The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 224

Jacqueline covered her face with her hands.

Her shoulders heaved with each sob. Despairing cries escaped her lips, words lost in a flood of emotion. She couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t control the shaking that ran through her.

“I… sorry…” Her voice was choked with tears. “So sorry… I never knew… never knew Count London… he was helping us. They called him traitor… I didn’t want to believe… his kindness…”

Born into a commoner family, Jacqueline had lived a life no different from others.

Jacqueline didn’t think much about the future. She focused on her daily life. Her world became about her family and children.

It was a frustrating reality.

She knew that even if she worked as hard as before, her life wouldn’t change. Her dissatisfaction grew.

She started to only see her own problems.

The world outside her home seemed to disappear.

“Heeuh… What am I supposed to do? Please, tell me what to do. I don’t know. Even after committing such a terrible act, I still find it so hard to accept this situation.”

He… was just an ordinary man.

He had become a hero of Redford by chance. People sympathized with Jacqueline because he was just like them.

Jacqueline was merely the target. Anyone could have taken her place.

Her face was stained with tears.

As Roman Dmitry revealed the truth, her face twisted in anguish, like someone whose world had collapsed.

As an ordinary person, she had no experience to deal with these events.

She despaired.

She sobbed, weeping openly without caring who was watching.

Silence fell over the space.

People couldn’t say a word.

They could neither condemn Jacqueline nor comfort her.

Because they were no different from her.

They saw themselves in Jacqueline. They waited for Roman Dmitry to decide what would happen.

Roman Dmitry spoke.

“Jacqueline, you too have your own story. The riot that attacked Count London was not for personal gain. You stole the gold and gave it to the people, showing what you were fighting for. But…”

Swish.

He drew his sword.

The crowd gasped. He pointed the sword at Jacqueline’s neck.

“No matter the reason, it cannot excuse what you did. You were tricked into attacking Count London’s carriage. Innocent soldiers died. They have families too. Even if you started the riot for your family, your mistake caused the soldiers’ families to lose their fathers and sons. What can make up for that? No matter how much you cry, the dead cannot come back.”

He looked at the people.

These words were not just for Jacqueline.

Though Jacqueline stood there, Roman Dmitry’s words were for everyone who had joined the riot.

“What’s done is done. Redford must learn from this mistake. We cannot pretend it was just a mistake and forget about it. Jacqueline, you are not the ‘Hero of Redford.’ You are a murderer who killed because of a mistake. I will hold you responsible.”

Jacqueline squeezed her eyes shut.

She accepted death.

Her trembling body showed she was fragile. She remembered the blood of Count London on her hands.

Because of her mistake, a man who had given everything to Redford had almost died.

If she had used a little more force, Count London would have died.

She gritted her teeth.

At least she accepted what she had done.

“Citizens of Redford, listen. Remember this day. Jacqueline may not be the hero of Redford, but she will be remembered for taking your sins and accepting death. In the future, if you make the same mistake, remember that no one will take your place.”

At that moment,

Flash!

He swung his sword.

A woman too ordinary to be called a hero.

Jacqueline fell to the floor, blood scattering.

At that time,

Count London led his forces toward the royal palace.

He didn’t want fighting and chaos in the country, but now he saw no other choice.

‘The people are very angry. They are only attacking me now, but if the king doesn’t fix the problem, things will get out of control. For Redford’s future, someone must take up arms and remove the king from the throne.’

Even as he moved, his mind was confused.

He agreed that the king should be overthrown, but Roman Dmitry wanted to take the throne for himself.

That was another problem.

The king had a prince who cared about the country.

He remembered the prince’s words. The prince had said he could rebel to save the country. Count London wondered if following Roman Dmitry was the right thing.

There can only be one royal family.

If he overthrew the king and wanted the throne, he would have to kill the prince.

‘What am I rebelling for?’

One purpose.

The safety of the country.

Honestly, the Redford prince was not the right person to be king.

In a chaotic world, someone was needed to fix things. But the prince had shown he wasn’t a great leader.

The prince asking him to lead the rebellion showed something. It showed the prince knew the king was wrong, but he couldn’t fix it himself.

A choice.

He steeled his heart.

The moment he took up arms and stormed into the palace, any hesitation would ruin everything.

‘I am sorry, Your Highness.’

The leader must choose.

Earl Rondon thought of his loyal knights. He had to do this, even for them.

Earl Rondon was no longer wavering.

Knight Commander,” Earl Rondon said firmly.

Speak,” the Knight Commander replied, his voice steady.

