Two pairs of yellow eyes, quite similar to Winfred's, were drawn to the podium, burning with hostility.
As her name was called, the onlookers around her began to chatter.
“Isn’t that woman the bastard daughter of Byron?”
“She's just like her father; she's incredibly vicious. I heard she already killed three people at such a young age.”
There were quite a few who hurled unspeakable curses at Binka, and some who picked up hard rocks and threw them at her.
Although the sight seemed pitiful, Winfred maintained his composure as he read the verdict.
"The criminal killed several people to conceal her identity and attempted to assassinate a member of the imperial family. Although the assassination attempt was unsuccessful, she was sentenced to death by hanging for three counts of murder and one attempted murder."
When the sentence was announced, Binka kicked and screamed in a venomous manner.
"How clean and smart you are! If our roles were reversed, it would be you, not me, hanging yourself to death right here!"
Winfred, who had received the full force of intense anger and hatred, closed his eyes tightly with a pained expression.
It was even more painful to think that if it weren't for this bad relationship, they might have been close cousins.
But he decided not to run away. He clenched his fists and shouted, his face a far cry from his usual gentle expression.
"You're not here because you're the daughter of a traitor. You're here because you hurt people to fulfill your greed. I know your life has been tough, but that doesn't mean everyone in that situation makes the same choices you did. So don't blame others. You're just paying for your own sins."
Winfred, having finished what he wanted to say, turned his head slightly and met Aila's eyes.
Aila, who had been wide-eyed in surprise, closed her eyes slightly and smiled. It was a compliment, a compliment.
To him, Aila was that kind of person. A strong person who never lost herself even in the face of hardship. A person who was the polar opposite of Binka.
Even though she could have killed her enemy, Byron, with her own hands, Aila ended up bringing him before the bar of justice.
Winfred would become strong like her. Instead of blaming himself for being naively deceived and crying, he would rise up and once again resolve to take another step forward.
“Byron Lionel Vito Peles.”
Winfred called out the last sinner's name with force.
The one who ruined Aila's life and ultimately turned his own daughter into a murderer.
As Byron was dragged to the podium, a barrage of jeers and insults erupted, incomparable to those of Binka. Even more food scraps and rocks were thrown at him.
“...I’ll read it myself.”
Hiram, who had been watching from the high bench, rose and snatched the verdict from his son's hands. He wanted to pronounce the verdict on Byron, if not on anyone else.
"Treason, attempted murder of a direct ascendant, kidnapping of an infant... what the heck, the list of crimes is endless. It'll take three or four days to read them all."
Hiram read the verdict with a gruff grin. While somewhat exaggerated, the verdict listing Byron's crimes was actually quite lengthy, exceeding one or two pages.
“He shall be hanged.”
He looked down at his hated brother and sentenced him to death.
Byron refused to give in to this situation until the very end and struggled to find a way to survive.
"Let go of this, you damned bastards! Do you even know who I am? It's me you're supposed to serve, not that thief! Let go of this!!"
Naturally, the crowd's boos grew louder, and the curses grew louder, but Byron remained silent until the very end. Even up to the very moment he ascended the gallows.
His daughter was no different. Binka writhed and writhed, as if she were being wronged, but that didn't mean she could avoid execution.
But as the rope around their necks took the air from them, the woman's body, which had been thrashing, soon lost its strength and sagged.
Aila, who had been silently watching the scene, turned her head as if she had no more regrets.
Now it was really all over.
“Sister!”
As Aila got out of the carriage, Noah, who had been waiting for her to come, ran into her arms.
As she lifted her now-grown little brother, Noah chuckled happily and wrapped his arms around Aila's neck.
“Noah, did you miss your sister?”
“Yeah! I missed you! I missed you so much!!”
In response to Aila's question, Noah drew the largest circle he could with his short arms.
This was because she had been away from home for a few weeks, visiting the cottage where Scott and Debbie were working as caretakers.
“Noah, it’s hard for your sister. Noah has grown so much that he’s heavy now.”
At Ophelia's words, who was standing next to him, he opened his eyes wide and asked.
“Is it hard, Sister? Is Noah heavy?”
“No, it’s okay! It’s okay, Mother.”
As she playfully showed off her strong arm muscles, Ophelia shook her head as if she couldn't stop herself.
"You must have had a hard time getting here. Are you tired? Let's rest for a bit and then talk."
Roderick, who had also come out to greet them, joined the conversation with a serious expression.
“Oh, no! I’m not that tired. You can talk now.”
Aila said as she put Noah down, wondering what he was going to say.
She had thought she would be alone with her father, but when her mother sat down next to Roderick with an expression that made it difficult to read his thoughts, her curiosity grew even more.
“I, Aila.”
“Yes, Father. Please speak.”
Aila blinked slowly, looking at her father. She couldn't understand why he was so hesitant.
