Episode 92. Now, finally
Lacrahan was enduring the intense discomfort of Kelita's stare from the side.
People were dancing beneath the platform, and right next to him, Gerard was chatting with the nobles who had swarmed before him like bees.
The air was thick with fog, and the cigarettes smoked by the men and women sitting on the chairs.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Princess Kelita?"
Kelita smiled at Lacrahan's low voice.
"I just can't believe I'm seeing the Grand Duke like this in the palace."
"Well, that's because this isn't my first time in the palace. This has happened before."
"But it feels even more special now."
"I see."
Lacrahan withdrew the last of his gaze and rested his chin on his hand indifferently.
One hand was under his chin, the other tucked inside his cloak, in the pocket of his leather vest.
“There’s nothing special between Princess Kelita and me anymore. I think you already know that.”
Lacrahan was enduring the intense discomfort of Kelita's stare from the side.
People were dancing beneath the platform, and right next to him, Gerard was chatting with the nobles who had swarmed before him like bees.
The air was thick with fog, and the cigarettes smoked by the men and women sitting on the chairs.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Princess Kelita?"
Kelita smiled at Lacrahan's low voice.
"I just can't believe I'm seeing the Grand Duke like this in the palace."
"Well, that's because this isn't my first time in the palace. This has happened before."
"But it feels even more special now."
"I see."
Lacrahan withdrew the last of his gaze and rested his chin on his hand indifferently.
One hand was under his chin, the other tucked inside his cloak, in the pocket of his leather vest.
“There’s nothing special between Princess Kelita and me anymore. I think you already know that.”
“If there isn’t one, I can make one.”
Kelita was grinning, as if nothing was wrong.
“If you say you won’t marry, I’ll have no choice but to push ahead unilaterally.”
Lacrahan’s head moved at Kelita’s provocation, and he smirked.
“As you know, I never agreed to that proposal.”
Lacrahan looked into Kelita’s deep brown eyes.
The chaotic scenery of the room and the parallel butterflies twinkling within it overlapped hers.
If the person before him was the Empress, as he suspected, and if she was receiving the aid of the Supreme Being, she was definitely not to be trifled with.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but His Majesty the Emperor will be holding our wedding soon.”
Kelita wet her red lips with her tongue.
“I want to be your wife, just like I wished when I was young. No, I will. Grand Duke Lacrahan.”
Lacrahan raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you think I would accept that offer?”
Kelita smiled, showing her white teeth.
“Because I will make it happen. And if it doesn’t happen, I won’t let it go.”
“...?”
Kelita answered in a bright voice.
“I will tear you to pieces, torment you every second until you want to die.”
Lacrahan asked back in an emotionless voice.
“Do I look like someone who would be easily defeated?”
He turned his head as if he didn’t need to hear any more.
“No. Not you. Bercheria.”
The name that came as soon as he finished speaking made Lacrahan’s smoothly raised eyebrows furrow.
“I can torment Bercheria all I want. And I have the confidence to do so.”
Kelita continued, her eyes sparkling.
"Bercheria is nothing, really. The power of the weather goddess is nothing under a roof that protects against thunder and rain."
Her face showed no conscience or conflict.
"I don't care what happens to my people when there's a drought or heavy snow. What do I care? Don't you think so?"
Lacrahan looked at Kelita with cold eyes.
The woman's obsessive gaze, which had been gazing at him for a long time, was chilling.
She seemed to firmly believe that Lacrahan, overcome by her threats, would marry her.
"Marry me. You don't have to love me. Spend your first night with me, eat with me, sleep in the same bed with me, and that's enough."
Kelita spoke nonchalantly about things that would be painful every moment without love.
Lacrahan exhaled slowly.
Just being with Bercheria made his heart race, but this woman felt like choking him just by breathing together.
"Do as you wish, Princess Kelita."
Lacrahan stood from his chair.
And then he turned away, as if she wasn't even worth confronting.
Bercheria wasn't the type to just sit back and take Kelita's harassment.
He knew better than anyone how strong she was.
"Grand Duke Lacrahan!"
Lacrahan ignored Kelita's desperate call and walked forward.
"I don't love you, but there are still so many things I have to do."
Kelita's threat was so absurd that he laughed.
He went over each word she had just said.
