Episode 118. Hientri's Hope
Brixton was no longer able to walk.
Having risked his life to save Isabella, he felt it was a small price to pay with his own two legs. He decided to think so.
"...Don't you resent me?"
Haylin asked, stroking Brixton's knee.
Brixton felt nothing with her touch. Everything below his knees was completely numb.
Brixton grabbed Haylin's hand.
Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, stared at Brixton.
It was Brixton who had ensured that the tears never dried in this woman's eyes.
Brixton wanted to make Haylin happy, not unhappy.
They say nothing goes as planned in this world, and that was still the case.
Brixton's lips trembled.
"Why should I resent you?"
Brixton's voice blurted out, a mess.
"It was I who forced you to breathe, it was I who fed you Rosha's tears because I couldn't stand seeing you lying there. It was my decision, not yours."
Haylin's voice trembled miserably.
When she first heard the news of Brixton's injury, she had prayed to God for his life.
Luckily, her prayers had been answered.
The black snake's energy seeped into Brixton's veins, saving his life.
She was happy.
Certainly, at first, she had been happy to be able to hold onto even a sliver of hope.
But human greed was endless, and Haylin's happiness gradually dwindled.
She had to care for Isabella, who was struggling with trauma, and she had to take on the unexpected role of temporary lord.
Haylin needed Brixton desperately.
If Haylin collapsed, there would be no one to support Hiloshine, so she held on strong.
At night, she collapsed.
She held Brixton's withering hand and prayed.
"Come back to me, Brixton... I need you. Please don't leave me alone."
Then God answered Haylin once again.
The last of Rocha's tears appeared.
Did Haylin, cornered by the cliff, have any other choice?
This was a foregone conclusion.
Haylin had made her own choice.
"Haylin."
Brixton pulled Haylin's hand.
He helped her sit on his legs and wiped away her tears.
Haylin's dry cheeks were a concern.
Brixton was grateful that he could open his eyes, that he could see Haylin again.
He was glad that Isabella would no longer be left alone.
"I consider these two legs a medal for protecting you and Isabella. I am not ashamed of this, nor do I resent it,"
Brixton continued in a firm voice.
"If I were a child, as you say, I might have resented it. I might have been ashamed of my disability. But that's not who I am now."
Brixton smiled bitterly.
“By surviving, I was able to stay by your side, Isabella, and be a source of strength for Renisha. It was enough that I didn’t drive nails into the hearts of others. Do you understand what I mean?”
How could she explain this feeling?
Brixton stroked Haylin’s face with his fingers.
His caressing hands were filled with an unmistakable affection.
“Thank you for surviving.”
Haylin took a deep breath and burst into tears.
It was fortunate that Brixton was so strong.
The knights exchanged harsh words.
Every time they saw Isabella’s face sitting so listlessly, they felt the same way.
“...How about taking her to the imperial court? It’ll be better there than here.”
“The imperial court?”
"Lady Renisha and Duke Kassius are here. I heard the Yi tribes are going to the capital this time, so how about joining them?"
"Not a bad idea. A change of scenery would be good."
The knights exchanged glances.
That's how Isabella's trip was suggested to Haylin.
It was decided that Isabella would be better off going to Renisha than staying in her room listlessly.
This was the result of discussions with Isabella's personal doctor, nanny, and Brixton.
In fact, Hiloshine was already overwhelmed just dealing with the situation in Brixton.
For these complex reasons, Isabella's trip was decided. At a rapid pace.
Meanwhile, the situation in the capital was changing rapidly.
The forces centered around Renisha quickly seized control of the capital. Even the nobles who had sided with Laxus defected and sided with Renisha.
With Renisha's sacredness guaranteed even in the temple, it wasn't difficult for the holder of the throne to change.
The sky of Hientri had been turned upside down.
Renisha remembered the bloodshed for her ascension.
Therefore, out of mourning, she postponed the coronation for a year.
Before she could even attend to such formalities, Renisha had a number of tasks to address. She had to fix everything that Laxus had messed up.
She had to sternly punish those who were scheming behind the tyrant's back, and she had to weed out the nobles who had openly been parasitic on Laxus's toes.
Addressing the issues Laxus had neglected and achieving internal stability were more urgent.
The people of Renisha supported her.
"A new Emperor has emerged from Lottera, yew?"