“...After your birthday this year, you’ll be an adult. No, considering the time you’ve spent back then, you’re already past adulthood... but legally speaking.”
“Yes, it has already become like that.”
Aila nodded.
After her upcoming birthday, she too will turn eighteen. Since she returned to the past the day before her birthday, this was her first eighteenth birthday.
“That’s why. So...”
Roderick continued to babble, seemingly unable to open his mouth. Ophelia, unable to bear it any longer, sighed deeply and joined in.
"What do you want to do in the future? I mean, successor training."
At her mother's words, Aila realized what her parents were talking about.
It was talking about her relationship with Winfred.
For a long time, he and she had been openly romantically involved. They attended banquets together, and Winfred was always her escort when she went out to public functions.
So, it was natural for her to think about a future with him.
If Aila were to marry Winfred, she would become the Crown Princess, meaning she would not be able to inherit the ducal title.
“His Majesty the Emperor has been hinting at the idea of engagement. What do you think?”
“...”
Aila closed her mouth for a moment, lost in thought.
She loved Winfred. They were happy together, and it was sad to part ways. Seeing her loving parents, she longed to have a family like theirs.
But she also felt sorry when she thought of her father, who had believed in her as a man of talent to lead the Duke family.
“...If you’re doing this because you feel sorry for me, then you don’t have to, Aila. Your happiness is what matters most to me.”
Roderick opened his mouth as if he had read his daughter's thoughts.
It was a dramatic change, considering that he had secretly been reluctant to consider Winfred as his daughter's partner.
“I... really like Winfred. If possible, I’d like to be with him for the rest of my life.”
Encouraged by her father's words, Aila confessed her true feelings.
"Well, if that's true... I guess I'll have to work out harder. I need to stay healthy until Noah becomes an adult."
Roderick scratched the back of his head and made a joke.
And that evening.
Aila received an unexpected guest.
“Lisa, who are you?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. He is waiting for you downstairs.”
Winfred's unexpected visit caused her to hurry outside. The carriage parked in the garden was clearly the Crown Prince's, bearing the royal seal.
And the owner of the carriage neither came in nor got into the carriage, but stood tall beside the tightly closed carriage door.
"Winfred? What brings you here all of a sudden?"
“...A, Aila.”
He spoke, his face set stiffly, his hand gripping the carriage handle. His demeanor seemed somewhat tense.
Aila entered the carriage, feeling bewildered. Then, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight inside.
I was clearly in a carriage, and a dazzling night landscape unfolded before her, as if starlight was pouring down where the walls and ceiling should have been.
Just like on the roof, where Winfred and Aila met for the second time.
Aila sat down in the chair prepared in advance, her face frozen in place. The starlight was so dazzling that it seemed as if she could reach out and touch it.
“What is this, Winfred?”
“...I’ve prepared to reminisce together. Do you like it?”
“Is there such a thing as magic? It’s amazing.”
Aila smiled broadly and nodded in satisfaction. She had a vague idea what kind of trick this was, but decided to fit the mood.
"That day, if it weren't for you, I would have lost my life. I'm truly grateful. Was that the only time? You saved my life twice."
Winfred knelt slightly before Aila and took her hand. He snapped his fingers, making a sound, just as he had done that night when she had been crying about not being able to whistle.
Then, a shooting star fell from a magically created fake sky and touched Winfred's hand. The star transformed into a ring set with a large blue diamond.
“So I’ll give you my life. Marry me.”
It was a proposal.
"...Yes, good.”
There was no need to hesitate. When Aila nodded, Winfred, his eyes reddening, slipped the ring onto her finger.
“I’m sorry. I was going to propose before my father even brought up the subject of engagement... but this impatient man couldn’t hold back and spoke first.”
He opened his mouth with a tearful face. Hearing those words, he rushed over.
Despite the disparaging remarks made to the Emperor of the Empire, calling him "uncle," Aila simply smiled and opened her mouth.
"Well, what do you think? I was the one who said I liked you first. Do I look like the kind of person who would care about something like that?"
"...still."
Despite her consolation, Winfred stuck out his lower lip sullenly.
“Come and sit down, Winfred.”
At that cute sight, Aila smiled and said.
Winfred sat down next to Ayla without a moment's hesitation. The chairs were cramped, forcing them to sit close together.
“The sky is beautiful. It’s nice to be together like this...”
He turned his gaze to the sky, trying to hide his flushed face. It was a hastily created scene, but it was truly beautiful.
“...Winfred.”
"Yes?"
At Aila's call, he turned his head sharply. Then, as if she had been waiting, she kissed Winfred on the mouth.
The feeling of soft, moist lips was like a dream.
After a brief kiss, they pressed their foreheads together and smiled bashfully.
The stars in the night sky, created by magic, were shining brightly as if blessing their future.
