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Bermuda Chapter 59
🕑 Added 2024-04-18 12:17:07 +0000 UTCChapter 59
"It's been a while, Lieutenant Hareth."
Hugo momentarily felt an unfamiliar sensation at Leonardo's formal language that he heard for the first time and looked at him.
Cordelia's red eyes widened as if she couldn't believe it. She stared at Leonardo for a long time with trembling eyes, then barely opened her mouth.
"Is it really you, Blaine?"
"Yes, that's right."
Leonardo had a gentle smile on his face that was unlike him. And it was the first time Hugo had seen that expression since meeting Leonardo.
'I didn't know he could make such an expression.'
Cordelia's face, filled with surprise and joy, slowly turned into a look of pity as she alternately glanced at Hugo and Leonardo and spoke.
"The rumors about the Council arresting Blaine... they were true."
Instead of answering that, Hugo slowly observed the atmosphere as if gauging their relationship and asked,
"Did you know each other during your military service?"
"Yes, that's right. When I was in the Imperial Army, I was in charge of the command of an operation unit that included Blaine a few times. Perhaps it was thanks to Blaine that I was able to attain the rank of lieutenant at a young age."
Having said that, Cordelia took a step closer to Leonardo and spoke with a face mixed with various emotions.
"It's been a long time, Blaine. Back then, you weren't even an adult yet..."
Cordelia's face seemed to have many things she wanted to ask him and say to him, but perhaps out of consideration for him, she only looked at him with affectionate eyes and didn't ask anything else.
Leonardo also stared at her for a moment, then lowered his head, unable to meet her eyes any longer.
Seeing him like that, Cordelia's face became even more pitiful. However, she quickly composed her expression and turned her gaze back to Hugo, asking,
"By the way, why did you bring Blaine here?"
"Leonardo will also participate in this subjugation."
At Hugo's words, Cordelia's expression became subtle. Hugo could intuitively sense that she, who seemed to have quite favorable feelings towards Leonardo, was not readily accepting the Council and himself who had arrested Leonardo and brought him for the subjugation.
However, instead of expressing her thoughts to Hugo, she shifted her gaze to the handcuffs attached to each of their wrists.
"You're not going to let him enter the peninsula with a handcuff on his wrist, are you?"
At Cordelia's words that seemed to have a hint of sarcasm, Hugo also looked down at the handcuffs connecting him and Leonardo and opened his mouth.
"I plan to remove them once we enter."
"You can remove them now. I know very well that Blaine is not a dangerous person."
For a moment, Leonardo raised his head that he had been keeping lowered and looked at her. However, Hugo stared at her with a deliberately cold gaze.
"Lady Hareth, the judgment of whether this fellow is dangerous or not is up to me."
At his low, cold voice, Cordelia realized her mistake and slightly lowered her head, answering,
"I apologize."
Leonardo saw her like that and looked up at Hugo with a slightly furrowed brow. Although Hugo was aware of Leonardo's gaze, he appropriately ignored it and continued with what he wanted to ask Cordelia.
"Come to think of it, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"What is it?"
Hugo narrowed his brows slightly and asked her in a heavily lowered voice,
"Is it true that the army of Parren has entered the peninsula?"
Cordelia's gaze wavered a little. However, she seemed to have no intention of hiding it and quickly nodded.
"It's true."
"Why didn't you report it? The fact that the successor of the Hareth family, who is acting as a proxy for the Marquis of Hareth, Lord of the border territory, not only failed to report but also neglected the presence of a foreign army within the peninsula, is a serious matter that could potentially result in charges of treason. You wouldn't say you were unaware of that, would you?"
Leonardo, who was listening to Hugo's words beside him, intervened with a surprised face.
"Hey, that can't be. Right now, the peninsula is not the time to-"
"Leonardo, you stay quiet."
Hugo's cold gaze also reached Leonardo. Leonardo's expression crumpled miserably, but he also knew that this was a crucial national matter that could potentially become a problem, so he didn't continue speaking.
Cordelia kept silent for a moment with a heavy expression. Then, as if she had made up her mind after much contemplation, she calmly opened her mouth.
"Yes, I am well aware of that."
At her words, Hugo's gaze that had been directed at Leonardo returned to her. Cordelia raised her head that she had lowered and stared straight at Hugo.
"However, Your Grace. This is abandoned land. And do you know who was the first to call it abandoned land? It was none other than the Imperial Army."
Her face had become quite solemn, matching the words coming out of her mouth. The way she addressed Hugo had returned to "Your Grace," but Hugo didn't bother to correct it.
