Ch.153Chapter 153. An Unexpected Reunion (5)

When did it begin?

When did I start hating you.

“Have you heard about Irene? They say she’s already sparring with adult soldiers at such a young age. She’ll become the shield that protects you in the future, so make sure to get close to her.”

“Lynn, did you hear? Irene is said to be the most talented individual in the history of House Juliette, no, among all the houses that serve our House Brans. Don’t you think we’re fortunate to have her in our generation?”

“Since you were born with the bloodline that can command Irene, isn’t it only natural that you should be more exceptional than her?”

When Lynn was still young.

From the time she was just beginning to understand how the world worked—

Lynn had grown up hearing the name of a girl called Irene far more often than her own.

She truly was an extraordinary girl.

Even Lynn could see that, as long as she had eyes.

She showed brilliant talent in swordsmanship, and was intelligent enough to understand and master military treatises to a certain level at a young age.

The most outstanding quality she had as a knight protector was that—it was plainly obvious she harbored no ambition.

“Lady Lynn. I am the sword and shield that protects House Brans. I have been since birth, and that will never change.”

Irene would always say such things while looking at Lynn.

Even when they were young, Lynn could tell those words were sincere.

So.

Normally, one should feel affection toward someone who bows and pledges loyalty simply because of the Brans blood flowing through Lynn’s veins, especially at such a young age.

But.

The young Lynn didn’t particularly care for her.

To be precise, she disliked her.

‘Who are you?’

Why do Father and my brothers care more about your future, who merely supports House Brans, than about the future I, the legitimate heir of House Brans, will create?

It might have been a childish thought, but as she grew older, that thought only solidified.

The only thing that made life bearable was the fact that she, not Irene, was the one of higher status.

No matter what Irene did, she had to remain beneath Lynn, and no matter what Lynn did, she could never fall below Irene. This was as natural and obvious as the separation of heaven and earth, and only this fact comforted Lynn who felt an inexplicable unpleasant emotion whenever she looked at Irene.

When did it start?

Ironically, even Irene’s sincere pledge of loyalty to her house began to irritate her.

If she had been a hypocritical woman, Lynn could have openly hated her, but since there was no sign of that, hating Irene made Lynn feel like a strange person.

Still, it was fine until then. She wasn’t the heir yet, so she could simply see Irene less often.

When Lynn had grown somewhat wiser.

Just as her father had predicted, after the Emperor’s death, the heirs fought like dogs, the Einhart Empire collapsed and split, and eventually chaos spread—

Having secured the prime territory of Anel Castle in advance, our Brans Army secured the most advantageous starting position among the many lords who rose in the central continent.

After years of bloody civil war between the imperial princes, the entire continent was devastated.

As a result, the throne was claimed not by Algot, who had been the most likely successor, nor by Sidmid, who had been Algot’s main rival, but by the youngest, Serpina, who had suddenly emerged from obscurity.

From what Lynn heard, Serpina had purged her brothers in a cruel and cunning manner, and seeing the imperial citizens suffering from the aftermath, Lynn thought:

As one who inherited the blood of House Brans, it is our duty to resolve this issue.

This wasn’t about some noble cause for the imperial citizens or bringing peace to the continent—it was purely her pride.

It stemmed from the feeling that she needed to be “a person worthy of the name of House Brans.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, her brothers—Chel, who was more interested in battle than politics, and Kalintz, who was more concerned with self-preservation—meant that the crown her father had carried fell into her lap without much difficulty.

Lynn thought, from this point on.

The moment had finally come for her to make a name for herself.

Like Irene, she could prove herself to be an excellent leader by eliminating the tyrannical Serpina who had earned everyone’s resentment—

When summoned by her father on his deathbed, she went to him with an audaciously excited heart.

But.

“Lynn. Irene will be by your side. She has the qualities to become a knight protector greater than any other. She will surely protect you as monarch, just as her father protected yours… If she remains by your side… the hegemony of the continent… will belong to our Brans Army…”

Her father, who was passing the throne to her, mentioned that woman’s name even in his dying moments.

Not that she would become an excellent monarch—

But that Irene would become a person greater than any knight protector.

Even in his dying moment, he was uttering her name.

That was the moment.

When Lynn’s reason snapped, despite maintaining an outwardly decent relationship with Irene despite her inner dislike.

After Lynn ascended to the throne of the Brans Army.

Unlike the Empire, the succession ceremony ended without incident, and in a situation where there was no need for establishing hierarchy, Lynn chose an aggressive expansion policy.

