Chapter 55: The Heartless Princess Puts an End
“It seems like Elder Sister has something she needs to say to you so I brought her here with me.”
Upon hearing those words, Prime Minister Gilbert's face seems to have turned pale as he immediately removes the cloth covering his mouth. “Wait just a moment!” He said, “I apologize for abruptly leaving the castle without notice and for contacting these lawless thugs!! If needed, I have prepared myself to receive any kind of punishment! But please!! Please give me some time–I…I need some more time–!!” He shrank back as he desperately pleads. It seems like he has already reached a conclusion that it is going to be impossible to escape Stayle’s teleportation. “Please calm down first Prime Minister Gilbert,” I said as calmly as possible to at least put his nerves at ease. “I had a premonition. Your fiancee…Marianne-san will pass away today.” His face immediately waned as he stood frozen in place and then he cried out, “No-no way…!!” Then he immediately rushed towards me. But I didn’t falter as I continued, “And even if your Special Power Registration Bill took into effect…or even if you involve yourself with these outlaws and use their ways…you still wouldn’t be able to find the person with the special ability to heal all illness in time. Never.” Maybe it's cruel to bluntly lay the truth in this way or maybe there isn’t even a need to tell it to him but I still needed to say it, in order to rebuke him of his actions this time and tell him the gravity of it. Even in the game back in my previous life, even when his bill has taken effect–a person with the special ability to heal all illnesses was never found. “How can you even know…!!” “I had a premonition so I’ve seen it.” After I said that, Prime Minister Gilbert tried to grab my shoulders but before his hands could reach me, Stayle stopped him in his tracks by pointing a sword to his throat. “You insolent guy! Don’t you dare touch Elder Sister!” He said as he immediately stepped in between me and Prime Minister Gilbert. “.... …. … … …Maria…” I can hear Prime Minister Gilbert mumbles as he dazedly tumbles down to the ground. “Prime Minister Gilbert please calm down and listen to me–...” Seeing him like that I called out to him but I was immediately cut off by his words. This time he ignored the sword pointed at his neck and just tried to grab onto Stayle. “Stayle-sama!! Please!! Please send me back to the castle with your Teleportation ability!! I have to hurry! Hurry back to her side…I have to…” His current appearance is not normal at all and yet Stayle seemed uninterested by the current appearance of Prime Minister Gilbert. His stance never changed. He was looking down at him with those chilling eyes. Stayle then opened his mouth and said, “All for your personal gain, you tried to take advantage of the laws to change this country, abandoned your post as Father’s assistant, left the palace without prior notice, made contact with criminals and even tried to resort to human trafficking” Stayle’s words were as cold as ice. In his eyes, there’s just no room for sympathy. Prime Minister Gilbert couldn’t utter a word after hearing his words and seeing the expression on his face. “Whatsmore the things you said to these men. If they can find the person you are looking for then what? Are you willing to do anything they want!? Then what if they wanted top-secret information about our country? Mother? Father? Me or Tiara…what’s more, what if they wanted Elder Sister’s life? Weren’t you mindlessly willing to do it, Gilbert!” Stayle’s eyes were gradually being dyed with murderous intent. It’s probably because he’s been holding it in for so long that now things have reached this point it has now started to overflow. I tried calling out his name but strangely enough, it seems like he couldn’t hear me now. “There are tons of things I still want to ask you but I’ll stop for now….so I’ll just ask you this. You said you wanted to return to the palace. Then does that mean you are pleading guilty to all of your crimes?” While I was worriedly thinking about how to get Stayle’s attention he continued, “Cause if that’s the case then I can immediately use my special ability and send you to prison. Or do you still have the audacity to think that things can end clearly with Father rebuking you? If you have no plans to admit your crimes as a criminal then I have no need to use my power. Or perhaps you prefer to walk your way back? Either way, if that fiancee of yours is the root of all evil then I don’t mind–” “Stayle!!” This time I raised my voice as loud as I could. That way it won’t be easy to ignore me and it seems to have worked well since Stayle’s shoulders started to tremble, realizing the thing he was about to say. He then pressed his fingers over the frame of his glasses before facing my way. It’s the first time I’m seeing this sort of expression on Stayle’s face. Anger and disdain distorted his face and his eyes were all scrunched up as he tried to stop the tears from falling. And from