She felt the wind touching her cheek. Judith slowly opened her eyes. Her face, which had raised her head, was innocent like a child. Her eyes, which knew neither sorrow, anger, nor regret, looked up at the sky of the same color. It was a clear blue sky without a single cloud.
'This is...'
Judith blinked, startled, looked down at her body, and made a bewildered expression. She was wearing a dress as white as the first snow of winter, something she had never seen before. It was so light that it seemed like it could fly away, and it was delicately decorated with beautiful jewels and lace.
She quickly got up. All around her was green grass. Above her head, the sky was clear, and there were no trees or rocks to block her view. Not far away was the round horizon. She had been in a tower that didn't even received light a moment ago, so how on earth did this happen?
'Yeah, tower.'
Judith carefully touched her lips and moved her tongue inside them little by little. She swallowed her tongue to die, but somehow it didn’t hurt at all. But where is this place? What happened to these clothes, the fragrant hair, and the clean hands without a single wound? Am I dreaming?
'Dream...'
Was she dead in the tower? Or was she dreaming her last dream before he died?
Franz's fingertips carefully caressed Judith's eyes. After a long moment of silence, he spoke.
“Do you wish I didn’t love you? Don’t you need my love anymore?”
If so, Franz lowered his gaze without saying a word. He was smiling, but he looked very distressed.
“...Now that you’ve achieved what you wanted, you want to say that I’m useless? I’m sorry, but I have no intention of letting you go now. Even if you hate me, even if you despise me, absolutely not.”
Franz’s gaze, which had been downcast, looked straight at Judith. At that moment, Judith felt the scenery from her dream a little while ago come back to her. The sight of him standing with his arms outstretched toward her in the middle of the burning autumn leaves was vivid as if it were a lie.
"...Don’t let me go.”
Her voice trembled because of the crying. Franz’s eyes, which faced her, also seemed to be shaking. When Judith raised her arms, Franz carefully hugged her body. Two streams of tears met between their cheeks and flowed intertwined like watercourses.
“Don’t let me go. Keep loving me. Call my name...”
Hot lips pressed against Judith's cheek. Judith couldn't stop crying as she smelled the familiar scent from Franz's neck, who lowered his head.
“Do you think there will ever be a day when I don’t love you? That day will never come. It will never come. Judith, I love you.”
'This is...'
Judith blinked, startled, looked down at her body, and made a bewildered expression. She was wearing a dress as white as the first snow of winter, something she had never seen before. It was so light that it seemed like it could fly away, and it was delicately decorated with beautiful jewels and lace.
She quickly got up. All around her was green grass. Above her head, the sky was clear, and there were no trees or rocks to block her view. Not far away was the round horizon. She had been in a tower that didn't even received light a moment ago, so how on earth did this happen?
'Yeah, tower.'
Judith carefully touched her lips and moved her tongue inside them little by little. She swallowed her tongue to die, but somehow it didn’t hurt at all. But where is this place? What happened to these clothes, the fragrant hair, and the clean hands without a single wound? Am I dreaming?
'Dream...'
Was she dead in the tower? Or was she dreaming her last dream before he died?
Either way, it didn't matter. If it was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. Even if she could stay here forever, that would be better. Her dead body would gradually rot away on the damp stone floor, but there was no one left to mourn, so what did that matter?
Judith walked slowly across the grass. The tender touch of the grass stems tickling her bare feet, like new leaves sprouting in spring, was ecstatically ticklish and lovely.
She spread her arms wide and enjoyed the breeze blowing in from all directions. It was a gentle breeze that seemed to have buried its nose in the flowers and even had a sweet scent.
In her life of just over twenty years, she has never felt so free and comfortable. Her steps as if dancing, as she walked through the grass, were light as if she didn’t feel any weight. If she had known it would be like this, she would have taken off her shoes and walked through the grass at least once while she was alive. If she had known it would be this carefree and enjoyable.
Judith's spinning feet stopped near the horizon. When she got closer, she saw that it was not the horizon, but the point where the ground ends.
