The blood of countless people buried in my hands seemed to suffocate me.
Unlike before, I no longer feel any hesitation in killing someone.
And I hated myself so much.
At some point, I became a monster.
The disgust that had been locked up deep inside me raised its head again.
So Deborah I...
“I get angry whenever I see you...”
I hate you.
I hate you so much.
You grew up without any pain, like a flower in a greenhouse.
You blame me for your misfortune and leave it all on others.
Whenever I encountered Deborah like that, it felt like a fire was burning inside me.
It sometimes paralyzed my reason, causing harsh words to spill out uncontrollably.
"No matter how blinded by revenge you are, you killed the Duke who had been like your parents since you were young. You are too cruel."
You, of all people, are saying that to me.
Deborah is probably blaming me, cursing and resenting me for taking Carsis away.
Perhaps you will feel disillusioned when you see yourself killing so many people.
But.
“This is nothing compared to what your mother did, Deborah.”
What she had done so far was nothing compared to that of her predecessor, Duke Oroz.
Even if you knew what she did to save her one little daughter, would you still look at me with the same eyes?
“No. Never.”
You can't do that.
I smiled with conviction in my heart.
Then I slowly walked towards the dressing table opposite the bed.
I sat on the chair placed in front of me and opened the dresser drawer.
In the drawer, which was unusual for a woman's dressing table and did not contain even a single cosmetic product, there was only a small box sitting there.
I lifted a small box wrapped in black velvet and carefully opened the lid.
Inside were small beads.
The remains of the bracelet that rolled to my feet on the day the Duke died.
"I heard that Duke Cretian was burned to death here."
I, who had been mulling over Deborah's words, rolled the beads around in my hands for a while.
Thinking back to the time in the past when I had given this bracelet to the Duke.
"You made it for me?"
It was the Duke who mistakenly thought his young daughter had made the cheap beaded bracelet he bought at a stall.
It was a little funny how the Duke treasured something worth less than a single button on his jacket.
But.
A shadow fell over Carsis's face, foreboding that he would never be able to return to the way things were before.
Bellona noticed his feelings and put her hand on his cheek.
Her cold hand slowly melted against the man's warm cheek.
“Don’t worry. I will be by your side even when you become Emperor.”
I will be by his side as Bellona Jupiter, not as Elizabeth Cretian.
“But, Miss, I....”
Just as Carsis was about to refute that statement, it seemed as if it was not reassuring.
Bellona continued speaking in a firm voice, as if telling him not to say anything more.
“So today is the last day.”
Her fingers gently stroked Karsis's cheek.
“You can call me Miss.”
“...”
“From now on, you can’t even be polite to me.”
Carsis's hand covered the back of her hand.
Then, Carsis lowered his gaze for a moment and nodded quietly.
Bellona, who was watching the scene, took Carsis' hand that was covering the back of her hand and kissed it.
“So please, Your Majesty.”
With a fervent wish.
“I hope you become a saint.”
Unlike your father.
'All that dirty blood will be on my hands.'
All the stigma will be yours to bear.
For Carsis.
After that, ten days later.
A new Emperor has ascended the throne in the Spanish Empire.
Today is the day of the coronation of the Emperor of Carsis.
It was the first time since the rebellion that so many people had crowded the palace.
“What kind of person is your newly enthroned Majesty?”
“If you say he lived as a slave, he must have a rough and savage personality.”
The old lady said, glancing at the excited young lady next to her.
Not all of the nobles who attended the coronation were favorable toward the newly crowned Emperor.
Most of them did not support Carsis but attended to secure a political lifeline or to solidify their position as nobles.
Everyone was watching the coronation with curiosity and fear towards Carsis, who had become Emperor through treason.
Unlike the people who raised their heads to see the Emperor, there was someone who watched the coronation alone in a corner.
Deborah was a woman who gave off a fresh and delicate vibe, as if she would fall over with a single push.
She sat in the most inconspicuous seat and looked at the podium where Carsis was standing.
He was so naturally showing off his majesty as an Emperor that she wondered why she hadn't noticed him before.
And there's another person by that man's side.
'Bellona...'
She stood beside Carsis, assisting him in his ascension to the throne, her dark green hair tied high in a ponytail.
Bellona was the next most prominent figure at today's coronation, following Carsis.
Unlike before, I no longer feel any hesitation in killing someone.
And I hated myself so much.
At some point, I became a monster.
The disgust that had been locked up deep inside me raised its head again.
So Deborah I...
“I get angry whenever I see you...”
I hate you.
I hate you so much.
You grew up without any pain, like a flower in a greenhouse.
You blame me for your misfortune and leave it all on others.
Whenever I encountered Deborah like that, it felt like a fire was burning inside me.
It sometimes paralyzed my reason, causing harsh words to spill out uncontrollably.
"No matter how blinded by revenge you are, you killed the Duke who had been like your parents since you were young. You are too cruel."
You, of all people, are saying that to me.
Deborah is probably blaming me, cursing and resenting me for taking Carsis away.
