Episode 104. An Ally Who Became an Enemy
Wyatt blinked blankly, holding the wine left by Beloveye.
"Have I really met the god of the sea?"
During the war, when he briefly stayed in Derancis, Wyatt followed Lacrahan and saw the sea for the first time in his life.
Wyatt blinked blankly, holding the wine left by Beloveye.
"Have I really met the god of the sea?"
During the war, when he briefly stayed in Derancis, Wyatt followed Lacrahan and saw the sea for the first time in his life.
Though there was a sea in Peria, it was a rare sight visible only after traversing barren lands for a long time, so most people living in the empire didn't even know what the sea looked like.
Its grandeur and immensity.
The god who ruled over such a sea had come to meet Wyatt.
Even thinking back, it was hard to believe.
"It was bigger and more magnificent than even the myths describe."
Every man dreamed of meeting Beloveye.
He was a symbol of masculinity in and of himself.
Wyatt stared blankly at the wine in his hand.
"All I have to do is feed this to the Grand Duke?"
He'd said that would reveal the whole truth.
There was no need to doubt this.
It wasn't dangerous, nor did it cause him any guilt.
The point was that Wyatt hated Bercheria.
Besides, Lacrahan talked with his knights almost daily, and alcohol was a constant element in those conversations.
In short, he wouldn't suspect anything if Wyatt asked him to share wine.
"Nothing to lose."
Wyatt hummed, picking up the bottle and heading to Lacrahan's room.
He hesitated for a moment, but for now, Lacrahan's presence was the ideal place to drink.
The bottle dangled in his hand, and Wyatt's steps grew brisk.
And by sheer luck, he ran into Lacrahan as he returned to his room.
"Your Excellency!"
Lacrahan spotted Wyatt approaching and tilted his head.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay in the room for a while?”
Wyatt widened his eyes and waved his hand.
“No? I haven’t been wandering around!”
Wyatt smirked as Lacrahan looked at the wine in his hand.
“I’m going to share this. No matter how much I’ve done wrong, you didn’t go as far as to ban alcohol, did you?”
Lacrahan snorted in disbelief at Wyatt’s brazen attitude.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
He opened the door and pointed inside for Wyatt.
“Go in. The sight of the alcohol has suddenly made me thirsty.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Lacrahan’s lips as he disappeared inside.
Wyatt gulped and followed him.
Kelita looked around the now-cleaned room, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I feel like I’m finally getting my life back.”
Her resentment returned to the maids who had been by her side while she was unconscious.
“Rosie. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. What on earth happened? Are you the ones who made the room like this?”
Rosie waved her hands in the air.
“No way. Absolutely not, Princess.”
Rosie’s face was aggrieved, but the one who felt the wrath was Kelita.
She looked at the flustered maids and finally shouted,
“Why can’t you all just harass me?”
Just then, Kelita’s door opened, and Gerard and Lyone, dressed in elaborate attire, walked in from the hallway.
Kelita smiled brightly, delighted.
She had already planned to visit Gerard as soon as the room was cleared. No matter what happened, she had to find a way to proceed with her marriage to Lacrahan.
To do that, she absolutely needed Gerard, who held absolute power in this empire.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Just as Kelita was about to bend, she thought she heard a whoosh in the air, and suddenly, a star flashed beside her face.
Slap.
Gerard's force hurled Kelita to the floor.
"Oh my, my goodness."
Everyone, including the maids nearby and the knights accompanying the Emperor, was shocked.
While Gerard had always treated his subordinates rudely, he had never beaten his only sister so carelessly.
"You dare look down on me?"
Kelita looked up at Gerard, who was spluttering, clutching his cheek as he collapsed on the floor.
“Your Majesty!”
Gerard sat down on one knee and grabbed Kelita’s chin.
Then, her small face was crushed in one hand.
“Do you think it’s because of blood that I’ve never treated you so rudely? Huh? Tell me.”
“Your Majesty. I-I’ve been wrong, so this hand... it hurts.”