the side, Prime Minister Gilbert remained still on the ground, his back lurched forward as he continued to mumble Marianne-san’s name over and over again. “Why…? Why are you showing mercy to this kind of person!!” The hand holding the sword pointed at Prime Minister Gilbert’s neck, trembled. It feels like if Stayle gets provoked even further then he might be stabbed through Prime Minister Gilbert’s throat. I didn’t say anything as I slowly touched the hand holding the sword pointed at Prime Minister Gilbert. What should I do? Those eyes, the expression…I know these. I saw all these before back in my previous world, while I was playing the game. The day after Tiara’s birthday celebration, his expression is the same as when Pryde ordered him to kill his own biological mother. “But why…!! This guy is willing to sacrifice you or anyone else!! The people…the country…he’s willing to sacrifice and squander it all!!” Judging from the way he’s saying it is as if it will be better to kill Prime Minister Gilbert and from the looks of it, Stayle is not in a proper state of mind to make logical decisions. “I’m sorry Stayle but Prime Minister Gilbert is…” “But this man!! This man isn’t the kind of person you think he is!!” With clenched teeth, Stayle said, “All this time he’s been trying all sorts of things to kick you down or use you and manipulate you!! He’s that kind of adult!! All this time…for years… ….” And then he started to shed tears. It breaks my heart as I see Stayle looking like this. In my head, I know I should prioritize Prime Minister Gilbert’s situation but seeing Stayle in front of me breaking like this and all I could think of now is to run to his side and embrace him. I cupped Stayle’s tear-stained face and then I wrapped my arms around him and patted his head. “Stayle, I’m sorry. Still, he’s one of my beloved people.” This time I heard the clanging sound of the sword as it dropped down on the ground and I could feel Stayle's arms hugging me back. “….Uhh…That guy…he’s been hurting you…trampling you…!! Since way before…uuuhh…even your name…he….he’s done it multiple times in places you don’t know…for a long time…already…” He then continued, “It’s all this guy’s fault!” Stayle said as he continued to cry in my embrace and somehow I understood what he was getting at. I’m sure he’s been hating him all this time because of me. “Thank you, Stayle for protecting me. I’m sure you’ve always been protecting me even in places I don’t know.” After saying that, I repeatedly stroked his head, and then after some time, the hands that were hugging me tightly loosened. And in the end, as if he had finally been purified from poison, he slowly let go of me, and then he grabbed his glasses that had turned cloudy from his tears and while he was wiping it, I heard him whisper, “I’m sorry.” …I’m glad. The usual Stayle is back. When I turned around to look at Prime Minister Gilbert, I saw him completely frozen in the same spot as he repeatedly mumbles, Marianne-san’s life. So, I crouched down and sat beside him and told him, “Prime Minister Gilbert from hereon we’ll use Stayle’s ability to get you back in the palace.--” “Pryde-sama” He said, cutting me off in the middle of my words. This time he grabbed hold of my shoulder. From my peripheral vision, I can see Stayle instantly stepping close but I just shook my head. “I am prepared to face any punishment but please…about Marianne…” I didn’t even have to listen because I already knew what he wanted to say. ‘Please don’t let her name be sullied as well’... Even at this very moment, he looks like he’s about to cry, his voice becomes shaky and his breathing pattern is no longer normal. It wouldn’t even be weird if he breaks right now. That’s what I thought as I saw him desperately cling to me. I don’t even think I can convince him with the current state he’s in as he was no longer the usually elegant and collected Prime Minister Gilbert that I know–his composure is fully broken and you can fully see in his face this frantic urgency. I’m sure he has lost all of his wit and sanity. Cause if he’s still of sound mind then the intelligent Prime Minister Gilbert would have at least known that a person who’s been bedridden due to illness can ever be convicted for such crimes and the things Stayle said were nothing but bluffs that he said out of anger. That’s why enough is enough. This time I’ll just take the plunge and tell it straight to him. “Listen carefully, Gilbert Butler!” I said as I cupped his face and forced him to look me in the eyes and I looked straight to his light blue colored eyes. His eyes looked dull. He looked as if he had already given up on life and was prepared to receive the death penalty. That’s why I’ve decided to tell this person who committed a lot of sins and is prepared for his death. “I forgive you and your fiance.” “...!?...Wha–” Prime Minister Gilbert’s expression looked at me in disbelief as his body stilled. “However there are conditions and please follow my instructions. First, please guide us to where