Hello everyone, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jacques Corey. I was born in the fifteenth century and am a nobleman of the Legrand Empire.

Before I became a knight, my life was very happy. My family’s territory was on the southeast coast. In the fourteenth century, my family made a fortune from the sea by cooperating with the Five Ports Alliance. In my family territory, our local lord’s court was a unique existence. No one dared to offend me, because they knew that I was the future lord.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

This happy life ended in the year when I was knighted. Because of my father’s overconfidence, I left the territory with my subordinates and headed for the capital Metzl. I had only one mission, to win the favor of the ladies of high society as much as possible——my father hoped that my marriage would open the way for our family to enter the center of power.

This was where my tragedy began.

I came to the city of Metzl, which is known as the “City of Roses”. I was blown away when I saw the splendid castle appearing on the horizon at sunset. At that moment, I finally understood where my father’s obsession with reaching the upper echelons of Legrand came from. It was so grand and majestic that the castle in my family’s seaside territory looked like a crude sand castle compared to it. There was no disgusting sea smell here, the air was filled with the fragrance of roses, the carriages passing by carried beautiful madams and ladies, and the knights’ armors were shining and majestic.

All I needed to do was gain the love of a noble lady and I would be able to have a place here.

I no longer complained about the bumpy travel that my father’s decisions resulted in! This must be the best decision my father had ever made in his life!

In order to ensure that my plan was foolproof, I began to observe carefully, and finally I identified a target——Miss Anne of the Porphyry family. The Porphyry family was famous for their correspondence network, and what was even better was that the Porphyry family had served as the king’s Head of the Households for generations. The Head of the Households did not sound so majestic, but he was one of the few people who had generally unrestricted direct access to the king at any time.

After careful preparation, at a jousting competition, I wore a set of shining armor, with silver buckles on my shoulders, a sky-blue cloak hanging behind me, and a dazzling family emblem embroidered with gold thread on my blouse. My attendant assured me that I looked absolutely handsome. So I stepped onto the field with confidence, and followed the custom to go ride around the viewing stand to choose a lady to tie her ribbon to the tip of my spear to bless me in victory.

I had envisioned everything, including when I knocked down my opponent with one blow and the whole venue applauded me, and how I should behave in front of Miss Anne to express my love to her. 

That would have definitely made for a romantic story.

I stepped into the arena and heard shouts as expected. Flags of various colors fluttered in the air, and onlookers gave exciting cheers. I subconsciously puffed up my chest, wanting to show off my dazzling blond hair more brilliantly in the sunlight.

However, I soon discovered something was wrong.

The madams and ladies in the audience waved their handkerchiefs vigorously, but the direction they were looking at was not towards me——just like the cheers and shouts were not for me. Opposite me, my opponent was wearing a set of cold silver armor, with a dark red cloak hanging down his back to the side of the horse. He was holding a helmet like me, and his silver hair blew in the wind.

I had been in the city of Metzl for so long, but all my time had been spent researching which ladies were unmarried and had no lovers. When I saw my opponent, I naturally did not recognize who he was.

However!

I saw that when he entered the venue from the east, the ladies who I once thought were reserved and noble stood up one after another, took off the ribbons from their wrists one after another, and threw them towards the knight. The ribbons fell like waves, and the rays of the sun pierced the corners of my eyes causing it to sting with tears.

I saw my chosen Miss Anne. Miss Anne, who was as cold as ice in my heart, actually took off her ribbon.

When Miss Anne’s ribbon fluttered to the ground, my heart broke.

Oh, such hatred!!!

The drumbeat signaling the start of the tourney sounded, and I rode towards my opponent with a chest full of resentment… and then there was no afterwards.

I heard the people shouting “Defender!” “Imperial Duke!”

Later I found out that my opponent was the Duke of Buckingham.

Defender of the King, the youngest Imperial Knight.

Almost all the ladies of noble birth admired him.

My plans were ruined before it was even implemented. When people mentioned me later, they would only say, “Oh, one of the opponents defeated by the Duke? Where did he come from?”

I couldn’t bear such humiliation, so I resolutely took my attendants and returned to my territory overnight. I swore that so long as the Duke of Buckingham was in Metzl, I would never set foot in Metzl. Every time the Duke of Buckingham went to war, I sincerely blessed his enemies and hoped that their swords would be more sharp and accurate.

Don’t know if my prayers had the opposite effect but not only did Duke Buckingham not lose his life on the battlefield, he also won every battle. In the end, when people mentioned the word “knight”, they would say, “As expected, the Duke Buckingham is the lion of the empire”——Couldn’t they find another description?!

I could no longer endure their stupidity, so, in 1432, I angrily sided with Grand Duke Grice.

In the “Rose Crisis”, I became a staunch New Royalist. So long as Grand Duke Grice became the new king, how could Duke Buckingham continue to be his imperial knight! On the day of the coronation of the Grand Duke Grice, I finally stepped into the city of Metzl again. I stood in the splendid St. Wyth Cathedral and watched with joy the papal envoy carrying the crown onto the high platform.

