Those Who Are Chosen, Those Who Are Used

On the way back after dealing with the messenger, Bernessa recalled the expression he had worn just before dying.

It was not fear of death, nor confusion.

It was worry.

‘He must have been worried about Princess Daphne.’

It was truly tear-worthy loyalty.

After returning to the estate, Bernessa touched his own unusually calm face.

‘What kind of expression would I have when I die?’

He could not imagine it at all, but at least one thing was certain.

It would not be a worried expression like that messenger’s.

Perhaps in the past it might have been possible, but now it was absolutely impossible.

He felt strangely unfamiliar with himself, yet the certainty did not fade.

‘Lord Fren would live just fine even if I died, so there’s no need to worry about that.

What I need to worry about now is….’

Just then, Bernessa’s face was reflected in the mirror.

He froze mid-motion while removing his cloak, stared at the mirror, then shook his head.

For a s*ave to die with all limbs intact was a blessing in itself.

He should accept it as good fortune.

Yet his chest churned too violently to do so.

He had thought he had come to his senses after being scolded by Fren, but apparently not.

Once a crack formed, it could never be completely mended.

Bernessa approached the bed.

Fren was already taking a nap.

At the sight of his truly lovely sleeping face, Bernessa felt his chest churn once again and reached out.

“Lord Fren.”

The moment his hand touched Fren’s soft cheek, Fren slowly opened his eyes.

Even half-asleep, he looked up at Bernessa with eyes full of affection, rubbed his face against Bernessa’s hand, and asked in a husky voice.

“You already took care of it…?”

“Yes.

I handled it in a place with many witnesses, so even if it feels unpleasant, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Well done.”

Fren kissed Bernessa’s hand and got up.

“You could have slept a bit longer.”

“No, it’s fine.

We need to find Mother as soon as possible.”

Fren ran a hand through his hair.

“I may not be a good son, but I’ll at least fulfill the bare minimum of my duty.”

Considering that Silvia had not fulfilled even the bare minimum of parental duty, it was an extremely generous statement.

With Bernessa’s help, Fren dressed properly and headed for the royal palace.

The king, unsettled by the news that the messenger had died on his way back, greeted Fren with an uneasy and uncomfortable expression.

After that, the king and Fren had a very long conversation.

Yet there was not a single thing of substance in it.

When the audience ended, Fren shook his head with a frown the moment he saw Bernessa waiting outside.

It meant that the king had done nothing but make excuses, offering no real countermeasures.

Still, it was not a complete loss.

They had learned who the elf was that last saw Princess Daphne.

“Princess Electra, right?”

“That’s right.”

Electra and Daphne were extremely close, and their residences were nearby.

And it seemed that only the king knew that fact.

If the messenger had known that she was the witness, he would not have needed to be so desperate.

Would Electra really stand by and watch while the king imposed severe punishment on Daphne.

From the beginning, it was practically decided that Daphne would not lose any limbs.

At this point, the biggest victim of this entire affair was the messenger himself.

“But the fact that His Majesty told you that means—”

“Yes.

In exchange, I agreed to keep this matter secret.

I also said there was no need to dispatch a pursuit unit.”

“So you plan to search for her yourself, Lord Fren.”

“That’s right.”

Fren nodded.

“And you and Hakan are coming too.”

“…What?”

It was only natural for Bernessa to follow wherever Fren went.

But why Hakan.

He was not even an elf, nor was he tight-lipped.

And he might use this incident as leverage to demand something outrageous.

As Bernessa struggled to understand the decision, he soon realized that Electra must have been beside the king.

If another princess had been the witness, she would have been quietly confined to her residence.

But Electra, who was always at the king’s side, being hidden would have been even stranger.

Above all, where was the safest place right now.

Right beside the king.

Ideally, he would have wanted to keep hiding it, but disturbed by the messenger’s death, the king must have confessed on his own that Electra was the witness.

It was also a way of saying, If you’re going to act, do it where I can see it.

Realizing that intent, Fren must have deliberately interrogated Electra in front of the king.

And finally figured out where Princess Daphne was.

“Is Princess Daphne in a place dangerous enough to require the help of lycanthropes?”

“Yes.

She’s an excellent hunter and goes in and out of that place like it’s her own backyard, so she knows how to get there safely.

But we don’t.

We don’t know the terrain well.

To reach that place safely, we’d need at least five escorts.”

But bringing that many escorts would mean that many more elves would learn about this incident.

That was exactly why the king was secretly troubled as well.

“So I said we’d bring Hakan.

One person is better than five.”

‘But he really is… ah.’

Bernessa finally understood.