your fiance is.” He repeatedly nodded his head after hearing my words. His eyes never left me as if he’s desperately clinging to me. “First of all, Stayle, I want you to teleport Prime Minister Gilbert back to the palace. After that please teleport with me back to my room.” I said and then I looked back at Prime Minister Gilbert and continued, “Then Prime Minister Gilbert I want you to report to the palace officials that you have safely returned and after that please immediately go to my room.” Strength seems to have returned a bit to his eyes as he nodded his head in assent and said, “I understand” With a frown on his face, Stayle touched Prime Minister Gilbert and teleported him back to the palace and after that he gently held my hand, looked away from me and said in a small voice, “I’m sorry for what happened a while ago.” I cupped his cheeks, smiled and said, “Thank you for getting angry for my sake.” Stayle eyes briefly widened and then it started to dart from side to side and then after a while he gave me a small smile while looking a bit shy. I may not wholly know the details as to why Stayle got so mad but I get the gist of it. Surely, Stayle acted correctly and he had every right to be angry but since I’ve learned of my memories from my past life I’ve come to know Prime Minister Gilbert’s future and past that’s why—I just can’t hate him. Since he’s someone who’s already suffered so much. When I squeezed Stayle’s hand, he immediately squeezed back and in the next instance my surroundings changed. From the back alley to a very familiar looking room. … “Pryde-sama!!” “Elder Sister! Older Brother!!” The moment my surroundings changed, I immediately heard the voices of my attendants, Lotte and Mari, the palace guard, Jack and Tiara’s. “I’m sorry for making you worried. I have safely returned.” After saying that I immediately hugged Tiara and smiled at Lotte and the others. The four of them smiled back in relief. “So how was Prime Minister Gilbert?” Tiara, who was still in my embrace, looked up and asked. But before I could answer her, a commotion sounded outside my door. “Prime Minister?!” “Wait a moment please.” “Where have you been?” “Please wait, His Majesty’s been looking for you” Amongst the voices, I can hear loud footsteps nearing my room. I then immediately ran towards the door just as Jack opened it and when I went to the hallway I saw Prime Minister Gilbert. The palace guards and the maids staying outside looked surprised when they saw me come out. “Pryde-sama!!” Prime Minister Gilbert exclaimed as soon as he saw me. I nodded my head and then I signaled Stayle. “So Prime Minister Gilbert has safely returned!” I said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “Well then since you are here, as per Father’s instructions we can now leave our room!!” The moment I said those words I immediately grabbed Stayle and Prime Minister Gilbert’s hand and the three of us bolted out of there before the guards could stop us. “Stayle! There’s a place I want you to teleport me! After that I want you and Prime Minister Gilbert to go to Marianne-san’s place!! As soon as you’ve got there then come back for me!” I said as I squeezed his hand. “I understand but where do you want me to take you?” While we were running, I told Stayle of my destination. I don’t have much time to explain since there’s not much time left. In the game, Gil said his fiance died with the last rays of sunlight and through the window he can see how the sunset burned along and the sky turned dark. “?! Why to that place…?!” Stale puzzledly exclaimed. But clearly, Prime Minister Gilbert has no time for this “This way Stayle-sama!” Prime Minister Gilbert said as he ran off the other way, leading Stayle. Seeing that Stayle couldn’t help but click his tongue at him and after that, his hand reached for mine and then I grabbed his hand while running. “I’m sorry Stayle for always relying on you…” I know that this is normally impossible and that I shouldn’t leave Stayle, who just showed murderous intent a few minutes ago to the person he hated so much and made him act together with Prime Minister Gilbert but right now this is all I could tell him. And yet for some reason, Stayle looked surprised and then he smiled and said, “What are you saying…” and then he squeezed my hand and said, “I haven’t even begun to serve you so please ask me for anything. It would be my honor.” I swallowed my breath as I looked back at Stayle’s face and just when I was still in the middle of processing how can I ever thank him the very next instant, my surroundings started to change, and then I could see Stayle smiling as he sent me off. That smile of his looks just like the gentle bright moon. eunie: i'm sorry i wasn't able to post this yesterday. i was halfway through (raw chap has around 15 pages and this one is around 10-12 pages) when the electricity went out. and the reason for that is because they found two electrocuted geckos!! crazy isn't it?
|
EUNIETLI'm an amateur translator~ Archives
July 2023
CATEGORY |