Resurrection of Duke Werstein ~ I Didn’t Hear Anything About Being A Middle-aged Man ~ 31

A/n: I tried to make the ground text look different than usual, but it turned out to be incredibly difficult to produce: ...... I'm sorry for keeping you waiting…

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Michaelis Werstein is the leader of the Knights of the Kingdom of Lunamilia.

He is a young hero who was selected to be the head of the Kingdom Knights on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of this country.

He was 20 years old when he was selected, and now he is 22 years old, still young.

His character was well-behaved, his command was solid and honest, and when he walked, men and women of all ages would look back at his graceful and beautiful appearance.

He is a handsome young man who, by all accounts, seems to be in great demand.

But there was a reason why he still didn't have a single potential fiancée.

This is because his father is the infamous Duke Augusto Werstein.

He has a huge body wrapped in fat, and when he opens his mouth, he speaks abusively. He is so ugly that it is hard to bear to look at him, as if he has abandoned his noble dignity and even his pride.

Furthermore, he is an ugly man who abuses his high power as the second in command of the king for his own personal gain, imposing oppression on his domain, and is unworthy of being a nobleman.

There was no way that any woman would want to marry into such a man's family, and even more, becoming a in-law, no matter how needy, was not something that any normal woman would tolerate, as a matter of course.

However, that all changed when Duke Werstein came to the castle after recovering from his illness.

What appeared was a beautiful and sturdy figure, reminiscent of an ice sculpture or some such work of art.

The place was in an uproar for a moment, wondering who the hell that was.

No one knew who Duke Werstein really was.

The reason for this was because of the disease that broke out during the war 12 years ago.

At that time, the dead tree disease had spread throughout the kingdom.

In other words, the victims were not only commoners but also nobles.

Some families died out because their entire family had the disease, while others were forced to adopt a child of distant blood because the head of the family had the disease.

In other words, those who knew Duke Werstein when he was young have died of the disease, leaving only a handful of royalty and others who were able to get the cure in time.

Therefore, the current aristocrats are either new aristocrats who came from the commoners, or the next generation who lost their parents and siblings at an early age, but still struggled to survive as aristocrats.

The transformation of the Duke, whom they had despised, ridiculed, and disregarded until recently, made the women excited and the men confused.

Is that really the Duke?

No, he must be a shadow warrior.

But I heard that His Majesty the King was a close friend of his.

What the hell is going on, I think we're being deceived.

By the way, there was a rumor that His Majesty and the Duke were acquainted in the past.

I see. At the time, I thought it was a terrible rumor, but it turned out to be true.

It's doubtful, but I hear he was reborn and became a wise man.

No, I don't think that's true.

But they say the Spirit King has appeared.

That's absurd! That would confirm it!

If he can become a wise man, does that mean that the Duke was actually a good man?

It's hard to believe, but I guess that's what it means.

I should have been his wife if he was so nice.

Well, maybe it's not too late.

I've always thought that if your son was so beautiful, he couldn't possibly be so ugly!

Well, then, are you sure he wasn't cursed in some way?

Oh, I'm sure of it! Oh, poor thing!

Oh, my God, why didn't I see it coming?

Oh, poor thing! I wish I could go and heal him now.

No, I'm sure he feels betrayed by so many people, it's better to just let him be.

Hey, I'm thinking of running for the Knight Commander's fiancée now, is it too late?

Huhn, you already have a fiancé.

Such conversations could be heard from all around the royal castle where the party was held.

And while listening to such gossip, Michaelis Werstein, the only son of Duke Werstein, who was in the middle of it, bit his shapely lips while standing by the king's side as the king's bodyguard.

"Hmm, it looks like the conversation is all about Augusto it seems... Knight Commander."

"Ha, I regret to say. I'm sorry, for my father."

The king's words were somewhat amusing, and he immediately said he was sorry.

"What do you apologize for? As a wise man, I'm glad he's back safe and sound, ...I'm glad."

But the king responded with a throaty chuckle, staring off into the distance, his eyes narrowed.

The king's eyes, slowly stroking his beard, are very gentle.

This is why, as a knight commender before being a son, he couldn't simply hold his father's shoulders.

"I'm sure that my father's words and deeds were nothing short of harmful to your heart."