Judith looked back, bewildered. She saw the same horizon on the other side, about the same distance away as she had just walked.
Judith's eyes widened in surprise as she peered out from beyond. She was neither in a wide meadow nor on top of a cliff. The land, which seemed to have been cut out of a plain, was floating in the air.
'How did this happen?'
Judith knelt on the grass and looked down into the distance. The season where she was was spring, just after the ice had melted, and the world below was red. The leaves on the trees were all red, and it looked like a wildfire.
At that moment, tears fell from Judith's eyes. It happened without her even realizing it. The tears did not stop at one time. Two, three times, they flowed continuously, falling down like rain. Judith was embarrassed and covered her face because she could not figure out what was so sad.
Why am I crying like this? I'm so free, so happy. Now I can be alone here forever.
Without being disturbed by anyone, without being despised by anyone, just alone.
'Judith.'
Judith's shoulders, which had been trembling and shedding tears, stopped still. Her face, which had pulled away from her palm, looked complicated, with indescribable emotions entangled. Whose voice was it? It was definitely someone she knew, but she couldn't remember. It was a voice she wanted to hear so badly, but she couldn't tell.
'Judith, come here.'
The voice came again from a closer place. She turned her head to look behind her, but there was no one there. Judith, who had jumped up, looked in the opposite direction again as if drawn by something. She looked at the empty space with nothing in it and slowly lowered down. There it was. In the middle of the red maple leaves surrounded all around, a man with golden eyes and hair like blazing flames.
'Come to me, Judith.'
Franz opened his arms toward her. Even though he and she were very far apart, each expression, each look in his eyes, seemed strangely clear and distinct. Judith took a deep breath and her chest heaved anxiously. She didn’t know if she would be able to stay here any longer if she chose him. In this peaceful, cozy, and lonely place.
“Franz...”
Judith, sobbing softly, covered her mouth with both hands. Although her voice was very small, Franz nodded as if he had heard it all. He took a step closer.
Judith walked slowly across the grass. The tender touch of the grass stems tickling her bare feet, like new leaves sprouting in spring, was ecstatically ticklish and lovely.
She spread her arms wide and enjoyed the breeze blowing in from all directions. It was a gentle breeze that seemed to have buried its nose in the flowers and even had a sweet scent.
In her life of just over twenty years, she has never felt so free and comfortable. Her steps as if dancing, as she walked through the grass, were light as if she didn’t feel any weight. If she had known it would be like this, she would have taken off her shoes and walked through the grass at least once while she was alive. If she had known it would be this carefree and enjoyable.
Judith's spinning feet stopped near the horizon. When she got closer, she saw that it was not the horizon, but the point where the ground ends.
Judith looked back, bewildered. She saw the same horizon on the other side, about the same distance away as she had just walked.
Judith's eyes widened in surprise as she peered out from beyond. She was neither in a wide meadow nor on top of a cliff. The land, which seemed to have been cut out of a plain, was floating in the air.
'How did this happen?'
Judith knelt on the grass and looked down into the distance. The season where she was was spring, just after the ice had melted, and the world below was red. The leaves on the trees were all red, and it looked like a wildfire.
At that moment, tears fell from Judith's eyes. It happened without her even realizing it. The tears did not stop at one time. Two, three times, they flowed continuously, falling down like rain. Judith was embarrassed and covered her face because she could not figure out what was so sad.
Why am I crying like this? I'm so free, so happy. Now I can be alone here forever.
Without being disturbed by anyone, without being despised by anyone, just alone.
'Judith.'
Judith's shoulders, which had been trembling and shedding tears, stopped still. Her face, which had pulled away from her palm, looked complicated, with indescribable emotions entangled. Whose voice was it? It was definitely someone she knew, but she couldn't remember. It was a voice she wanted to hear so badly, but she couldn't tell.
'Judith, come here.'
