When My Enemies Began to Regret

“Carl, what if I come forward? Marchioness might escape unscathed, but your brother certainly won’t.”

“…”

“Andras’s second son will become limp due to the war…”

Carl listened calmly to her suggestion and shook his head at once. It was dangerous to reveal that she was a regressor, and the people of Andras weren’t great people who would turn their minds to this kind of persuasion.

“They probably won’t change their mind.”

“Carl…”

“I wonder what they’re trying to protect. The king will ruin this kingdom anyway.”

Carl made a tired face, as if he had raised a white flag. And a moment later, he climbed into the saddle of his horse again. “Then I’ll get going. The matriarch is calling.”

Fanora saw him off without saying a word, but thought in her heart.

Why does the extremely incompetent King Balmong IV maintain his throne? It was thanks to the full support of the marquis family, who controlled the military power of this kingdom. Even Guelder has only become antipathy in this generation. So how much more time will it take to make Andras betray the royal family?

She bit her fingernails as she pondered. Will Carl be able to abandon his remaining siblings in Kasius? What should she do if he ends up choosing his family?

“…”

She was about to make her last choice. No matter what choice Carl made, this was the end.  Because the story of the future she knew already reached its final page.

* * *

It was Kasius Royal Castle. After parting away with Fanora, Carl walked diligently. He passed through the golden iron fences and marble courtyards and finally saw the royal hallway. It wasn’t until long after he stepped on the red carpet again that he was able to reach his destination.

“Is this the right place?”

The place where he stopped was ‘Red Dragon’s Room.’ 50 years ago, it was a special room given by the previous king to Andras for their contribution in preventing the king’s assassination.  

“Marchioness, I’m here.”

he knocked cautiously on the door. Then the answer came back as if it had been waiting.

“Come in.”

As he opened the heavy door and entered, the view he saw was spectacular. The soaring dome-shaped ceiling was filled with masterpieces by famous artists, and in front of the fashionable orange wallpaper stood a series of dazzling golden statues. This was a symbol of wealth, but at the same time, it was also evidence of corruption.

“The golden statues somehow increase by one every time I come.”

“…”

“Anyway, why did you call me? You said it was urgent, right?”

As soon as he arrived in the room, Carl unbuckled the button on the collar of his uniform. He didn’t forget to say that he thought he was going to die of frustration when he came here, but the woman sitting on the sofa just had a cold expression.

“Sit down.” She spoke in a stiff tone as if commanding a trained hound.

The conversation began when the younger brother sat down on the sofa opposite her. Andras’s eldest daughter isn’t the type to speak unnecessary words, so she was able to get straight to the point.

“There was a trend report from Guelder’s side.”

In the meantime, the marchioness used all means to spy on the kingdom of Gamiel. After her youngest brother was almost kidnapped, she felt the need to keep an eye on Gamiel.

“How was it?”

“The possibility of the weapon you mentioned was discovered. But Gamiel’s soldiers haven’t yet begun preparations for battle. No national mobilization order has been confirmed.

Marchioness Andras led the conversation in a calm manner. Carl remained silent, as if imitating her mood. But after a while.

“So I came to a conclusion after discussion with the royal family…”

After a few words of explanation from the marchioness’s mouth, Carl immediately put down the teacup he was holding.

“You’re going to launch a surprise attack? Did you have the consent of the council?”

“As long as the weapon is completed, we will be at a disadvantage if we drag it out. We will switch to an emergency mode and issue a king’s order.”

At this moment, Carl had only one thought in his head. He had suffered a setback. It was good to alert others about the danger of Gamiel, but the situation had escalated more violently than he expected. The Balmong royal family decided to attack first while Gamiel was caught off guard.

“…Is it too late to maintain the friendly relationship?”

“Having married off the second royal princess and even formed a marriage alliance, all while preparing schemes behind the scenes. How can we continue to maintain a friendly relationship after all that…?”

While the marchioness was quenching her thirst with a drink, she glanced at her youngest’s brother face. He was smiling as brightly as usual, but there was something about him that seemed unclear.

“It’s not like you.”

“What?”

“If it were like before, you would have been happy that you had a chance to show off your skills.”

She immediately extended her right hand. Starting from the little finger, she slowly bent each finger toward her palm, and finally, she bent her thumb, firmly clenching her fist. It was a habit she displayed when deep in thought.

“I think you look very strange these days…”

The two people sitting in Red Dragon’s room exchanged their eyes for a while. In this cool, shaded place with no candles lit, the red eyes that symbolized the marquis family were a heterogeneous color.

“Carl, why are you against this invasion?”

“I’ve never opposed it.”

“Never?”

As long as Gamiel in the north was aiming for the rich land of Kasius, this war would happen one day. Carl also believed that the only way to increase the odds of victory was to make a surprise attack at the moment when the enemy was caught off guard.

“Rather, I think the same thing. But…”

Even though he thought there was no better way to do it in his head, his hesitation did not go away.

His future self was short-lived. This was because his lifespan has been reduced due to excessive use of Ganimede. In that case, there was a high possibility that the new weapon created by Gamiel couldn’t be handled by ordinary methods.