Led by Chel, who would later be called the First Sword of Brans, and Irene, who possessed talent that would earn her the title of siege warfare specialist—

The Brans occupation forces successfully implemented an incredible blitzkrieg that no other army had ever achieved.

Thus, the Brans Army became the dominant power in the central continent in an incredibly short time.

And at that very point.

At that point, Lynn let go of Irene’s hand.

The superficial reason was to give her rest after leading the occupation forces—

But compared to how she utilized Chel, who had been active during the same period, by assigning him to the southern front with full authority, it was an undeniably different approach.

Irene’s new position was to oversee the Second Garrison of Anel Castle.

It was a situation that anyone would consider a demotion—

But in any case, no one in the Brans Army would go against Lynn Brans, who had achieved the remarkable feat of seizing hegemony over the central continent in a short time by utilizing her subordinates effectively as a monarch.

Instead, what Lynn began to focus on was collecting talented individuals hidden throughout the continent.

While Irene was indeed an extraordinary woman, she wasn’t the most exceptional being on the continent.

Except for siege warfare, her brother Chel was superior in combat, and despite her excellence in military tactics, she wasn’t more capable than renowned strategists, so Lynn believed she could find someone to replace her.

Lynn continued to collect talented individuals. During the expansion process, whenever she encountered someone who showed even a hint of usefulness from various small nations, she would bring them in as a close aide and test their abilities and whether they were as unambitious as Irene, willing to remain under her. This became a routine.

In the process, not a single person passed her test.

Those who seemed like they might pass chose death rather than surrendering to her.

Still, she couldn’t give up. She had to eventually find someone talented enough to replace Irene.

And finally—

Before her eyes appeared a young man with white hair, Swen.

“What I stand to lose is indeed my life. However, Lady Lynn, in exchange for my life… you will lose the world.”

That thrilling first meeting.

Looking back, all his bold proposals were nothing but correct.

After several tests, she was convinced that this man would truly remain under her.

I’ve found him!

I’ve finally found someone far more exceptional than Irene, someone who can support me no matter what!

Moreover, he hadn’t just passed her test in terms of ability.

Even when she gave him a prostitute as a gift, he showed no displeasure, and his demeanor revealed no ambition beyond his desire for success.

Swen, it’s someone like you.

I’ve been waiting all this time for someone like you, Swen…!

Then all that remained was to remove the annoying presence from her sight.

While harboring such thoughts, an incredibly good timing rolled right before her eyes, and then…

* * *

“…My lord, my lord!”

“Mm… hmm.”

“My lord, are you conscious?!”

“Farfalle…?”

Opening her eyes… Farfalle was looking at her with an extremely worried expression.

A flashback… a dream…?

As sensation gradually returned to her body, she realized she was lying somewhere.

As her vision slowly returned, she began to comprehend the situation.

What she had been doing.

And… who she had seen last.

“Ah…”

As soon as she recalled who she had seen—

Her head pounded violently.

It felt as if someone was repeatedly stabbing and mutilating her heart with a knife.

“No… Swen… why, why… how could you…”

“My lord, please… pull yourself together. First, you need to sign the documents. We must return, regroup, and look for an opportunity.”

“Swen… Swen… weren’t you… weren’t you supposed to support me…?”

But you lied to me, deceived me…

…Ah.

In that moment, Lynn realized a terrifying truth.

The reality behind why Swen had followed her without any particular reaction no matter how badly she treated him.

It wasn’t an expression of infinite loyalty like Irene’s, but simply…

—That he had never once truly served her as his lord.

So that’s what it was.

That’s what it was.

You, from the moment you came to me from Lunarian, not for a single moment, did you…

Lynn wanted to wail, but she sensed that she no longer had the strength even to shed tears.

So I… lost everything.

Both Irene and Swen.

The talent I envied, and the talent I newly discovered.

All by my own hands—

“…My lord…?”

—And so, Lynn Brans’s time came to a halt.

* * *

After Lynn lost consciousness, several attendants including Farfalle supported her.

It seemed Serpina had provided a place for her to rest until she regained consciousness.

And after some time had passed.

“…”

Lynn’s eyes, as she walked to sign the documents, were… dead.

The once vibrant, charismatic, and oppressive Lynn Brans who had once rejoiced at destroying our army just to have me in her hands was nowhere to be found.

What stood before us was merely a puppet signing the alliance documents lifelessly, as if strings were attached to her head.

It was impossible to deduce with 100% accuracy why an alliance with the Brans Army would benefit our army, even now—

But looking at the completely broken Lynn, I could at least understand the beneficial outcome for our army.

‘The Brans Army is finished now.’

That much, I could tell without needing an intelligence of 100.