And she, who was watching it at that time...
Unfortunately, it was fun.
She felt joy in that situation, with the sound of flesh being cut and blood flowing out. She even hummed a song she hadn't sung in a while.
It was to the point where she had the illusion that she had gone crazy for a moment.
The corners of Bellona's mouth curled up as she recalled the memories of that day.
At the same time, a feeling of emptiness and bitterness came over her.
She thought that if she just found Reventia, everything would be solved.
If she just had this, she wouldn't have any more...
Bellona glanced at Carsis, who was still sleeping, her expression suddenly cold.
It's no different than before.
After the pleasure that made her feel like her reason was flying away, what always came after was extreme self-loathing.
The terrible truth was that she was no different from those who had used Carsis in the past.
It had been bothering her for a long time. So much so that she thought it would be better if her memories were fading away.
But.
She approached the bed where Carsis was lying.
Then she ran her hand through his hair.
The man's black hair flows between her snow-white fingers.
“Carsis.”
Bellona's dark green hair cascaded down over Carsis.
“I, you...”
Despite this, she couldn't let go of Carsis.
Bellona could not be free from Carsis.
Probably forever.
It's already been a week since they abandoned the fortress and started their escape.
The group led by the Crown Prince was heading south.
“Your Highness. If you just go over the mountain you see over there, you will reach Gertz, the territory of Duke Philosykos.”
Ernest looked in the direction Cullen was pointing with his finger.
It didn't seem easy to just get over one mountain.
“Isn’t there no other way?”
“Yes. For now, that path is the best.”
Ernest turned around at Cullen's answer.
After trekking over rough terrain for over a week, many people looked exhausted.
Furthermore.
'All the barbarians were dead.'
Just in case, he checked with the soldiers sent there, and he heard that the fortress was full of corpses of barbarians, not to mention the corpses of rebels.
'Is it power...?'
The power of the House of Jupiter.
This would not have been possible without that power.
'Ellie...'
Whenever he thought of Elizabeth, a corner of his heart still seemed to surge.
Now, he couldn't tell if it was anger or resentment.
He bit his lip in discomfort, still feeling like he was being manipulated by Elizabeth.
Then Cullen, who was next to Ernest, asked in a worried voice.
“Your Highness. Is it really okay for us to go south?”
Ernest, who had been lost in thought, raised his head.
“Even after the rebellion, Duke Philosykos showed no military support or will to resist the rebels. How can we trust anyone who has such a person?”
Philosykos is one of the five ducal families, but because of his strong personal nature, he is a recluse in his lands, and even Crown Prince Erenst has only seen Duke Philosykos on a few occasions.
He didn't even attend the Crown Prince's wedding under the pretext of research.
Cullen's suspicions were not entirely wrong.
“If they were plotting a rebellion with the House of Jupiter...”
But Ernest answered Cullen's worried question firmly.
“No. That can’t be. Philosykos didn’t betray us.”
Ernest firmly believed that Philosykos, even if it were not for other families, would never have betrayed the imperial family.
“Don’t worry about useless things later. First, get out of here and settle down.”
It was almost time for the sun to set.
They had to settle down and prepare to camp before it was too late.
“I’ll go first and check the situation. You tell the people to prepare to move again.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With those words, Ernest led his horse and went ahead.
How long did he run like that?
Ernest dismounted, having found a wide, flat area where he could rest.
“This will do for today.”
It was then that he was about to get back on his horse and head back down the road, having confirmed that there were no wild animals around.
He felt a rustling sound and a presence behind me.
“Who are you?”
Then, a man appeared behind Ernest, who quickly raised his sword.
“How have you been?”
A familiar voice, heard somewhere before, pierced his ears.
"You..."
An unidentified man who had come within a stone's throw of me lowered the hood he was wearing on his head.
A middle-aged man with neatly slicked-back dark gray hair.
The blue eyes sparkling behind the monocle were eyes that Ernest was familiar with.
“Paulo..?”
He was Paul, the head of the Philosykos, one of the five ducal families.
“Someone is waiting for His Highness the Crown Prince.”
An eerie smile flashed beneath the shadow cast by the trees.
About ten days after leaving the fortress.
Bellona and Carsis were able to enter the palace.
“We have arrived.”
Carsis, who got off his horse first, extended his hand to Bellona.
It was at that moment that Bellona, holding his hand, was getting down from the saddle.
From a distance, the maid Jenna was running towards them.
"Miss...!"
Jenna's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of Bellona's hair color, and then she stopped walking.
