Ch.397Chapter 397. Reunion (3)

* * *

After an incredibly long story came to an end.

Ginor kept stroking his beard in disbelief, occasionally letting out sighs mixed with laments.

“Hmm… So the mastermind behind the patricide was Algot von Einhart, and the perpetrator of the massacre was Sidmid von Einhart… Is that really true?”

“According to Lady Serpina, yes. Of course, there’s no physical evidence, but—”

At that moment.

Ginor raised his hand to interrupt Swen’s words.

“…No. I don’t think Serpina would be lying about this.”

“Do you have some basis for that belief?”

“You must know, Swen. That I was the last chancellor of the Einhart Empire.”

“…!!”

Ginor closed his eyes as if recalling the past and sank into thought—

Then slowly, he moved his lips that carried traces of the past.

“I met all the children of the former emperor. Algot was upright but a typical stubborn commander type who couldn’t see beyond his own perspective. Sidmid was skilled at winning people’s favor with his flexible thinking, but beneath that, he was incredibly arrogant and disrespectful. Stadtell was a petty man who didn’t even understand what the Einhart name attached to his own meant, and Lilirose was an extremely selfish and cold woman. And the youngest, Serpina…”

“Serpina, though no one believes it now… had the most promising disposition among the imperial children.”

“You mean Lady Serpina…?”

“Yes. She was kind-hearted and often showed wisdom in solving problems. Since we’ve come this far, I’ll admit that I could never believe she would do such things.”

“Then why… did you leave the Empire?”

Ginor nodded at Irene’s question.

“Because Serpina herself admitted it. She said she had committed all those acts. That she had been hiding her claws for that moment… that she had killed her brothers and sisters with her own hands. Even if it was unbelievable, when she confessed with her own mouth, how could I doubt it further? Everyone who could testify about it was already dead.”

“She probably did it to smoothly inherit the Empire. If she had merely been caught up in it, no one would have acknowledged Serpina. Without any reliable forces, she needed authority built on blood.”

“You’re right. If the truth had been revealed, the Einhart Empire would have been torn apart before she could even ascend to the throne.”

“Anyway, if Algot and Sidmid were the ones who committed the acts, everything makes sense. So Serpina has been bearing the hatred of the entire world for something she didn’t even do.”

I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

I had been worried about how to convince him with only circumstantial evidence and no physical proof—but from Ginor’s perspective, knowing so much meant he could see that much more.

“So, what is it you want to say?”

* * *

Swen nodded at Ginor’s question.

“Lunarian hates Lady Serpina, doesn’t she? You must know that.”

“It would be strange if someone serving by her side didn’t know.”

“The main reason is that she believes Lady Serpina killed her only blood relative, her sister. And as I mentioned, it wasn’t Lady Serpina who killed everyone, but Algot… and Aria Ineanne, Algot’s mistress and Lunarian’s sister, far from being caught up in it, stood by Algot’s side until the end.”

“So that’s how the story goes.”

“So, the reason I came here, although it takes the form of a ‘prisoner negotiation’… is to discuss this with Lady Lunarian. I never thought she would faint as soon as she saw me…”

I see.

So that’s why he came all this way as an envoy.

Ginor, having put all the puzzle pieces together, slowly nodded.

“I understand…”

And at the same time—

He spoke to Swen in a very resolute tone.

“Then you should leave right now.”

“…Pardon? But I haven’t spoken with Lady Lunarian yet. I was planning to stay until she regains consciousness, tell her the story, and then withdraw.”

“No, Swen. That’s not the issue.”

“…?”

Swen tilted his head in confusion—

But from Ginor’s perspective, Lunarian’s hatred for Serpina wasn’t solely about her sister.

What was clearly perceptible was her sticky feelings toward Counselor Swen.

Moreover, he had clearly said, “I never thought she would faint as soon as she saw me.”

It was right to assume he didn’t know the true nature of how Lunarian felt about him.

“Unfortunately, you shouldn’t have come here as an envoy in any form.”

“I’m sorry, but what do you mean by that…?”

“Listen carefully, Swen. I’ll only say this once since we don’t have much time.”

While an ordinary person would maintain a cautious attitude on such an uncertain matter—

Ginor, trusting only his intuition, told Swen directly without beating around the bush.

“Your lord… Lady Lunarian is in love with you.”