The voice came again from a closer place. She turned her head to look behind her, but there was no one there. Judith, who had jumped up, looked in the opposite direction again as if drawn by something. She looked at the empty space with nothing in it and slowly lowered down. There it was. In the middle of the red maple leaves surrounded all around, a man with golden eyes and hair like blazing flames.
'Come to me, Judith.'
Franz opened his arms toward her. Even though he and she were very far apart, each expression, each look in his eyes, seemed strangely clear and distinct. Judith took a deep breath and her chest heaved anxiously. She didn’t know if she would be able to stay here any longer if she chose him. In this peaceful, cozy, and lonely place.
“Franz...”
Judith, sobbing softly, covered her mouth with both hands. Although her voice was very small, Franz nodded as if he had heard it all. He took a step closer.
She heard someone calling her, “Judith.” At the same time, the refreshing scent of mint wafted into her nostrils.
Judith closed her eyes and leaped toward him. Her bridal dress, light and fragrant like a fairy's, fluttered wildly in the wind.
There was a gasp. For a moment Judith thought it was coming from her own throat, but it was actually Franz.
“Are you awake?”
"...Your Highness."
Judith, who was trying to move her body, suddenly closed her eyes, unable to control her spinning vision. She felt the familiar texture of the bedding and the familiar scents, one by one. It took some time for her to realize that she was lying in the bedroom of the Nation Palace.
“Thank goodness you woke up... I knew what would happen to you.”
Franz's shoulders were visibly shaking as he lowered his head, holding Judith's hand. Judith looked around while lying down, examining herself and Franz. The white dress she had never seen before was nowhere to be found. The black dress she had last worn was also gone, but Franz still had not taken off the mourning clothes he had worn under his armor.
Only then did her head, which had been clouded with fog, clear up. Judith pursed her lips and tried to organize the thoughts that came to her one by one. The chaos of the Corne Hall and the sight of Franz, who had been momentarily defenseless after colliding with the coffin, came to mind one after another. The feeling of her stabbing Krald’s neck with her sword without hesitation was also vivid.
“Your Highness, what happened? Everyone... What happened to everyone?”
Franz let out a long sigh and raised his head. Without answering, he kissed Judith's knuckles and smiled wearily.
“It’s all over. Completely, cleanly.”
Judith's face turned pale for a moment, but then slowly regained its color. Judith unconsciously closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. The inside of her eyelids became hot and her throat became choked.
It's finally over. Everything. The destruction she had hoped for had ended Krald and the Queen. Franz was not mad, and all her loved ones were alive. Not a single one died.
My noble lowliness.
Choosing to offer you my cup was the wisest decision I ever made in my life.
Is that so?
“...Aren’t I terrible?”
Judith's voice was barely a whisper, almost inaudible, but Franz did not miss her words. As always, he was always listening to Judith. Franz frowned quietly. Judith was still crying with her eyes closed, so he could not see his expression.
“What on earth do you mean?”
“I killed a man right before your eyes. Krald deserved to die, but still… I broke my promise to you and went to Corne Hall. There was no other reason. I just had to kill him with my own hands. If you had already killed him, I would have gone there to insult his body.”
“...”
“That’s the kind of person I am. Right now... I love you now, but it wasn’t like that from the beginning. I... had to use you. To get revenge on them. To return the pain I suffered. And to do that, I needed you. To give you a sword to strike, to pour a goblet of poison into their mouths.”
Judith's eyes, which had been sobbing and panting, slowly opened. Her eyes, wet with tears, were like a winter lake covered in ice. Cold, fleeting, and beautiful. Those pale blue eyes looked up at Franz. The moment their eyes met, Franz felt a pain in his chest. The deep sadness flowing from Judith made him feel sorry.
“And yet, do you still love me? Even knowing all this, will you still... call me Judith and smile affectionately at me?”
Judith closed her eyes and leaped toward him. Her bridal dress, light and fragrant like a fairy's, fluttered wildly in the wind.
***
There was a gasp. For a moment Judith thought it was coming from her own throat, but it was actually Franz.