"Now that the bill to disband all private armies of the nobility has passed, the only noble families that can have a knightly order under the family name are the Agrizendro family, where you, Your Grace, guard the territory of the Imperial Capital, or families like mine that guard the frontier in barren lands. But I'm sure you are well aware of what this means."
She turned around and looked at her injured and suffering knights receiving treatment with a pitiful face and said,
"It seems that after disbanding the private armies of the nobility, His Majesty no longer sees the people of the territories with knightly orders as imperial citizens. Otherwise, he wouldn't have simply ordered my family to protect the territory and borders on our own while imperial citizens are suffering and dying every day because of the monsters."
At her words criticizing the Emperor, Hugo looked at her with a slightly cold face, but she continued speaking without minding it.
"Even if we request support from the Imperial Army, the military is only concentrated on Turandos, where the war ended not long ago, and the Yulisia border where they are keeping the forces in check. In the place where the military is needed the most, not a single imperial soldier can be found.
And in order to protect my territory and borders, I roam the peninsula every day with my knights and slay countless monsters.
However, as the number of monsters has recently surged and casualties have soared, the morale of my knights, which had remained like a handful of flames, is as precarious as a lantern in the wind, on the verge of being extinguished at any moment."
Turning her gaze back, she looked up at Hugo and spoke with a devastated face.
"In such a situation, even if a foreign army enters this land where our own military doesn't come to help, if their purpose is the same as mine, to slay monsters and protect their own territory and people, how could I dare tell them to back off? Shouldn't I rather be grateful to them?"
Cordelia expressed her grievances against the military that didn't come and her hardships, even though she knew her actions deserved to be called disrespectful. Hugo silently looked at her.
There was a slight hint of moisture in Cordelia's eyes, but she never shed tears.
After a long silence, under Hugo's still cold gaze, she lowered her head and spoke as if suppressing her emotions.
"I apologize. Your Grace came to offer help, but... I was overwhelmed by my emotions and acted rudely. Please forgive me."
Hugo let out a small sigh.
"It's alright. Raise your head."
She bit her lips tightly while looking at the ground, then raised her head. Her face was once again filled with strength. And as if she had no regrets, she said,
"I have nothing more to say regarding the army of Parren. Even if Your Grace charges me with a crime, I will not make any other excuses. However, currently, they are practically my support troops. And they also entered to protect their own country from the monsters. I cannot send them away."
Hugo looked at her with subdued eyes. In fact, he knew very well that she was not at fault. Just like with the commanders of the Southern Branch, Hugo had no intention of heavily punishing her for this matter.
However, it was necessary to make things clear in preparation for potential problems that could arise in the future. As the successor of a noble family who had sworn loyalty to Raina Logia and protected it, she shouldn't have let this matter slide. Once a precedent of breaking the rules was set, it would lead to a proliferation of such instances from then on.
However, Cordelia, who was standing firm and steadfast, looked quite exhausted, and Hugo, who had to make a decision as the Commander of the Council and a Duke of the Empire, felt a heavy feeling lingering around his mouth.
At that moment, when he was about to open his mouth, it was Leonardo who spoke to Cordelia before him.
"I will help you."
Comments
Karma Kohana
for the last 30 chapters since we found the real Leo i've been observing the most unpleasant sight. everyone treats Leo as an animal. First it was the dragon net. then the cage, and the fact that while he was trying to escape, he was described multiple times as "it" or as a "thing" (that thing in the cage, it is more powerful than a dragon) then while interrogating him his cooperation was not appreciated and his promise was also ignored at first (he promised to cooperate after a smoke) he's always on a leash as if he's a crazy dog, even if he had proved multiple times that he does not want to fight or hurt people, and fights only if you attack him without letting him go. he helped them in multiple ways during the short time they were close, and the only thing he gets in return is "the judgment of whether this fellow is dangerous or not is up to me" he literally saved you from different casualties and time and material loss just a few minutes ago and you gave him a hollow praise that means nothing this makes me so so so sad Hugo rn is such a hypocrite. saying he'd give him a chance... you are the ones who need to get a chance to prove yourself to Leo, not the other way around
Jesse Gibson
Hahah thanks for replying to mine I’m always interested in everyone’s opinion
Sophie
I know right!!!!! Hugo. Btw i love how you put comments, it must be a bit boring not getting to read any
Jesse Gibson
I love her. Seriously, love her. Hugo learn from her, you big idiot.
