Aila Hailing Weishaffen sat alone in a dark room.
Although the lamp was turned on, it could not completely dispel the darkness that had enveloped the room.
She was waiting for her father in a room bathed in eerie moonlight.
Here, where everything ended and everything began again.
Anxious, yet also thrilling, her heart pounded as if it were going to burst through her ribcage.
Finally, the person she had been waiting for came to the room.
Her father, whom she missed even when she saw him, whom she always longed to see even when she was with him. It was Roderick Allan Weishaffen.
“...Aila.”
"Father."
Roderick looked at his daughter with a solemn expression. Then, with a grin, he asked.
'Who is that?'
Aila nodded and pointed to the closet where Byron was hiding.
She walked cautiously toward the closet.
Step by step, step by step. To seek revenge on the one who ruined her life.
At that moment, Roderick grabbed her shoulder.
“...”
Aila looked back at her father with a puzzled expression.
'Why are you like that?'
She asked with a grin on her face, but Roderick looked at Aila without answering.
It was a look of concern, as if asking if it was really okay.
Roderick and Ophelia, too.
They decided to let their daughter do everything she wanted. Only then would she be able to shake off all the pain she'd endured.
Still, the worries remained.
"I'm fine."
Knowing what he was thinking, Aila smiled and whispered in her father's ear, telling him to rest assured. She was fine.
Then Roderick let go of the hand he had on her shoulder.
Then...
Byron, who had been curled up in a narrow closet and listening to the sounds coming from outside, could not overcome his impatience and opened the closet door slightly.
By now, something should have happened long ago, but he was so frustrated that he couldn't hear a word.
And what he saw through the open door were two pairs of blue eyes looking down at him silently, without making a sound.
The eyes of the Duke and Princess of Weishaffen were like cool moonlight.
“My daughter, what is this...”
He called out to Aila in a panicked voice, as if he hadn't yet grasped the situation. Why wasn't she immediately killing Roderick, instead of looking down at him like this?
“...Say it again. Who is whose daughter?”
Aila asked in a cold voice, devoid of any hint of warmth. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, as if winter had arrived months early.
“Daughter, why...”
As Byron asked in a terrified voice, Aila took a dagger from her bosom and aimed it at his neck.
"You said you'd tell me your name once all your revenge was done. Tell me your name. Now."
“My daughter, why...?”
“Stop talking nonsense and tell me my name!”
The knife aimed at his throat tightened. He felt as if his throat would snap at any moment, and the front of his pants became soaked. He ended up wetting himself.
Aila raised her hand, holding the dagger, as if ready to strike at any moment.
Byron squeezed his eyes shut. Just as he was immersed in the sweet dream that everything he'd ever dreamed of would come true, everything came crashing down.
Because of the girl in front of him.
When on earth did she know my true identity? Where did it all go wrong?
During those brief moments of waiting for his neck to snap, tens of thousands of thoughts ran through his mind.
But no matter how long he waited, his breath never left his body. All he could hear was the sound of something being cut.
Byron cautiously opened his eyes. And, before his eyes...
There was Aila, who had cut off the hair he had cherished so dearly. With a determined and resolute expression.
Her intense gaze was filled with hatred and anger, yet also seemed somewhat sad.
That was only for a moment. As her long, heavy hair was completely cut from her body, she let out a light sigh, seemingly relieved, and opened her mouth.
"It's a shame to kill you so easily. Let you pay the price for your sins and die in agony. For deceiving me, for using me to satisfy your dirty desires... all of it...!"
Swoosh.
Aila scattered the severed hair she was holding over Byron's head.
As his long, thick hair fell over his face and kept getting into his mouth and nose, he groaned and tugged at the hair that was stuck to his face.
He looked shabby to the end. His trousers were soaked with urine, and her silver hair covered his entire body.
The villain who completely ruined her life ended up in such a shabby and crude way.
Aila laughed in vain in frustration.
“Take him, Father.”
“...Yes, if that’s what you mean.”
