Episode 29. Isabella's Wounds
Kassius carried Renisha, who had injured her leg, to the kitchen.
The small child was hiding, surrounded by knights.
Judging by the way she stood hesitantly, it was clear they hadn't said a word to Tesha.
When Renisha appeared, the knights made way for her.
Kassius and Renisha passed through.
As they approached, they heard muffled sobs.
They were voiceless, pitiful cries.
Buried between large sacks of potatoes, the child's hair peeked out.
It was short and cropped.
Nevertheless, Renisha saw Isabella in the fragments of the child.
The child with whom she had promised to go on a picnic when autumn came.
Isabella, though fully aware of Renisha and Lottera's plight, always smiled innocently.
The child must have known how comforting that sight was to the adults. She was a precocious child.
Renisha let go of Kassius and crouched down.
“Isabella,”
Renisha called the child in a small voice.
The child, already shaking, stopped.
Judging by the way she responded to the name, she knew it.
“Isabella.”
Renisha called the child’s name with more force this time.
“Come here.”
She soothed the child in the most affectionate voice she could muster.
“I missed you, Isabella,”
Renisha said with a sigh.
Her tear-soaked face comically peeked out from the potato sack.
The child’s lips parted wide.
A rambling, rambling stream of words poured out.
“Huh, huhuh, me, me too... huhuh... see, see... aaaaaaah!”
Renisha spread her arms with a faint smile.
“Come here, baby.”
“Auntie...!”
The child called Renisha clearly.
A light seeped into Renisha’s heart.
Isabella was one of Renisha's comrades, still alive.
All she had to do was find the other two known survivors.
"Quickly."
Renisha urged the child.
She wanted to hold Isabella in her arms and ruminate on the truth.
That Renisha's existence was not in vain.
It was proof of her life.
Someone suddenly picked up Isabella, struggling between the sacks the size of her body, unable to escape.
Isabella, practically blind from her weeping, blinked.
Large tears fell.
Kassius placed Isabella in front of Renisha, pressing down on the child's head before releasing his hand.
"Go."
Isabella turned her head to look at Renisha, who was still holding her arms out to her. "Sob," Isabella burst into tears and fell into Lenisha's arms.
Renisha hugged the child tightly.
She patted the child's back, which was much thinner than before, and examined her.
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any major injuries.
"Isabella..."
There must have been a long, drawn-out story.
She should have been Tesha, not Isabella, and the reason her pink eyes had turned gray.
The reason a girl had become a boy.
But that wasn't important right now.
Renisha tightened her arms around the child.
"Never again... I won't leave you alone again. I promise."
"Huhhhhhh... Aunt..."
Isabella nodded vigorously. Renisha bit her lip.
Her anger towards Laxus deepened.
If it weren't for Laxus, Isabella wouldn't have ended up like this.
The child would have grown up in a safe home, loving her parents.
If only it weren't for him!
Renisha gritted her teeth.
She looked forward to the day when she would receive payment for all this misfortune.
The spark in Renisha's chest grew.
Canary burst into ecstatic laughter.
Renisha isn't coming back!
She's been anxious all day, just in case.
For some reason, Laxus said he's holed up in his room, drinking.
Perhaps he's feeling complicated.
Why are the higher-ups so complicated?
Isn't it just that what's good is good, and what's bad is bad?
Laxus couldn't even completely let go of Renisha.
If that's the case, then cherish her. What's the point of abandoning her so miserably?
"Idiot."
Canary pouted.
Still, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Renisha wouldn't return.
That pleased Canary.
She wouldn't have to see that unfortunate face in the palace anymore.
"Go and get the gold dress, Barbara."
"Yes!"
Barbara, oblivious to the late night, dressed Canary in the gold-embroidered dress.
Canary twirled around the room, wearing the Empress's tiara she'd secretly crafted.
"You're beautiful, my lady."
Barbara chimed in.
Canary mimicked Renisha, making a graceful wave.
These were skills she'd practiced, observing Renisha intently.
To use on a day like today!
"Thank you, Barbara."
Canary, who spoke haughtily with her chin raised, circled the room.
“What’s on the agenda tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is... Your Majesty’s coronation!”
“Ah... I really hope so. But it’ll be soon, right?”
Canary clutched her lower abdomen.
“We need to have a baby before the noble council starts talking nonsense.”
“There’ll be good news, Lady Canary.”
Barbara comforted Canary.
