Ch.420Chapter 420. Voice

* * *

The quiet temporary audience chamber.

Lunarian continued to stare in the direction where Serpina had disappeared, instead of returning to the throne.

Swen’s demand – the merger of nations.

The one who would receive the position of monarch – Lunarian Ineanne.

So, Swen is saying that he will give me the country he obtained from Serpina.

What kind of situation is this?

Does this mean Swen intends to keep his promise to me?

Serpina had said.

Swen, until the very end, would not give up on Luna – on me.

So.

So he’s giving me… the country, the position of monarch?

‘…!!’

Luna finally realized what Swen was trying to offer her.

What he was trying to keep through his promise to her.

Why he kept sending her letters urging reconciliation until the end.

The world.

To keep his promise to me.

He’s saying he’ll give me the world.

So.

He’ll take the world from Serpina and give it to me.

“Lady Lunarian. It is yours. Please create the world my brother dreamed of, the world Aria wanted to see. End all these wars, and be with Swen, and… with me.”

Is she asking me to… acknowledge her existence?

To accept that Swen has become hers?

Luna’s hands trembled.

Yes. That’s right. What Swen promised me was indeed to give me the world.

But what about me? What have I been running toward all this time?

To claim the world and become the new unified monarch of the continent?

At first, that was true.

I thought so too.

I longed for Swen because he was my benefactor who risked his life to save me, and as a monarch, he was the only advisor who chose me when no one else did—

‘…No.’

Luna shook her head vigorously.

Now.

Now I won’t lie to myself anymore.

I—I like Swen.

I need him as a man.

Didn’t I decide to accept the clear “truth” that I came to hate Serpina solely because of this fact?

So.

I cannot accept this.

In other words, he’s saying he’ll give me the world if I give him Swen?

—Clench

Beside Luna, who had tightly clenched her fist… “it” gradually approached.

It was the silhouette of a white-haired man. It was merely a silhouette because it had no face.

From some point, it had stayed by Luna’s side… appearing whenever she faced an unacceptable reality, pushing her forward.

“҉҉҉ ҉҉҉ ҉҉҉Lu҉҉҉na҉҉҉ ҉҉҉ ҉҉҉Lady҉҉҉.”

“Swen… my advisor.”

҉҉҉ ҉҉҉

“҉҉҉Why҉҉҉ ҉҉҉don’t҉҉҉ ҉҉҉you҉҉҉ ҉҉҉know҉҉҉ ҉҉҉my҉҉҉ ҉҉҉true҉҉҉ ҉҉҉intentions҉҉҉?” ҉҉҉

“Your true intentions…?”

It squirmed and spewed something out.

Luna deliberately ignored the fact that what it was saying wasn’t Swen speaking, but rather what she wanted to hear right now.

“How҉҉҉ could҉҉҉ I҉҉҉ have҉҉҉ sent҉҉҉ Serpina҉҉҉ to҉҉҉ you҉҉҉ alone҉҉҉? How҉҉҉ could҉҉҉ I҉҉҉ not҉҉҉ know҉҉҉ that҉҉҉ you҉҉҉, my҉҉҉ sovereign҉҉҉, hate҉҉҉ Serpina҉҉҉ so҉҉҉ much҉҉҉?”

“That… well, you promised to give me the world, so you sent her to ask me to forgive Serpina who committed no crime—”

“You’re҉҉҉ wrong҉҉҉.”

It gradually approached Luna’s nape.

Cold, damp, and dark. Nothing like Swen at all, but Luna didn’t mind much.

“Kill҉҉҉ Serpina҉҉҉.”

“!!!!!”

“Serpina҉҉҉ is҉҉҉ evil҉҉҉. Even҉҉҉ if҉҉҉ she҉҉҉ hasn’t҉҉҉ committed҉҉҉ evil҉҉҉ acts҉҉҉, isn’t҉҉҉ she҉҉҉ the҉҉҉ one҉҉҉ who҉҉҉ has҉҉҉ reaped҉҉҉ the҉҉҉ most҉҉҉ fruits҉҉҉ of҉҉҉ evil҉҉҉? However҉҉҉, if҉҉҉ I҉҉҉ were҉҉҉ to҉҉҉ cut҉҉҉ her҉҉҉ throat҉҉҉ myself҉҉҉, I҉҉҉ couldn’t҉҉҉ prevent҉҉҉ the҉҉҉ chaos҉҉҉ that҉҉҉ would҉҉҉ erupt҉҉҉ within҉҉҉ the҉҉҉ nation҉҉҉. Deal҉҉҉ with҉҉҉ Serpina҉҉҉ and҉҉҉ gradually҉҉҉ occupy҉҉҉ their҉҉҉ country҉҉҉. I҉҉҉ will҉҉҉ never҉҉҉ defy҉҉҉ you҉҉҉, my҉҉҉ only҉҉҉ sovereign҉҉҉, Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉.”

“Is that… so?”

