Episode 108. Things That Missed Their Place
Bercheria and Groovy's feet moved in sync as they walked down the hallway.
Left foot, then right, then left foot again.
Suddenly, they paused, then looked up again, and at each other.
"Ah."
"...!"
As soon as their eyes met, they both turned away without a word, avoiding eye contact.
The air between them was awkward.
It wasn't a feeling of disbelief or unwillingness to believe they were twins.
Perhaps the most accurate description would be confusion, a feeling of unfamiliarity and unease.
Bercheria lowered her head.
Ever since she discovered that Lyone had hidden her blond hair and golden eyes, she had been pondering many things. She had considered every possibility, even testing Lawrence.
But upon learning that she and Groovy were twins, Bercheria's heart was shaken beyond her control.
A strange sense of relief that she wasn't alone in the world, and a fear of the changes this truth would bring.
These were emotions on a completely different level than those she felt from Lacrahan.
One comfort was the knowledge that Groovy must have felt the same way.
"From the beginning, I thought we were so similar."
At Bercheria's words, Groovy lifted his head with a strange expression, neither laughing nor crying.
The day Gerard arrived in the North, Bercheria had seen a procession through the portal through the window, and in it, she'd first seen Groovy.
A boy who could control mana.
Blonde, fair-skinned, and remarkably resemblance her.
That was Groovy's first impression.
Groovy fidgeted with his fingers and then spoke.
"I've never thought of Bercheria and me as family or anything like that. Of course, we were similar, but the thought that I'd be related to the weather goddess of all people..."
Bercheria and Groovy's feet moved in sync as they walked down the hallway.
Left foot, then right, then left foot again.
Suddenly, they paused, then looked up again, and at each other.
"Ah."
"...!"
As soon as their eyes met, they both turned away without a word, avoiding eye contact.
The air between them was awkward.
It wasn't a feeling of disbelief or unwillingness to believe they were twins.
Perhaps the most accurate description would be confusion, a feeling of unfamiliarity and unease.
Bercheria lowered her head.
Ever since she discovered that Lyone had hidden her blond hair and golden eyes, she had been pondering many things. She had considered every possibility, even testing Lawrence.
But upon learning that she and Groovy were twins, Bercheria's heart was shaken beyond her control.
A strange sense of relief that she wasn't alone in the world, and a fear of the changes this truth would bring.
These were emotions on a completely different level than those she felt from Lacrahan.
One comfort was the knowledge that Groovy must have felt the same way.
"From the beginning, I thought we were so similar."
At Bercheria's words, Groovy lifted his head with a strange expression, neither laughing nor crying.
The day Gerard arrived in the North, Bercheria had seen a procession through the portal through the window, and in it, she'd first seen Groovy.
A boy who could control mana.
Blonde, fair-skinned, and remarkably resemblance her.
That was Groovy's first impression.
Groovy fidgeted with his fingers and then spoke.
"I've never thought of Bercheria and me as family or anything like that. Of course, we were similar, but the thought that I'd be related to the weather goddess of all people..."
He couldn't bring himself to say it.
"And to think that the Emperor's mistress, of all people, had given birth to us? I have no idea what to do."
Groovy recalled Lyone's actions in front of the portal on her first day in the North.
She had picked on him, even though she didn't need to.
Back then, he'd just thought she was a total weirdo.
"Bercheria."
His expression was even more grim than when he'd mentioned the possibility of being sent back to prison.
His eyes wandered, like a lost child.
"What on earth was she thinking, standing by the Emperor's side? Knowing I was imprisoned, knowing that Bercheria was locked in the tower?"
"Groovy."
"When I think of Lyone, the first thing that comes to mind is glamour. From the large jewel on her finger to that dress that looked expensive at first glance."
Bercheria clenched her hands.
Her fingertips, too, were cold.
"Would she have sold us out and used the money to live such a luxurious life? Did she not feel any emotion as she watched us?"
"..."
“I feel so foolish for thinking this way, don’t I? I know. But that’s all I can think about.”
Groovy’s shoulders slumped.
He felt betrayed.
It was only natural that he felt resentful for all the times he’d been neglected since he was a baby.
“Groovy.”
Bercheria’s hand reached out to his slumped shoulder, but she couldn’t touch it, clutching at the air.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Don’t you think we both need time to accept this?”
“Yes. I agree.”
Standing at a crossroads, Bercheria and Groovy smiled faintly at each other.
Groovy nodded and turned to leave, but then asked Bercheria again.
