Ch.168Chapter 168. The Blue Light Dream Crumbles in Vain (2)

***

It was a few days after returning to Anel Castle following the alliance that Farfalle realized Lin’s abnormal condition.

“To Zeilant Castle…?”

“Yes! I’m planning to go capture Lunarian myself.”

With an innocent expression and a confident tone, she was saying… that she would invade the Lunarian army, which had been destroyed long ago.

“I… don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“What? Farfalle, haven’t you been checking the political situation? We should start unifying the western continent soon, right?”

“No, I mean… the western continent is already under our Brans army-“

“What are you talking about, Farfalle? Even smart you is saying stupid things. Of course, the western continent is practically in our hands already. There are only weaklings there, right?”

“…What do you…”

Farfalle carefully observed her expression.

An overwhelming sense of dissonance.

The certainty that their conversation wasn’t connecting properly.

Then.

‘Wait. The Lunarian army… could it be.’

Farfalle cautiously asked with a slightly trembling voice.

“Um… my lord. If I may ask, what is your reason for invading the… Lunarian army?”

“Hm? Right. Haven’t I told you yet? You see, recently they came from that country asking for a ceasefire agreement. You know, that battle where that stupid woman couldn’t even capture one castle.”

“…”

“The man who came to me from there… looked so deliciously handsome…♡ I want to test him under me as soon as possible. Gathering talented people is more important than anything before unifying the continent, right?”

—Ah.

When her vague suspicion became reality, Farfalle couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“My lord…!!”

When Lin, who had been secluded in her room refusing to speak with anyone since their return, suddenly announced she would resume governing affairs, Farfalle had breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought his lord had finally regained her composure. Though losing territory was painful, he believed they had enough resilience to recover if they started over carefully from now.

The northern threat was blocked. After much time, the population available for conscription had increased somewhat.

He thought they had a good chance against both the Aeshus army in the east and the countries in the south.

That was certainly the case, but…

“Now. I’m going to prepare for the expedition immediately. About 80,000 soldiers, and Brother Chel as the vanguard should be enough, right?”

“My lord, that-“

“I know, I know what you’re going to say, Farfalle. You want me to value that woman, right? Fine. She’s probably just guarding the castle walls now, so she must be free. As you say, I’ll call her too and put her in the vanguard. That’s good enough, right?”

Watching Lin smile confidently as she spoke, just like in her heyday…

Farfalle felt a despair he had never experienced before.

***

After realizing that his lord was somewhat strange, Farfalle’s first action was to quietly do as Lin ordered and then exclude her from central politics.

If the subordinate generals heard that Lin, their monarch, was insisting on attacking a minor country that had been destroyed long ago, it would certainly cause indescribable confusion.

It was entirely Farfalle’s decision to move to Zeilant Castle as ordered, then use reconnaissance as an excuse to place her in a separate building and hide her until she came to her senses.

‘Lady Lin…’

How could that brilliant woman have fallen so far?

He was trying everything to help her regain her senses, pleading with doctors and even religious figures who had already disappeared… but it was by no means an easy task.

She showed symptoms similar to senile elderly people, but wasn’t she too young for senility?

In a situation where her pride, much stronger than others’, couldn’t bear the humiliation she had suffered and had erased everything as if it never happened, there was nothing he could do.

If only there were magic, perhaps something could be done.

Swen, who had shown miraculous power, was no longer with them.

So, all he could do now—

Was simply pray that Lin, who had suddenly become like this after seeming stable, would just as suddenly become well again.

“Swen is so shy. I don’t know how long he’s going to hide. It’s not like I’m going to kill him, and if he comes to my side, I’ll cherish him more than anyone else. I’ll provide him with as many women as he wants, and I’m willing to allow him enough power to enjoy himself if he just serves me. Right, Farfalle?”

“…Yes.”

“That woman isn’t deliberately avoiding a proper search, is she? She was spouting nonsense about tracking down Lunarian and such. She doesn’t understand what’s important right now. Anyway, try talking to her. Tell her I’ll reward her if she finds Swen.”

“I understand, my lord.”

“Good. How’s the current situation?”

“Currently… our army is gradually occupying the western continent. It seems we’ll be able to conquer it soon. Serpina’s army isn’t showing any particular movement.”

Hearing Farfalle’s words, Lin smiled brightly and said.

“Really? That’s good. I was worried about leaving Anel Castle for too long. I need to find Swen quickly and return to the castle… When I meet him, I’ll specially cherish him two or three times more. Making me come all the way here and making me anxious… hehehe…♡”

“…Yes.”

“Alright. You may go. I’ll stay here and think about what our army should do next. Let’s see.”

Lin spoke in a glib tone, then stood up, spread out a map, and began writing something while muttering with a quill pen.

Farfalle, without adding any more words, quietly left the room and closed the door.

“Are you here?”

To the priest waiting for him in front of the door, Farfalle handed over a prepared money pouch.

The priest received it with a very benevolent expression, then politely clasped his hands together, bowed, and said.