“Of҉҉҉ course҉҉҉, Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉. Didn’t҉҉҉ I҉҉҉ tell҉҉҉ you҉҉҉? I҉҉҉ have҉҉҉ never҉҉҉ abandoned҉҉҉ you҉҉҉, not҉҉҉ for҉҉҉ a҉҉҉ single҉҉҉ moment҉҉҉.”

Luna let out a giggle, “Ehehe.”

Tears slowly flowed from her red eyes, which were devoid of any life, contrasting with her flushed face.

“Th-that’s right. Swen would never abandon me. He wouldn’t push me away and choose someone like Serpina. So, you arranged this meeting to give me the power of life and death over Serpina, right…?”

“That’s҉҉҉ exactly҉҉҉ right҉҉҉, Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉. You’re҉҉҉ as҉҉҉ sharp҉҉҉ as҉҉҉ ever҉҉҉. It҉҉҉ feels҉҉҉ incredibly҉҉҉ magnificent҉҉҉ to҉҉҉ serve҉҉҉ you҉҉҉, my҉҉҉ only҉҉҉ sovereign҉҉҉, Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉.”

“I, I feel the same way… Swen, ehehe…”

Luna carefully picked up the Adina Sword she had thrown on the floor.

A place in the northwest. She could reach it quickly on horseback.

Quite some time had passed since Serpina left, so she would probably have arrived there already.

“Then… I’ll go kill her. I’ll kill the woman who took you away from me… and bring you back. Is that okay…?”

“Of҉҉҉ course҉҉҉, Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉. I’ll҉҉҉ be҉҉҉ waiting҉҉҉, my҉҉҉ sovereign҉҉҉.”

Luna moved forward carefully without responding.

Kill Serpina.

That sentence consumed all the images in her mind.

* * *

Under a dim sky that seemed about to rain.

Luna lightly prepared herself and rode alone on horseback to the place Serpina had indicated.

She didn’t even bring any guards. She didn’t think there would be a trap at her destination.

Well, unless it was set by Serpina’s forces – this messenger was Swen’s messenger, after all.

And since it’s obvious that Swen would never set a trap to corner me – naturally, I’m rushing there without any suspicion.

How long had she ridden?

‘That flag…!’

Luna carefully dismounted when she spotted a small building with the golden flag of the former Serpina forces and current Swen forces fluttering.

As she approached the door… along with the crackling sound of a lantern, she felt a strange presence.

‘Huh…?’

Upon checking, the door wasn’t completely closed.

Thinking she might see something through the gap, Luna carefully peered inside to check.

There… surprisingly, the scene was exactly as Serpina had described.

One table, Serpina sitting with her back turned.

As she had declared, there was not a single guard to be seen, let alone Irene.

Just as she was about to think, ‘It’s because Swen trusts me that he could send only Serpina.’

“Sovereign҉҉҉. Stab҉҉҉ her҉҉҉.”

“!!!”

Once again, ‘it’ – the silhouette of a white-haired man – whispered to Luna.

“Kill҉҉҉ Serpina҉҉҉ and҉҉҉ save҉҉҉ me҉҉҉ from҉҉҉ her҉҉҉ hands҉҉҉.”

‘Swen…!’

“What҉҉҉ need҉҉҉ is҉҉҉ there҉҉҉ to҉҉҉ hesitate҉҉҉? If҉҉҉ I҉҉҉ can҉҉҉ forgive҉҉҉ someone҉҉҉ like҉҉҉ Serpina҉҉҉, how҉҉҉ could҉҉҉ I҉҉҉ not҉҉҉ forgive҉҉҉ you҉҉҉, Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉? Even҉҉҉ if҉҉҉ only҉҉҉ to҉҉҉ clear҉҉҉ my҉҉҉ clouded҉҉҉ eyes҉҉҉, you҉҉҉ must҉҉҉ make҉҉҉ the҉҉҉ decision҉҉҉ here҉҉҉.”

…That’s right.

Let’s kill her first.

I can think about it after killing her.

Luna silently opened the door, suppressing any sound.

…Good. Serpina didn’t seem to notice.

Luna carefully approached one step at a time.

The pale nape of the neck hidden by hair.

Stabbing there would kill her instantly.

‘Just… a little more…!’

Having reached striking distance, Luna carefully raised her sword.

And—

—Swoosh

—Following the voice of Swen guiding her from her heart, she raised the Adina Sword and…

Stabbed.

The one who was stabbed turned her head in surprise and looked at Luna.

“Haa… haa.”

Luna carefully caught her breath.

And quickly assessed the situation.

Blood was dripping, but Luna just glared at it without panic.

It was blood that would soon disappear anyway.

That thing… couldn’t be something that could bleed.

Because—

“Lady҉҉҉ Luna҉҉҉… why҉҉҉?”

It was not a living being, but a fictional existence created by the delusions in her own mind.

“…Still, whatever happens, the sovereign’s strength is the will to never lose that noble ideal no matter what she does. As long as that heart doesn’t change, you will surely be able to create the future of the continent you’ve been dreaming of.”

“…You are not… Swen.”

Now I.

I won’t lie to my heart anymore.

Just as I accepted the fact that I was jealous because I love Swen – I’ll also accept that you are just a being I created.

“Disappear… from my sight.”