As her name was called, the onlookers around her began to chatter.
“Isn’t that woman the bastard daughter of Byron?”
“She's just like her father; she's incredibly vicious. I heard she already killed three people at such a young age.”
There were quite a few who hurled unspeakable curses at Binka, and some who picked up hard rocks and threw them at her.
Although the sight seemed pitiful, Winfred maintained his composure as he read the verdict.
"The criminal killed several people to conceal her identity and attempted to assassinate a member of the imperial family. Although the assassination attempt was unsuccessful, she was sentenced to death by hanging for three counts of murder and one attempted murder."
When the sentence was announced, Binka kicked and screamed in a venomous manner.
"How clean and smart you are! If our roles were reversed, it would be you, not me, hanging yourself to death right here!"
Winfred, who had received the full force of intense anger and hatred, closed his eyes tightly with a pained expression.
It was even more painful to think that if it weren't for this bad relationship, they might have been close cousins.
But he decided not to run away. He clenched his fists and shouted, his face a far cry from his usual gentle expression.
"You're not here because you're the daughter of a traitor. You're here because you hurt people to fulfill your greed. I know your life has been tough, but that doesn't mean everyone in that situation makes the same choices you did. So don't blame others. You're just paying for your own sins."
Winfred, having finished what he wanted to say, turned his head slightly and met Aila's eyes.
Aila, who had been wide-eyed in surprise, closed her eyes slightly and smiled. It was a compliment, a compliment.
To him, Aila was that kind of person. A strong person who never lost herself even in the face of hardship. A person who was the polar opposite of Binka.
Even though she could have killed her enemy, Byron, with her own hands, Aila ended up bringing him before the bar of justice.
Winfred would become strong like her. Instead of blaming himself for being naively deceived and crying, he would rise up and once again resolve to take another step forward.
“Byron Lionel Vito Peles.”
Winfred called out the last sinner's name with force.
The one who ruined Aila's life and ultimately turned his own daughter into a murderer.
As Byron was dragged to the podium, a barrage of jeers and insults erupted, incomparable to those of Binka. Even more food scraps and rocks were thrown at him.
“...I’ll read it myself.”
Hiram, who had been watching from the high bench, rose and snatched the verdict from his son's hands. He wanted to pronounce the verdict on Byron, if not on anyone else.
"Treason, attempted murder of a direct ascendant, kidnapping of an infant... what the heck, the list of crimes is endless. It'll take three or four days to read them all."
Hiram read the verdict with a gruff grin. While somewhat exaggerated, the verdict listing Byron's crimes was actually quite lengthy, exceeding one or two pages.
“He shall be hanged.”
He looked down at his hated brother and sentenced him to death.
Byron refused to give in to this situation until the very end and struggled to find a way to survive.
"Let go of this, you damned bastards! Do you even know who I am? It's me you're supposed to serve, not that thief! Let go of this!!"
Naturally, the crowd's boos grew louder, and the curses grew louder, but Byron remained silent until the very end. Even up to the very moment he ascended the gallows.
His daughter was no different. Binka writhed and writhed, as if she were being wronged, but that didn't mean she could avoid execution.
But as the rope around their necks took the air from them, the woman's body, which had been thrashing, soon lost its strength and sagged.
Aila, who had been silently watching the scene, turned her head as if she had no more regrets.
Now it was really all over.
***
“Sister!”
As Aila got out of the carriage, Noah, who had been waiting for her to come, ran into her arms.
As she lifted her now-grown little brother, Noah chuckled happily and wrapped his arms around Aila's neck.
“Noah, did you miss your sister?”
“Yeah! I missed you! I missed you so much!!”
In response to Aila's question, Noah drew the largest circle he could with his short arms.
This was because she had been away from home for a few weeks, visiting the cottage where Scott and Debbie were working as caretakers.
“Noah, it’s hard for your sister. Noah has grown so much that he’s heavy now.”
At Ophelia's words, who was standing next to him, he opened his eyes wide and asked.
“Is it hard, Sister? Is Noah heavy?”
“No, it’s okay! It’s okay, Mother.”
As she playfully showed off her strong arm muscles, Ophelia shook her head as if she couldn't stop herself.
"You must have had a hard time getting here. Are you tired? Let's rest for a bit and then talk."
Roderick, who had also come out to greet them, joined the conversation with a serious expression.
“Oh, no! I’m not that tired. You can talk now.”
Aila said as she put Noah down, wondering what he was going to say.
She had thought she would be alone with her father, but when her mother sat down next to Roderick with an expression that made it difficult to read his thoughts, her curiosity grew even more.
“I, Aila.”
“Yes, Father. Please speak.”
Aila blinked slowly, looking at her father. She couldn't understand why he was so hesitant.