“You need to be strong. I told you that if you’re too impatient, things won’t work out.”
“That’s right. I need to be strong.”
Canary nodded.
People pointed at Canary, calling her a government official destined for abandonment.
And the fact that she couldn’t refute that hurt her pride.
Telling Laxus about it would only bring a smile to his face.
“Didn’t you prepare yourself when you got into my bed, Canary?”
In her naiveté, she had urged him to scold them, but Laxus was cold-blooded to the core.
"I didn't put you in that position to pressure you, Canary. You need to understand the situation properly."
The words Laxus had once spoken to her pierced her heart like a needle.
Canary bit her lip.
She was determined to teach those who had ignored her a lesson.
"I have to meet that man,"
Canary said sharply.
"...Today too?"
"Yes. This is not the time for me to be complacent, is it, Barbara?"
"You're right. I'll help you get ready to leave."
Canary nodded.
It was clear that Laxus was too caught up in his own emotions to bother looking for her anyway.
She had already given money to the imperial errand boys and was keeping tabs on the Emperor's movements.
Canary finished preparing to go out.
After checking the mirror and gathering her outerwear, Canary opened the door and was about to leave.
"Where are you going?"
A voice, drowsy and drenched in alcohol, called out.
Thump. Canary's heart sank.
She turned her head.
It was Laxus, appearing through the darkness.
"I asked where you were going."
His face was filled with intoxication.
Laxus entered the room, stumbling.
She saw Barbara stamping her feet and reluctantly leaving the bedroom.
Canary shook her head slightly.
"Where is Canary going? I'm Your Majesty's Canary."
"Yes, my Canary."
Laxus's lips curved, his violet eyes slack.
Canary set down what she was holding as naturally as possible.
"Actually, I was just going to take a look around the garden. I heard it was chilly, so I picked out the thickest coat I had."
"Garden? At this hour?"
Laxus glanced at Canary.
Unlike her usual flamboyant style, she was dressed simply.
"I can't sleep. Canary is feeling a bit restless, too. Her Majesty the Empress was someone I served."
"Not the Empress, but Lady Renisha,"
Laxus corrected.
He had just come back from checking on the already empty Empress's Palace.
Only the building, empty and ownerless, remained.
Laxus stood before it for a long time.
Even in the chilly night air, Laxus couldn't leave easily.
Canary smiled and said.
“That’s right. I made a mistake. Lady Renisha. I felt strange after she left, so I wanted to look around the garden.”
“Ah.”
Laxus gently grabbed Canary’s waist.
Touching her sweet-smelling lips with his own, Laxus tore Canary’s dry hands.
“There’s no need. I’ll make you forget everything.”
Laxus, unable to control his strength, tore Canary’s clothes.
Canary let out a laugh.
Look! Even on the day Renisha left, Laxus was in Canary’s arms.
She wanted to show Renisha this, but it was sad that she couldn’t.
“Your Majesty, you missed Canary, didn’t you? Please tell me so.”
Canary cooed cutely.
“Yes...”
Laxus muttered, his speech muffled from kissing Canary’s shoulder.
“...Strangely, I missed you,”
Laxus muttered.
Canary hugged Lexus tightly.
No matter what anyone said, Laxus was in Canary's skirt.
A strangely intense heat filled the bedroom.
The child refused to leave Renisha's arms all night.
Renisha was so absorbed in watching the child sleep that she didn't even notice the passing of time.
She didn't regret the nights she'd spent awake at all.
In the morning, she had the maids wash the embarrassed Isabella.
They wanted to check the child's body for any abnormalities.
Isabella glanced at Renisha, gave a small wave, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Not long after, a maid emerged, her face pale.
The maid bowed before Renisha and said,
"Oh, Miss, there's a long sword wound on her back. It's a diagonal sword wound across her back, but judging by its size, it doesn't look like a normal wound. And the scar, too."
Click.
The sound of Renisha setting her teacup down on the saucer echoed loudly.
Renisha pursed her lips, her face as hard as still life.
“Go outside and bring the female doctor in secret. Then, on the way back, stop by Turiel’s dress shop and bring her a light home dress suitable for a child.”
“Yes, Duchess Renisha.”
“And bring Madame Turiel with you.”
“Yes!”
The maid answered briskly and left Renisha’s bedroom.
Renisha’s calm gaze fell on her teacup.
Renisha’s pink eyes reflected in the rippling water.
“...Damn it.”