Jenna looked at Bellona with long, thoughtful eyes.
“Miss... Are you sure?”
Bellona nodded as if she understood what Jenna meant when she muttered in a slightly choked voice.
“I’m back, Jenna.”
Jenna's eyes began to water as she looked at Bellona, who was stretching out her arms towards her.
Jenna hugged Bellona with tears in her eyes.
“I thought you wouldn’t remember anything from now on... Not only what happened that day, but also my dead sister..."
"...Yes."
Bellona stroked Jenna's head as she held her in her arms.
“There’s no way I could forget.”
She couldn't forget that event, and it was engraved in her bones.
The sacrifice of Lily, Jenna's older sister and her friend, and the terrible death of her mother.
Did she really pat Jenna on the back for that long?
Jenna, who had been wiping away tears in her arms, raised her head as if remembering something.
“Oh, that’s right. While you two were away, that woman came.”
“That woman?”
“Yes. The woman from the Oroz family.”
“...”
At Jenna's words, Bellona's eyes instantly turned cold.
Another thing she can't forget.
“Elizabeth...?”
At the same time, a familiar voice was heard from not far away.
A woman with a fragility and delicateness that seems like it could be blown away by the wind.
“Deborah.”
Deborah Oroz.
She came to the palace.
Bellona's brow furrowed as she stared at the unluckily sweet pink hair.
But Deborah, who had no way of knowing her feelings, approached her cautiously.
“Really... Are you Lady Elizabeth...?”
Deborah looked through Bellona's green hair with trembling eyes.
It seemed that she was quite confused by the strange color she had never seen before.
That would be the case since the symbol of the Cretian Dukes' house was golden hair, which resembled the royal family.
“Why is your hair color... No, more than that, you’re dead...”
It had long been rumored throughout the empire that the body of Lady Cretian, the Crown Prince's fiancée, was hanging in the square.
So, from Deborah's perspective, it was only natural that she would be surprised to see Elizabeth alive.
“Why did you want me to die?”
Even though she knew why Deborah couldn't help but think that way, a sharp answer came out of Bellona's mouth.
Deborah then shook her head vigorously and denied it strongly.
“That, that can’t be...! I’m so, so happy that Lady Elizabeth is alive! But, looking at you now...”
Previous Next
Unfortunately, it was fun.
She felt joy in that situation, with the sound of flesh being cut and blood flowing out. She even hummed a song she hadn't sung in a while.
It was to the point where she had the illusion that she had gone crazy for a moment.
The corners of Bellona's mouth curled up as she recalled the memories of that day.
At the same time, a feeling of emptiness and bitterness came over her.
She thought that if she just found Reventia, everything would be solved.
If she just had this, she wouldn't have any more...
Bellona glanced at Carsis, who was still sleeping, her expression suddenly cold.
It's no different than before.
After the pleasure that made her feel like her reason was flying away, what always came after was extreme self-loathing.
The terrible truth was that she was no different from those who had used Carsis in the past.
It had been bothering her for a long time. So much so that she thought it would be better if her memories were fading away.
But.
She approached the bed where Carsis was lying.
Then she ran her hand through his hair.
The man's black hair flows between her snow-white fingers.
“Carsis.”
Bellona's dark green hair cascaded down over Carsis.
“I, you...”
Despite this, she couldn't let go of Carsis.
Bellona could not be free from Carsis.
Probably forever.
***
It's already been a week since they abandoned the fortress and started their escape.
The group led by the Crown Prince was heading south.
“Your Highness. If you just go over the mountain you see over there, you will reach Gertz, the territory of Duke Philosykos.”
Ernest looked in the direction Cullen was pointing with his finger.
It didn't seem easy to just get over one mountain.
“Isn’t there no other way?”
“Yes. For now, that path is the best.”
Ernest turned around at Cullen's answer.
After trekking over rough terrain for over a week, many people looked exhausted.
Furthermore.
'All the barbarians were dead.'
Just in case, he checked with the soldiers sent there, and he heard that the fortress was full of corpses of barbarians, not to mention the corpses of rebels.
'Is it power...?'
The power of the House of Jupiter.
This would not have been possible without that power.
'Ellie...'
Whenever he thought of Elizabeth, a corner of his heart still seemed to surge.
Now, he couldn't tell if it was anger or resentment.
He bit his lip in discomfort, still feeling like he was being manipulated by Elizabeth.
Then Cullen, who was next to Ernest, asked in a worried voice.
“Your Highness. Is it really okay for us to go south?”
