Chapter 299 – Lucia Urella (2)
Eugene Calliope is dead.
The cause of death is the rebellion of the princess.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t prepared.
It’s because I’ve placed an excessive amount of bodyguards in preparation for an accident.
However, one thing I didn’t know was…
On the way Eugene ran away, there was a child who could not be evacuated.
As it was taken for granted, Eugene sacrificed herself to save her child.
It was such a down-to-earth death…
“…”
In a world without him, what on earth am I supposed to fight for?
Chaor suppressed her sense of futility and spoke once more to the woman in front of her.
“Miss Vivian. I need your strength. …Wouldn’t you like to get revenge?”
“…”
“…I can’t sit around like that forever.”
Bang!
At that moment, Vivian stood up and shouted.
“Since you have nothing to do with Eugene-nim, it can be said so easily!! Eugene was my everything!!! He was more precious than my life!!!”
My nails dug between my fists at the sight of Vivian screaming with empty eyes.
I wanted to tell her.
That I’ve been watching him longer than you.
That I sacrificed more for him than for you.
But you, not knowing anything, just comfortably beside him inside his fence…
More than anything, you who couldn’t protect him even though you were by his side…
How the hell do you have the right to say something like that to me?
I wanted to shout like that.
But…
“…Okay. Sorry. I was short-tempered.”
I bowed my head to Vivian without saying anything.
As Vivian said, I had no relationship with Eugene.
“…I hope you will reconsider my proposal at any time, even later, when you calm down.”
Finally, I left the room as if running away.
****
Clink!
Objects on the desk are thrown to the floor.
“…Uuuuu!!!”
No matter how much I scream and smash things, my anger and self-loathing do not subside.
If I… Had I been there, Eugene would not have died.
The day Eugene died.
I joined forces with the princess’ Erden to defeat Reika and Garcia and take back the Calliope family.
That would definitely have been the right choice.
Having the Calliope family as an ally would be of great help in the future disaster, and if it weren’t for me, the Calliope family wouldn’t have been able to get it back.
However…
Even if this world has a happy ending, what on earth does it mean if there is no Eugene!
Pug-
The fist that hit the wall broke and blood flowed.
It was funny.
It was a funny clown thing to realize that after losing Eugene, all my life’s goals existed for him.
“.. Haha…”
And what’s even funnier is…
It was a fact that even after realizing that fact, he couldn’t even express his sorrow over losing Eugene.
I wondered if anyone could hear it outside, because I was able to scream only after using the soundproofing magic several times.
“…Eugene… Eugene…”
Having vomited everything out, I crouched down on the messy floor and sobbed.
***
When did you fall asleep
─Smart
I was awakened by a knock on the door.
“…Listen…”
I got up from the floor and reflexively tried to tell him to come in, but when I saw the situation in the room, I swallowed my words.
The state of the room where no one could see and couldn’t control their emotions.
As a commander, I couldn’t show this scene.
I felt quite disgusted with myself for coldly analyzing the situation even after losing a loved one through my own choice.
Kiik-
Even so, I stood there as if covering the room and opened the door.
“…Miss Vivian?”
It was Vivian standing at the door.
When we met again, Vivian’s eyes were no longer empty.
“…I…I’m sorry…Lu…Lucia-sama wasn’t at fault…I…I took my anger out.”
“…It’s okay. As Vivian said, she lost a loved one… I understand.”
“…Ah…No…Sorry…Sorry…Ha…But…Lusia-sama is right…”
Instead, there was madness.
“I… I… I can’t.. If I… Sit like this…!!. Yu… Yujin-nim!!. ..For those..People…! I have to…Reward…Revenge…Revenge…Revenge…Revenge…!!”
“…”
It was very clear that if Vivian was not stopped now, he would soon be ruined.
But…
I couldn’t give up on Vivian.
“…Thank you. It will help a lot.”
***
“Ju…Ju.. Die!!.. Die die die..!!”
Vivian poured her magic like mad, based on her immense magical power.
“I…I…I…Everyone…Lord…Die!!”
Arrows and magic flew from the rebels, aiming for Vivian, but Vivian didn’t even think about avoiding it and just continued to fire bombs.
“Lucia-sama…”
“What happened?”
“Since Vivian-sama was deployed, casualties on both our and enemy sides have increased excessively… And Miss Vivian’s injuries aren’t life-threatening right now, but if left alone, it’ll be a big deal. We must withdraw from the battlefield even now…”
“Then can you replace Vivian?”
I asked, interrupting the adjutant.
“…That…”
“Currently, both sides have increased casualties, but without Vivian, casualties will only increase on our side. If you still want to get rid of Vivian, the adjutant will find a way or shut up and go back to your seat.”
“…All right.”
I know.
That I was wrong
The blood that didn’t have to be spilled flowed to form a sea.
Eugene would never make a choice like this.
‘…But.’
Eugene is no more.
Even if I died and was cursed by him, I couldn’t let his death be in vain.
Because that was the only reason I was alive.