“Let us pray, Lord Farfalle. May the gods have mercy on Lady Lynn Brans…”

“…”

May the gods have mercy, is it?

He couldn’t help but laugh hollowly at the thought that this situation itself might be a sign of abandonment by the gods, but in the end, the priest’s prayer was all he could rely on now.

Please.

Please return to being the intelligent Lady Lin of before.

No, even if not that, if she could just return to being the Lady Lin who could exercise judgment…

Clinging to such vain hope, Farfalle slowly left the annex.

***

Several days had already passed since she began staying in the annex.

Accustomed to the continuously disappointing progress reports, Lin was spending her time voicing complaints to herself.

“Why is this taking so long? That stupid woman can’t even find one person and is just dragging this out.”

She had thought she would quickly find Swen, return, and devote herself to state affairs, but she never imagined she would waste so much time in this insignificant castle.

For some reason, her vision kept feeling cloudy, and she was being chased by the thought that she needed to do something quickly, making her mind restless, but with no sign of improvement, it was an unbearably frustrating situation for Lin.

“This is all because that stupid woman couldn’t handle things properly.”

If there was a word she kept mentioning in this way—it was “stupid woman.”

The red-haired female knight who had steadfastly pledged loyalty no matter what she did.

“That woman, though frustrating, was actually quite good at tracking things… What was her name…”

But…

For some reason, she couldn’t remember that woman’s name.

“Wait. Come to think of it… what was that woman’s name?”

Something she had never recognized while endlessly complaining.

The moment she became aware of that woman’s “name”—

Lin suddenly felt a chill run through her.

It felt as if remembering this would solve everything.

And from the moment she started thinking about it… the cloudy vision in front of her eyes seemed to clear up.

Lin slowly concentrated her thoughts on that “stupid woman.”

“The one who always… pledged loyalty to me.”

“My lord. ■■■ ■■■■ has just arrived.”

Slap!

“What are you doing? If you had captured the castle faster, this humiliation wouldn’t have happened. How many more days do you need?”

“I’m sorry, my lord. I failed to capture the castle due to my inadequacy.”

“Who endured unfair treatment without a single complaint.”

“Why are you telling me what to do? I told you there’s no need to pursue. Are you defying my orders? Bored because your sword hasn’t tasted blood today? Should I let it taste yours?”

“…No. I’m sorry.”

“Who never withheld advice, even when I didn’t listen to her opinions.”

‘Try to achieve something, ■■■. Prove it’s not just talk?’

“Who obeyed my words without defying me even when I drove her into danger…”

I.

With my own hands—I tried to drive her into danger.

Her name.

That stupid woman.

The foolish woman who knew nothing except to obey my words—

“Yes! ■i■ ■■e■, I will do my best to bring good news in accordance with my lord’s command.”

“This is ■■ren Jul■■te at the vanguard. I am truly delighted to be able to bring news of victory this time.”

“I, Ai■■ Jul■ette, will gladly be the shield to protect my lord. Please command me as you wish.”

“—Irene.”

Tears flowed from her blue eyes without any resistance.

“Irene, Irene…”

As soon as she recalled that name—

Tears suddenly began to flow incessantly.

And she became aware of what she had done to her.

I.

I hurt Irene.

Irene, who had been so loyal to me, whom my father had told me to value highly… because of mere worthless pride, I drove her into danger—

I tried to kill her.

As a result, I lost both her and Swen. Lin repeated foolish choices without gaining anything, and consequently, the momentum of the Brans army began to completely decline.

“It’s… it’s all my fault… Irene…”

Only tears fell, drop by drop, to the floor.

After crying for a long time, she looked around.

This place is an annex.

The annex of Zeilant Castle.

I came here to… destroy the Lunarian army and capture Swen as a prisoner to employ him…?

‘…Huh?’

Wait.

Why was I trying to destroy the Lunarian army that had already been destroyed and disappeared?

“…!!!!”

All the memories returned to her mind as she directly recalled the keyword “already been destroyed and disappeared.”

What she had been doing all this time.

What had happened as a result.

“Aah…!!”

Thud.

Lin collapsed on the spot and shed tears again.

It wasn’t Swen she needed to desperately find and ask forgiveness from.

Not Swen… but Irene.

It was she who had rejected the last chance Swen had given her.

Despite knowing she had wronged Irene, until the very end, she kept turning away from the truth, thinking that if she could just get Swen back, she could somehow fix everything—

As a result, hadn’t she wasted manpower and time here needlessly!

“No… I can’t fall apart like this…”

She couldn’t change what had already happened… but she couldn’t just collapse here.

Lin absolutely had to meet Irene again.

She had no intention of asking her to serve her again or anything like that.

She just wanted to apologize to her. Somehow. She didn’t expect forgiveness, but she truly wanted to tell her how sorry she was.

It was the first time.

The first time Lin had removed her inexplicable hatred for Irene and sincerely wanted to apologize to her.

Only after being pushed to the edge of the abyss of destruction, falling over, and hitting rock bottom… did her mind start working like before.