“…!!!!”

All three people turned pale at Ginor’s bombshell declaration.

Swen’s expression in particular was a sight to behold.

His face was permeated with the bewilderment of someone who had never, not for a single moment, considered such a possibility.

“Lady Lunarian’s hatred for Serpina may indeed be related to her sister, Algot’s mistress, as you said… but the most decisive factor is that she thinks Serpina has taken you away from her.”

“Taken… me? Me…?”

“Yes.”

“But… even though I’m in Serpina’s army, I’ve sent letters to Lady Lunarian.”

“Didn’t I say that’s not the issue?”

“That can’t be…”

Swen tried to say something with a dumbfounded expression—

But Ginor interrupted him and stood up.

“What are you doing? This is no time for that. Quickly take these two people and leave this place.”

“But I need to talk with Lady Lunarian—”

“You don’t want to end up in the underground prison, do you?”

“…!!!!!”

Swen finally seemed to understand Ginor’s words, and after remaining silent for a moment…

He nodded and said:

“Can you relay our conversation to Lady Lunarian? Including the negotiation, the story about Lady Serpina, and… the truth about that day.”

“I’ll try my best. But I should also tell you that this old man’s intuition doesn’t believe it will solve the problem.”

“…I understand.”

As Swen rose from his seat, Irene and Reika also stood up and greeted Ginor.

“I hope our paths cross again, Lord Ginor.”

“…Take care of yourself, Father.”

As Ginor watched Swen’s group turn to leave—

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he called out loudly:

“Swen. It seems your real ability isn’t seeing the future after all?”

Instead of answering, Swen slowly left the room.

Ginor could tell that this wasn’t a denial.

* * *

“Mmm…”

How much time had passed?

Lunarian, regaining consciousness, realized she was lying in bed.

“…Huh?”

Wait a minute.

Why am I here?

Right, that’s it. I fainted.

I lost consciousness after seeing such a shocking scene.

And that scene was…

“…!!!!”

Lunarian quickly got up from her bed and burst through the door.

“M-My lord! Have you regained consciousness?”

“The envoy! I need to meet the envoy! Where is—”

“My lord! Please calm down and go to the reception room! The counselor is waiting for you there—”

“…!!!”

Upon hearing the soldier’s words, Lunarian quickly headed to the reception room.

And who greeted her there was…

“You’ve awakened, my lord.”

“Lord Ginor…?”

Only Ginor Nighthart, the current national counselor of Lunarian’s forces.

“Lord Ginor, where is the envoy? I mean… S-Swen… where is Lord Swen?!”

“As the time granted by his sovereign Serpina was limited, he had no choice but to entrust the negotiations to me and depart.”

“He left…???”

Thud.

Lunarian’s legs gave out, and she fell to her knees.

“How could this be, he left, he left…? We had just met again… why…?”

“It couldn’t be helped. They must have their own circumstances.”

“But—”

“Were you perhaps planning to detain Swen who came as an envoy?”

“…!!!!”

Lunarian couldn’t say anything in response to Ginor’s words.

Ginor slowly shook his head and said:

“I understand your feelings, my lord. But that cannot be done. Detaining an envoy would be a bad move that serves neither principle nor efficiency.”

“But… he must have barely escaped from Serpina, and if I were to protect Lord Swen—”

“My lord.”

Ginor slowly closed his eyes.

Where should he begin explaining?

He certainly didn’t think that merely explaining would solve the problem.

Still, someone had to tell her, and he knew that he was the only one who could say “such things” to her and still keep his head intact.

“…There is something that Lord Swen specifically asked me to convey to you.”

“What is it?! What is it?!”

“I’ll start with the conclusion. Currently, Lord Swen—”

—has no intention of leaving Serpina’s forces.

“!!!!!!!!!!!!”

With those words, Lunarian’s world came to a standstill once again.

* * *

In the carriage returning to Lady Serpina.

The three of us—myself, Lady Irene, and Reika sitting across from us—were aboard, but… the interior of the carriage was utterly silent.

Everyone was maintaining silence as if afraid to even breathe.

It couldn’t be helped. We had heard something shocking that none of us had expected.

“Your lord… Lady Lunarian is in love with you.”

‘…’

I held my forehead, lost in thought.

Lady Lunarian…

Since when… has she…?