episode_0015

Liesel lay in her bedroom, tearing at the linen and cursing her brother and the empress, spitting out unspeakable profanities.

The empress may not have known it, but her brother wasn’t that bad from the beginning. In fact, the relationship between Liesel and Raoul was good.

Although we couldn’t get along openly because we were concerned about what our mother thought, we had a relationship where we asked each other how we were doing and exchanged small talk.

And it was also a relationship that could never be returned.

###

few years ago.

Liesel asked as she brought coffee to Raoul on behalf of the butler.

“Brother, there is something I want to ask you.”

“What’s going on?”

“I heard that you often hang out with subversive forces recently.”

“It is a subversive force…”

The term “subversive forces” refers to Raoul’s friends.

A prince who was pushed out of the right to succeed to the throne despite being a major scholar, a woman called a crippled prostitute who helps the prince, and even the duke’s daughter who often meets with them.

It was an encounter that was enough to seem disturbing. And Liesel didn’t like the idea of her brother hanging out with such people.

“They are my friends.”

“If you’re not careful, you could be seen as plotting treason.”

“Your Majesty may be arrogant and short-sighted, but you are not the kind of person who would turn against me for that reason.”

The term short-sighted and arrogant may sound profane, but even that was a very polite and respectful expression.

If you think about it, that war, which almost resulted in a crushing defeat, was also caused by the emperor of the time.

“Then you just have to persuade them.”

“I am not confident in persuading Camilla and Penelope.”

“It’s possible if you’re my brother. I’m sure they won’t be able to ignore your brother’s contribution…!”

“Liesel. Could you change the flow of the river?”

“Yes…?”

“It means that I also don’t have the confidence to stop that huge current. I just stick my mouth above the water and breathe to avoid drowning.”

Although he read the document with an expressionless expression, he did not find his sister’s complaints bothersome and accepted them wholeheartedly.

“If they start a rebellion, the first person they target will be my fiancé!”

“He is not my flesh and blood.”

“As long as that person ascends to the throne, I can become empress! You know my dream too!”

From a young age, Liesel wanted to become the best woman in the empire.

In her opinion, the best woman in the empire was the empress, and that is why it was Liesel’s long-held dream to become empress.

“… That’s just one position. Liesel is not the best girl.”

“Brother…!”

As Liesel’s eyes filled with tears, Raoul let out a rare sigh.

Although Raoul did not blink as he drenched the vast battlefield with blood, he could not overcome a single tear from his blood relatives.

“Okay. Let’s consider it.”

“As expected, brother. If you’re my brother, you can win even if you fight those three! Because your brother is a giant beast hunter who even killed those dragons…!”

“Liesel It is impossible for me to handle more than two of them.”

Raoul said, putting down the documents he was holding.

“And I don’t like such childish nicknames.”

At the time, Raoul did not prefer the nickname “Behemoth Hunter.” He was reluctant to use that nickname for a reason that he couldn’t even imagine now, because it was embarrassing.

“Isn’t it cool? Fit for an older brother who has never been defeated…”

“I am a man who does not fit such a grand nickname, Liesel. And I too have been defeated twice.”

“Anyway, I’ll decide on my brother’s nickname later, so please be sure to ask. Please help my fiancé ascend to the throne, brother.”

Raoul touched his forehead and let out a light sigh.

Because of Liesel’s engagement to the 2nd Prince, the 2nd Prince and his family became entangled. If I hadn’t been engaged, things would have been easier.

“But do you love him?”

“Well, how many people get married because of love? Still, seeing as he says he loves me, I don’t think he’s a bad person.”

“…… Let’s see him and judge for ourselves.”

Raoul wanted to see if he was a man who could make his sister happy.

If he were that kind of man, Raoul would have been willing to take his hand.

Even if you become hostile to your friends and end up being criticized by them.

“Liesel. I have one last question. You also don’t know what people say about me.”

Raoul asked quietly, gazing into Liesel’s eyes.

“Aren’t you ashamed of me like that?”

Then Liesel smiled and answered.

“I don’t think your brother is the monster people say he is.”

“… I see.”

The corner of Raoul’s right mouth rose ever so slightly.

“That’s a very happy thing.”

Raoul did not kill the feelings he felt toward her.

Liesel was one of the few people who could see Raoul’s faint emotions.

