DYBAR - Chapter 160 < Clinging to It Only When It's Too Late >
Do Your Best And Regret
“...You... You...!”
He couldn't believe it. Until just now, everything seemed like a miracle. When he was tearing his hair out all night and worrying about the safety of the Empire, the infiltration evangelism that came to mind came to him at the same time as the information that the level of censorship for women and clowns was low...!
At that moment, a flash of light flashed in the Emperor's mind. Right. If it weren't for that information, it would have been difficult to even come up with a plan to get the knights out of the castle gates.
"Since when."
A trembling voice escaped from his dry lips. The nobles of the empire, who were in high spirits, looked as if they had sensed something abnormal, but the Emperor had an urgent look on his face, as if he could not even see it.
So Edwin smiled more kindly.
“Why are you asking such a thing? Everyone knows that the three battles in which His Majesty the Emperor participated were all infiltration battles that took place in the comfortably empty castle grounds.”
... Didn't know. He thought the faint light shining was a miracle, but it turned out to be nothing more than a shard of glass in a completely dark abandoned mine.
“When people are in a hurry, aren’t they always looking for something familiar?”
A soft voice shook the Emperor from his thoughts. It was as if everything beneath his feet was disappearing. As his hopes were dashed and his vision became clearer, he saw the empire.
His empire was as tilted as the Duke of Madeleine, who was sitting calmly behind the Duke of Elkin and his sons, who were standing and looking embarrassed.
“It was a lie. It was a lie...!”
Anger arose. The hope he believed in was twisted and obscured before his eyes. The Emperor, who was screaming, was shocked the moment he got up from his seat.
Red eyes stained with hatred were staring at the Grand Duke menacingly. It was unbelievable how the Grand Duke was smiling and looking at him.
"Yes. I also felt very, very painful every time the liar Emperor ordered us to go to war under the threat of ‘White Crystal Mine’ more than 20 times.”
The mocking softness was so bad that he was sick of it. The Emperor gasped as if he was trying to breathe into his shrunken lungs. Edwin smiled sweetly as he looked at that.
“What did you talk about with your father?”
The production of this amazing scene started with something he accidentally said while talking about things with Olivia.
"Well. When was the most difficult time?”
Although it wasn't his father's fault, his father regretted not being there for Edwin during his most difficult moments. So Edwin did not bother to tell his father about his difficult moments. Because everything is over.
But the moment his Young Lady with dull eyes looked at him.
“Edwin, when was the hardest time for you?”
Those gentle gazes were warm as if they were gently enveloping his insides. Funny enough, at that moment, Edwin thought back to the tenth year again.
That was all hr said that day. His sweet childhood was completely gone, his mother did not return, he heard the news that his father had been killed in action, etc.
Edwin, who was muttering something in his mouth, at one point chewed the tip of his tongue. In all his difficult moments, there was a connection between them.
Something full of expectations disappears cruelly.
At that moment, Edwin hurriedly added one more thing to what he needed to achieve.
He had to give in to hope. He didn't know that it would be a defeat, and hoped to be happy as if it were some good luck that had been bestowed on him. Then, he hoped to experience the moment when his insides collapsed and then rotted away.
So he threw a big bait.
Despite the surprisingly poor strategy, the Emperor shaved his head. If you bring sea water to someone thirsty, they will inevitably drink it at some point. Even if it means getting closer to death.
Edwin chuckled happily. It felt like the regret that had been scratching his stomach was finally gone as if he had just poured over a glass of hot alcohol.
“How is the Emperor? I feel like he's floating above the clouds and then falling into the mud.”
The Emperor's face was turning yellow. It was satisfying to see the golden hair he had taken so much pride in spreading across his face. The complexions of the nobles looking at him also turned pale, as if they had finally realized the situation.
Now it was time to end it.
“I hope you appreciate that I don’t want to stay in the system anymore.”
The Prince, who showed a terrible sense of defeat towards him, and the nobles of the empire who were waiting for an opportunity to talk to him, were all insignificant.
“No more for me, my father, or my beautiful fiancée. I hate being in this disgusting place.”
