The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 110

Immediately after reclaiming the throne, Alexio was swept up in a whirlwind of activity.

Once the uproar that had rocked the court began to subside, he had to respond to the Largo nobles who came one after another to request an audience.

It was just as Alexio had hoped. Should a war break out, he would need to conscript troops from the vassals’ lands, and to do that, preliminary negotiations were essential. Fortunately, due to the funeral, there was no need to summon each vassal individually from across the kingdom.

As dusk fell, Alexio, who had spent the entire day persuading nobles from the central-southern regions, walked toward the council room looking slightly fatigued.

Having personally led troops in Haverport, Alexio swiftly won over the vassals with his gentle leadership. Most of the nobles, harboring deep resentment toward the tyrant Maurice and Pantege, agreed to lend their support at once. However, the noble of the central-southern region, capable of mustering the largest force, was quite reserved, and winning him over took time.

“You’re here, Your Highness.”

“What’s the report?”

As soon as he opened the door to the council chamber, his close aides asked eagerly. Hiding his fatigue, Alexio took his seat at the head of the table.

“I personally informed them all of the conscription plans, and the majority agreed—except for Duke Belluccini.”

“Ah… but isn’t Belluccini the core of Largo’s military strength?”

“Apparently, he suffered greatly under my uncle’s ridiculous tax hikes. The duke now wants compensation equivalent to the troops he’s to provide.”

“How outrageous! The Pantege scum could attack at any moment, and he’s asking for compensation?”

Count Bruno couldn’t hold back and raised his voice. Alexio lowered his gaze, letting out a bitter laugh. What Duke Belluccini truly wanted was a marriage pact between his eldest son and Princess Estella.

While it was absurd to demand personal gain in a matter concerning the nation’s fate, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Having suffered under King Maurice’s suppression and incurred actual losses, the duke’s stance had some merit.

Still, Alexio had no intention of treating Stella like a bargaining chip again. Fortunately, he had managed to settle the matter another way—through the duke’s own proposal.

“So, I agreed to marry his youngest daughter instead.”

A heavy silence fell over the table. After a moment, someone cautiously spoke.

“Is that true?”

“But, Your Highness…”

“This isn’t the issue at hand. Let’s stay focused on the purpose of this meeting. Bruno?”

Whether his aides were shocked by the sudden engagement or not, Alexio redirected the conversation. Count Bruno, who had completed his investigation, promptly reported.

“Yes, Your Highness. Among the mourners, no one from Pantege was identified. Neither the delegation nor any messages of condolence were sent.”

“As expected.”

Alexio let out a faint breath mixed with a sardonic laugh.

“After all, it would be ludicrous for them to show their faces at the funeral of someone they practically killed themselves.”

For now, it was confirmed that no remnants of Pantege lingered in Largo. Just as Alexio tapped the table lightly, the captain of the royal guard added another report.

“We also discovered that, right after Your Highness’s return, the royal assassin tried to sneak a messenger out of the court.”

“A messenger? Are you certain?”

“Yes. He wore a navy robe bearing Pantege’s emblem—the twin lions.”

The captain of the royal guard, long displeased with Maurice and the Pantege faction, had been watching them closely. The faint smile lingering on Alexio’s lips disappeared.

Count Bruno asked solemnly, “Then you believe an invasion is imminent?”

“War was always within the realm of possibility. I just hoped to avoid a full-scale battle due to our smaller numbers. The most efficient way is to sever the head of the snake…”

To root out the Emperor, Prince Hendrick, and the imperial loyalist nobles targeting Largo—that would be ideal. But could they even reach the necks of those hiding in the safest corners of their empire?

Crushing them head-on with overwhelming force was also an option, but as a small nation, Largo lacked the means.

Trailing off, Alexio looked toward Bruno. “But there is something that bothers me.”

“Yes?”

“I anticipated my uncle might flee, so I stationed men at every entrance before entering the palace. Yet, I received no report of a messenger escaping. A man in a robe with a gold insignia should’ve stood out.”

Though the Pantege had all but claimed this place as their own, they likely hadn’t let their guard down entirely. Even the captain of the guard had shown clear hostility toward them.

Alexio had dealt with many cunning pirates in the past, the kind who always had an escape route ready. He assumed the Pantege would be no different.

“There’s a good chance they carved out a hidden escape route within the court. Search for any rat holes that didn’t exist before.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

***

Stella once again visited the royal crypt alone today. To avoid the nobles staying in the palace, she deliberately moved during the dim hours of night.

