He opened his eyes with a start. A familiar space that was similar to the interior of Rowen Castle but had a unique feel that was more formalized and refined came into view. It was the royal palace's private room where his mother always stayed.
'...Royal palace?'
Kaian muttered without realizing it, and Claudel teased him.
'You sleep really well in the royal palace?'
'Fell asleep?'
'Yes. Do you know how long it took me to wake you up?'
He slowly got up from the long sofa where he was lying. However, as soon as he got up, he snatched Claudel into his arms as if he were snatching her away.
Kaian lightly dropped his wife into his arms and placed her down on the sofa.
'Kaian!'
She let out a surprised cry as she was instantly laid down under his arm.
'Why, why?'
Today, Claudel was particularly beautiful.
The figure of a woman who always enjoyed herself alone was in a meaningless crowd, and he realized once again how precious she was.
Madame Marcel had made her wear the dress, complaining that she had a hard time sewing the details by hand, and the jewels her mother had brought and put on her just in time went very well with her.
'Because you're pretty.'
He had never told Claudel that she was pretty.
He had felt that she wanted to hear that, but how could a man say such a thing?
Kaian's usual opinion was that men who tried to win over women's favor with words were pathetic.
'I said 'You're the best I've ever seen' just now.'
The woman, who opened her eyes brightly as if she were being scolded, looked very happy about his compliment.
Seeing her like that, her eyes suddenly felt stinging as if tears were about to fall, and her heart felt like it was going to rip.
'Are you uncomfortable?'
Claudel took off the silk gloves that were tightly fitted to her slender fingers and placed a hand on his cheek.
Instead of answering, Kaian slowly leaned toward her.
The dark room with the lights off was quiet.
He watched the woman slowly closing her eyes as if she was sinking into the shadows cast by her body.
When her jewel-like golden eyes disappeared into her completely closed ones, he opened her lips somewhat hastily.
“...”
Claudel shrugged her shoulders and pushed his chest with her fist, but Kaian was even more moved.
She said she would meet the Duchess of Vermont and her sister for a moment, so he gave her his mother’s reception room.
The space that Madame Elise had used as a Princess was still there, so he had planned to wait until after he finished talking with his family and show her the place that his mother had used.
“Kaian. Wait a minute.”
The woman who breathed hot air as if whispering into his lips that had barely moved was so attractive that he only wanted to commit lewd acts.
'You’re tempting me.'
'What?'
With her cheeks flushed red, he lightly kissed her neckline, which was in disbelief, and Claudel resisted as if she was going to get up.
'No. I have to go soon.'
However, feeling the soft warmth he had dreamed of and inhaling her scent, he finally felt like he could breathe and live, so he couldn't let her go.
'I had a strange dream.'
He thought that he would have to hug Claudel right here and there until she calmed down and rolled around to relieve his suffocating feeling.
Kaian tried to treat her rationally and stroked her body wrapped in the hem of her thin dress with his large hand.
'How can you dream while you're only half asleep?'
She chuckled and placed her hand on his neck as if it was funny.
'What was that dream?'
However, he didn't think it was necessary to tell her about his excruciating dream.
'No. Anyway, is it that late already?'
To show the curious Duchess a good view, he took care to occupy one room on the terrace of the palace all to himself.
Before he knew it, it was time for the fireworks to start.
'Let's go quickly. What if someone sees it?'
Kaian helped Claudel up. However, he felt sorry for holding her hand, so he hugged her again and rubbed her cheek, and after hesitating for a while, he was finally able to head to the terrace. The early winter nights in the capital were quite cold, so Kaian felt relieved only after he dressed her in a warm fur-covered cloak and even gave her a lap blanket.
Taking care of Claudel was really annoying. He had lit a fire in a small brazier on the terrace and had five blankets and a hot water bottle in case she caught a cold and showed any of the symptoms of the aftereffects of Herzol that had not yet been revealed, and he was worried that she would cough even once.
'Why do you keep looking at me?'