“Are you awake?”
"...Your Highness."
Judith, who was trying to move her body, suddenly closed her eyes, unable to control her spinning vision. She felt the familiar texture of the bedding and the familiar scents, one by one. It took some time for her to realize that she was lying in the bedroom of the Nation Palace.
“Thank goodness you woke up... I knew what would happen to you.”
Franz's shoulders were visibly shaking as he lowered his head, holding Judith's hand. Judith looked around while lying down, examining herself and Franz. The white dress she had never seen before was nowhere to be found. The black dress she had last worn was also gone, but Franz still had not taken off the mourning clothes he had worn under his armor.
Only then did her head, which had been clouded with fog, clear up. Judith pursed her lips and tried to organize the thoughts that came to her one by one. The chaos of the Corne Hall and the sight of Franz, who had been momentarily defenseless after colliding with the coffin, came to mind one after another. The feeling of her stabbing Krald’s neck with her sword without hesitation was also vivid.
“Your Highness, what happened? Everyone... What happened to everyone?”
Franz let out a long sigh and raised his head. Without answering, he kissed Judith's knuckles and smiled wearily.
“It’s all over. Completely, cleanly.”
Judith's face turned pale for a moment, but then slowly regained its color. Judith unconsciously closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. The inside of her eyelids became hot and her throat became choked.
It's finally over. Everything. The destruction she had hoped for had ended Krald and the Queen. Franz was not mad, and all her loved ones were alive. Not a single one died.
My noble lowliness.
Choosing to offer you my cup was the wisest decision I ever made in my life.
Is that so?
“...Aren’t I terrible?”
Judith's voice was barely a whisper, almost inaudible, but Franz did not miss her words. As always, he was always listening to Judith. Franz frowned quietly. Judith was still crying with her eyes closed, so he could not see his expression.
“What on earth do you mean?”
“I killed a man right before your eyes. Krald deserved to die, but still… I broke my promise to you and went to Corne Hall. There was no other reason. I just had to kill him with my own hands. If you had already killed him, I would have gone there to insult his body.”
“...”
“That’s the kind of person I am. Right now... I love you now, but it wasn’t like that from the beginning. I... had to use you. To get revenge on them. To return the pain I suffered. And to do that, I needed you. To give you a sword to strike, to pour a goblet of poison into their mouths.”
Judith's eyes, which had been sobbing and panting, slowly opened. Her eyes, wet with tears, were like a winter lake covered in ice. Cold, fleeting, and beautiful. Those pale blue eyes looked up at Franz. The moment their eyes met, Franz felt a pain in his chest. The deep sadness flowing from Judith made him feel sorry.
“And yet, do you still love me? Even knowing all this, will you still... call me Judith and smile affectionately at me?”
Franz's fingertips carefully caressed Judith's eyes. After a long moment of silence, he spoke.
“Do you wish I didn’t love you? Don’t you need my love anymore?”
If so, Franz lowered his gaze without saying a word. He was smiling, but he looked very distressed.
“...Now that you’ve achieved what you wanted, you want to say that I’m useless? I’m sorry, but I have no intention of letting you go now. Even if you hate me, even if you despise me, absolutely not.”
Franz’s gaze, which had been downcast, looked straight at Judith. At that moment, Judith felt the scenery from her dream a little while ago come back to her. The sight of him standing with his arms outstretched toward her in the middle of the burning autumn leaves was vivid as if it were a lie.
"...Don’t let me go.”
Her voice trembled because of the crying. Franz’s eyes, which faced her, also seemed to be shaking. When Judith raised her arms, Franz carefully hugged her body. Two streams of tears met between their cheeks and flowed intertwined like watercourses.
“Don’t let me go. Keep loving me. Call my name...”
Hot lips pressed against Judith's cheek. Judith couldn't stop crying as she smelled the familiar scent from Franz's neck, who lowered his head.
“Do you think there will ever be a day when I don’t love you? That day will never come. It will never come. Judith, I love you.”
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