Chapter 301: Trial (3)

    The verdict was delivered. Regardless of me being Xenon, this incident was triggered by me slapping Hiriya.

    However, after revealing my identity, the cause was also attributed to Hiriya. The remaining judgment was left for the Minerva Empire to handle.

    It seems Friedrich realized he couldn’t go too far due to Adelia’s birth and my not-so-subtle spoilers. The seed of doubt planted in his heart will gradually grow and start to bind him. The moment Xenon’s Biography Volume 22 is published, that tendril will begin to tighten around his neck.

    Until then, I probably won’t be able to leisurely attend the academy. Even though it’s still in the suspicion phase, revealing my identity means rumors will gradually spread outside.

    Once a newspaper with connections to the nobility picks up on the rumor, the real game begins. This trial was just the prelude or a teaser.

    As tense as I am, the royal family of Ters will also be on edge. They might think it was just a bluff during the trial, but in the future, I will solidify it with a stamp.

    For now, I will wait until the rumor starts to spread and my name is mentioned in the newspapers.

    “Isaac.”

    “Yes?”

    “Thank you. Really.”

    After the trial ended and before returning to the Minerva Empire, Adelia thanked me as I lay on the bed for a brief rest in the guest room.

    I lifted my head slightly, seeing Adelia looking at me with a warm smile.

    A mixture of emotions—affection, gratitude, and apology. However, her affection for me was unmistakable.

    Despite being denied once again during the trial, she remained steadfast without breaking down like before.

    I smiled at her growth, seeing that she had shaken off her trauma even though there might still be lingering regrets.

    “Noona, could you come here for a moment?”

    When I motioned for her to come closer, Adelia slowly walked over, her face still adorned with a loving smile.

    When she finally came close enough, I pulled her arm, bringing her into my embrace. Adelia, perhaps expecting this, didn’t let out a shrill scream and instead nestled gently.

    “I told you, didn’t I? I will always be on your side until the end.”

    “Still, thank you. Meeting Nicole and then you was the greatest fortune of my life. It feels like all my past misfortunes were meant to lead me to you.”

    “And I found the knight who will dedicate their life to me.”

    We shared each other’s warmth for a long time, exchanging emotional connection.

    The atmosphere was not suggestive but purely healing as we hugged.

    “Haah...”

    Adelia let out a satisfied, drowsy sigh, and I smiled contentedly, patting her back as if to comfort a child.

    The trial is over, but it’s not truly the end. As the culture flourishes with Xenon’s Biography, the Kingdom of Ters is gradually heading into a dark age.

    A kingdom that is attacked from the outside can rebuild, but a kingdom that crumbles from within cannot recover.

    In the process, they might lash out at Adelia or me in their desperation.

    Additionally, the benefits gained from hiding my identity so far will disappear, and troublesome matters, especially direct threats like devil worshipers, may arise.

    But it’s okay. I have strong allies like Adelia. They will never breach my defenses.

    Knock knock knock

    I’m not sure how long we held each other, but as soon as we heard the knock, we separated instinctively.

    Although I’d love to go further, we are in the Kingdom of Ters. No matter how strong the desire, there are times when you must hold back.

    Adelia reluctantly pulled away from me and moved to open the door.

    Knock knock knock!!

    Someone is impatient. Who could it be? Could it be Lara?

    Even though I only met her once, she genuinely liked Adelia, so it’s quite possible.

    Regardless of the other royals, as the last conscience of the Ters royal family, I planned to treat her kindly.

    “Who is it?”

    “Ah, Adelia...?”

    “Huh?”

    But the voice that came from outside was not Lara. Even though the voice was a bit choked, it was unmistakably Hiriya.

    Why did she come to my guest room while I was resting? While Adelia looked at me with a perplexed expression, I got up from the bed and walked towards the door.

    I opened the door wide, revealing Hiriya standing there. Unlike when I saw her at the academy, she was now as withdrawn as a frightened squirrel.

    Her slender build made her appear tall, almost as tall as Adelia, so she didn’t seem small, but not now.ViiSiit  for latest novels

    The confident and arrogant demeanor was gone, leaving only a trembling small animal.

    I saw her during the trial, but seeing her up close made it hard to believe she was the same person.

    “...Princess Hiriya?”

    “I, I...”

    When I called her, she stuttered. Realizing that leaving her there might attract unwanted attention, I decided to bring her inside.

    As Hiriya entered, Adelia watched her with an indifferent gaze.

    Hiriya, on the other hand, couldn’t meet Adelia’s eyes and actively avoided her gaze.

    The situation was reversed in many ways. What could Hiriya want to say to me?

    I was more than a little curious.

    “Please, have a seat...”

    “I-I’m sorry.”

    “Excuse me... what?”

    “Stop it, Princess Hiriya.”

