Vol 3 Chapter 7 (1/2)

Chapter 7

“It certainly seems like even the royal palace has fallen into an uproar”

Hearing Asyut murmur that Yuna was relieved that, contrary to expectations, he was calm

In the corner of the complicatedly built palace; the two of them stood on a tasteless terrace

They could see the royal palace’s west side plaza, one of the places where the names of the members of the anti-saint faction was posted, clearly froain, she realized that there were many of these elevated places built into the royal palace where one could see movest those ere standing in front of the bulletin board – who noticed them here

“It is because there are many in the anti-saint faction who live normally on the surface If the nareat upset”

“…… That’s true”

That was the action Ron chose

Yuna still couldn’t believe that was one side of the king, who she saw as a calentle, but at ti like that Or was it that the gentle s more than a fabrication? Yuna didn’t know

“How er sister?”

Asyut asked that to Yuna as looking at the plaza with soleaze to Asyut, Yuna shook her head slowly

“Nothing really There was a huge problem which happened between me and you, Asyut, and that was the excuse to drive your little sister out…… that was all I heard from Linus”

I see, Asyut said and nodded

“Then, Lady Celiastina, you do not know anything about the problems that occurred between us”

“Mm”

“In order to talk about that, ill need to start by retracing the past However, it will be long…… Do you mind?”

Of course she didn’t , he closed his eyes for a brief period, and then slowly started talking

From the start, there was no discord between Asyut and Celiastina

It was best to say that they interacted with one another in a very coe Although Celiastina seeers, Asyut did not take care to treat her specially because of that, nor did he seem to have an interest in her He would have been the same no matter who the other person was Asyut attended to Celiastina with that intention

Perhaps, if nothing had happened like that, they would have slowly closed the distance between the like a married couple However, that wasn’t the case A few years after Celiastina arrived at the royal palace, after every servant connected to her was fired all at once, everything fell apart

No matter how much time passed, the two remained as distant as ever But that didn’t mean Celiastina was unfamiliar with the royal palace at all Towards others, Celiastina started opening her heart cluht she would slowly fit into the royal palace like that, and so did everyone else

However

Suddenly, Celiastina coed No one knew the reason Only that she started acting unreasonably and cruelly She didn’t lend her ears to anyone’s persuasions at all Far from that, she declared without any hesitation that those who opposed the saint would be sentenced with capital punishment When it became clear that it was not just a threat, those that remonstrated her decreased across the palace

There was no one but him to stop Celiastina

It was not very long before Asyut thought that

with a strong deter whatever she pleased like this To stop her, it was necessary to know the reason for her co information from when Celiastina had arrived at the royal palace There , a decisive event A truth that people si in the royal palace–

The ations ended in vain, but he was able to obtain one curious inforratulations and Condolences Asyut had flipped through that record book quite accidentally Because his exhaustion had accumulated, most of the content didn’t enter his mind However, on the contrary, perhaps that was for the best because so suddenly occurred to him

Since Celiastina had arrived at the royal palace, the number of accidental deaths had increased

–Ah, that’s hoas

Asyut thought as he woke up Why did he forget this? Hadn’t there been secret rumors about this at the time?

Once he realized this, the rest happened in the blink of an eye After investigating the histories of the people who had passed away in the years before Celiastina’s sudden change, it was clear that all but one had been people who had a history of serving Celiastina Further people there at the tiht that only the people that Celiastina, who had an intense fear of strangers, opened up to died

Was this simply a coincidence? That was impossible

It had so to do with the reason Celiastina had becoed his intuition into a conviction

And then Asyut resolved himself to confront Celiastina

Since her sudden change, those who told their opinions to her either suffered the death penalty or, if fortunate, went through the bitter experience of being banished from the royal palace However even Celiastina could not act out strongly against her fiancé, Asyut Thinking that, Asyut visited Celiastina alone…… though when he realized that his thoughts had been too shallow, he was already stuck deep in such a way that he was unable to backtrack……

“In other words, what do you wish to say?”

Interrupting Asyut, who had started to talk, Celiastina looked at him with cold eyes

“Pulling up those old records; what do you wish to do with me?”

