Episode 766 Choice and Decision (9)
When the sun goes down and it gets dark, Ray always visits the head of Cerian family.
Even while being cared for by servants, he always shouted.
‘Who are you!’ Words such as ‘How dare you steal something from this place!’
But only that day, he greeted himself quietly.
“Come in.”
Upon hearing the knocking sound, Ray immediately opened the door at the calm tone of the Cerian household.
“okay. What did you come for?”
The light smile that formed on his lips looked very different, even if it was different from the look of the Cerian family he knew.
People with dementia sometimes come back to normal.
It’s just that in this case, even if you seem to respond politely, in reality, most of the time you don’t know who the other person is.
Inwardly, ‘Who is this person?’ It is to set an example in the mind that you should not make a mistake while thinking.
Knowing how stressed out the family of Cerian is, Ray greeted them first.
“My name is Ray. I came to Serian Territory as a dispatched priest.”
Only then did the family head, whose expression relaxed a little, asked again.
“A dispatch priest. Has anyone been hurt?”
“…”
He had no answer to that.
How long will this condition last?
day? Two days?
Or maybe it’s just a few hours and a few minutes.
It is a time that may never come again.
Instead of answering, Ray smiled and pointed to the portrait hanging on the wall.
“It is a pretty picture. Do you know who the Count is?”
“Mmm.”
Gazoo Cerian, who was looking over the picture, shook his head.
“I think of someone similar… but I don’t know. Was there such a picture hanging in my bed?”
A voice that doesn’t know at all.
Ray answered inwardly.
‘Count Cerian, that painting is your daughter.’
I don’t know to what extent the memory has returned.
But what is certain is that it is not up to now.
The Count smiled shyly and said.
“I can’t remember if my head has been going bad lately. It’s a body rotting in a periphery like this, so I’m saying that.”
He had an easy-going personality that was not aristocratic, to the extent that he joked with dispatched priests who were much lower in status than himself.
Ray was worried.
Whether to explain the situation with dementia or just hide and cover it so that the count is not confused.
If he only thought of the patient, he would have chosen the latter, but he is an absolute master of one region.
Whether you like it or not, you must make a choice so that the territories under your command can survive.
Monarch.
and patient.
Seeing the Count in two disparate situations, it was not easy to draw conclusions.
After thinking for a long time, Ray finally made a decision.
After instructing the servants on what to do, he spoke very politely.
“I’m sorry, but you, Earl Cerian, are ill.”
As expected from the unexpected words, he was confused.
“Illness… what does that mean?”
“How far are your recent memories?”
remember
Rather than being angry, the family head of Cerian answered after struggling with the question.
“…I don’t remember very well. I think I took a walk.”
“Do you have children?”
“I have one daughter. He must be about six years old.”
At those words, Ray felt that the current situation was very different from what Cerian’s family remembered.
Levia is already an adult.
To the extent that he had in mind the succession of the Count’s family.
I can’t delay any longer.
I’m sorry for the householder, but I have no choice but to make a choice when I can have a little conversation.
“actually.”
Ray began to calmly talk about everything that had happened so far.
Naturally, Count Cerian was angry.
He ordered me to get out of bed, saying that I was not one to be idle enough to hear nonsense.
I ordered the knights in front of the door to drag me out, but they only looked at the family head with a complicated face and did not move.
Count Cerian was a little taken aback because he didn’t know that his soldiers wouldn’t follow orders.
“Are you disobeying the order?”
“I’m sorry. The Count is cursed.”
The knights who had already seen the family lord’s tarnish refused to order.
“For some reason. Have you been appeased?”
“No… no…”
“Why?”
“I cannot follow. The current count is not perfect. Please kill me.”
The knight who had been guarding the Count’s side for the past twenty years had to kneel.
It’s a blurry memory, but I definitely have memories with him.
Such a person kneels down and hands over the sword, asking to be killed.
Seeing that, it seemed as if the words of the young dispatched priest in front of him seemed more and more true.
“okay. Right.”
A resigned tone.
His eyes are a little daunted, and he just looks down at the floor bitterly.
“Let’s talk about it.”
“yes.”
When the Count seemed to have calmed down, Ray continued the story he had stopped talking about.
The Count suffers from dementia and Levia tries to inherit the title.
And even the situation where the vassals look at her displeased.
There were many other things to talk about, but I couldn’t drag it out for a long time because I didn’t know when Count Cerian’s condition would get worse.
