[Chapter 281] Utterly Trivial and Indifferent

"What? You mean His Highness isn't coming?"

The Meindlandt officers were dumbfounded by the words they heard through the magical communication device. But their lord, who had already returned to Meindlandt, simply confirmed it with a relaxed voice.

<That's right. So, all the people related to Imperial family, nobles of City who haven't joined our side yet, well… anyway, send guys I need see, without fail, tied up. Aidan will take care with Duke Ganiello.>

The officers still hadn't fully grasped the situation.

So, a few days ago, the day after the full moon, they launched a full-scale attack. They captured all those who were planning to rebel among the large army that had surrounded the Imperial City just before the attack, and there were no major problems with the entry because there was a problem with the Imperial City's gate.

In the middle of it all, out of nowhere, some monstrous collateral Imperial family members appeared, wielding azure Jewel Hearts, but they weren't that numerous, and they could be dealt with if they were really skilled. At some point, as they were breaking through the gates located on all sides of the Imperial City, as planned, and taking over the roads of the ancient city.

A dazzling golden dragon appeared in the sky of the Imperial City and circled once.

There had been rumors that the dragon, "unjustly sealed," would be released at the end of this war. It wasn't exactly the military objective, but it was logical, considering the content of the novel "Betrayal" and the justification that the Meindlandt army had been putting forward until now.

But very few people in the massive army actually thought the dragon would appear. Wasn't that just… a symbolic story?

After all, the opponent was a "dragon." A dragon. A creature depicted as vicious in ancient tales. Even the gentle dragons in the stories, cleverly crafted by writers, were terrifyingly powerful and didn't love humans that much. How could such a creature suddenly appear in a cold reality like this?

Wasn't that, in context, the, you know, the strongest enemy that threatened humanity, the 'evil dragon'? Even though it wasn't actually evil.

Even though it only circled the sky once, the dragon was intimidating. People instinctively knew that they would be crushed by even a single flick of its tail. That dazzling, golden, massive creature, looking alien, as if it didn't belong to this world… so powerful that its mere presence made people hate it, a sad and ugly feeling.

The chaos it caused even stopped the war within the Imperial City. The Imperial army, which had been lacking in motivation from the beginning, had already been secretly surrendering or sneaking away even before the dragon appeared. The story they heard at the morning mass before the battle also influenced their actions. It was a battle, sort of.

It turned into a unilateral and absolute surrender.

Those with good eyesight saw a man with black hair riding on the dragon. Those who were particularly perceptive shouted that it was the real hero.

Destroy the Imperial Palace! Kill the Emperor! Capture all the direct descendants of the Imperial family and offer them to the dragon! It wasn't long before they all rushed towards the Imperial Palace, shouting something like that. They were a little surprised when the dragon suddenly disappeared shortly after, but the awe of the great being still burned in their hearts.

Then their lord disappeared. It was a good thing that a ridiculous message was sent from the Meindlandt side shortly after, saying, "His Grace the Duke is here, but he's… uh… sleeping."

Aidan and Duke Ganiello Jr. maintained order in the Imperial City and searched the Imperial Palace thoroughly. And they captured the Emperor, who was dying like a withered tree on his bed, the Empress, who was trying to escape with her valuables, the Crown Prince, who had gone half-mad while imprisoned in the Tower of Prisoners, and some nobles who hadn't given up until the end…

Additionally, Aidan went to the secret room he had been to with Cledwin before and captured Nellusion, who was tied up and collapsed there, and Camille, who was dying like the Emperor.

Many people tried, but they couldn't detach Camille from the altar. They even thought about cutting her arm off with an axe to see if she would come loose, but that was rejected because she looked so frail that even a single feather landing on her head would kill her. It was unclear what had happened to her to make her like that.

The officers were embarrassed. Normally, after such a victory, the military leadership, including the commander-in-chief, would stay there and engage in a long ceremony of rewarding merit. But the commander-in-chief had slipped away alone. Moreover, judging by his voice, he seemed to be back with his pregnant wife and was overjoyed…

But what could they do? They couldn't drag back a man who had been separated from his pregnant wife for a long time, could they?

In the end, the officers nodded.

"As you command, we understand. What about the nobles who are not in the Imperial City?"

"Yes, we will do as you command."

It seemed that Princess Izet, the youngest princess, would suddenly become the only sane direct descendant of the Imperial family. All the officers, led by Aidan, bowed their heads.

***

Carriages carrying prisoners lined up, literally, from the Imperial City to Meindlandt.

The creation of the escort carriages, the selection of the people to be sent, the arrangement of the selected people, the strict supervision, the selection of soldiers who would return home quickly with them… there were so many things to worry about that it was quite a while before the first escort carriage arrived.

And the first person to arrive was, of course, the Emperor and Empress, along with the Crown Prince.

"What condition is Abelus in?"

Neris, who was starting to show signs of pregnancy, raised her eyebrows as she sipped the blessed herb tea that Ren had sent. Cledwin, who had been practically glued to her side since she returned, repeated what he had said as he sipped his plain herb tea.