***
‘…I thought you would show me a better ending.’
For some reason, the princess’s will passed through her head.
I subdued the princess with a large-scale operation that literally changed her troops.
I knew I didn’t have to do this with my cool judgement.
After a little more time, the princess would face her death anyway.
However, the moment he saw the princess, he couldn’t stand it.
He couldn’t forgive the fact that the princess who had pushed Eugene to death was now alive and breathing right in front of her.
At the cost of revenge, I lost the people who would prevent the catastrophe that would follow.
The result is this.
“Ha…”
Sticky blood oozes from a hole in his chest.
Where did I go wrong?
I had a lot of information, power, and force.
However, in the end, I couldn’t even get close to the first playthrough.
I was the one who couldn’t protect the person I loved or the future he wanted to protect.
Foolish, foolish, foolish.
That was Lucia Urella.
“…Sorry…Sorry…”
I closed my eyes while apologizing to whom I did not know.
**
3rd round, 1 year before the entrance ceremony.
“…!!…Haha..!!”
Shortness of breath and dizziness in the head.
“Are you okay?”
After exhaling for a long time, I saw the familiar scenery and the face of my deceased father.
“Father…?”
Upon hearing this, the father made a sad expression.
“…Lucia. Didn’t you say you’d call me dad outside of official events…”
Fantasy? Or is it a dream?
Anyway, I ran to my father and hugged him.
Even if it was a mirage that would dissipate if touched, I wanted to feel the warmth even for a moment.
“Father!”
“Ha?… Haha! Okay! Lucia! It’s Dad!”
A thought flashed through my head at the realistic feel of my father hugging me tightly.
‘…Return!’
It’s something you’ve already experienced.
There was no way it could be done twice.
I fell to my father and asked.
“Father, what year, month, and day is it today?”
“…Suddenly out of the blue… So…”
The date that came out of my father’s mouth was exactly one year before the entrance ceremony.
I got up and said.
“Father. Please lend me a carriage. I have somewhere to go in a hurry.”
“That’s it, I can borrow it as much as I want… But where are you going?”
At my father’s question, I took a deep breath and said,
“…The Calliope family.”
***
He changed his horse and ran without resting for a day until he arrived at the Calliope family.
“…Welcome.”
In the meantime, someone was there to meet me, as if my father had sent a telegram.
“This is how Urella’s successor is coming. It is an honour.”
It was Reika Calliope.
The moment she sees her, her murderous intent soars.
If Reika and Garcia hadn’t rebelled in Calliope…
I wouldn’t have left Eugene’s side, and if she did, Eugene wouldn’t have died.
With that in mind, I wanted to kill Reika right away, but…
It’s something that hasn’t happened yet.
I said, trying to suppress my murderous intent.
“Eugene Calliope… No, where are the three princes?”
“Eugene…? Why all of a sudden…”
“Tell me.”
Living life came out without my knowledge at the delayed answer.
Sensing that, Reika stepped back from her.
“..That… Guide the young lady over there to Eugene’s room.”
“…Yes. This way.”
Jerk-jerk-
The slow pace of the maid is so frustrating.
Eventually, I couldn’t stand it and asked her out.
“Where is the Three Gongja’s room?”
“Now go up the stairs at the end of that hallway and you will arrive. Just a little… Oh..!”
Tatatat-!
Without caring about face, I ran down the hallway and ran up the stairs a few times.
Then the door finally appeared.
Jump!
I forgot to even knock and opened the door to see the face I missed so much.
“Eugene…!!”
She runs up to him in one step and hugs him.
‘He’s alive… Eugene… Is alive…’
Eugene’s body temperature, touch, scent… I was grateful for everything I felt.
Then Eugene pushed me away and said.
“…Why…Why are you doing this?”
“Ah…”
I understand.
He won’t remember me.
No, even if he had memories, it would have been awkward since he and I didn’t have a relationship like this in the previous life.
I lowered my head and looked into his eyes with a shy smile.
“…Sorry. Eugene. I made a little mistake…”
Then my heart stopped and I felt my blood run cold.
“…Why…?”
As I was trembling with unbearable fear, Erden came belatedly.
“…Ha, princess. Long time no see.”
I heard the voice of Erden, the only person I could trust in this family other than Eugene, so I ran to him and said.
“…Erden-sama…Yu…Yujin-sama is strange.”
Then Erden looked at Eugene’s face and said while tilting her head.
“What do you mean? By any chance, did Yujin do anything wrong to the princess?”
“Don’t you feel anything when you see that!! That…That’s…!”
“…A princess?”
It’s not just Erden.
Everywhere I look, everyone is looking at me strangely.
‘…Why?’
Why is no one noticing?
Why doesn’t anyone think it’s weird?
The moment I looked into Eugene’s eyes, I knew right away.
It just responds to the given situation like a well-made doll.
That the current ‘Eugene Calliope’ has no soul.
“…Ah.”
In a twisted world.
A deep sense of hopelessness overcame me.