Edwin pursed his lips leisurely. Then he slammed the table and made a cool demand.
“Half of the empire. The area to be restored is the North.”
Of course, this is the compensation that Vikander and Lowell will receive.
The sound was loud as if someone had put their head under water. The Emperor could not come to his senses. The nobles of the empire who feared him were at a loss and were being swayed by Vikander.
The Empress, the Prince, and even the Princess said nothing. The silence weighed heavily on the Emperor.
Wow, only then did the Emperor take a deep breath as if he had been rescued from the water.
The Emperor hurriedly looked around.
“From the boundary of the capital to Katanta. The area we need to recover is clear, so what is the Emperor waiting for?”
As the pressure tightened around their necks, the nobles' gaze towards the Emperor became increasingly sharp. As always, the Emperor had to use others as a shield.
Bastard.
The last card that came to mind didn't seem bad.
“Olivia. Doesn’t My Lady have anything more to say?”
As if on cue, the bastard handed over his words to the Princess. At that moment, the Emperor shouted.
“You cannot dare to allow an illegitimate child who has no identity to speak in these negotiations!”
Even the sound of breathing quieted down. Edwin's momentum spread dangerously at the thunderous words. But Olivia caught Edwin trying to stand up.
And I smiled. Toward Edwin, and to his knights who were furious on my behalf.
It's okay.
The knights seemed to have recognized the shape of my mouth and calmed their anger that had risen for a moment. If I think about it from a step back, the Emperor's words were the stepping stone that enabled me to come to the forefront and speak my words.
Meanwhile, I muttered the words that attacked me into my mouth. An illegitimate child...
The pleading cries rained down. The Princess's face became an earthy color.
I grinned and nodded my head. This is why. What Edwin said was that he would not restore the Princess's domain.
“No, My Lady!”
The voice that trembled like an aspen tree was unsightly. I muttered softly as she faced the Princess who was looking at me as if she were crying.
“Your Highness the Princess knows. How much I value faithfulness.”
Those words were enough to push her into the shadows, with no power or respect.
The negotiations that followed were completely dominated by Vikander.
Howard Interfield and other vassals received everything that Vikander and Lowell had not received before, and the Emperor sighed in vain with a look of complete defeat.
After the negotiations were concluded, the Empress turned away from the Emperor and walked out, holding only her daughter. For just a moment, as the Empress looked at the Emperor, I felt that the Empress' gaze was filled with her contempt, her regret, and her deep resentment.
Contrary to his statement that he did not want to be here anymore, Edwin did not get up even after the negotiations were over. Instead, he was watching everything that was happening in the conference room.
The backs of the Empress and Princess, and the Duke of Elkin with a red face. Nobles lingered and talked to Vikander's vassals, and other nobles stomped out as if the world had collapsed.
In the meantime, he decided to pretend not to notice that Winster was blocking the Prince as if he were the love of the century.
Edwin's red eyes were filled with satisfaction, relief, and other indescribable emotions. I vaguely understood that persistent gaze.
A complete farewell to the dregs of the past that we will never face again. A kind of self-consciousness similar to what I had a long time ago.
“Shall we go?”
So when Edwin smiled brightly and held out his hand, I took it and tried to get out of here without turning around.
But...
“...I will teach you about the magic seal of the contract.”
Duke Madeleine's voice came closer. He should know clearly that we are not meant to talk like this. Could it be that what he said earlier was protection for me and that he wanted to hear my gratitude?
The Emperor could not say anything. He was out of breath. So, is the Grand Duke now saying that he, the Emperor, was in the palm of his hand?!
He couldn't believe it. Until just now, everything seemed like a miracle. When he was tearing his hair out all night and worrying about the safety of the Empire, the infiltration evangelism that came to mind came to him at the same time as the information that the level of censorship for women and clowns was low...!
At that moment, a flash of light flashed in the Emperor's mind. Right. If it weren't for that information, it would have been difficult to even come up with a plan to get the knights out of the castle gates.
"Since when."
A trembling voice escaped from his dry lips. The nobles of the empire, who were in high spirits, looked as if they had sensed something abnormal, but the Emperor had an urgent look on his face, as if he could not even see it.