Facing the cold air that rapped around his fiancée whom he had not seen in a while, Asyut shuddered inwardly Everything was different from the first tier in front of him

“In the end, you think me a hindrance”

Unable to speak, Asyut only shook his head Seeing him like that, Celiastina sneered with a cold expression

“This Record of Congratulations and Condolences: Irufis, Sonia, Paul…… they are all nostalgic names I wonder why everyone died Lord Asyut, do you know the reason?”

“I do not knoever, you must know”

And he wanted her to say it He wanted her to reveal everything without carrying everything alone–

But Asyut’s thoughts did not reach Celiastina For an instant there was a fleeting sorrow that could be taken as pity which appeared in her eyes, and then Celiastina opened her ain

“You not knowing is a lie You thought it, didn’t you That I killed everyone And you came here to ascertain that with me Am I mistaken?”

I killed everyone Hearing those words, Asyut felt so cold run down his back

“Lord Asyut, if I were to say here that I did not kill those servants you have brought up, would you say you believe me? If I said their deaths were not my intention, I wonder how you would respond Which one do you believe Me, or yourself–“

Asyut couldn’t answer Celiastina’s insanity swelled up before his eyes Even if he tried to stop it, Asyut could not find the means He finally realized that the current Celiastina was not in a state to talk properly, but it was already too late

“But that is truly cruel! If you say I killed them then I would kindly ask you to show me the evidence Because I did not kill them and I did not wish for their deaths And yet, everyone disappears from me!”

“Lady Celiastina, please calm down”

“Do you think I can be calainst h I aht, this won’t end with just a crime of slander For, just now, you have made an enemy of God!”

“I did not say you killed them! I only want to knohat happened at that time!”

“SILENCE! I do not wish to hear any more from you!”

Celiastina, who glared sharply at Asyut, was crying Asyut stared at those tears spilling over and falling fro like hopelessness

“And then I received Lady Celiastina’s judgement”

Asyut did not try to look at Yuna and did nothing but glare at the current plaza Yuna looked at the side of his face and just silently urged him on

“However, even the king could not easily disht While severely ad ih not to hand down a serious judgment on me personally”

But still, it was said that Celiastina could not accept that

“In front of reat cri that she would end her own life She said that she was unable to endure being unfoundedly condemned by me, her fiancé And that if the country were to try and protect one”

Celiastina shouted that while holding a sharp blade to her neck It was right against the area with the Holy Mark Those who surrounded her once again re the saint –If she died, then the lives of thousands of er like that Only the absence of the saint must be avoided no matter what, no matter what other sacrifices had to paid–

In the end, Asyut was to be punished once again

Everyone around hihed the merits of Asyut and Celiastina At which tireatly

Asyut also did not hate those who e because he personally would have arrived at the sa Saint Celiastina, his existence was equal to a speck of dust

But Celiastina did not desire for Asyut to lose his standing or his death Celiastina decided to punish hient assembly under Asyut’s name There was an announceather at the royal palace as soon as possible due to special circumstances

The deadline for the assembly was a few hours

“I wonder how athered in this short aathered will be those who have pledged a deep loyalty to this country and you”

In the beginning, Asyut did not understand thatonly his relatives……

One person after another, people who Asyut recognized, came Everyone seem to be puzzled by this sudden asse Celiastina but they were no longer allowed to return home

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work However, there is still tier And then ill have a very important conversation”

When he watched the beautiful profile of Celiastina, as san to catch onto her intention Celiastina had seen through exactly to ould make Asyut suffer thehis own body torn to pieces–

“Brother, I’ve arrived”

The last who appeared was his little sister, Milifaire The instant Asyut saw that se to shout and ask why she had come But in front of an enory could arise

“Now, everyone, you’ve all gathered well”

Celiastina showed a smile laden with madness

“Everyone, I have gathered you all here to have you compensate for the crime of my fiancé, Lord Asyut”

The air in the place shook Ten people were gathered here in all There were men, most of thest them there were several wives included And then there was still his little sister, Milifaire, innocent enough to be called a young girl They all looked at each other And then, at the end, they directed their gazes to Asyut as if relying on hi what this was all about

“Lord Asyut, you may choose only one person”

Celiastina nestled close to Asyut with a sently holding his right hand

“–The one person you choose will be saved The rest will all be executed”

He understood, but his mind would not move in that moment

Right nohat did she say His mind refused to comprehend it Asyut just stood still there on the spot

The gathered people also responded similarly –A response that showed that they weren’t even able to respond

In this gorgeous but small room, the air had completely frozen over Time stopped and there was no one who irl who smiled sweetly like a Goddess

“I will stop bla you personally, Lord Asyut Your words injured ht I would die, but you said what you did with good intentions, didn’t you? In that case, as your future wife, I should stop holding a grudge against you However, responsibility needs to be taken for ed out between us That is why”

Celiastina’s eyes gently narroith satisfaction and she looked over the gathered people

“I will let it all be washed aith these ladies and gentlemen”

“–That’s absurd!”