He didn't seem to care about how he was treated after Camille imprisoned him in the Tower of Prisoners. Duke Gruenhals Jr. sent someone in to torture Abelus. He didn't die, but they tormented him relentlessly, so he'll probably never be able to use at least one of his legs again.

"Really?"

It was a funny coincidence. One leg, of all things. Neris recalled the face of Duke Gruenhals Jr., Eustace Gruenhals.

The brother of the beautiful Natasha, like a rose. Their father, Duke Gruenhals, was a man who was obsessed with his mistress and mistreated his real wife. Natasha grew up relying on her younger brother in an environment where their mother was banished to the countryside, and Eustace was the kind of person who would do anything for his sister.

She remembered the time she was kidnapped and almost sold to Eustace. Neris snorted.

"He deserves to die, torn to shreds. Stupid fool."

Sunlight poured brightly into the West Palace reception room where they were sitting. Cledwin had been nagging lately, saying that Neris's heart wasn't at ease because there were too many people coming and going in the main palace. Thanks to him, the couple had been spending more time in the West Palace than ever before.

Neris had said it without thinking, but Cledwin asked quietly, as if he was expecting something.

"So, I was wondering, would you like to see him like that? If you want to, you should hurry. He's going to be executed soon."

"I don't really…"

Where was the husband who used to buy art, saying he only wanted to see beautiful things? What was he talking about? Neris tilted her head, then suddenly realized.

Neris wasn't really interested in Abelus anymore. But Cledwin was interested in Abelus. While she was asleep.

Because he had seen everything.

All the anger and sadness within her were old scars, long healed and covered with new skin, but for him, they were fresh wounds.

She sighed and nodded.

"Well… I guess it wouldn't hurt to see him before he dies."

"That's right. Bring him here right now!"

Cledwin pulled a newly installed cord in the West Palace. This purple ribbon, embroidered with gold thread, was connected to the West Palace and the main palace, so that anyone could come running as soon as it was pulled. During the former Duchess's time, there had been cords of different colors in a similar location, but they had become old and broken after her death, so there was no choice but to replace them all.

Ellen came running. Cledwin ordered her to wash Abelus and bring him here. He said he couldn't stand the sight of an ugly guy in his wife's beautiful eyes, and he couldn't stand the smell either.

'Then why not just not show her?'

Neris thought that inwardly, but she kept quiet because it was a kind gesture.

Soon, Abelus was brought in, tied up, gagged, and dragged by a leash like an animal. His eyes, no longer Jewel Hearts after Palos's power was released, were now brown. But the most changed part of his appearance wasn't his eye color.

His body was thin and twisted. His face had aged considerably from the horrific torture. Abelus's ash-gray hair was also slightly gray, as if he had suffered a lot. A soldier threw him onto the floor of the reception room, his one leg dragging like a piece of wood, unable to move at all.

Abelus's unfocused eyes suddenly burned like flint when they met Cledwin's. Specifically, Cledwin's gray eyes.

Seeing the Jewel Heart, which now radiated thousands of colors like a jewel.

A soldier slapped Abelus on the head for his rude behavior. Neris sighed as she watched.

She thought she wouldn't have anything to say even if she saw him. But when she actually saw him… that pathetic figure, a strange feeling arose within her.

'Right.'

She could… say something.

Cledwin sent everyone else out of the room. Neris looked at Abelus and slowly opened her mouth.

"…Abelus. For a long time, I thought I had no feelings for you. I knew from the beginning that you wouldn't love me, and I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't love you either."

She already had a man she thought she would love forever, and he already had a lover he had been close to since school. So, she had no expectations of him. She thought she hadn't been hurt any further by his actions towards her.

But she had.

"Thinking about it now, I think I was hurt by you. Even if it was a political marriage, you know, you could have respected your wife a little more."

A marriage where only the bare minimum of formality existed.

He was her husband, even if not in love.

She was neither his love nor his wife.

"I guess I realized that too late."

Looking back, Neris had turned a blind eye to her cold husband's unfair actions more than necessary because of her own guilt. The guilt that someone like her had dared to make a marriage vow with him, who was the Crown Prince of this country. The guilt that she had made a marriage vow with him even though she truly loved someone else.

Because she had carried that guilt from such an early age.

She had been turning a blind eye to the injustice she should have known all along.

Neris looked at Abelus, perhaps for the first time, with utter disdain and indifference. She blinked, unable to understand why she was saying such things to him.

"I think I resented Megara a lot, the one who captured your heart the very day I married you. I knew she was wrong to me. But you didn't get enough blame. Thinking back, that part is my fault."

The mistress who seduced her husband. The husband who fell for the mistress.

Where was the reason why the former's fault was greater?

It was a collaboration of two people that drove one person's marriage into hell.

"You've ruined the lives of many people, so you shouldn't die easily. Young Duke Rikeandros survived the war, luckily. His dukedom will be confiscated, but I'll take his opinion into account on how to kill you."

Neris stopped there. Cledwin gestured lightly, and the soldier dragged Abelus out. Abelus tried to turn around, even though he was being dragged by the leash, scraping and bumping against the floor. He tried to glare at Cledwin and Neris.

But Neris never looked at him again.