the heir’s strong position might be shaken by this incident.

Seongjin smiled bitterly.

‘Brothers who compete for succession usually have this kind of atmosphere. I don’t really like Orden, but I still feel a little sorry about this situation.’

Anyway, there is only one thing for Seongjin to do here.

I quietly looked down at the teacup in front of me, and there was a light pinkish liquid flowing with a gentle scent of wild flowers.

‘This is the same medicine as that drug…’ … .’

The first few times it just gave me a mild sense of uplift and happiness.

After thinking this to himself, Seongjin picked up the teacup and slowly brought it to his mouth.

[…] Seongjin Lee? Hey, what are you doing now… … .]

The Demon King is greatly embarrassed and asks in a trembling voice.

Because everyone was preoccupied with the noisy argument, only one person noticed Seongjin’s unexpected behavior.

‘countess… … .’

Yes, just her.

Even while arguing with Orden, the wife’s eyes were extremely calm as she glanced at me.

Did he view his son’s well-intentioned warning as simply a sign of rebellion against the family and the head of the household?

Anyway, what is certain is that she is the perfect ally of the matriarch.

And she is currently strongly suspecting that this car may not be the reason Seongjin and his group came here.

[Hey, stop! What are you doing now? This is made from Loferum eggs! This is the water that creates the gray plague!]

Hehe. Demon King, please know. The human stomach is stronger than you think.

Having experienced the end of the world, there are not many foods in this world that cannot be eaten.

Horok.

Soon, the sweet scent of flowers passes into my throat along with the faint scent of earth.

“… … !”

The Countess’ eyes, who were watching Seongjin, widened. I guess I never expected that he would drink tea without hesitation during such an intense argument.

As she closed her mouth and stared at Seongjin, the eyes of everyone in the restaurant naturally followed her and focused on Seongjin.

“Lowering? “What is this now!”

A frightened Orden runs towards Seongjin, and in the meantime, Seongjin pours all the tea into his mouth and puts down the teacup with a percussion.

“The scent is very unique. It’s not a bad tea, as it’s smooth to swallow and doesn’t have a strong bitter taste. “Can I know your name?”

To Seongjin’s calm question, the Countess answered with a slightly trembling voice.

“… “It is said to be good for health, so we just call it [Yakcha].”

“is it so. Is tea good for your health? “I’m probably used to Melbourne for my taste, but sometimes I like a unique tea like this.”

Seongjin, who nodded and responded, gently reprimanded Orden, who was now staring at him with a hard face.

“It’s a good-tasting tea, so why? Archduke, there is definitely something unusual about you. “The Countess will take care of it.”

“… … .”

“Stop bothering your mother for caring so much about dinner, and now let’s talk about something else. Actually, I’m most looking forward to seeing Demon Lord here. “Does the legendary Glatzer Troll really appear in the Demonic World?”

And at the same time, Seongjin quietly winked at Masain, who was looking pale.

‘Lord Masaine, take care of your expression. I didn’t drink poison, but our purpose will be revealed.’

Anyway, it seems like both of them secretly don’t know anything about the world. What would have happened to both of us if I hadn’t taken care of it, yeah.

Even after the meal was over, refreshments and chatting continued for a while.

The atmosphere was not as cordial as at first, but as the topic shifted to the Demonic Lord, the Count’s children also began to add a word or two.

Seongjin listened quietly to their conversation, occasionally rubbing his temples with his hands.

‘I’m dizzy… … .’

weird. This is not the reaction I expected at all.

Why are my eyes spinning as if I drank such strong alcohol?

[Hey, Seongjin Lee. are you okay?]

The devil’s voice that occasionally asks questions feels far away, as if it is echoing from far away.

‘Is it also the medicine truck’s fault?’

But I haven’t heard of any symptoms like this. The Countess and the other children drank tea together, but they all seemed fine.

Besides, there was another problem.

[Even the prince of the Holy Empire is still a child. I can’t come to my senses because of the story about fighting against demonic beasts. It’s laughable.]

I was so dizzy that I started hearing strange auditory hallucinations.

