Episode 83. A Snake Lives in the Empress's Bedroom
"Lady Renisha will be fine."
Snap.
Kassius, who had been pacing the mansion halls for no apparent reason, stopped at Lindy's words.
Lindy stared at Kassius with an awkward expression.
Only then did Kassius realize he was acting strangely and slowly ran a hand over his face. Kassius sighed.
"...You seem fine."
Kassius found it difficult to accept that he had been left behind by Renisha.
He was imagining only the worst of the worst.
Laxus was crazy.
A crazy bastard who could do anything.
It was like gathering venomous insects and venomous snakes together and watching them fight until they won.
Will Renisha win? Will Laxus?
Lindy lowered her head slightly.
“When you have no choice but to trust, you must trust. Lady Renisha will contact you soon. She is not the type to abandon you, nor is she the type to give up.”
“There may be danger for Renisha.”
“It may not be as dangerous as the Duke is worried about.”
Lindy raised his lips.
“It’s not like Lady Renisha has been doing nothing all this time.”
“...”
“She has prepared much through Turiel. She has diligently recruited people. Many people in the palace are moved by money.”
“...You believe in the power of money.”
“Lady Renisha knows how dangerous money can be. She does not give anyone an opening. What that means is... she never offers less than the amount of money needed to hold someone’s hand. That is why those who have taken Renisha’s hand never look elsewhere.”
Lindy explained softly.
The Renisha that Lindy had observed over the years was that kind of person.
Those who once joined forces with Renisha hoped to sell information to her, but no one wanted to join hands with anyone else.
Unless there were variables like Henry or Gale, that is.
“Renisha controls people with money, while the Emperor controls them with their lives.”
“That’s the difference. In the end, aren’t people driven by immediate gain? Even if the Emperor holds the lives of their families in his hands, there are far more who pursue their own interests. Those as loyal as Count Calliot are rare.”
Kassius turned completely and gazed at the mansion.
It was a small fortress Laxus had prepared for Renisha.
The massive mansion resembled Renisha perfectly.
Kassius blinked slowly.
He couldn’t be the same as the others.
“Perhaps I love her.”
Hadn’t he received such a sweet confession?
Kassius had to be different from those who followed Renisha’s fingertips.
“...I’m thinking of making a slightly different choice.”
“Your Excellency?”
“I can’t just wait.”
The news of Renisha's entry into the Imperial Palace spread like wildfire.
Within hours of the incident, the news shook the social elite, and the rumor reached Gale.
Gale, his face gaunt and thin, rose from his seat and then sat back down.
He ran a hand like an old tree through his hair.
Renisha was not one to hesitate.
This time, Gale confirmed it.
Renisha walked into the Imperial Palace on her own two feet and stood beside the Emperor.
Gale still didn't know what Renisha wanted, what she was headed towards.
He was already eliminated.
But no matter how much he regretted it, Count Calliot would not return alive.
Gale was left with only one choice.
'Claim the Emperor's child as yours. Then I might grant you a pardon.'
The cold, rebuking voice was unforgettable.
Claiming the child in the Canary Empress's womb as Gale's would lead to his death.
Gale bit his lip.
A pungent aroma filled his mouth.
A visitor arrived for Gale, who was still lost in thought.
It was a woman who brightened the desolate mansion.
A woman who resembled spring, or a crimson summer.
“...Madame Turiel.”
The messenger of death sent by Renisha visited Gale.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Gale Calliot.”
The emphasis on her pronunciation seemed to be intended to remind Gale of her plight.
A small face, with a cold, mocking expression, sneered at him.
“...What brings you here?”
“A dog that bites its master needs a leash, right? This is a message from Lady Renisha.”
Madame Turiel continued in a leisurely voice.
Her gaze seemed to pierce through Gale.
Gale shivered. The cold enveloped him, as if he had been thrown into a snowy field.
“Now that the leash has been passed, she told me to make a choice.”
Madame Turiel smiled brightly.
Her neat white teeth, revealed between her gorgeously curved lips, stood out.
It seemed as if they would bite Gale.
Gale’s lips trembled.
“...My family...”
“They are safe. They are under Lady Renisha’s protection in a very safe place. From now on, they will live in Hiloshine.”
Renisha handed Kassius over to Turiel.
And Kassius's knights moved for Renisha.
It didn't take long for the battlefield-trained knights to seize Gale's family.
Laxus's sword broke without a trace beneath their blades.
