Chapter 199
Chapter: 199
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 199
>Chapter Title: Louise (2)
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>"Max! Please, just say something—anything!"
Woof woof!
"What on earth happened? Did you hit your head or something in the last day? Amnesia?"
Slurp.
"Ah, stop licking and behave for a bit. Sit!"
Whine.
"Oh, good boy. You're a smart one, aren't you? Paw! There we go, good boy!"
Seongjin petted behind Max's ears, who was whining and acting cute, showering him with praise. Then, he suddenly noticed a strange gaze and looked up.
Sure enough, Louise was watching him with an indescribable, subtle expression, while the old trainer looked at him like, *What kind of lunatic is this guy?*
What's with that? Why are you looking at me like that?
[Seongjin, snap out of it.]
The Demon King sighed.
[No matter how you look at it, that dog isn't the same one from before. For starters, the size is completely different, isn't it?]
'Is that so?'
Seongjin stroked Max's snout and forehead, examining the dog closely.
Come to think of it, the Max he'd met in the snowy mountains had been almost the size of a pony or a calf. But this one, though large, wasn't much bigger than a typical wolf.
'Above all, the eyes are different...'
Max's clear eyes gazing up at Seongjin gleamed with the amber irises typical of wolf bloodlines.
In contrast, what about the snowy mountain Max? Weren't those eyes pitch-black, impossible to read, utterly inscrutable?
'Logically, connecting the two doesn't make any sense...'
But still.
"Max."
At Seongjin's call, a hearty *woof!* came right back.
See? This has to be Max.
* * *
Seongjin arrived at the dining hall a little late.
He'd unexpectedly spent a long time rolling around in the garden with Max, leaving his clothes covered in dirt and dog hair.
After apologizing and taking his seat, the countess smiled warmly and asked,
"It seems Your Highness is quite fond of animals. Do you keep dogs?"
Of course, all of Seongjin's actions were probably being reported to her in real time.
But rather than scolding his rudeness, she seemed utterly delighted. Probably because she had many children around that age, she was lenient about such things.
"I've thought about raising one. This is my first time seeing a wolfhound, but it's quite impressive."
"Hoho, yes. They truly embody the majesty of beasts in an elegant form."
The countess lifted her wine glass and continued,
"But despite their striking appearance, wolfhounds unfortunately aren't suited for keeping like ordinary dogs. They rarely depend on humans."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Wolfhounds have strong pride and don't particularly seek affection from humans. They're so independent and aloof that training them is extremely difficult."
Seongjin chewed on his appetizer, listening quietly to her explanation.
"They don't see humans as masters. That might be the biggest difference from regular dogs. They fight alongside humans against the beasts of the Demon Realm, but it's merely as fellow pack members. You won't find loyalty to a master or a desire to be loved by one. No matter how much you keep them close and dote on them, they never act cute for their owner—they're utterly indifferent."
...But he was super affectionate?
Seongjin thought of Max rolling on the ground, belly up, and shook his head.
'Well, he's a guy who talks with telepathy, so he's probably not like a regular wolfhound.'
The dinner continued in a pleasant atmosphere after that.
Orden and the count's other children, along with Sir Masain, were also present. But most focused on their meal, quietly listening to the conversation between Seongjin and the countess.
She mostly talked about the territory's specialties and unique dishes, with Seongjin chiming in enthusiastically.
"I was so shocked when I first tried bear meat after marrying into the family."
The main course was bear steak, which the countess explained was rare outside of Sigismund County and northern Ortona.
"Embarrassingly, I secretly cried back then, thinking all northerners eat scary food. But surprisingly, it was leaner and tastier than venison."
"Indeed. The flavor is excellent."
The meat, grilled crisp under heavy spices, was merely decent, but Seongjin raved as if it were a rare delicacy.
It was service for the countess, mostly.
'Living in the capital must've raised my standards for fine dining.'
Of course, someone was genuinely impressed.
[Ah! This is so good! Meat needs that intense char! Seongjin, ask for more, yeah?]
Well, as long as the Demon King was satisfied, that was fine.
But the peaceful time ended abruptly when dessert and tea arrived. Seeing the contents on the tray, Orden turned pale and shouted at the countess.
"Mother!"
"Oh my! What's wrong, Orden? You startled me!"
