Side Story 5: Judgment Day (V)
Rabienne pretended to bite her tongue.
‘No way, he will stop me.’
No matter how distant they were now, she didn’t think that he would let a person he had known for so long die.
But no matter how long she waited, Noah didn’t budge.
Eventually, unable to stand it any longer, Rabienne opened eyes and glared at him.
“Do you really have to go this far? We were once betrothed.”
“It’s only an engagement in name. Why? You can’t really do it, right? You’re scared, aren’t you?”
Oddly enough, Noah’s expression turned sad as if he was about to cry.
‘Esther had to repeat that pain several times because of you.’
‘Enduring such pain alone.’
Rabienne didn’t truly understand why Noah appeared like that, so her lips twitched in mistaken delight.
“Who, who says I can’t?”
“Try it, then.”
With Noah’s instigation, Rabienne was filled with anger and hastily bit her tongue.
“Ugh.”
Rabienne’s face contorted greatly, and a small trickle of blood escaped from between her tightly pursed lips.
But it was very little.
There was a small cut on her tongue, but that was all.
She didn’t have the courage to bite hard enough to hurt herself.
“Ugh.”
Her tongue was throbbing and she was about to lose her mind. Tears and snot dripped at the pain she felt for the first time in her life.
Unable to bear it any longer, she quickly used her divine powers to heal the wound on her tongue.
“Hah. You didn’t even have the courage to die.”
“I-I was really about to die. How… how can you say that…”
The wound had healed, and Rabienne glared viciously at Noah, biting her bloody lips.
“Back then, I should have somehow poisoned and killed you.”
Disappointed with Noah, Rabienne now poured out words laced with malice.
“I knew it already, but you are really hopeless. Do you have any intention of reflecting?”
“What did I do that’s so wrong? Esther took away everything I thought was mine all my life, so why am I the only one who needs to be punished and reflect!”
“The person who brought it on was you, not anyone else.”
Noah stared at Rabienne, who had been ruined beyond recognition.
Like Rabienne said, she did suffer, but it was only in this life.
How could there be sympathy?
“Until you die, you will live with regret and guilt. Were you happy at least once in all those lives?”
The 14 terrible lives Esther had to go through.
It was not hard to imagine what had happened to Rabienne in the world after Esther disappeared.
Since Esther, who had helped her pretend to be a saint, was gone, Rabienne couldn’t have been happy.
Her end then must have been as miserable as now.
“Don’t forget what I said.”
“Now… wait! Wait a minute!”
Having finished what he had to say, Noah turned around and left the carriage.
“Stop there! Don’t go!!”
Rabienne shouted with all her strength, hoping Noah would stop, but he had already left the carriage.
“Please take me… please.”
Rabienne’s last request was not even heard by Noah, and almost immediately, another man came right in and put a cloth over her head.
“What do I do now?”
Alone again, Rabienne realized there was no hope, and she wept incessantly.
Now, whether it be Esther or Noah, the gap between them and a slave was as great as heaven and earth, no… more.
In the future, for the rest of her life, Rabienne might never set foot in the same space as them.
“Ahhhhh!!”
Screams were constantly leaking out of the carriage Rabienne was riding in, but the carriage did not stop.
★★★
After public trial…
Hudson was sent to a territory near the border, taking only his wife and son.
Nothing else from the dukedom was allowed.
They were indeed sent bare, because Deheen and the emperor had discussed and intervened in advance.
The territory near the borders they were sent to was known to be one of the most dangerous and barren in the empire.
There was a large gold mine, which was where prisoners were sent to work, but few returned alive.
“Your Majesty, it’s too much. No matter what, to send me to such a place… Aren’t you telling me to die? I am already stripped of my title, so what am I going to do? I will live as if I’m dead, so please send me to another place.”
“I don’t believe you will really live a quiet life. It would be better to eliminate the threat in advance.”
Even when Hudson pleaded to the emperor, the only response received was that he should be grateful he wasn’t beheaded.
Of course, Hudson and Rabienne hadn’t seen each other since the trial.
What they had done caused a tremendous event that shook the entire empire, but it was slowly forgotten as time passed.
Still, all sorts of rumors circulated for quite some time about where Rabienne, who had become a slave, had been sold.
From being taken in by people who lost their loved ones to the epidemic to being a miner digging for minerals.
However, no one knew the truth, and three and a half years passed like that.
★★★
The weather was nice, and a yellow butterfly flew in through the wide open window.
The butterfly wandered around the room as if it was its own home, but Esther didn’t notice it because she was so focused on drawing.
Instead, Cheese, who had been lying on her stomach next to Esther, responded by scrunching her nose.
“Nyaang.”
Cheese raised her claws and ran around, determined to catch the butterfly.
But alas, her hind foot landed on Shur, who was sleeping on the cushion.
“Siiiiiiii!!”
Surprised, Shur uncoiled and raised his body, threatening Cheese.
Cheese tried to strike Shur with her cotton-like fist, but rapidly changed her mind and ran after the butterfly that was fluttering away.
