I Became a Sick Nobleman

Banios and Ruel entered at the same time for the ceremony to choose the successor. Huan, who was seated ahead of them, could hardly hide his displeasure.

Ruel looked at him leisurely and inhaled Breath.

Adoris, glancing at Ruel, turned his head away when their eyes met.

‘Good.’

Ruel liked the current atmosphere.

Today there was no loud music, no eye-catching delicious food, or greedy gazes.

Everyone was just sitting quietly, seemingly shocked by the sudden news from the king. 

Ruel walked to the place where the patriarchs were gathered.

“It’s nice to see you all,” Ruel smiled at them, breaking the silence.

Diagos nodded and squeezed his arm, and Corrence swallowed his nervousness and went along with the charade for now.

Rie was worried about Ruel’s bandaged arm, and Ben handed him the snack he had brought to give Ruel, saying he seemed to have lost weight.

Sniff.

Leo sniffed the snack bag Ruel received and raised the corners of his mouth.

—It’s a macaron! This body remembers that!

‘Just when I was feeling a bit hungry.’ 

Ruel laughed as if he had made a fortune.

“Long time no see,” Ketlan greeted Ruel warmly and made space next to himself. 

“Thank you, Lord Prios,” Ruel took a seat and took a deep breath. 

Just exchanging greetings was already exhausting. To regain stamina, Ruel took a bite of a macaron and offered one to Ketlan. 

“Would you like one?” 

“It’s okay. I don’t think I can handle it well in this tense atmosphere.” 

‘Did I just hear someone swallowing?’ 

Ruel watched his surroundings and secretly passed it on to Leo.

—Oooh! This is what it tastes like!

Ruel couldn’t understand why they hesitated to accept what he offered, whether it was Aris or other servants.

He moved his hands back and forth.

The spirits tilted their heads following his hand.

‘Is it because there are a lot of needle marks?’

Mostly on his arms, but a few on the back of his hands.

He considered wearing gloves like Cassion, but the sound of the door opening made him turn his head.

The heavy atmosphere deepened.

The king had appeared.

“His Majesty Brans Leponia, the sole Sun of Leponia, enters!”

The servant’s loud shout broke the silence.

Everyone rose from their seats to look at the king.

The words he was about to utter would change the balance of power among the nobles and ministers, including the fate of the country.

Without a show of any emotion in his expression, Brans walked over and sat down on the throne.

Turning to face them, he spoke.

“Take your seats, everyone.”

Making sure everyone was seated, Brans spoke again.

“This was sudden.”

In an instant, a murmur arose.

As Brans said, it was a very sudden announcement.

Since there were no prior signs, the confusion was further aggravated.

Brans’ eyes turned to the three princes.

Huan, Adoris, Banios.

Each and every one of them made eye contact.

Instantly, his heart sank.

No matter what anyone said, they were all his precious sons.

“But please know that there will be no change in the choice of my successor today.”

Brans first made his intentions clear so that no one would object.

“Your Majesty, may I be presumptuous…”

However, someone among the ministers cautiously spoke.

Brans immediately showed his displeasure.

“Be silent. I will not accept any comments on this.”

Brans knew that it seemed like an arbitrary choice.

However, most of the dissenters were those who joined the Red Ash.

It was ugly, but the thought of them deciding the country’s successor made him feel like he had bugs crawling all over him.

There was no point in dragging it out.

Brans again tried to speak directly without paying attention to the minister standing next to him.

“Your Majesty, this is too sudden, and somewhat unjust.”

Huan spoke up, cautiously.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the ministers’ expressions relaxed as they heard the refreshing sound.

But it didn’t take long for Brans’s anger to hit him like a bolt of lightning.

“What did you say now? Unfair? What does the prince say is unfair now!”

“Your Majesty, please hold on. You’re choosing the heir to the country, and you’ll be deciding its future, so please be more careful…”

Brans held out his palm.

It meant to stop talking.

“I have made it clear that I am here to choose an heir. Is the prince here to lecture me?”

Huan was surprised at the remark mixed with anger and was unable to answer hastily.

“I tell you clearly. If there is anyone who objects to my decision to select a successor, I will bring down the law.”

Brans nailed his point firmly so that no more words could be spoken against his decision.

He paused, letting his anger settle, and then spoke again.

His voice was softer than before.

“Some may think as Prince Huan does, but I have been dismayed by the state of affairs in this country lately. I can no longer stand idly by and have made this decision, so follow it.”

At the subtlety of his words, the ministers began to stir.

Brans looked at the three princes again and gestured.

“Princes, come before me.”