"Great. Why? There was a lot of talk about the previous Emperor being crazy. It was only natural that she would change."
"But why did Renisha become Emperor, and not the baby Prince?"
"How could I understand? Rumor has it that the baby Prince isn't of the Emperor's blood."
"What?"
The story of Laxus and Canary had become nothing more than street gossip.
Brixton was no longer able to walk.
Having risked his life to save Isabella, he felt it was a small price to pay with his own two legs. He decided to think so.
"...Don't you resent me?"
Haylin asked, stroking Brixton's knee.
Brixton felt nothing with her touch. Everything below his knees was completely numb.
Brixton grabbed Haylin's hand.
Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, stared at Brixton.
It was Brixton who had ensured that the tears never dried in this woman's eyes.
Brixton wanted to make Haylin happy, not unhappy.
They say nothing goes as planned in this world, and that was still the case.
Brixton's lips trembled.
"Why should I resent you?"
Brixton's voice blurted out, a mess.
"It was I who forced you to breathe, it was I who fed you Rosha's tears because I couldn't stand seeing you lying there. It was my decision, not yours."
Haylin's voice trembled miserably.
When she first heard the news of Brixton's injury, she had prayed to God for his life.
Luckily, her prayers had been answered.
The black snake's energy seeped into Brixton's veins, saving his life.
She was happy.
Certainly, at first, she had been happy to be able to hold onto even a sliver of hope.
But human greed was endless, and Haylin's happiness gradually dwindled.
She had to care for Isabella, who was struggling with trauma, and she had to take on the unexpected role of temporary lord.
Haylin needed Brixton desperately.
If Haylin collapsed, there would be no one to support Hiloshine, so she held on strong.
At night, she collapsed.
She held Brixton's withering hand and prayed.
"Come back to me, Brixton... I need you. Please don't leave me alone."
Then God answered Haylin once again.
The last of Rocha's tears appeared.
Did Haylin, cornered by the cliff, have any other choice?
This was a foregone conclusion.
Haylin had made her own choice.
"Haylin."
Brixton pulled Haylin's hand.
He helped her sit on his legs and wiped away her tears.
Haylin's dry cheeks were a concern.
Brixton was grateful that he could open his eyes, that he could see Haylin again.
He was glad that Isabella would no longer be left alone.
"I consider these two legs a medal for protecting you and Isabella. I am not ashamed of this, nor do I resent it,"
Brixton continued in a firm voice.
"If I were a child, as you say, I might have resented it. I might have been ashamed of my disability. But that's not who I am now."
Brixton smiled bitterly.
“By surviving, I was able to stay by your side, Isabella, and be a source of strength for Renisha. It was enough that I didn’t drive nails into the hearts of others. Do you understand what I mean?”
How could she explain this feeling?
Brixton stroked Haylin’s face with his fingers.
His caressing hands were filled with an unmistakable affection.
“Thank you for surviving.”
Haylin took a deep breath and burst into tears.
It was fortunate that Brixton was so strong.
Really.
Isabella had a new dream.
Her life had not been easy since childhood. She had already given up on living like a normal child.
Now, Isabella had only one wish.
“Please make everyone happy.”
Isabella’s voice trembled slightly at the end.
Everyone she loved had left, been hurt, or gone to places she would never see again.
Tears flickered in Isabella’s large eyes.
Now, Isabella was afraid of meeting people and exchanging emotions.
Isabella crouched, staring at the sky.
It was clear that it would take a long time for the wounded child's heart to melt.
A new wound had deepened before the previous one could fully heal.
The knights in the garden below the balcony heard the child's voice clearly.
"...What does that little girl know?"
“That’s what I’m saying. A child would go through something like this, would you?”
“Tsk tsk. It wasn’t something a young lady would have to go through. Certainly.”
Isabella’s gray eyes were a symbol of war and death.
How much pain must she have endured before her pink eyes faded to gray?
The knights continued their conversation, chewing on blades of grass.
“Are you going to leave her like that? Shouldn’t we do something?”
“What do you want to do?”
“Why, that butler who betrayed you?”
“That fugitive?”
“Let’s catch him and beat him to death...”
***
Isabella had a new dream.
Her life had not been easy since childhood. She had already given up on living like a normal child.
Now, Isabella had only one wish.
“Please make everyone happy.”
Isabella’s voice trembled slightly at the end.