She turned her head away as if she didn't want to see any more, and Roderick called the knights who were waiting outside.
At that time.
Byron, who showed no sign of reflection until the very end, burst into laughter and took out a small locket necklace from his bosom and shouted.
“Haha, you foolish thing...! You’re just like your father, weak-hearted. How could I possibly die alone? You’ll go with me. Together, to hell...!”
It was an attempt to activate the curse placed on her body.
If there was a problem, it was that the curse had already been lifted and disappeared.
“...Uh, why is this?”
Byron opened the locket and pressed the button inside, but sadly, nothing happened. He stared at the necklace in disbelief.
“...”
“...”
At that sight, which was so heartbreaking, Roderick and Aola were speechless and could only look at each other.
"Cloud, shouldn't we move now? It's time..."
One of Byron's subordinates asked anxiously. He was in command of a special force attacking the Duke's residence from outside.
“...”
But Cloud did not give the order to move.
He was recalling Aila's last words: 'If you want my forgiveness, lead your troops and surrender.'
'Forgive me...'
Of course, his heart was already inclined toward surrender. If Aila wanted it, how could he refuse?
Even so, he couldn't force his ignorant subordinates to surrender. They might not want to do that, after all.
That's why he was wondering what to do.
“Ugh, Cloud! We’re in big trouble!”
“What’s going on?”
One of his subordinates came running, making a fuss.
“The weapon... the weapon is strange. Look at this...!”
He spoke in a panicked voice, holding up the sword that had been standing there like a chill just a moment ago.
The blade was blunt and had teeth missing here and there, so it was in such a poor condition that it seemed like it wouldn't even be able to cut a knife, let alone be used in combat.
"Everything has changed like this. Every single one of them. What kind of harmony is this...?"
Since there were more than one or two such weapons, the battle would have been impossible if things continued as they were.
"Haha..."
Cloud burst out laughing without realizing it.
Although the lamp was turned on, it could not completely dispel the darkness that had enveloped the room.
She was waiting for her father in a room bathed in eerie moonlight.
Here, where everything ended and everything began again.
Anxious, yet also thrilling, her heart pounded as if it were going to burst through her ribcage.
Finally, the person she had been waiting for came to the room.
Her father, whom she missed even when she saw him, whom she always longed to see even when she was with him. It was Roderick Allan Weishaffen.
“...Aila.”
"Father."
Roderick looked at his daughter with a solemn expression. Then, with a grin, he asked.
'Who is that?'
Aila nodded and pointed to the closet where Byron was hiding.
She walked cautiously toward the closet.
Step by step, step by step. To seek revenge on the one who ruined her life.
At that moment, Roderick grabbed her shoulder.
“...”
Aila looked back at her father with a puzzled expression.
'Why are you like that?'
She asked with a grin on her face, but Roderick looked at Aila without answering.
It was a look of concern, as if asking if it was really okay.
Roderick and Ophelia, too.
They decided to let their daughter do everything she wanted. Only then would she be able to shake off all the pain she'd endured.
Still, the worries remained.
"I'm fine."
Knowing what he was thinking, Aila smiled and whispered in her father's ear, telling him to rest assured. She was fine.
Then Roderick let go of the hand he had on her shoulder.
Then...
Byron, who had been curled up in a narrow closet and listening to the sounds coming from outside, could not overcome his impatience and opened the closet door slightly.
By now, something should have happened long ago, but he was so frustrated that he couldn't hear a word.
And what he saw through the open door were two pairs of blue eyes looking down at him silently, without making a sound.
The eyes of the Duke and Princess of Weishaffen were like cool moonlight.
“My daughter, what is this...”
He called out to Aila in a panicked voice, as if he hadn't yet grasped the situation. Why wasn't she immediately killing Roderick, instead of looking down at him like this?
“...Say it again. Who is whose daughter?”
Aila asked in a cold voice, devoid of any hint of warmth. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, as if winter had arrived months early.
“Daughter, why...”