Perhaps you will feel disillusioned when you see yourself killing so many people.
But.
“This is nothing compared to what your mother did, Deborah.”
What she had done so far was nothing compared to that of her predecessor, Duke Oroz.
Even if you knew what she did to save her one little daughter, would you still look at me with the same eyes?
“No. Never.”
You can't do that.
I smiled with conviction in my heart.
Then I slowly walked towards the dressing table opposite the bed.
I sat on the chair placed in front of me and opened the dresser drawer.
In the drawer, which was unusual for a woman's dressing table and did not contain even a single cosmetic product, there was only a small box sitting there.
I lifted a small box wrapped in black velvet and carefully opened the lid.
Inside were small beads.
The remains of the bracelet that rolled to my feet on the day the Duke died.
It was the one I had kept to remind me of the dead Duke, whose memory I had lost.
I, who had been mulling over Deborah's words, rolled the beads around in my hands for a while.
Thinking back to the time in the past when I had given this bracelet to the Duke.
"You made it for me?"
It was the Duke who mistakenly thought his young daughter had made the cheap beaded bracelet he bought at a stall.
It was a little funny how the Duke treasured something worth less than a single button on his jacket.
But.
"... Ellie, thank you so much. I will treasure it for the rest of my life."
I still can't forget the face of the Duke I loved with red eyes.
I had only given the bracelet to act like a more beloved Princess.
You're just shedding tears over that.
But was it from then?
Little by little, I became weaker towards them.
I clenched my fists, blocking the beads rolling around in my hands from view.
Before I knew it, the image of the dead Duke amid a burning pile of corpses took over my mind.
“Maybe, I...”
I may not have wished for your death.
Ny hands, which were holding the beads, trembled.
For a very long time.
“Is it autumn now?”
Bellona muttered as she looked out the window at the sky.
Who said that the autumn sky is the clearest and bluest of the four seasons?
As if that statement was not wrong, the autumn sky was beautiful, clear, and blue without a trace.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, fall was fast approaching.
As time passed, the palace and the capital gradually regained stability, washing away the pain of the rebellion.
“The coronation can no longer be postponed.”
Bellona turned around and spoke to Carsis, who was beside me
Currently, the actual administrative work was being divided between Carsis, Bellona, and Isaac, but they could not continue to run the country in such an old-fashioned manner forever.
For months now, the throne has been vacant.
That fact made the people of the empire uneasy, and the neighboring countries that were eyeing the empire were just waiting for an opportunity.
“Now that the Emperor has returned to life, isn’t it a little too early to hold a coronation ceremony?”
Isaac answered instead of Carsis, who remained silent at her words.
“Even though the Emperor is alive, there is nothing they can do right now. What can they do without an army or supplies?”
The surviving imperialist nobles were only watching the faces of those who currently occupied the palace.
Moreover, as the Emperor's evil deeds and the nobles' inhumane behavior became widely known, the public's sentiment toward the ousted Emperor became negative.
Rather, sympathy and support for the unfortunate Prince, Carsis, who had lived as a slave, were sky-high.
“Besides, harvest is coming soon.”
The Spanish Empire had the most fertile lands of any country on the Western Continent.
Thus, a huge amount of grain produced in the empire was exported to other countries, and it also laid the foundation for the empire's powerful military power.
Accordingly, every year when the great autumn harvest came around, the empire would carefully examine the state affairs.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the national fortunes of the following year depended on the previous year's autumn harvest.
“Due to this rebellion, many lords of the major grain-producing territories have died. Therefore, we must select trustworthy people centered around the newly crowned Emperor as soon as possible and dispatch them to each territory.”
Once the rotten part was removed, medicine had to be applied to the area to encourage new flesh to grow.
Before doing those things, the first thing that had to be done was to stabilize the imperial power.
But, contrary to Bellona's firm will, Carsis had a look of discontent on his face.
Isaac, noticing the subtle atmosphere between the two, said.
“There will be a lot of work to do before the coronation ceremony. I will quickly find out what I need. Then...”
With the sound of the door closing, only Bellona and Carsis were left in the office.
She approached Carsis, who avoided her gaze, saying he did not like it.
“Why is that? Is it because you don’t want to become Emperor?”
Carsis, who had been keeping his lips tightly shut, answered her question.
“...I’m not the right person for this position. You know that very well.”
From the beginning, Carsis had no interest in the throne or anything like that.
Because he was Bellona's.
So he just followed her wishes.
But if he becomes the Emperor, Bellona and...
I still can't forget the face of the Duke I loved with red eyes.
I had only given the bracelet to act like a more beloved Princess.
You're just shedding tears over that.
But was it from then?
Little by little, I became weaker towards them.
I clenched my fists, blocking the beads rolling around in my hands from view.
Before I knew it, the image of the dead Duke amid a burning pile of corpses took over my mind.
“Maybe, I...”
I may not have wished for your death.
Ny hands, which were holding the beads, trembled.
For a very long time.
***
“Is it autumn now?”
Bellona muttered as she looked out the window at the sky.
