As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 66

The journey seemed peaceful. Viscount Berg treated Maxion with respect, and the shadows following him gradually revealed themselves and approached Maxion.

 

The group quickly headed north. Thanks to Lensia teaching Maxion and Luize horse riding from a young age, Maxion could travel on horseback. They crossed the south, bypassed the capital, and moved towards the north, running non-stop across a vast wilderness until they reached wide plains and forests, signaling the end of the wilderness and the proximity of Lindeman’s domain.

 

They set up camp familiarly. Since Maxion had always slept well during their previous camps without any complaints, the group grew complacent during their watches.

 

“But that woman died in prison a long time ago.”

 

“We’ll say the mother died of illness just before we arrived. And that silver-haired woman, he ordered us to find and kill her. The world will know the heir of Kalliod has been hidden and raised in secrecy.”

 

“That was the reason for leaving those three behind.”

 

“But contact with those three was suddenly lost. Seems like they’ve been dealt with.”

 

“What? Does that mean we have to go back to the south?”

 

“Since leaving halfway would look suspicious, he said to stop by the north and then head back down.”

 

“Despite his lack of martial skills, I wondered how he managed to survive by the count’s side. So, it was due to such meticulousness.”

 

“There are rumors that it was Viscount Berg who fueled the count’s madness.”

 

Maxion, pretending to sleep, listened to their conversation, carefully controlling his heartbeat and breathing to remain undetected.

 

The next day, as they prepared for the second night’s camp, Maxion offered bottles of wine as a gesture of gratitude for reaching Kalliod soon.

 

“I’ve brought some wine as a token of thanks before we arrive at Kalliod. Let’s have a drink.”

 

“Haha, that sounds good!”

 

They accepted Maxion’s offer with a festive mood. Maxion served the wine laced with sleeping drugs during their meal and excused himself to the tent, claiming fatigue. It wasn’t long before the sounds of snoring began, and those who realized something was amiss soon collapsed one by one.

 

“What’s happening!”

 

Viscount Berg was the last to drink. Perhaps because of that, he was the last to stagger.

 

Maxion emerged from the tent with his sword drawn.

 

“Milord!”

 

“Viscount Berg.” Fury resonated in Maxion’s voice. “I heard my mother passed away. And my father has been consumed by madness.”

 

“…”

 

“And you were ordered to kill the woman with silver hair.”

 

“Milord, it’s a misunderstanding. I’m innocent.”

 

As the viscount’s vision blurred, he collapsed. After the viscount fell, Maxion sent ten men to their deaths. His hand shook violently, like a drug addict suffering withdrawal, after plunging his sword into the chests of those asleep.

 

Viscount Berg regained consciousness the next afternoon, shocked by the sight of the bodies around him, but quickly regained composure—not the reaction of someone who saw corpses for the first time. “I-I apologize. It’s all a misunderstanding, Milord.”

 

Maxion silently lowered his sword. The direction was towards the baron’s feet. Then, Viscount Berg writhed in pain.

 

“Speak honestly, and I’ll go to Kalliod with you.”

 

“I-I’m truly… Aaaah!” The man repeated apologies until his death, hinting that the conversation overheard from his former companions wasn’t false.

 

“Born of a lowly courtesan, you know no better than to engage in base actions. I devoted my life to Kalliod!”

 

Maxion ended his life and took a deep breath, horrified by the scene of death around him. He wanted to escape as quickly as possible. After setting the deceased’s horses free, he mounted the horse he rode on and galloped towards the village.

 

* * *

Maxion headed straight to the mercenary guild in Lindeman’s domain. Registering as a mercenary was the easiest way to obtain identification. It was also possible to receive work from the mercenary guild without being affiliated with a specific mercenary group.

 

The count was already aware of his survival. Returning now would complicate things for Lensia and Luize. It was better to make the count give up on him before returning to the warm and happy times at the cabin.

 

He constantly thought about the cabin and the time spent there. Yet, he couldn’t shake off the guilt of his first kill or the smell of blood.

 

“The smell of alcohol and blood is strong.”

 

Maxion huddled in a dark alley like a crumpled paper, looked up at the source of the voice. A man with dead eyes, pale skin, and typically Southern features, including black hair, stood there. The only hint of his Northern heritage might be his unusual height and broad shoulders.

 

“Were you the one who created the corpses in the forest?”