Leaving her guards behind, she entered the crypt and wandered through the wide hall, where her footsteps echoed faintly. She stopped to gaze down at the stone coffins where the late king and queen lay side by side.

After offering a short prayer for the dead, she walked over to a small window facing the surface. Bathed in moonlight filtered through the glass, she crouched onto a stone bench.

She kept returning to the crypt because she needed a quiet place to think. Being confined to her bedroom only brought back terrible memories, and only royals were permitted access to the crypt.

With a somber expression, Stella rested her chin on her knees. A sigh slipped from her lips.

“Haa…”

Things had fortunately been going smoothly since arriving in Largo. She had successfully deposed her uncle Maurice, Alexio had survived the ensuing skirmish, and now that he had reclaimed the throne, he was fighting hard to quickly stabilize the nation.

But her heart felt tight, as if filled with a tangled ball of thread. It was because she couldn’t shake her feelings for the man still far away in Calis—not even a little.

What could she do for Islay from here? Sometimes she wondered if she might gain a clue through the dreams in which she became “Theia,” but the situation wasn’t peaceful enough to just wait around for dreams.

So she grew anxious and writhed with the ache of longing that clawed at her chest. Even though she had reunited with her brother who had returned alive. If Alexio and the elite force who had risked danger to come north knew of this, they would surely be greatly disappointed in her.

“So here you were.”

A familiar voice came from the steps leading to the crypt’s entrance. Stella lifted her face from where it had been buried in her knees.

“I had a feeling I’d find you here.”

Alexio descended the stairs with a smile.

“I hope I’m not intruding on your private moment. May I come in?”

“…Yes, of course.”

Stella quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. Her brother, who had approached on long strides, stood before their mother’s stone coffin and offered a soft prayer.

“May she rest in peace.”

“…May she rest in peace.”

Stella repeated the prayer after him without thinking, then hastily brushed away the tears she hadn’t yet wiped.

Alexio turned to her, lips parting as if to speak. But then his face hardened abruptly.

“Stella, are you crying?”

“…No.”

She even shook her head, but her voice trembled pathetically. Alexio rushed over and embraced her tightly. Stella bit her lip to hold back a sob. It had been a very long time since she’d been held in such warm arms.

“It would’ve been terrible if I’d left you alone. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that—you’re already so busy. I’m really okay.”

“Where’s your maid? I told her not to leave your side even for a moment, except when you sleep. She disobeyed orders quite well.”

“Don’t blame Dora… It was me. I insisted on being alone for a little while.”

Alexio sighed quietly. Looking down at his sister, he gently guided her to a chair bathed in moonlight. The two siblings sat side by side, staring into the air.

“This is a difficult time, isn’t it? It must be hard, dealing with the nobles wandering the palace… I know you must be feeling anxious.”

“…No, it’s not quite like that.”

“I just wanted to tell you how brave you’ve been—ever since that day you faced our uncle.”

Alexio gave a warm smile.

“It was incredibly courageous of you to speak of his crimes in front of so many witnesses. And all of it… was true.”

As he said that, Alexio looked deeply into her eyes. It wasn’t the gaze of someone simply comforting a younger sister—it carried a more complicated meaning. Perhaps he wanted to ask how she had been able to sense the shadow of lies in their uncle.

But upon seeing the tear clinging to the corner of her red eye, he asked a different question.

“Or… is there something else on your mind?”

Stella instinctively tried to deny it, then closed her mouth. His warm green eyes met hers, unwavering.

“Yes, actually… I’m worried about something.”

“It’s okay. Tell me. No matter what you say, I’ll understand and accept it.”

Alexio spoke with sincerity, not a single grain of falsehood in his words. Stella’s slender throat bobbed slightly, as though she were about to speak.

But if she confessed that she still hadn’t let go of her feelings for Islay, how would he take it?

“It’s okay to say anything. I have a rather excellent sense of understanding, you know.”

Seeing her hesitate, Alexio shrugged.

“Did I ever mention? I once fully understood the nonsense of a toothless old pirate.”

“…Is that something a king should be saying?”

Stella, lifting her bowed head, asked in disbelief and let out a chuckle. Alexio laughed along.

“As long as you keep it secret, of course. You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“Of course not…! I want people to see you as a great leader. And no matter what you say, that won’t change. But still… I won’t tell anyone.”

“Same for me, Stella. Whatever you say, I’ll keep your secret.”

“……”

“So if there’s anything you want to say…”

That was when it happened—the sound of a horn being blown rang out.

Bwooo— A deep, booming sound echoed through the palace.

It was a strange, unfamiliar noise Stella had never heard before, and she flinched. Alexio, however, went pale.