Emotions raced through her mind.
Kassius carried Renisha, who had injured her leg, to the kitchen.
The small child was hiding, surrounded by knights.
Judging by the way she stood hesitantly, it was clear they hadn't said a word to Tesha.
When Renisha appeared, the knights made way for her.
Kassius and Renisha passed through.
As they approached, they heard muffled sobs.
They were voiceless, pitiful cries.
Buried between large sacks of potatoes, the child's hair peeked out.
It was short and cropped.
Nevertheless, Renisha saw Isabella in the fragments of the child.
The child with whom she had promised to go on a picnic when autumn came.
Isabella, though fully aware of Renisha and Lottera's plight, always smiled innocently.
The child must have known how comforting that sight was to the adults. She was a precocious child.
Renisha let go of Kassius and crouched down.
“Isabella,”
Renisha called the child in a small voice.
The child, already shaking, stopped.
Judging by the way she responded to the name, she knew it.
“Isabella.”
Renisha called the child’s name with more force this time.
“Come here.”
She soothed the child in the most affectionate voice she could muster.
“I missed you, Isabella,”
Renisha said with a sigh.
Her tear-soaked face comically peeked out from the potato sack.
The child’s lips parted wide.
A rambling, rambling stream of words poured out.
“Huh, huhuh, me, me too... huhuh... see, see... aaaaaaah!”
Renisha spread her arms with a faint smile.
“Come here, baby.”
“Auntie...!”
The child called Renisha clearly.
A light seeped into Renisha’s heart.
Isabella was one of Renisha's comrades, still alive.
All she had to do was find the other two known survivors.
"Quickly."
Renisha urged the child.
She wanted to hold Isabella in her arms and ruminate on the truth.
That Renisha's existence was not in vain.
It was proof of her life.
Someone suddenly picked up Isabella, struggling between the sacks the size of her body, unable to escape.
Isabella, practically blind from her weeping, blinked.
Large tears fell.
Kassius placed Isabella in front of Renisha, pressing down on the child's head before releasing his hand.
"Go."
Isabella turned her head to look at Renisha, who was still holding her arms out to her. "Sob," Isabella burst into tears and fell into Lenisha's arms.
Renisha hugged the child tightly.
She patted the child's back, which was much thinner than before, and examined her.
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any major injuries.
"Isabella..."
There must have been a long, drawn-out story.
She should have been Tesha, not Isabella, and the reason her pink eyes had turned gray.
The reason a girl had become a boy.
But that wasn't important right now.
Renisha tightened her arms around the child.
"Never again... I won't leave you alone again. I promise."
"Huhhhhhh... Aunt..."
Isabella nodded vigorously. Renisha bit her lip.
Her anger towards Laxus deepened.
If it weren't for Laxus, Isabella wouldn't have ended up like this.
The child would have grown up in a safe home, loving her parents.
If only it weren't for him!
Renisha gritted her teeth.
She looked forward to the day when she would receive payment for all this misfortune.
The spark in Renisha's chest grew.
***
Canary burst into ecstatic laughter.
Renisha isn't coming back!
She's been anxious all day, just in case.
For some reason, Laxus said he's holed up in his room, drinking.
Perhaps he's feeling complicated.
Why are the higher-ups so complicated?
Isn't it just that what's good is good, and what's bad is bad?
Laxus couldn't even completely let go of Renisha.
If that's the case, then cherish her. What's the point of abandoning her so miserably?
"Idiot."
Canary pouted.
Still, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Renisha wouldn't return.
That pleased Canary.
She wouldn't have to see that unfortunate face in the palace anymore.
"Go and get the gold dress, Barbara."
"Yes!"
Barbara, oblivious to the late night, dressed Canary in the gold-embroidered dress.
Canary twirled around the room, wearing the Empress's tiara she'd secretly crafted.
"You're beautiful, my lady."
Barbara chimed in.
Canary mimicked Renisha, making a graceful wave.
These were skills she'd practiced, observing Renisha intently.
To use on a day like today!
"Thank you, Barbara."
Canary, who spoke haughtily with her chin raised, circled the room.
“What’s on the agenda tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is... Your Majesty’s coronation!”
“Ah... I really hope so. But it’ll be soon, right?”
Canary clutched her lower abdomen.
“We need to have a baby before the noble council starts talking nonsense.”
“There’ll be good news, Lady Canary.”
Barbara comforted Canary.
