episode_0043

“… Lady?”

After finishing the first face-to-face ceremony and seeing off his father, who was leaving for official business at the capital city, Lemian was sitting in the dressing room.

With a soulful, mesmerized face.

Marien, who was concerned about that, placed the red dress next to her and called her out.

“Yes.”

“How was it… ?”

It was Marien who had been waiting for the face-to-face ceremony more than anyone else.

A grand face-to-face ceremony to announce the lady’s existence to the world.

A grand face-to-face ceremony to inform the candidates of Erincia’s identity.

And I wanted it to be perfect, without any flaws.

And I hoped that with that, my young lady’s liberation would begin.

How was it?

Marien asked a question with many implications, and looked at the girl’s complexion in the mirror while fixing her hair.

For some reason, I felt anxious because I felt like I was going to get an answer that was contrary to what I wanted.

But that anxiety soon became reality.

“It was a mess.”

“Yes… ? Why, why?”

I watched the face-to-face ceremony from next to the podium.

When I saw Prince Kyle roll his eyes and faint, I felt joy.

The downfall of the shameless man who pushed her beloved girl to the brink of death gave Marien vicarious satisfaction.

Therefore, I believed that the face-to-face ceremony would be a grand and perfect ending.

of course.

The moment I saw the proud face of Prince Elden Lapelion, who had been mentioned countless times in the young lady’s mouth for several days, my expectations were shaken.

Even with Erincia in front of him, his face was calm.

Unlike other candidates who were filled with extreme astonishment, he only showed a moment of wonder and found peace again.

Moreover, ever since she met Prince Elden, the girl’s disapproving expression had predicted something ominous, and that prediction had come true.

Lemien looked at himself in the mirror.

In response to Elden’s question, I ran away.

“It’s a shame.”

“What is it… ?”

“He is obsessive and forces prettyness on Elden. When asked if the confession was sincere, he foolishly ran away… It’s so shameful, I’m disgusted with myself.”

“… .”

Marien’s hand, which was unbuttoning the back of her dress, stopped.

In the end, it all comes back to its place.

Even though it was a face-to-face ceremony held in a grand manner and filled with all kinds of praise from all the people, my young lady is still living in the past, no different from yesterday.

Part of me wanted to recommend that they abstain, send Prince Elden away, and then focus on the remaining candidates.

If things continue like this, instead of liberation from the pain of violence that comes from time to time, it looks like another isolation will begin.

If he couldn’t accept abstention, I hoped he would accept the changes he was seeing.

If it wasn’t acceptable, I hoped it would be ignored.

If you couldn’t even ignore it, I hoped you would at least give up.

I know that when faced with a difficult problem, he is a persistent researcher who sticks to it day and night until he finds the answer, but I hoped that he would let go of his obsession this time.

“Why am I like this? Why did I fawn over someone like Elden, telling him I’m not pretty and admiring my beauty? Why on earth do we have to behave in such an indecent manner and cling to the perpetrator?”

In response to Lemian’s self-deprecating question, Marien unbuttons her buttons again and carefully makes a point.

If you can’t even give up, I hope you will consider the errors in your beliefs.

I hope you remember the old adage that even a monkey can fall from a tree.

Marien was so cautious in her luck, hoping to realize that sometimes miracles can change the absolute truth.

“… I’m not sure, but I wonder if you’re unconsciously acknowledging it… ?”

“What recognition?”

“The lady said that last time. It is said that innate nature is an absolutely immutable law that cannot be changed.”

“It was like that… ?”

“Maybe… Aren’t you acknowledging that Prince Elden is trying hard enough to defy even the absolute and immutable law?”

“What… ? Me?”

“Making the impossible possible requires tearful effort.”

A newly emerged hypothesis.

no.

To be exact, it was a hypothesis that had been ignored until now, and Lemien’s pupils dilated when Marien brought up the hypothesis and discussed the possibility of proving it.

Honestly, I didn’t have any more hypotheses to formulate.

I was a bit tired of hypotheses that repeatedly failed as if they were showing off.

Because of this, the flow of my brain became stagnant, and I reached a point where I couldn’t think smoothly.

