'What?'
Rosenite furrowed her fine brow at the initial insult. But it, Ambroxa, was short on time, so she said what she had to say.
‘...What are you saying?’
[Depraved Princess, if you are so foolish, you will surely repeat the mistakes of your past life.]
'What?'
This time, he said she was foolish. Rosenite's eyes went up. He kept saying it in a voice he didn't want to hear.
It was a time when she was about to question the rude person who was speaking rudely.
'You know who I am...'
[Slay thy sister, what? Slay thy sister and offer her to me, that the ugliest creature may despair!]
Rosenite forgot what she was going to say and refused. But the conversation was one-way.
[That is your wish and my revenge!]
'Hey, I said no. Why would I kill my sister? I would never do that...!'
[Ahaha! You're so happy to kill and die with the blood of your own blood relative! Your misdeeds will be a pleasure to me! The best! The best!]
That was when.
Whirlirick!
'OMG'?!'
Suddenly, the robe collapsed and the turbid energy inside enveloped Rosenite as if covering her.
'Ugh, ugh! What the! I, I hate it!'
It was a dark and gloomy atmosphere as if it had come from the underworld.
It coiled around Rosenite's limbs like a parasitic vine and climbed up to her face. It then groped her cheek and tried to enter her mouth.
[Kiss me, you wicked and beautiful Princess.]
'Hey, go away! I told you to go away!'
[Yes, hurry...]
'...I'
There was no scream. The stale air was seeping in through the mouth that was forcibly opened.
The expedition hurried back to the palace. A large number of people packed their bags for the journey back to Hadelun.
Among them, two carriages particularly stood out.
In fact, the delegation was filled with a gloomy atmosphere, like an undertaker's procession, because they were carrying two coffins.
“Look out, Savior.”
“I’ll see you again. Until then, I hope you all stay healthy.”
I said goodbye to Morien and Helione and turned around.
Rosenite looked like a fairy tale Princess who had eaten a poisoned apple and fallen asleep.
My amber-colored eyes that looked at my ugly step-sister sank with a gloomy glow.
I muttered to myself without realizing it.
“She said let’s have tea together when we get back..."
It was a voice as empty as a promise that could not be kept. It did not last to the end.
There was someone who came to pick me up.
“We will be leaving soon, Your Highness.”
“Yes, Michael. I’ll be there soon.”
The expedition began its long journey back towards the capital Hadelun.
After passing through the labyrinth again, taking the sky ark, and traveling like that for several days, we arrived at a major city in the west where a warp portal was installed.
But surprisingly, there was already someone coming out to greet us.
“Your Highness!”
“Alben?”
A young man with red hair and a mean appearance. He was clearly my loyalist.
'Why not in the capital?'
'...I'
There was no scream. The stale air was seeping in through the mouth that was forcibly opened.
The light vanished from Rosenite's eyes the moment she kissed the most cunning of dragons. She was sucked into a deep nightmare.
***
Among them, two carriages particularly stood out.
In one, Derek's body lay in a wooden coffin, and in the other, Rosenite, wrapped in the Great Dragon Seal, lay dead in a glass cot.
“Look out, Savior.”
“I’ll see you again. Until then, I hope you all stay healthy.”
I said goodbye to Morien and Helione and turned around.
I glanced at the carriage where Rosenite was sleeping before setting off.
My amber-colored eyes that looked at my ugly step-sister sank with a gloomy glow.
I muttered to myself without realizing it.
“She said let’s have tea together when we get back..."
It was a voice as empty as a promise that could not be kept. It did not last to the end.
There was someone who came to pick me up.
“We will be leaving soon, Your Highness.”
“Yes, Michael. I’ll be there soon.”
The expedition began its long journey back towards the capital Hadelun.
After passing through the labyrinth again, taking the sky ark, and traveling like that for several days, we arrived at a major city in the west where a warp portal was installed.
From here, it's just a matter of traveling straight through time and space to the Imperial Palace, and your long mission is over.
“Your Highness!”
“Alben?”
A young man with red hair and a mean appearance. He was clearly my loyalist.
'Why not in the capital?'
But that wasn't all. Looking to the side, I saw Brigitte's aide, Count Fritz, also there.
'There is something wrong with the capital.'
I had a hunch. And as if to prove it, Alben came confessing with a rare, miserable expression on his face.
“Your Highness, something terrible has happened.”
“What's going on?”
“A great fire has broken out in the imperial city of Hadelun.”
As if by fate, the tragedy of my past life was repeated.
***
“Derek! Aaaah, Derek...!”
The anguished cries of the Sixth Princess Stefania echoed through the clear space in front of the main palace. A gaunt hand fumbled with the wooden coffin for a long time before finally lifting the lid.
“Derek! Ugh! Dereek! Aah! No! Aaaah!”
Five strangled wails rang through the palace, while the three hundred Homunculus stood solemnly in their places. The atmosphere in the palace was already that of a funeral.