Finally…

Then the war horse appeared under the high arch. The young man on the war horse held a long and narrow sword, and blood dripped from the hems of the red cloak he wore. This scene overlapped with the previous one in my memory.

I was once again shrouded in the shadow of the Rose family.

The Duke of Buckingham deserves to go to hell! Pureland I deserves to go to hell! The Rose family deserves to go to hell!

Pureland I was worthy of being the nephew of the Duke of Buckingham. I will never forget the way he smiled and threatened all the New Royalists and asked us to write down our ransom amount ourselves. When I walked out of Metzl with nothing, I finally understood that my decision back then was the right one:

So long as the Duke of Buckingham was alive, I would not step foot here.

The Coreys never admit defeat!

So, with a deep hatred for the Rose family, I began my repeatedly failed actions against the Rose family. I supported the Grand Duke Grice, and the Grand Duke Grice died; I supported the Five Ports Alliance, and the Five Ports Alliance was destroyed; I instigated the public opinion over the Black Death blockade measures, and those who were instigated by me later died from the Black Death; I secretly supported the rebellion in the North, and the kings of the rebel states in the North also died… All these things, one after another, were unacceptable.

Finally, I learned from experience and wondered, was it because I was the omen of that era and everyone I supported would fail?

After analyzing the glorious achievements in the past, I reluctantly made a decision:

In the next turmoil! I will do my best to support the Rose family! Support Pureland I!

Immediately afterwards, a war broke out between Legrand and the Holy Court, and 200,000 holy troops sailed across the sea. I stood in the ranks of King Legrand’s army and was so excited that I almost shed tears, that’s correct! That’s exactly it! Sure enough, so long as I support Pureland I, he would definitely die. Oh, Holy Lord! Look! Against an army of 200,000 was a mere tens of thousands, Legrand would definitely lose!

Don’t know since when, but the Rose family has become my obsession. I was even willing to risk my own life on the battlefield, just to make true my own pattern of “whoever I support must die”.

In this way, unknowingly, I gradually made military exploits on the battlefield.

However, I was indifferent to these military exploits. I paid closer attention to Pureland I, hoping that he would feel the power of my “support”.

I paid close attention diligently.

I paid very close attention diligently and without fail.

I speculated on the goals of each of his battle plans, and worked 100% to implement them, hoping 100% that my efforts would throw a wrench in his plans…

I waited and waited.

Finally, the result I had waited for ended with Legrand defeating the Holy Army and Theolde dying in battle.

Standing in the Rose Palace, I was dumbfounded as I was awarded the Iron Rose badge by King Pureland I himself. The weather was very lovely, the sun was bright, and the madams and ladies around me were waving handkerchiefs for all the knights who had been awarded the honor. The corners of my eyes suddenly became moist.

What the bloody hell! Why!

Do I care about this Iron Rose badge? I just want Pureland I to be guillotined like all the people I have supported!

While maintaining a smile and thanking His Majesty for his love, my tears fell down pathetically.

I was disheartened and I felt insulted.

One group of people in particular rushed to curry favor with me. Look at what they were saying: “You support His Majesty so much” and “Who doesn’t know that you are loyal to His Majesty”… They fanatically praised Pureland I in front of me, hoping to gain my help. Oh, Holy Lord, these idiots who had their asses kicked by donkeys, did they really think that I was loyal to King Pureland I?

I was so angry that my hairline was receding day by day. Faced with their solicitude, I not only didn’t want to help, but also wanted to add insult to injury to their predicament.

But who would’ve thought that, because of this accidental mistake, I inexplicably became a reformist who supported Pureland I.

Watching the people I had refused and humiliated being thrown onto the guillotine, I stood in front of the palace and felt the world’s malice towards me.

Just when I was thinking this, I suddenly saw the bloody, cold, and cruel Pureland I. He suddenly raised his head and glanced at me.

Why did Pureland I look at me?

Pureland I had a very shrewd mind, and every move he made had his reasons. I had experienced this again and again during the Holy Army movement.

I definitely didn’t believe that he looked at me for no reason.

He…

He must have discovered my true motive!

When this thought flashed through my mind, I felt cold all over, and I understood it all at once.

I, Jacques Corey, was also exploited by Pureland I.

The truth was revealed, no wonder my previous hit-and-miss “support equates to death” didn’t have any effect. In the eyes of King Pureland I, I was still his enemy.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

After finally understanding the truth, I left Metzl City overnight and returned to my own territory. Pureland I’s cold, contemptuous, and all-seeing eyes kept reappearing in my mind. I finally couldn’t bear it anymore and became seriously ill. This bout of illness eventually killed me.

Before I died, I took a long breath and thought: 

Finally, I no longer had to be shrouded in the shadow of the Rose family.

In this way, even if I went to hell, it didn’t matter.

AN: Jacques: In order to escape the shadow of the Rose family, I would rather go to hell!!!

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