BBYW Vol. 1 Chapter 13
by nellstewartChapter 13 – Fools Never Stop Walking
【POV : Sullivan Nommes】
“Shit! Shit!! Why, why did this happen!?”
My name is Sullivan. I am the crown prince of this kingdom…no, I was.
The other day, because of a series of mistakes and misunderstandings, I was disinherited from the royal family and ended up having to marry into the family of some penniless baron in the sticks.
I was in the room assigned to me in the Nommes manor, crushing a letter I had just received.
The letter was a reply from a friend in the capital after I requested them to help me regain my title as crown prince.
I sent fifteen such letters but received only three replies.
All of them said the same thing: “I cannot help”.
“Why…why!! Why won’t anyone try to help!? Were their oaths of loyalty all fake!?”
All my friends had offered their loyalty to me: comrades with whom I swore to make this country a better place.
The moment I lost my title of the crown prince, however, they immediately cut off all ties with me. I just couldn’t forgive them.
“Why do I have to go through something like this…!?”
It was all because of Maxwell, that murdering psychopath, and my idiot of a wife, Selena.
I was engaged with a perfect fiancee once. Her name was Marianne Rosais.
She was beautiful, noble, refined…a woman truly ideal as the bride for me, the next king of Lamperouge.
Slightly overwhelmed by her perfection, I made a small mistake and ended up cheating a trifle on her.
Yes, it was a really small mistake, a trifling case of cheating.
Marianne, however, could not forgive that tiny mistake and really broke our engagement.
Thinking about it now, I felt that I did not truly want to break our engagement.
I simply wanted to confirm her honest feelings towards me.
I just wanted to see Marianne cling to me, tears brimming in her eyes while saying “Please don’t leave me”, to confirm that she truly loved me.
Mine was just a way to see my fiancee’s true feelings, something like a prank.
(And yet…that Dyngir Maxwell…!!)
That damned Dyngir Maxwell, that countryside noble, blew my tiny mistake out of proportion and my relationship with Marianne was ruined beyond repair.
If it wasn’t for that man’s meddling, we would have made peace immediately…
The relationship between Marianne and I would have returned to normal so easily.
I could still be the crown prince.
(Selena has her share of the blame too. Despite all my toiling and suffering, she won’t say a word to console me, always crying in her room…!!)
The woman I married after throwing away everything I had was not, frankly speaking, someone of my standing.
She had no rank, no education. Her looks and figure were both severely inferior to Marianne.
She was no better in private either: I acted a little rough once and she screamed “It hurts, it hurts!!”, killing the mood ever since.
Now that I had a clearer head, I honestly couldn’t remember why I had fallen for her.
(That time, she must have secretly fed me some strange drug…could this also be part of Maxwell’s plan!?)
It made perfect sense for Dyngir Maxwell to use his fiancee to ensnare me, the kingdom’s accomplished crown prince, in a trap…
(I didn’t do anything wrong…it’s all that man’s fault…!! Shit, shit, shit, shitshitshit SHIT!!)
I slammed my fists on the table and stood up from the chair, filled with indignation. Every time I thought about that man I became furious.
“I need a drink!! I can’t put up with this anymore!!”
I violently opened the door and walked toward the entrance.
I met some of the manor’s servants on my way out, but they did not even greet me as they quickly brushed past me. Irritated even more, I headed out of the manor with angrier, louder footsteps.
“Are you going on a walk, sir?”
“What!?”
I was about to open the door when a man called to me. He was the house’s firstborn son, Cray Nommes.
“Where might you be headed, when all your work as the next head of the house is left here?”
“…I’m going on an inspection in town.”
I replied with the least emotion possible.
Looking at his face reminded me of the humiliation I was subjected to during our visit to the Maxwell manor, where he slammed my face against the floor repeatedly.
(Just you wait…when I’m crown prince again, you’re going to pay…!!)
I will definitely kill the man before me — so I solemnly swore in my heart.
Cray reacted with affected surprise.
“Oh my, an inspection! That is very admirable. Allow me to advise you to inspect the town also beyond its taverns.”
“Tch, naturally!!”
My destination had been found out: I felt my face redden with shame.
“Take care on your way back, please. They say that no one cries when a drunkard gets stabbed and dies.”
“…………!!”
I barely restrained myself from shouting back at him and opened the door. In exchange, I slammed it shut.
“Shit!! This whole baron house is looking down on me!! And it’s all…”
— Maxwell’s fault!!
