Revolutionary Period –
Louis D’Aquitaine, a boy from the mock Count of Aquitaine, was sitting on the sofa and reading a book on magic.
To be more precise, I was sitting on the sofa and just flipping through the pages of the magicology book I was holding.
“…This situation is not good. “It would be an exaggeration to say that this is a reaction to being oppressed by radicals.”
His sister Christine Daquiten’s voice came from the center of the room.
“But, Sir Count. That does not mean that fair voting rights will be granted regardless of property in the free distribution of land. “Neither the moderate faction, which is centered on the wealthy class, nor we, who come from the aristocracy, can agree to such a ridiculous agenda of the radical faction.”
Baron Charon, his sister’s henchman, answered.
“Certainly, if such a bill is passed, it will not be good for us. But other than that, there were other issues worth giving up on.”
Louis let out a small sigh as he was not concentrating at all, and turned his head to look at his sister and Baron Charon who were talking.
“The radicals still have a majority in the National Assembly. We and the moderates joined hands to temporarily exceed the majority, but if we dismiss all of their agenda, it will only increase dissatisfaction among both the radicals and the citizens who support them.”
“Hmm, if you say so….”
“Both the moderates and our side need to adjust their opinions. “It will be easier to control Congress if we achieve the minimum level of cooperation to appease the radicals.”
“I understand, Your Excellency Count. Then we will contact them.”
“Please. “You can leave.”
Baron Charon glanced at Louis before leaving the room, and Louis turned his head and focused his eyes on the book.
After Baron Charon left and Louis turned his gaze back to the center of the office, the boy’s half-sister, Christine Daquiten, was quickly reading and signing a mountain of documents on the desk with dark, sunken eyes.
His sister, who is processing the documents as if she were a machine rather than a human being, is either not aware of his gaze or pretends not to notice him, as she is reducing the documents at a speed that he will never be able to imitate.
Lewis, who turned 11 this year, was precocious. I had no choice but to grow up prematurely.
Winter when I was 8 years old. His happy childhood disappeared overnight, and his mother was executed right before his eyes on his sister’s orders.
From then on, everyone in Aquitaine became concerned and sensitive about his situation.
The vassals of Aquitaine treated him like a stain.
Looking at him reminded him of his mother who killed the previous earl and tried to kill his daughter, so Lewis rationally understood why they did that.
However, it was painful and difficult to receive their burning gaze as if they wanted to do something right away.
After he followed his sister to the capital, he had fewer encounters with them, but the people here still cared about him.
Some people look at him with sympathy and show him unwanted kindness after losing his mother in a sports competition, while others draw a line and try to avoid him by keeping a distance, as if he were a traitor.
It would be easier to breathe in a place without people, but Lewis, who grew up receiving affectionate attention from a young age, found it difficult to endure the loneliness of being alone.
So the place where Lewis mostly spent time was his sister’s office.
Because his sister doesn’t needlessly watch him and try to give him attention, and she doesn’t act sensitive to every word he says.
Ironically, only his sister, the enemy who killed his mother, sees him as Louis and not Yvonne’s son.
Lewis gave up trying to read the unreadable book and looked at his sister.
The 21-year-old sister was quite beautiful even for a boy, but that was all.
As a lady, Nui dresses up to a minimum, but she always wears only a black dress that resembles mourning clothes, and except when she sleeps, she is almost entirely focused on work.
Lewis let out a small sigh as he watched Christine’s lifeless, cloudy eyes sinking as deeply as an abyss and moving incessantly.
At least Christine wasn’t like that before that day.
Even though I worked a lot back then, I still lived like a human being, leisurely reading books to him and enjoying my hobbies.
Instead of those cold and dull eyes, he was a person with more lively eyes and a good smile.
When his mother was killed, Lewis understood almost nothing, but as time went by and his retainers exposed him to details he did not want to know, he now understands.
I guess their intention was to prevent them from harboring any other thoughts. Anyway, my mother did something unforgivable. I did something worth dying for.
Lewis also understood that in his head.
Still, Yvonne was a mother who loved Louise, and she could not completely erase her resentment toward her sister. It is not a realm of reason.
…however.
If only my sister had lived a little more like a human being. At the very least, if his sister had shown justified anger and disgust towards him, Lewis might have hated her and dreamed of revenge.
It’s because I’m living like that with dead eyes and not knowing why I’m alive.
Lewis didn’t like that, so he got up and called his sister.
“sister.”
A slight spark of life appears in the cold, sunken eyes, and Christine lifts her face and looks at me.
The sister smiled softly and answered.
“Why are you doing this, Louis?”
Lewis hesitated for a moment.
Even though they come from different backgrounds, the boy who shares the same blood as his sister is also quite intelligent.
So, he quickly grasped his situation and had enough judgment not to blindly hate Christine just because she killed his mother.
However, Louis could not understand at all what his sister wanted from him.
The reason his retainers loathe him but cannot harm him is probably because of his sister’s orders.
why?
From that day on, the only question I always wanted to ask but could never ask was floating around in my mouth.
It is generally taken for granted that a man takes over a title or business.
Even though he had a sister who was clearly 10 years older than him and had proven her ability by taking control of the top, he was secretly considered the successor.
Yvonne and her associates were executed, and the count died, so Christine took over the throne, but Louis is a threat to her even if he is alive.
Why did you keep me alive?
Why do you still treat me like your younger brother?
“…I want to learn magic.”
In the end, the words that came out of my mouth were something else. Christine glanced at the grimoire in his hand and nodded.
“Then do you want to go study abroad in Holland?”