Finally Asyut, who broke the spell, raised a shout that came from the depths of his body Had there ever been such an irrational method? Weren’t these all people who had no crihtest bit of contact with Celiastina? And yet, and yet–

“This was a solution I thought up without sleeping for days Please do not refuse it This is because when I tried to punish you before, the king and the people around him stopped me This time I consulted them in advance And these e then it would be fine”

Who the hell was it What foolish person granted that perh to e Celiastina’s life was absolute That was the conclusion that he himself had derived

“…… Lady Celiastina These people have nothing to do with us If you cannot forgiveof you to bestow punishment on me personally”

Please, Asyut said and kneeled on the spot Just before he bent down, the sight of his sister with tears from her fear entered his vision

“What are you saying That won’t do I won’t hurt you Having had discussions with the king, I have also changed my mind And that, if I were to lose you, my fiancé, I would also follow after you”

It was futile no led Asyut and the others had been abandoned They were trapped in this small room and forsaken They were chosen as sacrifices to abate Celiastina’s mad desires

“……”

Asyut stood up, swaying, and looked over at his gathered relatives

His parents had died early There stood the figure of an uncle as reliable and had supported that Asyut and his little sister, Milifaire He also spotted the figure of his older cousin, whose political opinions he didn’t agree with but whose steadfast honesty and versatility was exactly the same as his There was also the face of the madam who his little sister loved dearly like a mother Everyone was pale but there was no one who broke down or lost their presence of mind

“I intend to take your opinion in, Lord Asyut That is why you may choose one person I will send that person ho my hand to them”

There was no way he could choose That would be too cruel Choosing only one personthe rest by his oill If that was the case, then it would be better for them all to be executed and for him to be killed on top of that

…… But Celiastina understood that much

“Lord Asyut Please hurry and choose before Lady Celiastina changes her mind”

His maternal uncle said that firmly Those eyes told of how he had already resolved himself

“…… Y-Yes, that’s right There is someone you must choose, isn’t there”

His paternal uncle smiled and drew his wife towards himself His wife also had a pale face but she showed a save a steady nod

“No, no! There is no way I can choose one person At least– at least half of them!”

If he had to make a cruel choice then he wanted to save even one person more However

“No, that won’t do Only one person”

Celiastina inforly cold voice

“Noill you choose You can’t choose ast those here? In that case, I can send another call out and we can wait a while longer Then, once more people have asseht?”

Asyut glared at Celiastina with a look filled with murderous intent But Celiastina just squinted her eyes and sentle breeze

“Lord Asyut Hurry, everyone understands!”

“Yes, you lost your parents early so you knohat you cannot lose anymore”

“You’ve decided on who you ht”

Asyut continued to glare at Celiastina and promptly placed a hand on the handle of his sword Everyone in the spot jumped at Asyut and pinned him down

“Idiot, ould becos if you did that! Disasters would be caused and there would be an incomparable number of victims!”

“THIS WOMAN SHOULD BE PUT IN PRISON NEVER TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN! OTHERWISE THE SAME THINGS WILL JUST BE REPEATED!”

Asyut lost control of himself and yelled But that voice did not reach

“If I aue and die”

Celiastina told hi voice

“…… B-Brother……”

It was his little sister, Milifaire, that settled Asyut, who had lost himself, with a voice soaked in tears

“Stop, brother Stop……”

The strength in Asyut’s body suddenly left him Unable to stand, Asyut dropped to both knees on the spot

“Now, Lord Asyut, hurry and choose”

Asyut sluggishly raised his head at Celiastina’s voice which see with both hands covering her mouth, entered his vision As soon as their eyes met, Milifaire violently shook her head

Who would he choose No, he didn’t want to choose anyone But if he didn’t choose then the number of victims would just increase aimlessly He had to choose someone Who would he choose Now, hurry–

Hurry and choose!