When we enter the palace,” Earl Rondon said, his voice hard, “we will ask for one meeting. If the Royal Knights are angry and fight us, do not wait. Behead their Commander and stop their soldiers immediately. This fight hurts Redford deeply. We must control everything – what happens and how it happens – or Redford will be destroyed.”

Understood.”

Worry clouded the Knight Commander’s face. He looked down, his brow furrowed.

The Rondon Knights and Royal Knights were friends. But the Knight Commander obeyed Earl Rondon without question. He was loyal to Earl Rondon.

The Rondon Knights had always hoped for this moment.

People saw Earl Rondon working hard for Redford. They often said, ‘If Earl Rondon was King, Redford would be better.’

Finally.

They arrived at the royal palace.

The guards, however, opened the gates as if they had been expecting them.

Please, come inside,” said a guard. As they walked through the gates, Earl Rondon saw them. The Royal Knights. They stood in rows, waiting. When they saw Earl Rondon, they all knelt.

We are the Royal Knights of Redford, protectors of the royal family,” one knight said, speaking for all. “We know going against the King is a great crime. But we must fix our country. We will not see or hear what happens here. Do what you must do. Do what is needed for Redford, for our kingdom.”

This was Earl Rondon’s decision.

But it wasn’t just his family who wanted this to happen.

News about Earl Rondon had reached the palace. While some outside called him a traitor, inside the palace, people heard a different story.

He was seen as Redford’s hope. The country was in trouble, with no money. Earl Rondon had used his family’s great wealth to help Redford. He had spent almost all of it.

People said Earl Rondon acted more like a King than the King himself. The real King wasted money gambling and with women and drink. Earl Rondon did the King’s real work.

So, they opened the gates. They knew they were the royal family’s protectors. They knew that even ignoring what was happening would make them less worthy.

The Royal Knight Commander closed his eyes. He couldn’t join the fight against the King. But he thought letting Earl Rondon take over with as little fighting as possible was best for Redford.

Because of this, Earl Rondon passed through safely. He walked down the long corridor, the same one he always used to see the King. Behind him were his armed soldiers, their faces hard and serious.

Today… How would people remember this day later? Some would say he was a traitor, starting a fight against the King. But history didn’t matter to him right now.

The man who was called a traitor.

For Earl Rondon, the safety of Redford was always the top priority.

Regardless of what he was called, he would simply do what he believed was right.

Creak.

The knights opened the door. Earl Rondon stepped into the King’s room, his face tight with tension.

Then, Earl Rondon stopped. His eyes widened in shock. There, on the throne he had always respected, sat the King. He was slumped over, his face white as death.

Pale face.

Blood trickled from his mouth.

The King was dead.

Earl Rondon stared, unable to believe his eyes. Then he saw it – a letter. It looked like the King had written it.

[Earl Rondon, I heard you were attacked. I was angry at myself for a long time. This trouble is my fault, the King’s fault. I know you love Redford. I was ashamed of how I ignored you all this time.]

It was strange.

The content of the letter was different from what people said about the King.

[The truth is, I had a reason for my bad life. People think my children died by accident. But it wasn’t true. A dangerous group threatened Redford. They killed my oldest son, and then my young daughter. Then, they sent me a letter. It said if I didn’t go gambling and live badly, they would kill my last son. My second son is poisoned. He doesn’t know it, but I give him medicine from them every day to keep him alive. If I even tried to be a good King, they would kill him.]

It was a hidden truth.

Information that even Earl Rondon did not know was in the letter.

[I am a bad King. I haven’t done what a King should do. I was selfish. I only cared about keeping my children safe, like any father. But I see now I was wrong. If I keep trying to protect my children, more people in Redford will die. Earl Rondon, you are the leader Redford needs. I will leave the throne. Redford will be safe again with you in charge. Don’t fight. Don’t get blood on your hands. I will kill myself. Then, the bad group can’t hurt you anymore. Please, take care of the country I have broken.]

What is this?”

The hand holding the letter trembled.

Earl Rondon gritted his teeth and read the last line.

[Finally, I hope they won’t hurt my last son. He is already very sick and doesn’t have long to live.]

That was the end.

Earl Rondon clutched the letter.

It was like his own life.

Just as someone named Jacqueline didn’t know the truth about him, he hadn’t known the truth about the King.

He had been wrong about the King.

The King’s bad actions wouldn’t just vanish because he was dead. But Earl Rondon knew he had to act now.

Find the Prince right now! We must inform him of this fact.”

The Prince’s short life… Even if he didn’t have much time left. Earl Rondon wanted him to know the truth about his father, the King everyone called bad. He wasn’t just a bad King. He was also a father who loved his son.