Chapter 112

Johann spoke while stroking his lips as if it was unfamiliar.

“It seems that my innocent lips have just been tainted, Your Highness.”

“….…”

Rixus silently pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the back of his hand. With a very annoyed expression on his face.

‘They both hate it very much.’

I struggled to hold back the laughter that seemed to leak out.

It seemed that it was the same for my maids, so I evacuated them from the upcoming war.

“You guys can leave.”

The maids greeted politely and left.

“My wife has not yet recovered and her immunity is weak. So she should avoid unnecessary contact.”

“…Hmm, ‘useless’ contact.”

Johann made a strange expression for a moment, but quickly, his usual pleasant eyes returned.

“I just wanted to be polite. But I understand. You must have been very surprised, weren’t you?”

“….…”

“It was a very painful time for me too…”

Johann placed his hand on his chest and gazed at me.

As if he was worried, his eyes were tender.

‘No, whoever sees it will misunderstand. That Johann is my lover.’

Unsurprisingly, Rixus looked at Johann and swore with his eyes.

‘Huh.’

I was startled and so I asked quickly.

“Archduke Marquis, what are you here for?”

“I wanted to say hello and chat with you for a while.”

“Didn’t I say that my wife has not yet recovered, Archduke Marquis.”

Surprisingly, Johann answered right away.

“Are you sure?”

Black eyes and blue-purple eyes collided sharply. It was like there was a fire going on. Somehow, I felt a sense of tension.

“Your Majesty, please answer me.”

‘……You want me to answer?!’

I felt like a dog owner with two large dogs in front of me, contemplating who to give a snack to.

Usually, I would give both of them snacks, but this time I couldn’t.

I immediately brought my hand to my lips and said.

“…Actually, it’s true. I haven’t recovered yet. Keuk, keuk.”

Definitely, I must take care of my own dog first!

Besides, my dog was extremely jealous.

“……”

Rixus directed an openly proud expression at Johann.

When Rixus was looking at Johann, I secretly glanced at the latter too.

I meant for him to not complicate the situation and go away.

Anyway, it was also a signal to leave only for today.

As if he understood my signal, Johann immediately said, “Ah…” He smiled, curving his eyes, and parted his lips.

Then he took a small box and put it down.

“Let me tell you just this.”

“What is this?”

“I think you’re having a difficult time, so I’ve prepared a small present.”

Inside the small box was a women’s brooch. It was very beautiful.

And it looked very expensive.

“Ah, that’s really pretty. Thanks…”

Right then, Rixus, who was staring at the gift, grabbed the brooch and attached it to his outfit.

Rixus stood with a brazen face, wearing the sparkly brooch full of flowers.

It didn’t suit him at all, like a wild beast wearing a ribbon.

“Thank you.”

“!”

“I really like your gift.”

“Keuk-ahem.”

I was so embarrassed, but at the same time, I thought I was going to burst out laughing, so I pretended to cough quickly.

Yes, first of all, did Johann say something like ‘it was a gift for the two of you’?

“…….”

This time, Johann was the one who swore with his eyes.

‘What’s with this crazy guy?’ was what he expressed.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Soon, Johann replied with a little discomfort.

Then, he gently tilted his chin, stroking his throat, muttering to himself.

“Oh, how childish…”

His eyes looked colder than usual, so I was a little surprised inwardly.

It stayed that way for a while too.

“I’ll be on my way for today.”

To Johann, who suddenly became kind and courteous again, I swiftly answered.

“Thank you for the gift, Archduke.”

‘Next time, in order not to be kicked out like an uninvited guest, be sure to contact us in advance.’

I swallowed my heart and looked up at him with a smile.

Johann still bowed his good eyes and greeted with a smile.

“We’ll talk later.”

Then he disappeared from this place like the wind, just as how he appeared.

At that time, I looked at Rixus and commented.

“You were too rude.”

“You don’t have a pretty wife, so you don’t know how I feel, Candy.”

“….…”

For some reason, my chest tickled. What else could he say so beautifully?

Still, it was a bit overkill.

“What reason do you have to be jealous of your uncle? He’s just here to talk.”

“Strangely…….”

Rixus mumbled as if self-talking.

“…I keep getting the feeling that he’s faking it.”

“What?”

I didn’t understand well, so I asked. He replied, shaking his head.

“No. How about some more rest?”

“……Okay.”

He gently tucked my hair back behind my ears and looked at my face.

I grumbled that he was overprotective, but I didn’t feel bad about being cared for like this.

It was unfamiliar but warm. That care, concern, and love.

“Tomorrow is Lady Mavis’ trial. I can’t delay it any longer.”

“…And I have to participate.”

I wondered what would happen.

‘Is she getting the death penalty as expected?’

When I thought about it that way, I felt very complicated.

When Rixus, who was fussing over me, left the room, I pulled out a notebook from under the bed drawer.

Then I found the hidden key and opened the notebook.

‘Finally, I’m opening this up.’

Actually, I wanted to organize it as soon as I woke up, but during that time, I didn’t have any time alone.

Last time, I wrote down what was going to happen in the future here.

1. Fireworks Festival

2. Spinel ‘Melphius’ Invasion Incident

3. TBD (to be decided later)

4. Lunar Eclipse of the Red Moon (Blue Rose)

I looked at the sentences intently and pondered…

I wrote down the results I had been thinking about the whole time.