As Byron asked in a terrified voice, Aila took a dagger from her bosom and aimed it at his neck.
"You said you'd tell me your name once all your revenge was done. Tell me your name. Now."
“My daughter, why...?”
“Stop talking nonsense and tell me my name!”
The knife aimed at his throat tightened. He felt as if his throat would snap at any moment, and the front of his pants became soaked. He ended up wetting himself.
“You won't speak? Then I'll tell you your name. Byron, Lionel, Vito Peles... Traitor to the Empire. As the eldest daughter of the House of Weisshafen, I execute you here and now.”
Byron squeezed his eyes shut. Just as he was immersed in the sweet dream that everything he'd ever dreamed of would come true, everything came crashing down.
Because of the girl in front of him.
When on earth did she know my true identity? Where did it all go wrong?
During those brief moments of waiting for his neck to snap, tens of thousands of thoughts ran through his mind.
But no matter how long he waited, his breath never left his body. All he could hear was the sound of something being cut.
Byron cautiously opened his eyes. And, before his eyes...
There was Aila, who had cut off the hair he had cherished so dearly. With a determined and resolute expression.
Her intense gaze was filled with hatred and anger, yet also seemed somewhat sad.
That was only for a moment. As her long, heavy hair was completely cut from her body, she let out a light sigh, seemingly relieved, and opened her mouth.
"It's a shame to kill you so easily. Let you pay the price for your sins and die in agony. For deceiving me, for using me to satisfy your dirty desires... all of it...!"
Swoosh.
Aila scattered the severed hair she was holding over Byron's head.
As his long, thick hair fell over his face and kept getting into his mouth and nose, he groaned and tugged at the hair that was stuck to his face.
He looked shabby to the end. His trousers were soaked with urine, and her silver hair covered his entire body.
The villain who completely ruined her life ended up in such a shabby and crude way.
Aila laughed in vain in frustration.
“Take him, Father.”
“...Yes, if that’s what you mean.”
She turned her head away as if she didn't want to see any more, and Roderick called the knights who were waiting outside.
At that time.
Byron, who showed no sign of reflection until the very end, burst into laughter and took out a small locket necklace from his bosom and shouted.
“Haha, you foolish thing...! You’re just like your father, weak-hearted. How could I possibly die alone? You’ll go with me. Together, to hell...!”
It was an attempt to activate the curse placed on her body.
If there was a problem, it was that the curse had already been lifted and disappeared.
“...Uh, why is this?”
Byron opened the locket and pressed the button inside, but sadly, nothing happened. He stared at the necklace in disbelief.
“...”
“...”
At that sight, which was so heartbreaking, Roderick and Aola were speechless and could only look at each other.
***
"Cloud, shouldn't we move now? It's time..."
One of Byron's subordinates asked anxiously. He was in command of a special force attacking the Duke's residence from outside.
“...”
But Cloud did not give the order to move.
He was recalling Aila's last words: 'If you want my forgiveness, lead your troops and surrender.'
'Forgive me...'
Of course, his heart was already inclined toward surrender. If Aila wanted it, how could he refuse?
Even so, he couldn't force his ignorant subordinates to surrender. They might not want to do that, after all.
That's why he was wondering what to do.
“Ugh, Cloud! We’re in big trouble!”
“What’s going on?”
One of his subordinates came running, making a fuss.
“The weapon... the weapon is strange. Look at this...!”
He spoke in a panicked voice, holding up the sword that had been standing there like a chill just a moment ago.
The blade was blunt and had teeth missing here and there, so it was in such a poor condition that it seemed like it wouldn't even be able to cut a knife, let alone be used in combat.
"Everything has changed like this. Every single one of them. What kind of harmony is this...?"
Since there were more than one or two such weapons, the battle would have been impossible if things continued as they were.
"Haha..."
Cloud burst out laughing without realizing it.
"You've reached this far?"
'No, maybe it's for the better.'
His worries had been resolved.
"Listen. Today's operation has failed. Disband."
"Huh? Cloud! What nonsense are you talking about!"
