Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 329

It was an unseasonably warm, sunny day outside the window.

However, the beauty gazing out from within the detached palace had a face as cold as the weather was warm.

Louisa recalled the message: “Thanks to the Second Prince’s mistake, a good opportunity has arisen.”

“The McLaine confusion operation will be completely suspended.”

“Plant someone in McLaine’s castle before you return.”

“If a war breaks out between the Empire and McLaine, it will create even greater chaos. And…”

“I will further accelerate the era when the gods have left.”

“That targeting my life was merely a mistake…” Louisa’s expression hardened again as she recalled her conversation with her master.

She understood the Tower’s purpose. She fully agreed with its greater aims.

But how could she accept it if she herself was to be sacrificed to achieve those aims?

Nevertheless, she had no choice but to endure for now.

What could she say when her partial failure of the mission had been completely overlooked?

“Baros. Someday, I will make you pay the price.”

She could only grit her teeth and vow to do so.

Moreover, the order that came with those words was absurd.

The instruction to plant someone in the Cassel Magic Tower clearly meant creating a brainwashed individual.

‘Someone who wouldn’t raise suspicion even if their mind suddenly became a little dull or their behavior seemed awkward.’

Yet someone in an important position.

“Is there even such a person?” It was such an unreasonable condition that she couldn’t help but mutter to herself. Wasn’t this a country ruled by a king capable of breaking the Tower’s magic just by approaching it?

“It would be easier to seduce the real Prince.”

A faint smile escaped her lips as she thought of the rumors circulating in the world.

The rumors about Count Ronian and herself, which she had heard out of curiosity, had now grown, mixed with all sorts of embarrassing stories.

She had never seriously considered marriage, but being a woman, she couldn’t help but be a little concerned. Moreover, when she thought about such daunting orders, she naturally escaped into reality, and from some point on, those embarrassing stories kept popping into her head.

“…Should I really seduce him?”

Seduce the Prince and make him betray the King.

Wasn’t that a common story in the novels circulating in the marketplace?

Just as Louisa, lost in futile fantasies due to her daunting situation, let out a hollow laugh, an unwelcome voice came from outside the door.

– Count Ronian has arrived.

“Ha. The timing is impeccable…”

A kind of play to conceal that the attack was the Empire’s doing and to create the appearance of a good relationship.

She found this stage annoying, but the other lead was quite diligent.

Click.

“Are you not busy, I see?” No sooner had the servant poured the tea and left the room than Louisa spat out a cold remark with a blank face.

There was no need to act anymore.

But the large young man with red hair and red eyes simply smiled and replied.

“This is my job now.”

“You must not be very pleased.”

“Well, at least it’s pleasing to the eye, since you’re a beauty.”

He was just around twenty years old, a time when he was full of energy.

But even though a deliberately made-up beauty was sitting right in front of him wearing clothes that revealed her figure, there was not a trace of lust in the young man’s eyes.

‘If he became a superhuman at that age, he must have considerable self-control.’

The past self who secretly used magic without knowing that came to mind, and only a bitter smile came out.

Well, it was because that was eventually discovered that Prince Ronian’s gaze was more indifferent.

“You’re also shameless. You two brothers are alike.”

“Hahaha. That’s the first time I’ve heard that. That my brother and I look alike.”

Certainly, the characteristics of red hair and red eyes were so strong, but the features themselves were very different between the two brothers.

Logan, who resembled his biological mother, and Ronian, born to a different mother and resembling his father. Moreover, when they were young, their personalities were completely different, so some vassals expected a dispute between the brothers.

Except that he liked being told he resembled his brother.

Ronian, who smiled naturally, put down his teacup and said in a playful tone.

“Well, no one is as shameless as the Princess. What could be more shameless than a terrorist calling the victim shameless?”

“Victim? Who was harmed? I’m the only one who seems to have coughed up blood?”

“One of our knights was seriously injured. Ah, perhaps when you play with people’s minds, you don’t see ordinary knights as people?”

“It’s enough that he’s alive.”

The conversation they shared with smiles was full of thorns, unlike their expressions.

Since that day, tiring conversations like this had been going on, but the servants who saw them smiling outside the window would only think that the atmosphere in the room was friendly.

“I heard that the gifts from Dongwang Palace were well received. At this rate, a wedding date will be set soon.”

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

“I’m afraid it will become a reality if you continue to stay here.”

“I’m going back soon anyway. Mind your own business.”

Slurp.

Because she was so nervous, she couldn’t even taste the tea that went down her throat. She had to continue this tiring and tedious confrontation for about an hour, but she couldn’t help it.

As Louisa thought so and tried to calm her mind, quite a tempting word came out of the other person’s mouth, unlike before.

“Ah, it seems that my brother is planning to do something big again recently.”

“Something big? Hmm.”

She acted indifferent as if she had no interest, but all her nerves were focused on that side.

Knowing or not knowing that, Ronian, who smiled, raised his teacup again and stared at her intently.

“But there was a message that Dongwang Palace should appease it appropriately because the Empire might be concerned.”

“Huh? Why are you telling me that?”