But would war go to your advantage just because you hit first?

This was not the only problem. According to Fanora, the owner of Io was at the forefront of Kasius at that time. In other words, future Kasius almost lost even with Io.

The victory in the last war was ultimately the result of Carl holding Ganimede assassinating key figures, including the monarch.

“I wonder if this is really the best.”

The battle where defeat was decided was not interesting from a long time ago, whether it was like a chess game you’ve never won or a crossword puzzle.

Carl looked out the window with a sad face. The weather was clear, contrasting with the gloomy room.

“You go against His Majesty’s will just because of such a trivial question.”

“If we keep going like this, we’ll lose.”

“It sounds like you’re sure about it.”

“Let me ask you one question. Marchioness, if an enemy you can never defeat appears, will you surrender then?”

Then there was a thumping noise echoed in the cold room. This was the sound of the Marchioness Andras hitting the table, and the corner of the table where her fist struck was deeply cracked.

“…Defeat, surrender?”

“!”

“The war hasn’t even started, but your heart has already been lost. How far you plan to be pathetic! Carl Andras!”

“Matriarch.”

“Did you fall for the young lady you hang out with? Is that why you became so weak?”

As the marchioness began to belittle Fanora, Carl’s eyes trembled slightly. “Why are you talking so carelessly when you don’t even know anything?” He immediately responded with a stiff manner.

The air that filled the room sank heavily, and soon after, Andras’s third son rose from his seat with a cold face. “Fine, I’ll go. I think you’ll just say the same thing even if I persuade you a hundred times.”

“…”

“Anyway, just know that Gamiel isn’t the same Gamiel we used to know.”

It was that moment. Marchioness Andras stopped her brother, who was about to leave the room, with a quiet voice. “I’m not done with what I have to say yet. Sit down.”

Carl listened to her voice and turned around and tilted his head at an angle. He didn’t seem to have any intention of sitting on the sofa again. “I’m listening, so speak now.”

However, Kimen’s subsequent reaction was unexpected. The quiet-looking woman with her red hair braided into three braids raised the corner of her mouth at her brother’s sharp attitude, and then let out a sigh and laughed lightly, as if she didn’t even care about his rebuttal.

“Is it that scary? Gamiel’s new weapon.”

“…”

“I always cared about you. Of all my siblings, you resemble me the most.”

Kimen Andras slowly turned her gaze at the table. Her red eyes contained no light, like the blood of a dead person.

“I had no doubt that you would be like me…”

“What do you want to say?”

“You’re disappointing me now. After all, you’re just a coward.”

After sitting down on the sofa, she turned her head toward the window. It had been a bright sunny day earlier, but soon the sky became cloudy. It looked like it was going to rain soon.

“Can I really go now?” Carl glanced at the marchioness sitting on the sofa and placed his hand on the doorknob.

Then the marchioness spoke without even turning her head. “Carl, I have a question for you. Just tell me this and then go.”

Kimen Andras’s cold, subdued voice rang out. Carl stood with his back to her, so Kimen couldn’t check his expression.

“As expected, was it you who did it to Duke Jalier?”

Kimen Andras, the current head of the Marquis of Andras family, was a completely unpredictable person. She seemed to have a taciturn personality, yet someone who was deeply contemplative. There were times when one would wonder, ‘What kind of mental leap must have occurred for her to say such a thing?’ This was one of those moments.  

“…”

What’s the connection between his negative thoughts about war with Gamiel, his disappointment with marchioness, and the death of Aloken Jalier, which led to this question?

Since the word “as expected” came out, she seemed aware of it before. No, maybe from the moment when she couldn’t find the missing heirloom even after digging into what the oldest brother gave…  His thoughts continued to linger.

He chewed his lower lip from an unseen angle and then turned around with a smile on his face. If he ignores it and leaves the room, that person will chase him until he dies.

“The duke?”

What is Kimen’s intention to ask this question? Carl wanted to hide that he was involved in the duke’s death as much as he could. If possible, about the heirloom in his hand too. Fortunately, Kimen didn’t inherit Andras’s talent for detecting lies. As far as he knew, that’s the case.

“Yes, speak slowly.”

* * *

It was three days later.

“It’s over.”

A bright voice burst out from the second floor, the small room of the Celsius mansion. This was Fanora’s sound expressing joy. She had finished clearing her property in the last few days. She had exchanged her money for an equivalent value of jewelry and gold, and now all she had left was a few pennies to spend on carriage fees.

Duke Guelder, Duke Jalier, and Count Celsius. When she thought about it, there was more than one family in this Kasius that made you shiver just by hearing their names. Does it make sense to sacrifice one’s life for a kingdom like this/

“I’ve already written a warning to send to godmother and Cecil, so now…”

She began her final arrangement by stuffing a large bag with jewels instead of papers. But then.

“Lady Fanora, are you there?”

A servant appeared in the hallway. When she asked him what was going on, the servant handed her an envelope, saying a letter had come before you. It was a letter sent without any stamping seal. So she couldn’t guess who sent it.

Without thinking, she opened the letter and checked it. Then, a familiar name appeared from the first line of the letter.