“If I had cared for you because of blood, I would have killed you long ago. Back when you strangled your father and brothers.”
Kelita’s face turned pale.
“I spared you because you were a good dog.”
“...!”
“But what if that dog starts pooping everywhere, unable to control its actions? What should I do?”
Gerard’s grip tightened.
“Will he come to her senses if she beats her like this? Or should I kill her and make an example of her to the other dogs?”
Perhaps from pain, or perhaps from fear, Kelita's body began to tremble.
It felt as if she'd been walking on a flowery path until just moments ago, only to come to her senses and find everything ruined.
And that moment, of course, was when Bercheria reappeared.
All she had to do was smile beautifully, and all her wishes would come true, and every noble who passed through the palace would praise her.
The world had been so easy.
But now, it was a tangled mess, a mess of threads.
She had no idea where to begin untangling it.
"Nothing."
Fearful eyes stared at Gerard.
"You don't have to do anything, Your Majesty."
Kelita forced a smile from her crumpled face.
Survival was the most important thing.
Either she had to live to seek revenge, or...
"You can't kill me. I'll kill her. I'll kill her."
Gerard's eyes narrowed at her incoherent muttering.
He looked down at Kelita and asked in a low voice.
“What?”
“Blonde.”
Gerard’s shoulders shook ever so slightly.
Kelita looked around at the servants whispering around her and lowered her voice.
“I’ll kill Bercheria. Your Majesty.”
Kelita’s breathing was ragged.
Gerard stared at her with skepticism, then asked again in a voice of disbelief.
“How could you?”
Kelita wet her dry lips with her tongue.
Her voice was cracking between her pale lips.
“I’ll do whatever it takes. Until it works. I’ll take the responsibility myself.”
“...”
“Better to kill than die, isn’t it?”
Gerard’s grip on Kelita’s chin slowly relaxed.
He raised one corner of his mouth and said,
“Just until the very end.”
“Huh?”
“Bring me right before she dies.”
Gerard let go of Kelita and, as if nothing had happened, turned and left the room.
Someone stood there, looking down at Kelita instead of following him.
“Lyone.”
Lyone stared at Kelita for a moment, then widened the smile that had spread across her lips.
“It’s okay.”
Kelita’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“Huh?”
“You look much better now than when you’re just grinning like an idiot.”
Kelita’s eyes were blazing with anger as she watched Lyone walk away, swaying her hips seductively.
“Ha, what’s really wrong with you all? Don’t you know what kind of person I am?”
As Lyone disappeared into the hallway, the maids rushed towards Kelita.
Kelita, unable to contain her anger, shouted at the maids who were helping her up.
“I’m going to see Her Majesty the Empress.”
When the maids hesitated and didn’t answer, Kelita shouted again.
“Right now!”
Wyatt poured wine for Lacrahan.
These drinking parties had been repeated countless times since the two met in the war.
Even when Lacrahan revived Wyatt from the brink of death and when Lacrahan was in despair after losing one of his knights, the two sat before each other, sipping drinks.
"It's not the strong drink we used to drink on the battlefield, but even this is acceptable now."
Without hesitation, Lacrahan picked up his wine glass and drank it down.
“Ah, uh, Grand Duke!”
When Wyatt called, Lacrahan had already placed his empty glass in front of him.
“Why?”
Wyatt furrowed his eyebrows and studied Lacrahan’s face. His handsome features tilted in confusion as he gazed down from his forehead.
Wyatt narrowed his eyes to the size of buttonholes and asked,
“Are you okay?”
Lacrahan rested his chin on his hand on the table and gazed intently at Wyatt, who was unusually unfamiliar.
Even after all these years, his pitch-black eyes, with their depth impenetrable, made it difficult to discern his thoughts.
“Grand Duke.”
“Uh.”
Wyatt fidgeted with his fingers, uncharacteristically, before speaking.
“Do you truly love Bercheria?”
The words were difficult to utter, but Lacrahan’s face showed no change in expression.
Wyatt waited for him to answer, then, unable to bear the silence, continued.