"We already ate together, and in the same bed as on our first night?"
He shook his head.
Lyone froze, glancing back and forth between Groovy and Bercheria before abruptly turning around as if fleeing.
Even as they watched, neither of them had any intention of catching Lyone.
Only when the sound of her footsteps faded did Groovy breathe out first.
“What the heck...”
But he didn’t know what to say.
Even though he’d spent his entire life in prison, he’d heard countless times how unique his appearance was.
Every wizard who was brought in knew every detail about blond hair.
Bercheria chose blond hair and golden eyes when selecting Awakened ones because of their pure bloodline.
Over the years, bloodlines had mixed, and sometimes people with similar characteristics emerged, but ultimately, those with truly golden eyes were extremely rare.
So how could he possibly interpret the fact that not only had he met Bercheria, but that even the Emperor’s mistress had golden eyes?
“Let’s pretend we don’t know for now.”
Bercheria told Groovy.
“Yes?”
“Pretend you didn’t see. Don’t say anything. Not even to me. I’ll find out. What happened?”
“Ah. Yes.”
Groovy nodded, his eyes wide.
He didn’t know what had happened, but Bercheria could trust him.
“I’ll do as you say, Bercheria.”
That night, Bercheria couldn’t sleep easily.
A woman who looked like her and was by the Emperor’s side.
The one who had tried to use Groovy to kill Bercheria in such a situation.
Her tossing and turning in bed became more intense as time passed.
To break this situation, she needed to first sense her intentions and take action, but it was hard to guess what Lyone wanted.
It had been a casual remark, started simply to clear her mind of small concerns.
“Is it fortunate that I know now?”
Rolling over, Bercheria thought over and over again.
She carefully went over the events that had occurred since the party, then got up from the bed and walked to the window.
As Bercheria gazed at the scenery outside the imperial palace, a light rain began to fall.
“As one of the guardians of this continent, I wish for you to come to me.”
The rain containing her wish would reach the continental god, Dipper, and the sea god, Beloveye, who were currently residing in Periat.
And there was one more person she needed.
Bercheria hesitated for a moment, then turned and headed outside.
It was quite late, as everyone had gone to bed after the party.
She had used the portal to reach the imperial palace, but the party had likely left her exhausted.
While she believed he was already asleep, her complex mind ultimately left only one person.
“Lacrahan.”
Bercheria headed toward his room.
As she approached, she thought she could return if he had fallen asleep. Then she spotted a shadow approaching from the opposite direction.
Now, she could tell who it was simply by looking at the silhouette.
“Lacrahan.”
Just hearing his name calmed her anxious heart.
As she stopped, Lacrahan widened his stride and approached her.
The distance between them disappeared, and a familiar scent filled the dark hallway.
How could I have lived so long without forgetting this man?
How could I not recognize him, even when just looking at him made my heart flutter?
“Where are you going?”
“I was on my way to see you.”
His eyebrows rose sharply, as if completely unexpectedly.
“Hmm.”
He took a step forward and took Bercheria’s hand.
Bercheria was surprised, having never touched Lacrahan in such an exposed position before.
Lacrahan smiled gently, seeing her wide, golden eyes.
“Shall we go for a walk?”
Warmth enveloped Bercheria’s once-chilled fingertips.
The sun would soon rise, but that didn’t matter.
Bercheria looked up at him.
“It’s a perfect time for a walk, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The two walked leisurely through the deserted hallway.
The imperial palace of Periat was, to all eyes, a splendid beauty.
After the war, Gerard had invested an almost unreasonable amount of money in rebuilding the shattered imperial palace.
The money he'd gathered from various sources was enough to create a decent small kingdom.
Rumor had it he was motivated by the Der'Ansis Empire, the wealthiest of the three continents.
Gerard still hasn't fully repaid his debt, but thanks to it, those who witnessed this spectacle could enjoy a luxurious experience.
True to its warm climate, the capital, with its warmer climate than the north, was covered with the imperial red roses that graced the walls.
The lush blooms were a feast for the eyes.
The two strolled in unison through the garden, bathed in darkness and moonlight.
"It's peaceful."
Bercheria leisurely surveyed the garden.
The benches where women would have chatted during the day, the narrow paths where people would have bustled about, were now silent, as if time had stood still.
