Chapter 206

Chapter 206

It was a heavily raining night.

The emperor was having a drink with his knight. Glancing out the window at the inclement weather, he seemed quite uneasy about something, and the emperor attributed it to the news of the duke’s rebellion. 

The emperor asked Lucius, who had never shown any particular reaction to the duke until now if he was disturbed to hear that the duke’s future son-in-law would become king, and he answered in the same way.

“I feel like a prey that had already been shot down by arrows, and my heart is being eaten by hunting dogs. My insides are turning.”

The emperor burst into laughter, amused by his knight’s vulnerability.

“Don’t you want revenge?”

“Of course I want to do it. but… … .”

The moment Lucius was about to say something, thunder struck. Hearing the loud noise, the emperor looked out the window, saw that the window was open to the wind, and stood up. 

The knight, who had become contemplative as he closed the window, got down on his knees, slipped on the sofa, sat down on the floor, and tore like crazy at the cravat clamping around his neck.

“Hey, are you okay?”

The emperor said so and helped his knight up with his own hands. But instead of getting up, Lucius just grabbed the hem of the emperor’s trousers and muttered something with his head down on his leg. 

He bent down and listened, and it was a name.

“Deatrice.”

It was the name of the woman who would become queen through this rebellion. The emperor chuckled as he remembered the old love between the lady and his knight.

The knight, still recovering from his earlier distress, nodded vigorously. The emperor then knelt down, looking the knight in the eye, and asked, “Do you want to seek revenge against her?”

The response was one he had heard before: “This knight wants to seek revenge.”

“You said you wanted to seek revenge against Deatrice.” The emperor reminded him. He leaned in and said, “And I granted that revenge, Elliot. That is the true reward I bestowed upon you, don’t you see?”

Unbeknownst to them, someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation, and a thud behind the partially open door to the anteroom revealed the presence of the eavesdropper. 

Something had fallen behind that door. Lucius turned to look, and through the gap in the door, he could see a piece of fallen decoration.

Someone had been listening to their conversation. Although the emperor’s perspective wouldn’t allow him to see the open door, leaving it that way was odd.

Lucius’s heart sank heavily. He hoped for the best as he rushed to open the door, and there she was.

“Deatrice.”

She stood there with a pallid face, looking like a ghost who had overheard their conversation. She had undoubtedly heard it all. Well, at least the story the emperor had heard, or at least the story he had asked to hear – the one about how he had desired his revenge, and that’s why the Duke had fallen.

But that wasn’t it.

“Dee, let me explain.”

Lucius took a step forward. It felt like something was slipping through his fingers, no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it. Like something was escaping relentlessly through the gaps between his fingers. She cowered as if he could harm her, her body shrinking as if witnessing an impending end.

“I can explain. You’ll understand, so please.”

But her disheveled expression, her face as if everything had been ruined…

As if she had witnessed an irreversible ending.

“But that’s not it.”

Lucius thought once more.

Everything could be undone, just like their love had been, just like their trust had been. This, too, was just a passing trial. If he spoke, he could resolve it.

“You’ve misunderstood. I don’t remember that day at all. Maybe there was thunder. You know how I am when thunder strikes. I must have said nonsense, and I was out of my wits…”

“….”

He rambled on in defense and then stopped. He found himself gazing into her eyes, which, up close, were confused. There were no easily recognizable emotions like betrayal or anger, but instead, unknown emotions welled up in her eyes.

As if witnessing a ruined home. Like someone looking at something already shattered, she stood on the brink.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

So he apologized.

“I was wrong.”

What he had done was beyond his control, and he couldn’t even remember for sure if it had really happened. But he still apologized.

“I don’t know what I did. But I’ve never wanted your downfall. I genuinely have no grudge.”

But had he really never wanted that? Had he not wanted her to become Galaba’s queen and live as the accursed prince’s wife, even for a moment? Doubts crept into her mind, but the truth didn’t matter now.

“So please…”

He slowly reached out towards her. The rejection from six years ago came back to his mind, vividly. If she refused him again if she pushed him away and screamed in horror as if he were a nightmare… If that happened, he might never recover.

Her skin touched his fingertips. He first held her wrist and gently pulled her closer. Fortunately, she didn’t push him away.

However, he didn’t feel like he was really touching anything. It was as if she were an illusion, passing through the mist, and he couldn’t help but feel the emptiness.

“Please,” he pleaded. He wanted to kiss her just like before, to tell her that he still loved her, but she didn’t respond to his silent pleas.

“Lucius, later,” she spoke with a strained voice.

He couldn’t understand her words. Later? Why not now? Why can’t they discuss it now? Apologize, beg for forgiveness, kneel as he had asked her to do to that man. If that’s what it took, he was willing.

But none of those words came out. Just like she had done six years ago, she gently pushed Lucius away, saying, “Later.”

Deatrice only memorized that single word as she turned and left. He couldn’t stop her. Absolutely couldn’t.