Volume 4 Chapter 34 Crown Prince Rouen, Questioning The Chou Family's Crimes Iii
──A few hours later, at the Chou Family's mansion──
Chou Sekimei was staring blankly at the ceiling.
After leaving the palace, he couldn't remember how he got back to the mansion.
When he realized it, he was sitting in a chair in his room.
On the table was a plan to regain his position as a general.
Chou Sekimei crumpled it up and threw it away.
"I will never hold a public office again."
Soon, a messenger from the palace would arrive.
With the sword granted by Crown Prince Rouen.
To urge Chou Shoukatsu to commit suicide.
He had no objections to his son's death.
The one responsible for protecting the town had, surprisingly, leaked information to a band of bandits. He should have faced execution.
Crown Prince Rouen's kindness allowed him to take his own life instead.
The punishment for Chou Sekimei was also fair.
Removal from public office and exile from Hokurin──there was no complaint to be made.
Crown Prince Rouen had delivered a splendid judgment on the two members of the Chou Family.
Everyone in Aika Country would praise it as the right thing to do.
"...Yet, why am I trembling?"
──Something is wrong.
──I must not let Shoukatsu take his own life.
Those words swirled in Chou Sekimei's mind.
Trying to shake it off, it wouldn't disappear.
Why does he think that? Chou Sekimei kept thinking──
Eventually, he found the answer.
Then Chou Sekimei left his room and headed to his son Shoukatsu.
"Father!!"
When he saw his father arrive, Chou Shoukatsu's eyes sparkled.
He was wearing morning clothes.
He must have been preparing to welcome a messenger from the royal family.
But his face was tense.
It was understandable.
Until just yesterday, no one had thought the Chou Family would end up like this.
"I must speak to you, Father!"
Still in his morning clothes, Shoukatsu knelt on the floor.
"I know I am at fault. But... could I have another chance to meet His Highness Rouen!?"
"...Shoukatsu."
"I understand! It's because of my foolish actions that His Highness Rouen is angry! But... if I take my own life and you are exiled... there will be no one left to remove the 'bad omen' around His Highness!! Please, I ask you to lessen my punishment... from you, Father..."
"Calm down, Shoukatsu."
Chou Sekimei quietly looked down at his eldest son's back.
"I also think His Highness Rouen's judgment is wrong."
"You too, Father?"
"Yeah. His Highness should not have ordered you to commit suicide."
"Ah, Father!!"
"I'm thinking of going against His Highness's orders."
At his father's words, Chou Shoukatsu looked up.
He had a hopeful expression as he looked at his father.
But what caught Shoukatsu's eye was his father picking up the sword that was hanging on the wall.
"F-Father... why the sword?"
"You said it yourself. You will protect Rouen from all 'bad omens.'"
"Y-Yes. I said that."
"Then I will also follow that."
Chou Sekimei drew the long sword in front of his eldest son.
"Those who are connected to the bandits and harmed the people because of it. They leaked information... and caused Rouen to be attacked by the Jinkyo Tribe... I will eliminate the most ominous presence around His Highness with this Sekimei!"
A fiery gaze shot at Chou Shoukatsu.
Receiving his father's gaze, Chou Shoukatsu spoke in a strained voice,
"Are you saying you will cut me down!? Father!!"
"Needless to say, the most ominous presence around His Highness is you! And it is the Chou Family's duty to eliminate all 'bad omens' from beside His Highness Rouen! I will fulfill that!!"
"Father, you must not do such a thing!!"
Chou Shoukatsu shouted.
"If father has to do something like that, I will take my own life! I will quietly accept the sword from the messenger. So..."
"I cannot let you take your own life and bring such 'bad omen' to His Highness the Crown Prince."
That was Chou Sekimei's answer.
Chou Sekimei will eliminate all 'bad omen' that approaches Crown Prince Rouen.
Including the bad omen that is Chou Shoukatsu.
And the bad fact that Rouen would make his cousin take his own life.
"After I defeat you, I, Chou Sekimei, will take my own life for disobeying His Highness's orders... This way, the one who brings bad omen to His Highness will be gone."
"What will happen to the Chou Family!?"
Chou Shoukatsu clung to his father's leg.
"If my father and I die... only the youngest, Sonkyuu, will be left! After we are gone, what will happen to that child..."
"Kei Koshou will help him."
Chou Sonkyuu is the youngest of the Chou Family.
Since the word for youngest is 'Ki,' he is also called Chou Ki.
He married the daughter of Kei Koshou and lives in another town.
Chou Sonkyuu left Hokurin after the Chou Family lost their jobs.
