kscans

Chapter 130 - What Was Left at the End of Love and Hypocrisy

Cedric, the King, desperately tried to maintain his composure amidst Darius’s cries.

"Adrian, this was done by my brothers. We are different. …We were supposed to have been cooperating to prevent a repeat of this tragedy."

But Adrian shook his head.

"I believed so. However, the other day, Albert-sama did something similar to Ariel. Ariel became distraught… and almost broke. Do you remember, Albert-sama?"

Albert’s face froze.

"No, that wasn’t my intention—"

"The first words she heard after finally waking up were not an apology or thanks. They were, ‘Disappear from my brother’s sight. If not for this commoner, Darius could have been happy.’"

Adrian’s voice trembled with anger and sorrow.

"How is that any different from King Karlwein’s words? The future king is also being raised with the same ideology under Albert-sama. I cooperated in the coup d'état to save Ariel and to ensure there would be no more victims. …But in the end, it’s just a repeat of the same thing."

"That’s… impossible," Cedric gasped.

Darius’s fist struck Albert.

"Don’t you decide for me! My happiness was… just living and laughing with Ariel, that was all!"

It was a desperate cry. But his voice echoed emptily.

But Adrian’s eyes were cold and dismissive, and he delivered another blow to Darius.

"Then why didn’t you protect her? Leonhard told me he would give up his status to live with Mireille. What about you? When I told you that a commoner and a duke could not be together, why didn't you let go of her hand? You just gave her gentle words in the name of doting love, but in the end, you just ran away from the unpleasant things. …That’s not love. It’s hypocrisy."

"…Ah…" The strength drained from Darius’s legs, and he fell to his knees.

Adrian stated cruelly.

"Rest assured. Ariel now only possesses her memories as a living weapon. Not a single memory of you remains. So I will say it in her place. She would have been happy if she had never met you."

They were words that gouged out the heart.

"And she would have been far more saved if she hadn't loved you. There were many who were saved by her and harbored feelings for her. It would have been better if she could have just lived as a woman with someone else…"

The moment he heard those words, tears overflowed from Darius’s eyes.

"…I loved her… I really did." But he was no longer within her. He could no longer hold her, nor apologize.

But Albert, who had been listening, showed no sign of remorse and spat out his irritation.

"…She’s a woman bought by the country. Don’t equate her with the duties of a noble. We have the happiness of the people—"

"Albert! Silence!" Cedric’s angry roar echoed. Seeing his son, he was horrified by his resemblance to his brother, King Karlwein.

Adrian let out a quiet breath.

"…Then try it. Try shouldering the hell that Ariel has shouldered yourself. I… will live for my own people."

Albert left in a huff.

All that remained was Darius, collapsed on his knees, sobbing.

I am no longer inside her. The Ariel I knew is nowhere to be found. Her smile, her voice, all the memories she left behind have vanished.

Only that pain continued to pierce deeply into Darius’s chest.