Chapter 58

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Her Sworn Enemy
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#58

As a renowned general, Walter had always been popular.

Whees himself admired him so much that he had naturalized to Parnas. Even the Raphi of the Nuthatch Corps, while they claimed to follow Whees, had mostly come south to Parnas out of admiration for Walter.

Zen himself had shed literal blood and sweat to become Walter's adjutant. When Walter had chosen him, he had wept tears of joy, feeling like a queen chosen by the king.

Countless men had become soldiers to follow him, and countless warriors had made it their life's goal to cross swords with him. Famed generals from every nation often came to Parnas under the pretext of diplomacy just to meet him. Whenever there was an event at the palace, the royal family was often put in a difficult position by the flood of requests for an audience from those hoping to catch a glimpse of Walter.

Today was no exception.

Though all the ambassadors claimed to be here to celebrate the new queen's coronation, it would be no exaggeration to say their true purpose was to see Walter Hyverge.

That was surely why the people they brought along as "escorts" appeared more imposing and noble than the ambassadors themselves.

In any case, it would make for a magnificent picture if such a great warrior were to enter the hall hand in hand with the new monarch—a young, beautiful queen at that.

But despite Zen's spirited suggestion, Walter only tilted his head with a troubled expression.

"It's not a bad suggestion, but attending such events always causes a stir. I once entered the hall without a thought during the late king's birthday celebration and had a terrible time."

"It was chaos, with women asking you to dance and men asking you to join them in the garden."

"Indeed. I can't for the life of me understand why they're so interested in a simple officer like me."

Walter sighed and muttered to himself in a tone of utter disbelief. Then he stopped walking and gave a slight wave to the soldiers passing by on the other side.

A soldier, noticing where the Grand General was looking, saw his own collar was folded and hastily straightened his uniform. The tense soldiers resumed their march, and Walter turned back to Zen.

"I'd rather not cause Her Majesty any trouble, so I'll just watch today. By the way, was there anything unusual about the ambassadors?"

"Unusual... Ah, I was surprised that Dopein sent an ambassador."

"Dopein?"

They must be busy, having just finished a war with Antevasila. And yet they attended?

As if sensing Walter's question, Zen added, "They seem to have time to spare."

"They came with two ambassadors and twenty guards. We thought they'd be preoccupied with post-war cleanup, but it seems we misjudged. Well, I hear the Empire helped them, so I suppose they're doing well enough."

"The Empire... What about the Empire? The ambassador's name was unfamiliar, which I found a bit concerning."

"The Empire, the Empire," Zen repeated the word, then wrinkled his nose and let out a small "Ah."

"That's right. I was surprised that the Imperial ambassador was much younger than I expected. And I wondered what was going on, since he seemed to be from a noble house, with an entourage of roughly fifty guards."

Younger than expected, and with a large entourage, so you assumed he was from a noble house...?

Mulling over the sentence, Walter slowly narrowed his eyes.

As I recall, the ambassador's name was Alex Damon.

No matter how hard he searched his memory, there was no prominent Imperial family with the name Damon. Yet he had enough influence to bring fifty guards to a diplomatic function?

As someone half-immersed in politics, whether he liked it or not, Walter had memorized nearly all the major foreign houses. It was unthinkable that he wouldn't know of such an influential person in the Empire.

"I don't know much about human appearances, but from what the soldiers said, the ambassador is quite handsome. The female soldier in charge of the body search was blushing as she said his hair was the soft color of autumn leaves, and that his black eyes were as clear as a lake, just like yours, Grand General..."

"Zen."

Walter cut him off, his face hardening.

Hair the color of autumn leaves, jet-black eyes. A young, handsome man from a noble house...

And the name. Alex.

Suddenly, a chilling hypothesis pierced his mind.

He had met an Imperial man just like that. Not long ago, on the sea.

...Alejandro.

Without a moment to even register his shock, Walter spun around and started running toward the banquet hall.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

A heat thicker than that radiating from the chandeliers settled over the crowd. At the center of gazes filled with excitement and tension, Lucy sat greeting her guests with a doll-like smile.

Ambassadors from every nation approached her, bowing respectfully. People of every complexion—a man in a long robe, a woman in tight trousers. Similar yet entirely different, they continued their greetings in clumsy Common.