After hearing that, Count Cerian gave a small affirmation.
“Things that can happen enough.”
“……”
“Then what would you like me to do? It is difficult even to die at will in this old body.”
The words of the jaggeum won’t only mean about the silky body.
The death of a venerable aristocratic margrave.
Works derived from it will bring about many waves, whether large or small.
Greedy nobles might covet the territory, and vassals might start a civil war and try to overthrow the territory.
In the process, Levia, who will inherit the title, is ranked number one in the purge.
Count Cerian was asking about all of that.
how would you like to do it yourself?
He said, looking directly at Ray.
“After living for a long time, I learned how to see people, even in my later years. You’re probably not just a dispatched priest.”
He pauses for a moment and then slowly resumes his conversation.
“What do you want from me? Anything is fine, so tell me.”
“Are you serious?”
“It’s been a long time since my head was hard. I refrain from talking round and round.”
It seems to be sincere.
Ray, who knew he would be a little more suspicious, said while looking at the Count who surprisingly easily complied.
“Please put Levia on the count’s seat.”
succession to the earldom.
I don’t know if Levia can really assume the position of Marquis of this barren land, but right now there is no other way.
Having someone with legitimacy take over and lead the territory.
That was the minimum for the Countess Cerian and the people living in the Cerian Territory.
“I was thinking of that anyway.”
“You shouldn’t give excuses to your vassals. It would be better to end the succession as soon as possible so that there is no back talk.”
“I will.”
“And…”
Ray winked and sent everyone in the room out of the bedroom.
The Count was puzzled by the fact that even the knights were being sent out, even if they were servants.
“They are the ones who have worked in the mansion for a long time.”
“I know. I have a lot of doubts.”
I don’t know where the eyes and ears of the black room may be.
If there was a garrison this close, they must have planted a spy in a nearby noble family.
Only Count Cerian and Ray were left in the bedroom.
It was easier for him to talk, and he spoke again.
“All that remains is the heirloom. Are you there? The count’s prized treasure in this mansion.”
“Heirloom… I mean.”
Hesitation appeared in the count’s eyes, who had shown no resistance when asked to succeed to the title.
But that was just a moment.
He quickly made up his mind and nodded his head.
“Yes.”
“I need that. Being in the count’s family won’t help you anyway.”
It’s because the black room is aiming for it.
Once targeted, there is no way for the county to survive as long as they have the heirloom.
In that case, it was better to have it yourself.
He thought he would be rejected this time, but Count Cerian readily agreed this time as well.
“Do that.”
“yes?”
At this point, Ray was rather surprised.
From his point of view, a story like this would have to be very sudden.
Not to mention that there was a disease, and the requirements were only very strict.
However, the way he humbly accepted everything seemed far from resignation.
Count Cerian said.
“Of course you can give it away. If what you say is true.”
There was a benevolent smile on his lips that he had seen before.
“That means.”
“If you make such an unreasonable demand for a Margrave of a Kingdom, then of course you have evidence. So that I have no choice but to accept your request.”
Did the thought reach that far with an imperfect mind?
‘They say it’s a family with a deep history, so it seems they didn’t survive simply by luck.’
Negotiations that are considerate of others.
The idea of looking ahead one step ahead and the attitude of being considerate of the opponent that is ingrained in the body as if it were natural.
Even so, he never fell behind in negotiations, so Count Cerian was a man with subtlety.
Ray said to the attendant outside.
“I ask you to come in.”
At the same time as he spoke, the bedroom door opened as if he had waited.
Did he just train?
Levia, wearing half-plate armor, entered.
* * *
Levia, who had been clashing swords with the knights in the gymnasium, stopped sparring when an attendant walked from a distance.
She asked as she wiped her sweat with a towel draped over a tree.
“What’s going on?”
“yes. Lady Ray tells me to come to the lord’s bed.”
“Father’s?”
Levia tilted her head when she was told to come to the bedroom rather than the office or study.
“It is a strange thing. i get it. Tell them that you are sweating, so wash up and go.”
“That’s…”
“What else?”
The servant hesitantly said.
“He told me to come to bed as soon as I heard the news.”
“her.”
She made a gasping sound involuntarily.
To come to a woman who sweated, and even to the count’s daughter, without even having time to wash herself.
Levia, who muttered, ‘I’m sure he doesn’t know manners’, let out a drool.
“Okay. i get it. Guide me.”
Without even thinking of taking off her half-plate armor, she followed the attendant to the lord’s bedroom.
