Achilles’ Funeral
Achilles’ funeral didn’t even qualify as a proper funeral. He knew so many people in his lifetime, did business with so many and was one of Queen Sisi’s most trusted vassals, yet my family members were the only ones standing before his grave at his funeral.
Leah held my hand and hazily looked at the gravestone. Ascillia didn’t know that Achilles and her father once did business together, so she just maintained silence out of politeness. I placed a bouquet of flowers on the white stone before the gravestone itself. Achilles’ gravestones’ epitaph merely read, “He was loyal to Her Majesty and money.”
Achilles didn’t do anything bad. I had more enemies than I could count in this world, yet few who I could consider friends and he was one of those friends. When I was empty handed, he lent me a hand. In the end, I saw him dead with my own eyes.
I suppose Achilles lost hope to live on. He appeared to have everything; in reality, he cherished very little. He was a human. She was a succubus. Still, he loved her with his entire heart and soul. He loved her enough to die and join rather than stay in this world. I didn’t know where the succubus was buried. Otherwise, I would’ve buried them together.
Ross, who I hid the truth from, stood next to me and sobbed, ears flopped down, while Angelina gently stroked his head. I would imagine that he considered Achilles to be a decent adult when the latter rescued him and raised him for some time. On top of that, I was about to head to the South to bury his sister’s husband.
Achilles’ assumption was correct. I couldn’t face his death. Whenever I shut my eyes, I saw his broken soul, his smile and the last will he left behind. Albert didn’t kill him, correct; however, he was one to go beyond the boundaries of a businessman, so he should’ve been prepared for all comeuppance.
“As a businessman, you can attack your competitors, but why would you harm the innocent succubi for business? This never had to do with me, true. I never planned to get involved, also true. However, Achilles was my friend. You killed the woman my friend liked and led to his suicide. Achilles died before my eyes and left everything with me. To appease my conscience, I must make you pay an equal price,” I conveyed in my heart.
I wasn’t necessarily going to kill Albert. Nonetheless, I was going to let him experience how it felt to lose what he cherished most. Obviously, I couldn’t harm a pregnant woman. That was a line I wouldn’t cross. In saying that, I planned to make him lose all of his money as a businessman and the opportunity he vied for. I couldn’t let Ross know about what happened and what would happen as would tell his sister, otherwise. I only needed to bring Leah and Veirya with me to the South.
Stroking Leah’s head, I questioned, “Leah, Papa needs to go to the imperial capital. How about coming with Papa?”
Leah nodded affirmatively.
Veirya asserted, “I’m going. With you.”
“All right. Ross, this has given you a fright. I’m going to go and sort out my wedding matters, so you don’t need to follow me. I’ll be going with just Veirya and Leah.”
“Understood,” weakly answered Ross, having burnt through his energy crying.
Angelina and I exchanged eye contact, with her gaze containing mixed emotions. She sighed, but that was all. I had to go to the imperial capital first and foremost to sort out the things Achilles left behind to me, which included the company, factory and building. The imperial capital probably only just received news. Additionally, I needed to have a word with Sisi about it.
I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t read Sisi’s letter for me for I was busy with Achilles’ matter the last few days and didn’t read Sisi’s letter to me.
“I need to take a look before going. If Achilles is gone, does Sisi have anyone else she can trust and rely on? I have a feeling Sisi is going to persuade me to move to the imperial capital. Well, Achilles left his stuff for me, which means I should focus my attention on the imperial capital going forward. I can entrust the North, which will be Veirya’s fief, to someone to take care of,” I contemplated.
***
“Yeah? Achilles has passed away? And suicide? That’s sad to hear. I guess I should’ve helped him out. Although I shouldn’t be involved with it, ten businessmen from the South aren’t remotely as trustworthy as my Achilles,” bemoaned Sisi, placing down the obituary and picking up her cup of fruit juice while her lady-in-waiting silently watched her. Despite receiving news of Achilles death, she wasn’t sorrowful in spite of the fact that was very fond of him and trusted him.
Sisi knew that Lin Dongqing would come to the imperial capital soon since Achilles was dead and died in the North for that matter. Lin Dongqing unquestionably would journey to the imperial capital to investigate what happened. Moreover, if Achilles left things to Lin Dongqing, then Lin Dongqing would stay in the imperial capital. In turn, he would replace Achilles as her trusted aide.
Losing Achilles certainly was a pity, but if Lin Dongqing could replace him, she didn’t lose. She, in fact, profited. As such, she wasn’t upset. After a brief pause, she announced, “Achilles qualifies to be considered a noble. Confer him the rank of posthumous duke. If he has any family, grant them a fief so that his family inherits it. It’s a great pity to have lost Achilles. As long as my empire exists, his family shall enjoy the honour of the empire. Loyalty deserves to be repaid.”
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