I let out a roar of indignation in my heart and left the Nommes manor.
~
“Shit…shit…goddamnit!!”
After I finally reached the tavern I started downing liquor, glass after glass.
I had visited this place several times already: some of the other patrons seemed to know who I was.
Though, no one ever had the decency to greet me: they just watched from a distance.
(I am the crown prince, you lot!! The blood in my veins is nothing like yours!! Show some proper respect!!)
“Damn it all!!”
I was not as foolish as to voice my complaints out loud, but I couldn’t keep the words from leaking out sometimes.
The people around me distanced themselves even more after hearing me curse. I knew that well enough, but couldn’t stop it.
(Shit, shit!! Who the hell do they think they are!?)
“Give me one more!!”
“…sir, do you have enough to pay today…?”
The waiter’s helpless tone irritated me even more.
“I am a noble, you insolent pleb!! We do not use your “wallets” or whatever! Send the bill to house Nommes!!”
I shouted back at the waiter, who sighed.
“It is time for you to leave then. The door is that way.”
“What!? Who do you think you are talking to!? I am the successor of house Nommes!!”
The waiter’s unbelievable disrespect sent my blood boiling.
I shouted louder, banging my fists against the table, but the waiter simply looked at me hopelessly.
“Unfortunately, sir, we have been contacted by that same house Nommes: we have been informed not to let sir Sullivan drink for free. You may forget about the payment of today’s drinks, but could you refrain from coming here again?”
“A-are you serious!?”
(House Nommes contacted them!? Not to let me drink for free!? What lengths will they go to insult me!?)
My anger finally took over completely and I grabbed the handle of the sword at my waist when I felt a sharp voice from behind me.
“Is there a problem with our waiter, sir?”
A hand firmly grasped my shoulder, so I turned around and found the hulking figure of the tavern’s hired bouncer.
“Y-you sh-sh-shameless…”
“Who the hell do you think you are, you damned sponge!!”
“Hyeek!?”
My shoulders shook in surprise and I let go of my sword.
The hired guardian dragged me out of the tavern by force, as the patrons laughed loudly.
“Hahaha!! Look at that! Pathetic!”
“Serves the guy right for demanding to drink for free! As expected of *former* royalty!!”
“Uugh…”
The drunkards’ taunts stabbed my chest deeply. I never felt so miserable in my life.
(When did I become so weak…? My life of glory and victory…where did it go to…!?)
I was about to leave the place, as the pitiful loser I was, when—
“Gentlemen, I believe that is enough.”
A merciful hand extended towards me.
I raised my head and found an elegantly dressed man.
He seemed to be about 40 years old: his well-trimmed beard and features gave the impression that he was a member of the cultured elite.
He was either a noble or a high-ranked servant of a noble family. In any case, certainly not someone that would frequent such a shabby tavern.
“Gentlemen, the noble blood of the honored Lamperouge royal family runs in the veins of this man. He might have been removed from the royal register, but us vassals of Lamperouge have a duty to honor his bloodline. Do you not see that vilifying this man is a shameful act for a son of this kingdom?”
“Aagh…”
“Yes, but…”
The drunkards attempted to protest weakly, but the gentleman shot them a chilling glare.
“But, what? You have a legitimate reason to vilify the royal family bloodline, I suppose?”
“Ah…no…nothing.”
The gentleman’s words turned the tavern completely silent.
He then took out a leather wallet from his breast pocket.
“This should cover this man’s drinks. Please.”
“Ah..eh…what about the change?”
“Take it.”
The gentleman threw several gold coins at the waiter’s feet. It was more than enough to pay for ten times what I drank.
The gentleman ignored the panicked waiter and approached me.
“I apologize for my impertinence, Lord Sullivan. Please forgive me.”
“N-no, thank you.”
The gentleman’s tone and manners were filled with deference towards me.
It was the first time I was treated with respect fitting of royalty ever since I came to the eastern province, so I felt moved to the point of tears.
“My deepest apologies, my lord, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Zaill, I work as a royal commissioner in the capital. I am currently staying in this town on certain duties.”
The gentleman who introduced himself as Zaill smiled kindly at me.
“An acquaintance of mine manages a tavern nearby. Would you care to join me for a drink? Please, allow me the honor to entertain a descendant of the royal family.”
“Oh, hmm, yes…I shall allow you to.”
“Wonderful, wonderful. Please, this way.”
I followed Zaill in a small alley of the tavern district.