Chapter 156
After gaining the support of the Empire’s people, everything proceeded smoothly.
The execution of the treasonous Empress and the deposed High Priest, the festivals, the “cleaning”—everything.
“Lord Mason and Lord Sean complained that their efforts to save the village chief ended up being useless,” Angelina said with a giggle.
“His Majesty said that once this matter is fully resolved, he will pass the throne to Aiden.”
Angelina, who had started calling Aiden by his name after the incident, took a sip of tea with a relaxed expression.
“Since Grandonia was absorbed by Aiden, according to the order passed down in the Imperial family since the first Emperor, it’s right that he becomes Emperor.”
After finishing her story and putting down her teacup, Angelina stared at the man sitting across from her.
“But brother, how long are you going to avoid my eyes?”
Ante’s shoulders, who was holding a teacup and deliberately looking at distant mountains, flinched greatly.
“Of course, your artistic pose of gazing at distant mountains while holding a teacup is beautiful, but I’m selfishly fond of being loved, so I like it most when you’re looking at me.”
“….”
Even from the side, one could see his pupils trembling.
He swallowed hard before putting down his teacup and turning his head.
However, seeing his expression that still seemed to be watching her reaction, Angelina let out a deep sigh.
“What’s the problem?”
“….”
“What’s really bothering you?”
“Lina… do you really not hate me?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“You’re lying.”
“It’s true. I don’t hate you. I am angry though.”
“….”
“But let me be clear about this. I’m not angry because you saved me. I’m angry because you thought I would hate you for something like that.”
“But I killed your parents, didn’t I?”
“So what?”
“Lina.”
“Haven’t I told you before? I’m terribly selfish. My arms bend severely inward.”
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“No, it’s the same. I would have acted exactly like you did.”
“….”
“Do you know why I decided to destroy the Order?”
“Isn’t it because you remembered what they did to you?”
“No, not at all. That has nothing to do with it.”
That they abandoned her in the Dark Forest?
That they tried to raise her as a Saint candidate and made it difficult for her?
It wasn’t that.
“It’s because I realized you wanted to kill them.”
“….”
“I don’t care if they create fake Saints, ruin the Empire, or exploit believers. But they disturbed you. That was enough reason for me to use everything I have and dedicate the rest of my life.”
“Lina…”
“But you went so far as to seal my memories to hide the reason why I should hate them… Sigh… Wouldn’t you find that frustrating?”
“But…”
“Sigh, when I think about what they did to you, I want to go back in time and tear them all to death.”
“….”
She would have immediately set fire to the Grand Temple and hired hundreds of assassins to hunt down and kill everyone involved to the ends of the earth.
She would have borrowed the power of demons to permanently erase the Order from this land and would have sold her soul to evil gods to protect Ante.
“That’s what makes me angry. That I couldn’t give you that much faith. You suffered alone your whole life because of it, and I’m so upset that I couldn’t even notice.”
It’s not that she hates her brother.
When Ante still hesitated to believe despite Angelina’s explanation, she sighed deeply again and added:
“Brother, I don’t have parents.”
“Lina.”
Ante frowned, suggesting she didn’t need to lie for his sake, but Angelina shook her head lightly and said:
“It’s true. Those people at the temple? They’re not my parents.”
“….”
“You don’t believe me. But it’s true. If they were my biological parents, they were terrible abusers.”
“What?”
“They thought of me as a troublesome burden. I was merely a tool for them to become the next High Priest and the next Holy Knight Commander.”
“…Really?”
Ante’s face turned pale.
“The priests forced me to bless their possessions and bodies, and the knights were pedoph… well, they were all crazy.”
“What?!”
Ante’s face changed to something demonic as he learned the truth.
“You didn’t take my parents away from me; you rescued me from hell.”
“….”
“To me, you are parent, friend, and savior. So stop being so cautious before I get upset and start crying.”
At her firm warning, Ante’s eyes wavered greatly.
His face gradually contorted.
He bowed his head deeply and brought Angelina’s hand to his cheek.
Like a cat trying to be affectionate, he rubbed his face against the back of her hand.
“…Lina.”
“Yes.”
“My Lina.”
“Yes, your Lina.”
When he raised his head, his face was blooming with a smile.
A fresh smile created by prettily folded eyes and softly upturned lips.
‘He really is handsome.’
Angelina returned his smile.
It was such a pretty smile that anyone who saw it would have thought, ‘She really is beautiful.’
But that smile shattered at Ante’s next words.
“By the way, Lina. Do you love Duke Kadenhart?”
***
Do I love him?
It seems I haven’t thought deeply about it.
I wanted to spend time with him and enjoyed being by his side.
When I found out that I was “that child” from his past, my heart was overwhelmed to learn how much I meant to him.
So is that love?
It’s not like what I read in novels, where your heart feels like it’s going to burst and your mind goes blank… it’s not quite like that.
But if that’s also love, then it must be love.
However, the reason Angelina’s face contorted at Ante’s question wasn’t because of these concerns.
It was because of the reality she naturally faced when thinking about this.
‘I really don’t have much time left.’
After the ball incident, there had been endless events and accidents, and time had flown by. Now, with time having passed quickly due to her seemingly quarreling state with Ante, less than half a year remained until her death as depicted in the original story.
‘I should talk to Aiden too…’
Fortunately, there was no need to fulfill the promised time since he had admirably established himself as the next Emperor.
The problem was Blake.
It only became more depressing the more she thought about it, so she kept putting off thinking about it.
But problems don’t get solved just by postponing them.
“Kyuu?”
As Angelina again emanated a gloomy atmosphere, Pudding, who was beside her, raised its head.
It made a sad face while pressing its paws firmly on her thigh, as if asking what was wrong.
“Pudding. You know…”
As she was muttering quietly, there was a knock.
“Miss. Duke Kadenhart has arrived.”
The person she most wanted to see yet felt most melancholy about meeting had come to see her.
***
Clop, clop.
The sound of hooves echoed through the streets.
“Where are we going in such a hurry?”
Blake, who had visited her, declined both tea time and a carriage, and immediately put her on his horse.
He rode at a fast pace.
Judging by his use of shortcuts to avoid bumping into people, he seemed to be in a real hurry.
However, it was even more puzzling because his expression didn’t look hurried at all.
“You look happy.”
“Yes, very.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“The Imperial Palace.”
“Suddenly?”
“I have something to show you at the palace temple.”
“What is it?”
Seeing him close his mouth again at the most important question, Angelina pouted her lips.
“It better not be something trivial.”
“You’ll definitely like it too.”
With confidence in his voice, Angelina suppressed her curiosity and leaned against him.
After riding for a while, they arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Since he had been helping Aiden with many tasks recently, the main gate guards recognized his horse from afar and immediately opened the gates.
Blake continued without stopping until they reached the palace temple.
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