“You need to be strong. I told you that if you’re too impatient, things won’t work out.”
“That’s right. I need to be strong.”
Canary nodded.
People pointed at Canary, calling her a government official destined for abandonment.
And the fact that she couldn’t refute that hurt her pride.
Telling Laxus about it would only bring a smile to his face.
“Didn’t you prepare yourself when you got into my bed, Canary?”
In her naiveté, she had urged him to scold them, but Laxus was cold-blooded to the core.
"I didn't put you in that position to pressure you, Canary. You need to understand the situation properly."
The words Laxus had once spoken to her pierced her heart like a needle.
Canary bit her lip.
She was determined to teach those who had ignored her a lesson.
"I have to meet that man,"
Canary said sharply.
"...Today too?"
"Yes. This is not the time for me to be complacent, is it, Barbara?"
"You're right. I'll help you get ready to leave."
Canary nodded.
It was clear that Laxus was too caught up in his own emotions to bother looking for her anyway.
She had already given money to the imperial errand boys and was keeping tabs on the Emperor's movements.
Canary finished preparing to go out.
After checking the mirror and gathering her outerwear, Canary opened the door and was about to leave.
"Where are you going?"
A voice, drowsy and drenched in alcohol, called out.
Thump. Canary's heart sank.
She turned her head.
It was Laxus, appearing through the darkness.
"I asked where you were going."
His face was filled with intoxication.
Laxus entered the room, stumbling.
She saw Barbara stamping her feet and reluctantly leaving the bedroom.
Canary shook her head slightly.
"Where is Canary going? I'm Your Majesty's Canary."
"Yes, my Canary."
Laxus's lips curved, his violet eyes slack.
Canary set down what she was holding as naturally as possible.
"Actually, I was just going to take a look around the garden. I heard it was chilly, so I picked out the thickest coat I had."
"Garden? At this hour?"
Laxus glanced at Canary.
Unlike her usual flamboyant style, she was dressed simply.
"I can't sleep. Canary is feeling a bit restless, too. Her Majesty the Empress was someone I served."
"Not the Empress, but Lady Renisha,"
Laxus corrected.
He had just come back from checking on the already empty Empress's Palace.
Only the building, empty and ownerless, remained.
Laxus stood before it for a long time.
Even in the chilly night air, Laxus couldn't leave easily.
Canary smiled and said.
“That’s right. I made a mistake. Lady Renisha. I felt strange after she left, so I wanted to look around the garden.”
“Ah.”
Laxus gently grabbed Canary’s waist.
Touching her sweet-smelling lips with his own, Laxus tore Canary’s dry hands.
“There’s no need. I’ll make you forget everything.”
Laxus, unable to control his strength, tore Canary’s clothes.
Canary let out a laugh.
Look! Even on the day Renisha left, Laxus was in Canary’s arms.
She wanted to show Renisha this, but it was sad that she couldn’t.
“Your Majesty, you missed Canary, didn’t you? Please tell me so.”
Canary cooed cutely.
“Yes...”
Laxus muttered, his speech muffled from kissing Canary’s shoulder.
“...Strangely, I missed you,”
Laxus muttered.
Canary hugged Lexus tightly.
No matter what anyone said, Laxus was in Canary's skirt.
A strangely intense heat filled the bedroom.
***
The child refused to leave Renisha's arms all night.
Renisha was so absorbed in watching the child sleep that she didn't even notice the passing of time.
She didn't regret the nights she'd spent awake at all.
In the morning, she had the maids wash the embarrassed Isabella.
They wanted to check the child's body for any abnormalities.
Isabella glanced at Renisha, gave a small wave, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Not long after, a maid emerged, her face pale.
The maid bowed before Renisha and said,
"Oh, Miss, there's a long sword wound on her back. It's a diagonal sword wound across her back, but judging by its size, it doesn't look like a normal wound. And the scar, too."
Click.
The sound of Renisha setting her teacup down on the saucer echoed loudly.
Renisha pursed her lips, her face as hard as still life.
“Go outside and bring the female doctor in secret. Then, on the way back, stop by Turiel’s dress shop and bring her a light home dress suitable for a child.”
“Yes, Duchess Renisha.”
“And bring Madame Turiel with you.”
“Yes!”
The maid answered briskly and left Renisha’s bedroom.
Renisha’s calm gaze fell on her teacup.
Renisha’s pink eyes reflected in the rippling water.
“...Damn it.”
Emotions raced through her mind.
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