Claudel, who had been watching the fireworks for a while, looked at him with an awkward expression.
'Just...'
Why would she watch fireworks that he could just buy and set off?
The woman, who laughed as if she found his words indifferent, suddenly took off her right glove and took his hand to take off the glove on her left hand.
Watching her do that made his heart ache and feel sad again.
After holding his bare hands, she pushed his hand into the blanket covering her knees.
Claudel had always said that.
She wanted to touch him.
It was so awkward to have their bare skins touch, but at some point, it had become so familiar.
If even a thin shirt was placed between them, he would feel thirsty because they couldn't completely touch.
'Kaian. I like you.'
Claudel's voice suddenly became filled with excitement.
'You? Do you like me too?'
Kaian wanted to cry. Something inside him swelled as if he would scream and burst into tears at any moment. He was on the verge of bursting.
'No.'
No. No. That's not it.
Claudel's eyes lost their light.
During the feast where the most splendid lights in the world were gathered and exploded, the golden eyes that had been the prettiest among them gradually faded into a dull, dead black color.
'You don't hate me, do you?'
'Does not dislike mean you like me?'
Kaian tried hard to cover his mouth which was like exploding a bomb, but failed.
Her sad face, the days when she loved him so much that she would submit to his every word, spun around and around like a revolving lantern.
Finally, Claudel, standing on the bow, barely managed to reach out to him.
'Save me, Kaian.'
However, when he slammed his foot on the flagpole, Claudel screamed and staggered.
'Vermont. You look so good.'
'I said 'You're the best I've ever seen' just now.'
The woman, who opened her eyes brightly as if she were being scolded, looked very happy about his compliment.
Seeing her like that, her eyes suddenly felt stinging as if tears were about to fall, and her heart felt like it was going to rip.
'Are you uncomfortable?'
Claudel took off the silk gloves that were tightly fitted to her slender fingers and placed a hand on his cheek.
Instead of answering, Kaian slowly leaned toward her.
The dark room with the lights off was quiet.
He watched the woman slowly closing her eyes as if she was sinking into the shadows cast by her body.
When her jewel-like golden eyes disappeared into her completely closed ones, he opened her lips somewhat hastily.
“...”
Claudel shrugged her shoulders and pushed his chest with her fist, but Kaian was even more moved.
She said she would meet the Duchess of Vermont and her sister for a moment, so he gave her his mother’s reception room.
The space that Madame Elise had used as a Princess was still there, so he had planned to wait until after he finished talking with his family and show her the place that his mother had used.
“Kaian. Wait a minute.”
The woman who breathed hot air as if whispering into his lips that had barely moved was so attractive that he only wanted to commit lewd acts.
'You’re tempting me.'
'What?'
With her cheeks flushed red, he lightly kissed her neckline, which was in disbelief, and Claudel resisted as if she was going to get up.
'No. I have to go soon.'
However, feeling the soft warmth he had dreamed of and inhaling her scent, he finally felt like he could breathe and live, so he couldn't let her go.
'I had a strange dream.'
He thought that he would have to hug Claudel right here and there until she calmed down and rolled around to relieve his suffocating feeling.
Kaian tried to treat her rationally and stroked her body wrapped in the hem of her thin dress with his large hand.
'How can you dream while you're only half asleep?'
She chuckled and placed her hand on his neck as if it was funny.
'What was that dream?'
However, he didn't think it was necessary to tell her about his excruciating dream.
'No. Anyway, is it that late already?'
To show the curious Duchess a good view, he took care to occupy one room on the terrace of the palace all to himself.
Before he knew it, it was time for the fireworks to start.
'Let's go quickly. What if someone sees it?'
Kaian helped Claudel up. However, he felt sorry for holding her hand, so he hugged her again and rubbed her cheek, and after hesitating for a while, he was finally able to head to the terrace. The early winter nights in the capital were quite cold, so Kaian felt relieved only after he dressed her in a warm fur-covered cloak and even gave her a lap blanket.