So Edwin smiled more kindly.
“Why are you asking such a thing? Everyone knows that the three battles in which His Majesty the Emperor participated were all infiltration battles that took place in the comfortably empty castle grounds.”
... Didn't know. He thought the faint light shining was a miracle, but it turned out to be nothing more than a shard of glass in a completely dark abandoned mine.
“When people are in a hurry, aren’t they always looking for something familiar?”
A soft voice shook the Emperor from his thoughts. It was as if everything beneath his feet was disappearing. As his hopes were dashed and his vision became clearer, he saw the empire.
His empire was as tilted as the Duke of Madeleine, who was sitting calmly behind the Duke of Elkin and his sons, who were standing and looking embarrassed.
“It was a lie. It was a lie...!”
Anger arose. The hope he believed in was twisted and obscured before his eyes. The Emperor, who was screaming, was shocked the moment he got up from his seat.
Red eyes stained with hatred were staring at the Grand Duke menacingly. It was unbelievable how the Grand Duke was smiling and looking at him.
"Yes. I also felt very, very painful every time the liar Emperor ordered us to go to war under the threat of ‘White Crystal Mine’ more than 20 times.”
The mocking softness was so bad that he was sick of it. The Emperor gasped as if he was trying to breathe into his shrunken lungs. Edwin smiled sweetly as he looked at that.
“What did you talk about with your father?”
The production of this amazing scene started with something he accidentally said while talking about things with Olivia.
"Well. When was the most difficult time?”
Although it wasn't his father's fault, his father regretted not being there for Edwin during his most difficult moments. So Edwin did not bother to tell his father about his difficult moments. Because everything is over.
But the moment his Young Lady with dull eyes looked at him.
“Edwin, when was the hardest time for you?”
Those gentle gazes were warm as if they were gently enveloping his insides. Funny enough, at that moment, Edwin thought back to the tenth year again.
That was all hr said that day. His sweet childhood was completely gone, his mother did not return, he heard the news that his father had been killed in action, etc.
Edwin, who was muttering something in his mouth, at one point chewed the tip of his tongue. In all his difficult moments, there was a connection between them.
Something full of expectations disappears cruelly.
At that moment, Edwin hurriedly added one more thing to what he needed to achieve.
He had to give in to hope. He didn't know that it would be a defeat, and hoped to be happy as if it were some good luck that had been bestowed on him. Then, he hoped to experience the moment when his insides collapsed and then rotted away.
So he threw a big bait.
Despite the surprisingly poor strategy, the Emperor shaved his head. If you bring sea water to someone thirsty, they will inevitably drink it at some point. Even if it means getting closer to death.
Edwin chuckled happily. It felt like the regret that had been scratching his stomach was finally gone as if he had just poured over a glass of hot alcohol.
“How is the Emperor? I feel like he's floating above the clouds and then falling into the mud.”
The Emperor's face was turning yellow. It was satisfying to see the golden hair he had taken so much pride in spreading across his face. The complexions of the nobles looking at him also turned pale, as if they had finally realized the situation.
Now it was time to end it.
“I hope you appreciate that I don’t want to stay in the system anymore.”
The Prince, who showed a terrible sense of defeat towards him, and the nobles of the empire who were waiting for an opportunity to talk to him, were all insignificant.
“No more for me, my father, or my beautiful fiancée. I hate being in this disgusting place.”
Edwin pursed his lips leisurely. Then he slammed the table and made a cool demand.
“Half of the empire. The area to be restored is the North.”
Of course, this is the compensation that Vikander and Lowell will receive.
***
The sound was loud as if someone had put their head under water. The Emperor could not come to his senses. The nobles of the empire who feared him were at a loss and were being swayed by Vikander.
The Empress, the Prince, and even the Princess said nothing. The silence weighed heavily on the Emperor.
Wow, only then did the Emperor take a deep breath as if he had been rescued from the water.
The Emperor hurriedly looked around.
“From the boundary of the capital to Katanta. The area we need to recover is clear, so what is the Emperor waiting for?”
