Episode 37. A Shaken Heart
Thanks to Isabella, who couldn't stop talking all evening, the dinner table was a bit more bountiful.
Renisha, too, wasn't afraid to dine with the knights, so they all dined together.
The knights had the upper hand in their fight against the maids. This was because Isabella had sided with them at the time.
So, they finished their dinner with the knights in high spirits.
Then, Lindy took Isabella's hand and went up to bed herself.
Lindy said Isabella was afraid of sleeping alone at night.
And she seemed to have frequent nightmares.
Perhaps she was recalling memories of the day she was injured.
So, these days, Lindy was watching Isabella's bed.
With Isabella now asleep, it was Renisha and Kassius's turn.
Renisha invited Kassius to her room.
The mansion wasn't fully furnished, so Renisha's room was simple. Since there wasn't time to decorate the sunroom, they were only using the master bedroom.
While Renisha prepared tea, Kassius had to suppress his gaze from darting to the bed.
"What did the Marquis of Danvers say?"
"Ah!"
Kassius exclaimed.
He was so distracted that he had completely forgotten about the Marquis of Danvers.
He hadn't even mentioned what he'd discussed with him.
"They say Canary is pregnant. So she'll easily become the Empress."
Renisha hesitated.
She put down the kettle she was holding.
"So Laxus has an heir."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Canary has a good hand. It's a bit tricky. Some nobles will side with her. The Emperor's heir carries great significance."
Because Laxus had been childless, she had assumed he was infertile.
So he had been complacent.
"The timing is awful."
It had to be now.
"Of course, that doesn't mean many nobles would acknowledge the child born to the former maid, Canary. However, they will consider taking her child into the royal family."
"The Marquis of Danvers said we need to consider the possibility that the child isn't Emperor Laxus's."
"Not Laxus's child?"
Renisha nodded slightly.
That assumption held some credibility.
There must be a reason Laxus couldn't have children.
And the fact that Marquis of Danvers brought it up meant he would 'make' it when the time came.
Right now, he needed to make Canary the Empress, creating a situation favorable to Renisha, so Canary's child wasn't a bad choice.
Of course, there was the immediate risk of division.
But it was definitely worth the risk.
Later, when the time came to discard the Canary card, he could challenge the child's legitimacy.
"That's quite an interesting story."
Renisha muttered with a look of interest.
“If it’s not the Emperor’s child, then whose child is it?”
“Cassius is a delicate person, so it’ll be hard for you to understand.”
Renisha narrowed her eyes.
“...No matter what I say, that’s not true!”
Kassius flared.
Renisha’s words were irritating him.
Thanks to Isabella, who couldn't stop talking all evening, the dinner table was a bit more bountiful.
Renisha, too, wasn't afraid to dine with the knights, so they all dined together.
The knights had the upper hand in their fight against the maids. This was because Isabella had sided with them at the time.
So, they finished their dinner with the knights in high spirits.
Then, Lindy took Isabella's hand and went up to bed herself.
Lindy said Isabella was afraid of sleeping alone at night.
And she seemed to have frequent nightmares.
Perhaps she was recalling memories of the day she was injured.
So, these days, Lindy was watching Isabella's bed.
With Isabella now asleep, it was Renisha and Kassius's turn.
Renisha invited Kassius to her room.
The mansion wasn't fully furnished, so Renisha's room was simple. Since there wasn't time to decorate the sunroom, they were only using the master bedroom.
While Renisha prepared tea, Kassius had to suppress his gaze from darting to the bed.
"What did the Marquis of Danvers say?"
"Ah!"
Kassius exclaimed.
He was so distracted that he had completely forgotten about the Marquis of Danvers.
He hadn't even mentioned what he'd discussed with him.
"They say Canary is pregnant. So she'll easily become the Empress."
Renisha hesitated.
She put down the kettle she was holding.
"So Laxus has an heir."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Canary has a good hand. It's a bit tricky. Some nobles will side with her. The Emperor's heir carries great significance."
Because Laxus had been childless, she had assumed he was infertile.
So he had been complacent.
"The timing is awful."
It had to be now.
"Of course, that doesn't mean many nobles would acknowledge the child born to the former maid, Canary. However, they will consider taking her child into the royal family."
"The Marquis of Danvers said we need to consider the possibility that the child isn't Emperor Laxus's."
