Episode 16. I'm Glad I Met You
"She asked me to tell Your Majesty that you absolutely do not resent yourself. This is not because of Your Majesty... He asked me to tell you that he loves you. He said that if he had known this would happen, he would have been more affectionate. He said how beautiful Your Majesty's smile was, and he missed that smile."
These were words he had repeated dozens of times.
It was also a story he absolutely wanted to tell Renisha if he ever met her. The end of the Duke of Lottera, whom she had cherished alone.
When Kassius's weighty words ended, he witnessed something he never imagined.
A thud.
Quietly, Renisha was weeping like a still life.
Her pale face was expressionless, but her crimson lips were thin and trembling.
Her pink eyes, always relaxed, were filled with moisture and rolled downward.
Tears flowed down her pale cheeks, dripping down her chin.
Kassius held his breath as he stared at the scene, which repeated itself over and over again.
Renisha was the Empress.
She stood far above Kassius, distant and distant.
He'd thought she was as inscrutable as the Emperor.
He'd even thought she'd remain calm in the face of Duke Lottera's death.
He'd thought she'd reply, as usual, with something like, "I see. Thank you, Sir Kassius."
This was truly an unimaginable scene.
Renisha, weeping, stared blankly at Kassius.
"Tell me more,"
Renisha pleaded like a child.
"Father, mother... what else did they say? I want to know their end."
Renisha whined, pressing herself against Kassius.
Kassius bit his lip.
Even in this moment, like trash, he let other thoughts wander.
Renisha's exposed shoulder confused Kassius.
Kassius's chest heaved. It was because he had taken a deep breath.
Kassius continued, his voice hoarse.
“...He left with aplomb. He knew he would die, yet he remained calm. He said he would give nothing for Your Majesty. He said if I could protect Your Majesty, that was enough.”
Renisha parted her trembling lips and let out a long breath.
Her parents, whom she hadn’t seen in eight years. She hadn’t been able to be present for their passing, nor had their bodies been properly disposed of.
From afar, she could only watch them go, driven by the Emperor’s pressure.
Renisha grabbed Kassius’ arm.
She didn’t even realize what she was holding.
“Mother...! Father...”
She willingly went to save him. She said she would give nothing.
If Renisha hadn’t let the monster known as Laxus into the mansion out of a sense of futile pity, none of this would have happened.
Renisha was the one who had caused everything.
Elevating the pursued Prince to the throne was an inevitable choice.
The assassins who had been chasing him had seen where the Prince had gone.
The Prince's enemies thought Lottera had chosen him.
Renisha's mistake had driven Lottera to Laxus.
She regretted that day to the death.
"Sigh..."
A sob escaped her lips.
Renisha's body collapsed forward.
Unable to overcome the guilt that weighed on her, she stumbled and fell into Kassius's arms. Kassius stared down at the small woman in his arms, his eyes wide.
Renisha's shoulders were smaller than he'd expected, just enough to fit comfortably into Kassius's embrace.
Renisha rested her head on Kassius's chest.
The grip of her hand, gripping him like a lifeline, was pitiful.
Kassius, at a loss, raised and lowered his hand.
"I'm sorry, Father..."
Her voice was so soft he wouldn't have heard it if they hadn't been so close.
"I was wrong. Mother, I was wrong..."
Renisha muttered. Her voice was laced with tears, followed by sobs.
It wasn't them who had to die, but Renisha.
Perhaps the Duke had made Renisha the Empress because he recognized Laxus's madness.
It was to save Renisha, at least.
Back then, Renisha was steeped in arrogance.
Born a Princess of House Lottera, she had never lost anything.
She even took the idea of bringing in a Prince lightly.
The arrogant and reckless girl was intoxicated by the fact that she had saved someone's life.
She felt like an omnipotent god.
And yet, Renisha lost everything with one choice.
While Renisha ate good food and wore soft clothes here, the Duke and Duchess of Lottera had to spend eight years on a battlefield, teetering on the brink of life.
“Ugh... Mother, Father... Please, I... I was wrong... Please come back. Please...!”
The truths she had never been able to express poured out in a jumble.
Every night, she prayed that she could feel that warm embrace again, even just once.
She hoped the mad Emperor would come to his senses and rescue her parents from hell.
However, they could not return and just left, leaving Renisha behind.
Kassius left Renisha in silence, tears streaming down her face like a young animal.
“...You held on well.”
The feeling was deep enough for Kassius to feel.
Kassius hesitantly placed his hand on Renisha’s head.
For some reason, a tingling sensation appeared in his nose.
