Our Summer Isn't Over Yet - Chapter 68

Jose’s eyes and mouth were blocked with cloth and a gag. One of his cheeks looked sunken, the same spot where Mia had been injured. His neck also had clear handprints, and the other places hidden by his clothes looked similar to the wounds on her body. The only difference was unlike Mia’s completely healed body, Jose’s body was still oozing blood and pus.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be doing anything special today.”

Walter unhesitatingly untied the black cloth covering Jose’s eyes. His eyes, filled with despair, stared directly at Walter.

“Ugh, uh.”

Jose, who had been tortured for the past few days, trembled at the sight of Walter. He seemed incapable of thought. The clanging of the metal restraining his body filled the solitary cell.

Walter listened to the sound for a moment, then sat down on an old chair and stared at Jose for a long time. When his movements subsided, Walter spoke.

“The Murad royal family will soon be on trial.”

“Uh, uh.”

“They’ve made so many messes that there’s no way to avoid it.”

The Murad royal family had stubbornly continued the war for 12 years.

As the war devastated the country, they were only obsessed with maintaining their power. They not only harmed other countries but also drove their own people to the brink.

Due to famine, thousands of Murad’s children died before the age of five, boys over fifteen were dragged into the army, and girls were sold to other countries under the pretext of securing war funds.

Moreover, they indiscriminately massacred Hippolyte’s hostages, squandering the opportunity for negotiation and turning a war that could have ended sooner into a grueling long-term battle.

The war, which no one wanted except the Murad royal family, had continued for a long time due to their selfish desires.

Jose’s pupils trembled. Walter slowly recited the matters that the Murad council members had conveyed yesterday.

“Out of 108 council members, 79 voted in favor, 20 against, and 9 abstained.”

“…Hh.”

“A death sentence will be handed down. I don’t know if the body will be intact after the execution. There are so many citizens waiting for your death. Many people will be present at the trial today as well.”

At Walter’s words, Jose involuntarily pictured his situation unfolding.

Considering the past tortures, even if the other royals were spared, his execution might not be carried out immediately. Because Walter had been saying something to him all along.

“An immediate death sentence is like a reward for you.”

“The other royals are royals, but I have personal feelings for you.”

Walter, seeing Jose filled with despair, let out a savage laugh. His bright red eyes, harmonizing with the candlelight in the solitary cell, narrowed as he faced Jose.

“Jose Yan Murad. I am the person entrusted with all matters regarding the Murad royal family trial.”

“Agh, uh.”

“If you want, I can give you a painless death.”

Walter grabbed Jose’s cheeks and made him look at him.

Jose didn’t seem to understand Walter’s words immediately. For Jose’s sake, Walter spoke again, clearly and distinctly.

“Don’t you want to stop dying?”

Then he took out a small vial from his pocket and shook it in front of him. Seeing it, Jose shook his head violently, forgetting even the pain.

A faint hope seemed to dawn in Jose’s eyes. Walter disgustedly let go of Jose as if he had seen something dirty. He dusted off his hands and got to the point.

“I want you to satisfy my curiosity. Then?”

Before Walter could continue, Jose nodded even more vigorously than before. Walter stared at him for a moment, then removed the gag from Jose’s mouth.

Even as he gasped for breath, Jose’s gaze was fixed on the small vial. Jose was busy muttering that he wanted to stop.

Walter gripped the vial tightly and turned Jose’s gaze to him.

“Jose Yan Murad. What did you do with all the Hippolyte hostages?”

The trials of the Murad royal family proceeded in order.

Walter, who arrived at the courtroom a little later than the others, took a few breaths and observed the trial.

Finally, the last person came up.

“Fourth Prince Jose Yan Murad.”

As soon as his name was called, Jose screamed as if having a seizure. His gaze was fixed on Walter. He had told him everything in order to have a comfortable death, but Walter had not kept his promise.

Looking back, Walter had never once said to Jose, “I will give you poison.” As his faint reason recognized that fact, a dry laugh burst from Jose’s mouth.