At Cloud's command, his subordinates protested with wide eyes and expressions of disbelief.
"These weapons were perfectly fine until just a moment ago. The fact that they've changed like this suggests someone already knows our plan and has tampered with it. If that's the case, then wouldn't the safety of my lord, who has already infiltrated the Duke's compound, be unguaranteed?"
“That’s true, but...! It’s not certain, is it? It could just be that he was scammed by an arms dealer...!”
"How much does it cost to maintain illusion magic? If it were, it would have turned into this as soon as we paid. If this were a scam, the maintenance costs would have been greater than the money they made selling the fake weapons."
As Cloud refuted each point, his subordinates were speechless and just stared at each other blankly.
“Well, then, shouldn’t we go and rescue our lord even more?”
One of the knights mustered up the courage to speak. Cloud burst into laughter and said:
"You plan on fighting the Knights of Weishaffen with this weapon? It's like jumping into a fire with a stick in your hand. Save your life."
After speaking, he turned around without hesitation. He intended to surrender right away.
But then,
“...Are you running away to live alone like a coward? Your brother, Bayfold, was a man who knew chivalry and loyalty!”
A knight from behind touched Cloud's sore spot.
“...”
Cloud stopped walking. Hearing these words, he couldn't just turn around.
He turned back with a furious expression. His appearance was almost majestic.
"Chivalry? Loyalty? So, what difference did it make that he sacrificed his life for Byron? Because of that, his family—his wife, his young daughter...! They were condemned to wander as criminals for the rest of their lives. This is the result of that unwavering loyalty."
“...Uh, Lord Cloud.”
The subordinates, overwhelmed by the force, retreated hesitantly.
“And... you’ve seen him up close, so you must have some sense of him. Do you really think Byron Lionel Vito Peles is the stuff of a saint?”
To his question, no one could answer.
Because it was impossible to say, even in empty words, that Byron would be a great Emperor.
'No, maybe it's for the better.'
His worries had been resolved.
"Listen. Today's operation has failed. Disband."
"Huh? Cloud! What nonsense are you talking about!"
At Cloud's command, his subordinates protested with wide eyes and expressions of disbelief.
"These weapons were perfectly fine until just a moment ago. The fact that they've changed like this suggests someone already knows our plan and has tampered with it. If that's the case, then wouldn't the safety of my lord, who has already infiltrated the Duke's compound, be unguaranteed?"
“That’s true, but...! It’s not certain, is it? It could just be that he was scammed by an arms dealer...!”
"How much does it cost to maintain illusion magic? If it were, it would have turned into this as soon as we paid. If this were a scam, the maintenance costs would have been greater than the money they made selling the fake weapons."
As Cloud refuted each point, his subordinates were speechless and just stared at each other blankly.
“Well, then, shouldn’t we go and rescue our lord even more?”
One of the knights mustered up the courage to speak. Cloud burst into laughter and said:
"You plan on fighting the Knights of Weishaffen with this weapon? It's like jumping into a fire with a stick in your hand. Save your life."
After speaking, he turned around without hesitation. He intended to surrender right away.
But then,
“...Are you running away to live alone like a coward? Your brother, Bayfold, was a man who knew chivalry and loyalty!”
A knight from behind touched Cloud's sore spot.
“...”
Cloud stopped walking. Hearing these words, he couldn't just turn around.
He turned back with a furious expression. His appearance was almost majestic.
"Chivalry? Loyalty? So, what difference did it make that he sacrificed his life for Byron? Because of that, his family—his wife, his young daughter...! They were condemned to wander as criminals for the rest of their lives. This is the result of that unwavering loyalty."
“...Uh, Lord Cloud.”
The subordinates, overwhelmed by the force, retreated hesitantly.
“And... you’ve seen him up close, so you must have some sense of him. Do you really think Byron Lionel Vito Peles is the stuff of a saint?”
To his question, no one could answer.
Because it was impossible to say, even in empty words, that Byron would be a great Emperor.
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