“Ah. We shouldn’t keep this to ourselves, should we? Shouldn’t we tell the Grand Duke?”
“I’m thinking of going to Lakrahan now. That way, we can discuss future plans.”
“Understood,”
Groovy replied, his face now much more relaxed.
"Bercheria. Then I'll go back to my room."
"We'll meet again soon and talk. We will."
"Yes, I will wait."
Bercheria locked eyes with Groovy and then turned to go to where Lacrahan was.
Bercheria's pace toward Lacrahan was faster than usual.
How surprised would he be if he heard this?
And he would soon formulate a strategy.
If he learned of Lyone's true identity and her relationship with Lawrence, Lacrahan would be able to create more advantageous situations in dealing with the Supreme Being.
He was a natural strategist, and he was working harder than anyone else to properly resolve this situation.
'Lacrahan wants to use you to become a god again, Bercheria.'
Lacrahan was the one who had given up becoming a god for her in the first place.
And now he was using her to become a god again.
Laurent's words were completely incoherent.
"How did the Supreme Being and Laurent become entangled?"
Bercheria let out a low breath.
She had thought the Supreme Being was only involved with the Empress.
But now he was reaching out to Laurent.
Sending Laurent back the wine the Empress had given him long ago seemed an unlikely action for a Supreme Being.
In fact, it was strange.
She knew it was the same wine, and she knew Bercheria couldn't miss it.
'Could it be because Laurent is human, and the Supreme Being cannot interfere with human will?'
But the Supreme Being wasn't such a clumsy being.
'If not...'
Bercheria raised her head and looked in the direction of Lacrahan's room.
Her heart suddenly pounded ominously.
She walked down the hallway without hesitation.
With every step Bercheria took, the calm weather turned fierce.
Crackling.
Lightning struck, and heavy rain began to pour down through the gaps.
'It's probably a groundless worry.'
Given Bercheria and Lacrahan's desperation, the Supreme Being would do anything to stop them.
In fact, he'd go to even greater lengths.
The fact that he'd opposed them for so long was enough to infer this.
The reason she had Laurent try to sow discord between Bercheria and Lacrahan.
The reason he wanted to sow strife between them, to make them suspect each other.
Unable to pinpoint the exact reason, Bercheria's steps became increasingly erratic and hurried.
"Lacrahan."
Standing in front of his door, she knocked urgently.
"Lacrahan. It's me."
She held her breath and waited, but the only sound was the rain that had just begun to fall.
Bercheria reached out and opened the door.
In her dim vision, the door opened, and the scene inside the room slowly appeared before her.
A man sleeping on the bed with his upper body exposed, and a woman with disheveled brown hair lying next to him, leaning against him.
Bercheria's face hardened.
"Kelita."
The important thing wasn't Kelita lying beside Lacrahan.
It was Gerard standing by the bed, looking down at her.
And it was Lyone and the Royal Guards standing beside him.
"Crackle!"
Lightning struck, illuminating their figures with even greater clarity.
“Hmm.”
Gerard, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, staring at the two people lying on the bed, turned his head toward Bercheria with a feigned seriousness.
Their gazes met in midair.
Spotting her, Gerard narrowed his eyes and traced his lips with his tongue.
Bercheria’s shoulders trembled slightly at the sight.
“Cough!”
One of the royal knights ran to the wall and closed the half-open window.
As the rain pouring down inside the room subsided, silence settled over the dim space.
“Not yet.”
Gerard was the first to speak.
He spoke in a soft voice, a smile playing on his lips.
“You don’t know yet, Bercheria, but a satisfying affair tends to bring about a deep sleep, doesn’t it?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Gerard turned his gaze to Lyone.
She, who had been staring at Bercheria, raised her head in surprise for a moment before answering in a voice as soft as sugar.
“Of course. Of course, Your Majesty.”
Gerard returned his serpentine gaze to Bercheria.
He meticulously observed Bercheria's expression, as if he couldn't miss a single one.
"There's a lot you don't know, being a goddess who's lived alone all her life. Like how easily power and women can be seized and then discarded by men."
Gerard held back the guardsmen who tried to follow him with his hand and walked alone toward Bercheria.
To him, Kelita was nothing more than a worthless squanderer of the imperial treasury. He'd kept her by his side because he didn't want to get his hands dirty.
Of course, it was also because Lyone had told him there was no need to kill her.
Now that he thinks about why he didn't expel her, it seems it was precisely for this very purpose.
His sister, who had spent her entire life draining the imperial treasury, was finally demonstrating her worth in such a dazzling way.