“Even if Lord Hakan were to spread this around, people would just scold him, saying a mere beast is trying to slander Lady Silvia.”

“Exactly.

But that won’t happen.

Hakan has an unexpectedly pure side.”

Pure…?

Bernessa recalled how Hakan had proposed not only to Silvia and Fren, but to himself as well.

Seeing that Bernessa still did not understand, Fren chuckled softly.

“His targets changed often, but he was always sincere.”

“Can sincerity really change that often…?”

“Yes.

You, who have loved only me your whole life, would never understand.

But don’t worry.

He won’t try to blackmail us.

He’ll probably lose his mind and rush to help immediately.

You know how simple he is.”

“That’s true.”

“And the lycanthropes need Mother.

The full moon rose just yesterday, right.

They’ll be fine for a while.

Let’s go get Hakan right now.”

They immediately headed to the estate Hakan had recently purchased.

The mansion stood in a secluded area and was enormous and magnificent.

Nearby elves occasionally frowned as they passed by, but did nothing more, suggesting it was a generally genteel neighborhood.

Fren commented that Hakan had managed to get a very good house and went inside.

The interior was also excellent overall, but it was obvious that it was an awkward imitation of Fren’s taste.

Seeing valuable artworks bought indiscriminately without understanding their worth, Fren could not help laughing again.

“Well, he did manage to buy some decent pieces.”

As Fren passed a brown vase with elegant curves and remarked approvingly, Bernessa nodded as well.

“It seems he purchased them through Lord Nepher.”

“The siren merchant guild is famous for honest dealings passed down through generations.”

They entered through a door opened by a servant.

Hakan looked extremely tired, likely from the aftereffects of the previous night.

Fren greeted him casually.

“So you’re here, not in the basement?”

“Damn it…

When did you start caring about manners, and now you show up without even contacting me?”

“Sorry for coming without notice.

Where’s Nektor?”

“Probably resting at his own place.

He rented the house next door.”

After wetting his throat with the water beside him, Hakan asked—

“So why are you here?”

“Wow, you really are calmer than usual the day after a full moon.”

“Just get to the point and get out.

I want to rest today without doing anything.”

“I understand not wanting to do anything, but not today.

My mother was kidnapped.”

“No matter how much you want to mess with me, how can you tell such a lie.”

“It’s true that I tease you often, but do I really look like someone so lacking in common sense that I’d lie about something like that?”

“Common sense says no one kidnaps Silvia.

They’re not suicidal.”

“We’re baffled too.”

Certain that Fren was joking, Hakan was about to lie down on the bed and ignore him, but he froze at Fren’s serious tone.

“…Silvia was really kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

Hakan slowly turned his head.

Fren and Bernessa were standing side by side.

‘Both of them are really pretty as hell… no, this isn’t the time.’

Nearly getting distracted by their faces again, Hakan quickly pulled his runaway reason back.

His first love had been kidnapped.

There was no time to admire faces.

As the image of Silvia smiling like a goddess came to mind, his insides churned.

There was personal anger, but also a practical reason.

To build influence in elven lands, Silvia, who was favorable toward lycanthropes, was absolutely necessary.

Pulling on a black sleeveless shirt over his bare upper body, Hakan asked—

“So where is that bastard right now?”

“You’re going to help us?”

“Isn’t that why you came.

I feel like you’re treating me like a hunting dog, which pisses me off, but I’ll let it slide just this once.”

Hakan’s eyes were burning with rage.

Bernessa was genuinely surprised.

‘He really was serious.’

Once again, Fren’s judgment was precise.

Hakan was always sincere.

‘Wait.

If that’s the case….’

A chill ran through Bernessa’s entire body.

‘Does that mean that proposal was serious too?’

He felt like he would hate Hakan even more from now on.

Of course, it was not because a mere human dared to look down on another race.

He simply disliked Hakan because he was Hakan.

Unaware of Bernessa’s thoughts, Hakan headed outside.

“Get ready and come out.

I’ll be waiting.”

Once the door closed and Hakan disappeared, Fren asked Bernessa—

“See.

I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Yes, you were.

But I still don’t understand.

How can someone like someone else so easily when they already like someone….”

When Bernessa trailed off, Fren said—

“I think it’s not that the person he likes changes.

It’s that the number just increases.”

“You mean he likes multiple people…?”

“Yes.”

Bernessa felt dizzy.

Considering that some high-ranking figures wanted multiple spouses, it wasn’t entirely shocking, but—

“It’s kind of gross.

If he only liked Lady Silvia, that’d be one thing, but how can he include you and even me….”

“That part is true.”