As the pressure tightened around their necks, the nobles' gaze towards the Emperor became increasingly sharp. As always, the Emperor had to use others as a shield.
Bastard.
The last card that came to mind didn't seem bad.
“Olivia. Doesn’t My Lady have anything more to say?”
As if on cue, the bastard handed over his words to the Princess. At that moment, the Emperor shouted.
“You cannot dare to allow an illegitimate child who has no identity to speak in these negotiations!”
Even the sound of breathing quieted down. Edwin's momentum spread dangerously at the thunderous words. But Olivia caught Edwin trying to stand up.
And I smiled. Toward Edwin, and to his knights who were furious on my behalf.
It's okay.
The knights seemed to have recognized the shape of my mouth and calmed their anger that had risen for a moment. If I think about it from a step back, the Emperor's words were the stepping stone that enabled me to come to the forefront and speak my words.
Meanwhile, I muttered the words that attacked me into my mouth. An illegitimate child...
Why did those words, which don't even tickle anymore, hurt so much before?
As I looked on with my serene gaze, the Emperor thought that this silence was helping him.
Yes. No matter how much I was a Saint loved by the people, most of them here were pure nobles of the empire. Those who mocked me with crude accusations and gossip.
Looking at the nobles who had so far belittled me illegitimate Princess, the Emperor hoped that they would respond to his words. So he cried out even more as if he was vomiting blood.
“You can’t believe that such a lowly thing is considered a Saint! The empire’s ethics have fallen to the ground!”
His upright index finger was pointed at me, who looked aloof and seemed to resemble the Princess of Lowell back in the day. I was a red flag. l was about to get up from my seat.
“No one decides to be born on their own.”
For a moment I blinked my eyes. It wasn't my voice. But a very familiar voice.
“... A young child is stigmatized because she was not born to my wife. What kind of words can be so heartless, Your Majesty."
It was the Duke of Madeleine.
“Naturally, the blame should go to the person who gave birth to the child.”
"Duke!"
The Emperor screamed in a fit of rage, but I did not give him a single glance. No, I didn't even have time to give the Emperor my gaze.
A face with a thin scar on one cheek. The Duke of Madeleine was only looking ahead.
The same was true for his two sons, who stood reassuringly by his side. Even though he said things that seemed to protect me, it was as if it had nothing to do with me.
“And from what Your Majesty has just said, shouldn’t it be me and the Duke of Elkin who are to be blamed?”
“What is this!”
Duke Elkin, embarrassed, jumped forward and shouted. His face, which was as bright red as his hair, shook his head repeatedly and looked at the Emperor, Empress, and nobles of the empire.
It seemed that the Duke of Elkin was not the only one who was perplexed.
“What kind of behavior is this during negotiations, Duke of Madeleine? Did you really end up being Vikander?”
Bang!
As I looked on with my serene gaze, the Emperor thought that this silence was helping him.
Yes. No matter how much I was a Saint loved by the people, most of them here were pure nobles of the empire. Those who mocked me with crude accusations and gossip.
Looking at the nobles who had so far belittled me illegitimate Princess, the Emperor hoped that they would respond to his words. So he cried out even more as if he was vomiting blood.
“You can’t believe that such a lowly thing is considered a Saint! The empire’s ethics have fallen to the ground!”
His upright index finger was pointed at me, who looked aloof and seemed to resemble the Princess of Lowell back in the day. I was a red flag. l was about to get up from my seat.
“No one decides to be born on their own.”
For a moment I blinked my eyes. It wasn't my voice. But a very familiar voice.
“... A young child is stigmatized because she was not born to my wife. What kind of words can be so heartless, Your Majesty."
It was the Duke of Madeleine.
“Naturally, the blame should go to the person who gave birth to the child.”
"Duke!"
The Emperor screamed in a fit of rage, but I did not give him a single glance. No, I didn't even have time to give the Emperor my gaze.
A face with a thin scar on one cheek. The Duke of Madeleine was only looking ahead.
The same was true for his two sons, who stood reassuringly by his side. Even though he said things that seemed to protect me, it was as if it had nothing to do with me.