"There are some very ancient laws in Periat. As the Emperor of the empire, I strive to uphold them more than anyone else. Do you understand what I mean, Bercheria?"
Gerard looked Bercheria up and down, her face as cold as ice.
"If an unmarried man and woman share a bed, they must marry. Or die. How about that? Isn't that a wonderful law?"
It had taken countless hardships and patience for him to acquire Bercheria, but he didn't regret any of it.
In fact, it felt like a reward.
Bercheria, in her perfect form at the perfect moment, was within his grasp.
Gerard smiled and turned to look at Lyone.
The two exchanged a familiar, secret glance.
'Should I believe Kelita when she said she could take Lacrahan? I've failed so many times, and now you expect me to believe her again?'
'Your Majesty, this is the last time. Even if she fails, Your Majesty, it won't harm you. But if she succeeds, you will have Bercheria. Forever.'
Gerard puffed out his chest.
The best thing he had done besides becoming Emperor was having Lyone by his side.
Just listening to Lyone made him want to have sex in his sleep. How could this not be the perfect government?
"Bercheria."
Gerard reached out and stroked Lyone's cheek.
A silky, fantastical sensation seeped through his fingertips.
"I'll give you one last chance."
Bercheria gazed at Gerard with calm eyes, oblivious to how much those eyes provoked him.
"If you just follow my orders, I intend to ignore everything I see right now."
"...!"
"Of course, I won't obey the law."
Bercheria, if you just listen to me.
Gerard's eyes were shining.
"And to think that the Emperor's mistress, of all people, had given birth to us? I have no idea what to do."
Groovy recalled Lyone's actions in front of the portal on her first day in the North.
She had picked on him, even though she didn't need to.
Back then, he'd just thought she was a total weirdo.
"Bercheria."
His expression was even more grim than when he'd mentioned the possibility of being sent back to prison.
His eyes wandered, like a lost child.
"What on earth was she thinking, standing by the Emperor's side? Knowing I was imprisoned, knowing that Bercheria was locked in the tower?"
"Groovy."
"When I think of Lyone, the first thing that comes to mind is glamour. From the large jewel on her finger to that dress that looked expensive at first glance."
Bercheria clenched her hands.
Her fingertips, too, were cold.
"Would she have sold us out and used the money to live such a luxurious life? Did she not feel any emotion as she watched us?"
"..."
“I feel so foolish for thinking this way, don’t I? I know. But that’s all I can think about.”
Groovy’s shoulders slumped.
He felt betrayed.
It was only natural that he felt resentful for all the times he’d been neglected since he was a baby.
“Groovy.”
Bercheria’s hand reached out to his slumped shoulder, but she couldn’t touch it, clutching at the air.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Don’t you think we both need time to accept this?”
“Yes. I agree.”
Standing at a crossroads, Bercheria and Groovy smiled faintly at each other.
Groovy nodded and turned to leave, but then asked Bercheria again.
“Ah. We shouldn’t keep this to ourselves, should we? Shouldn’t we tell the Grand Duke?”
“I’m thinking of going to Lakrahan now. That way, we can discuss future plans.”
“Understood,”
Groovy replied, his face now much more relaxed.
"Bercheria. Then I'll go back to my room."
"We'll meet again soon and talk. We will."
"Yes, I will wait."
Bercheria locked eyes with Groovy and then turned to go to where Lacrahan was.
***
Bercheria's pace toward Lacrahan was faster than usual.
How surprised would he be if he heard this?
And he would soon formulate a strategy.
If he learned of Lyone's true identity and her relationship with Lawrence, Lacrahan would be able to create more advantageous situations in dealing with the Supreme Being.
He was a natural strategist, and he was working harder than anyone else to properly resolve this situation.
'Lacrahan wants to use you to become a god again, Bercheria.'
Lacrahan was the one who had given up becoming a god for her in the first place.
And now he was using her to become a god again.
Laurent's words were completely incoherent.
"How did the Supreme Being and Laurent become entangled?"
Bercheria let out a low breath.
She had thought the Supreme Being was only involved with the Empress.
But now he was reaching out to Laurent.
Sending Laurent back the wine the Empress had given him long ago seemed an unlikely action for a Supreme Being.
In fact, it was strange.
She knew it was the same wine, and she knew Bercheria couldn't miss it.
'Could it be because Laurent is human, and the Supreme Being cannot interfere with human will?'
But the Supreme Being wasn't such a clumsy being.
'If not...'