Gale's face darkened even further.
His hands trembled on the desk.
"In the end..."
"Yes. In the end, that's how it happened. Have you forgotten that everything comes back to you? This time, it's your turn to pay the price."
Gale's head dropped.
The god of death swung his scythe.
No matter how much he flinched and fled, the god of death wouldn't let Gale escape.
Under Turiel's blazing gaze, Gale foresaw his future.
A dark and crimson future.
"Nothing has changed."
Renisha thought as she looked around the palace where she had once stayed.
The space remained unchanged.
Canary had truly passed by like the wind.
"How pitiful."
Renisha had come here alone.
Even she had left Lindy at his side.
Here, Haily and Renisha had to handle everything alone.
Renisha's funds controlled part of the palace, but she couldn't completely trust them.
Turiel was loyal and diligent, so he would have Gale by now.
She wondered what Gale would look like when he appeared in the palace and what he would say.
And what expression would Canary have on her face, now that she had been banished from the palace and returned to her original home?
Renisha stared blankly at the slowly fading sky.
Finally, there was another person she was curious about.
'Kassius...!'
What expression would he have on his face as he thought of Renisha?
Renisha opened the balcony door.
Darkness, embracing the moon, poured through the window.
Renisha stepped out onto the balcony.
Haylin had fallen asleep, perhaps mentally exhausted, and the palace, still unoccupied, was empty.
It was the first time she had seen such a peaceful, slumbering palace.
A vast castle devoid of any sign of human presence.
Laxus might fill it with people, but for now, it was Renisha's castle.
It was as Renisha filled her lungs with the outside air.
Swish.
Renisha narrowed her eyes.
It should have been a space devoid of any sign of life.
There were rabbits in the garden, too.
Even those small creatures possessed a wild nature, active at night, so they might have been rabbits or cats.
Yet, a strange chill ran down her spine. For such familiar creatures, they felt cold and... smooth...
'Snake!'
A red snake had climbed onto Renisha's balcony. It was as thick as half her forearm, with shiny red scales.
Two small, golden eyes and three golden spots on its head were adorable.
Renisha reached out, entranced.
The one who had broken Renisha's silence was smaller and cuter than she'd expected.
"Where did you come from?"
The snake-like creature knew.
Kassius Lottera.
But, even for Kassius, this snake was too small.
Two of Kassius's fingers, put together, might have been as thick as the snake's body.
"Gah!"
The snake opened its mouth wide and muttered something.
The snake bared its pink tongue and placed its head in Renisha's hand.
Renisha gently stroked its round forehead.
It was at that moment that a voice of disbelief reached Renisha's ear.
"Renisha."
The voice was soft and soothing. Renisha blinked.
"Renisha."
Renisha gasped as the voice dissipated through the air once more.
How could she forget this voice?
Renisha stared at the snake with wide eyes. It tilted its cute head.
There was no other explanation for the strange phenomenon it was experiencing.
Renisha snatched the snake from her hand and went into the room. She even locked the balcony door.
Only after confirming that no one was there did Renisha place the snake on the table.
Renisha swallowed as she sat on the rug on the floor.
The snake seemed displeased with Renisha's rough handling, repeatedly uttering "Kya! Kya!" He raised his head, making a sound.
Renisha whispered softly.
“...Kassius?”
The snake stared at Renisha with a fixed gaze.
“Is it Kassius?”
Renisha whispered again, her face a little disbelief.
[...Renisha.]
The snake’s thin tongue trembled.
“Ha.”
Strength left Renisha’s body.
Renisha collapsed to the floor and burst into laughter.
She thought she knew everything about Kassius, but who would have thought he was hiding such a secret?
“Cutie.”
Renisha muttered with a smile and held out her finger.
She had thought she was left alone, but Kassius had returned to Renisha’s side once again.
It had been like that from the beginning.
Even when the Duke and Duchess of Lottera had left and Renisha thought she was the only one left, Kassius had appeared like a comet.
When she least expected it.
Kassius would not leave Renisha alone.
Renisha's eyes felt a little red, so she smiled brighter on purpose.
"How did you come up with this idea?"
[...I didn't want to just wait like everyone else.]
If snakes had expressions, they would probably be sullen right now.
It was the expression Kassius made whenever he was dissatisfied with Renisha.
[Because I'm the one who will stand beside you, not behind you.]
Renisha kissed the snake's head.