    “S-sister... no, Adelia...”

    “I am not your sister. I am merely Isaac’s loyal personal maid. I have no further ties to the royal family of Ters.”

    “Ugh...”

    Realizing instinctively that there was no way out, tears began to form in Hiriya’s eyes. She should have behaved better from the start.

    I looked at Hiriya, who was trying everything she could to earn forgiveness, with a disdainful gaze and spoke in a gentle voice.

    “Princess Hiriya, I don’t need your body. I’m not someone who chases after women, and besides, I already have a far superior woman by my side.”

    Sure, Hiriya is objectively a beautiful woman. But the goodwill she had built up was completely shattered, and I have no plans to accept her.

    There is one condition, though: if she were to become Adelia’s slave instead of mine, I wouldn’t mind. She would then endure the same abuse and insults Adelia suffered in her childhood.

    And even if Hiriya doesn’t want it, it’s inevitable that the Ters royal family will send someone in the future. Whether it’s Hiriya or Lara, it will be one of them.

    In that case, it’s better to accept Lara. She is the last remaining conscience of the Ters royal family, and it would be troubling if that conscience disappeared without knowing anything.

    More importantly, Lara is the only person who treated Adelia as family. Seeing that they still maintain a good relationship, Lara must be protected at least.

    “So, Princess, I don’t need you. Even if you force your way in, it will be very difficult for you.”

    “I-I can endure it.”

    “Really?”

    “Yes!”

    “Just like Adelia endured?”

    “Yes!”

    “... ...”

    Hiriya, saying things she doesn’t mean to desperately cling to any lifeline. Her lack of hesitation only makes it more repulsive.

    Hiriya should never have given such a positive answer. If she understood even a fraction of the pain Adelia went through, she wouldn’t have said such things.

    You can’t change people. Even though she’s clinging to me, her deep-seated selfishness remains unchanged.

    She is a potential threat, likely to betray me if it means securing her own safety.

    Swish

    Suppressing my inner thoughts, I smiled and placed my hand on Hiriya’s cheek.

    Thinking she had received approval, her expression began to soften.

    Her lips were still trembling, but her relief was evident.

    “...Princess Hiriya.”

    “Y-yes!”

    “That’s not it.”

    “What...?”

    “That’s not it.”

    Perhaps she hadn’t expected a negative response. Hiriya looked at me with a bewildered expression.

    Even so, my hand continued to gently stroke her cheek. As if telling her to wake up from this dream, to be satisfied with this moment.

    “If you had understood even a little of the pain Adelia endured, if you had even a little empathy, you wouldn’t have given such an answer. Adelia endured it all, not just as a knight but as a woman. When you used sparring as an excuse to beat her, when you insulted her parents in front of her, when you almost took the man she loved right before her eyes, and even when I slapped you and came to the Kingdom of Ters!”

    “... ...”

    When I shouted, Hiriya flinched violently. Fear and terror were etched in her trembling eyes, and her complexion grew increasingly pale.

    “She blamed herself, saying it was her fault, and apologized sincerely. Even though it wasn’t her fault, she punished herself. But what about you, Princess? It’s different, isn’t it? Despite making a mistake, you answered only to save yourself without an ounce of empathy.”

    The Ters Royal Family is endlessly kind to ‘their people,’ acting as parents, siblings, and family. However, they ignore those who fall out of favor, like Adelia.

    They only think of their satisfaction and benefits, capable of becoming more malicious because they aren’t without skill. How did Adelia manage to hold on in such a household? How did a conscience like Lara’s come to be born in such a place?

    I wonder if Olivia, the first princess who married into the Bellua Republic, has a similar personality. Even if it’s not because of me, the future of the Ters Kingdom looks incredibly bleak.

    “You said you wanted forgiveness, right? Then continue living. Live quietly, enduring all kinds of contempt, just like Adelia did. The Ters Kingdom, known as a cultural nation, won’t collapse over something like this. King Friedrich is a capable and wise ruler. But people won’t look at you kindly.”

    “Uh...uh...”

    Perhaps imagining a bleak future, tears formed at the corners of Hiriya’s eyes, running down her cheeks, revealing her regret.

    Will Hiriya be able to endure it, or will she run away like Adelia did? I hope the day comes when she can genuinely apologize to Adelia. By now, Hiriya must have deep-seated trauma like Adelia.

    “I’m...sorry...”

    “...”

    “I’m really...sorry...”

    Hiriya bowed her head deeply, even kneeling as she pleaded once more. A princess of a nation, beyond just kneeling, was now prostrated.

    To that princess, I responded with a smile that could be seen as cruel.

    “No.”

    Endure it with all your might.

    “Just endure it.”

    It’s the small ball you started rolling.

    Translators note:

    It seems our softboy Isaac CAN go cruel when he wants to huh...