Chapter 331: Julie (4)
Hadekain’s frontier.
At a villa in the forest leading to Marik, I faced Sophien through a mirror.
—…This is my final command as your Emperor.
The Emperor reflected through this transparent glass looked like she was from the distant past. The young Sophien struggled with regression, repeating her endless death.
—Let’s have a match… here, with me.
She wanted to have a match like when we could still be relaxed with each other. Like those days when we didn’t have to worry about the continent’s destruction. With a tone too weak to be a command, as if asking me for a favor.
“Your Majesty.”
—…
But I didn’t give any reply. I dryly conveyed what I was trying to say.
“The intelligence agency’s guess is correct.”
Sophien clenched her teeth and glared at me.
—Correct?
“Yes. I will betray Your Majesty.”
—…
She closed her eyes for a moment.
—Then you will be a traitor. Your family will be traitors. Facing the most tragic end, they will be wiped from the history of the Empire.
“Even if I betray Your Majesty, Yukline will be your strength.”
The name Yukline, their members of the realm, and my sister Yeriel had importance to the current me. Not only for Deculein but also for Kim Woojin.
—You dream too big. If you, the head of the household, become a traitor-
“Yeriel will oust me first.”
—…Yeriel?
“Yes. She’s someone that can lead Yukline. Keep her by your side and use her.”
Sooner or later, Yeriel would become the head of Yukline. Yeriel would lead the family instead of Deculein. Knowing that was my wish, she wouldn’t get caught up in any personal feelings.
—…
Sophien didn’t say anything. She stared at me, letting out an angry breath.
“Your Majesty. Those who have received the Altar’s grace will soon prevail.”
In the Empire and throughout the continent, the elixirs the Altar were spreading had reached most of the Magic Towers and Knights’ Order. Numerous were fascinated by the irresponsible and convenient powers they offered. Even the nation called Reok was plotting to return to the Altar’s control.
“It’s not just wizards and knights. Even the low and wretched seek to turn to the Altar to gain strength and overthrow the class system.”
The faith of the Altar invaded the pyramid of class, and all welcomed the power without cost given by the God Quay. They had become addicted to the fruits of temptation, which could make them strong without effort or talent.
“For some reason, I hate to see bastards like that.”
I told Sophien.
“So, I will rally them.”
They probably fell for the Altar’s temptation because they were tired of the oppression of nobles like me.
“I will rise again, on top of those scumbags who fled from reality.”
So, I would rise above them. From their apex, I would reign again and wisely inform them. As long as you live on this continent, as long as you serve evil, you will never be able to escape from the name of Deculein…
“It will be the most orderly evil.”
—…
Sophien silently watched me.
“I will become your enemy.”
However, her complexion was different from before. She lowered her head with her eyes drenched in sorrow.
“So, prepare for war now. Get ready to advance on Annihilation. If you do not do your best, Your Majesty will be defeated.”
Defeat. The moment I mentioned that word, Sophien’s mood changed.
—…Defeat?
She sat up straight again. She stared at me with her characteristic arrogance.
—The Altar bastards seem to be confident.
I smiled a little.
“I will wait for Your Majesty in ruins with woodblocks.”
* * *
The full moon rose above.
Lia, who was sitting on a tree in the forest, looked to Julie, who guarded the entrance to the villa, and swung her feet in the air.
“She won’t step aside~.”
Ganesha smirked.
“Yeah. It seems that Deculein even put a barrier around it. We can’t even spy.”
Lia nodded. They’d been following Deculein and Julie, but they were blocked by Julie alone. Even though she was just a doll, she was strong. Of course, if they were to forcefully advance, they might be able to win. But, breaking the strong knight named Julie wasn’t what Lia and the Red Garnet Adventure Team wanted.
“It’s about time to call us inside~.”
As Ganesha pouted and brushed her hair…
—Come in now.
Deculein’s voice filled the air. At the same time, the barrier surrounding the villa was dismantled.
“Wow. You got it right.”
Lia’s eyes went wide. Ganesha gave her a small smile.
“Lia. You go in.”
“What? Alone?”
“Deculein opened the barrier, but that knight won’t allow it unless it’s you~.”
Ganesha pointed to Julie. She was still staring at them with narrowed eyes.
“…Oh, okay.”
Lia jumped off the tree and approached the villa entrance. Julie stepped forward.
“Give me your weapon.”
“I don’t use weapons.”
“Yes. I believe you don’t.”
Julie still checked Lia. She rummaged through her pockets and every nook and cranny of her clothes. She pulled out each of her belongings and looked at them suspiciously.
“What is this?”
“It’s a flower.”
“Why did you bring it?”
“I wanted to give it to the Professor.”
Lia bitterly answered.
“For now, I will keep this with me.”
“…Yes, well. Do that.”
Julie nodded, opened the villa door, and entered with Lia.
Stomp, stomp-
They walked down a short hallway before stopping in front of the library.
“Go in.”
“…Yeah.”
Lia opened the door. First came the smell of books and ink, then she noticed Deculein. He seemed to be writing in a notebook at his desk, and behind him was the canvas that led to the painting prison, sealed with magic.
Thud-
The door closed behind her.
“…I’m here.”
Lia began fiddling with her earlobe due to the tension she felt. Deculein responded as he dipped his feather pen into ink.