Seriously, isn't it just too adorable?
"Lady Renisha will be fine."
Snap.
Kassius, who had been pacing the mansion halls for no apparent reason, stopped at Lindy's words.
Lindy stared at Kassius with an awkward expression.
Only then did Kassius realize he was acting strangely and slowly ran a hand over his face. Kassius sighed.
"...You seem fine."
Kassius found it difficult to accept that he had been left behind by Renisha.
He was imagining only the worst of the worst.
Laxus was crazy.
A crazy bastard who could do anything.
It was like gathering venomous insects and venomous snakes together and watching them fight until they won.
Will Renisha win? Will Laxus?
Lindy lowered her head slightly.
“When you have no choice but to trust, you must trust. Lady Renisha will contact you soon. She is not the type to abandon you, nor is she the type to give up.”
“There may be danger for Renisha.”
“It may not be as dangerous as the Duke is worried about.”
Lindy raised his lips.
“It’s not like Lady Renisha has been doing nothing all this time.”
“...”
“She has prepared much through Turiel. She has diligently recruited people. Many people in the palace are moved by money.”
“...You believe in the power of money.”
“Lady Renisha knows how dangerous money can be. She does not give anyone an opening. What that means is... she never offers less than the amount of money needed to hold someone’s hand. That is why those who have taken Renisha’s hand never look elsewhere.”
Lindy explained softly.
The Renisha that Lindy had observed over the years was that kind of person.
Those who once joined forces with Renisha hoped to sell information to her, but no one wanted to join hands with anyone else.
Unless there were variables like Henry or Gale, that is.
“Renisha controls people with money, while the Emperor controls them with their lives.”
“That’s the difference. In the end, aren’t people driven by immediate gain? Even if the Emperor holds the lives of their families in his hands, there are far more who pursue their own interests. Those as loyal as Count Calliot are rare.”
Kassius turned completely and gazed at the mansion.
It was a small fortress Laxus had prepared for Renisha.
The massive mansion resembled Renisha perfectly.
Kassius blinked slowly.
He couldn’t be the same as the others.
“Perhaps I love her.”
Hadn’t he received such a sweet confession?
Kassius had to be different from those who followed Renisha’s fingertips.
“...I’m thinking of making a slightly different choice.”
“Your Excellency?”
“I can’t just wait.”
***
The news of Renisha's entry into the Imperial Palace spread like wildfire.
Within hours of the incident, the news shook the social elite, and the rumor reached Gale.
Gale, his face gaunt and thin, rose from his seat and then sat back down.
He ran a hand like an old tree through his hair.
Renisha was not one to hesitate.
This time, Gale confirmed it.
Renisha walked into the Imperial Palace on her own two feet and stood beside the Emperor.
Gale still didn't know what Renisha wanted, what she was headed towards.
He was already eliminated.
But no matter how much he regretted it, Count Calliot would not return alive.
Gale was left with only one choice.
'Claim the Emperor's child as yours. Then I might grant you a pardon.'
The cold, rebuking voice was unforgettable.
Claiming the child in the Canary Empress's womb as Gale's would lead to his death.
Gale bit his lip.
A pungent aroma filled his mouth.
A visitor arrived for Gale, who was still lost in thought.
It was a woman who brightened the desolate mansion.
A woman who resembled spring, or a crimson summer.
“...Madame Turiel.”
The messenger of death sent by Renisha visited Gale.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Gale Calliot.”
The emphasis on her pronunciation seemed to be intended to remind Gale of her plight.
A small face, with a cold, mocking expression, sneered at him.
“...What brings you here?”
“A dog that bites its master needs a leash, right? This is a message from Lady Renisha.”
Madame Turiel continued in a leisurely voice.
Her gaze seemed to pierce through Gale.
Gale shivered. The cold enveloped him, as if he had been thrown into a snowy field.
“Now that the leash has been passed, she told me to make a choice.”
Madame Turiel smiled brightly.
Her neat white teeth, revealed between her gorgeously curved lips, stood out.
It seemed as if they would bite Gale.
Gale’s lips trembled.
“...My family...”
“They are safe. They are under Lady Renisha’s protection in a very safe place. From now on, they will live in Hiloshine.”
Renisha handed Kassius over to Turiel.
And Kassius's knights moved for Renisha.
It didn't take long for the battlefield-trained knights to seize Gale's family.
Laxus's sword broke without a trace beneath their blades.
