"Carol Beth is indeed dear to me, but there is another reason for me to exonerate the Count family.”
“Another reason…?” Confused Isabella murmurs.
“Birtholt, bring him,” Ragnarök orders.
After a while, Birtholt brings a beaten-up man and throws him at Ragnarök's feet.
Upon seeing the man's face, the color drains from Isabella's face. She runs to him in a panic.
“Grey, who did this to you?” She shouts as she runs to hold him on the floor.
“Duke Raisen Rouse, do you know this person?” Ragnarök, in a loud and growly voice.
Isabella's father, West Duke Raisen Rouse, comes forward and kneels in front of him.
“I ask for mercy, your majesty… my daughter is still young and naive.”
“I asked you something, Duke Raisen,” Ragnarök says with a ferocious glare, frightening the whole court and making the Duke shiver.
“He is Isabella's personal knight,” the Duke answers.
“Is it just that?” Ragnarök asks.
“...He seduced my daughter, your majesty. It's all this lowly commoner's fault. Please show mercy, your majesty. Our family always supported you. I am the only cousin of the king and your only relative left,” he whimpers like a dog at Ragnarök's feet.
Ragnarök smirks and kicks him away, making him fall on the ground rolling.
“ If you can't say it, I will.
It is your daughter's little lover and the father of her unborn child.”
Hearing Ragnarök's statement, chaos spread through the court.
“......unborn child?
Isabella!!” The Duke shouts in anger.
“What was I supposed to do?
Who'd want to marry a monster?” Isabella screams in anger, crying.
“Your daughter dared question my way of ruling. She said I was unfair when she is carrying a commoner's child in her body. Moreover, she came to the court, acting like she cares about me while belittling me. Even if she is of royal blood, she is now nothing but a fallen noble.”
Ragnarök takes out his sword and throws it in front of the duke.
“Duke Raisen, I give you a chance to prove your loyalty to me. Take this sword and kill both of them right in front of everyone.”
“But your majesty, how can I......?
She is my daughter!” he says while crying.
“ Is that so? Then I have to kill them along with you and your whole family.
Your son could have been a great minister for the palace, but what a shame.” Ragnarök bent to pick up the sword, but Duke held the sword before he could.
“ You have to promise me,...... my son's future!” The Duke says as he steps toward the man and Isabella.
Ragnarök goes to Carol, who standing in the corner scared, as she remembers the yesterday's trauma.
He covered her eyes and whispered in her ears.
“ Don't look, don't listen.” Carol tightly held his which was covering her eyes with both her hands.
“ Dad, what are you doing??
Dad, don't do it. I am your daughter. Don't listen to him.......DAD” Her screams Echos the entire court and after her, Duke stab the lifeless man lying on the floor.
“ Good job, Duke Raisen. Except, great things for your son in the future.”
He then announce something that makes everyone in the court shocked.
“ As for all those people who are wondering why I pardoned the Count family, listen carefully. Because if I hear another person disrespecting my future empress, he shall face the same death as Isabella Rouse. I, King Ragnarök Alzack Rouse, hereby declare Carol Idris Beth as the future Queen and my wife-to-be. If anyone has any doubt, say it now, and I shall answer it."
Whispers in the hall scattered.. nobody dared say a word to his face.
“What? Her Queen?”
“They were always close.”
“Count Beth got lucky.”
Amidst those whispers, Carol stood confused and shocked, unable to speak a word. Ragnarök took her hand and headed to their room.
The hearing ended with Duke Raisen's cries, covered in blood.
As they reached the corridor, Ragnarök turned around to see Carol's reaction. She was standing still, like a doll in shock.
He called out to her several times, but she did not react. He grew impatient and flicked her forehead. After a pause, she started bawling her eyes out.
“Wahhhhhh.........” she cried loudly.
“Why are you crying? I didn't even hit you that hard,” Ragnarök panicked at her nonstop crying. He tries to stop her crying.
“I am sorry… my fault. If you like, hit me back,” he says.
“I am not crying… *HIC* because of this…" she continues to cry.
“Then…" he impatiently asks with a little fear in his eyes.
“I never… never wanted to marry a playboy, especially you. I know… you just want to bully me for my whole life,” she wails.
Hearing it makes him laugh so hard that his eyes begin to water and his sides ache. His legs begin to bow. Carol's face turns red from embarrassment.
“Don't laugh!” she shouts in embarrassment and starts hitting him with her feather-like fist. He stops his laugh, with a faint smile on his face, he holds her hands.
“If it's about being a playboy, I won't do that anymore,” he says slowly.
“As for bullying, I never bullied you,” mischievously he says.
“What?? You will be punished by the gods for saying this,” Carol closed her eyes as he wiped her tears.
“Carol, I had to do what I did. I had no other choice…" the laughing movement disappeared with Ragnarök's serious face.
“I know…" her face saddened.
“If you would rather not marry me, I can…" he paused for a moment. “I can find another way,” he continued.
“No! It's not that I don't want to marry you. I just never thought about it. I mean, I hated you for bullying me, for always making fun of me, giving me weird things, and I cannot forget the fact that you slept with all the women in the country… But now you are all I have, your highness,” she answers. Her answers bring a relief to his face.
“Carol, I gave you the option and you chose it. Now, I won't let you go anymore,” he warns her with his fierce red eyes.
__________
In a tall dungeon, the dark and secluded place, isolated, away from other people, the sound of footsteps of boots heading towards Count Beth, who was locked up inside. His weak body and sunken cheeks expressed his guilt.
He looked up at the owner of the footsteps.
“You don't look good, Count,” a cold voice sent chills down his spine.
“Your highness, I never wanted to do it…" The count calmly answered.
“Save your breath, I am aware of that.”
“Your highness, please… leave my family out of it,” he cried.
“Fine, I grant you this little wish of yours. Ah, and I forgot to inform you, Count. You should celebrate, after all; your daughter will be the queen and my bride now.”
“What…? No! Your highness, leave my daughters alone,” he shouted in agony, wallowing in it, being consumed by it.
Ragnarök snickers at him crying, he squats in front of him smirking.
“What a misery, Count. You tried to prevent it so much, you even joined hands with the rebellion. Do you think I didn't know? I have eyes and ears everywhere. Count, you of all people should know me better than anyone.”
“This was your purpose all along. For her, for Carol…" The Count starts shouting, but was unable to speak in the middle, as someone's choking him. The count struggles against an unknown force.
“Something should always be kept in the dark…
From the start, it was a mistake to think you could take her away from me. Anything but her,” Ragnarök says as he walks away while Count was slowly losing consciousness.
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