Kassius felt the same.
Hasham, helpless in the face of Hientri's invasion, had disguised Kassius as a collateral royal and sent him out.
He had escaped and survived after Hasham had blocked him with his entire body.
Kassius turned his head to the side. The emotions of that day seemed to be resurfacing.
Kassius gently stroked Renisha's head.
It was an incredibly clumsy consolation.
He had thought conveying these words to Renisha would lighten his heart, but instead, it felt heavy.
Perhaps it was because Renisha's head was resting against his chest.
His visit to Renisha's greenhouse was impulsive.
Canary had told Laxus, Renisha, and Kassius got along very well.
He had heard about the dress code, how Kassius couldn't take his eyes off Renisha, and even the story of Kassius being left behind. He had left on his way home.
He didn't even know why he had stormed off at that moment.
Laxus's heavy gaze turned to the greenhouse.
As he got closer, the interior became clearer. There was no one around the greenhouse.
Laxus's eyes widened.
He saw Renisha in Kassius's arms.
"Ha!"
Laxus opened his mouth and let out a sharp breath.
"You're just another woman!"
Sharp criticism flew out.
Renisha, who had once despised Laxus, was now in Kassius's arms.
But wasn't she the one who fell for Kassius, too?
She had walked around with such a proud air, but Renisha was just as human.
Laxus pursed his lips.
Anger, seething from his dantian, stained his vision red.
His heart pounded wildly, clenching his fist.
Had Renisha ever been so obedient?
He remembered only the hand that had pushed him away.
"What's so great about that slave bastard! Anyway, you have some taste!"
He wanted to tear Kassius and Renisha apart.
If he slammed Kassius, who looked so innocent, into the mud, wouldn't Renisha also break free from his embrace?
But...
"That won't do."
Laxus laughed maniacally.
Isn't this exactly what Laxus had hoped for?
Laxus suppressed all his emotions and turned away, his face contorted into a horrific grimace.
Like a child whose precious possessions had been stolen.
Renisha, who had been leaning against him for a long time, raised her head.
Her face, her eyes flushed, was too close.
It made Kassius's heart sink.
Her unusually flushed face and her excited breath were provoking Kassius.
Kassius avoided Renisha's eyes.
"...I've made a fool of myself."
Renisha blushed, pulling away from Kassius and standing up.
Perhaps because everything inside her had burst out, she felt at peace.
Renisha paced in place.
“...Thank you. For telling me about my parents’ final moments. For letting me know how they ended.”
Those were the words Renisha spoke after a long time.
Cassius looked at Renisha.
Renisha, with her back to the light, was smiling faintly.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have been plagued by nightmares for a while longer.”
“Nightmares?”
“...Yes, nightmares. Since their deaths, I’ve had dreams every day. In my dreams, my parents die, blaming me. I beg them not to die, that I was wrong, and then I open my eyes.”
Renisha took a deep breath.
“Thank you so much. Even though I knew my parents weren’t like that, my guilt drove them into nightmares.”
“...Do you think you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”
Kassius asked quietly.
Perhaps that’s why Renisha was so pale and thin.
A nightmare. She couldn’t sleep properly, so she couldn’t help it.
Kassius understood Renisha, who seemed half his size.
If she could sleep well at night, she might regain her appearance and vitality.
The Duke of Lottera would hope so, too.
“Perhaps. I think I’ll be able to sleep soundly for the first time in a long time.”
Kassius kicked a small tongue.
Renisha said,
“See. I'm really glad to meet you.”
Damn it. This dog.
It was clear that Lexus had contracted the disease.
Otherwise, his heart wouldn't have raced and his fever would have soared just because Renisha said those words.
That's why he never goes near a madman.
Kassius stared at Renisha for a long time.
"She asked me to tell Your Majesty that you absolutely do not resent yourself. This is not because of Your Majesty... He asked me to tell you that he loves you. He said that if he had known this would happen, he would have been more affectionate. He said how beautiful Your Majesty's smile was, and he missed that smile."
These were words he had repeated dozens of times.
It was also a story he absolutely wanted to tell Renisha if he ever met her. The end of the Duke of Lottera, whom she had cherished alone.
When Kassius's weighty words ended, he witnessed something he never imagined.
A thud.
Quietly, Renisha was weeping like a still life.
Her pale face was expressionless, but her crimson lips were thin and trembling.
Her pink eyes, always relaxed, were filled with moisture and rolled downward.
Tears flowed down her pale cheeks, dripping down her chin.