"…… You say that but your face is relaxed, ya know?"

"!?"

He couldn't help but hold his mouth with one hand as the king grinned at him, somewhat smugly.

He himself was not aware of it, but as soon as he held his mouth, he smiled at the king, who he was supposed to serve, with an innocent smile that seemed to be both smiling and teasing, as if it were a small child's. Apparently, his face had really relaxed.

“I, I’m, I'm so sorry…!"

The king smiled and let out an exasperated sigh at him signaling with only his hands, as he tried to get to the king's feet while uttering a few desperate words of apology.

"Well, well, how can you not be glad to see your old father back? I'm just as happy as you are."

"But…!"

The king's eyes and voice were filled with a sense of intimidation as he told him who was still trying to fight back.

"I said I didn’t mind."

He was under pressure to freeze, and finally realized that the king was wearing a different atmosphere than usual.

The king's eyes were no longer vacant, as if he had given up on something, but had a glowing, fiery look in them.

"…Huh!, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything…!"

He bowed his head vigorously, his throat twitching from nervousness, and in a scratchy voice, he uttered the words of apology with all the sincerity he could muster.

The king's gaze slipped past him, however, and he stared off into the distance.

Then, the king muttered to himself.

"It's like a long nightmare. It was as if I were having a long nightmare."

He looked up and stared at the king, his face full of sorrow and emotion.

"...... Your Majesty?"

"It's been a long, long nightmare."

But it seemed that the king had not heard him.

Or maybe he did, but he didn't dare listen.

As proof of this, the king suddenly looked at him and said.

"But that's all over now.

We have awakened from our nightmare. Isn't that right?"

A nightmare.

He gulped at the king's words.

The twelve years he had suffered, the years that had tormented his mind and the king's mind, had all been nothing but a nightmare, the king was saying.

And that they had been freed from that nightmare.

He knew that the king was distressed by the transformation of his father, Duke Werstein.

Likewise, the king must have known that he was hurt by his father's transformation.

I wondered if he had been worried not only about my father, but about me as well.

As he thought about this, the king's words slowly penetrated into him.

And the next thing that came to him was emotion.

He gritted his teeth and opened his mouth hard, still needing to answer something.

"...... Yes…!"

But he could only answer that, as he desperately tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow if he was not careful.

It had been a long time since then, or maybe it was just a while.

After a silence that felt both long and short to him, the king suddenly and cheerfully spoke to him.

"Now, it is time for you to go."

It was an invitation for him to join the party.　

For a moment, the suddenness of the situation made him lose track of what was happening, but he managed to understand and swallow the king's words, but he replied calmly, trying to do his duty.

"...... No, I have His Majesty's scorting."

In a word, he was stubborn, earnest, and single-minded.

The king looked at him with a smile, as if he were looking at his son, who was not very good but was very cute, and said to him with a slight smile.

“The Commander of the Order doesn't even attend the National Day party? The people will hate you for it."

"But…"

As he continued to stammer, the king laughed quietly with a somewhat annoyed expression as he expelled the sigh that had built up in his chest through his nose.

"The greetings are over. I have danced with the queen.

All that's left is to return to my office and do my job."

"...... If that's the case, then yes, sir. I will go and change my clothes."

"Oh, yes, I have your clothes ready."

The king's words, so unexpected and announced as if they were nothing, sent his head into a frenzy.

Clothes? The king, clothes that one would wear to a national anniversary party? For me? Why?

As he continued to stare at the king, frozen in confusion, the king gave him a look like a child at a successful prank.

“You probably only have a few simple things that don't belong to a high nobleman, right?"

"No, that, isn't……"

He tried to argue, but he could not say that he did not.

Rather, he had tried to be frugal, partly because of his father before him.

In other words, his daily clothes were mainly knight's uniforms, which were of good quality, but that was all.

"Don't worry about the details, Augusto's son is as good as my son, don't hesitate to roll up your sleeves."

“…… Un, understood…"

He had no choice but to reply to the king, who smiled cheerfully, showing no sign of concern, but rather a sense of pride.

But then, suddenly, the king let loose a bombshell of a statement.

"Oh, after you put on your clothes, you must show yourselves to us."

"Well... I'll do as you say…!"