Taking care of Claudel was really annoying. He had lit a fire in a small brazier on the terrace and had five blankets and a hot water bottle in case she caught a cold and showed any of the symptoms of the aftereffects of Herzol that had not yet been revealed, and he was worried that she would cough even once.
'Why do you keep looking at me?'
Claudel, who had been watching the fireworks for a while, looked at him with an awkward expression.
'Just...'
Why would she watch fireworks that he could just buy and set off?
The woman, who laughed as if she found his words indifferent, suddenly took off her right glove and took his hand to take off the glove on her left hand.
Watching her do that made his heart ache and feel sad again.
After holding his bare hands, she pushed his hand into the blanket covering her knees.
Claudel had always said that.
She wanted to touch him.
It was so awkward to have their bare skins touch, but at some point, it had become so familiar.
If even a thin shirt was placed between them, he would feel thirsty because they couldn't completely touch.
'Kaian. I like you.'
Claudel's voice suddenly became filled with excitement.
'You? Do you like me too?'
Kaian wanted to cry. Something inside him swelled as if he would scream and burst into tears at any moment. He was on the verge of bursting.
'No.'
No. No. That's not it.
Claudel's eyes lost their light.
During the feast where the most splendid lights in the world were gathered and exploded, the golden eyes that had been the prettiest among them gradually faded into a dull, dead black color.
'You don't hate me, do you?'
'Does not dislike mean you like me?'
Kaian tried hard to cover his mouth which was like exploding a bomb, but failed.
Her sad face, the days when she loved him so much that she would submit to his every word, spun around and around like a revolving lantern.
Finally, Claudel, standing on the bow, barely managed to reach out to him.
'Save me, Kaian.'
However, when he slammed his foot on the flagpole, Claudel screamed and staggered.
'Vermont. You look so good.'
He had never said such a thing.
While Kaian's consciousness was lost in shock, his body gained strength and pushed Claudel into the lake.
Gosh.
When the woman who had been pushed away screamed and disappeared into the water, only then did Kaian's body move according to his will as if he had escaped the chains that had been binding him.
'Claudel! Claudel!'
He jumped into the water with a feeling of vomiting blood.
Then, under the water where the lanterns were reflected, Claudel was sitting with her knees up and crying.
'You said you would kick me out after a year... Did you really say that?'
No.
However, whenever he said something, it seemed like she couldn't hear what he was trying to say because his mouth would swell every time he opened it underwater.
Kaian felt like his whole body was being torn apart.
At first, his chest, the area near his heart, hurt.
However, as he watched the anxiety that Claudel must have experienced one by one as if he could touch it, an invisible knife cut through him moment by moment, and soon no place didn't hurt.
That's how much he had hurt her.
It was a shame for him to say that it hurt.
Kaian gave up on trying to say something to her and swam away. Fortunately, he was able to hug her.
But the body temperature that had been vivid until just a moment ago had become colder, and her slender body had become even stiffer like a dry tree.
The face of the woman who had been full of life had lost its color and turned blue and bluish.
'Kaian. It’s so cold here.'
I’m sorry. Claudel.
'Take me with you. Hurry.'
Yes. I will.
She was gradually reaching her limit of breath.
But she couldn’t get out of the water.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
The butler shook Kaian urgently.
“Get a doctor. Hurry.”
“Yes, Butler.”
It had been a month and six days since Claudel had gone missing.
The Duke of Temnes had been sick with an inexplicable fever for nearly ten days, and even then, people were whispering that it was probably a fever caused by the food being stolen in Vermont.
Hannah had lost her vitality.
Many people had become like that after Claudel’s accident, but she was particularly lost.
“Do you really have to go?”
She said lonely as she looked at Madame Cronach.
“I have work to do.”
“Is it the royal family who made our village like this?”
Madame Cronach did not answer Hannah’s question.
“Hannah. If you knew about this, your life would be in danger.”
“But...”
“This is something I have been preparing for a long time. I can finish it with my own hands.”
