“...What did you order me to do?”
Dietrich asked the robed man.
When he took off his robe, Anderson’s face was revealed.
“I came here. When I told them that I saw Illeon burn down the Great Temple with my own eyes, they turned their eyes away. I didn’t think they would believe me outright.”
Dietrich snickered as if he had expected it.
“What people need right now is a scapegoat to relieve their anxiety. What’s so important about a symbolic figure? They will feel more secure as the person who seemed infinitely high falls.”
It’s ironic.
However, when you see that the mouth that once praised Seliya is now blaspheming her as a witch, aren’t people really two-faced?
“The crowd quickly turns away if their desires aren’t met. The more unstable the situation becomes, the more they look for someone to relieve their anxiety rather than rely on others.”
Anderson exclaimed, “Aha,” at Dietrich’s words.
“Besides, since you said Illeon fought with Duke Portman, Illeon might think that it was not me but Balt who spread the false rumor that he burned down the Great Temple.”
“...I see.”
Swish-
Dietrich looked out the window where the rain was falling.
It had been dark clouds since morning, but in the afternoon, heavy rain poured down as if a hole had been ripped through the sky.
“What will Duke Portman do? I expect that even though he has a falling out, he will help Illeon, who is also from the Third Duke.”
Dietrich frowned at Anderson’s words.
Balt Portman.
He was the biggest variable in the current situation.
Dietrich knew that he had been close with Illeon since they were young, but he couldn’t understand why Balt, who was like that, had decided to change his attitude.
Balt should have sided with Illeon to prevent the destruction of Abelon.
However, looking at the current situation, it seemed that Balt and Illeon had completely broken up.
“They will inevitably contact you first. Then we will know for sure.”
Dietrich was right. On that night when the rain poured down heavily, Balt sent a letter through the palace gatekeeper. The letter was rough and short, saying, “If you want to touch Illeon, feel free to touch him,” and the red seal of the Portman family was stamped underneath.
Seliya left the palace wearing a black robe. She wanted to see the situation on the street for herself.
Dietrich did not stop Seliya. Who would listen if he stopped her?
Of course, if Seliya was really in danger, he would have stopped her at all costs, but thanks to his encouragement, Seliya was much more lively than before.
Seliya looked around the empty streets of the capital.
The once lively streets had become dark beyond recognition.
There were no people out on the street doing business, no one bargaining with merchants for their goods, and most of the shops were completely closed.
Aside from the imperial knights patrolling under Dietrich’s orders, it was hard to find anyone.
Seliya looked at the messy Abelon with calm eyes.
At that moment, the empty cry of an old man walking from the other side rang out.
“God has abandoned us! He has come to judge this Abelon in the name of destruction!”
The old man’s desperate cry was interrupted by the knights.
Even as he was dragged by the knights, the old man continued to scream at the top of his lungs.
“Abelon will be destroyed! Not a single person or blade of grass will be left!”
Seliya pondered the old man’s words.
What she was doing was like trying to kill innocent people.
She hated Abelon terribly, but the people of Abelon were innocent.
She was just being ignorant and being incited by people who pointed fingers at her as a witch.
Is it right to kill these people?
In this way, Illeon, who destroyed her kingdom, is no different from her.
It was Seliya's long-held wish to completely wipe the great empire of Abelon off the map.
If she massacred all the people of Abelon, Abelon's very existence would be completely erased, just as Seliya wanted.
But is that really what she wants?
Would her family, who had gone to heaven first, want that too?
Seliya knew that the family she knew would say no.
"The more wealthy you are, the more you should give to the people. Power is not a privilege for the wealthy. Power is held by those who have to make the people peaceful. If a country forgets its duty and wields its power as it pleases, such a country will surely perish."
It was something her father, the King of the Shan Kingdom, had taught Seliya.
The revenge she had longed for was right before her eyes.
But why did her father’s words come to mind now?
When he took off his robe, Anderson’s face was revealed.
“I came here. When I told them that I saw Illeon burn down the Great Temple with my own eyes, they turned their eyes away. I didn’t think they would believe me outright.”
Dietrich snickered as if he had expected it.
“What people need right now is a scapegoat to relieve their anxiety. What’s so important about a symbolic figure? They will feel more secure as the person who seemed infinitely high falls.”
It’s ironic.
However, when you see that the mouth that once praised Seliya is now blaspheming her as a witch, aren’t people really two-faced?
“The crowd quickly turns away if their desires aren’t met. The more unstable the situation becomes, the more they look for someone to relieve their anxiety rather than rely on others.”
Anderson exclaimed, “Aha,” at Dietrich’s words.
“Besides, since you said Illeon fought with Duke Portman, Illeon might think that it was not me but Balt who spread the false rumor that he burned down the Great Temple.”
“...I see.”
Swish-
Dietrich looked out the window where the rain was falling.