“Ha, ha. Ha.”

Soon, Jose’s laughter, as if he had lost his mind, filled the courtroom.

Despite Jose’s attitude, the judge sentenced him without hesitation.

“I sentence him to death by hanging.”

The moment the last royal’s death sentence was handed down, the surroundings fell silent. Those who were watching pinched each other’s cheeks for a while, asking if this was reality.

Only after the Murad royals were all dragged out of the courtroom by the soldiers did everyone realize the reality. At the same time, they burst into tears one by one.

They hugged and comforted each other, regardless of family, friends, or strangers next to them.

Parents who had lost their children comforted children who had lost their parents during the war.

Disciples who had lost their teachers hugged teachers who had lost their disciples.

They comforted the person next to them, whom they had never met and might never see again after leaving the courtroom.

Everyone here knew. That the family, friends, and lovers sacrificed in the war would not return with the execution of the Murad royals.

Nevertheless, they only hoped that it would be a little comfort to those who had already left. Walter, who was in the front row, was silent for a while before getting up from his seat.

Then he said to Colonel Kyle, who was following him, “There’s a place we need to go and check.”

“Where is that?”

Walter, who was walking calmly, sighed deeply and turned to meet Kyle’s eyes.

“…We have to go get the Hippolyte hostages.”

He briefly recalled the conversation he had with Jose.

“The Hippolyte hostages are buried not far from the palace.”

“Why did you kill them?”

“We needed people who could be disposed of without any problems to raise the double, the princess’s double.”

Walter could easily understand the meaning.

In order to raise Mia as a double, a considerable amount of manpower would have been needed. But it wouldn’t have been easy to control so many people, and they used the Hippolyte hostages as people to use and kill appropriately.

“But you kept one person alive for quite a long time.”

“Why?”

“Hh, hh. Because it’s a pretty useful leash?”

“It seems like you’re talking nonsense, so you don’t need this.”

“No, no. That’s not it, I was going to say that the woman was buried in a different place, but I accidentally said something else.”

Based on Jose’s words, Walter confirmed the location where the bodies of the Hippolyte hostages were buried.

After writing down the location of the one who was buried alone, he got up neatly from his seat. Jose muttered lowly towards Walter.

“That woman, her name is Anila Davi. Yes, that was her name.”

It had been a while since he had finished talking to Jose, but he still felt like his last words were ringing in Walter’s ears.

“Could it be that you found the location of the Hippolyte hostages’ bodies?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god, this can’t be happening. It seems that God really exists. To be able to find a twelve-year-old body.”

Kyle was filled with emotion as if he had heard unbelievable words.

“It would be good to recover them quickly. Their families must be waiting.”

A smile bloomed on Kyle’s face, which had been stiff.

“Since Your Excellency will be returning to the capital soon, the soldiers remaining here will continue to recover the bodies.”

Kyle spoke, recalling Walter, who would return to the capital soon after the execution of the Murad royals. But Walter didn’t react to any of Kyle’s words.

Kyle, who was strange to see Walter with a cold face at a moment when he should be happy, asked carefully.

“Um, Your Excellency? Is there a problem?”

“Anila Davi.”

“Yes?”

Kyle tilted his head at Walter’s unconsciously muttered words, then widened his eyes as if something had come to mind.

“Isn’t that Her Excellency the Admiral’s mother?”

At the words Kyle uttered, Walter sighed and clenched his fist tightly. Now that he had heard how she died, he felt suffocated.

It was the start of a day when he resented even the God he didn’t believe in for some reason.

It was already midday.

Since coming to the Valencia mansion, Mia had not stayed up all night or had nightmares. As if to prove that her mind was relaxed, her wake-up time was getting later and later.

Mia slowly blinked her eyes and looked at the large window where the curtains were not drawn. The sunlight coming in through the thin curtains was soft. As she moved her body slightly, feeling the warm energy spreading, she felt herself being pulled back tightly.

Support