And because of that, I became biased towards emotional impulse rather than rational cool-headedness.

Was he trying to deny the truth?

Was it because it was the truth that he was so confident?

perhaps… .

Was Elden already on the path to repentance through his own regrets and reflections?

Were they making tearful efforts, even in unseen places, to change their evil nature?

At Marien’s words, many questions that had sunk beneath the surface begin to bubble up.

Of course, these were questions that were too early to be resolved.

“Even if that happens… That’s no reason for obsession. It’s not a reason for the victim to cling to the perpetrator. If you admit it, that’s it.”

She was a young lady who could not accept Prince Elden’s changes due to her denial and stubbornness.

Even though she had attached a watcher to find the truth, she did not believe the watcher’s report and closed her ears.

She was a young woman who said she would not be consumed by revenge, but was consumed by it immediately after Prince Elden abdicated and was devastated.

The young lady finally raised a question about another possibility, and Marien responded with a friendly smile as it felt like a tightly locked gate was opening.

“You mentioned that too.”

“… What?”

“You will marry one of the two: the one who truly repents or the one who does not repent.”

“What… … ?”

“Isn’t that because you chose Prince Elden, who had taken the step of repentance, as your marriage partner?”

Lemian’s eyes widened.

Something different dwells in the blue pupils that were consumed by resentment and resentment.

It was something that couldn’t yet be named, something that couldn’t be interpreted, and something that seemed a little contemptuous.

“My, I am marrying a person like Elden? Don’t talk nonsense. That can’t be possible.”

Naturally, Marien felt that the young lady was a waste of money, but the severity of the crime was low, and if she had to choose one of the four, Elden Lapelion was the lesser evil.

“That… There’s something I couldn’t tell you.”

Princess Elden, who had offered a helping hand to a fallen maid, showed off her now completely healed ankle, which Marien thought was the better choice.

“Actually, I fell because I bumped into Prince Elden’s ankle.”

“… What?”

“And thanks to Prince Elden’s help, I was able to receive treatment safely.”

“What?”

At the unbelievable story, Lemien frowned and looked at Marien’s ankle reflected in the mirror.

“That… What do you mean?”

“Prince Elden gave me his hand as I fell. But if you reveal your help, you will die… That’s why I couldn’t tell you.”

“Do not leak… Did you say dry? Why?”

“I said I wanted to remain quiet until my abstention was approved. I didn’t understand it at the time, but now looking back, I think I understand.”

“What is it… ?”

“Wasn’t it because both the abstention and the change were sincere?”

Elden Rapellion’s good deed was suddenly heard.

It was something he heard from the mouth of the person he cared about the most, and it contained an undeniable truth.

Ears that had been closed gradually open.

The closed eyes slowly open.

Knock.

The last back button of the dress that was constricting her chest was undone.

**

“Whoop!”

“Wow!”

A beautiful sound like the melody of the wind resounds in the quiet Daejeon.

During the first cold torture, the intention was to give a hint, so the intensity of disgust was presented as weak.

The recoil was that weak.

It was disappointing, but I had to be satisfied with the small kickback for the main meal.

and.

“Oop!”

“Wow!”

The dish that raised the intensity of hatred was currently showing a huge reaction.

It was definitely a refreshing reaction, and it was the reaction I had been looking forward to.

Deron and Blund are nauseated just like they did the other day when they had to vomit after eating bugs.

They pretended to be noble and virtuous and showed all kinds of arrogance, but now they are licking the floor of Daejeon like dogs and swallowing up their contempt.

They, who were consumed by vanity and power, are faithfully carrying out orders like slaves.

I was like myself from the past, and just like them, I had to hold my belly and laugh at that miserable sight.

But.

“… .”

There was no laughter.

It was because of Elden, who was sitting still, with a peaceful face as always.

Although his eyes were focused on Deron and Blund, all other senses were focused on Elden.

I felt like I was avoiding even his gaze because it was difficult to face him without knowing why.

Liberation has only just begun, it is a moment we have been waiting for, but resentment and resentment are rising rather than a sense of liberation.