“And from what Your Majesty has just said, shouldn’t it be me and the Duke of Elkin who are to be blamed?”
“What is this!”
Duke Elkin, embarrassed, jumped forward and shouted. His face, which was as bright red as his hair, shook his head repeatedly and looked at the Emperor, Empress, and nobles of the empire.
It seemed that the Duke of Elkin was not the only one who was perplexed.
“What kind of behavior is this during negotiations, Duke of Madeleine? Did you really end up being Vikander?”
Bang!
The Empress slammed down on the table as if to cut off the flow and spoke her first words. There was no such speculation. But the Duke looked at the Empress with indifferent eyes and said,
“I am the one who was defeated by drugs, and the one who used drugs and threatened people to make them spend unwanted nights together is the Duke of Elkin.”
“What a shame to my family...!”
“Do you really think I said this without any evidence? Even though there is a throne called Count Ethel out there right now?”
The Duke of Elkin, who had been going wild at the elegant words, suddenly became quiet as if glue had been applied to his lips.
It was only a beat later that he remembered that Count Ethel was imprisoned in the mansion and tried to argue again, but the situation was already out of control.
Although rumors circulated about his knowledge, it was shocking for the great nobleman's misdeeds to be revealed during the meeting. Even more so if he was speaking as if he were protecting his daughter, whom he had neglected for so long.
The nobles, who could not contain their surprise, looked at Olivia again.
What kind of face does the Princess who always longed for the affection of her Dukedom look now? What would her face look like now that she has just been exonerated from the aristocratic society where the illegitimate child was criticized?
“B-but!”
A faint voice tore through the conference hall. She was a Princess.
All people's eyes were focused on the Princess. She rolled up the hem of her dress.
It felt nauseatingly unfamiliar to her to be stared at for the first time in a long time. It was the first time she received this much attention since the day when all her achievements were revealed.
Nevertheless, the reason the Princess gained her courage was because of Olivia, who was standing there so majestically. She thought she was in the same situation. It was unfair for her to leave hell alone, as the Princess was shunned by her family.
So the Princess raised her voice.
“Don’t she have green eyes, Duke!"
Another reason why Olivia was attacked.
“She has the blood of a lowly dancer.”
“The previous Grand Duchess also had green eyes.”
“What is that...!”
A smooth voice cut through the Princess's words.
“You don’t understand what I’m saying. In Lowell, a Kingdom that remains in history, green eyes were the eye color of royalty and high-ranking nobles.”
The Princess, who had raised her eyes at the insult of having cut off her words, immediately remembered Olivia's words and blinked her eyes.
Confusion began to appear in his sea-colored eyes. Olivia gently spat at her.
“How dare you...”
“....”
“Even though Vikander’s master here declared that he was the successor to Lowell and Vikander.”
“I-I didn’t mean to do that. Everyone, green eyes...”
After understanding her situation, the Princess hurriedly held out her hand. Olivia grinned. Everyone in her line of sight was avoiding Olivia's gaze.
“I guess so. Not only Your Majesty, but everyone had a lot to say about my green eyes.”
...Except the Duke of Madeleine and his sons.
Why did they come now?
“I am the one who was defeated by drugs, and the one who used drugs and threatened people to make them spend unwanted nights together is the Duke of Elkin.”
“What a shame to my family...!”
“Do you really think I said this without any evidence? Even though there is a throne called Count Ethel out there right now?”
The Duke of Elkin, who had been going wild at the elegant words, suddenly became quiet as if glue had been applied to his lips.
It was only a beat later that he remembered that Count Ethel was imprisoned in the mansion and tried to argue again, but the situation was already out of control.
Although rumors circulated about his knowledge, it was shocking for the great nobleman's misdeeds to be revealed during the meeting. Even more so if he was speaking as if he were protecting his daughter, whom he had neglected for so long.
The nobles, who could not contain their surprise, looked at Olivia again.
What kind of face does the Princess who always longed for the affection of her Dukedom look now? What would her face look like now that she has just been exonerated from the aristocratic society where the illegitimate child was criticized?
“B-but!”
A faint voice tore through the conference hall. She was a Princess.