"As the envoy of the Bullirin Kingdom, it is an honor to be invited to such a glorious occasion..."

"As the representative of Jeren, I wish Her Majesty the Queen endless blessings on her path..."

"The Chieftain of Pomnos sends this prayer for Your Majesty's well-being as a gift..."

Countless people entered Lucy's sight, only to retreat with a smile.

Congratulations and gifts poured in endlessly, and Lucy broke into a cold sweat as she quickly recalled cultural traits and information on each person to offer witty remarks.

She would look at a gift, add fitting praise and appropriate words, and send them on their way. She had already received about thirty such ambassadors.

Lucy gave a bright smile to a Raphi in a colorful vest and expressed her thanks.

"The wine you procured was a great help in a critical matter. I offer my sincere thanks. Please give my regards to Chieftain Barim."

The envoy from Odelnos withdrew with a pleased expression. After ordering the gift to be set aside, Lucy let out a soft sigh.

*I can't relax yet.*

*The most important guest remains.*

"Is the Empire next?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lucy relaxed the muscles in her face and summoned another smile. Then, fiddling with the lace on her sleeve, she ordered the next guest to be admitted.

The doors opened, and dozens of people in ornate silk hoods stood before Lucy, their hands clasped in front of them.

One particularly large man made a short, dismissive gesture to those around him, as if telling them to step back, and the people standing in line all took a step backward.

*This must be their representative.*

She painted on a slightly wider smile to hide her boredom. As Lucy waited listlessly for the envoy's greeting, she shot up from her seat the moment he lowered his hood.

"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Your Majesty."

The man at the front smiled faintly as he swept back his flattened hair.

His slightly downturned eyes, the way he bashfully lowered his gaze. That innocent smile, so guileless it felt pure, hadn't changed one bit.

This magnificent face, impossible to forget, always lurking in the corners of her thoughts to torment her, was undoubtedly...

"Alejandro Viante de Mon Terra, visiting as the ambassador of the Empire."

It was Alex—her nemesis, her sworn enemy, her husband from a past life.

"...Alex."

It was a long moment before she realized the fading whisper had been her own. Lucy stared at the Alex before her as if possessed.

Over his gently smiling face, the malicious remnants of the past slowly superimposed themselves. The moment their eyes met, her own unwanted screams echoed in her mind.

"Your Highness, Your Highness...! Please, spare me! I'll do anything! Don't kill m—Ugh!"

The feeling of the stake piercing her palm.

"Wasn't tormenting me enough?! Weren't you satisfied with that?! Why... why my mother, Mother...! Ahh...! Mother! Mother...!"

Her mother's remains, scattered on the stone floor.

"My eye... Hh, ha, ahk... Can't you... be satisfied... with just one eye? No more, no more...."

The sight of her other eye filling her blurry vision.

"Please... I won't resent you. Just kill me, right here...!"

The filthy hands that caressed her legs, promising to teach her shame.

The salty taste of blood trickling between her lips. The damp prison and the foul stench of filth that permeated it. The sensation of bugs bursting between her teeth with every chew, and her gaunt fingers fumbling along the floor to catch even a rat...

Memories she had buried in the deepest, most unreachable place and sealed with a boulder of oblivion surged to the surface in an instant, simply because she had seen his face.

In her mind, now a mire of chaos, a single question presented itself in stark clarity.

*Why is this bastard here?*

Looking back, Lucy had always encountered Alex in the same circumstances. In the audience chamber of the Imperial Palace. She would greet him for the first time with the Emperor present and discuss the wedding. The minor details, like their conversations or attire, differed each time, but the overarching situation in which she met him never changed.

Therefore, she had always been able to steel herself and control her anger before meeting Alex.

But she had never expected to meet him in a situation like this, on a day like this.

"...Dammit."

As a result, Lucy had to suppress the urge to grab the nearest object and hurl it at him.

*I want to kill him.*

*Ah, what should I do?*

*If only I could slash that face. If only I could hack it to pieces with a knife and spit on it.*

*I want to kill him. I want to kill him. I want to kill him. I want to kill him...!*

*Right now.*

*I want to wring that bastard's neck.*

She could feel her nails digging into her clenched palms. She must have bitten the inside of her cheek too hard, because the coppery taste of blood began to spread through her mouth.