“Isn’t our relationship very good now? On the surface.”

“It’s literally superficial.”

“It’s to fight the Empire. ‘That side’ seems to like it.”

The strangely emphasized word grated on her ears, but curiosity was greater for now.

“Let’s hear it. What’s going on?”

“He’s thinking of building fortresses in several key locations on the border.”

Pfft.

At that word, the tea she was pretending to drink was spat out of her mouth as it was.

Ronian, who avoided the tea being sprayed at him in an instant like an Aura User, was annoying, but Louisa’s nerves quickly moved on to the topic of conversation.

“What did you say?”

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you heard me correctly?”

“Ha. Fortresses on the border? Are you trying to openly declare that you will fight the Empire? And then ask us to appease it?”

“Nominally, it will be announced that it is not only the ‘west’ but the entire border. Of course, in reality, it will only be built in the west.”

“Do you think the Empire is blind!?”

“What can we do? Anyway, they won’t be able to interfere in internal affairs, so they’ll just give a warning. Or they’ll invade sooner.”

– Just the fact that the Empire is preparing for war in earnest will shake the world. Since they have been maintaining a peace policy for decades, they will not be able to hide the change.

– If a war is going to happen anyway, it’s not bad for us to decide when it will happen.

Ronian smiled as he recalled his brother’s words.

“Ha… Then you’ll all be ruined.”

Louisa spat out words that were neither a sigh nor a sneer.

Soon, blue and red eyes crossed and fierce eyes went back and forth.

‘McLaine is preparing for war with the Empire, knowing it’s a foregone conclusion.’

‘They don’t deny it. These guys know it too. That the Empire is really preparing for war.’

With just one question and answer, one side could confirm the situation of the kingdom, and the other side could confirm that the speculation was true.

After a moment of silence to organize their thoughts, Louisa opened her mouth first.

“Under the current imperial policy, they won’t openly announce it, but subtle pressure will come in. What’s the price?”

“Well, how about the Princess’s safe return?”

“Humph. Even if you threaten my life, I won’t do what I can’t do.”

“It’s not a threat, it’s a suggestion. Wouldn’t ‘that side’ like it?”

Louisa was silent for a moment at those words, and Ronian leaned back on the sofa and looked at her leisurely.

However, unlike his relaxed movements, he was also very nervous inside.

‘Come on, answer.’

Are Dongik King and Dongwang Palace in cahoots with the Black Snake or not?

Whatever the answer, it will be possible to infer.

Ronian expected so.

But.

“I don’t know how my father will come out. Contact him directly, not me here.”

Louisa’s answer was not very satisfactory.

And that was the end of their conversation that day.

“Then rest well.”

At the time when the sunset was setting on the west window, the servant who had finished arranging the bedding bowed and turned around.

“Report the changes in the royal family in real time from now on. Especially focusing on where the king has disappeared to recently.”

Louisa, who had been lost in thought after Ronian returned, gave an order to the servant.

I have to find out what this king is preparing.

But.

“…Yes? Why are you telling me that…?” An awkward question came back.

“Hmm?”

The pretty-looking female servant looked at Louisa’s blue eyes and bowed her head with an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I’m a McLaine servant, so I can’t follow those words.”

Louisa’s face was troubled by the servant’s answer, who was wearing a palace dress with a faint ‘flame pattern’.

‘When did I brainwash this servant? Did I do it carelessly and it’s already time to release it?’

She had never worked so meticulously on a mere servant, so her memory was hazy.

‘It’s annoying in many ways.’

Her blue eyes, which immediately hardened her expression, passed by gray magic.

[Do as I say.]

The servant’s eyes were strangely loosened again by the voice containing magic.

“…Yes.”

Only then did Louisa turn around, humming and snorting.

She can’t touch the king or his close aides, but ordinary servants can’t escape her magic. So all the servants staying in the detached palace will become her eyes and ears and bring all the information of the royal palace.

She was so sure.

Without realizing that her magic in the eyes of the turned servant was already scattering little by little.

* * *

“I’ve been feeling strangely good every time I work these days.”

“You too? Me too?”

“Is it because the food is good?”

“Hey, that’s not news these days. It’s been good since His Majesty ascended the throne.”

“That’s true. But these days, it’s actually easier to go to work. Even complicated worries are solved when I work.”

“Me too, me too. I’m so tired, but when I put on my armor, I feel even stronger?”

The soldiers guarding the gates of Gran were chatting with a smile.

But they could not have imagined that all the troops in the east, west, south, and north, and everyone in the royal castle, were telling similar stories to them.

And that all those reactions were being reported to the highest people in the kingdom.

“The effect of the magic circle is certain. In addition, we have made it mandatory for everyone working in the royal castle to wear uniforms with the flame pattern.”

“Okay. That should be enough. Then we can announce it soon.”

“Yes? What… announcement? Didn’t you say this was confidential…?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s not unrelated, but…” Damian was puzzled by Logan’s suspicious smile, and Dwayne sighed deeply again, already knowing the situation.

And that very evening, the royal proclamation was hung all over the country.

– We will build fortresses in key locations on the border to strengthen national defense.