“Well, it’s a bit strange how the Weather Goddess and the Grand Duke meet so often, and things happen by chance. It can’t happen unless you do it on purpose.”
Instead of answering, Lacrahan glanced at his empty wine glass, and Wyatt filled it with his blunt hand.
“Because it’s not a coincidence.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t explain it to you, but Bercheria and I are connected by a special bond. Coincidences will inevitably continue.”
“What do you mean?”
“The important thing is.”
Lacrahan lifted his glass, swallowed, and smoothed his finger over the spot where his lips had touched.
“Whether it’s a coincidence or some other crazy thing, I have to keep Bercheria by my side, Wyatt.”
“...Huh?”
“Because I can’t stand living another day without Bercheria.”
With that, Lacrahan suddenly fell to the ground with a thud on the table.
Wyatt, pushing the chair aside and standing, stared at Lacrahan's shoulder with confused eyes.
Before he could even gather his thoughts, knock. A knock was heard outside. Wyatt hurriedly ran to the door.
Lacrahan snorted in disbelief at Wyatt’s brazen attitude.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
He opened the door and pointed inside for Wyatt.
“Go in. The sight of the alcohol has suddenly made me thirsty.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Lacrahan’s lips as he disappeared inside.
Wyatt gulped and followed him.
***
Kelita looked around the now-cleaned room, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I feel like I’m finally getting my life back.”
Her resentment returned to the maids who had been by her side while she was unconscious.
“Rosie. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. What on earth happened? Are you the ones who made the room like this?”
Rosie waved her hands in the air.
“No way. Absolutely not, Princess.”
Rosie’s face was aggrieved, but the one who felt the wrath was Kelita.
She looked at the flustered maids and finally shouted,
“Why can’t you all just harass me?”
Just then, Kelita’s door opened, and Gerard and Lyone, dressed in elaborate attire, walked in from the hallway.
Kelita smiled brightly, delighted.
She had already planned to visit Gerard as soon as the room was cleared. No matter what happened, she had to find a way to proceed with her marriage to Lacrahan.
To do that, she absolutely needed Gerard, who held absolute power in this empire.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Just as Kelita was about to bend, she thought she heard a whoosh in the air, and suddenly, a star flashed beside her face.
Slap.
Gerard's force hurled Kelita to the floor.
"Oh my, my goodness."
Everyone, including the maids nearby and the knights accompanying the Emperor, was shocked.
While Gerard had always treated his subordinates rudely, he had never beaten his only sister so carelessly.
"You dare look down on me?"
Kelita looked up at Gerard, who was spluttering, clutching his cheek as he collapsed on the floor.
“Your Majesty!”
Gerard sat down on one knee and grabbed Kelita’s chin.
Then, her small face was crushed in one hand.
“Do you think it’s because of blood that I’ve never treated you so rudely? Huh? Tell me.”
“Your Majesty. I-I’ve been wrong, so this hand... it hurts.”
“If I had cared for you because of blood, I would have killed you long ago. Back when you strangled your father and brothers.”
Kelita’s face turned pale.
“I spared you because you were a good dog.”
“...!”
“But what if that dog starts pooping everywhere, unable to control its actions? What should I do?”
Gerard’s grip tightened.
“Will he come to her senses if she beats her like this? Or should I kill her and make an example of her to the other dogs?”
Perhaps from pain, or perhaps from fear, Kelita's body began to tremble.
It felt as if she'd been walking on a flowery path until just moments ago, only to come to her senses and find everything ruined.
And that moment, of course, was when Bercheria reappeared.
When she didn't show up, there was no problem for Kelita.
The world had been so easy.
But now, it was a tangled mess, a mess of threads.
She had no idea where to begin untangling it.
"Nothing."
Fearful eyes stared at Gerard.
"You don't have to do anything, Your Majesty."
Kelita forced a smile from her crumpled face.
Survival was the most important thing.
Either she had to live to seek revenge, or...
"You can't kill me. I'll kill her. I'll kill her."
Gerard's eyes narrowed at her incoherent muttering.
