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Side Story 4 – Liloa’s Chapter 2: Mortu’s Castle

Unable to stand it anymore, Liloa raised her voice.

“What do you mean, all of a sudden? Did no one see me train myself to death in LeBrun or roll around in Pontenbach for years?”

Robero, disgusted by the response he received, grew increasingly frustrated. His eyes widened before a hint of suspicion flashed over them.

“You… are you truly that blind? Why are you so stubborn?!”

“Then, are you expecting me to simply concede when I am about to be commissioned?”

“There will be no commission. That decision is mine to make, so I am letting you know in advance. It will be best for you to give up voluntarily now.”

“Why on earth…”

“You cannot easily quit being a soldier once you are commissioned. Do you not have to get married?”

‘I never expected that marriage would be brought up here.’

Liloa jumped from her seat out of amazement.

“Do you think I went through so much trouble just to get married right after this?”

“For a lady like you, this is the right time in your life.”

“I choose my own time!”

“You are arrogant. Even I cannot do as I please without His Majesty’s mercy, so what makes you think you can?”

It was an indisputable statement. Liloa gritted her teeth and took a step back.

“At least allow me to complete the task I have accomplished. I will live with the consequences, whether I will be branded as a witch or whatever they can come up with…”

“Are you crazy? This is a huge mistake in your judgement. War has ruined you. The cruel sights you witnessed have made a delicate woman so ruthless that she cannot recognize what is right and what is wrong anymore.”

Robero left the room as if he couldn’t bear to further face Liloa like that.

Liloa applied for an audience several times after that but was turned away on the grounds that her presence troubled him. Liloa knew very well what had caused those troubles. She also knew why he had become mum about marrying her as soon as the war concluded. Because he found it humiliating, the great commander who intercepted her exploits would never be able to look her in the eyes. Until his death*, he would know better than anyone else that he wouldn’t be able to be proud of himself in front of Liloa.

But no matter how much Liloa ground her teeth, the audience with Robero was never granted.

A doctor was sent by Robero though, but he simply prescribed medication that was said to be good for a woman’s mental health. Liloa was extremely suspicious of the strange medicine, so she was wary right from the beginning. Sure enough, even after taking just a sip, she felt dizzy and didn’t drink a single drop from then on.

***

Before long the imperial army’s triumphal procession arrived at Sesbron.

Just as Liloa undoubtedly predicted, Robero had become the hero of the empire, with his story being widely spread as the commander who pierced the enemy’s supreme commander’s head with a single bullet, thus ending a seven-year war.

The streets of Sesbron were filled with songs praising him. Banquets celebrating his victory were held on the palace grounds and lasted for a month. Ships anchored on a tributary of the Risch River behind the palace fired congratulatory guns and to top it all off, the lords of the Midwest came rushing in to bow before Robero.

The whole empire rejoiced. It was almost like a festival.

Liloa also had to attend the imperial banquet because she participated in the Pontenbach war.

But as she entered the spacious gallery, she heard voices that weren’t even lowered.

“…Did you hear that? The Grand Lady was talking about how she defeated the enemy commander…”

“…Oh my, that is strange. Is she so blinded by her will of achieving something as a woman, that she cannot even be bothered to lie. What is wrong with her?…”

“…That is true. Now that I think about it, she has often said strange things in the past. Have I told you about how she used to say that slaves should be treated as human beings?…”

“…Yes, I recall. Why, back then, when she saw the rare race circus she suddenly freaked out and started shouting. She did that without an ounce of shame as well!…”

The emperor, unable to see Liloa wandering around the banquet hall any longer, called for her.

Her skinny lips barely moved as she talked.

“Your Majesty.”

“Are you okay?”

“…”

“I heard from Robero. You had been unwell, right? Rob… how could he be so indifferent? He left a weak-hearted woman on the battlefield for too long. I have consistently received reports that you faithfully followed protocol. Thanks to your contributions, the soldiers’ morale had risen significantly. We have received plenty of help from you. Now, get yourself a good husband and find peace. I will find you a partner quickly.”

“I do not want to get a husband yet. I am going to be commissioned.”

“Uh huh… Just like I heard, you are saying strange things. What should we do about this?”

From her seat next to the emperor, Annette constantly wiped away tears, making Liloa belatedly understand her insight. She took Annette’s words about the world becoming harsh on her too lightly.

‘I didn’t know that the cruelty would become even worse than during my childhood, so I ignored Annette’s warning. No, I ignored Annette, who has lived twice as long as me and survived the world I’m experiencing right now… So, was Annette like me? Did she live like this, piling despair upon despair?

But even if I could turn back time, would I go for the ‘easy path’ that Annette talked about?’

Liloa’s mind flooded with the assertion that she never would.

‘So, what should I do?’

Liloa couldn’t come up with an answer. She only felt like she would continue living miserably in an incomprehensible loop till just before she died.

The emperor smiled as if he felt sorry for her and held out a red fruit from the Western Continent.

“Would you like to try it?”

“…”

***

Liloa gradually fell apart.

No matter how hard she tried to correct them, the people never believed her. Actually, the more she tried, the more crazy she was perceived to be. As if she were an uninvited guest in a set play, people wouldn’t respond or approach her in conversation unless she recited the set lines.

The world denied her with all its might. It hadn’t been easy for her to be pushed around by Venua, but now, even the larger society called Sesbron, or rather, the whole Empire, tried to push her over the edge.

With nowhere or no one to support her, Liloa’s body fell and was thrown into pieces… as she was sprawled out in a daze, a shadow fell over her head… its mouth grinned in the dark…

“…I knew this would happen, so I waited…”

The delighted Mortu cut off her legs.