Kassius held his breath as he stared at the scene, which repeated itself over and over again.
Renisha was the Empress.
She stood far above Kassius, distant and distant.
He'd thought she was as inscrutable as the Emperor.
He'd even thought she'd remain calm in the face of Duke Lottera's death.
He'd thought she'd reply, as usual, with something like, "I see. Thank you, Sir Kassius."
This was truly an unimaginable scene.
Renisha, weeping, stared blankly at Kassius.
"Tell me more,"
Renisha pleaded like a child.
"Father, mother... what else did they say? I want to know their end."
Renisha whined, pressing herself against Kassius.
Kassius bit his lip.
Even in this moment, like trash, he let other thoughts wander.
Renisha's exposed shoulder confused Kassius.
Kassius's chest heaved. It was because he had taken a deep breath.
Kassius continued, his voice hoarse.
“...He left with aplomb. He knew he would die, yet he remained calm. He said he would give nothing for Your Majesty. He said if I could protect Your Majesty, that was enough.”
Renisha parted her trembling lips and let out a long breath.
Her parents, whom she hadn’t seen in eight years. She hadn’t been able to be present for their passing, nor had their bodies been properly disposed of.
From afar, she could only watch them go, driven by the Emperor’s pressure.
Renisha grabbed Kassius’ arm.
She didn’t even realize what she was holding.
“Mother...! Father...”
She willingly went to save him. She said she would give nothing.
If Renisha hadn’t let the monster known as Laxus into the mansion out of a sense of futile pity, none of this would have happened.
Renisha was the one who had caused everything.
Elevating the pursued Prince to the throne was an inevitable choice.
The assassins who had been chasing him had seen where the Prince had gone.
The Prince's enemies thought Lottera had chosen him.
Renisha's mistake had driven Lottera to Laxus.
She regretted that day to the death.
"Sigh..."
A sob escaped her lips.
Renisha's body collapsed forward.
Unable to overcome the guilt that weighed on her, she stumbled and fell into Kassius's arms. Kassius stared down at the small woman in his arms, his eyes wide.
Renisha's shoulders were smaller than he'd expected, just enough to fit comfortably into Kassius's embrace.
Renisha rested her head on Kassius's chest.
The grip of her hand, gripping him like a lifeline, was pitiful.
Kassius, at a loss, raised and lowered his hand.
"I'm sorry, Father..."
Her voice was so soft he wouldn't have heard it if they hadn't been so close.
"I was wrong. Mother, I was wrong..."
Renisha muttered. Her voice was laced with tears, followed by sobs.
It wasn't them who had to die, but Renisha.
Perhaps the Duke had made Renisha the Empress because he recognized Laxus's madness.
It was to save Renisha, at least.
Back then, Renisha was steeped in arrogance.
Born a Princess of House Lottera, she had never lost anything.
She even took the idea of bringing in a Prince lightly.
The arrogant and reckless girl was intoxicated by the fact that she had saved someone's life.
She felt like an omnipotent god.
And yet, Renisha lost everything with one choice.
While Renisha ate good food and wore soft clothes here, the Duke and Duchess of Lottera had to spend eight years on a battlefield, teetering on the brink of life.
“Ugh... Mother, Father... Please, I... I was wrong... Please come back. Please...!”
The truths she had never been able to express poured out in a jumble.
Every night, she prayed that she could feel that warm embrace again, even just once.
She hoped the mad Emperor would come to his senses and rescue her parents from hell.
However, they could not return and just left, leaving Renisha behind.
Kassius left Renisha in silence, tears streaming down her face like a young animal.
“...You held on well.”
The feeling was deep enough for Kassius to feel.
Kassius hesitantly placed his hand on Renisha’s head.
For some reason, a tingling sensation appeared in his nose.
Kassius felt the same.
Hasham, helpless in the face of Hientri's invasion, had disguised Kassius as a collateral royal and sent him out.
He had escaped and survived after Hasham had blocked him with his entire body.
Kassius turned his head to the side. The emotions of that day seemed to be resurfacing.
Kassius gently stroked Renisha's head.
It was an incredibly clumsy consolation.
He had thought conveying these words to Renisha would lighten his heart, but instead, it felt heavy.
Perhaps it was because Renisha's head was resting against his chest.
***
His visit to Renisha's greenhouse was impulsive.
Canary had told Laxus, Renisha, and Kassius got along very well.
He had heard about the dress code, how Kassius couldn't take his eyes off Renisha, and even the story of Kassius being left behind. He had left on his way home.
He didn't even know why he had stormed off at that moment.
