CH 123

Prince Lewis raised his head. He glared at his father.

“Grandfather wouldn’t do that.”

And he strongly denied what his father had just said.

Crown Prince Gueuze stepped on Prince Lewis’ hand. Even without doing this, the middle-aged man could very well overpower the boy, but it seemed like his loathing for the boy was urging his actions.

“After becoming king, you tend to ignore trivial things. His Majesty, too, has had many hobbies.”

“Father… Please don’t speak of Grandfather with such blasphemy. If you keep saying such things…”

“Did His Majesty promise to make you the next king?”

Prince Lewis hesitated a little before he answered.

“Father, something like this would not bode you well at all. Please stop at once.”

This offended Crown Prince Gueuze.

“As expected, you’re like that.”

Crown Prince Gueuze took a scabbard that was hanging high up on the wall, and out from the scabbard was yet another sword. It’s only obvious that it was another beautiful and luxurious sword.

However, when the sword was pulled out of its scabbard, a high-pitched sound accompanied it. Carynne realized that this was a completely different blade compared to the dagger.

This blade had a sharp edge.

Holding the sword, Crown Prince Gueuze turned.

Ta-dak, ta-dak, ta-dak.

“I detest His Majesty.”

“…Father!”

Then, other sets of footsteps could be heard from a distance. Carynne turned to Crown Prince Gueuze and told him.

“Your Highness, please stop. I can hear other people coming.”

Carynne spoke urgently. It might not be too late. Raymond might have come this time again. He might go through those doors and stop Crown Prince Gueuze, save the young prince and save Carynne as well.

“Haha, you think I’d believe that?”

Crown Prince Gueuze answered Carynne without even looking at her face. Right now, it seemed like all he wanted to do was to turn his son into an ornament on the wall. The blade glinted. Carynne spoke up once more.

“I really am hearing it!”

Carynne cried out. Footsteps were approaching. Crown Prince Gueuze turned his head.

Would he come again this time? She could hear footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Would Raymond come to save Carynne again this time?

“Your Highness, please stop.”

Maybe it’s not too late. In this life, Raymond had proposed to Carynne. He confessed that he loves her. Even if he did not believe Carynne. Maybe.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

“Your Highness, I have prepared the bath as you ordered.”

It was not Raymond.

It was Crown Prince Gueuze’s assistant, who Carynne had met before.

This time, it’s likely that Raymond would be too late.

Just like this life so far. Disappointment dawned upon Carynne faster than expected.

However, while Carynne was filled with dismay, Prince Lewis’ eyes were completely dyed with despair.

The boy cried out to the attendant in a hurry.

“Look here! You, what are you doing right now! Why have you not reported the existence of this room!”

Prince Lewis’ shouting made the attendant turn slowly, and he blinked his eyes as though perplexed.

“Goodness, you’re here, Your Highness Lewis? What should I have reported?”

“Get out.”

Crown Prince Gueuze cut off the attendant right there. And the attendant immediately cowered back.

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

Still, there was a smile ever present on the attendant’s lips. The large attendant grinned at Prince Lewis and Carynne.

“Carynne, I thought you might need to freshen up a little, so I ordered for a bath to be drawn for you.”

“……”

“And first, I’ll need to take care of this.”

The tip of the sword was turned towards Prince Lewis once again. At this, Prince Lewis’ face turned white.

“Father, what are you talking about?”

“Let me give you a piece of advice. It’s good to wash your body first before sleeping with a woman. Well, you don’t need to know that now. Shh, don’t move.”

Without turning his head, Crown Prince Gueuze ordered the attendants behind him.

“Don’t open that door until morning.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Clack. The sound of the door being locked outside resounded once more.

Crown Prince Gueuze looked back at Carynne and Prince Lewis.

“Are you looking forward to it?”

Prince Lewis was gnashing his teeth. Tears had formed around his eyes. He couldn’t endure anymore. Crown Prince Gueuze looked down at Prince Lewis, pointing the sword at the boy.

“To be honest, Carynne, I wanted to do it with you. Ah. No, not the bath. I’m talking about something else.”

“……”

“But this here, I’m sure you’ll become quite fond of it as well. You’ll get used to it.”

Then, Gueuze spoke to Prince Lewis.

“Lewis, did His Majesty say that you will be the next king?”