“…yes.”
Holland.
The Kingdom of Magic, where the best human magicians gather, located north of Franzia and northwest of the Germanian Empire.
Upon hearing that he was interested in magic, his sister immediately invited a wizard from Holland to test Louis’ aptitude and purchased a basic magic book and gave it to him as a gift.
“okay. “They said you have aptitude over there, so I’ll look into it.”
Most of the magicians in Franzia are commoners with magical skills, and their level is only at a crude level that cannot be compared to the magicians in Holland.
Naturally, most nobles with an interest in magic learn magic in Holland.
Even so, I didn’t expect to hear an answer saying that they would really willingly send the traitor’s son and half-brother to study abroad.
Many words lingered in my mouth, but in the end, all I could say were simple words.
“Thank you, sister.”
Christine smiled softly.
Just like how I treated him earlier that day.
Lewis casually touched the brooch he wore on his chest.
“Are you still awkward?”
“No, that’s not true….”
“I’ll do it because there’s just in case.”
“Yes…”
The brooch that Lewis is wearing is an artifact with a protection spell cast by his sister while inviting a wizard from the Magic Kingdom.
Lewis adjusted his brooch and lightly measured the magical power he felt. I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s a price worth paying for a bastard who doesn’t care if he dies.
Lewis’ eyes scanned the black dress that looked like his sister’s mourning dress. In fact, my sister never wore any accessories.
When his sister first gave him the brooch, he also bought a black rose brooch, so he thought it might be his, but it wasn’t.
“…Then since it’s late, I’ll just leave.”
Still, I was allowed to study abroad, something I never expected. At least if I study abroad, this suffocating life of worrying about what others think will end.
“Okay, sleep well. Louis.”
Louis was about to leave his sister’s office when he glanced back.
But then what about your sister?
His eyes, which had become a little lively when talking to him, have darkened again and are busy scanning the documents.
Lewis remembered the man his sister had given him a black rose brooch.
Pierre de Lafayette, Marquis of Lafayette.
It was disturbing to Lewis, but other than himself, his sister seemed like a living person at least when she was with him.
If you’re going to live like this, please at least show me how happy you are with him.
I’d rather be able to be jealous and sad to my heart’s content.
Louis left his sister’s office with words he couldn’t bear to say out loud.
–
Lumière, the capital of the French Republic.
The secret club led by the Republican Radicals, especially Representative Saint-Just, gathered several radical members and their followers.
“It is truly deplorable that those damn capitalists and nobles are controlling the National Assembly.”
As Christine feared, the radicals were filled with dissatisfaction as they were unable to pass most of the agenda despite having the largest number of seats in the National Assembly.
“If it weren’t for the collusion of those dirty moderates and aristocratic lawmakers, this republic could have moved in a much more positive and reformative direction!”
“The problem is that all of our most important supporters, the peasants, have enlisted in the revolutionary army. Who would have thought that after those who were awake went to the front, they would find themselves praising the nobility in Lumière, the heart of the revolution, just for giving them cheap bread!”
Saint-Just looked around at the lawmakers who were in the middle of a debate and opened his mouth.
“I think action is needed.”
“If it’s an action…?”
“The bond between those blue-blooded nobles and the moderate lawmakers is not that strong to begin with. “If they can just sever the central point, their weak solidarity will collapse like a sand castle.”
Saint-Just calmly looked around at the lawmakers and then opened his mouth.
“The cause of the revolution is being tainted by those dirty charlatans. “If we are not careful, this Franzia may end up returning to the old order before the revolution.”
A look of wariness appears on the faces of the lawmakers. Because that’s the worst case scenario for them.
“Unfortunately, now that there is no institutional way to respond to them, we must carry out our will even if it means taking somewhat drastic action.”
“…Are you trying to commit terrorism?”
There was a sound of swallowing here and there, and Saint-Just answered.
“If necessary, we will use every possible method, including assassination or anything else.”
“But their focal point, the Marquis de Lafayette, is a powerful knight. “I wonder if it would be possible for us to assassinate him…”
“The Marquis is nominally their leader, but there are limits to the political influence he can have as he is busy as a military commander. “But isn’t there someone even more dangerous than that running wild in the capital?”
After a moment of silence, a lawmaker opened his mouth heavily.
“Are you trying to kill that black seductress, the Count of Aquitaine?”
The Black Temptress, Lafayette’s concubine, the Witch of Aquitaine, etc.
Those who thought of the woman who virtually ruled the National Assembly and who were called all kinds of nicknames with all kinds of disgust and contempt by radicals, their expressions hardened.
“you’re right. Unlike other people who are fundamentally aristocrats, she also knows how to blind the foolish people while using the methods of the capitalists. “He is even more dangerous than the Marquis de Lafayette.”
“Certainly, without her, the central point between the wealthy and the nobility might disappear.”
“When I think of the traitors who fell for that wicked witch’s cunning tongue and dirty money…” Just as
Saint-Just was about to smile as the lawmakers seemed to agree, one of the lawmakers spoke heavily.
“But Representative Isidor will not agree.”
Saint-Just’s face hardened as he remembered the man he once admired as the leader of the radical faction, but then he opened his mouth and began to make false statements.
“you’re right. He would not agree. I also admire and respect his noble cause and fairness. But look at the situation now.
Unfortunately, justice and law alone cannot solve all problems.”
Saint-Just made eye contact with each and every lawmaker present, his eyes shining dangerously, and then spoke with fanatical confidence.
“If you are truly committed to the cause of the revolution, someone has to get your hands dirty on his behalf – true patriots of the republic like us.”
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