All people's eyes were focused on the Princess. She rolled up the hem of her dress.
It felt nauseatingly unfamiliar to her to be stared at for the first time in a long time. It was the first time she received this much attention since the day when all her achievements were revealed.
Nevertheless, the reason the Princess gained her courage was because of Olivia, who was standing there so majestically. She thought she was in the same situation. It was unfair for her to leave hell alone, as the Princess was shunned by her family.
So the Princess raised her voice.
“Don’t she have green eyes, Duke!"
Another reason why Olivia was attacked.
“She has the blood of a lowly dancer.”
“The previous Grand Duchess also had green eyes.”
“What is that...!”
A smooth voice cut through the Princess's words.
“You don’t understand what I’m saying. In Lowell, a Kingdom that remains in history, green eyes were the eye color of royalty and high-ranking nobles.”
The Princess, who had raised her eyes at the insult of having cut off her words, immediately remembered Olivia's words and blinked her eyes.
Confusion began to appear in his sea-colored eyes. Olivia gently spat at her.
“How dare you...”
“....”
“Even though Vikander’s master here declared that he was the successor to Lowell and Vikander.”
“I-I didn’t mean to do that. Everyone, green eyes...”
After understanding her situation, the Princess hurriedly held out her hand. Olivia grinned. Everyone in her line of sight was avoiding Olivia's gaze.
“I guess so. Not only Your Majesty, but everyone had a lot to say about my green eyes.”
...Except the Duke of Madeleine and his sons.
Why did they come now?
I held back my throbbing insides for a moment. It felt like someone was sprinkling salt on my wounds, which had become numb from the stains.
Nevertheless, I smiled. Even as I stepped on the floor studded with sharp nails, I looked at the Emperor with a bright smile on my face.
“It wouldn’t have happened if someone hadn’t intentionally started the rumor. Really....”
There was no time to hesitate. Apart from the fact that my precious birth was shrouded in stigma. This was something that had to be said to the Emperor.
“Be polite to the royal family of the Kingdom you once shared history with.”
“....”
“Shameless.”
The Emperor's aged eyes sparkled with anger. But that was all. To him, who seemed to have no more energy to be angry, I recited the future of the Empire that he could clearly see in her eyes.
“...It’s something someone who doesn’t know shame would do.”
His bowels became quiet. The nobles of the empire, who were holding their breath from the swirling vitriol, shrugged their shoulders the moment my gaze turned towards them.
“Tristan granary and Javiel region. Miner territory...”
The list that followed was all the Princess's territory. The Princess, who noticed this, shouted sharply.
“There!”
“Among these, give me the territories that say they will be loyal to me, Your Majesty."
The content contained in the gentle voice was terrible. That was all of the Princess's assets.
“What nonsense?”
“Then I will end here the things that have stained me with infamy. Wouldn’t that be much more moderate than repaying the people here for what I have received?”
The moment I finished speaking, the nobles' eyes changed. While so much had already been taken away, no more could be taken away.
“Her Royal Highness. Isn’t Your Highness a member of the royal family who protects the Empire?”
"You're right. That’s only for loyal fiefdoms, and if they are loyal to Your Highness, nothing will happen!”
Nevertheless, I smiled. Even as I stepped on the floor studded with sharp nails, I looked at the Emperor with a bright smile on my face.
“It wouldn’t have happened if someone hadn’t intentionally started the rumor. Really....”
There was no time to hesitate. Apart from the fact that my precious birth was shrouded in stigma. This was something that had to be said to the Emperor.
“Be polite to the royal family of the Kingdom you once shared history with.”
“....”
“Shameless.”
The Emperor's aged eyes sparkled with anger. But that was all. To him, who seemed to have no more energy to be angry, I recited the future of the Empire that he could clearly see in her eyes.
“...It’s something someone who doesn’t know shame would do.”
His bowels became quiet. The nobles of the empire, who were holding their breath from the swirling vitriol, shrugged their shoulders the moment my gaze turned towards them.
“Tristan granary and Javiel region. Miner territory...”
The list that followed was all the Princess's territory. The Princess, who noticed this, shouted sharply.