Amid the sudden shout that made everyone jump, Orden shot up from his seat, voice agitated.
"Didn't I tell you before? This tea is bad for your health—stay away from it! Have you forgotten my warning already?"
He might be investigating the tea secretly behind the family head's back, but he couldn't just watch his family drink it silently.
The countess looked around in great embarrassment.
"Goodness, Orden! If you say that, what am I supposed to do as your host? His Highness might get the wrong idea!"
"That's why you had to bring it out here!"
"I just wanted to introduce Sigismund County's specialties to Prince Mores, who graciously visited. Everyone's been drinking it fine for years—why are you making such a fuss?"
With imperial family present and her dignity at stake, the countess's voice began to rise.
"Orden! This is so embarrassing! How can you act like this in front of an honored guest, forgetting all manners?"
"I'm the embarrassed one! His Highness the Prince came to our territory at my invitation! Serving something of unknown origin—what discourtesy is this?"
"Unknown origin? The family head personally inspected and contracted for it! I'll definitely tell him about this!"
Now what?
The countess, pride wounded, wouldn't back down easily, and Orden, who had to act secretly, was airing his suspicions loudly, turning the whole count's family upside down.
Sir Masain, the guest, was naturally speechless and flustered, while the count's other children made no move to stop the argument—they just watched.
They pretended to be proper, but Seongjin didn't miss the faint sneers and hopeful glints in their eyes.
They were secretly hoping this might shake the steadfast heir's position.
Seongjin gave a wry smile.
'Siblings competing for succession are probably always like this. I don't like Orden much, but this situation is a bit pitiful.'
Anyway, Seongjin had only one thing to do here.
He gazed quietly at the teacup before him, where a clear pinkish liquid rippled with a faint floral scent.
'This is that drug-laced herbal tea...'
The first few times, it just gave a light euphoria and happiness.
Recalling that inwardly, Seongjin lifted the cup slowly to his lips.
[...Seongjin? Hey, what are you doing...?]
The Demon King asked in a panicked, trembling voice.
With everyone distracted by the heated argument, only one person noticed Seongjin's sudden action.
'The countess...'
Yes, just her.
Even while arguing with Orden, her eyes glancing this way were perfectly calm.
Did she dismiss her son's well-meaning warning as mere rebellion against the family and head?
In any case, one thing was clear: she was fully on the family head's side.
And right now, she strongly suspected that Seongjin's group had come here because of this tea.
[Hey, stop! Do you know what this is? It's ground Loperum eggs! The stuff used to make the Gray Plague!]
Heh. Demon King, remember this: human stomachs are tougher than you think.
Having experienced the apocalypse on Earth, he'd learned there weren't that many truly inedible things in this world.
*Gulp.*
Soon, a sweet floral aroma mixed with a faint earthy note slid down his throat.
"......!"
The countess, who had been watching Seongjin, widened her eyes. She clearly hadn't expected him to down the tea without hesitation amid such a fierce argument.
As she fell silent and stared at him intently, everyone's gazes in the dining hall naturally followed to Seongjin.
"Your Highness? What are you doing!"
Orden rushed toward him in horror, but by then, Seongjin had emptied the cup into his mouth and set it down with a *clink*.
"The aroma is quite unique. Smooth on the palate, not too bitter—it's not bad at all. May I know its name?"
To Seongjin's calm question, the countess replied in a slightly trembling voice.
"...We call it [herbal tea] since it's said to be good for health."
"I see. A healthy tea, then. I'm more used to Melbourne blends, but something distinctive like this is nice once in a while."
Nodding, Seongjin turned to Orden, who stared at him with a stiff, frozen face, and gently scolded him.
"It's just good tea—why make a fuss? Young master, you do tend to overreact. The countess knows what she's doing."
"......"
"Stop troubling your mother, who's put so much thought into this banquet, and let's talk about something else. What I'm most looking forward to here is the Demon Realm. Is it true the legendary glacier trolls appear there?"
At the same time, Seongjin subtly signaled the pale-faced Sir Masain.
*Sir Masain, control your expression. It's not like I drank poison—our purpose will be exposed.*
Honestly, both of them seemed so naive about the world. What would they have done without me?
Even after the meal ended, conversation continued over tea and sweets.
It wasn't as warm as before, but as the topic shifted to the Demon Realm, the count's children began chiming in one by one.