I just thought it was all because of Elden Rapellion.

“… We’ll give a reward to the person who eats the fastest and cleanest food, so everyone, do your best.”

Without even noticing that his snout was getting dirty, he let out a taunt over their heads as they greedily licked the floor.

And then he approached Elden.

With awkward steps and an anxious expression.

So, I stood in front of him.

It had to change now.

The relationship should have been reversed, with Elden as a shabby weakling and himself as a great strongman.

However, it was no different from those days.

Elden was confident, and he was intimidated.

It was a truly absurd and absurd moment.

We will overcome.

I will make you submit.

After making that promise, Lemian opened his mouth.

but.

“You asked me, right? Was the confession I made in the letter sincere?”

Once again, words that were different from what I intended came out spontaneously.

Why?

“I’m serious.”

“Yes?”

“I’m serious. I was sincere in supporting you and loving you.”

What I couldn’t answer at the first face-to-face meeting, strangely enough, came out naturally.

Even though I ran away because I hated answering, strangely enough, my mouth opened naturally.

My heart was trembling.

It felt like my lips were burning.

And eventually.

“So, will you marry me?”

The confession that I had been holding back, that I wanted to commit suicide, and that I had to put it in writing because of the growing feeling of nausea, suddenly came out.

“I promise to give you everything you want. I promise you everything: family revival, honor, power, forgiveness, love. In the name of Winterfell.”

It was just a lie told to encourage participation in the war, so no promise was made to use the name of Winterfell.

I did not want to give that sacred name to a despising evildoer.

I said so.

It was definitely like that.

The promise with that name came out so easily.

I expected it.

I looked forward to it.

I longed for it.

May you accept it.

I hope you don’t reject it.

It was a temptation that included the name Winterfell, and it was a promise that was not a lie.

And, it was an ultimatum.

however.

Elden’s head bows.

The waist is folded.

soon.

“Sorry. Grand Duchess.”

Again he refused.

Just like in the past days, he coldly refused.

The culprit of all these divisions, filled with resentment rather than liberation, refused without a second thought.

I’m crying.

Tears welled up.

Tears welled up as if the sadness I had been holding in until now exploded.

I was anxious that my plan might go wrong, and tears welled up in my eyes as I felt unfair for the past nights when I had to tremble in agony.

I was bitter about the days when I was pushed into the pit of hell and had to shed tears of blood on iron thorns, and I felt foolish for having expected to be freed from it now, and my tears welled up.

Instead of the moisture that had built up during the first face-to-face meeting, tears welled up to the point where my vision was blurred, and soon they were welling up and running down my cheeks.

As my heart pounded, my whole body trembled.

Elden raised his head.

Ever since the declaration of abstention, I have always hated that innocent face.

I was so disgusted that I felt like they were making fun of the stubbornness I had put aside all of my pride for.

That’s probably why.

Without realizing it, my hand went up and I slapped his cheek as if whipping myself for failing to confess, propose, and seek revenge.

I didn’t know how to express my seething resentment and resentment, so I inflicted violence on his innocent face.

Wow-!!

I have promised this countless times.

I will never be like them.

I said I would never be like them.

But just now, that promise was broken.

I couldn’t even stand it anymore.

There was no way to stop him.

It was a reaction that exploded everything that had been endured, and it was a reaction that could not be stopped or suppressed.

For an instant, my tears dried.

My hands stopped shaking and my legs started shaking.

“… ah… .”

The lost mouth let out a dull exclamation.

Other than that, there was nothing else that could be done.

After breaking her promise and using violence, all she could do was shrink in front of him.

at last.

dump.

He collapsed, covering his face with both hands.

It was cursed.

I was desperate.

He was the one who couldn’t control the impulse of the moment, and he wasn’t helping himself, past or present.

It was so disgusting, disgusting, and hateful.

Just like when he was a student at the Academy, Lemian had no choice but to kneel in front of Elden and repeat the past days that he had vowed not to repeat.

“… … .”

and.

Elden, who was standing blankly, only stroked his sore cheek and opened the lid of the dishware that had been placed in its place.