“There!”
“Among these, give me the territories that say they will be loyal to me, Your Majesty."
The content contained in the gentle voice was terrible. That was all of the Princess's assets.
“What nonsense?”
“Then I will end here the things that have stained me with infamy. Wouldn’t that be much more moderate than repaying the people here for what I have received?”
The moment I finished speaking, the nobles' eyes changed. While so much had already been taken away, no more could be taken away.
“Her Royal Highness. Isn’t Your Highness a member of the royal family who protects the Empire?”
"You're right. That’s only for loyal fiefdoms, and if they are loyal to Your Highness, nothing will happen!”
The pleading cries rained down. The Princess's face became an earthy color.
I grinned and nodded my head. This is why. What Edwin said was that he would not restore the Princess's domain.
“No, My Lady!”
The voice that trembled like an aspen tree was unsightly. I muttered softly as she faced the Princess who was looking at me as if she were crying.
“Your Highness the Princess knows. How much I value faithfulness.”
Those words were enough to push her into the shadows, with no power or respect.
***
The negotiations that followed were completely dominated by Vikander.
Howard Interfield and other vassals received everything that Vikander and Lowell had not received before, and the Emperor sighed in vain with a look of complete defeat.
After the negotiations were concluded, the Empress turned away from the Emperor and walked out, holding only her daughter. For just a moment, as the Empress looked at the Emperor, I felt that the Empress' gaze was filled with her contempt, her regret, and her deep resentment.
Contrary to his statement that he did not want to be here anymore, Edwin did not get up even after the negotiations were over. Instead, he was watching everything that was happening in the conference room.
The backs of the Empress and Princess, and the Duke of Elkin with a red face. Nobles lingered and talked to Vikander's vassals, and other nobles stomped out as if the world had collapsed.
In the meantime, he decided to pretend not to notice that Winster was blocking the Prince as if he were the love of the century.
Edwin's red eyes were filled with satisfaction, relief, and other indescribable emotions. I vaguely understood that persistent gaze.
A complete farewell to the dregs of the past that we will never face again. A kind of self-consciousness similar to what I had a long time ago.
“Shall we go?”
So when Edwin smiled brightly and held out his hand, I took it and tried to get out of here without turning around.
But...
“...I will teach you about the magic seal of the contract.”
Duke Madeleine's voice came closer. He should know clearly that we are not meant to talk like this. Could it be that what he said earlier was protection for me and that he wanted to hear my gratitude?
I smiled brightly and turned my head.
And when my eyes met him, I unconsciously tightened my hands. Those amethyst-colored eyes were me from a long time ago.
Eyes filled with pleading that clearly show earnestness, hunger, and longing.
Why is that person looking at me like that?
And when my eyes met him, I unconsciously tightened my hands. Those amethyst-colored eyes were me from a long time ago.
Eyes filled with pleading that clearly show earnestness, hunger, and longing.
Why is that person looking at me like that?
The words popped out like thorns on the tip of my tongue.
“... Do you want to join Vikander?”
When the Duke of Madeleine's eyes widened at those words, I slowly swallowed my saliva.
Even when he offered me a carriage, when he came to visit me, and when he spoke earlier, the things I had constantly denied were slowly coming to my skin.
“...I must be very hated.”
...Just barely, now.
As if I felt an empty space left behind a long time ago.
Just barely, just now.
“... Do you want to join Vikander?”
When the Duke of Madeleine's eyes widened at those words, I slowly swallowed my saliva.
Even when he offered me a carriage, when he came to visit me, and when he spoke earlier, the things I had constantly denied were slowly coming to my skin.
“...I must be very hated.”
...Just barely, now.
As if I felt an empty space left behind a long time ago.
Just barely, just now.
Someone wrote that they felt those who were really at fault weren't given their just reward but I feel as if everyone who was supposed to be punished were punished as they should. Olivia's family however chose the path of complete repentance which can be bittersweet for the person they wronged, Olivia. I can see where someone can say that the Madeline didn't get paid back as they should have been, however it's ultimately still up to Olivia if she chooses to forgive or still pay her family back.
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