I Became a Sick Nobleman

***

“Ruel Setiria sees the Great Sun of the country.”

“Indeed, I am pleased as well.” 

The King of Leponia, Brans, kindly smiled at Ruel. 

“I will take my leave, Your Majesty.” 

“Very well.” 

Upon Brans’ words, Banios left the room. 

As soon as the door closed, Brans spoke in a low voice. 

“I’m sorry.”

Ruel, who had not yet sat down, looked down at Brans and asked sarcastically.

“What do you mean?”

“It took too long to bring out my ‘buried conscience.’”

“The conscience of the Greatest Sun of this country must have been deeply buried, right?” 

If it had been anyone other than Ruel, the king would have immediately scolded them, offended by his rudeness. Brans remained silent.

Ruel was the last remaining Setiria.

That little boy lost his father because of his own son.

Even after knowing that fact, didn’t he ask for the truth and turn his head away?

“My father passed away on his way to meet Your Majesty.”

Ruel’s words pierced Brans like a spear.

“Your Majesty knows who killed my father.”

Brans did not have the courage to look into the eyes of the young man who had lost his father, so he turned his head slightly.

“Your Majesty…”

The cane that Ruel was holding tightly trembled.

The veins on his neck bulged.

This was not anger for himself.

It was anger for Ruel Setiria.

This was the only thing he could do for him.

Therefore, Ruel believed in the conscience expressed by Brans, believed in the power in the name Setiria, and refused to back down.

“Please look at me, Your Majesty.”

Brans still couldn’t face Ruel directly.

“Stop avoiding my gaze and look at me.”

Suppressing his anger, Ruel spoke calmly.

“Your Majesty, I am the justice you abandoned, and the people you abandoned. We represent the lack of conscience that Your Majesty has expressed over a long period of time.”

Brans’ eyes wavered.

“Please look at me. Didn’t you call me to meet you? Are you going to bury it again now? Are you going to abandon me again?”

Only then did Brans look at Ruel with difficulty.

His face twisted with the weight of the guilt he carried. Before and after becoming king, his hands were never free of blood. 

The throne was a place where countless sins had to accumulate before one could sit on it. What he had abandoned in that pursuit was Trino Setiria, his right-hand man who had worked and sacrificed himself for this country. 

How could it not hurt? 

How could he not be sad? 

“Please sit.” Brans spoke weakly, and Ruel finally took a seat and faced him. 

“Trino Setiria, your father, was my right-hand man. I abandoned him and buried him.” 

“For whom did Your Majesty abandon your right-hand man?” 

“For my son, Huan Leponia.” 

“Did Your Majesty know Huan was part of the Red Ash?” Brans held his breath in shock at the guess. 

“I didn’t know. I really didn’t know at the time that I had ignorantly helped the Red Ash that your father and I were chasing. I showed the letter to Huan, in case I died and he had to continue after me.”

As expected, that letter caused the carriage accident.

Ruel closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. 

Brans needed to understand what had happened to the Royal Family due to his abandonment and negligence. 

“Does Your Majesty know what happened to the Royal Family while you turned a blind eye?” 

Brans quietly waited for Ruel’s next words. 

“His Highness Huan attacked His Highness Adoris, and His Highness Adoris had no choice but to join the Red Ash. The ministers, royal knights, and servants all became part of the Red Ash. It is difficult to find a place where the Red Ash has not infiltrated the Royal Family?”

Brans’ fingertips trembled.

When Ruel saw his unfocused eyes, he realized the king had been ignorant of the facts.

That’s why Ruel spoke more strongly.

“This is the result of Your Majesty’s abandoned conscience.”

“You… have taken over Trino Setiria’s work. You did not betray this country.” 

“Your Majesty, I am also a Setiria.” 

“I am ashamed. I was not the king I should have been.” 

“It’s not too late. If Your Majesty looks after this country from here on, you can make it right. Just like I was able to reinstate Setiria.” 

Brans took a deep breath and looked into the distance. 

“I should have been a king before I was a father.” 

A tear quietly slid from his dry eyes.

After a long sigh, Brans faced Ruel again. 

Now, Brans’ eyes did not waver. 

Inside them, a strong and resolute will was slowly filling up. He looked at Ruel not as a sinner, but as a king. 

“So, you and Trino Setiria have been protecting Leponia all this time.” 

“No, not just me, but also Prince Adoris and Prince Banios have been protecting this country.” Brans showed a faint smile with a hint of shame. 

“This position is a lonely one. One only I hold.” 

“I also know the feeling of not being able to do anything for a long time. The helplessness is indescribable.” 

“I am truly sorry and grateful to you.” 

“If my father were here, he would have done the same.” Ruel slowly drew a line. 

“Afterall, I am the gatekeeper of Leponia.” 