"Not Laxus's child?"
Renisha nodded slightly.
That assumption held some credibility.
There must be a reason Laxus couldn't have children.
And the fact that Marquis of Danvers brought it up meant he would 'make' it when the time came.
Right now, he needed to make Canary the Empress, creating a situation favorable to Renisha, so Canary's child wasn't a bad choice.
Of course, there was the immediate risk of division.
But it was definitely worth the risk.
Later, when the time came to discard the Canary card, he could challenge the child's legitimacy.
"That's quite an interesting story."
Renisha muttered with a look of interest.
“If it’s not the Emperor’s child, then whose child is it?”
“Cassius is a delicate person, so it’ll be hard for you to understand.”
Renisha narrowed her eyes.
“...No matter what I say, that’s not true!”
Kassius flared.
Renisha’s words were irritating him.
Kassius gritted his teeth.
“Hehehe. Just kidding. She must have someone else’s child. It could be Laxus’s, but it would be more beneficial for us if it were someone else’s.”
“…That’s a real shame.”
Kassius muttered involuntarily. Renisha laughed heartily.
“I agree with you. It’s true.”
Kassius sighed.
“I want to leave this system as soon as possible. I can’t adapt, but I don’t want to adapt either. Isn’t it the bare minimum a person should have to live by?”
"Hientri is rotten. It's already filled with stagnant, stinking water. So, do you remember human conduct? Absolutely not."
Renisha let out a faint laugh.
Kassius's confused expression brought a chuckle to Renisha.
Renisha offered Kassius another cup of tea.
"Come. It'll calm you down. And we'll be leaving this noisy island in just five days. Maybe one day you'll miss this place."
"I don't think that will happen. What kind of person is he? I don't want to rush in without knowing anything and make the same mistake as the Marquis of Danvers."
"He's the leader of the royal guard that protects the system. He's from a family that's been a warrior for a long time. If the Marquis of Danvers is good at information warfare, the Count of Calliot is good at physical warfare."
"I think it'll be easier to talk to you."
Knights naturally communicated with each other.
They were the kind of people who could spend all day talking over a good sword.
"It won't be that easy. The Count of Calliot is stubborn. He has ill feelings toward the rising nobility."
"Why?"
"Because I lost my family at the hands of that rising nobility. Of course, it was Laxus's trick to diminish the power of the Count of Calliot."
"...In that case, I guess you can ignore my story."
"Count Calliot isn't someone so blinded by revenge that he forgets the truth. He knows I'm behind Kassius, so he'll share his story. Take this."
Renisha held out a round card to Kassius.
"It's the emblem of the Count Calliot family. We helped them in the past, and if you remember the promise we made that day, Count Calliot will be friendly to us."
"What promise should we remember?"
"When Count Calliot lost his family to Laxus's blade, I saved his grandchild. I."
Renisha smiled brightly.
Lottera was the 'haves' who stood at the very top.
Renisha had learned from Duke Lottera how to share what she had.
She had also learned how to protect and care for the socially disadvantaged.
Thanks to this, she had committed the mistake of bringing Laxus in, but it wasn't always a problem.
It was this way that connections were made.
Even after becoming Empress, Renisha strived to put Lottera's teachings into practice.
She looked down at him, remembering that she was of Lottera's bloodline.
"Please take care of me again, Kassius."
"No. I'm sorry for my inexperience, Renisha."
"Just having you by my side gives me strength."
Renisha's smile spread.
It was sincere.
Kassius's mere presence was a weapon that could threaten other nobles, and he was soon to become a sword aimed at Laxus.
But there was another meaning behind it.
His presence.
Kassius's support from her side.
That alone gave Renisha genuine comfort.
Kassius had been the one who protected the Duke and Duchess of Lottera until the very end.
With Kassius by her side, she felt as if her parents were watching over her.
Kassius's cheeks flushed.
Whenever Renisha casually spilled sweet words, her blood vessels dilated and her blood circulated more rapidly.
That must have been why her cheeks flushed involuntarily.
It was clear that Renisha knew when she was most beautiful.
Kassius unconsciously kissed the back of her hand.
It was an impulsive act.
Renisha's words sounded like a confession to Kassius.
Was that because Kassius was so foolish?
Kassius held his lips against Renisha's hand for a long time.
Renisha blinked.