He couldn't disobey, so he agreed to do so, with some inexplicable feelings of frustration and indescribable regret in his heart.

A little while later, when he was about to send the king to his office and go to his own room prepared for him as the leader of the knights.

"Oh! Isn't that you, Sir Knight Commander?"

He was stopped in his tracks by a familiar voice.

When he turned around, he saw the Prime Minister of his country, who was known as a saint and had a reputation that was the complete opposite of his father, Duke Werstein, walking towards him with a soft smile on his face.

To be honest, the existence of the prime minister, even though he was the person who recommended him as the head of the knights, was a bit scary and unpleasant to him.

He knew that he was doing his best for the country, and he understood that he was a compassionate person who did not discriminate against anyone, but sometimes he felt an inexplicable and mysterious fear.

It was an instinctive fear, but most of the time it was only for a moment, or only slightly, so he was unaware of the true nature of the Prime Minister.

However, no matter how scared he feels, he does not show it outwardly because it is considered rude.

Even though he was a legitimate son of a duke, he was a knight, and his opponents were of a higher rank in the royal castle.

So, he tried his best to be polite and respectful.

“...How can I help you, Your Highness?"

The Prime Minister put a slightly annoyed and amiable smile on his face and opened his mouth.

"In fact, my granddaughter is an admirer of yours, so if you don't mind, I'd like to say hello."

“Admirer? Mine?"

He was surprised by the suddenness of the event, and his suspicion showed on his face, but he recognized the fact that he could see the figure of a pretty girl a little behind the Prime Minister, who was standing with a cheerful smile on his face, just beyond the point where he could not hear the conversation.

"Eh, that's right, she saw the Knights' march before and became a admirer at first sight..."

The Prime Minister smiled slightly as he continued, well, I'm in trouble.

He knew of the existence of the Prime Minister's granddaughter, but he actually avoided her simply because she was the Prime Minister's granddaughter, which he was not fond of, so he avoided getting involved with her as much as possible, making a U-turn when he saw her from a distance, even at parties.

Getting to know his granddaughter would inevitably mean more interaction with her guardian, the Prime Minister.

He had done this because he felt a little uncomfortable with it, but who would have thought that he would be involved now?

But now he had to take action for the future.

Anyway, the most correct course of action would be to affirm him immediately so as not to be rude, but he had business to attend to at the moment.

In other words, he had to say no somehow.

He was feeling a little impatient, but he still tried to be polite and put his words together.

"...... I can't believe that the famous saint, Julietta... I can only say that I am honored.

However, I'm still on duty, so I'm sorry to say that we’ll have to meet again later."

"No, no, it's a small matter. Don't worry about it.

But it didn't seem to have any effect.

The Prime Minister, perhaps taking it as a sign of humility, kept his cheerful smile on his face.

"However, it would be rude to meet the young lady like this."

The reason for this is that he is a knight of the realm.

In general, knights of the realm exist to protect the country and the royal family, and therefore their position is complicated.

Even if you are born into a noble family with a high status, if you become a knight of the realm, your status is lower than that of a Baron.

But that's why even commoners are allowed to hold the position of kingdom knight, and there are even specialized schools in the kingdom.

Because half of the Knights of the Realm are made up of commoners, it is forbidden for them to meet noblewomen with their swords on, except when they are guarding or on duty, to prevent any mistakes from happening.

That's why he said what he did, but the Prime Minister just laughed and said that he didn't care about that.

"There is no problem at all.

My granddaughter became a fan when she saw the Knight Commander's appearance."

He was annoyed by the sight of the Prime Minister.

It was probably because the pride of being a knight of the kingdom had taken root in him.

He tells her in a slightly cold tone of voice.

"But as a nobleman, I cannot meet a young lady in such a crude attire.

If you will excuse me, Your Highness."

Just as he was about to step back after bowing, the Prime Minister's eyes opened thinly.

He was about to step back after bowing when the Prime Minister's eyes narrowed.

"...... Wait."

The voice was gentle and admonishing.

"I said I don't care about this."

But the look in her thin, open eyes made him feel indescribably uncomfortable, followed by a certain dread at the unknowability of it all.

Nevertheless, he struggled to suppress his fear and refuted it.

"Excuse me, Your Highness."

"What is it?"