It was not until Stefania broke down in tears that King Desmond II descended the stairs into the clearing. With a sullen face, he strapped on the wooden coffin and gave orders to his chamberlain.
“Prepare Derek’s funeral.”
The wooden coffin was moved by the hands of the Knights of Illusion, but there was still one more coffin left.
A glass case that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Inside was Rosenite, asleep as if she had eaten a poisoned apple.
Desmond II's face, looking down at her, was suddenly filled with sorrow.
“Rosie, what’s going on? Open your eyes, Rosie.”
The desperate voice reminded us once again that Rosenite was the Emperor's favorite Princess.
Me and Brigitte bowed our heads further.
“You forgot that beyond the gray wall, I was not the ruler of the Empire. You vaguely assumed that you would be safe with your sisters. I thought you'd be safe. That's why I sent you, to give you a ball. I'm sorry, Rosie. "
Desmond II glanced in the direction of me and Brigitte as if to remind us of something.
“What have you two been doing, not even taking proper care of your own sister...!”
“I’m sorry, Father.”
The father's wrath fell on us, as he was not good at controlling his strong emotions.
We, as well as the knights under our command who were facing the same direction, knelt on one knee together.
“Your Majesty, many eyes are watching. Think of the prestige of the imperial family.”
The chamberlain at his side politely interrupted. Only then did Desmond II turn to his face as an Emperor, not as a father.
There was no time to even prepare a dress suitable for the palace, let alone relieve the aftereffects. The main figures of the delegation, including Eve, headed to the audience room.
Desmond II sat on a throne of pure gold and precious stones, flanked by his chamberlain, chief of the palace, and the chairman of the Privy Council.
“Father, let me explain.”
Brigitte stepped forward. She began to tell the story from the moment the last of the expedition entered Dandelion.
It was a deliberate attempt to pass over my achievements of me, who was part of the vanguard, in defeating the legions of demons and discovering the World Tree.
“......and lost his life in an untimely accident. It was probably two malfunctioning parts of the sealing stone. I didn't realize that not only the power supply was wrong, but also the magical coordinates that should have been assigned to the demon dragon.”
“Was it like that?”
“Father, Derek prioritized finding the broken seal stone over joining the Knights of Illusion.”
“That guy?”
“At the time, the frontier beyond the gray wall was experiencing severe turbidity, and we needed to repair the seal stone as soon as possible. Derek's attempts to fix the sealing stone by force were not blinded by balls but by a determination to protect the land beyond the Wall. It was an honorable death.”
When conveying words from the palace, embellishment is a given. Brigitte dressed the dead Derek in a shroud of honor.
As I lowered my eyes, Desmond II's gaze landed on me.
“Father, Derek prioritized finding the broken seal stone over joining the Knights of Illusion.”
“That guy?”
“At the time, the frontier beyond the gray wall was experiencing severe turbidity, and we needed to repair the seal stone as soon as possible. Derek's attempts to fix the sealing stone by force were not blinded by balls but by a determination to protect the land beyond the Wall. It was an honorable death.”
When conveying words from the palace, embellishment is a given. Brigitte dressed the dead Derek in a shroud of honor.
'That's a clever way to gloss over the fact that brother Derek, who isn't particularly gifted in magic and alchemy, would bother to manipulate the Seal Stone himself.'
Even an impartial judge would have asked me if Brigitte's story was true.
But King Desmond II refused to give me a chance to speak.
It's a sign that he'd rather see things go out on a high note than bring the grim truth to light.
It was as I had guessed. Desmond II's gaze fell on the black-haired Homunculus.
“Snoret Wint.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“A direct knight must protect the royal family with his life. I will hold you accountable for failing to protect Derek.”
“Please punish me severely.”
Snoret knelt on both knees, prostrating herself with her forehead touching the carpet.
The cyan eyes looking at her were cold. I stood in front of Snoret as if protecting her from those gazes.
"'Father.'"
“Do you have anything to say, Eve?”
My gentle voice seemed to lighten his mood slightly, so Desmond II allowed me to speak.
I calmly chose my words inwardly. Here, I had to use an extremely royal tone.
“Sir Wint is a knight whom Lord Derek Auberney cherished. Consider it a memento, and have mercy on it so that it does not spoil.”
Indeed, the anger and murderous look in Desmond II's eyes subsided as if he was deeply impressed.
The decision was made soon.
“After the funeral, Snoret Wint is to guard Derek’s body in the crypt for one week. During that time, she is to refrain from eating or drinking anything.”
It was a merciful ruling. The imperial records show that in many cases, homunculus was allowed into the tomb and was never allowed to leave. It was, in effect, a death sentence.
Snorlet bowed deeply. Her body was bowing to Desmond II, but her eyes were still focused on Eve's back, who was protecting her.
Unfortunately, Eve didn't notice this, because she was busy concentrating on something else.
'I guess I'll have to buy a gravedigger.'
Eve had no intention of starving Snoret, so it was time to devise a plan to smuggle in some food.
Desmond II looked sad again and moved on to the next question.
“Now tell me why Rosie ended up like that.”
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