He decided to keep his distance so as not to trouble Kei Koshou.
From then on, he lived a life of reading and writing in a distant town.
"Sonkyuu is not involved in this. If it's Kei Koshou, that kid will spare him."
"Father... are you serious!?"
"Were you not serious?"
Chou Sekimei asked with a puzzled tone.
"You said in the audience room, 'To protect His Highness from bad omen, I couldn't choose my methods.' So, if your father doesn't choose his methods to protect His Highness, you shouldn't complain, right?"
"Ah... ah, ah."
"Farewell, my unfortunate child, Shoukatsu."
──That was the last conversation between parent and child.
Having finished what he needed to do, Chou Sekimei began to write a letter to Crown Prince Rouen.
He only wrote the facts.
After that, he wrote a short letter to Kei Koshou and entrusted it to a family member.
Once all his duties were complete, Chou Sekimei held his sword and returned to his room.
A few hours later, the messenger who visited the Chou Family would learn that the one who should receive the sword and the head of the Chou Family were no longer in this world.
──Night. In the palace garden──
Crown Prince Rouen was walking in the garden.
The garden was located deep within the palace.
Only members of the royal family or those with special permission could enter.
It was a rare place where Rouen could walk without guards.
"...Uncle Chou... is dead?"
The messenger returned with a sword and a letter.
The letter contained words written by Chou Sekimei.
──That Shoukatsu has become an bad omen for Rouen.
──However, they did not want to bring the 'omen' that forced Crown Prince Rouen's cousin to take his own life.
──So, he punished Shoukatsu with his own hands.
──But that means Chou Sekimei went against Crown Prince Rouen's orders.
──Chou Sekimei will bear that sin and take his own life.
──Please forgive my selfishness.
──Chou Ki is not at fault. Please, spare the Chou Family.
That was what was written.
"...It didn't have to come to this... He didn't need to cling to this name of Rouen. Uncle Chou."
Rouen murmured.
"This Rouen no longer cares about the ominous name. I should have said that many times... Why couldn't he understand... Why!? Why, Uncle Chou..."
"......His Highness."
A voice called out.
It came from behind the large tree in the center of the garden.
In the moonlight, a white figure appeared.
A woman with her long hair tied up was staring intently at Rouen.
"Yuuri-dono...?"
"I'm sorry to surprise you, Rou-sama."
"It's fine. More importantly, why are you here?"
"I thought I could meet Rou-sama."
Yuuri said this with a calm expression.
"So, I asked my father to bring me here."
"Well, is Uncle here too?"
"Father went to the Prime Minister's office. He said he would take care of some leftover work while he was there. I'm the only one here."
"It's rare for you, Yuuri-dono, to do something like this."
Rouen looked at her with a curious expression.
"I heard from Uncle that you haven't been acting spoiled lately."
"That's true. The reason I did something like this... is probably because of my friend."
"Friend?"
"Yes. I've been talking to my friend every day lately, and she says, 'I want to go to the important person,' but 'I can't be selfish.' Still, she can't help but want to go to that person far away."
"Sounds like a troubled friend."
"Not at all. She always gives me new perspectives."
Yuuri gazed in the direction of her friend.
"Listening to her, I realized something. Her family is far away, and she can't meet them. But my important family is very close. So why am I hesitating to meet them?"
"...Yuuri-dono."
"That's why I came here."
"Being selfish is something children do, Yuuri-dono."
"Isn't it okay to go back to being a child sometimes? Come on, Rou-sama, do you remember?"
Yuuri touched the large tree nearby.
"When we were kids, we often talked under this tree."
"Ah, I remember."
"I was a mischievous child back then, and I often got scolded by my father. When I cried, Rou-sama would comfort me."
"I envied Yuuri-dono's freedom."
"Is that so?"
"To say what you think and act as your heart desires... that's something I can't do in this Rouen."
"Why not try it?"
"Try what?"
"Say what you think out loud, Rou-sama."
Yuuri, leaning against a big tree, beckoned Rouen over.
"I've made sure no one is around. No one will come here. It's safe now, Rou-sama. Please, tell me everything that's in your heart."
"What are you talking about... Yuuri-dono?"
"I heard about the Chou Family."
Her voice was small.
But when Rouen heard those words, his body trembled.
Yuuri continued, as if she didn't notice.
"That's why I came here. Among those close to Rou-sama, I'm the only one who can hear your feelings about the Chou Family."
"Yuuri-neesan..."
