Chapter 3
“I can’t understand. Why… all of a sudden.”
As Arden recalled the situation, Letitia’s hand trembled slightly.
“Arden, I am your wife, and the queen of Briarvente.”
Arden muttered softly in response to Letitia’s words. His gaze, colder than before, fell upon her as he whispered.
“Queen? What have you done to deserve that title? Don’t delude yourself. Letitia Boartte, you were merely my mistress by contract.”
Letitia’s eyes widened in shock at his cruel words. Her fragile body seemed on the verge of collapse from the impact, and her cracked lips oozed blood.
Letitia soon cried out as Arden roughly dragged her by the hand.
“…It hurts! Let go of me!”
Letitia tried to wrench her hand away from Arden, but his strong arms remained unmoved by her struggles. Even as she clawed at his arm with sharp nails, he did not falter.
“Arden! Please…!”
Her desperate plea fell on deaf ears as he coldly continued walking, brushing aside those who stood in his way.
Finally reaching a secret passage, Arden unceremoniously pushed her to the ground.
“Ugh!”
Collapsed on the ground, Letitia looked up at Arden with eyes filled with disbelief.
“You don’t want to listen to me whining anymore, do you? So, Letitia Boarte, just disappear from my sight right now.”
“…After ignoring my pleas to not abandon me, are you now ready to discard me?”
Arden stared into her golden eyes for a moment before speaking.
“Yes.”
He turned away abruptly, leaving her behind without a trace of remorse.
Letitia clenched her fists, overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. He didn’t even look back until he disappeared around the corner.
He seemed devoid of any lingering attachment. It was natural. He never loved her.
Even so… How could he discard her so heartlessly?
“Cough, ugh… How… could… he…”
Though their marriage was unwanted, she was still his wife. To be cast aside so callously by someone who spared neither kingdom nor subjects, she felt truly abandoned.
Letitia rose to her feet with a groan. Arden would not return to her.
He never loved her, and Letitia was nothing more than a burdensome presence to him and the kingdom.
She was someone who needed to be loved by the person she loved to continue living.
If she was going to die anyway, it was better to end what had begun because of her and die.
Letitia clenched her heart and stared into the void. She began to walk towards where Arden had disappeared.
Despite stumbling and falling due to her weakened legs, she did not stop.
“No… No…”
She couldn’t be a burden until the end. She stood up again and walked towards the direction where Arden had disappeared.
“If I can gather the last remaining strength, maybe I can heal the wounds.”
Letitia made an effort to walk a little faster. But her efforts were in vain.
“My queen! Arrest her!”
“The emperor ordered to bring the queen, don’t kill her.”
Letitia blinked without flinching at the approaching imperial knights.
“The emperor wants me?”
Letitia’s eyes shook.
The words she had heard before, that all this was because of her, flashed through her mind. As he said, she was nothing but a burden to the kingdom.
The imperial knights rushed forward and seized her. Letitia did not resist and was obediently taken into their hands.
“I will be brought before the emperor like this.”
Letitia’s clear golden eyes were clouded.
The knights took her somewhere. Her legs, unable to stand properly, dragged along the ground.
The smell of blood lingered.
“Your Majesty, we have brought her.”
At the knight’s words, Letitia slowly raised her head. Then her eyes widened greatly and turned into anger.
“Why him…”
The person who had occasionally been a friend to her looked at her with a completely different face.
“Was that man Cadius Velorp, the emperor of the empire?”
Letitia burst into bitter laughter. Then she turned her gaze to the man pointing the sword at her.
Arden Levreter.
He stood facing the emperor with a drawn sword.
“Letitia. You have no idea how much blood I shed to get you. But seeing you now, I realize I didn’t care about the lives of insignificant people.”
The emperor spoke affectionately to her. Arden, facing him with a drawn sword, paid him no attention. His actions ignited a spark in Arden’s eyes.
“Don’t take your eyes off me! Emperor!”
“I’ve always only seen Letitia from the beginning. Seeing you now would be a distraction. It seems I should have cut off your limbs after all the trouble you’ve caused.”
He chuckled and replied to Arden’s words. Then he raised his sword to face him.
Clang!
The sharp friction echoed through the corridor.
“Ugh.”
Arden struggled to stand, unable to overcome his injuries and barely holding onto his sword. Ignoring him, the emperor approached Letitia.
“Just stay still, and I’ll kill you soon. Wait your turn. I need to check what I wanted first. There’s only one, even if it’s injured, so it doesn’t matter.”
The emperor’s gesture prompted the knights to rush at Arden and restrain him.
“I didn’t know I would be so late when I wanted you so much.”
“Why did you…?”
“Why indeed. Then did you think there was no reason for the actions I’ve taken so far? Did you think that if you were someone else’s woman, I wouldn’t have you? You were a naive queen. If you had just fallen for me when I asked nicely…”
The emperor’s tone remained affectionate, but his gaze upon her was different from usual. It was a very unpleasant and shameful look.
“Why…”
Arden, who noticed Letitia, muttered softly.
Letitia, dragged by the knights, struggled to push them away. She stood firm and watched as the emperor approached her.
“I wanted to give you one last gift, Arden.”
At her words, Arden’s eyes widened. Why was she smiling in such a situation?
Letitia grinned at him.
“…A gift?”
At his faint words, Letitia drew a sword from her embrace. Then, without hesitation, she stabbed it into her chest.
“The last one is for you and Briarvente, to be of help…”
She wished silently.
That he would feel a little pain.
That he would regret a little.
That he would have loved her a little.
She collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.
With pain, her breaths became fainter. As her vision blurred, Letitia slowly raised the corners of her lips and smiled.
On the day Emperor Cadius Velorp invaded Briarvente, Letitia died, abandoned by her husband, King Arden Levreter.
