C139
Jacob's face, which hadn't wavered even when Gautier's murder was revealed, was then filled with astonishment. How the hell? With a pale complexion, he murmured unconsciously.
In the letter that Zachary received from Princess Odelli, there was written evidence of what Jacob had done. As soon as Princess Odelli received the letter from Bianca, she stormed Jacob's residence and the interior of the Sevran palace.
She found the assassin Jacob had planted to kill Prince Albert, took testimony, and even found secret letters about his association with Aragon. Thanks to Bianca's details about Jacob's whereabouts, she helped narrow down the scope of their search.
She persuaded the king with her findings as evidence.
The king was also dismayed by the case of Jacob murdering a member of the family.
After Gautier's death, the weakened king couldn't rise from his bed at all.
But isn't he the only son left? At first, he tried to end it with a moderate amount of exile.
But cooperation with Aragon was a serious matter that couldn't be compared to the murder of a family member. The king was finally forced to make the decision to strip Jacob of his royal title.
"...For the following reasons, the agent of Victor de Sevran, Odelli de Sevran, will admit the sinner's guilt and strip him of his royal status."
"Nonsense! It's a forged document..."
Jacob shouted loudly. The content of the letter was enough to damn him to hell.
Once deprived of his royal status, Jacob was simply a noble, no, he had no territories or titles, so he was nothing more than an ordinary knight. In that case, the invasion of Arno's territory could also be dealt with under the Nobility Law.
It is customary to negotiate if there is a territory and a bail can be provided, but depending on the circumstances, this may not be necessary. Since Jacob had no assets, his disposition was completely in the hands of Zachary and Bianca.
"The king's seal is engraved. Are you truly disrespecting the king's honor by doubting it?"
"Odelli is the king's agent? That girl? What did that woman do?!"
Jacob couldn't believe it. Among other things, it was because the letter was written by his sister Odelli, not by his father, Victor de Sevran, the king of Sevran.
Jacob's face crumbled with frustration. Just for a woman like her, he...
Zachary stared at Jacob. With indifferent eyes, as if it were the buzzing of an insect, he blatantly ignored Jacob's argument as useless and meaningless resistance.
No matter how unbelievable it was for Jacob, it was an irrevocable fact that Odelli was his agent. The king allowed it, and it was legal due to her lineage.
Furthermore, all the nobles from the Second Prince's faction who could oppose Odelli participated in this war. Thanks to that, Odelli was able to act as a representative without much fuss.
Jacob's mistake was underestimating Odelli.
While assigning an assassin to young Albert, he didn't even keep an eye on Odelli, so she left the castle comfortably. What he thought was just a woman, an immature princess enjoying luxury with the king's money, returned as a dagger.
Just as Jacob denied reality, Bianca stepped forward and said:
"You have no right to say that, Prince. No, Jacob."
"Bianca."
Jacob's face suddenly turned pale. As if his despair had been a lie, he rolled his eyes and smiled at Bianca.
Zachary's body, standing behind Bianca, stiffened, and the expression on his face vanished. An evident discomfort that couldn't be compared to before. Zachary's fingers twisted as if to hide Bianca behind him at any moment.
Bianca criticized Jacob with an expressionless face, disregarding the nerve-wracking tension between the two men.
"Aren't you a traitor who sold out his country and killed his brother?"
"Why are you so harsh with me? I could give you so many things. More honor, luxury, power than what Count Arno gives you! Even love."
Upon Jacob's remark, the locals murmured. Even in a situation like this, he shamelessly flirted with Bianca. Even in their eyes, Jacob seemed to have gone completely mad.
Bianca grimaced in disgust. Her pale green eyes glowed with disdain.
"Even in this situation, you remain arrogant. Did I ever say I wanted that? Isn't it just a tip* to satisfy your greed?"
"That's not it. I..."
"When you flirted with me in the gardens of Lahoz Palace."
Ashamed by the word "tip," Jacob tried to make an excuse, but Bianca didn't want to listen. After cutting off Jacob's words, Bianca continued speaking firmly.
"I made a promise back then."
"Bianca."
"That I would kill you the moment it became possible."
"Trust me. I love you."
Despite Bianca's hostility, Jacob only repeated his love like a broken doll. Jacob's blue eyes, looking at Bianca, gleamed like the surface of a lake reflecting sunlight. Even though they knew he was the invader of their territory, his gaze was sweet enough to make the hearts of some servants race for a moment.
"Your love is only for yourself. It's a love I don't need."
But Bianca was simply tired of it. What a horrible man. Bianca's mind was already like solid rock.
"Goodbye, Jacob."
"Bianca! Bianca!!"
Jacob called out to Bianca again and again, but Bianca didn't turn around. Bianca's back was cold, as if nothing but anger remained.
Zachary escorted Bianca off the platform. As they retreated, the soldiers waiting behind grabbed Jacob by the collar and pressed him down.
Jacob resisted, struggling back and forth, but the ropes wrapped around his body and the strength of the soldiers pressing him made him unable to move.