Gale's face darkened even further.
His hands trembled on the desk.
"In the end..."
"Yes. In the end, that's how it happened. Have you forgotten that everything comes back to you? This time, it's your turn to pay the price."
Gale's head dropped.
The god of death swung his scythe.
No matter how much he flinched and fled, the god of death wouldn't let Gale escape.
Under Turiel's blazing gaze, Gale foresaw his future.
A dark and crimson future.
***
"Nothing has changed."
Renisha thought as she looked around the palace where she had once stayed.
The space remained unchanged.
Canary had truly passed by like the wind.
"How pitiful."
Renisha had come here alone.
Even she had left Lindy at his side.
Here, Haily and Renisha had to handle everything alone.
Renisha's funds controlled part of the palace, but she couldn't completely trust them.
Turiel was loyal and diligent, so he would have Gale by now.
She wondered what Gale would look like when he appeared in the palace and what he would say.
And what expression would Canary have on her face, now that she had been banished from the palace and returned to her original home?
Renisha stared blankly at the slowly fading sky.
Finally, there was another person she was curious about.
'Kassius...!'
What expression would he have on his face as he thought of Renisha?
Renisha opened the balcony door.
Darkness, embracing the moon, poured through the window.
Renisha stepped out onto the balcony.
Haylin had fallen asleep, perhaps mentally exhausted, and the palace, still unoccupied, was empty.
It was the first time she had seen such a peaceful, slumbering palace.
A vast castle devoid of any sign of human presence.
Laxus might fill it with people, but for now, it was Renisha's castle.
It was as Renisha filled her lungs with the outside air.
Swish.
Renisha narrowed her eyes.
It should have been a space devoid of any sign of life.
There were rabbits in the garden, too.
Even those small creatures possessed a wild nature, active at night, so they might have been rabbits or cats.
Yet, a strange chill ran down her spine. For such familiar creatures, they felt cold and... smooth...
'Snake!'
A red snake had climbed onto Renisha's balcony. It was as thick as half her forearm, with shiny red scales.
Two small, golden eyes and three golden spots on its head were adorable.
Renisha reached out, entranced.
The one who had broken Renisha's silence was smaller and cuter than she'd expected.
"Where did you come from?"
The snake-like creature knew.
Kassius Lottera.
But, even for Kassius, this snake was too small.
Two of Kassius's fingers, put together, might have been as thick as the snake's body.
"Gah!"
The snake opened its mouth wide and muttered something.
The snake bared its pink tongue and placed its head in Renisha's hand.
Renisha gently stroked its round forehead.
It was at that moment that a voice of disbelief reached Renisha's ear.
"Renisha."
The voice was soft and soothing. Renisha blinked.
"Renisha."
Renisha gasped as the voice dissipated through the air once more.
How could she forget this voice?
Renisha stared at the snake with wide eyes. It tilted its cute head.
There was no other explanation for the strange phenomenon it was experiencing.
Renisha snatched the snake from her hand and went into the room. She even locked the balcony door.
Only after confirming that no one was there did Renisha place the snake on the table.
Renisha swallowed as she sat on the rug on the floor.
The snake seemed displeased with Renisha's rough handling, repeatedly uttering "Kya! Kya!" He raised his head, making a sound.
Renisha whispered softly.
“...Kassius?”
The snake stared at Renisha with a fixed gaze.
“Is it Kassius?”
Renisha whispered again, her face a little disbelief.
[...Renisha.]
The snake’s thin tongue trembled.
“Ha.”
Strength left Renisha’s body.
Renisha collapsed to the floor and burst into laughter.
She thought she knew everything about Kassius, but who would have thought he was hiding such a secret?
“Cutie.”
Renisha muttered with a smile and held out her finger.
She had thought she was left alone, but Kassius had returned to Renisha’s side once again.
It had been like that from the beginning.
Even when the Duke and Duchess of Lottera had left and Renisha thought she was the only one left, Kassius had appeared like a comet.
When she least expected it.
Kassius would not leave Renisha alone.
Renisha's eyes felt a little red, so she smiled brighter on purpose.
"How did you come up with this idea?"
[...I didn't want to just wait like everyone else.]
If snakes had expressions, they would probably be sullen right now.
It was the expression Kassius made whenever he was dissatisfied with Renisha.
[Because I'm the one who will stand beside you, not behind you.]
Renisha kissed the snake's head.
Seriously, isn't it just too adorable?
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