It had been dark clouds since morning, but in the afternoon, heavy rain poured down as if a hole had been ripped through the sky.
“What will Duke Portman do? I expect that even though he has a falling out, he will help Illeon, who is also from the Third Duke.”
Dietrich frowned at Anderson’s words.
Balt Portman.
He was the biggest variable in the current situation.
Dietrich knew that he had been close with Illeon since they were young, but he couldn’t understand why Balt, who was like that, had decided to change his attitude.
Balt should have sided with Illeon to prevent the destruction of Abelon.
However, looking at the current situation, it seemed that Balt and Illeon had completely broken up.
“They will inevitably contact you first. Then we will know for sure.”
Dietrich was right. On that night when the rain poured down heavily, Balt sent a letter through the palace gatekeeper. The letter was rough and short, saying, “If you want to touch Illeon, feel free to touch him,” and the red seal of the Portman family was stamped underneath.
***
Seliya left the palace wearing a black robe. She wanted to see the situation on the street for herself.
Dietrich did not stop Seliya. Who would listen if he stopped her?
Of course, if Seliya was really in danger, he would have stopped her at all costs, but thanks to his encouragement, Seliya was much more lively than before.
Seliya looked around the empty streets of the capital.
The once lively streets had become dark beyond recognition.
There were no people out on the street doing business, no one bargaining with merchants for their goods, and most of the shops were completely closed.
Aside from the imperial knights patrolling under Dietrich’s orders, it was hard to find anyone.
Seliya looked at the messy Abelon with calm eyes.
At that moment, the empty cry of an old man walking from the other side rang out.
“God has abandoned us! He has come to judge this Abelon in the name of destruction!”
The old man’s desperate cry was interrupted by the knights.
Even as he was dragged by the knights, the old man continued to scream at the top of his lungs.
“Abelon will be destroyed! Not a single person or blade of grass will be left!”
Seliya pondered the old man’s words.
What she was doing was like trying to kill innocent people.
She hated Abelon terribly, but the people of Abelon were innocent.
She was just being ignorant and being incited by people who pointed fingers at her as a witch.
Is it right to kill these people?
In this way, Illeon, who destroyed her kingdom, is no different from her.
It was Seliya's long-held wish to completely wipe the great empire of Abelon off the map.
If she massacred all the people of Abelon, Abelon's very existence would be completely erased, just as Seliya wanted.
But is that really what she wants?
Would her family, who had gone to heaven first, want that too?
Seliya knew that the family she knew would say no.
"The more wealthy you are, the more you should give to the people. Power is not a privilege for the wealthy. Power is held by those who have to make the people peaceful. If a country forgets its duty and wields its power as it pleases, such a country will surely perish."
It was something her father, the King of the Shan Kingdom, had taught Seliya.
The revenge she had longed for was right before her eyes.
But why did her father’s words come to mind now?
The reason Seliya brought up the new country to Dietrich was also to incorporate the people who had nowhere to go after the fall of Abelon. She didn’t want people like her to appear anymore.
She killed the old Emperor in an extremely low-class way.
If she thought about it, there must have been better ways.
It wasn’t just her body that had deteriorated over time.
On the day her kingdom fell, Seliya’s time had completely stopped that day.
Seliya realized that she had been ruined.
If things had gone as they were, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had taken her own life by now.
Revenge was the purpose and end of Seliya’s life.
‘Or maybe my face was ruined after taking the poison given by Illeon.’
Of course, she wouldn’t have taken her anger out on others like Jeremy just because her face was ruined.
'There's only one step left...'
While spending time with Dietrich, she kept thinking about the future. A better future.
It was confusing to think about a future that she had never imagined, having been caught up in the past.
Seliya walked, lost in thought.
However, Seliya stopped walking when she felt someone following her.
Then, the person following her also stopped walking.
Seliya looked back.
As soon as she saw the man wearing a robe like her, a smirk escaped her teeth. Even though he was wearing a black robe, his sturdy body was not hidden.
Seliya could tell who he was just by looking at his outline.
The person who had been following her was none other than Dietrich.
"You, I told you to let me go without any problems, but did you plan on following me from the beginning?"
Dietrich's calm voice flowed out at Seliya's words.
"I can't let you go alone in a dangerous situation where something might happen."
It was as if he had said an obvious proposition to the person who had secretly followed him.
“Alone? I’m not alone.”
Seliya carefully took something out of the hem of her robe. When Seliya opened her hand, a parrot covered in red feathers with only a yellow chest poked its head out.
“I came with Popo.”
Dietrich narrowed his eyes and came closer to Seliya.
“Hey, Seliya. Popo can’t protect you in an emergency.”
Popo flinched as if frightened by Dietrich’s sharp words.
“You, that was a disparaging remark to Popo just now. Can’t you see that Popo is intimidated?”