“In the end, I choseday, the rest of the only one person Further the only one saved A chasm that could not be filled was opened between us”

In that opportune time, Celiastina passed down an order to banish Milifaire It was said that Milifaire disappeared fro the time to reach out

“There are not many who know of this inside the royal palace As one would expect, it would be bad for the saint’s reputation to have executed the relatives of her fiancé, and so the truth was hidden…… although, because ten people suddenly disappeared, there arehappened”

Yuna was silent and continued to watch Asyut’s profile

There was no way she could find the words she should say She was too powerless– and too much an outsider to share in his pain

She couldn’t… do anything She couldn’t say anything

“Even so, I chose to remain in the royal palace I suppose those who knew the truth could not understand that at all Having received that treat to the position of the First Holy Knight Why did I resignthe fiancé to Lady Celiastina, who I should have hated more than anyone else I believe there wereso else”

“That’s…”

Not true, is what Yuna screamed in her heart

She felt like she could understand Asyut’s persistence, to the extent where killed his own heart Regardless of how much she was hurt, howshe would not yield on The people who lived and supported her daily– if they were not illusions and certainly existed then she would want to stand straight for them Even if she were to become covered in wounds, she did not want to turn her back and run All theelse left–

Wasn’t it the forht her that

“In any case, since Milifaire left the royal palace, I i for her whereabouts Froated to the brothel at the outskirts However, I could not find her at all”

Naturally, she understood what that meant

“That she could not be found even after doing that h the search net A single powerless girl would not be able to do that, so I considered that there was an “organization” hiding her”

“The anti-saint faction……”

“Correct In the beginning, sheconfined However, I believe that, surrounded by people who held grudges against the saint and royal palace, the more time Milifaire spent with thean to think and act the same as them”

Asyut’s expression twisted in pain At the end of his gaze was the bulletin board that had Milifaire’s name posted Of course, it was too far to read from here but it was certain that her name existed there

“Asyut, I…”

Yuna tightly squeezed the terrace fence with both her hands She tried to say so to Asyut and then closed her mouth She couldn’t find the words to say, because she was sure that he didn’t ords of apology or words of comfort

“It is clear that Milifaire is affiliated with the anti-saint faction There is likely no mistake in how she has not just been captured Naturally I have thoughts about wanting to rescue her However, if she attacks the royal palace as a member of the anti-saint faction”

Asyut glared at the plaza with grim eyes

“I cannot go this way and that ith an indecisive attitude I will confront her resolutely”

How ic decision like this When Yuna thought about Asyut’s ed out

“–This has been quite a long talk”

Perhaps he was concerned for Yuna, but Asyut returned to a calain and said that

“The wind is becoize for you have not regained perfect health yet”

“No, I’m okay”

As she answered, Yuna felt veryThis impulse that welled up inside of her heart was surely the tears that Asyut had not shed

(But that’s exactly why I can’t shed these tears)

Yuna clenched her teeth She wouldn’t cry She absolutely wouldn’t cry

While clenching her teeth, she thought on how strong Asyut was How much despair had he been assaulted with, how much helplessness had he been stricken with? She was certain that it was not just once or there he seriously wished to abandon everything

She wasn’t strong like Asyut

(But)

Even so, she wanted to continue walking forward in the tio

(I haven’t given up yet either, Asyut)

Yuna, withouta sound, said that to the broad back in front of her eyes

Yuna, as escorted back to her rooain

This tiuard

If she called Aeneas she was certain of what his reaction would be when she told hiht that rather than convince him it would be quicker to act first

While running through the corridors at a jog, Yuna suddenly looked out theThe sun, which had just begun to wane, shone on the flower garden and dyed the whole surface a faint red It was an indescribable and wondrous sight When the sun sank completely and the area rapped in darkness, the season when torch bugs instead would blooht was close

(But, for me…)

There was probably no more time

She didn’t kno long she had But she was certain the “end” was approaching– that was the premonition she had

She was scared She was unbearably scared

If she stopped once, she felt like she would be crushed by the fear of death That’s why, up to now, she had continued to avert her eyes fro She tried not to be conscious, as much as possible, to what it really meant to die

However, a few days ago when she had suddenly lost consciousness, Yuna was confronted aneith “death” The o of her consciousness, while she had no idea as going on, an instinct passed by saying that this was her end now In the end, it was her iination but she couldn’t help but think that there would certainly a coroundless fear became reality