Bianca, who had stepped off the platform, looked at the servants and shouted loudly.
"In Arno, the tyrant Jacob, who invaded the territory and threatened the Holy Land, will be beheaded!"
"Whoaaaaa!"
The servants' shouts echoed throughout the castle. It would have been appropriate for Zachary to inform about Jacob's punishment, but this time was an exception.
Although it was Zachary who put an end to the war, it would have been an impossible victory if Bianca hadn't endured all that time. In practical terms, it was right for Bianca to do it.
The people of the territory also accepted the fact that Bianca stepped forward instead of Zachary without any resistance. For them, Bianca was now the lady they had to trust and follow.
Amidst the screams, Gaspard emerged with an axe.
Originally, the executioner would have grabbed the axe, but considering that he was once a prince, Gaspard, a knight, stepped forward.
Gaspard's arm, which had been injured in the war, had not yet healed. It's not so easy to decapitate someone's head. Robert asked anxiously.
"Should I take your place?"
"No."
Gaspard shook his head. It was something he had desired for a long time. Gaspard's strong hand firmly held the axe.
Zachary wrapped his arm around Bianca's shoulder. Bianca naturally rested her head on his forearm.
Witnessing a beheading is not a good thing. Besides, Bianca is pregnant. Zachary expressed his concern about any possible complications.
"Don't look."
"I have to see."
But Bianca was stubborn. She stared at Jacob with wide eyes.
Jacob and Bianca's eyes met. Jacob didn't look away from Bianca, even as he knelt down and placed his head on the execution block.
Bianca didn't avert her gaze either. There was nothing Bianca could do at the moment when she begged Zachary for Jacob's death. But now, it was different. She was no longer a little bird under Zachary's custody in a cage.
She spoke word by word, as if chewing on an old grudge.
"Finally, without any doubt. I think this way I will be able to feel relieved."
Bianca's savage murmur was filled with poison. Zachary wanted to dissuade her but closed his mouth again at her stern gaze.
Once the preparations were complete, the moment arrived. Bianca raised her hand. As a result, Gaspard's axe gleamed high in the sky. The sharp blade of the axe, shining in the sunlight, appeared exceptionally keen.
Meanwhile, Jacob opened his eyes and didn't look away from Bianca. He seemed to be trying to capture Bianca's appearance. But the image of Bianca in his eyes was cold.
Jacob felt distressed. The world was so unjust to him. God was too wicked. If He didn't want it, He shouldn't have made him stand out in the first place...
----------------
More than the crown that Jacob couldn't hold in his hand, it was more regrettable to leave Bianca by Zachary's side. It has gone beyond an obsession for the unattainable.
It was only on the brink of death that Jacob realized he loved Bianca more than anything else, more than he could have imagined. To the extent that it couldn't be compared to the love he professed with his own mouth...
But realizing it changed nothing. It was already too late now, even if he went back to the past, he would have no idea how to turn this situation around.
Jacob only knew the love he had to force to obtain. He didn't even know how to express his love. Jacob agreed with Bianca's words that his love was only for himself.
His love will never reach Bianca, and in the end, Bianca will never look back. Thinking about it that way, like the ebb and flow in Jacob's chest, only a strange sense of loss remained.
Jacob's lips strangely lifted. Jacob pursed his lips and whispered something to Bianca. However, overshadowed by the shouts of the people in the territory, no one heard his last words.
Only Bianca, who had been watching him until the end, read Jacob's lips. But Bianca didn't hesitate. She decisively lowered her raised hand, and Gaspard's axe sliced through the air.
"Shyuukhh!"
He thought he would have to strike a few more times, but Jacob's neck fell too easily. It was too vain to be the death of a man who had tormented them persistently.
Bianca climbed onto the platform and approached Jacob's lifeless body.
Following her dream, even in reality. The person who had stood in her way until now had finally gone.
Blood still flowed from Jacob's throat. Bianca moved towards Jacob's neck, which had separated from his body.
Bianca's slender, white fingers grabbed Jacob's blonde hair. Ignoring that her shoes, skirt, hands, and sleeves were stained with blood, Bianca raised her hands and exclaimed,
"The rebel Jacob of Sevran has been decapitated!"
"Whaaaaaa!!"
All the residents of the territory, who had been defending the territory with Bianca, shouted. They raised their voices, inspired by the triumph of the moment.
Bianca closed her eyes as she lifted her head to the roar that spilled out like starlight.
Finally.
Zachary appeared behind Bianca. He pulled on Bianca's shoulder. Bianca naturally turned towards him. She was so happy with his warm arms and the softness of the spring sunlight.
The anxiety was over. Peace would now come.
She would set aside all her worries and enjoy the moment comfortably, something she had never experienced in her life.
A peaceful life with her husband, Zachary.
-------------
Upon learning of Jacob's death, Aragón immediately gave up. Even in Sevran, there was not enough space to continue opposing them. The war came to a halt to the extent of establishing stricter defense on the border, and detailed negotiations for the end of the war continued after Jacob's funeral.