"Renisha."
That brought back memories from last night.
Renisha bit her lip.
Kassius straightened up and tilted his head toward her.
She closed her eyes for Kassius, who hesitated before Renisha's lips.
Kassius pressed his lips against Renisha's.
Kassius had no talent for making up pleasant stories.
But he knew how to strike with sincerity.
Kassius captured Renisha's lips.
Renisha flinched involuntarily.
Kassius's hands were trembling as he held her.
Renisha actually thought it was easy.
Spending the night with Kassius.
She hadn't expected Kassius to shake her up.
Of course.
Renisha's most important value, after all, was revenge.
But she'd been thinking about Kassius all day.
The night she'd spent with him.
"Whew."
Kassius had acted like Renisha was some fragile glass doll.
Renisha wasn't used to this situation at all.
Kassius, who was desperate for her and whose eyes seemed to hold Renisha dear, felt utterly unfamiliar.
Even more so yesterday than the first time.
Kassius was more affectionate, more polite, and more adoring of her.
Renisha paced around the room, chewing her lips.
She knew that the chains of emotion had no escape. She knew that they would suffocate her and eventually push her into a deeper abyss.
Right now, Renisha had something to do.
Offering Laxus's head before her parents' spirits!
That would be the only courtesy she could show her parents, who still couldn't rest in peace.
To her parents, who had never resented Renisha until the very end...
"Mother, Father."
Renisha wasn't in a position to be shaken by such things.
The change Kassius had brought about was certainly a good thing, but she shouldn't have been so shaken.
'Even though I knew...'
The hand that stroked her, the tenderness that stroked her hair.
The loveliness with which he met her eyes and asked if she was okay.
She had to act excessively relaxed to hide her own embarrassment.
Her excited voice and seductive gestures were meant to conceal her own confusion.
She swayed like a tender wild grass swaying in a storm, and she realized she wouldn't easily forget that moment.
She let out a deep breath.
"Don't do this, Renisha."
Kassius was a sweet poison.
It was so sweet you wanted to keep drinking it, but it ultimately paralyzed your reason.
She couldn't swallow anymore.
Renisha paused with a sharp gaze.
If she was going to be a variable, she just had to stop.
Kassius was her most important and necessary tactic for now.
Kassius and the knights who followed him were her most powerful weapons.
If there were any emotions dulling that weapon, she could just neutralize them.
Renisha had made her decision.
She wouldn't spend another night with Kassius.
Perhaps last night had been the very reason for this decision.
To warn her, who had become complacent.
Renisha clenched her fist.
Last night was the last. Absolutely the last.
“Hehehe. Just kidding. She must have someone else’s child. It could be Laxus’s, but it would be more beneficial for us if it were someone else’s.”
“…That’s a real shame.”
Kassius muttered involuntarily. Renisha laughed heartily.
“I agree with you. It’s true.”
Kassius sighed.
“I want to leave this system as soon as possible. I can’t adapt, but I don’t want to adapt either. Isn’t it the bare minimum a person should have to live by?”
"Hientri is rotten. It's already filled with stagnant, stinking water. So, do you remember human conduct? Absolutely not."
Renisha let out a faint laugh.
Kassius's confused expression brought a chuckle to Renisha.
Renisha offered Kassius another cup of tea.
"Come. It'll calm you down. And we'll be leaving this noisy island in just five days. Maybe one day you'll miss this place."
"I don't think that will happen. What kind of person is he? I don't want to rush in without knowing anything and make the same mistake as the Marquis of Danvers."
"He's the leader of the royal guard that protects the system. He's from a family that's been a warrior for a long time. If the Marquis of Danvers is good at information warfare, the Count of Calliot is good at physical warfare."
"I think it'll be easier to talk to you."
Knights naturally communicated with each other.
They were the kind of people who could spend all day talking over a good sword.
"It won't be that easy. The Count of Calliot is stubborn. He has ill feelings toward the rising nobility."
"Why?"
"Because I lost my family at the hands of that rising nobility. Of course, it was Laxus's trick to diminish the power of the Count of Calliot."
"...In that case, I guess you can ignore my story."
"Count Calliot isn't someone so blinded by revenge that he forgets the truth. He knows I'm behind Kassius, so he'll share his story. Take this."
Renisha held out a round card to Kassius.