Who said that the autumn sky is the clearest and bluest of the four seasons?
As if that statement was not wrong, the autumn sky was beautiful, clear, and blue without a trace.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, fall was fast approaching.
As time passed, the palace and the capital gradually regained stability, washing away the pain of the rebellion.
“The coronation can no longer be postponed.”
Bellona turned around and spoke to Carsis, who was beside me
Currently, the actual administrative work was being divided between Carsis, Bellona, and Isaac, but they could not continue to run the country in such an old-fashioned manner forever.
For months now, the throne has been vacant.
That fact made the people of the empire uneasy, and the neighboring countries that were eyeing the empire were just waiting for an opportunity.
“Now that the Emperor has returned to life, isn’t it a little too early to hold a coronation ceremony?”
Isaac answered instead of Carsis, who remained silent at her words.
“Even though the Emperor is alive, there is nothing they can do right now. What can they do without an army or supplies?”
The surviving imperialist nobles were only watching the faces of those who currently occupied the palace.
Moreover, as the Emperor's evil deeds and the nobles' inhumane behavior became widely known, the public's sentiment toward the ousted Emperor became negative.
Rather, sympathy and support for the unfortunate Prince, Carsis, who had lived as a slave, were sky-high.
“Besides, harvest is coming soon.”
The Spanish Empire had the most fertile lands of any country on the Western Continent.
Thus, a huge amount of grain produced in the empire was exported to other countries, and it also laid the foundation for the empire's powerful military power.
Accordingly, every year when the great autumn harvest came around, the empire would carefully examine the state affairs.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the national fortunes of the following year depended on the previous year's autumn harvest.
“Due to this rebellion, many lords of the major grain-producing territories have died. Therefore, we must select trustworthy people centered around the newly crowned Emperor as soon as possible and dispatch them to each territory.”
Once the rotten part was removed, medicine had to be applied to the area to encourage new flesh to grow.
Before doing those things, the first thing that had to be done was to stabilize the imperial power.
But, contrary to Bellona's firm will, Carsis had a look of discontent on his face.
Isaac, noticing the subtle atmosphere between the two, said.
“There will be a lot of work to do before the coronation ceremony. I will quickly find out what I need. Then...”
With the sound of the door closing, only Bellona and Carsis were left in the office.
She approached Carsis, who avoided her gaze, saying he did not like it.
“Why is that? Is it because you don’t want to become Emperor?”
Carsis, who had been keeping his lips tightly shut, answered her question.
“...I’m not the right person for this position. You know that very well.”
From the beginning, Carsis had no interest in the throne or anything like that.
Because he was Bellona's.
So he just followed her wishes.
But if he becomes the Emperor, Bellona and...
A shadow fell over Carsis's face, foreboding that he would never be able to return to the way things were before.
Bellona noticed his feelings and put her hand on his cheek.
Her cold hand slowly melted against the man's warm cheek.
“Don’t worry. I will be by your side even when you become Emperor.”
I will be by his side as Bellona Jupiter, not as Elizabeth Cretian.
“But, Miss, I....”
Just as Carsis was about to refute that statement, it seemed as if it was not reassuring.
Bellona continued speaking in a firm voice, as if telling him not to say anything more.
“So today is the last day.”
Her fingers gently stroked Karsis's cheek.
“You can call me Miss.”
“...”
“From now on, you can’t even be polite to me.”
Carsis's hand covered the back of her hand.
Then, Carsis lowered his gaze for a moment and nodded quietly.
Bellona, who was watching the scene, took Carsis' hand that was covering the back of her hand and kissed it.
“So please, Your Majesty.”
With a fervent wish.
“I hope you become a saint.”
Unlike your father.
'All that dirty blood will be on my hands.'
All the stigma will be yours to bear.
For Carsis.
After that, ten days later.
A new Emperor has ascended the throne in the Spanish Empire.
***
Today is the day of the coronation of the Emperor of Carsis.
It was the first time since the rebellion that so many people had crowded the palace.
“What kind of person is your newly enthroned Majesty?”
“If you say he lived as a slave, he must have a rough and savage personality.”
The old lady said, glancing at the excited young lady next to her.
Not all of the nobles who attended the coronation were favorable toward the newly crowned Emperor.
Most of them did not support Carsis but attended to secure a political lifeline or to solidify their position as nobles.
Everyone was watching the coronation with curiosity and fear towards Carsis, who had become Emperor through treason.
Unlike the people who raised their heads to see the Emperor, there was someone who watched the coronation alone in a corner.
Deborah was a woman who gave off a fresh and delicate vibe, as if she would fall over with a single push.
She sat in the most inconspicuous seat and looked at the podium where Carsis was standing.
He was so naturally showing off his majesty as an Emperor that she wondered why she hadn't noticed him before.
And there's another person by that man's side.
'Bellona...'
She stood beside Carsis, assisting him in his ascension to the throne, her dark green hair tied high in a ponytail.
Bellona was the next most prominent figure at today's coronation, following Carsis.
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