“…Ah… your despair is amazing! You won’t be able to recover for a while!..”

In an instant, there was no longer any tongue for her to groan with… She tried to close her eyes, but her eyes weren’t there either… Liloa just lived in dazed darkness…

***

Following Robero’s recommendation and Mireille’s strong will, the emperor himself pushed through with the engagement of Liloa and the Duke of Mireille. Joseph I sent letters of protest, citing Liloa’s mental problems that sprung from her experience on the gruesome battlefield as a lady, and the atrocities from LeBrun’s cadets, but his protest was dismissed. Even Venua, who came rushing to Sesbron, had no choice but to admit that his sister was left scarred. Although he admitted it with his head, he was unable to accept it in his heart and even made a fuss to somehow get Liloa up, who was no longer willing to eat or walk.

Venua wasn’t someone who could be easily ignored either, so the Emperor, who was troubled by all of this, quickly sent Liloa to the Duke of Mireille’s private residence. It was disguised as a merciful act for Liloa to regain her health in the care of her husband-to-be before the wedding. In addition, Liloa also needed to learn the etiquette and traditions of the Mireille family in her spare time and prepare to become the house’s hostess, yet all of that would only be nominal. Meanwhile, because Venua couldn’t invade the Duke’s mansion, the emperor’s plan was a success to some extent.

***

Liloa stood blankly, waiting for the portrait to be completed. It was the first portrait that would bear the name ‘Liloa Mireille’. Mireille stood behind the painter and looked at her appreciatively in the cream-coloured dress she would be wearing on their wedding day.

“You were truly the perfect wife. You were the best duchess candidate worthy of Mireille’s revival… But now that things have turned out this way, you are no longer interesting. Your price has plummeted too much.”

“…”

That was what he said, but Mireille had already hung her nameplate under the spot where her portrait would go. He seemed to think that with his resourcefulness in reviving his crumbling family name, he could similarly rebuild Liloa’s reputation.

“For one thing, purchasing promising items at a low price is the basis of commerce. Hm, how can I bring you back to being the ‘Grand Lady who grew up beautifully under strict Obernyu education?’. First of all, I need to change your habits… Everyone at Sesbron will agree that you need to be corrected.”

Yet Mireille’s seemingly perfect plan was ambushed, for Obernyu made every effort to postpone the wedding. In the end, Mireille’s wedding to Liloa was even postponed indefinitely as a result. And when Obernyu, who had contributed greatly to the supply of war horses, took a strong stance against the marriage, it was too hasty for the emperor to issue an edict. Mireille, on the other hand, refused to give in to Obernyu’s pressure when asked to hand over Liloa and instead pointed out how Venua, who went to court, committed cruel acts against the sick Liloa while Mireille pretended to protect her.

Over time, Mireille found a way to even move Liloa. For whenever the erring slaves were brought out and flogged, Liloa’s face would harden as if she was being beaten herself.

This was all part of Mireille’s uncanny ability to see how to move and use people.

At Mireille’s orders, the gardener and stable keeper tied six slaves to wooden posts in the back garden. Mireille looked up at the third-floor window and saw the blurry figure he had expected to open and close the curtain. He was excited to see how long Liloa would hold out and thought that today might be the last day.

And so the whipping began. Thick ropes wriggled like snakes. The whips flew through the air and cracked the skins that hadn’t yet healed. Suppressed moans and sobs resounded in the patronage. The slaves who were watching the corporal punishment also stiffened and began to cry.

“…Stop.”

Before the second round of whipping could begin, a skinny woman walked out the back door of the kitchen. The servants and the slaves gathered in the backyard turned to look at the woman who was approaching Mireille precariously as if she could fall at any moment. Her hair, which she had once cut short, was now long to her waist again.

Liloa blocked the slaves’ torn backs. Mireille, who was sitting under the red awning, curled the corners of his mouth.

“Stop whipping them.”

“..?”

The woman who seemed to be nothing but a shell of herself opened her mouth once more.

“If you promise not to whip the slaves from this house, I will become the woman you want.”

Liloa stood in the garden, staring at Mireille, the duke’s residence rising behind her. Darkness rose like smoke from the shadow of the building and enveloped the garden.

Mireille smiled greedily.

“Good.”

With a clang, Liloa’s ankles were shackled so she couldn’t run away.

Mireille stood up from under the awning, came towards her, and wrapped his hands around her shoulders. Goosebumps appeared on the skin he touched.

“First of all, let us head inside and talk.”

Liloa walked towards the blackened building after hearing those words.

Walking to the castle where Mortu was waiting, and from which she would never be able to escape…

End of side story 4 – Liloa’s Chapter 2: Mortu’s castle

***

– – – – –

TN:contemporary romance

…Until his death, he would know better than anyone else that he wouldn’t be able to be proud of himself in front of Liloa… = Speaking of his death… at the beginning of this side story you might’ve recognised Robero’s name as one you encountered before, and that would be true. Robero’s story was quickly mentioned back in Volume 1, chapter 11. After the emperor got enraged with Ed’s refusal to turn his fleet south, he ordered his son to wage war with the northern continent. In the end, he never heard of his son again, who probably died in a shipwreck while trying to pass the Monferrand strait.

With chapter 283 comes an end to Liloa’s side story. Where Ed’s was an incredibly sad one, Liloa’s backstory was more than depressing. Our strong girl has been through so much and has been so wronged that it’s a miracle it hasn’t broken her. Translating and editing this story, especially the last 2 chapters, was truly a mental challenge, we’re glad our main story is currently on a more positive note.

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