"Yes. This is the complete opposite of what we'll experience in the future."
Lacrahan raised his head and smiled at Bercheria, who was looking at him.
“Princess Kelita declared today. If I don’t marry her, she will torture you.”
Bercheria’s hand tightened slightly, knowing what he truly meant.
“Are you sure my mother is in Kelita’s body?”
“She’s completely different from the previous Kelita. ”
Lacrahan stopped walking and faced Bercheria.
“Can you endure it?”
Bercheria recalled the narrow tower and the sound of the carriage wheels she had heard from there.
Her mother, who would come to visit her with dry bread.
The sensation of the whip that always struck her body.
“The question of whether you can endure it is wrong.”
She looked at Lacrahan with a stern gaze.
“Because now, at last, the opportunity for revenge has come.”
Kelita was grinning, as if nothing was wrong.
“If you say you won’t marry, I’ll have no choice but to push ahead unilaterally.”
Lacrahan’s head moved at Kelita’s provocation, and he smirked.
“As you know, I never agreed to that proposal.”
Lacrahan looked into Kelita’s deep brown eyes.
The chaotic scenery of the room and the parallel butterflies twinkling within it overlapped hers.
If the person before him was the Empress, as he suspected, and if she was receiving the aid of the Supreme Being, she was definitely not to be trifled with.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but His Majesty the Emperor will be holding our wedding soon.”
Kelita wet her red lips with her tongue.
“I want to be your wife, just like I wished when I was young. No, I will. Grand Duke Lacrahan.”
Lacrahan raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you think I would accept that offer?”
Kelita smiled, showing her white teeth.
“Because I will make it happen. And if it doesn’t happen, I won’t let it go.”
“...?”
Kelita answered in a bright voice.
“I will tear you to pieces, torment you every second until you want to die.”
Lacrahan asked back in an emotionless voice.
“Do I look like someone who would be easily defeated?”
He turned his head as if he didn’t need to hear any more.
“No. Not you. Bercheria.”
The name that came as soon as he finished speaking made Lacrahan’s smoothly raised eyebrows furrow.
“I can torment Bercheria all I want. And I have the confidence to do so.”
Kelita continued, her eyes sparkling.
"Bercheria is nothing, really. The power of the weather goddess is nothing under a roof that protects against thunder and rain."
Her face showed no conscience or conflict.
"I don't care what happens to my people when there's a drought or heavy snow. What do I care? Don't you think so?"
Lacrahan looked at Kelita with cold eyes.
The woman's obsessive gaze, which had been gazing at him for a long time, was chilling.
She seemed to firmly believe that Lacrahan, overcome by her threats, would marry her.
"Marry me. You don't have to love me. Spend your first night with me, eat with me, sleep in the same bed with me, and that's enough."
Kelita spoke nonchalantly about things that would be painful every moment without love.
Lacrahan exhaled slowly.
Just being with Bercheria made his heart race, but this woman felt like choking him just by breathing together.
"Do as you wish, Princess Kelita."
Lacrahan stood from his chair.
And then he turned away, as if she wasn't even worth confronting.
Bercheria wasn't the type to just sit back and take Kelita's harassment.
He knew better than anyone how strong she was.
"Grand Duke Lacrahan!"
Lacrahan ignored Kelita's desperate call and walked forward.
"I don't love you, but there are still so many things I have to do."
Kelita's threat was so absurd that he laughed.
He went over each word she had just said.
"We already ate together, and in the same bed as on our first night?"
He shook his head.
***
Lyone froze, glancing back and forth between Groovy and Bercheria before abruptly turning around as if fleeing.
Even as they watched, neither of them had any intention of catching Lyone.
Only when the sound of her footsteps faded did Groovy breathe out first.
“What the heck...”
But he didn’t know what to say.
Even though he’d spent his entire life in prison, he’d heard countless times how unique his appearance was.
Every wizard who was brought in knew every detail about blond hair.
Bercheria chose blond hair and golden eyes when selecting Awakened ones because of their pure bloodline.
Over the years, bloodlines had mixed, and sometimes people with similar characteristics emerged, but ultimately, those with truly golden eyes were extremely rare.
So how could he possibly interpret the fact that not only had he met Bercheria, but that even the Emperor’s mistress had golden eyes?