It was an everyday scene in Esther’s room, nothing special.
“Should I make the road a little darker?”
Esther, who had an apron and arm sleeves on, tilted her head left and right as she muttered to herself.
The look in her eyes as she paused and examined the painting was very serious.
Twelve-years-old… Just like when she first came to this house and started painting, her eyes were golden.
But that time had passed and she was now eighteen years old.
Her appearance had changed so much that it was incomparable to that time.
The girl who was shorter than her peers in both height and build grew taller over the years, with her frame becoming more graceful.
Not only that, but as she lost her cute baby fat and matured, she became one of the most beautiful women in the empire.
Anyone who saw Esther, who was currently very immersed in painting, would stare at her in awe.
“When did you grow up like this? I’m very happy.”
Dorothy looked very pleased at the sight of Esther, who appeared like a princess in a fairy tale.
Then she sniffed as if she was overcome with emotions.
Hearing that, Esther stuck her head out of the side of the large canvas.
“When did you come?”
“Just now. Oh…”
Dorothy was vigorously wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, but there were no tears at all, only a loud voice.
Realizing that she was doing this to get her attention, Esther smiled and put her paintbrush aside.
“Why do you cry whenever you see me these days?”
“What can I do if I feel like I’m seeing a new side of the lady everytime we meet? To think the lady is already eighteen years old. Oh…”
“Ugh, as if Dad and Brothers aren’t enough, are you going to do this too? Everyone is treating me like a child… Tell me what’s going on. What are you carrying?”
“Ah, take a look at this. These are all invitations.”
Dorothy pushed a basket forward, wiping her nose.
It was full of invitations made with all kinds of colored paper.
“Invitations? All of them?”
“Yes. From tea parties to social charity events. There are so many different types.”
Fed up with the number of invitations, Esther openly frowned.
“I think there are a lot of invitations this year. Is it just my imagination?”
“No. There are really more than usual.”
“Why?”
“Because this year, you’re going to have your debut!”
Dorothy hit her chest as if she was frustrated, expressing the words ‘Don’t you know that?’
“What does that have to do with this?”
“Of course it matters. Nobles who reach adulthood will engage in many social activities. Isn’t it natural that you can get to know each other beforehand?”
The one and only grand ducal family in the empire.
Everyone knew by now that the fearsome grand duke was terribly fond of his daughter.
Therefore, there were a lot of people who tried to get close to Esther, who had a lot of connections with both the temple and the imperial family.
“I’m not interested.”
Esther relocated to the bed, pressing against her sore shoulders as she concentrated on her art.
“You’re not going to go to all of them?”
“Yes. You know I already don’t have time to prepare for the exhibition.”
When Esther rejected the invitations without even looking at them, Dorothy arranged the invitations with much regret.
“All right. So how should we reply?”
“Do it as always. Please.”
With a long sigh, Dorothy sat down at the desk and began writing the replies for Esther.
It wasn’t difficult because she would write the same rejection message for all invitations.
A long time later…
Dorothy, who was hard at work, smiled and spoke loudly.
“Lady Esther! You should see this.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s Leo.”
When the familiar name came up, Esther could no longer ignore it.
“Brother Leo sent an invitation?”
“Yes. See for yourself.”
After receiving the invitation from Dorothy, Esther slowly examined the contents.
It was an invitation to attend a tea party at the marquisate residence, which would be held in two weeks’ time.
However, unlike other invitations, the theme of the tea party was not indicated at all.
“Weird. I know that Brother Leo is hectic with his work as a knight. But he will be holding a tea party?”
“I know right… and it’s quite unusual for a man to host a tea party… Oh, isn’t he coming today for portrait work? You can ask him directly later.”
“Ah yes. I should.”
With a nod, Esther put aside the invitation.
Just as she was about to go back to her bed, Dorothy made a louder fuss than before.
“Lady Esther!!!”
“Ah! You’ve shocked me.”
Esther rubbed her chest and glared cutely at Dorothy.
“Who is it again this time?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince! Isn’t this his first letter since he left for the Berkin Kingdom half a year ago?”
“Is it really from Noah? Give it to me.”
As soon as Esther heard that it was from the crown prince, her expression brightened and she snatched the letter from Dorothy with a wide smile.
Ame: Take that, Rabies! See you never!
*ahem* now I’ve taken care of that… where’s the punishment for the other temple officials? why is duchess brions and the son sent along with the awful excuse of a head of the household? (I can almost see it happening, someone isekai-ing into the duchess or the son and going “I’ve possessed an extra that only has 1 line and that’s being exiled/killed!”) and maybe most importantly, who is Leo? ;-; has my memory really turned to dust!?
wait, I have more to say ^^; our baby is all grown up!!!! but love, having some friends isn’t a bad thing, and you can’t make friends just by staying in your room… well, the next arc is titled “friend” so I guess it’ll be addressed, but if you ask me, it’s long overdue…
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