The princes rose from their seats and walked toward him.

That was Brans’ signal that the performance had begun.

Ruel inhaled the Breath and stifled a laugh.

‘It’s time to get up.’

As he fiddled with his cane, Leo hit his hand with his tail.

—Stroke this body, not the cane.

‘What a mess.’

Instead of looking at Leo, Ruel looked sideways at the patriarchs.

Everyone seemed to understand the signal.

Each person will use their own method to give a signal to sweep away the Red Ash from their territory.

Brans continued to pace the room, watching the princes thoughtfully.

The atmosphere in the hall was growing heavy, like walking on thin ice.

“Next.”

When Brans finally opened his mouth, the sound of swallowing could be heard from somewhere.

“The successor is.”

Brans’ eyes naturally turned to Adoris.

Adoris just looked at Brans calmly without any change in expression.

Huan’s lips were chewed.

“It’s Banios Leponia.”

What followed was something completely unexpected.

Banios, who has just started accumulating power.

His stomach churned.

It became a celebration for those who accepted Banios’ proposal to support him, and on the contrary, it seemed that a field of thorns spread to those who refused.

“Your Majesty.”

At that time, Ruel quietly got up.

The voice was strangely haunting.

Brans frowned, and a faint smile appeared on Huan’s face.

As Ruel had said to Huan beforehand, he did indeed stand up for him, but Huan became anxious at the same time.

The poison he had fed Ruel still lingered in his mind.

“Unfortunately, I cannot follow Your Majesty’s words.”

The commotion came again due to the bombshell remarks.

Brans stared at Ruel with disbelief.

“What did you say just now?”

“The future of Leponia is at stake, and I think you’re in too much of a hurry.”

“Rushed?”

Brans’ voice was filled with irritation.

Nevertheless, Ruel persevered and spoke.

“Yes, you were in too much of a hurry. Isn’t it too early to decide on a successor?”

At the same time, Ruel glanced at Huan.

Huan was looking at him with expectant eyes.

‘Crazy bastard…’

Huan seemed to have forgotten that he had been poisoned by him.

Ruel moved forward even though Brans did not give permission.

Brans asked in daze.

“Lord Setiria, what is this?”

“I came to inform you that Your Majesty forgot one thing.”

Ruel bowed politely towards Brans and raised the corners of his mouth.

“Such a rude…!”

Brans slammed the handle of the chair and gritted his teeth.

He had crossed the line.

Even in a suffocating situation, Ruel smiled leisurely.

How to keep himself alive, number eight.

Driving out Leponia’s hidden Red Ash.

“Your Majesty, before choosing a successor, shouldn’t you clean up the Red Ash first?”

At that moment, the hall became quiet.

Red Ash.

It was clearly mentioned in Ruel’s mouth.

Instead, he saw people who were contemplating.

The same was true for Huan.

Aris hurriedly came next to Ruel.

“Thank you. I forgot that.”

Brans smiled at Ruel, as if he had switched off his anger, and soon turned his attention to the ministers.

“Sir Torto, come inside now!”

At Brans’ shout, the tightly closed door opened and the knights, led by Torto, came inside.

Thump. Thump.

A huge sound shook the ground.

“… Blood, blood…”

One of the ministers covered his mouth in surprise.

The knights’ swords and armor were stained red.

Blood flowed with every step, their eyes were like sharpened swords, and their heavy footsteps were the final bell of death.

No one could speak at the sight of them.

They felt as if their throats would be cut at any moment.

While most people were horrified and holding their breath, Torto shouted loudly.

“Block the door!”

Some knights stood in front of the door.

The figure standing there soaked in blood was bigger than any other gatekeeper and looked far more ferocious.

Torto led the knights and walked in front of Brans.

“Your Majesty, I, Torto, return from performing royal cleaning duties.”

Brans bit his lip at the sight of the blood on Torto’s body.

There is as much Red Ash in the royal castle as there is blood.

“Sir Torto.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. At your service.”

Torto bowed his head in response.

Brans pointed once at Huan.

Brans’ fingertips trembled.

“Take the treasonous traitors, including the First Prince, from this room at once. Kill those who resist.”

“As ordered!”

Torto shouted immediately after the reply.

“What are you doing, not capturing the traitors now?”

At Torto’s command, the knights arrested the ministers who colluded with the Red Ash, including Luruan and Cron, whom they were previously briefed on.

“Your Majesty! What is the meaning of this… ugh!”

Torto struck Huan on the back of the head as he approached Brans and knocked him down.

Brans did not turn his head.

