Princess Elizabeth quietly closed her eyes, basking in the warm sunlight that poured down as soon as the dark clouds dispersed.
She felt quite exhausted at the moment, likely because she had to comfort her brother, Prince Raymond, who cried and clung to her like a child as soon as she emerged from the surgery room.
Even though she personally felt as if she had just awakened from a deep sleep, she could discern from the reactions of those around her that her situation had been quite dire.
She must have been in a condition where her survival would have been surprising.
Perhaps it was because her appearance had remained perfectly unblemished, devoid of any scars...
Princess Elizabeth couldn't help but sense an unfamiliar gap between her perception of her physical condition and the reactions of those around her.
Her hair, scorched by the fire, had become even shinier.
Her horribly burned skin had reverted to its original fair hue.
Her abdomen, previously pierced by a sword, bore no trace of a scar.
She had heard that her uterus had been completely destroyed by the sword. Then why had her menstruation, which had already ended, resumed?
In truth, she didn't even need to question it.
After all, she was certain that the creature summoned by Ferzen had not only restored her damaged womb but also all her other scars.
Given that, she should have felt nothing but gratitude towards him.
However, Princess Elizabeth also felt a sense of shame and embarrassment for some inexplicable reason.
'He… He must have not only seen my naked body but also my entire body.'
Yet, his treatment toward her remained unchanged, as it always had been.
Princess Elizabeth didn't know whether she should be annoyed or saddened by that fact.
In fact, the existence of a current understanding between the Imperial lineage and the Brutein lineage was humorous in itself.
After all, there was an unspoken rule between the Brutein and the Imperial Family to not unite their bloodlines.
"..."
Princess Elizabeth soon opened her closed eyes and adjusted her hair, which had become disheveled in the wind. She gazed quietly at the blooming flowers in the field.
These flowers were nothing special, just common wildflowers. So common, in fact, that they didn't even have a name.
They were a peculiar type of daffodil, their leaves falling between June and July, while their flowers bloomed between August and October. Since the times of leaf and flower growths didn't coincide, they never met.
In a way, these flowers seemed to mirror the relationship between Brutein and the Imperial Family, causing Elizabeth to burst into a self-deprecating laughter.
"I'll give you a name that suits you…"
She gently touched the pale pink petals with her fingers, her voice laced with sweetness.
"From now on, I'll call you Lovesick Daffodil..."
Woosh-!!
Perhaps because they liked the name,
The numerous daffodils, with their light pink petals in full bloom began to sway shyly, dancing in response to the blowing wind.
* * * * *
"..."
"..."
Facing Prince Inas alongside Prince Raymond, Ferzen couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy as he observed the haggard expression on the prince's face.
Princess Elizabeth had asserted that the Kingdom of Obern was behind Roer, and it didn't appear to be a false claim.
This implied that there might not be a civil war within their own empire… a relief.
But Ferzen couldn't shake off his unease.
Even if they had been manipulated by the Obern Kingdom, Roer had painted the entire picture.
When the Obern Kingdom was held responsible for some of the misdeeds, the Elmark Empire could have easily probed into the ambiguous aspects.
Yet, the Empire had chosen to remain silent and withdraw. Unless they had foreseen this situation in advance, it didn't make any sense.
Did this mean that the Obern Kingdom had received prior instructions from the Elmark Empire and had approached Roer under the pretense of preparing for independence?
If not, it indicated that the Elmark Empire was aware of the Obern Kingdom's actions.
Was the Obern Kingdom the only one ignorant of this fact?
Regardless, the fact that it was Roer they had contacted still gnawed at Ferzen.
"I… beg you..."
Prince Inas pleaded, bowing his head and clenching his fists pitifully.
However, Prince Raymond, seated beside Ferzen, firmly rejected the request.
"I can't do that."
If they turned a blind eye to an attempt on the life of an Imperial Family member, it would not only tarnish the status of the Imperial Family but also open the door to even more manipulative actions in the future.
"Haha..."
Perhaps Prince Inas hadn't held high hopes for his request to be granted in the first place; he merely lowered his head pitifully.
"So, if there's no room for the Elmark Empire to intervene… and if the Obern Kingdom takes responsibility for its actions, war might be averted."
Ferzen couldn't help but be bothered by the fact that they had contacted Roer, even if it had been a mere coincidence and not an instruction from the Elmark Empire.
The situation could be resolved with the Obern Kingdom bearing the consequences of its actions, but it was only a possibility at this point, not a certainty.
The worry etched on Prince Inas' face remained, but what more could he say in this situation?
The prince of a ravaged country neither had any room for happiness, nor did he have a place to shed tears.
* * * * *
In a state of ambiguity.
Faced with the unresolved situation in the Roverium Kingdom, where wounds had only been superficially stitched, Ferzen began to prepare for his departure.
Given the gravity of the situation, he could no longer stay in the Roverium Kingdom.
"Lizzy is…"
"..."