Jacob's body was sent to Lahoz. The king fainted after a painful groan, and Odelli looked at her half-brother's body with her cold blue eyes.
Jacob's funeral was carried out secretly, with great modesty. It was a funeral to console the heart of a single person, the king.
After Jacob's burial, the king weakened rapidly. The king gathered the last of his remaining energy and summoned Zachary.
In a way, Zachary was the one who took the life of the king's last son. It was natural for the king to resent him.
"If you call the Count to deal with him this time..."
"No way. Jacob's sin is too great..."
"But still, he is your son."
The faces of Arno's vassals darkened. Bianca couldn't easily ease her expression in the face of imminent danger. Just a few weeks ago, she painted a future of peace...
As if comforting them, Zachary casually responded, saying it was nothing.
"I cannot refuse the king's call. Don't worry. Count Blanchefort also stayed in the capital. If something happens, the Count will help me."
"Still..."
"And am I not the one whom God tried to protect to the extent that my wife was chosen as a Saint? The king also won't intend to wage total war against the Church."
Indeed, in the present, the prestige of Sevran had rapidly weakened due to Jacob's actions. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the king couldn't kill Zachary, his main pillar, under such circumstances.
There could be dozens of more reasons why the king shouldn't kill Zachary. However, the one reason he had for killing Zachary was very powerful. The vassals and Bianca continued to dissuade Zachary.
Zachary was only a direct and responsible servant, not a loyal servant.
But for ten years, he had been serving the king and had some faith in him. Although the king was indecisive, he wasn't as irresponsible as a king.
Having barely persuaded the vassals, Zachary headed straight to the capital.
When he arrived at the capital, he was guided to the king's chamber. The king was in such a bad state that he couldn't even move properly from the bed.
The king's wrinkled face was full of blemishes. The shadow of death was conspicuous on his disheveled face. The once-good appearance had withered over the years. The king coughed so many times that he couldn't keep up with his words.
After a while, the king was able to speak.
"I have summoned you because I have matters to attend to before I die."
"You are still full of vigor. Don't utter such weak words."
"No. As I grow older, I can only guess when it is time to depart."
Even with the resolute Zachary comforting him, the king calmly shook his head. His blue eyes were now a blurry white, and he couldn't even focus them properly.
"Thanks to you, I was able to safely protect Sevran. The invasion of Aragón and Jacob's rebellion... You have accumulated too much credit, so I must commend you."
"It is a great honor to be recognized by Your Majesty."
"No."
The king extended his wrinkled hand and grasped Zachary's arm. There was no strength in his trembling hands, but he seemed desperate. The king shook his head nervously.
"I don't have time, Count Arno. I didn't summon you here just for idle talk."
The king had the impulse to give Zachary a reward somehow. As the king's condition wasn't good, Zachary didn't want to offend him, so he listened to the king in silence.
The king stared at Zachary with his unfocused eyes.
Even a being who had nothing to fear in the world, the ruler of a kingdom, couldn't escape the passage of time. When Zachary first met the king, the king was in his prime. He had a booming voice, a fierce attitude, and a grand gesture full of confidence...
The comparison between then and now was natural, and Zachary's heart pounded heavily.
But he couldn't show his emotions externally. Zachary awaited the king's words with his usual dignified gaze.
"I will grant you the title of Duke."
"What?"
Although he pretended to be calm, the king's comment was unexpected. Startled by the king's unexpected proposal, Zachary asked without realizing it.
Duke.
Generally, those who receive the rank of duke are either immediate members of the royal family or limited to high-ranking public officials of the country.
All the families of the founding dukes of Sevran were purged in the previous era, and the remaining dukes were immediate family members of the royal family.
And since the current king had two sons and three daughters, the royal family of Sevran was not large. Thanks to this, only two dukes remained in Sevran, and even they were not widely known, so they did not participate in Jacob's conspiracy.
Zachary, on the other hand, was different. He was not married to a member of the royal family and, although he was called a hero, he did not come from a founding family of the kingdom.
On the other hand, he was the most popular for the defeat of Aragón. Everyone praised him for averting the fall of Sevran, and none of the existing knights could match Zachary.
Zachary, who already had honor and power, would gain a higher status? It was like giving wings to a wolf.
In a word, he was not qualified, but once he became a duke, he could benefit to the fullest. If Zachary had the slightest hint of greed, he could devour Sevran just as it is.
Zachary felt overwhelmed by the title of duke. Bowing his head, he renounced the title.
"Your Majesty, please step back. Being in such an important position..."
"Although they say I don't even have eyes for my children, I know what your personality is like."
The king cut off Zachary's words. The king seemed determined, as if he had already made a decision.
"I was indecisive and couldn't even do a decent job as a father. So, I ended up losing two children. But I can't lose the rest of my children."
The king's complexion seemed uneasy. Not only did he lose two children in a few months, but he couldn't be at peace because of the struggle for the throne.
The king's hand, gripping Zachary's arm, tightened. The king took a deep breath and murmured, confessing his serious determination to Zachary.
"I intend to put Odelli on the throne."
Tags:
TWB (Novel)