Seongjin listened quietly to their talk, occasionally rubbing his temples with his hand.
'Dizzy...'
Strange. This wasn't the reaction he'd expected at all.
Why was the room spinning like he'd drunk strong liquor?
[Hey, Seongjin. You okay?]
The Demon King's occasional questions sounded distant, like echoes from afar.
'Is it the herbal tea after all?'
But he hadn't heard of these symptoms. The countess and others had drunk it too, yet they seemed fine.
And there was another problem.
[The empire's prince is still just a kid. Can't even focus with all the beast-fighting stories. Pathetic.]
The dizziness had worsened into strange auditory hallucinations.
[Too bad. Fight a bit more. It would've been perfect if you'd fallen out of favor with the family head.]
[That Orden punk—showing off endlessly. I hate looking at him. Hope he drops dead somewhere.]
[If we get close to the prince, maybe we'll get invited to the palace? I want to leave this backwater already.]
Seongjin blinked blankly.
Orden, you idiot. Among your siblings, you're the best.
[Ah, thanks to Orden stepping in, my dignity took a hit earlier. Was my suspicion unfounded? Is the prince really just here for fun?]
Countess.
I thought you were kindly motherly, but disappointing. You're my enemy now.
"...Your Highness."
Sir Masain, who had been watching Seongjin closely, sensed something was wrong and stood up.
"Countess, if it's not too rude, I'll escort His Highness back to his room. His injury from recently hasn't fully healed, so he needs rest now."
Only then did the countess notice Seongjin blinking sleepily and make a fuss.
"Oh dear, how absent-minded of me! I got so caught up in the conversation—I kept our weary guests too long after their long journey!"
And so, Seongjin headed to his room, supported by Sir Masain.
Even then, his body felt strangely floaty, with a bizarre sense of buoyancy, and the hallucinations in his ears grew louder.
[Hey, Seongjin. Can you hear me?]
[...What is all this? Why am I even here?]
[Repent! Repent!]
[Hey, snap out of it! What are you...!]
[Aaah! Monster! It's a monster! Help! Gahk!]
So noisy. Where are all these voices coming from?
It was like speakers blaring from all directions, shouting at him in unison.
He didn't know how far he'd walked on his own feet. When he came to, Seongjin was already back in his room, lying on a warmly heated bed.
Sir Masain was at his side, removing his sword belt and outer garments, asking,
"Is something wrong, Your Highness? Was it that tea earlier? I'll call a physician right away..."
"No, it's nothing. What could one cup do? You know that's not the cause, Sir Masain."
It probably was, but he couldn't say it straight—Masain's reaction was predictable.
"I'm just suddenly super sleepy. I want to rest quietly."
Seongjin pulled up the covers and quickly closed his eyes.
"Louise will watch over me now, so don't worry. You rest too, Sir Masain."
Masain stood guard by the bedside a while longer, then left only after confirming Seongjin's breathing had evened out.
The moment he stepped out and closed the door.
*Flicker.*
Seongjin opened his eyes and waved to Louise in the corner.
"......?"
Louise approached the bed with a reluctant expression. Then, sniffing lightly, she wrinkled her brow slightly as if sensing something.
"...Herbal tea?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
Even as his head spun, Seongjin found it amazing.
How do you know that smell? It wasn't that strong. And I'd just eaten heavily spiced bear meat.
"Why on earth would you...?"
Louise looked down at him, her face a mix of exasperation.
Does she know something about the herbal tea?
He was briefly curious, but there were more pressing matters.
"Louise, one favor. Right now..."
As Seongjin opened his mouth, a spinning sensation hit, and suddenly something trickled from his nose.
Startled by the sudden metallic blood scent, Louise cried out.
"Your Highness! We need a physician right now!"
"No!"
Seongjin snapped sharply, clutching his throbbing head and letting out a small groan at his own voice.
"...Ugh. We can't cause a scene now. Keep it secret from everyone for now."
"But..."
"And among my group... there's Sir Sharon, an exorcist. Just quietly bring her..."
There, Seongjin trailed off.
The growing hallucinations had gone beyond echoing in his head—they now reverberated through the entire world.
[Repent! Repent! Repent!]
"Your Highness...!"
With Louise's voice fading into the distance, everything suddenly went pitch black.