“Your Majesty! It is I, Huan! Huan is here!” 

Huan tried to rise, but the knights grabbed him and held him down.

He hurriedly shouted with an incomprehensible expression on his face.

“Treason! Your Majesty! It’s all a misunderstanding! Let me explain it properly, so…”

“I cherished you! I really cared about you! But what have you done to me and to this country!”

Brans shouted desperately.

Huan realized then that this was all a trap set by the king and Adoris.

They had lured him and the others of the Red Ash into the trap with the bait of choosing an heir.

Who led all of this?

“You son of a bitch! Adoris!”

Huan turned his head with difficulty, glaring at Adoris as if he were going to kill him.

Ruel looked back at the crowded hall and inhaled breath.

Ruel expected this situation, but it was more hectic than he expected.

Even those who already knew about this stage seemed confused.

Who the enemy was.

What the enemy had done to us.

“Don’t worry.”

Aris watched the surroundings while holding the sword given to him by a knight.

“Aris.”

Aris responded firmly to Ruel’s words.

“Yes.”

“Cough, cut down all those who come after me.”

“Alright.”

Ruel moved his cane while listening to Aris’ answer.

Ttak.

The sound of the cane echoed off the ground as Aris’s sword moved.

Enemies appeared, taking advantage of the chaos and coming to target Ruel.

Even though the enemies collapsed to the floor and vicious curses were heard, Ruel did not stop walking.

Blood splattered on the ground and screams rang out, but Ruel didn’t stop walking.

Splattered blood stained his white clothes red.

He stopped in front of Huan.

He laughed at the sight of him being captured and tied up by the knights.

“How did you feel when you killed my father?”

Huan was startled by Ruel’s cold voice.

“How, how could you…”

“For what reason did you kill my father? Have you longed so much for a throne that you will grovel at the Red Ash’s feet on the floor?”

Huan’s eyes filled with bewilderment, then gradually turned to anger.

“It’s you! It was you!”

Looking at Huan moving his whole body in a frantic struggle, Ruel leaned down slightly and touched his cheek, then stood up again and looked around.

Now that the knights have blocked the door, they leisurely capture and kill the enemies in this hall who had no hole to escape.

After a while, silence came.

Ttak.

The sound of Ruel’s cane broke the silence.

“They belong to an organization called the Red Ash, including Prince Huan Leponia. The Red Ash seeks to sell this country, your Majesty, the princes, and all of us to a man they call the Great Man.”

His voice was full of appeal, but those who were not Red Ash were unable to come to their senses due to the carnage and sudden actions of the knights.

Ttak.

Ruel slammed his cane on the floor again.

At the sound, they all turned to look at him.

“The Red Ash killed my father, Trino Setiria.”

At those words, those who were not Red Ash came to their senses and were shocked.

All the heads of the household, except Diagis Shio, were equally surprised.

What a place Setiria was.

“Everyone here knows what Setiria is like. It’s the Red Ash that killed Trino Setria, my father the former lord.”

Only then did everyone understand what Ruel wanted to say.

They understood why Brans had been shouting treason, and they realized how terrifying the Red Ash were.

But those were secondary thought.

What mattered now was that the Red Ash had killed Trino Setiria.

The Red Ashes had declared war on Leponia.

As Ruel secured the legitimacy of the current situation, the atmosphere of fear quickly turned into anger.

Those who were not Red Ash glared at those captured by the knights, considering them enemies.

They must be the same guys.

Brans looked bitterly at the blood-stained hall and then bowed his head towards the honest ministers and heads of families of this country.

“I’m sorry, because it was like this, I had no choice but to let the situation unfold like this without any explanation to you in advance.”

As soon as the king’s apology confirmed the gravity of the situation, the ministers became angry.

The number of those captured by the knights was huge.

The influence of the Red Ash had been so great.

Wondering why they hadn’t realized this before, one of the ministers bowed to the king.

“Your Majesty, it’s the fault of this subject! I didn’t know anything while this country fell into enemy hands!”

“Please kill this subject!”

“This subject is guilty and deserves to die!”

They didn’t care if their knees were soaked with blood or if they stepped on the corpses of their enemies, but instead they all bowed their heads to the king.

No matter who they were, they were all people of Leponia.

Brans spoke as if he was embarrassed by the ministers’ sudden actions.

“Rise. It all happened because of my lack of virtue. My son, Huan Leponia, was part of a Red Ash.”

“Don’t be pretentious, Your Majesty! Didn’t you turn your head when you learned of the death of Trino Setiria?!”

Huan gritted his teeth and shouted.

Author's Thoughts

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