(I can’t fulfill the promise with Asyut)

That proether

Yuna felt that, even if she still existed when the golden season for torch bugs was reached, she shouldn’t stand beside Asyut Because the pro fro a friendly chat or sitting beside him at ceremonies

(That’s why I absolutely don’t want to him to lose his sister)

If, instead of her who couldn’t be by his side, he had even just one more important person beside him Yuna wish for Asyut was only that He had already walked a cruel life up to this point And there would surely be various difficulties that waited him in the future, so it would be best that he had even just one more person to support him

Asyut had lost his sister once

That’s why she didn’t want hiain

Bracing herself and running through the corridors, by the time she noticed, Yuna had come near Linus’ office

She had crossed paths with many servants up to this point, but there was no one to question Yuna for acting alone They were probably ill at ease to call out directly to the saint Instead, thereto Asyut or Aeneas around this time

Before she was brought back, she had to do what she wanted to do Although her oas s It ith these thoughts that Yuna focused her ain and knocked on the door to Linus’ room –However

The tall and sturdy door did notYuna She knocked several times in succession but there was no response from inside Was Linus absent? Yuna bit her lip and then someone called out to her from behind

“Um, Lady Celiastina, do you have business with Lord Linus?”

It appeared to be a soldier as assigned to the security around this area Perhaps he was unable to just watch Yuna’s actions, and so he approached while looking slightly scared

“You appear to be alone though”

“Hey, do you knohere Linus is? I have soent with him”

Yuna asked the other person, interrupting theht back, she consciously imbued her voice with pressure

“H-He has gone to a ”

“Where is it?”

“I, uh”

“Did he leave the rooo?”

“Not very…… not o”

As he answered, the ends of the soldier’s eyebrows steadily went doards Seeing his faint appearance, she felt apologetic for scaring hiave up and started to back out when, this time, another person broke in

“What seems to be the matter”

He had an unfah position in the royal palace The soldier, who had drawn closer to Yuna, took a step back with a look of relief when he saw the official It was also convenient for Yuna He eable about the affairs of the royal palace, since he purposefully called out to the saint on his way through

“I heard that Linus went to aroom”

“Lord Linus, you say”

The civil official showed a hesitant expression for a moment –He knew

“Please tell me I want to see him immediately”

“I apologize, but that’s…”

“You know, right? Please tell me”

“Unfortunately, the king is also present at thecannot be interrupted…… How about waiting for Lord Linus to return?”

The king, Ron, was also attending

Was this aout as desired? Yuna felt more and more roused

“Please tell ht now”

“Lady Celiastina, please accept ies……”

“I won’t ask you to guide me And I’ll take full responsibility”

Yuna declared this clearly, her back having been pushed by an unknown force How long had it been since she spoke in a voice steeled from the bottom of her chest like this? Perhaps he was overwhelmed by Yuna’s force, but the other person was silent for a brief tination

“…… They are in the Great Scholar room, close to here”

“Thank you!”

Yuna gave her thanks in a hurry and ran away immediately

Yuna knew fro rooms close to Linus’ office

However, even though she knew about therooms, she didn’t know the names of each room Yuna had attended sothes

But Yuna didn’t get lost If the king was participating as well, she just needed to go to the door of theroom With that anticipation, she headed to the place she was told Sure enough, there was no need to carefully look at the door’s quality; on both sides of the door to one roouards who stood at attention with spears in their hands

Maybe they were there to clear people away because, when Yuna approached, she was sent a strikingly harsh look fronized her as the saint, they becauards looked at each other’s face at the arrival of an unexpected person

“Good afternoon”

When Yuna walked up to thehtly without saying anything

“Ainside too?”

There was no answer to that question Unable to measure Yuna’s intention, they must not be able to answer But Yuna immediately knew that their silence itself meant an affirmation

“Then I’ll wait here until the ”

This tiuards clearly revealed their dismay She supposed that would be the case, since the saint was standing next to the to end They couldn’t keep silent and watch the course of this event

“Lady Celiastina, what matter do you have?”

One of theer

“Just a little so”

“If you inform me of the matter, I may inquire on your behalf”

Is what the other said

“That’s okay, I’ll wait here until it ends If it’s certain that the king is here, then I don’t need to hurry”