He looked down at Kelita and asked in a low voice.
“What?”
“Blonde.”
Gerard’s shoulders shook ever so slightly.
Kelita looked around at the servants whispering around her and lowered her voice.
“I’ll kill Bercheria. Your Majesty.”
Kelita’s breathing was ragged.
Gerard stared at her with skepticism, then asked again in a voice of disbelief.
“How could you?”
Kelita wet her dry lips with her tongue.
Her voice was cracking between her pale lips.
“I’ll do whatever it takes. Until it works. I’ll take the responsibility myself.”
“...”
“Better to kill than die, isn’t it?”
Gerard’s grip on Kelita’s chin slowly relaxed.
He raised one corner of his mouth and said,
“Just until the very end.”
“Huh?”
“Bring me right before she dies.”
Gerard let go of Kelita and, as if nothing had happened, turned and left the room.
Someone stood there, looking down at Kelita instead of following him.
“Lyone.”
Lyone stared at Kelita for a moment, then widened the smile that had spread across her lips.
“It’s okay.”
Kelita’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“Huh?”
“You look much better now than when you’re just grinning like an idiot.”
Kelita’s eyes were blazing with anger as she watched Lyone walk away, swaying her hips seductively.
“Ha, what’s really wrong with you all? Don’t you know what kind of person I am?”
As Lyone disappeared into the hallway, the maids rushed towards Kelita.
Kelita, unable to contain her anger, shouted at the maids who were helping her up.
“I’m going to see Her Majesty the Empress.”
When the maids hesitated and didn’t answer, Kelita shouted again.
“Right now!”
***
Wyatt poured wine for Lacrahan.
These drinking parties had been repeated countless times since the two met in the war.
Even when Lacrahan revived Wyatt from the brink of death and when Lacrahan was in despair after losing one of his knights, the two sat before each other, sipping drinks.
"It's not the strong drink we used to drink on the battlefield, but even this is acceptable now."
Without hesitation, Lacrahan picked up his wine glass and drank it down.
“Ah, uh, Grand Duke!”
When Wyatt called, Lacrahan had already placed his empty glass in front of him.
“Why?”
Wyatt furrowed his eyebrows and studied Lacrahan’s face. His handsome features tilted in confusion as he gazed down from his forehead.
Wyatt narrowed his eyes to the size of buttonholes and asked,
“Are you okay?”
Lacrahan rested his chin on his hand on the table and gazed intently at Wyatt, who was unusually unfamiliar.
Even after all these years, his pitch-black eyes, with their depth impenetrable, made it difficult to discern his thoughts.
“Grand Duke.”
“Uh.”
Wyatt fidgeted with his fingers, uncharacteristically, before speaking.
“Do you truly love Bercheria?”
The words were difficult to utter, but Lacrahan’s face showed no change in expression.
Wyatt waited for him to answer, then, unable to bear the silence, continued.
“Well, it’s a bit strange how the Weather Goddess and the Grand Duke meet so often, and things happen by chance. It can’t happen unless you do it on purpose.”
Instead of answering, Lacrahan glanced at his empty wine glass, and Wyatt filled it with his blunt hand.
“Because it’s not a coincidence.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t explain it to you, but Bercheria and I are connected by a special bond. Coincidences will inevitably continue.”
“What do you mean?”
“The important thing is.”
Lacrahan lifted his glass, swallowed, and smoothed his finger over the spot where his lips had touched.
“Whether it’s a coincidence or some other crazy thing, I have to keep Bercheria by my side, Wyatt.”
“...Huh?”
“Because I can’t stand living another day without Bercheria.”
With that, Lacrahan suddenly fell to the ground with a thud on the table.
Wyatt, pushing the chair aside and standing, stared at Lacrahan's shoulder with confused eyes.
Before he could even gather his thoughts, knock. A knock was heard outside. Wyatt hurriedly ran to the door.
"W-Who is it?"
"Princess Kelita, Wyatt."
At the unexpected voice, Wyatt's eyes began to shake as if an earthquake had struck.
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