"I'm a cousin of Chou Shoukatsu-sama. I can talk to you on equal terms. I'm not involved in this incident at all. I'm neither an ally nor an enemy. Lastly... the words I heard won't leak out to anyone else. The only ones who can make Ryougen-kun's daughter listen are His Majesty the King, Rou-sama, and my father."
Yuuri reached out toward Rouen.
"And we are family."
"...Family?"
"Yes, we are family by blood. We are the closest, yet we maintain a proper distance. So, please share with me the pain you carry, Rou-sama."
"There is no pain..."
"That can't be true, can it!?"
To cut off Rouen's escape, Yuuri said,
"I know very well that Rou-sama cares for family and subordinates. So... please let it out. Share your feelings and pain with me, Rou-sama."
"...I cannot."
"Rou-sama?"
"I cannot do it. Please understand, Yuuri-neesan."
Rouen pressed his forehead as if holding back pain.
"Because of this incident, I have... once again realized the weight of the words spoken by the royal family. I don't think it was wrong to order Shoukatsu to take his own life. However, as a result, even Uncle Chou has died. Uncle Chou was caught up in the word 'bad omen' that clung to this Rouen and remained that way until the end. That person never changed."
"...Yes, Rou-sama."
"It may be this Rouen who caused the deaths of both of them."
"...That is..."
"If Rouen wasn't the Crown Prince, and Uncle Chou and his brothers were just relatives! If that were the case... they would never have had power. Even if Shoukatsu had failed... it would have been a small thing. It could have been a laughing matter for the family. It was because Rouen was the Crown Prince... and they were my in-laws... that Uncle Chou and Shoukatsu had to die..."
In a strained voice, Rouen murmured.
Yuuri remained silent.
She simply took Rouen's hand and led him under the big tree.
Just like when they were kids, they leaned against the trunk of the tree.
"I didn't dislike Uncle Chou. But, this is how it turned out. Is it because this Rouen is the Crown Prince? If so..."
"Will you abandon the world with me? Rou-sama?"
When she realized it, Yuuri was staring at Rouen very closely.
Holding her breath. With a serious expression.
"Shall we go somewhere, a place where no one knows us? Throwing away our status and everything?"
From their joined hands, the heartbeat thumped, thumped.
Feeling it gradually quicken, along with Yuuri's body warmth──Rouen said
"It's a dream. That is."
With a bitter smile, he replied.
"Yeah. It's a dream. That's a fairy tale, Yuuri-neesan."
"Yes, a dream, Rou-sama."
The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
From there, Rouen raised the hand they were holding.
"Can you let go of me soon? Yuuri-neesan."
"No way."
"Why not?"
"Because I haven't heard all of Rou-sama's weak words yet."
"You're being harsh, aren't you?"
"Yes, so I won't forgive you."
Yuuri places one hand over Rouen's hand.
"This Yuuri will accept all of Rou-sama's weaknesses. No matter what they are, I won't judge or evaluate them. After all, we are family. For now, let's talk like a family in the city."
"I understand. But it might take a while."
"I don't mind."
"It could go late into the night."
"If that happens, I'll just fall asleep. Then everything will become a dream."
"A dream... huh?"
"Yes. A dream."
Before they knew it, Rouen and Yuuri were sitting at the base of a tree.
The dew on the grass soaked the hems of their clothes.
If a servant had been there, they would have been surprised. This was not something the Crown Prince and the King's niece should be doing.
But no one would come here.
The area was cleared.
Thanks to Ryougen-kun's arrangements, which accepted Yuuri's wish.
So, no one would interrupt their conversation.
Rouen and Yuuri continued to talk like they did when they were children.
As the night grew late, Rouen stood up.
He reached out his hand to the sleepy Yuuri, helping her to her feet.
"Is it already... over?"
"There are still weaknesses left, but... I'll save them for next time."
"It's a promise, right?"
"Yes."
After leaving the garden, Rouen called for a servant and sent a messenger to Ryougen-kun's mansion.
Soon, a carriage arrived from Ryougen-kun's mansion.
Yuuri got into the carriage as if nothing had happened.
Rouen also silently watched the carriage leave.
After the carriage disappeared──
"It looks really fun... but it's just a dream, isn't it?"
"Did you say something, Your Highness Rouen?"
"No, it's nothing. You worked hard until late."
Saying that, Rouen headed to his room.
The fact that he let the two from the Chou Family die doesn't go away.
This might become a rumor as proof that Rouen is the 'Cursed Crown Prince.'
Even so──
"There are people who will share this impossible dream with me. For now... that's enough."
Crown Prince Rouen smiled gently and whispered.
Then he fell into a peaceful sleep.
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