Laxus's heavy gaze turned to the greenhouse.
As he got closer, the interior became clearer. There was no one around the greenhouse.
Laxus's eyes widened.
He saw Renisha in Kassius's arms.
"Ha!"
Laxus opened his mouth and let out a sharp breath.
"You're just another woman!"
Sharp criticism flew out.
Renisha, who had once despised Laxus, was now in Kassius's arms.
But wasn't she the one who fell for Kassius, too?
She had walked around with such a proud air, but Renisha was just as human.
Laxus pursed his lips.
Anger, seething from his dantian, stained his vision red.
His heart pounded wildly, clenching his fist.
Had Renisha ever been so obedient?
He remembered only the hand that had pushed him away.
"What's so great about that slave bastard! Anyway, you have some taste!"
He wanted to tear Kassius and Renisha apart.
If he slammed Kassius, who looked so innocent, into the mud, wouldn't Renisha also break free from his embrace?
But...
"That won't do."
Laxus laughed maniacally.
Isn't this exactly what Laxus had hoped for?
Laxus suppressed all his emotions and turned away, his face contorted into a horrific grimace.
Like a child whose precious possessions had been stolen.
***
Renisha, who had been leaning against him for a long time, raised her head.
Her face, her eyes flushed, was too close.
It made Kassius's heart sink.
Her unusually flushed face and her excited breath were provoking Kassius.
Kassius avoided Renisha's eyes.
"...I've made a fool of myself."
Renisha blushed, pulling away from Kassius and standing up.
Perhaps because everything inside her had burst out, she felt at peace.
Renisha paced in place.
“...Thank you. For telling me about my parents’ final moments. For letting me know how they ended.”
Those were the words Renisha spoke after a long time.
Cassius looked at Renisha.
Renisha, with her back to the light, was smiling faintly.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have been plagued by nightmares for a while longer.”
“Nightmares?”
“...Yes, nightmares. Since their deaths, I’ve had dreams every day. In my dreams, my parents die, blaming me. I beg them not to die, that I was wrong, and then I open my eyes.”
Renisha took a deep breath.
“Thank you so much. Even though I knew my parents weren’t like that, my guilt drove them into nightmares.”
“...Do you think you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”
Kassius asked quietly.
Perhaps that’s why Renisha was so pale and thin.
A nightmare. She couldn’t sleep properly, so she couldn’t help it.
Kassius understood Renisha, who seemed half his size.
If she could sleep well at night, she might regain her appearance and vitality.
The Duke of Lottera would hope so, too.
“Perhaps. I think I’ll be able to sleep soundly for the first time in a long time.”
Renisha smiled with her pale eyes.
Kassius stared at her smile, pale from the light behind her, for quite a while.
Renisha seemed to be sculpted from light. She seemed as if she would scatter if he touched her. Renisha, who had always seemed so high and unreachable, landed next to Kassius.
Where had the oppressive feeling that had gripped Kassius’ chest that day gone?
His heart was crying.
He doesn't know why Laxus is just hating and treating that small and tender woman.
'Crazy baby.'
Kassius swore at Laxus.
There was an urge to remove Renisha from the chore who was worse than the beast.
He steals Renisha from this huge sulfur.
It was Renisha who was saved by the Duke of Lottera.
Kassius seemed to be able to make Renisha happier than Laxus.
Kassius was surprised.
'You're crazy too, Kassius.'
He guesses Laxus has caught rabies or something.
Kassius stared at her smile, pale from the light behind her, for quite a while.
Renisha seemed to be sculpted from light. She seemed as if she would scatter if he touched her. Renisha, who had always seemed so high and unreachable, landed next to Kassius.
Where had the oppressive feeling that had gripped Kassius’ chest that day gone?
His heart was crying.
He doesn't know why Laxus is just hating and treating that small and tender woman.
'Crazy baby.'
Kassius swore at Laxus.
There was an urge to remove Renisha from the chore who was worse than the beast.
He steals Renisha from this huge sulfur.
It was Renisha who was saved by the Duke of Lottera.
Kassius seemed to be able to make Renisha happier than Laxus.
Kassius was surprised.
'You're crazy too, Kassius.'
He guesses Laxus has caught rabies or something.
Kassius kicked a small tongue.
Renisha said,
“See. I'm really glad to meet you.”
Damn it. This dog.
It was clear that Lexus had contracted the disease.
Otherwise, his heart wouldn't have raced and his fever would have soared just because Renisha said those words.
That's why he never goes near a madman.
Kassius stared at Renisha for a long time.
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