"It's the emblem of the Count Calliot family. We helped them in the past, and if you remember the promise we made that day, Count Calliot will be friendly to us."
"What promise should we remember?"
"When Count Calliot lost his family to Laxus's blade, I saved his grandchild. I."
Renisha smiled brightly.
Lottera was the 'haves' who stood at the very top.
Renisha had learned from Duke Lottera how to share what she had.
She had also learned how to protect and care for the socially disadvantaged.
Thanks to this, she had committed the mistake of bringing Laxus in, but it wasn't always a problem.
It was this way that connections were made.
Even after becoming Empress, Renisha strived to put Lottera's teachings into practice.
She looked down at him, remembering that she was of Lottera's bloodline.
"Please take care of me again, Kassius."
"No. I'm sorry for my inexperience, Renisha."
"Just having you by my side gives me strength."
Renisha's smile spread.
It was sincere.
Kassius's mere presence was a weapon that could threaten other nobles, and he was soon to become a sword aimed at Laxus.
But there was another meaning behind it.
His presence.
Kassius's support from her side.
That alone gave Renisha genuine comfort.
Kassius had been the one who protected the Duke and Duchess of Lottera until the very end.
With Kassius by her side, she felt as if her parents were watching over her.
Kassius's cheeks flushed.
Whenever Renisha casually spilled sweet words, her blood vessels dilated and her blood circulated more rapidly.
That must have been why her cheeks flushed involuntarily.
It was clear that Renisha knew when she was most beautiful.
Kassius unconsciously kissed the back of her hand.
It was an impulsive act.
Renisha's words sounded like a confession to Kassius.
Was that because Kassius was so foolish?
Kassius held his lips against Renisha's hand for a long time.
Renisha blinked.
"Renisha."
That brought back memories from last night.
Renisha bit her lip.
Kassius straightened up and tilted his head toward her.
She closed her eyes for Kassius, who hesitated before Renisha's lips.
Kassius pressed his lips against Renisha's.
Kassius had no talent for making up pleasant stories.
But he knew how to strike with sincerity.
Kassius captured Renisha's lips.
Renisha flinched involuntarily.
Kassius's hands were trembling as he held her.
***
Renisha actually thought it was easy.
Spending the night with Kassius.
She hadn't expected Kassius to shake her up.
Of course.
Renisha's most important value, after all, was revenge.
But she'd been thinking about Kassius all day.
The night she'd spent with him.
"Whew."
Kassius had acted like Renisha was some fragile glass doll.
Renisha wasn't used to this situation at all.
Kassius, who was desperate for her and whose eyes seemed to hold Renisha dear, felt utterly unfamiliar.
Even more so yesterday than the first time.
Kassius was more affectionate, more polite, and more adoring of her.
Renisha paced around the room, chewing her lips.
She knew that the chains of emotion had no escape. She knew that they would suffocate her and eventually push her into a deeper abyss.
Right now, Renisha had something to do.
Offering Laxus's head before her parents' spirits!
That would be the only courtesy she could show her parents, who still couldn't rest in peace.
To her parents, who had never resented Renisha until the very end...
"Mother, Father."
Renisha wasn't in a position to be shaken by such things.
The change Kassius had brought about was certainly a good thing, but she shouldn't have been so shaken.
'Even though I knew...'
The hand that stroked her, the tenderness that stroked her hair.
The loveliness with which he met her eyes and asked if she was okay.
She had to act excessively relaxed to hide her own embarrassment.
Her excited voice and seductive gestures were meant to conceal her own confusion.
She swayed like a tender wild grass swaying in a storm, and she realized she wouldn't easily forget that moment.
She let out a deep breath.
"Don't do this, Renisha."
Kassius was a sweet poison.
It was so sweet you wanted to keep drinking it, but it ultimately paralyzed your reason.
She couldn't swallow anymore.
Renisha paused with a sharp gaze.
If she was going to be a variable, she just had to stop.
Kassius was her most important and necessary tactic for now.
Kassius and the knights who followed him were her most powerful weapons.
If there were any emotions dulling that weapon, she could just neutralize them.
Renisha had made her decision.
She wouldn't spend another night with Kassius.
Perhaps last night had been the very reason for this decision.
To warn her, who had become complacent.
Renisha clenched her fist.
Last night was the last. Absolutely the last.
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