Chapter 93

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Kwanach gently bit his lip and took my hand in his. His large hand completely covered mine.

“Diaquit is in an insane state. He may say crazy things.”

Suddenly, Kwanach clenched his teeth. He had made a conscious effort to use polite language in my presence, but now his voice was rough and raspy.

“Even at the border gate, didn’t that dog talk cheekily to you? I almost ran and killed him. I barely held back because I knew that if I did, the situation would get out of hand.”

Kwanach’s brow narrowed considerably, as if the mere thought of the past was enough to make him angry. His broad rib cage shook as he whispered.

“Kwanach.”

I squeezed Kwanach’s hand and spoke in a low voice. Then his body, which had swelled up large in anger, gradually regained its stability.

A corner of my chest tickled as he meekly calmed my touch at once.

“I’m fine.”

I wasn’t trying to reassure Kwanach; I meant it.

“No matter how Diaquit talks, he won’t be able to hurt me. Diaquit cannot disperse me.”

In my previous life, I hid behind my brother’s words in unquestioning obedience. But now it was different.

Now I knew Diaquit’s true face. I was confident that I would not be swayed by the words of such an ugly and poor person. No matter how much evil Diaquit had committed, he would not be able to mess with my mind.

Kwanach stared at me in silence and immediately embraced me tenderly. I naturally buried myself in his arms.

Kwanach kissed the top of my head and said.

“Yes, you are a strong person.”

His voice, with its low resonance, infused me with confidence. I leaned my cheek against Kwanach’s chest as I habitually plunged into his arms.

* * *

Diaquit was confined to a cell in a separate palace. He was completely immobile, so I obtained Kwanach’s permission to interview him alone.

I wanted to have our last dialogue alone with him. We were discussing how to deal with Diaquit, and I was not going to see him again, no matter what the conclusion was.

Before entering Diaquit’s cell, I heard from the doctor who had seen him.

He said that his arms and shoulders would be fine for daily living if treated, but his legs were untreatable. He may have to live sitting up for the rest of his life.

He was hit by the plants and rose high and fell to the ground, and his left leg seemed to be completely crushed. Even the pelvis connected to the leg was broken.

With the help of a high level priest, he could have been treated, but now Diaquit was in no position to receive such assistance.

‘Tremendously tragic.’

The brother I hated had crashed completely, but rather than being happy about that fact, I was bitter. Facing the bottom of a person was no fun at all.

I walked into the room where Diaquit was trapped. I saw Diaquit lying with his limbs tied to the bed posts. There were braces attached to various parts of his body.

He had to lie there unwashed for a long time, and there was a foul smell coming from him. His lips were chapped and dark circles under his eyes.

“Diaquit.”

Diaquit, who had closed his eyes as if dead, finally turned his face and looked at me at my call.

“You, this perish…!”

But he coughed, unable to finish his words. He shook and frowned as if he was suffering from a great deal of pain even after coughing a couple of times.

I slowly approached Diaquit. I stood upright beside the bunk and looked down at him.

Diaquit looked at me with bloodshot eyes and said

“You made like this ……. Look at me, Usphere. Do you feel a little better now? Betraying your country …… Do you feel better after turning your brother into a cripple?”

“You seem to be mistaken, I did not make you this way, you brought it upon yourself.”

‘”You traitor! Father, if father knew, he wouldn’t sit still…”

“He knows. And we are discussing how to handle you quickly. Along with the empire.”

“What?”

“I’ll start with the confirmed matters first. Still, it would be better if I, as your flesh and blood, tell you directly.”

A glimpse of fear flashed in Diaquit’s eyes. He was pretending to be high-spirited, but he must have guessed inwardly. He knew he was done. He was being more arrogant to hide the anxiety.

“Diaquit. You have been named as a war criminal and will be punished accordingly.”

Under Kwanach’s leadership, negotiations between the Northern Alliance and the Empire proceeded rapidly.

Mine and Jenner’s testimony. And the evidence we have collected so far. We shared all of it with the North.

One by one, the dirty things that Diaquit had done with the Gullier, in addition to falsely inciting the Northern monarchs and unilaterally trying to break the marriage alliance, were revealed.