Everyone she loved had left, been hurt, or gone to places she would never see again.
Tears flickered in Isabella’s large eyes.
Now, Isabella was afraid of meeting people and exchanging emotions.
Isabella crouched, staring at the sky.
It was clear that it would take a long time for the wounded child's heart to melt.
A new wound had deepened before the previous one could fully heal.
The knights in the garden below the balcony heard the child's voice clearly.
"...What does that little girl know?"
“That’s what I’m saying. A child would go through something like this, would you?”
“Tsk tsk. It wasn’t something a young lady would have to go through. Certainly.”
Isabella’s gray eyes were a symbol of war and death.
How much pain must she have endured before her pink eyes faded to gray?
The knights continued their conversation, chewing on blades of grass.
“Are you going to leave her like that? Shouldn’t we do something?”
“What do you want to do?”
“Why, that butler who betrayed you?”
“That fugitive?”
“Let’s catch him and beat him to death...”
The knights exchanged harsh words.
Every time they saw Isabella’s face sitting so listlessly, they felt the same way.
“...How about taking her to the imperial court? It’ll be better there than here.”
“The imperial court?”
"Lady Renisha and Duke Kassius are here. I heard the Yi tribes are going to the capital this time, so how about joining them?"
"Not a bad idea. A change of scenery would be good."
The knights exchanged glances.
That's how Isabella's trip was suggested to Haylin.
It was decided that Isabella would be better off going to Renisha than staying in her room listlessly.
This was the result of discussions with Isabella's personal doctor, nanny, and Brixton.
In fact, Hiloshine was already overwhelmed just dealing with the situation in Brixton.
For these complex reasons, Isabella's trip was decided. At a rapid pace.
***
Meanwhile, the situation in the capital was changing rapidly.
The forces centered around Renisha quickly seized control of the capital. Even the nobles who had sided with Laxus defected and sided with Renisha.
With Renisha's sacredness guaranteed even in the temple, it wasn't difficult for the holder of the throne to change.
The sky of Hientri had been turned upside down.
Renisha remembered the bloodshed for her ascension.
Therefore, out of mourning, she postponed the coronation for a year.
Before she could even attend to such formalities, Renisha had a number of tasks to address. She had to fix everything that Laxus had messed up.
She had to sternly punish those who were scheming behind the tyrant's back, and she had to weed out the nobles who had openly been parasitic on Laxus's toes.
Addressing the issues Laxus had neglected and achieving internal stability were more urgent.
The people of Renisha supported her.
"A new Emperor has emerged from Lottera, yew?"
"Great. Why? There was a lot of talk about the previous Emperor being crazy. It was only natural that she would change."
"But why did Renisha become Emperor, and not the baby Prince?"
"How could I understand? Rumor has it that the baby Prince isn't of the Emperor's blood."
"What?"
The story of Laxus and Canary had become nothing more than street gossip.
“My goodness. What a mess. Is that the imperial family? It’s a blessing that the Emperor has changed.”
“Yes, yes. There was even talk that the previous Emperor would ruin the country.”
Kassius walked leisurely through the chatting merchants, his red hair and golden eyes clearly visible.
The story of the hero Kassius had already swept through the empire and spread across the continent. The news that Kassius, who had returned from a life as a slave gladiator to become a hero, was now the Emperor’s husband was bound to stir interest.
“My goodness, isn’t he Duke Kassius?”
A crowd of people gathered, instantly recognizing him.
“Ehem.”
Kassius cleared his throat.
“What brings him all the way here in person? He must be very busy!”
“How is Lady Renisha? She looked pale the last time I saw you...”
People gathered in small groups.
The people of the empire, no. The people of the empire loved the Lottera family.
They remembered the sacrifices the Lottera family had made for Hientri.
And their love for Lottera extended to Renisha.
“Yes, yes. There was even talk that the previous Emperor would ruin the country.”
Kassius walked leisurely through the chatting merchants, his red hair and golden eyes clearly visible.
The story of the hero Kassius had already swept through the empire and spread across the continent. The news that Kassius, who had returned from a life as a slave gladiator to become a hero, was now the Emperor’s husband was bound to stir interest.
“My goodness, isn’t he Duke Kassius?”
A crowd of people gathered, instantly recognizing him.
“Ehem.”
Kassius cleared his throat.
