CH 28

Yulia and Coco had a conversation while watching Lewicia go to and from the palace with a haggard face that had lost all traces of a smile for the past few days.

"The hyena died without disclosing who was behind it. The maid didn't even know who it was. Everyone knows it was the Marquis of Marjoram, but there is no way to prove it."

"You knew it would turn out like this."

Coco said angrily.

"I know that the Marquis of Marjoram is not such an easy fish to catch. Still, isn't it normal to be able to cut off at least one of the limbs who carries out the orders of the Marquis?"

"I will cut it."

"How?"

Yulia stood by the window, and lowered her voice.

"The wolf bit Marjoram's tail."

On the day of the attack, Yulia knew that it was Maxwell, Carus' subordinate, who killed two hyenas in the garden of the Prince's palace before disappearing.

And the fact that Maxwell was outside protecting her meant that Carus had taken control of the southern fleet, and had both the commander and the slush funds in his hands.

'As expected, he's a great man.'

Sooner or later, the commander of the southern fleet will be replaced. The Bloodless Admiral is not an easy opponent. The pirates will run away and spare themselves, and Marjoram will lose his biggest financial support.

Pirates were the biggest slush fund route for the Marjoram family. Without them, Marjoram's warehouse will slowly sink like a perforated ship.

This was exactly what Yulia was aiming for.

*****

The commander of the southern fleet had been dispatched from Baikan to Ortega over ten years ago. He was excited about the idea of returning to his homeland with a bundle of money as he was approaching the age of retirement. However, one day, he met a devil on the sea.

Carus Lankea, the Bloodless Admiral.

He took full control of a warship, and declared war on the commander.

He wanted to ask him how the hell he had found out. Whether his lover had betrayed him, or was being held hostage. However, Carus did not give the commander a chance to make excuses.

At the word that the Bloodless Admiral and the Leviathan Knights had come to punish them, the entire southern fleet was in uproar.

Most of them didn't want to fight against Carus, who had the full trust of the Emperor. All ships, except for the commander's flagship, voluntarily surrendered.

The commander fought to the end, but was brutally defeated. Carus ordered his men to escort him to the Empire. The rest of them were summarily disposed of, so there was no day for the screams to dry up on the sea.

"Yulia."

The first thing he did after taking control of the fleet, and returning to land was to have Maxwell bring Yulia to him.

"Long time no see, Sir Carus."

Yulia, who got off the carriage, smiled lightly at him. Her complexion had improved a lot in the time he hadn't seen her, and she was wearing a dress as elegant as a lily.

"I heard you were attacked."

"As you can see, I am fine. Maxwell protected me."

Maxwell clicked his tongue, and said she didn't even need his protection in the first place.

"Let’s go in."

Carus held out his hand to Yulia. It felt so natural that Yulia unconsciously took his hand, and climbed up the stairs of the inn.

"How have you been? Maxwell roughly reported the situation to me, you're not hurt, right? Is Babaslov okay?”

"Worry about yourself."

Carus said with a smile.

"I have heard the story of Vasily Marjoram and Princess Shatrin. I wondered what you were going to do after entering the palace, but you did something very audacious."

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."

Yulia laughed softly. Carus glanced at her face, and narrowed his eyes.

"Did you eat?"

"Yes."

"Did you get the money I sent you? Request more if needed. Because thanks to you, I became very rich."

"That won't be necessary."

They went into the VIP room on the last floor of the inn, and sat face to face across the table. Outside, Maxwell guarded the door.

Yulia tried to pour the tea for Carus, but he refused.

"Yulia, if you want something, tell me. I will make it happen before I leave Ortega."

"What?"

"If there is someone you want to kill, let me do it. You can follow me to the Empire after completing your revenge. I can make you an aristocrat."

It was a sweet offer. Yulia let out a sigh as her shoulders drooped. If only she had held hands with him a little earlier in one of her past lives. Then she could have lived like a human being before becoming crazy like this.

"Sir Carus, everything I want is in Ortega."

'That's why I can't follow you.'

As she refused in a roundabout way, it sounded like she was building a wall. Sitting in front of Yulia, Carus started thinking about her.

"You will succeed."

He spat out abruptly after not saying anything for a long time. Yulia smiled like a child receiving an unexpected compliment.

"Thank you."

"What do you plan to do after eventually defeating Marjoram?"

"Sir Carus."

"Don't say you are going to die with him, or disappear without a trace. Because those who succeed in revenge do not necessarily have to end up like that."

"You really believe that I will succeed."

'Then did you think I was lying', Carus asked dryly. Yulia smiled once, and spoke softly.

"What do you plan to do from now on?"

Even if he was upset, she had no other choice. She didn't want to talk about what would happen after her revenge was completed. Yulia looked at Carus, worried that he might get angry.

But Carus laughed.

His face was usually so expressionless that it was impossible to read his emotions without observing him carefully, so when he laughed, she couldn't take off her gaze from his face.

It was a terribly charming laugh, but also incredibly cold at the same time.

"I will go back to the Empire."

Currently, the position of commander of the southern fleet is vacant, so he remains here temporarily, but an order to return from the Emperor will be issued soon. Carus had no doubt that he would return to the Empire shortly.

Will that really be the case?

Yulia lightly swallowed the words that were about to leak out. He cannot return to the Empire. The Emperor will not order him to return.

She could have told him in advance. But Yulia wisely kept her mouth shut. She had to distinguish between the things she could say, the things she had to say, and the things she shouldn't say.

"We will never meet again. My fleet and knights are far from the south."

Carus's voice fell.

"...I see."

Yulia changed the subject again, not realizing that he was observing her.

"Then could you lend me Maxwell? I want to plant people in the royal palace, but I can't move them myself."

Carus nodded slowly.

"Take and use whatever you want."

The conversation was cut off there, and did not continue, because both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Yulia was contemplating how to plant people in the palace, and Carus was trying to figure out Yulia's intentions.

"Yulia!"

At that moment, Babaslov, who belatedly heard the news of Yulia's arrival, climbed up noisily to the last floor of the inn.

After pushing Maxwell away with his strength, he ran straight to Yulia and lifted her up without even asking Carus if he could go in.

"Our lump of luck!"

"These strange words again."

Yulia burst into laughter. The sound of her laughter was as clear as a glass bell.

Carus closed his slightly open mouth, and casually looked at her face.

Is Yulia Arte just a woman who is mad for revenge?

Carus didn't think so. Yulia's goal may be to punish Marjoram, but her influence will not be limited to personal revenge.

Yulia's words wandered through Carus' mind like a puzzle that hadn't been put together.

The words that it would be enough for the Emperor to just secure a new recruit for the commander of the southern fleet, and that he would know when he received the results.

That woman knows something about him, and she kept it to herself.

The words that they would part ways, and never see each other again were deliberately spilled out. It seemed that Babaslov and her were quite close, so he was wondering if she would show a little bit of disappointment.

However, Yulia was immersed in other worries with an expressionless face like a doll.

"Hey, lump of luck. Are you going to eat dinner here? The inn's chef makes amazing grilled clams, so have a drink with me before you go!"

"Wouldn't that be a funny sight for a maid of honor to go back to the palace after getting drunk outside?"

"What's the problem? Isn't a maid of honor allowed to drink?"

"I have very bad drinking habits."

"So do I! It's unexpected that we have this in common!"

Babaslov laughed, and Yulia laughed along with him.

How can someone who chose a sad an unhappy life laugh like that?

Carus frowned. He didn't like Yulia's laugh. It bothered him for some reason.

Like a firefly that hides and shines for a whole summer night, and then dies.

He couldn't see through her.