“…”

Brans cautiously held out his hand.

Thinking about how Ruel got to this point made him feel distressed.

Perhaps Ruel wanted to tear himself to pieces.

However, Ruel wanted to protect Leponia.

That glimmer of thought made him feel ashamed. 

It made him bow his head, which he had never lowered anywhere, out of gratitude and apology. Brans reached out his hand to Ruel. 

Ruel silently placed his hand in Brans’ palm. 

It felt so fragile. 

“You can blame me as much as you want, in front of you, I will be a sinner, not a king.” 

It was also warm. 

Only then did Brans realize what he had done. 

He wanted to apologize and cry out many times, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it anymore. 

“I promise you. I will punish every sinner involved with your father’s death, even if it’s my own son.” 

Brans looked at Ruel with tears in his eyes. 

“Even if it’s my son.”

Blood had to be repaid with blood.

That was the atonement he had to make to Ruel.

“Are you serious?” 

Ruel was genuinely surprised. 

Anyway, Huan was a prince.

And he was Brans’ son. 

“It’s something I should have done five years ago. It’s not too late, as you said.” 

“That’s not what I’m asking. Can Your Majesty really turn a blind eye to Huan shedding tears and put him on the scaffold?” 

Brans hesitated for a moment before answering. 

“It’s something I have to do.” 

Ruel suppressed a laugh inwardly.

Who would kill Huan for him, just to let him off lightly?

Rather, he must spend a long time in a dirty and disgusting prison facing the sins he had committed.

“Keep him alive.”

And Brans was no exception. 

He had to pay the price together while watching his precious son rot in prison. 

“I want His Highness Huan to be haunted by thoughts of my father for the rest of his life, until his dying breath.”

Brans will accept his offer.

What parent could kill their child with their own hands? 

But later, he would regret how cruel that compassion, that love, could become. 

“Are you certain?” 

‘See.’

Ruel answered calmly.

“Yes, that’s what I want.”

“Thank you, thank you very much.”

Branth’s hands tightened.

The victim, himself, wants Huan to be punished like that, but how happy must he be that he now has an excuse to stop the death penalty even if the nobles and ministers rise up later?

Ruel drew a light curve with his mouth making him look merciful.

“But it’s still too early to talk about punishment.”

“That’s right, everything comes after eradicating the Red Ash that lurked like a parasite in this country.”

Now Brans finally looked like a king.

“I asked His Highness Adoris, but I ask His Majesty to help me bring all the aristocrats and ministers together as soon as possible.”

“I’ll help you as much as I can.”

With the addition of Adoris and the king, it was clear that the stage would be created.

“Also, please investigate the Red Ash that has stuck to the Royal Knights. The head of the family, Rie Kuhn, decided to help with this.”

“It’s all my fault.”

Brans pursed his lips tightly, as if at a loss for words.

As he said, it happened because the king turned his face away from the truth.

But in the end, Brans had to do all the cleaning up and cutting down the Red Ash that was spreading within the Royal Family.

“Leave the affairs of the Royal Knights to Sir Torto.”

Ruel only mentioned certain people so that Brans would not do anything foolish.

“Now that we are still not sure who the Red Ash is within the Royal Family, it would be best for you to trust only Prince Adoris and Prince Banios.”

“Is the condition that serious?”

There are so many people in the Royal Family, but the only people he can trust are the two princes.

“Yes, if you personally verify it, you might be shocked by the severity of the situation.”

“I will handle the verification properly, so don’t worry, I will move cautiously. How are the nobles reacting?” 

“Except for the Shio family, everyone is working to eliminate the Red Ash.” 

“What about the Liobenez family?” Brans hesitated, then sighed and spoke again. “Did my friend resent me?” 

“Upon hearing the news that Your Majesty is no longer denying the situation, he was pleased. He said he would help with everything, so don’t worry.” 

“I see. He has forgiven me.” 

A faint smile appeared on Brans’ lips. 

“So, the Shio family is the only one supporting Huan, is that right?” 

“For now, yes.” 

Brans rolled his eyes as if he was thinking for a moment.

“I understand to some extent what kind of stage you want.”

“I will take care of Prince Huan and the Shio family.” 

“I know you probably don’t want to hear it again, but thank you, really, thank you.” 

“I was just fulfilling my duty as a noble.” 

Brans finally let go of Ruel’s hand and looked at him proudly. 

Brans and Adoris were about to start planning the stage, but he asked the most pressing question first. “Your Majesty, may I ask you something?” 

“Go ahead.” 

“If Your Majesty pursued the Red Ash with my father, do you know why they are doing this?” 

Brans was very pleased with Ruel’s question. 

It seemed that it brought him joy to have something that could help him. 

“Yes, you are qualified to hear this story.” 

“Do I need qualifications for that?”

Author's Thoughts

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