The two did not show it off in front of others, but maintained a somewhat normal relationship.

That’s why Liesel didn’t hate her brother as much as she did. I dismissed all the criticisms against him as nonsense and just ignored them.

But Liesel’s heart was betrayed in the worst way.

A few days later.

Against his brother’s wishes, Raoul stood at the vanguard of the rebels, decimated the imperial palace guards with a single stick, and then slaughtered the foolish emperor.

And in the end, he even killed his sister’s fiancé, the second prince, with his own hands.

Liesel, who heard the commotion at the imperial palace, denied reality and ran to the imperial palace. She said that her brother, who may be emotionless but actually has deep feelings, couldn’t possibly be like that.

“Brother…?”

However, the Raoul she faced looked so terrible that she couldn’t bear to open her eyes and look at him.

Liesel collapsed at the sight of the cruel sight of the second prince holding his head above the pool of blood of the soldiers he had killed with his own hands.

“Liesel…”

“Brother…”

Liesel couldn’t believe this reality and checked the head in Raoul’s hand again.

“How could you do this…!”

Raoul was visibly embarrassed when he saw his sister’s resentment-filled eyes.

At least I didn’t want to show my sister like this.

Even if I had to be stoned by everyone in the world, I wanted to at least be a good older brother to my younger sister.

“Lizel, listen.”

That’s why my usual calm and cool demeanor collapsed.

He, who hates things that are boring and boring, ended up becoming boring and boring.

“The reason I killed this person was because he was you…!”

“Shut up!!!”

“Liesel I am for you…”

“You monster!!!”

Raoul’s hand, which was trying to reach out towards his sister, stopped when he heard the word monster.

The hands, which were covered in the blood of countless people, were lost and trembled slightly, unable to hold on to anything.

“People were right! You’re just a monster!”

“……”

“You traitor! You bastard will go to hell! A devil crazy about murder!!!”

Raoul just listened to Liesel’s curse in silence.

These were curses that were definitely familiar.

Nevertheless, the curses uttered in his sister’s voice shook Raoul’s heart. No matter how much I tried to suppress the surging emotions, my heart continued to waver.

Because it was my first time killing my feelings for my sister, I was unfamiliar with the whole process.

“People like you should just die right now!!!”

Raoul turned his back on the words he did not want to hear from his sister’s mouth, no matter what.

“… Is that the end of what I have to say.”

“What?”

“It will get busy soon. I must personally purge the subversive forces that will oppose the new emperor’s enthronement.”

“Selfish bastard…”

Hearing words he had never imagined before, Raoul almost turned his head without realizing it and showed his face.

But Raoul endured it with superhuman patience and remained silent.

I buried the thousand words that were about to come out and looked at the distant mountains.

“You are the most selfish bastard in the world.”

After saying those words, Liesel left crying.

The future empress, who was watching the scene from afar, approached Raoul and cautiously opened her mouth.

“…. Shall I go and explain the situation? What kind of man was her fiance?”

“No. She said she didn’t want to hear any of it. I am the only one who feels betrayed.”

“But if you continue like this, you will continue to be hated. Wouldn’t it be better to explain?”

“It would be better to live your life thinking of yourself as just a poor victim who was betrayed by your brother. At least it will be clear where the anger is directed.”

“If you let us know what kind of person you are holding, you can change the direction of that anger. There’s no need for you to take on that woman’s anger.”

” Anger toward the dead builds up inside you and becomes sick. ”

The future Empress Penelope sighed.

Even though he knew he would be hated, he deliberately decided to stick to that position. He burned his heart as a good older brother for the sake of his younger sister.

“Raul, you…”

Penelope was surprised to see Raoul’s face.

“That thing flowing from your eyes right now…!”

“Something got in my eye. Isn’t it a common thing?”

The Empress could understand that Raoul was shedding tears.

However, because what was flowing from his eyes was not clear tears but thick, red blood, the Empress covered her mouth.

“Just…”

Raoul stuttered for a rare reason.

“The color is just a little different.”

Penelope could not tell him to stop crying.

The bloody tears that could not escape seemed like they would pile up in his heart and dilute even his faint sense of self.

All she could do was hug her poor friend tightly.

“… Lean on my shoulder and cry, Raoul.”

Penelope offered her shoulder to Raoul.

“So that no one dares see my friend’s sadness.”