Ferzen, who had been gazing ahead, turned his head indifferently in response to Yuriel, who had approached and spoken to him in a hushed voice.
"The only punishment for treason is… the destruction of the family and the execution of all its descendants."
Even though he was a Brutein,
No, rather, precisely because he was a Brutein,
Ferzen couldn't defend Lizzy in this situation.
Yuriel was well aware of this fact, so she didn't say anything more.
She quietly joined Ferzen in gathering their belongings.
When they finally arrive in the Ernes Empire, summer would have long passed, giving way to autumn.
...It was a time when the leaves would take on the unique colors of fall and fell, withering away in a melancholic fashion.
Meanwhile,
The Claudia family would turn a deeper shade of crimson than any leaf.
It would also fall more wretchedly than any other flower.
* * * * *
The atmosphere during the journey back to the Ernes Empire was tense, to say the least.
It wasn't just the nobles who felt it; the knights and the wizards who had accompanied them sensed it too.
Nevertheless, everyone maintained silence and made their way back to the Ernes Empire, holding their breath.
Oddly, despite it being a journey homeward, everyone seemed even more anxious than when they had initially set out.
Perhaps it was because they had an instinctual understanding that war could erupt at any moment.
Even though the Ernes Empire was still a considerable distance away, they could almost hear the sound of minerals being mined in Brutein being shaken and forged into weapons.
They could envision the battlefield where the cries of humans were drowned out by the clanging of metal.
How many people would welcome such a scenario?
Maybe what they were engaged in right now wasn't a simple return march.
Instead, it might be the first step toward war.
* * * * *
"... "
In October,
Fall was approaching.
It was that time when trees adorned their slender forms with the most beautiful autumnal foliage.
Under normal circumstances, Ferzen would have returned to the academy and resumed his duties as a professor.
However, he had received an Imperial decree and thus, he had a duty to fulfill.
His mission was to capture all those who had attempted to rebel against the Empire and transport them to the capital.
"Let's go."
Ferzen disembarked from the carriage, straightened his attire, and walked alongside the Knights of the Brutein family.
Having sent Yuriel, Euphemia, and Laura back to their mansion in the capital ahead of time,
Ferzen didn't hesitate to reveal his hardened resolve.
'How dare...'
A villain donned the mantle of justice and passed judgment on others' wrongdoings?
Ferzen gazed at the run-down landscape of the small estate and posed that question to himself.
However, before long, a faint smirk crept onto his lips.
Just as he had stated in the past,
Since it was challenging for the righteous to become strong, everyone merely regarded the strong as righteous.
Given that humans harbored desires, their definition of justice was inevitably skewed in that manner.
Hence, justice achieved by shattering others' beliefs and trampling upon their ideals could be considered a valid form of justice.
That was not hypocrisy.
'So why...'
Did you embrace beliefs you couldn't even uphold and bare your fangs at me, Roer Poliana Claudia?
'Where justice reigns, obedience is…'
Freedom.
Step-!!
As Ferzen began to enter the territory, the residents, engrossed in their daily lives, began to steal glances at the strangers passing by.
But no matter how ignorant they might be,
"Brutein..."
They still recognized the emblem engraved on the armor of the knights accompanying Ferzen.
How could they not know about the pillars that upheld the Imperial Family of the empire in which they resided?
"Soo pretty..."
Some children, standing while clutching their parents' hands, were entranced by the presence of Isabel Ron-Pierre Genova, walking beside Ferzen.
Step-!!
Leaving behind the longing gazes of many, Ferzen arrived at the heart of the territory, precisely in front of the Claudia family's mansion.
There, he began to channel a significant amount of his magical energy.
Rumble-!!
Before long, ice vines, endlessly intertwining, swiftly engulfed the mansion.
Subsequently, Ferzen turned to the line of Brutein family knights behind him and spoke.
"Arrest all traitors who dared to rebel against the empire."
"Understood."
"And if they attempt blasphemy without even comprehending their sins..."
Indeed,
In such a case,
"It's permissible to spill some blood."
The knights, having received their orders, advanced. Ferzen followed slowly, accompanied by Isabel.
"..."
Ciel Midford.
He was meant to drive a wedge into the villain's heart.
Yet, the villain had absorbed the fate of the protagonist, his adversary.
Finally, he had arrived at this point, shattering the various fragments that would have been the hilt of the protagonist's sword.
Ferzen von Schweig Brutein.
...His destined fate as the Villain Of This World, was before his very eyes.
A moment of silence for Micheal Salvatori, the legend behind the original Halo soundtrack, and Destiny 1/2 as well.
The gud old grandpa got the foot on the door by Bungie (wtf)
How in the world does Bungie think this would be a good idea bruh.
I highly, and I mean it, Highly reccoment ya'll mfs to listen to – Journey – A destiny 2 track. goddamn masterpiece that is.
And also – Deep Stone Lulaby – is also very gud.
I listen to those 2 every night to sleep.