Bercheria raised her head and looked in the direction of Lacrahan's room.
Her heart suddenly pounded ominously.
She walked down the hallway without hesitation.
With every step Bercheria took, the calm weather turned fierce.
Crackling.
Lightning struck, and heavy rain began to pour down through the gaps.
'It's probably a groundless worry.'
Given Bercheria and Lacrahan's desperation, the Supreme Being would do anything to stop them.
In fact, he'd go to even greater lengths.
The fact that he'd opposed them for so long was enough to infer this.
The reason she had Laurent try to sow discord between Bercheria and Lacrahan.
The reason he wanted to sow strife between them, to make them suspect each other.
Unable to pinpoint the exact reason, Bercheria's steps became increasingly erratic and hurried.
"Lacrahan."
Standing in front of his door, she knocked urgently.
"Lacrahan. It's me."
She held her breath and waited, but the only sound was the rain that had just begun to fall.
Bercheria reached out and opened the door.
In her dim vision, the door opened, and the scene inside the room slowly appeared before her.
A man sleeping on the bed with his upper body exposed, and a woman with disheveled brown hair lying next to him, leaning against him.
Bercheria's face hardened.
"Kelita."
The important thing wasn't Kelita lying beside Lacrahan.
It was Gerard standing by the bed, looking down at her.
And it was Lyone and the Royal Guards standing beside him.
"Crackle!"
Lightning struck, illuminating their figures with even greater clarity.
“Hmm.”
Gerard, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, staring at the two people lying on the bed, turned his head toward Bercheria with a feigned seriousness.
Their gazes met in midair.
Spotting her, Gerard narrowed his eyes and traced his lips with his tongue.
Bercheria’s shoulders trembled slightly at the sight.
“Cough!”
One of the royal knights ran to the wall and closed the half-open window.
As the rain pouring down inside the room subsided, silence settled over the dim space.
“Not yet.”
Gerard was the first to speak.
He spoke in a soft voice, a smile playing on his lips.
“You don’t know yet, Bercheria, but a satisfying affair tends to bring about a deep sleep, doesn’t it?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Gerard turned his gaze to Lyone.
She, who had been staring at Bercheria, raised her head in surprise for a moment before answering in a voice as soft as sugar.
“Of course. Of course, Your Majesty.”
Gerard returned his serpentine gaze to Bercheria.
He meticulously observed Bercheria's expression, as if he couldn't miss a single one.
"There's a lot you don't know, being a goddess who's lived alone all her life. Like how easily power and women can be seized and then discarded by men."
Gerard held back the guardsmen who tried to follow him with his hand and walked alone toward Bercheria.
To him, Kelita was nothing more than a worthless squanderer of the imperial treasury. He'd kept her by his side because he didn't want to get his hands dirty.
Of course, it was also because Lyone had told him there was no need to kill her.
Now that he thinks about why he didn't expel her, it seems it was precisely for this very purpose.
His sister, who had spent her entire life draining the imperial treasury, was finally demonstrating her worth in such a dazzling way.
"There are some very ancient laws in Periat. As the Emperor of the empire, I strive to uphold them more than anyone else. Do you understand what I mean, Bercheria?"
Gerard looked Bercheria up and down, her face as cold as ice.
"If an unmarried man and woman share a bed, they must marry. Or die. How about that? Isn't that a wonderful law?"
It had taken countless hardships and patience for him to acquire Bercheria, but he didn't regret any of it.
In fact, it felt like a reward.
Bercheria, in her perfect form at the perfect moment, was within his grasp.
Gerard smiled and turned to look at Lyone.
The two exchanged a familiar, secret glance.
'Should I believe Kelita when she said she could take Lacrahan? I've failed so many times, and now you expect me to believe her again?'
'Your Majesty, this is the last time. Even if she fails, Your Majesty, it won't harm you. But if she succeeds, you will have Bercheria. Forever.'
Gerard puffed out his chest.
The best thing he had done besides becoming Emperor was having Lyone by his side.
Just listening to Lyone made him want to have sex in his sleep. How could this not be the perfect government?
"Bercheria."
Gerard reached out and stroked Lyone's cheek.
A silky, fantastical sensation seeped through his fingertips.
"I'll give you one last chance."
Bercheria gazed at Gerard with calm eyes, oblivious to how much those eyes provoked him.
"If you just follow my orders, I intend to ignore everything I see right now."
"...!"
"Of course, I won't obey the law."
Bercheria, if you just listen to me.
Gerard's eyes were shining.
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