“What brings him all the way here in person? He must be very busy!”
“How is Lady Renisha? She looked pale the last time I saw you...”
People gathered in small groups.
The people of the empire, no. The people of the empire loved the Lottera family.
They remembered the sacrifices the Lottera family had made for Hientri.
And their love for Lottera extended to Renisha.
Perhaps thanks to this, very few people criticized Renisha's ascension to the throne.
Kassius smiled awkwardly.
"Renisha is fine. I came here to buy salt bread. There's a bread Renisha used to eat often... Does anyone know?"
Kassius said politely.
"Oh, I know that! People often came to buy salt bread in Lottera. I heard the young lady liked it!"
“Me too, me too! I know something Lady Renisha would like! I know a drink that the Lady of Lottera used to enjoy!”
Market vendors came out one after another, each carrying something and putting it in Kassius’s hands.
Kassius, who had his hands full in an instant without paying a single penny, looked embarrassed.
“I have to pay...”
“Oh, don’t mention it! From what I’ve heard, it seems you’ve been through a lot.”
“Everyone in this street knows Lady Lottera! Isn’t that the old Lottera mansion just over there! Whenever we were in trouble, the Lottera family used to lend us money and help us out.”
“Who said otherwise? Our store was flooded and we lost a year of business, but Literally helped us out, right?”
“That’s right! Even my father’s funeral was paid for with money from Lottera!”
Kassius’ lips curved slightly.
Wherever he went, praise for Lottera never ceased.
With the new Emperor, the atmosphere of the streets shifted.
Whereas before, a vaguely gloomy atmosphere had permeated the air, it was now much lighter and more lively.
Renisha had brought new hope to the streets.
"The Lady of Lottera will surely make a good Emperor!"
"I believe so, too! Please convey our support to Her Majesty the Emperor!"
The people cheered.
Kassius laughed with them.
His heart filled with pride and satisfaction.
This was the kind of person Renisha was.
Renisha, beloved by so many, loved Kassius.
Kassius's shoulders felt pleasantly heavy.
"Thank you. I will pass it on, for sure."
Kassius left the streets, his heart warm and his hands heavy.
The people had already accepted Renisha as Emperor.
It was so natural.
The wave Renisha had ignited swept across Hientri.
Anticipation surged, wondering what and how far she could change.
Renisha was Hientri's hope.
The hope everyone loved!
Kassius smiled awkwardly.
"Renisha is fine. I came here to buy salt bread. There's a bread Renisha used to eat often... Does anyone know?"
Kassius said politely.
"Oh, I know that! People often came to buy salt bread in Lottera. I heard the young lady liked it!"
“Me too, me too! I know something Lady Renisha would like! I know a drink that the Lady of Lottera used to enjoy!”
Market vendors came out one after another, each carrying something and putting it in Kassius’s hands.
Kassius, who had his hands full in an instant without paying a single penny, looked embarrassed.
“I have to pay...”
“Oh, don’t mention it! From what I’ve heard, it seems you’ve been through a lot.”
“Everyone in this street knows Lady Lottera! Isn’t that the old Lottera mansion just over there! Whenever we were in trouble, the Lottera family used to lend us money and help us out.”
“Who said otherwise? Our store was flooded and we lost a year of business, but Literally helped us out, right?”
“That’s right! Even my father’s funeral was paid for with money from Lottera!”
Kassius’ lips curved slightly.
Wherever he went, praise for Lottera never ceased.
With the new Emperor, the atmosphere of the streets shifted.
Whereas before, a vaguely gloomy atmosphere had permeated the air, it was now much lighter and more lively.
Renisha had brought new hope to the streets.
"The Lady of Lottera will surely make a good Emperor!"
"I believe so, too! Please convey our support to Her Majesty the Emperor!"
The people cheered.
Kassius laughed with them.
His heart filled with pride and satisfaction.
This was the kind of person Renisha was.
Renisha, beloved by so many, loved Kassius.
Kassius's shoulders felt pleasantly heavy.
"Thank you. I will pass it on, for sure."
Kassius left the streets, his heart warm and his hands heavy.
The people had already accepted Renisha as Emperor.
It was so natural.
The wave Renisha had ignited swept across Hientri.
Anticipation surged, wondering what and how far she could change.
Renisha was Hientri's hope.
The hope everyone loved!
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