[it’s a shame. Let’s fight a little more. How great it would have been if it had gone out of favor with the matriarch like this.]

[Orden, that bastard, it’s so disgusting to see him pretending to be so arrogant without knowing the end. I wish I went somewhere and died quickly.]

[If you become friends with the prince, will he invite you to the imperial palace? I want to leave this village quickly.]

Seongjin blinked his eyes and thought blankly.

Orden, you bastard. You may be simply ignorant, but you are still the best among your brothers.

[Ah, now that Orden has stepped forward, his face has been completely ruined. Was it really just my suspicion? Did the prince really just come to have fun?]

countess.

I thought she was a warm person like my mother, but I was disappointed. From now on you are my enemy.

“… Lowering.”

Masain, who had been looking closely at Seongjin earlier, stood up and spoke as if sensing that his condition was unusual.

“countess. If you don’t mind, I will take you to my room. “My recent injury hasn’t fully recovered yet, so I think I need to rest a bit now.”

Only then did the Countess notice Seongjin, who was blinking sleepily, and made a fuss.

“Oh my, look at my mind! “I enjoyed the conversation so much that I was able to keep the guests, who were tired from the long journey, for this long!”

In that way, Seongjin walked toward the room, supported by Masain.

Meanwhile, my body felt strangely floating, and the auditory hallucinations ringing in my ears were getting worse.

[Hey, Seongjin Lee. Can you hear me?]

[…] What is this all about? What is it all about? Why am I here?]

[Repent! Repent!]

[Hey, come to your senses! What are you doing now? … !]

[Ugh! A monster, a monster! Save people! Wow!]

It’s so noisy it’s killing me. Where on earth are you talking like this?

It was as if everyone was shouting at him through loudspeakers.

I don’t even know how far I walked on my own feet. When I came to my senses, Seongjin had already returned to the room and was lying on a warm bed.

Masain asked while holding his sword next to him and removing the uncomfortable outer clothes.

“What makes you uncomfortable, sir? Was there a problem with that car earlier? Reply right now… … .”

“Uh, no. What to do with a cup “Lord Masaine knows very well that that’s not the cause, right?”

I think that was the cause, but I couldn’t say it straight because I didn’t know how Masain would react.

“I just suddenly feel really sleepy. “I’m just going to sleep quietly.”

Seongjin pulled up the bedding and quickly closed his eyes.

“Now Louise will take care of me, so don’t worry. “Lord Masaine, take a break.”

Masain, who stayed by the bed for a while, finally left after seeing that Seongjin’s breathing had become even.

And as soon as he left the door.

sparkle.

Seongjin opened his eyes and gestured to Louise, who was standing in the corner.

“… … ?”

Louise came closer to the bed with a nervous expression. Then, as if he sensed something, he sniffed, his nose twitched slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“… “Medicine tea?”

“huh? “Oh, right.”

Even while his head was spinning, Seongjin thought it was amazing.

How do you know that smell? There wasn’t a very strong scent? Plus, I ate bear meat cooked with strong spices earlier.

“Why on earth… … .”

Louise’s expression as she looked down at Seongjin seemed a little absurd.

Does he know anything about medicine trucks?

I was curious at first, but there was something else urgent to do first.

“Louise, let me ask you a favor. now… … .”

As Seongjin opened his mouth like that, something suddenly flowed from his nose along with a spinning sensation.

Louise, startled by the smell of blood, shouted.

“Lowering! Reply right now… … !”

“no!”

Seongjin, who shouted sharply, let out a small groan as he held his head, which was pounding despite his own voice.

“… Okay. If you make a fuss now, you’ll be in trouble. “For now, keep it a secret from everyone.”

“but… … .”

“And among my companions… Sir Sharon, there is an exorcist. Just keep quiet… … .”

Seongjin, who spoke up to that point, trailed off.

The auditory hallucinations that had been getting louder since before went beyond just ringing in my head, and were now ringing so loudly that they shook the whole world.

[Repent! Repent! Repent!]

“Lowering… … !”

With Louise’s voice receding far away, everything suddenly became dark.

fantasy,