Relocation of events, and new events.

1. Fireworks Festival

2. Birth of Morpheus

3. Spinel ‘Melphius’ Invasion Incident

4. Lunar Eclipse of the Red Moon (Blue Rose)

Then, I removed events 1 and 2 by crossing them out with a pen.

Both incidents had already occurred.

I was told that the ‘Saint’ Morpheus was born while I was unconscious.

This also happened on the same day and at the same time in my life every time.

Two incidents had already occurred on the same day without a single difference.

To begin with, this list was to confirm event number 4, so there was only one left.

The third event, the ‘Melphius’ invasion incident.

The invasion of the beach north of Spinel by the monster pirates.

‘There’s exactly 15 days left.’

Still, I would be able to move ahead a few days from my previous lives.

‘Because I have Lucia in this life.’

I heard that she was currently out on the battlefield for the subjugation ordered by Valderi. There, in principle, no news could be received.

She wouldn’t have even heard that I fell.

I didn’t let her know these news even after I came to my senses. It was because I was afraid that she might get hurt if her attention waned while on the battlefield.

‘Would it be unreasonable to ask her to help me immediately after she returned from the battlefield?’

I heard that the subjugation would end in the next two or three days, but I was worried about her physical strength.

But I had to ask for this.

As many people’s lives are at stake.

Tuk tuk. I bit my lip as I was typing a note with a pen.

‘It would be nice if there was a way to bring in the Ghost Army of the Margrave……’

How many lives could be saved?

“Please let there be less hurting in this lifetime. My Spinel, and me too.”

It was a wish so earnest that my bones and heart could have  melted.

I slowly swept through my notes.

……What if the invasion of ‘Melphius’ happened exactly as expected in just a fortnight?

Then there was some credibility to my hypothesis.

‘If the blue roses don’t bloom on the due date… It will never bloom in the future.’

Everything was happening at the same time and on time.

Although not written on this list, there had been some cases in the past that didn’t occur at all after its slated day had passed.

Therefore, it would not happen later due to the delay of time, and it would definitely be settled on that day.

As I guessed last time—

The exception was ‘when a major person newly intervened and had an influence on the event’, but…

A supernatural phenomenon like the blue rose wouldn’t be like that.

“The fateful day is near.”

I reaffirmed my will to live by reading the notes. I have suffered many deaths, but I have never wanted to live as much as this time.

My desperation. This lifetime.

I was not fighting alone this time… Would it be different?

‘I can make it.’ I was still anxious, but somehow felt positive.

Even at the fireworks festival, we found each other.

‘The blue roses will never bloom.’

* * *

The next day.

The nobles attended the trial of Yuria Mavis, who was charged with the crime of attempting to murder the queen.

The atmosphere was very quiet and dark.

Yuria stood in the middle of the court with her hands tied.

Her slender wrists tied with ropes quivered.

Her disorganized silver hair and light blue eyes swayed aimlessly.

She was already weeping.

The margrave, who came to see the last of his niece he loved from afar, was swallowed in silence throughout.

He was the only member of the family attending the trial now, as everyone in the Mavis family was on house arrest.

From the nobility seats, insults such as “Shameless bitch!”, “Kill her now!” and “The monster that tried to kill the Queen!” came pouring out, slashing Yuria’s tiny body like a whip.

“…….”

It would have been the first time in her life that she had experienced something like this.

However, despite her trembling body, Yuria did not collapse, and tried to answer in a resolute way.

She graciously admitted that she was trying to kill me.

I brought countermeasures to how I would respond if she revealed that she was only trying to do a self-play, but I didn’t even have to use it.

Yuria did not even make any attempt to lessen her own guilt.

Soon after, the judge spoke,

“The sinner should speak her last words.”

As long as there was a sinner, a powerful light would be shone down in the middle of the court, so it would be difficult for her to see me.

She looked at me earnestly, with her pale blue eyes glazed, like a human trying to look into the sun.

“I misunderstood Your Majesty, and I alone dared to hate you.” 

“…….”

“Now I know. What a foolish thought. For a moment, desire blinded me and turned me into a monster.”

“….…”

“I’m really sorry! No words can condemn this crime… but I, foolish and wicked, wish the Queen’s peace and happiness even after I die.”

“….…”

I could feel the desperate sincerity in those tears of atonement.

After which, the nobility also became quiet.

The judge finally made a final decision.

“I sentence Yuria Mavis to death.”

No change occurred.

The face of the margrave, who had been hiding his emotions, was terribly distorted.

As he left the courtroom, his expression somehow caught my eye.

I thought deeply for a very long time.

And then that evening.

I went to find Yuria, who was sent to a dungeon where criminals were kept.

“!”

As soon as Yuria saw me, she was so shocked that it was as if she had seen a ghost.

She had eyes full of fear. Really, this was why it was impossible for a person to live by sinning.

“Y-Y-Your Majesty…”

She cried so much that her voice was hoarse; and I noticed that during this time, her body had shriveled up, now her forearms were the size of my wrists.

“Yuria Mavis.”

I said, looking down at her.

“I’m here today to give you something.”

I took out a white envelope and held it towards her.

Credits goes to Kushi for providing the raws, Samsaav for raw typing, Ame for translating, and Dea for proofreading.