"I have been ordered by His Majesty to go and change my clothes, so please forgive me."

Normally, knights don't often talk about their future plans.

This was unavoidable because of the security of the castle and the royal family, and because they didn't know who was listening, but this time they couldn't say that.

After all, it was a direct order from the king.

No matter how much he disagreed, it was the first thing he had to do as a knight.

"...... Your Majesty?"

"Yes, no matter how much the Prime Minister says, we cannot ignore His Majesty's orders, and I am very sorry, but I would like to be excused this time…"

As a knight, there is no way that the Prime Minister can force him to do something like that, even if he is the Prime Minister.

To him, the Prime Minister lowered his eyebrows regretfully with a soft smile on his face.

"...... Oh, well, that's just the way it is. We'll see you next time."

"I am very grateful for your generous words. ...... Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Eh, see you later."

"Yes, thank you very much."

He made a beautiful bow to the Prime Minister, and then he was finally released by the Prime Minister.

After he left, the Prime Minister called out to his granddaughter behind him with a hand on his chin and a pasted-on soft smile on his face.

"Hmm, looks like you've been dumped, Julietta."

"… Like parent, like child... How irritating…!"

As he turned to his granddaughter, who was muttering in frustration, and appeased her with a somewhat amused look.

"You can't help it if he was under the command of His Majesty."

"I don't like it, Grandfather. Do you really believe those false words?"

"If a knight is told that he is under orders from His Majesty, who can blame him?"

When he turned to his granddaughter, her face twisted in annoyance as her teeth chattered.

"I can't... I'm really annoyed with him for using His Majesty as an excuse, what a cowardly man he is…!"

"Julietta, your emotions are showing on your face."

"Oh, my God, I'm ...... I'm sorry, Ojisama."

The Prime Minister nodded his head in satisfaction at his granddaughter, who immediately came to her senses with a single caution and smiled elegantly.

"Now, what shall we do next, Julietta?"

"...... There are still many ways to do this, Ojisama"

The Prime Minister looked at his granddaughter with a distorted smile and a gloomy, somewhat amused look on his face.

Around that time.

The king returned to his office, looked over the documents on his desk, and muttered to himself.

"What have I been doing for the past 12 years?"

It was a whisper that escaped his lips.

When he looked at the documents again, he found quite a few things that could have gone wrong in the next few years.

Moreover, they were all trivial matters that could have been noticed if they had been looked at properly.

He feels like I've been approving and deciding on the same kind of projects until recently.

It can only say that his eyes were completely clouded.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you, why so depressed?"

When he looked up at the sudden voice, he saw his beloved wife, holding a large amount of documents in her hands.

"Lily... Why are you here? And what's with the pile of papers?"

"Oh, my goodness, these are the papers from this term that need to be reviewed."

The queen smiled demurely, and the king wondered if there was such a thing, but he was more concerned about something else.

"...... If so, why are you, the queen, doing this?

The King looked at her suspiciously, but the Queen, with a gentle smile on her face, placed the documents on the King's desk with great force.

Perhaps because of its weight, a dull thud echoed through the room.

"I'm well aware that this is not my duty as queen, but I’m already sick and tired of it"

The king, who could not stop sweating a little, asked the queen with a smiling face.

"What do you mean?"

In the next moment, the queen's expression changed completely.

"In order to break the old bastard's nose and crush him to pieces, we need to drain the pus out of this country, right?"

The queen, with her teeth bared in a vicious smile, laughing deep in her throat, is, how to say it, a thing.

It's very scary.

"... I haven't heard Lily talk like a man in a long time…"

From what the king muttered with a dry chuckle, it seems that the queen may have originally been this kind of woman.

"That's why, Dan’na-sama"

“Yes"

The king stood upright, drenched in cold sweat, when the queen called out to him, changing her expression from the vicious smile she had just given him to her usual calm smile.

"You'd better do something about these incomplete documents."

The queen's smile was incredibly scary, even though it should have been the same as always.

After a while of fighting with the documents, the king muttered again.

"What the hell have I been doing for the past 12 years?"

As a result, even though he deserved it, he was still depressed.

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A/n: When the queen was young, she was a Yankee¹ through and through.

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[1] : for those who don't know a Yankee is basically a delinquent.