 

“…”

 

“It’s a mess here. Just a week after my arrival, a murder case occurs. It seems I must take you to the dungeon.”

 

Although the man was wearing civilian clothes, he seemed to be a knight of the local guard. Judging by the way he spoke, he seemed likely of noble Southern birth.

 

“Do it.”

 

“Are you not going to defend or resist?”

 

“I have no such intention. It’s true that I killed them.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

The man sat beside him. Maxion looked at him, puzzled.

 

“I read Count Kalliod’s order that I found in Viscount Berg’s possession. It seems you’re ‘Maxion de Kalliod.’”

 

“…”

 

“The illegitimate child of the count, born of a courtesan. Correct?”

 

“Has the rumor spread already?”

 

“I’m well-informed about the empire’s affairs.”

 

The man looked at the alcohol bottle Maxion held, which was barely touched.

 

“You reek of alcohol, but how much have you drunk?”

 

“This is all.”

 

“…Ah, so you don’t drink much.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s unfortunate.”

 

Was the man joking with a murderer who killed eleven people? Maxion gave him a puzzled look, and then he met with his cold red eyes. His face was completely different from his speaking tone.

 

“I’m Elliot. And you?”

 

“…Maxion.”

 

“Maxion. If I were to overlook your wrongdoing, what would you do?”

 

“Aren’t you a knight of the guard?”

 

“Something like that. But also a superior who recognizes good talent.”

 

“…”

 

“Then, take care. See you.” The man stood and disappeared.

 

This was the first encounter between Edward and Maxion.

 

* * *

Since then, Maxion has taken on any job available, staying busy. When not working, he drank alcohol he couldn’t drink and often slept in alleys. He avoided sleeping in comfortable places due to nightmares that haunted him.

 

A month passed in this manner. The suspicious man, Elliot, occasionally appeared before him. Despite having dead eyes himself, Elliot was well-groomed and spoke elegantly.

 

“Are you not going to arrest me today?”

 

“I’m considering hiring you.”

 

Elliot would sit on the windowsill of the inn room Maxion rented, leave behind sleeping or calming drugs, and disappear. Maxion couldn’t understand why Elliot showed such interest and leniency towards a stranger and a murderer. Of course, Maxion wasn’t one to easily consume what was left behind. Today, he threw the medicine bottles in the trash and headed out.

 

“Planning to sleep on the street?”

 

“…”

 

“There’s a better place. If you can’t sleep, let’s watch the sunrise together. It’s a perfect spot for a date, so it might be good to remember.”

 

“I’m heterosexual.”

 

“So am I.”

 

“Are you a woman?”

 

“…You really have no prejudices. Don’t I obviously have the appearance of a man?”

 

“One shouldn’t judge gender based on appearance.”

 

“Well, that’s certainly true.”

 

“So where is it? The famous sunrise spot.”

 

He had no work tomorrow and nothing to do during the day. Sleeping curled up in an alley wouldn’t grant him deep sleep anyway.

 

Elliot cheerfully laughed and led him to the eastern city wall. People recognized him and, following his instructions, cleared the area. From the top of the eastern wall, they could see vast forests and the expansive sea.

 

“Do you like it?”

 

“It doesn’t seem suitable for a date spot.”

 

“I thought so too at first, but I noticed knights often secretly brought their lovers here. It’s banned now.”

 

“Are you really suggesting we become lovers? As I mentioned earlier, I’m not interested in men.”

 

Maxion’s face darkened. Elliot laughed softly.

 

“Well, it’s similar.”

 

The wind blew over the city wall. The warm, gentle breeze from the south was a rarity in the north, where only Lindeman’s domain, directly inheriting the name, could enjoy it.

 

“Maxion de Kalliod, become my knight.”

 

“To appoint a knight of the domain, approval from the grand duke is required. A murderer like me…”

 

Maxion trailed off, suddenly looking around. No matter how senior a captain of the guard was, it was impossible to clear such a large area of the city wall without a fuss. It was strange for him to roam the walls in casual attire. And ‘my’ knight?

 

Maxion saw the sunlight illuminate the man’s face. The light passing through his eyes resembled the sun rising on the horizon.

 

“Edward Elliot von Lindeman, Grand Duke. That’s my current name.”

 

“I don’t understand why Your Excellency would take interest in someone like me.”