“Let’s pretend we don’t know for now.”
Bercheria told Groovy.
“Yes?”
“Pretend you didn’t see. Don’t say anything. Not even to me. I’ll find out. What happened?”
“Ah. Yes.”
Groovy nodded, his eyes wide.
He didn’t know what had happened, but Bercheria could trust him.
“I’ll do as you say, Bercheria.”
***
That night, Bercheria couldn’t sleep easily.
A woman who looked like her and was by the Emperor’s side.
The one who had tried to use Groovy to kill Bercheria in such a situation.
Her tossing and turning in bed became more intense as time passed.
To break this situation, she needed to first sense her intentions and take action, but it was hard to guess what Lyone wanted.
It had been a casual remark, started simply to clear her mind of small concerns.
“Is it fortunate that I know now?”
Rolling over, Bercheria thought over and over again.
She carefully went over the events that had occurred since the party, then got up from the bed and walked to the window.
As Bercheria gazed at the scenery outside the imperial palace, a light rain began to fall.
“As one of the guardians of this continent, I wish for you to come to me.”
The rain containing her wish would reach the continental god, Dipper, and the sea god, Beloveye, who were currently residing in Periat.
And there was one more person she needed.
Bercheria hesitated for a moment, then turned and headed outside.
It was quite late, as everyone had gone to bed after the party.
She had used the portal to reach the imperial palace, but the party had likely left her exhausted.
While she believed he was already asleep, her complex mind ultimately left only one person.
“Lacrahan.”
Bercheria headed toward his room.
As she approached, she thought she could return if he had fallen asleep. Then she spotted a shadow approaching from the opposite direction.
Now, she could tell who it was simply by looking at the silhouette.
“Lacrahan.”
Just hearing his name calmed her anxious heart.
As she stopped, Lacrahan widened his stride and approached her.
The distance between them disappeared, and a familiar scent filled the dark hallway.
How could I have lived so long without forgetting this man?
How could I not recognize him, even when just looking at him made my heart flutter?
“Where are you going?”
“I was on my way to see you.”
His eyebrows rose sharply, as if completely unexpectedly.
“Hmm.”
He took a step forward and took Bercheria’s hand.
Bercheria was surprised, having never touched Lacrahan in such an exposed position before.
Lacrahan smiled gently, seeing her wide, golden eyes.
“Shall we go for a walk?”
Warmth enveloped Bercheria’s once-chilled fingertips.
The sun would soon rise, but that didn’t matter.
Bercheria looked up at him.
“It’s a perfect time for a walk, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The two walked leisurely through the deserted hallway.
The imperial palace of Periat was, to all eyes, a splendid beauty.
After the war, Gerard had invested an almost unreasonable amount of money in rebuilding the shattered imperial palace.
The money he'd gathered from various sources was enough to create a decent small kingdom.
Rumor had it he was motivated by the Der'Ansis Empire, the wealthiest of the three continents.
Gerard still hasn't fully repaid his debt, but thanks to it, those who witnessed this spectacle could enjoy a luxurious experience.
True to its warm climate, the capital, with its warmer climate than the north, was covered with the imperial red roses that graced the walls.
The lush blooms were a feast for the eyes.
The two strolled in unison through the garden, bathed in darkness and moonlight.
"It's peaceful."
Bercheria leisurely surveyed the garden.
The benches where women would have chatted during the day, the narrow paths where people would have bustled about, were now silent, as if time had stood still.
"Yes. This is the complete opposite of what we'll experience in the future."
Lacrahan raised his head and smiled at Bercheria, who was looking at him.
“Princess Kelita declared today. If I don’t marry her, she will torture you.”
Bercheria’s hand tightened slightly, knowing what he truly meant.
“Are you sure my mother is in Kelita’s body?”
“She’s completely different from the previous Kelita. ”
Lacrahan stopped walking and faced Bercheria.
“Can you endure it?”
Bercheria recalled the narrow tower and the sound of the carriage wheels she had heard from there.
Her mother, who would come to visit her with dry bread.
The sensation of the whip that always struck her body.
“The question of whether you can endure it is wrong.”
She looked at Lacrahan with a stern gaze.
“Because now, at last, the opportunity for revenge has come.”
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