Since the regent had done this, the circumstances of the Achaia kingdom had to be baffling. A nation that lost its honor in the North was bound to be isolated.

“You will be stripped of your regency of Achaia and the title of the Crown Prince. Within a few days. Jenner will succeed you.”

Achaia chose honor. They also decided to abandon Diaquit in order to survive.

“And what in the world are you talking about…. ugh!”

Diaquit was soaked in shock and anger and grunted, twisting his broken bones. His expression was one of incredulity.

It was no wonder. For Diaquit was born rich and has lived a life of enjoying everything up to now. Early in his regency, he was an absolute ruler only in a small country called Achaia.

The feeling of power that he had lived with in his hands all his life crumbling in an instant must be very frightening. Diaquit was frowning all over his face, as if he were about to sob.

I continued my words indifferently.

“If the motherland makes a pledge that Diaquit Catatel cannot intervene in politics for the rest of his life and cannot have any public power…. …. You will live and return to your homeland. This is a matter still under discussion.”

“A wicked woman.”

“I’m wicked? Why?”

“How can you put your brother in a situation where he can’t even die, and yet you don’t seem guilty or sad…!”

I was not sad.

It wasn’t pleasant, but it was far from a sad emotion. It was close to disappointment and unpleasant. It was frustrating to have been so terribly entangled with such a man for one reason only: flesh and blood.

“Why should I be sad? Everything is finally turning out right. I will not let a man as evil and toxic as you rule Achaia.”

“I only imagined a greater homeland.”

“So you didn’t understand the subject.”

“Yes, what do you know? What does a woman like you know? You’re totally addicted to your slave ……..”

“If you insult my husband one more time, I won’t stand still.”

“Ha. ……”

Diaquit laughed in disgust, but I didn’t let it slip any further. I raised my hand as if to do magic. There was nothing in my palm, but I acted as if I was holding a seed.

Diaquit’s eyes twitching, who had already experienced my magic. He spoke a moment later in a damp, subdued voice.

“Rather, kill me.”

“Yes, I would like that. My husband would like the same. But father won’t be able to handle it. He cares a lot about you.”

My father was in a delicate state. He had been sick by sending his wife away early, and if even his trusted eldest son dies, his condition will worsen.

There was no greater shame in the homeland than when a former crown prince was executed in another country. 

Therefore, the discussion was in the direction of not killing Diaquit. It was not out of consideration for Diaquit.

“It’s better to stay alive even if it’s a poor life. Don’t you think so?”

My voice turned sarcastic without realizing it. I had never seen such a sharp attitude toward another person before. I was irritated by a figure who didn’t yet know was remorseful.

My disgust grew even greater when the image of Diaquit pretended to be extremely concerned about my safety and threatening to harm many people, even Jenner, came to the surface.

I guess he read my face, because Diaquit stared at me and asked.

“You hate me so much?’

“I wanted to ask you the same. Do you hate me that much?”

“I thought you were a fool. Ungrateful, you don’t even know how much I took care of you…….”

“You tried to kill me because you thought it was a shame. It’s a very unique way of loving.”

“If you did not betray me, I would not have harmed you.”

It was my fault to the end. The man never learned.

“No. It’s my wedding day. You were going to kill me if push came to shove.”

Diaquit kept his mouth shut for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing. A puzzled look passed over his face.

“Did you think I didn’t know?”

“Did Roman blow it?”

It seemed that he and Roman had discussed various plans beforehand. Diaquit looked troubled, but did not say sorry.

Yes, he would not have even felt sorry in the first place. From his far-reaching plans, I would have been just a discarded card, used from time to time.

“Does it matter how I knew? You think I didn’t know what you were thinking?”

The afterimage of the death that had actually been met by him assaulted my mind.

I closed my eyes and awoke. At best, I did not want to be emotionally upset because of Diaquit. That human could no longer sway me. And I doubt he ever will.

“So what… Do you want me to apologize?”

Diaquit’s hesitant opening of his mouth was shabby. I answered nonchalantly.

“It’s okay. What is the point of apologizing to someone who will never see again? Just live your life to make amends to everyone.”

“…….”

“Oh, and you probably won’t be able to use your legs forever.”

“…… what?”