“You’ve missed many chances to kill me.”
“Eh?”
“This moment is another opportunity. I am weak, and you are strong, Lia.”
“…So. Do you want me to kill you?”
Deculein didn’t answer.
Scribble, scribble-
Even after calling her in, he only concentrated on writing.
“…I mean, excuse me. Count.”
Lia bit her lip. She couldn’t hold back, so she asked what she’d been curious about.
“Why do you want to die?”
Scribble, scribble-
Even so, Deculein’s pen didn’t stop. Lia clenched her fists.
“Why are you so impatient to die? I’m Yuli. Why are you telling me to kill you?”
“…”
Standing tall, his hand stopped. His eyes narrowed.
“Yuli.”
“…Yes. Yuli.”
Deculein put down his pen.
“Yes. You look like her. Some kind of miraculous process… so, it could be that she went through reincarnation or something like that.”
Tap-
He closed the notebook.
“So, keep following me.”
“…?”
It was a very strange thing to say. Lia blinked and stared at Deculein.
“I will betray the Emperor. I will work with the Altar to complete the lighthouse.”
The sight of him declaring his guilt made it clear to Lia something wasn’t right. Oddly enough, his figure seemed to overlap with someone else’s, someone familiar.
“Go back to the Empire.”
“…”
“Take me down.”
* * *
After the Red Garnet Adventure Team left, I sat in the library of the villa reading a book. Not far away, Julie was wiping her sword down with a cloth.
Rustle, rustle—
Rustle, rustle—
That sound felt comfortable. Julie sat next to me and did nothing special, talked to me sometimes, and sometimes looked at me with a blank gaze. But just that alone made my heart feel cozy.
“Do you like that sword?”
Julie looked back at me and smiled.
“Yes. It’s a sword that you made, so I like it. I got familiar with it pretty quickly.”
A smile tugged up at my lips, but it lasted only a moment.
“How much time do you have left?”
The current Julie couldn’t stay with me for long. That doll’s body would break someday, and even if the body endured, the diary would someday be cut off. Julie shrugged.
“Don’t worry. Until the very end, I will protect you.”
“…”
I didn’t bother to ask again but instead looked at her. I was grateful for the gift of her return, but at the same time, it was a painful curse. I couldn’t abate the aching in my heart.
“Julie.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
She smiled a little.
“I wish you were alive. No matter how painful it was, I just wanted you not to die.”
“Yes. I know your feelings.”
“And I wanted you to be happy.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Julie faithfully played along. It was so funny that it made me laugh.
“…But that wish wasn’t fulfilled.”
“It’s okay.”
Julie slowly stood. Sheathing her sword, she slowly approached me.
“I would not have hoped for such happiness. You’re tormenting yourself, wishing that only I could be happy and survive….”
She got on one knee and looked up at me.
“It would have made me unhappy in the end. It was our greed that was incompatible.”
“…”
I put my hand on Julie’s head. Arlos’s doll perfectly embodied the nature of the medium, so now, this doll was an almost complete reproduction.
I stroked her cheek. She caressed my hand.
“But it’s such a coincidence.”
“Coincidence?”
“…The wish you just had for me.”
Julie smiled.
“I also had a similar wish.”
Drip, drip.
At some point, the rain started to fall.
“I hope only that one wish can come true. If I can achieve that, I will be the happiest.”
“…Wish?”
“Yes.”
Drip, drip.
The rain picked up, drumming against the window.
“The moment I disappear… I hope I can protect you.”
The smell of paper, the smell of ink, the smell of rain mixed and permeated the air.
“I hope my true end will be with you.”
Julie laid her head across my lap.
“That is my wish.”
“…”
I put my hand on her head like that.
“Yes. I will die after you.”
“…Hmm?”
Then, she looked up with her cheeks inflated.
“Can’t you live?”
Drip, drip.
I shook my head.
“I can’t.”
“…”
“But don’t worry. It seems that I have to live for now.”
Julie didn’t ask any further questions, and I quickly changed the topic.
I didn’t like this heavy atmosphere.
“By the way, Julie. You smell like flowers.”
“…Oh, right.”
As if she remembered it too late, Julie’s eyes went round, and she took a flower from her pocket.
“This is the flower that Lia was carrying. I forgot for a moment that I confiscated it.”
“I see.”
A simple mistake that fit Julie. Of course, even that was lovely, but the flower she showed me made my expression harden for a moment.
“…Did Lia bring it?”
“Yes. She said she brought it for you, but do you know what kind of flower it is?”
“…”
Kind of. Those blue and tiny petals were familiar to me.
“It’s a forget-me-not.”
Forget-me-not. The easter egg left by Yuli. I looked at it… and suddenly felt sleepy.
As if something had exploded at the top of my head, fatigue and exhaustion flowed down to the rest of my body.
“A-Are you okay?”
Julie asked me while supporting me. Her voice trembled.
“…Yes. I’m just a little sleepy.”
I leaned against Julie and looked at the forget-me-not dropped on the floor.
Flowers brought by Lia. Forget-me-not. Yuli… Yuli von Fairnigis Mainnhit…
“Yes. I’ll take you to bed.”
…However, my thoughts stopped there.
“Rest. I will always be by your side.”
As Julie’s warm voice washed over me, my consciousness faded.