“...You’re really going crazy. Is Popo more precious to you than me?”
“Why are you comparing yourself to an animal? Of course Popo is more precious.”
Dietrich looked very hurt by Seliya’s words.
Dietrich’s face darkened suddenly because he was so hurt.
Seliya’s heart softened at the sight of him looking like a pitiful puppy in the rain.
“Just kidding~ You’re both precious to me.”
Seliya said, rolling her eyes. Dietrich looked at Popo with an indescribable expression.
“...I don’t like him either. And he’s a male.”
“Look, Dietrich. I’ve said this many times, but Popo was a gift you gave me. If you act so petty, you won’t be popular with the girls.”
“That’s a problem. I don’t need anyone else, but I think it would really hurt if you didn’t like him.”
Popo, who had been quiet, suddenly flew out of Seliya’s hand.
Popo pecked Dietrich’s head with his beak without mercy, even though he didn’t like him.
Dietrich, who was suddenly attacked by Popo, didn’t suffer any damage.
This was because Dietrich had trained his body to the limit while living in the palace, so he wouldn’t suffer any damage from a half-assed attack.
On the contrary, Popo, whose beak was hurting, returned to Seliya’s hand.
“See. This quiet kid is peckin’ at your head because you treated Popo badly.”
Dietrich casually brushed back his messy hair and looked down at Popo. When their eyes met, Popo was the first to look away.
“...You're having a good time.”
At that moment, a man’s voice suddenly interrupted.
Dietrich and Seliya’s eyes turned to the man.
She killed the old Emperor in an extremely low-class way.
If she thought about it, there must have been better ways.
It wasn’t just her body that had deteriorated over time.
On the day her kingdom fell, Seliya’s time had completely stopped that day.
Seliya realized that she had been ruined.
If things had gone as they were, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had taken her own life by now.
Revenge was the purpose and end of Seliya’s life.
‘Or maybe my face was ruined after taking the poison given by Illeon.’
Of course, she wouldn’t have taken her anger out on others like Jeremy just because her face was ruined.
'There's only one step left...'
While spending time with Dietrich, she kept thinking about the future. A better future.
It was confusing to think about a future that she had never imagined, having been caught up in the past.
Seliya walked, lost in thought.
However, Seliya stopped walking when she felt someone following her.
Then, the person following her also stopped walking.
Seliya looked back.
As soon as she saw the man wearing a robe like her, a smirk escaped her teeth. Even though he was wearing a black robe, his sturdy body was not hidden.
Seliya could tell who he was just by looking at his outline.
The person who had been following her was none other than Dietrich.
"You, I told you to let me go without any problems, but did you plan on following me from the beginning?"
Dietrich's calm voice flowed out at Seliya's words.
"I can't let you go alone in a dangerous situation where something might happen."
It was as if he had said an obvious proposition to the person who had secretly followed him.
“Alone? I’m not alone.”
Seliya carefully took something out of the hem of her robe. When Seliya opened her hand, a parrot covered in red feathers with only a yellow chest poked its head out.
“I came with Popo.”
Dietrich narrowed his eyes and came closer to Seliya.
“Hey, Seliya. Popo can’t protect you in an emergency.”
Popo flinched as if frightened by Dietrich’s sharp words.
“You, that was a disparaging remark to Popo just now. Can’t you see that Popo is intimidated?”
“...You’re really going crazy. Is Popo more precious to you than me?”
“Why are you comparing yourself to an animal? Of course Popo is more precious.”
Dietrich looked very hurt by Seliya’s words.
Dietrich’s face darkened suddenly because he was so hurt.
Seliya’s heart softened at the sight of him looking like a pitiful puppy in the rain.
“Just kidding~ You’re both precious to me.”
Seliya said, rolling her eyes. Dietrich looked at Popo with an indescribable expression.
“...I don’t like him either. And he’s a male.”
“Look, Dietrich. I’ve said this many times, but Popo was a gift you gave me. If you act so petty, you won’t be popular with the girls.”
“That’s a problem. I don’t need anyone else, but I think it would really hurt if you didn’t like him.”
Popo, who had been quiet, suddenly flew out of Seliya’s hand.
Popo pecked Dietrich’s head with his beak without mercy, even though he didn’t like him.
Dietrich, who was suddenly attacked by Popo, didn’t suffer any damage.
This was because Dietrich had trained his body to the limit while living in the palace, so he wouldn’t suffer any damage from a half-assed attack.
On the contrary, Popo, whose beak was hurting, returned to Seliya’s hand.
“See. This quiet kid is peckin’ at your head because you treated Popo badly.”
Dietrich casually brushed back his messy hair and looked down at Popo. When their eyes met, Popo was the first to look away.
“...You're having a good time.”
At that moment, a man’s voice suddenly interrupted.
Dietrich and Seliya’s eyes turned to the man.
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