Are You Satisfied That I Am Dead? - Chapter 5: Day One (Part Four)

“Llorona has died!? What on earth are you talking about!?”

Count Luce, who was in the middle of training in his secondary residence, looked absolutely mortified and dropped his greatsword.

“I’ll tear you open for speaking such nonsense!”

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“It’s the truth, sir! Neither of these are lies! See? Even the death certificate says so!”

“The state of her corpse was in an unbearably terrible condition. The temple has carried out the procedures and she is now properly laid there. Therefore, the funeral processions will be...”

“Preposterous!”

At the Count’s compelling threat, the Messenger let out a shrill cry and fainted. Although of old age, he just couldn’t withstand the overwhelming force of Count Luce, known as the Demon of the Battlefield.

“Llorona….. Llorona…. aaaaaaAAAAAAHHHH!!”

Large tears began to trickle down as the Count clutched the papers, completely ignoring the fallen Messenger by his side.

Trained large frame, tanned gallant features, and short cropped hair with white streaks, a valiant figure of the man who is in his prime broke down in tears.

Ever since his adolescent days, the count has always been the type who didn’t give much thought into anything. No matter how much he studied, the idea of being ‘the proper nobleman’ just didn’t ring a bell to him. In the end, he had no choice but to put every ounce of strength in him to his sword and body. Because of that, he was prided as the strongest in the country, eagerly sought in the battlefield.

It was such a convenient time for him.

The territorial dispute with neighboring countries intensified. In times where fighting men are proven to be the most capable, the Count rose to prominence. One day, a nobleman he had saved offered his daughter to the Count, and he wedded her without a second thought. As she was raised between the long wars to be submissive towards the soldiers, there wasn’t a single case where she defied the Count’s words.

Their relationship was similar to a leader and its subordinate, but the Count was satisfied in his own way. When he fought, he was praised. When he came back, a dutiful wife waited for him.

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When his wife gave birth to Llorona, the Count was overjoyed at such a breathtakingly beautiful existence.

As he held the baby in his arms, the Count decided that he would make her happy. He became more desperate than ever in his fights, seeking only for the fruits of his labour. He will treasure Llorona, granting her only the highest of luxury.

When she finally learned how to walk, the Count even managed to hire a private tutor for her despite advisors telling him that she was fairly early for that.

What changed the Count around the time Llorona just turned two years old, when his wife had died from a carriage accident. At the loss of wife, a mother, and a partner, he went into depression. His surroundings sympathized, and were very kind to him.

“Me? Pitiful?”

Through the death of his spouse, the Count felt as if he was loved by others for the first time. While everyone was desperate to comfort and support him, the Count felt incredibly glad for it, for he finally realized how much of a pitiful man he has become from losing such a wonderful partner. In his grief, some of his outbursts and actions were also pardoned.

Among the devoted individuals surrounding him, the beautiful lady who happened to be Llorona’s private tutor was by far, the loveliest of all. He heard how she was once of noble status, and began seeing her as a woman better than his deceased spouse.

And so, the Count married her without hesitation with the premise that Llorona needed a new mother.

However, the moment he wedded his new partner, she had become his source of trouble; a wasteful and annoying individual.

When she gave birth to his second daughter, he never expected for the child to be as beautiful as Llorona, then completely immersed himself in military affairs to escape from his wife.

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He gained subordinates, providing them with tools, and pushed them even harder. He cried out for every one of his men who had fallen in the battlefield, later becoming the famous general who continued to fight bravely despite his loss. At some point, the war ended on its own. The Count received many merits, even gained the honor from Llorona and the Crown Prince’s engagement.

However, the pinnacle of his life was just that.

In times of respite, a man of his temperament simply floats away from the crowd.

Unwelcomed in society, and a nagging wife at home.

The only balm to his soul was his beautiful Llorona, but due to her condition of becoming a royal consort, they weren’t able to spend time together.

Which is why he established a second home; a place for soldiers who lost their place in the world, to have their heart soothed through training drills. He bought various weapons and the establishment turned similarly into a fortress, and he enjoyed the thought of building his own kingdom from it.

And yet, his heart is far from fulfilled.

He wished there was a war he could take on, but he couldn’t bring himself to spell his thoughts.

He remembered the death of Llorona’s mother and those tender days of having his empty heart comforted by his surroundings.

The Count wondered, if his current spouse were to die right now will that leave him satisfied or not, but the thought just didn’t sit right with him.

To begin with, he barely conversed with anyone. At the loss of a spouse, he didn’t expect anyone would come to comfort him.

But, what about Llorona? His beautiful, ever so intelligent, flawless daughter? If he too, lost his daughter who would eventually become the imperial consort, then his surroundings will definitely console and spoil him like a child.

“Llorona!! Llorona!!!!”

The Count’s cries intensified, because he was aware that he was being looked at.

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