How a Two-Life Scoundrel Lives - Chapter 72
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 72】
Victory Day was a day commemorating the battle that reclaimed Decaron from the Barbarians and restored the Northern Region.
At that time, Decaron had been occupied by the Barbarians for about 100 years, and the Northerners had fallen into slavery.
Then a hero suddenly appeared, crushing the Barbarians and uniting the Northerners—he was the first Sigmund and the 1st head of House Sigmund, [Shiron van Sigmund].
Known to possess the bloodline of the ancients, Shiron van Sigmund achieved victory after victory in battle, liberating the Northerners, and eventually allied with the king of the United Kingdom to reclaim Decaron in what was called the [Liberation War].
Afterwards, Shiron van Sigmund became the lord of Decaron and ruler of the Northern Region, naturally leading to the establishment of House Sigmund.
So it was natural that Victory Day, commemorating the victory of the [Liberation War], was the biggest event in Decaron, and it was also a natural course for dignitaries from the other Twelve Families supporting Nurburg of the United Kingdom to visit.
“They’ll all come flocking, won’t they?”
Carlisle frowned as if the mere thought exhausted him.
“I don’t think that will be the case.”
“Really…?”
Carlisle tried to recall his memories.
However, the Northern Scoundrel had ‘almost’ no memories of Victory Day.
In his childhood, he seemed to have often attended banquets and interacted with other family heads and their children.
But after he became rebellious, the family stopped inviting him, and he himself didn’t participate in the events.
He only took advantage of the festival to indulge even more in drinking, women, and gambling…
“Traditionally, among the Twelve Families of the United Kingdom excluding the Main House, seven families attend almost regularly, while the other five families varied from time to time.”
“Ah, was that so.”
“You probably don’t remember well.”
Maranello smiled bitterly.
“Hmm.”
Carlisle pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Then I don’t have to attend this time either, right?”
“That will probably be difficult.”
“Why?”
“You’re scheduled to pass Noble Proof and be promoted to officer—would the family head just leave you alone?”
“If he doesn’t leave me alone, then what… Ah.”
Carlisle’s expression suddenly hardened.
“Then he’ll try to stick me somewhere even more difficult?”
“Wouldn’t he do exactly that?”
“Hmm.”
Carlisle frowned.
Even in his previous life, he had never engaged in noble social activities, and by nature, he didn’t like such things.
“Maybe I’ve been behaving too well. Right. I should cause some appropriate trouble so he’ll treat me like a half-absent son.”
“Young Master, what are you saying right now…”
Maranello spoke with a face that had turned deathly pale, but it didn’t seem to register in Carlisle’s ears.
“Where can I cause some appropriate trouble… But if I make too big a mess, it’ll be harder for me… Something that would warrant moderate disciplinary action…”
“Ugh.”
Maranello covered his face as if the mere thought was horrifying.
“Um, Head Butler.”
Evangeline opened her mouth with slightly curious eyes.
“I have something I’m curious about.”
“Something curious?”
“They say the Young Master of the Belvedere Family is incredibly handsome… Is that true?”
“Hehe.”
Maranello laughed.
“Are you that curious about it?”
“N-no, it’s not that.”
Evangeline’s face reddened.
“There’s a lot of talk about who’s more handsome between the Belvedere Family’s Young Master and our Young Master.”
“I see.”
Maranello nodded as if that made sense.
“The eldest son of the Belvedere Family is indeed a handsome man that no one can deny. He’s called the most beautiful man on the Continent.”
“I-I see.”
Evangeline seemed unable to ask any further.
As a future retainer, as Carlisle’s maid, directly comparing the Young Master to a third party would be extremely disrespectful…
“But there’s no need to doubt.”
“Pardon?”
“Though the eldest son of the Belvedere Family is called the Continent’s greatest beauty, he can’t compare to Young Master Carlisle.”
“…!”
“If we’re talking about looks alone, our Young Master could be called the most beautiful man on the Continent.”
“As expected!”
Evangeline clenched both fists as if she had believed it all along.
“There’s no way a man as handsome as our Young Master could exist in this world!”
“Of course, absolutely.”
Maranello also nodded repeatedly as if he believed it without doubt.
“In my entire life, I’ve never seen a man as handsome as our Young Master. Hehehe.”
“Our Young Master is indeed the best.”
However, the person in question, Carlisle, had ‘absolutely’ no interest in their conversation.
‘How can I avoid troublesome matters… How can I…’
Right now, Carlisle’s mind was filled with only that thought.
* * *
Carlisle’s group—that is, the forces from Bowden Fortress—arrived in Decaron via the 2nd Corps Command.
“Everyone have a good leave, and make sure to return safely on time.”
“Yes!”
The soldiers scattered in all directions.
“Well then, see you when we return.”
Carlisle left a brief farewell to the Scout Members and turned around.
“Yeah, rest well. It’s your first leave, so eat lots of delicious food.”
Begman offered kind words to Carlisle.
“Captain.”
“Yeah?”
“Is it okay for you to keep speaking informally to Second Lieutenant Carlisle?”
“What do you mean? He’s not one yet!”
“Even so, to speak so informally to someone who’s about to become an officer…”
“I-is that so?”
At Russell’s point, Begman glanced at Carlisle.
“You should just respect everyone normally, like I do.”
Kudo said with a grin.
“Since it’s before the promotion, everyone can address me comfortably.”
“I-is that really okay?”
“Yes.”
“But don’t say anything different later.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Alright.”
Begman nodded, and the other scout members also offered their parting words to Carlisle.
“Have a good vacation.”
“See you in a month. Well, if I’m still alive by then. Hehe.”
As the farewells seemed to be winding down, a six-horse carriage pulled by no less than six horses appeared and stopped in front of Carlisle.
