Chapter 3 - Prelude (3)

Chapter 3 – Prelude (3)

That’s ridiculous. As Hilaryon aged, he had become quite a big man. But the thin girl before his eyes lifted him too indifferently. No matter how hard a person trains their Aura, it was an impossible feat.

The girl had a sweet smile suiting her beauty.

“It’s been a long time, Hilaryon. You don’t recognise who I am yet, do you? Is it too much for your rotting head?”

Hilaryon spat a cough with difficulty. He was so dizzy that he couldn’t process the girl’s words correctly.

The girl’s white arms glowed blue, wrapped by aura. And his breathing became more laboured; it was as if this girl held a grudge for him.

“I see you’ve filled your belly, paying the emperor with human trafficking. There are many grounds for disqualification for dirt like you, but you’ve been such a little follower since long ago, haven’t you?”

It was a kind of speech done out of apparent acquaintanceship. Only then did Hilaryon come to his senses and look down at the girl again.

No, he was clueless of her identity. He wouldn’t have forgotten such a beautiful woman.

But…there was someone who he could reminisce.

Hilaryon has seen this strength with his eyes before.

“Ye, Yes, don’t tell me, Ch-charlo…tte?”

The girl burst into a bright smile at the sound of her stuttered name.

“You only recognised me after showing you this much?”

“Ooh, don’t be preposterous! You’re Charlotte?! She’s a villain who had died long ago!”

Hilaryon was struck with frenzy and swung his legs.

“It’s five years since she was locked in prison! If she ever lived, she would have been twenty-seven! What’s your relationship…!”

“What if she was reborn from hell to stop you!”

The girl, who claimed to be Charlotte, swung her arm and threw Hilaryon down the stage like hay. He felt a sharp pain as his body made contact with the table and chairs. As he laid down groaning in pain, the heels of the girl’s shoes pressed down on his chin and neck.

The girl smiled sword at hand.

“This is your chance for confession. Tell me clearly what you did to Charlotte.”

A cold sweat broke out from Hilaryon’s strained back.

The former Hilaryon was a mercenary, having contributed to the rise of the current emperor by destroying numerous competitors.

In front of him was an overwhelming sensation he, fortunately, could not feel at the time.

He felt death closing in on his respiratory system, and his voice trembled as he spoke.

“It, it was about the Empress, and how she has given me instructions to attack the Empress…”

“You gave false testimony. What else?”

“What else?! I watched them crush her knees…Ahhh!”

Hilaryon could feel the immense pain of his throat trampled on. He no longer cared about whoever the girl is in front of him. He gathered both hands and pleaded.

“I’m, I’m sorry! I was wrong! I was just pissed that bitch ignored my heart! She was asking for a hard time. Else, how could that happen, aaaaah!”

Hilaryon asked for forgiveness solely on his survival instinct.

“Stop, stop, Charlotte. For old loyalty, please…”

His vision has already dimmed. But the roar of laughter from beyond the darkness was audible.

“Where is justice for the villainess?”

That was the last thing Hilaryon heard in this world.

The girl looked down at her former subordinate, who had now become a dead body.

Soon, she heard the sound of applause from somewhere. It was the nobleman, who had been sitting and watching, slowly standing up.

The mask finally came off the man’s face. The ever hidden scarlet eyes shone beautifully like enamel.

“How do you feel after your first revenge? Juju.”

A blonde girl named Juju threw the sword down the floor.

“I don’t feel anything against this little prick. You can’t call it revenge until I’ve hurt the people who truly betrayed me.”

Then she said to the man.

“I’m tired after moving this body. Ruslan, pick me up and carry me.”

“How ridiculous. Do you treat Count Kaitel like a servant?”

“Oh my? Who was it that said he was in charge of the after treatment? Which count was it that said he’d do the right thing and pretend to be a fiancé, even if it was only a contractual relationship?”

Ruslan smiled helplessly and held the girl in his arms. Only then did the girl, Charlotte, or Juju, finally felt relieved.

Her body was still hot from the fight; the memories of the time of betrayal burned the girl’s heart like a silver flame.

A body for today, in memory of Charlotte.

Charlotte was certainly not the most commendable girl in the world. Formerly, she assassinated, raided, and killed several royal family members.

But it was only to make Albert, the person she loved, as the emperor.

The same man, now emperor, who dropped her name into the public as the traitor, the wicked woman–villainess. And together with the former colleagues whom she trusted, they abandoned her first.

‘I’m shaking with regret.’

But there’s no use begging with grief.

‘I’ll make everyone pay me back.’