“...After your birthday this year, you’ll be an adult. No, considering the time you’ve spent back then, you’re already past adulthood... but legally speaking.”
“Yes, it has already become like that.”
Aila nodded.
After her upcoming birthday, she too will turn eighteen. Since she returned to the past the day before her birthday, this was her first eighteenth birthday.
“That’s why. So...”
Roderick continued to babble, seemingly unable to open his mouth. Ophelia, unable to bear it any longer, sighed deeply and joined in.
"What do you want to do in the future? I mean, successor training."
At her mother's words, Aila realized what her parents were talking about.
It was talking about her relationship with Winfred.
For a long time, he and she had been openly romantically involved. They attended banquets together, and Winfred was always her escort when she went out to public functions.
So, it was natural for her to think about a future with him.
If Aila were to marry Winfred, she would become the Crown Princess, meaning she would not be able to inherit the ducal title.
“His Majesty the Emperor has been hinting at the idea of engagement. What do you think?”
“...”
Aila closed her mouth for a moment, lost in thought.
She loved Winfred. They were happy together, and it was sad to part ways. Seeing her loving parents, she longed to have a family like theirs.
But she also felt sorry when she thought of her father, who had believed in her as a man of talent to lead the Duke family.
“...If you’re doing this because you feel sorry for me, then you don’t have to, Aila. Your happiness is what matters most to me.”
Roderick opened his mouth as if he had read his daughter's thoughts.
It was a dramatic change, considering that he had secretly been reluctant to consider Winfred as his daughter's partner.
“I... really like Winfred. If possible, I’d like to be with him for the rest of my life.”
Encouraged by her father's words, Aila confessed her true feelings.
"Well, if that's true... I guess I'll have to work out harder. I need to stay healthy until Noah becomes an adult."
Roderick scratched the back of his head and made a joke.
And that evening.
Aila received an unexpected guest.
“Lisa, who are you?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. He is waiting for you downstairs.”
Winfred's unexpected visit caused her to hurry outside. The carriage parked in the garden was clearly the Crown Prince's, bearing the royal seal.
And the owner of the carriage neither came in nor got into the carriage, but stood tall beside the tightly closed carriage door.
"Winfred? What brings you here all of a sudden?"
“...A, Aila.”
He spoke, his face set stiffly, his hand gripping the carriage handle. His demeanor seemed somewhat tense.
Aila entered the carriage, feeling bewildered. Then, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight inside.
I was clearly in a carriage, and a dazzling night landscape unfolded before her, as if starlight was pouring down where the walls and ceiling should have been.
Just like on the roof, where Winfred and Aila met for the second time.
Aila sat down in the chair prepared in advance, her face frozen in place. The starlight was so dazzling that it seemed as if she could reach out and touch it.
“What is this, Winfred?”
“...I’ve prepared to reminisce together. Do you like it?”
“Is there such a thing as magic? It’s amazing.”
Aila smiled broadly and nodded in satisfaction. She had a vague idea what kind of trick this was, but decided to fit the mood.
"That day, if it weren't for you, I would have lost my life. I'm truly grateful. Was that the only time? You saved my life twice."
Winfred knelt slightly before Aila and took her hand. He snapped his fingers, making a sound, just as he had done that night when she had been crying about not being able to whistle.
Then, a shooting star fell from a magically created fake sky and touched Winfred's hand. The star transformed into a ring set with a large blue diamond.
“So I’ll give you my life. Marry me.”
It was a proposal.
"...Yes, good.”
There was no need to hesitate. When Aila nodded, Winfred, his eyes reddening, slipped the ring onto her finger.
“I’m sorry. I was going to propose before my father even brought up the subject of engagement... but this impatient man couldn’t hold back and spoke first.”
He opened his mouth with a tearful face. Hearing those words, he rushed over.
Despite the disparaging remarks made to the Emperor of the Empire, calling him "uncle," Aila simply smiled and opened her mouth.
"Well, what do you think? I was the one who said I liked you first. Do I look like the kind of person who would care about something like that?"
"...still."
Despite her consolation, Winfred stuck out his lower lip sullenly.
“Come and sit down, Winfred.”
At that cute sight, Aila smiled and said.
Winfred sat down next to Ayla without a moment's hesitation. The chairs were cramped, forcing them to sit close together.
“The sky is beautiful. It’s nice to be together like this...”
He turned his gaze to the sky, trying to hide his flushed face. It was a hastily created scene, but it was truly beautiful.
“...Winfred.”
"Yes?"
At Aila's call, he turned his head sharply. Then, as if she had been waiting, she kissed Winfred on the mouth.
The feeling of soft, moist lips was like a dream.
After a brief kiss, they pressed their foreheads together and smiled bashfully.
The stars in the night sky, created by magic, were shining brightly as if blessing their future.
<I will pay with my life for deceiving me> Complete.
Comments
Post a Comment