“Young Master, the carriage is ready. Please get on.”
“Thank you.”
Carlisle quickly climbed into the carriage.
Clatter, clatter…
As the carriage finally departed, the remaining scout members wore slightly dazed expressions.
Some walked home to their hometowns without a word, while those with distant homes pooled their money together to hire a coachman and travel together…
From the scout members’ perspective, it was a moment when they keenly felt the class difference between themselves and Carlisle.
“I guess we shouldn’t worry about rich kids after all.”
“We shouldn’t worry about Sigmunds, right?”
“This bastard, really!”
“Ow!”
Russell, who had been making unnecessary corrections, got smacked on the head and groaned in pain.
“Everyone take care. I’m off.”
“Well then, I’ll be going too.”
Wilson and Kudo headed toward central Decaron.
“Ugh. My hometown is so far that I’ll have to catch a carriage. Sigh. I’m already getting breathless thinking about how crowded it’ll be.”
Russell grumbled as he headed toward the post station.
The scout members each left their parting words and scattered toward their respective destinations.
“Sir Helen, what about you…”
Begman, now left alone, asked Helen.
“I…”
Helen looked around carefully to make sure no one was nearby before speaking cautiously.
“I’m thinking of staying in Decaron for the victory celebration, then going home, uncle.”
“Ah, I see.”
Begman also carefully looked around before dropping his formal speech.
The two had known each other since Helen enlisted as a lowly private, so when they were alone, they would converse comfortably like this.
“What about you, uncle?”
“I should go home.”
“But…”
“Home is home. Where else would a soldier on leave go but home?”
“…”
“Well then, I’m off first. Have a good vacation. And give my regards to your siblings back home.”
“Yes, uncle.”
“I’m going.”
Begman flashed a smile and walked away.
“Uncle, that place…”
Helen suddenly thought that Begman’s destination might not actually be his hometown.
The direction Begman was heading… was the road leading to Helen’s hometown.
* * *
Decaron’s inner castle was trembling with shock and terror.
Carlisle van Sigmund.
News spread that the scoundrel who had been sent to the battlefield (enlisted) according to family tradition had returned on commendation leave, causing servants, maids, and even knights to tremble with anxiety and nervousness.
Whisper whisper!
Everyone had plenty to say.
“How the hell did that scoundrel survive?”
“He must have been hiding like a coward in the back.”
“I’m already scared thinking about how much trouble he’ll cause.”
Since Carlisle van Sigmund was such a person with a colorful track record, it was only natural that everyone working in the inner castle entered a state of extreme tension.
However, Carlisle himself quietly returned and simply holed up in his room, showing no particular movement.
Of course, this only made the anxiety of the servants, maids, and knights grow even more…
Thud, Carlisle buried his body in the spacious bed.
“Ah, now I can finally live.”
“Are you that pleased, Young Master?”
“After sleeping on a field cot for two months, lying here is like heaven.”
“Hehe.”
Maranello let out a hollow laugh.
“Just two months and you’re like this? This old man was perfectly fine even after living on field cots for three straight years in his youth.”
“Not me.”
Carlisle said flatly.
“Let me sleep.”
“Yes, Young Master. Sleep well.”
Maranello smiled and stepped aside.
Since Grand Duke Guntram happened to be away, Carlisle was able to sleep in the large, soft bed without anyone’s interference.
“Butler! Is this really the butler’s house? Amazing!”
The baby dragon quietly slipped out of Carlisle’s embrace and fluttered around the room.
“It’s not my house. It’s the Grand Duke’s house. I’m just living here.”
“Grand Duke?”
“The lord of this territory.”
“That’s the butler’s dad.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It’s not important, so mind your own business about other people’s family affairs.”
“So is the butler’s dad the Grand Duke or not?”
“Why is that important?”
“How is that not important? Whether the butler is a rich kid or not is naturally important from my perspective. If the butler isn’t the Grand Duke’s son, isn’t that fraudulent hatching?”
“Fraudulent… what?”
“Fraudulent hatching!”
“…”
“If the butler wasn’t a rich kid, then I was tricked into hatching…”
“Ah, enough.”
Carlisle pulled the blanket over himself.
“Stop bothering me so I can sleep. If you’re hungry, ask Evangeline for feed. You know which lady came with us from the fortress, right?”
“What? Feed? Graaah!”
The baby dragon growled, but Carlisle gritted his teeth and pretended not to notice.
Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…
“Just you wait! Hmph!”
The baby dragon threw soft punches at Carlisle for a while, then flew off to find Evangeline, apparently getting hungry.
‘That one’s already flying around. How long has it been since it was born.’
But there was nothing strange about it.
The baby dragon wasn’t a naturally occurring creature but an experimental subject created by the mage Antiros.
‘Let’s sleep for now.’
Carlisle closed his eyes.
However, sleep didn’t come easily.
One hour, two hours…
‘Why can’t I fall asleep.’
Carlisle tossed and turned with his eyes wide open, unable to fall asleep for hours.
Strangely, the soft bed felt uncomfortable, an inexplicable anxiety made him incredibly sensitive, and the thumping sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Carlisle sat up abruptly and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.
It had already been five hours since he lay down in bed, but strangely, sleep wouldn’t come.
‘Maybe it’s because my body isn’t tired enough. Perhaps moving around a bit will help.’
Since it happened to be the dead of night, Carlisle quietly left his bed and headed to his personal training ground.
“Cool, cooool…”
Baby Dragon was sleeping soundly at the head of the bed next to Carlisle’s pillow, curled up in a ball.
“Huh?”
When Carlisle arrived at the old castle ruins located outside the outer castle, he realized someone was waiting for him.
“You have arrived, Young Master.”
Maranello was waiting for Carlisle, holding a feather duster.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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