Ernest, who had been lost in thought, raised his head.
“Even after the rebellion, Duke Philosykos showed no military support or will to resist the rebels. How can we trust anyone who has such a person?”
Philosykos is one of the five ducal families, but because of his strong personal nature, he is a recluse in his lands, and even Crown Prince Erenst has only seen Duke Philosykos on a few occasions.
He didn't even attend the Crown Prince's wedding under the pretext of research.
Cullen's suspicions were not entirely wrong.
“If they were plotting a rebellion with the House of Jupiter...”
But Ernest answered Cullen's worried question firmly.
“No. That can’t be. Philosykos didn’t betray us.”
Ernest firmly believed that Philosykos, even if it were not for other families, would never have betrayed the imperial family.
“Don’t worry about useless things later. First, get out of here and settle down.”
It was almost time for the sun to set.
They had to settle down and prepare to camp before it was too late.
“I’ll go first and check the situation. You tell the people to prepare to move again.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With those words, Ernest led his horse and went ahead.
How long did he run like that?
Ernest dismounted, having found a wide, flat area where he could rest.
“This will do for today.”
It was then that he was about to get back on his horse and head back down the road, having confirmed that there were no wild animals around.
He felt a rustling sound and a presence behind me.
“Who are you?”
Then, a man appeared behind Ernest, who quickly raised his sword.
“How have you been?”
A familiar voice, heard somewhere before, pierced his ears.
"You..."
An unidentified man who had come within a stone's throw of me lowered the hood he was wearing on his head.
A middle-aged man with neatly slicked-back dark gray hair.
The blue eyes sparkling behind the monocle were eyes that Ernest was familiar with.
“Paulo..?”
He was Paul, the head of the Philosykos, one of the five ducal families.
“Someone is waiting for His Highness the Crown Prince.”
An eerie smile flashed beneath the shadow cast by the trees.
***
About ten days after leaving the fortress.
Bellona and Carsis were able to enter the palace.
“We have arrived.”
Carsis, who got off his horse first, extended his hand to Bellona.
It was at that moment that Bellona, holding his hand, was getting down from the saddle.
From a distance, the maid Jenna was running towards them.
"Miss...!"
Jenna's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of Bellona's hair color, and then she stopped walking.
Jenna looked at Bellona with long, thoughtful eyes.
“Miss... Are you sure?”
Bellona nodded as if she understood what Jenna meant when she muttered in a slightly choked voice.
“I’m back, Jenna.”
Jenna's eyes began to water as she looked at Bellona, who was stretching out her arms towards her.
Jenna hugged Bellona with tears in her eyes.
“I thought you wouldn’t remember anything from now on... Not only what happened that day, but also my dead sister..."
"...Yes."
Bellona stroked Jenna's head as she held her in her arms.
“There’s no way I could forget.”
She couldn't forget that event, and it was engraved in her bones.
The sacrifice of Lily, Jenna's older sister and her friend, and the terrible death of her mother.
Did she really pat Jenna on the back for that long?
Jenna, who had been wiping away tears in her arms, raised her head as if remembering something.
“Oh, that’s right. While you two were away, that woman came.”
“That woman?”
“Yes. The woman from the Oroz family.”
“...”
At Jenna's words, Bellona's eyes instantly turned cold.
Another thing she can't forget.
“Elizabeth...?”
At the same time, a familiar voice was heard from not far away.
A woman with a fragility and delicateness that seems like it could be blown away by the wind.
“Deborah.”
Deborah Oroz.
She came to the palace.
Bellona's brow furrowed as she stared at the unluckily sweet pink hair.
But Deborah, who had no way of knowing her feelings, approached her cautiously.
“Really... Are you Lady Elizabeth...?”
Deborah looked through Bellona's green hair with trembling eyes.
It seemed that she was quite confused by the strange color she had never seen before.
That would be the case since the symbol of the Cretian Dukes' house was golden hair, which resembled the royal family.
“Why is your hair color... No, more than that, you’re dead...”
It had long been rumored throughout the empire that the body of Lady Cretian, the Crown Prince's fiancée, was hanging in the square.
So, from Deborah's perspective, it was only natural that she would be surprised to see Elizabeth alive.
“Why did you want me to die?”
Even though she knew why Deborah couldn't help but think that way, a sharp answer came out of Bellona's mouth.
Deborah then shook her head vigorously and denied it strongly.
“That, that can’t be...! I’m so, so happy that Lady Elizabeth is alive! But, looking at you now...”
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