With tears in his eyes, Prince Lewis glared back at Crown Prince Gueuze. Through his gritted teeth, a groan leaked through. Nevertheless, this was what he said:

“…That’s right. You lunatic.”

“I see.”

Stab.

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

Prince Lewis screamed. Gueuze had stabbed Prince Lewis in the thigh. And, still, he continued to push the blade in.

“But His Majesty would not be able to give up on me if you’re gone.”

“Ugh… uuuhk… u-aaack…”

“You will not be the next king. His Majesty is really too much. Don’t blame me, now. This is all your fault. I’ve never thought of you as my son. In the first place, you shouldn’t have been born.”

Crown Prince Gueuze raised his sword again.

And he aimed at Prince Lewis’ other thigh.

“A human being has two legs. Amongst all its parts, I most prefer stabbing the thigh. It’s a good part to stab into if you take blood loss into account. The neck and the wrist are both good spots as well, but only if you completely cut them off.”

“Ah, aaaah, ahk—”

“Now, with this, you will never walk again. But your legs look fine, don’t they? Still, you won’t ever be able to run. Now then, Lewis. How do you feel? What do you think about having an ornament upon your body? How does it feel to have a completely useless part of your body?”

Prince Lewis began to froth at the mouth.

“Good grief, I never allowed you to faint.”

“……”

“What kind of face should a parent have whilst receiving his child’s head? Oh, I’m curious about how His Majesty will react as well. Maybe he’ll give me the crown soon… Well, actually, even if I receive it now, it’s already too late.”

Crown Prince Gueuze swung his sword once more.

“Keu—aaaaaack!”

However, the person who screamed next wasn’t Prince Lewis.

It was Crown Prince Gueuze.

“This… This lowly…!”

Donna crawled with one arm and one leg, then went on to bite Crown Prince Gueuze’s leg. Donna’s teeth did not help her as she had attempted to take her own life, however, they were still strong enough to pierce through Crown Prince Gueuze’s pants and clamp down on his flesh.

Of course, that was all. Biting someone’s leg had only fueled his ire. It’s not enough to stop him.

Crown Prince Gueuze turned to Donna.

“You goddamn bitch.”

Carynne knew. This time, Raymond would be too late.

As always, at the very end, he would either be too late, or he would fail. So, Carynne would die, and die, and die.

This time again, she would die.

If so…

* * *

Crown Prince Gueuze heard her approach from behind him. But he didn’t really care. He even thought that Carynne would help him get this woman off his leg. That she would help him kill the bitch. He didn’t know why such a vague belief suddenly came about.

“Hurry up and take care of this!”

Of course, it was all just his delusion.

Carynne was not Catherine. Crown Prince Gueuze felt something cold pressing against his back. For a moment, he thought that it was the dagger. But no, the dagger was already on the floor right now.

What’s pressing behind him now was a heeled shoe.

Carynne kicked Crown Prince Gueuze’s back heel-first. At this, he lost his balance and collapsed to the ground. He tried to get up again, but he couldn’t because Donna was still hanging from his leg.

As he was face-first on the ground, Carynne stepped on his back, then she hung her necklace around his neck. Pearls soon scattered on the floor.

“…Keuugh…”

Crown Prince Gueuze started to thrash around. However, Carynne’s shoe was pressed firmly against his back, so it was impossible for him to get up. And, Donna was keeping him pinned to the ground with her remaining arm. He tried to kick her off of him, however, Donna persistently held him down.

The necklace continued to dig into Crown Prince Gueuze’s neck.

“Keu, uhh, uuugh.”

Using her whole body, Carynne pulled the necklace tighter as it was on his neck. Crown Prince Gueuze’s fingers struggled to pull it off him, however it would not.

This was the necklace that Carynne made especially with suicide in mind. Even if Gueuze tried to escape, he would not be able to take off the string that had already dug into his neck.

“It’s alright, Your Highness.”

“…Uhk, uuugh.”

“It’ll be alright, so you can stop now.”

He could hear the young woman’s sweet whispers in his ear. The same voice as the woman he’d been yearning for all these years. Yet, in the voice that he was hearing now, only venom could be heard drip, drip dripping into his ear. If he didn’t listen carefully, he wouldn’t have heard it.

“…Ah, aahh…”

“Shh…”