“Claudel said that the Duke set fire to our village. She heard that from Princess Bianque.”
“Princess Bianque said that?”
“Yes.”
“There’s one more person who has to give up their life.”
It was true that Kaian set fire to the village. However, it wasn’t because of Kaian that the village of Plogne became like that.
He had come to clean up the burned village under the orders of Queen Sylvia. He wanted to clean up the traces of the village and the trees that had been burned so that there would be no trace of human life. He collected the unburned remains and burned them.
‘But you deliberately leaked to Claudel that Kaian had done it?’
Why?
Madame Cronach felt something in her premonition.
‘I’ll just have to hear it myself.’
She would eventually have to face him when it came to taking revenge.
“I’ll go too.”
“You stay here, Hannah.”
She said, looking at her daughter’s friend. Now, to Madame Cronach, Hannah was also included in what her daughter had loved and left behind.
“You have Rohan.”
While Kaian's consciousness was lost in shock, his body gained strength and pushed Claudel into the lake.
Gosh.
When the woman who had been pushed away screamed and disappeared into the water, only then did Kaian's body move according to his will as if he had escaped the chains that had been binding him.
'Claudel! Claudel!'
He jumped into the water with a feeling of vomiting blood.
Then, under the water where the lanterns were reflected, Claudel was sitting with her knees up and crying.
'You said you would kick me out after a year... Did you really say that?'
No.
However, whenever he said something, it seemed like she couldn't hear what he was trying to say because his mouth would swell every time he opened it underwater.
Kaian felt like his whole body was being torn apart.
At first, his chest, the area near his heart, hurt.
However, as he watched the anxiety that Claudel must have experienced one by one as if he could touch it, an invisible knife cut through him moment by moment, and soon no place didn't hurt.
That's how much he had hurt her.
It was a shame for him to say that it hurt.
Kaian gave up on trying to say something to her and swam away. Fortunately, he was able to hug her.
But the body temperature that had been vivid until just a moment ago had become colder, and her slender body had become even stiffer like a dry tree.
The face of the woman who had been full of life had lost its color and turned blue and bluish.
'Kaian. It’s so cold here.'
I’m sorry. Claudel.
'Take me with you. Hurry.'
Yes. I will.
She was gradually reaching her limit of breath.
But she couldn’t get out of the water.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
The butler shook Kaian urgently.
“Get a doctor. Hurry.”
“Yes, Butler.”
It had been a month and six days since Claudel had gone missing.
The Duke of Temnes had been sick with an inexplicable fever for nearly ten days, and even then, people were whispering that it was probably a fever caused by the food being stolen in Vermont.
***
Hannah had lost her vitality.
Many people had become like that after Claudel’s accident, but she was particularly lost.
“Do you really have to go?”
She said lonely as she looked at Madame Cronach.
“I have work to do.”
“Is it the royal family who made our village like this?”
Madame Cronach did not answer Hannah’s question.
“Hannah. If you knew about this, your life would be in danger.”
“But...”
“This is something I have been preparing for a long time. I can finish it with my own hands.”
“Claudel said that the Duke set fire to our village. She heard that from Princess Bianque.”
“Princess Bianque said that?”
“Yes.”
“There’s one more person who has to give up their life.”
It was true that Kaian set fire to the village. However, it wasn’t because of Kaian that the village of Plogne became like that.
He had come to clean up the burned village under the orders of Queen Sylvia. He wanted to clean up the traces of the village and the trees that had been burned so that there would be no trace of human life. He collected the unburned remains and burned them.
‘But you deliberately leaked to Claudel that Kaian had done it?’
Why?
Madame Cronach felt something in her premonition.
‘I’ll just have to hear it myself.’
She would eventually have to face him when it came to taking revenge.
“I’ll go too.”
“You stay here, Hannah.”
She said, looking at her daughter’s friend. Now, to Madame Cronach, Hannah was also included in what her daughter had loved and left behind.
“You have Rohan.”
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