Chapter 91
“Gasp, huff…”
Royden’s face, as he rode recklessly, turned pale blue.
‘Hurry… Hurry, I need to get out of this mountain range…’
There was only one thought consuming his mind. How to safely escape the Gidi Mountains.
But even if he escaped the mountains, it wouldn’t be over, with Grand Duke and Belles captured, it was inevitable that there would be a warrant issued for him in Carteia.
He had to leave the mountains and Carteia.
“A ship… I need to board a ship…”
Anyway, the only way to leave the Empire was by boarding a ship.
And after that…
“Damn it!”
An expletive crawled out between Royden’s lips. Royden reluctantly spurred his horse again and slapped its flank for good measure.
“How dare that despicable bastard…”
Both Lexion and the Rosenvester family were insane, especially the later. Otherwise, how could they acknowledge that parasite bastard as the head of the Rosenvester family?
“What right do they have…!”
Even if they acknowledged him, the Rosenvester remained the Rosenvester. How could they dare to say such things about the Rosenvester?
Without even thinking about the fact that he used to rely on the Rosenvester like a beggar, Royden chewed his lips with all his might.
Someday, inevitably.
Definitely…
It was a moment when he swore revenge, thinking about a time that would never come again.
“Royden!”
Suddenly, a voice rang out, and Royden reflexively turned around. There, he saw Lexion fiercely chasing after him on horseback.
Royden’s complexion turned pale in an instant.
“Stop. It’s all over anyway!”
Lexion shouted loudly.
“You must have seen it with your own eyes just now!”
“That damn bastard clinging on like a leech…”
Royden glared at Lexion with a hateful expression.
“Don’t stop me. If you don’t want to die like your mother!”
That was it. Royden began to spur his horse harder, and Lexion watched his back as he did so.
[Fool…]
And the day he let Royden go.
He remembered what he said to him.
[This is your true nature after all. Always caught in your weaknesses, unable to do anything at decisive moments!]
[It wasn’t a wound that would endanger your life. Besides, there was nowhere else to go with your body, so I thought you couldn’t survive. It was my mistake, though.]
Yeah, that’s right. It was my mistake. Royden’s words were right too. Always caught in my weaknesses, unable to do anything at decisive moments.
But not this time.
Now there was no reason to hesitate.
There was something to protect, and it wouldn’t be taken away again.
Lexion’s hand, holding the reins, showed blue veins. The horse ran relentlessly, and soon the gap between the two narrowed.
“…”
Watching Royden barely pass him by a small margin, Lexion gnashed his teeth.
…I won’t back down like I did then.
Lexion, holding the reins tightly in his hand, let go of them.
Then, with all his might, he threw himself at Royden.
“Aaah…!”
With a short scream, Royden and Lexion tumbled to the ground together.
“…”
Dizzy from the intense pain, Lexion staggered slightly. It was only natural that he would hurt himself like this, even with a healthy body, doing such a thing.
But there was no time to feel the pain.
Rising to his feet, Lexion grabbed Royden’s collar, who was sprawled out on the ground.
“Let go of me!”
“…”
“I said let go, you filthy bastard…!”
Filthy bastard.
How familiar those words were. I always heard them. During the time I spent with Royden, not a single day went by without hearing them.
And…
“Do you remember?”
Lexion looked down at Royden and asked.
“All the things you did.”
“That damn…”
Royden’s words didn’t continue. It was because of Lexion’s fist that had fiercely grabbed his face.
“You’ve always been like that, calling me dirty, despicable, like trash.”
He hit him, kicked him, used him as a target for arrows.
Lexion never forgot those moments.
“When your mother passed away, you…”
“What’s wrong with taking care of one dirty whore!”
Royden shouted back, seeming unfairly treated.
“In the end, all because of that damn thing!”
“…”
“To even dare to…!”
What right did they have to take care of me and be grateful for it, and just because of that… just because of that, they dared to…!”
If it were in the past, I might have been hurt by Royden’s words.
The hurt didn’t come from hearing such words. It was something that always happened.
I probably just thought like this.
Yes, maybe… everyone might think like that regardless of my feelings.
But not anymore.
[Have you ever heard of the saying that to a person with only a hammer, everything looks like a nail? They just judge everything according to their own standards. Do you know how childish and ridiculous that is?]
Sereniel said that.
Her words were always right.
Apologizing was a privilege reserved for those who could humbly admit and accept their mistakes. By apologizing, one could become a better person and move forward.
Such opportunities would not be given to Royden.
Because he wasn’t even worthy of that.
“…Unfortunately, I don’t care anymore how you think of me, Royden.”
Lexion spoke up.
“From your perspective, in the end, I’ve ended up with everything in my hands.”
“What…?”
“And conversely, you’ve been deprived of everything.”
Royden’s eyes shook roughly.
“You’ll soon be dragged to the palace and face trial. Enjoy it before then. Experience what it feels like to be miserable.”
That was it.
Lexion slowly released Royden’s collar.
Then, rising to his feet, Lexion glanced down at Royden for a moment…
Without saying a word, he once again struck his cheek with his fist with all the strength he had left.
And then, finally, without any regrets, he got up from his seat.
“Capture Royden!”
Gran, who happened to be following behind them, shouted loudly towards the soldiers. Royden, sprawled out like trash, was caught without any resistance, and Lexion, staggering slightly, leaned against a large tree.
His mind wasn’t filled with the pain and suffering from his injuries.
It was just… the relief that he could now return to Sereniel.
And before long, a dark shadow fell over Lexion’s face.
Slowly raising his head, Lexion met the gaze of Ernest.
“…What a pity.”
Ernest spoke slowly.
“If it weren’t for Royden, but you were the rightful heir of the Rosenvester family, we wouldn’t have seen this sight.”
“Well, I’m not particularly sorry.”
Lexion replied with a smirk.
“That’s not needed now. I’m done being someone else.”
That’s exactly what he said. He no longer cared about what people said or how they distorted him.
Now there was someone who could fully accept him for who he was, and what he had done so many times before.
“…Sereniel Verdellete.”
Lexion remembered Ernest’s face when he had come to the Rosenvester mansion, almost threatening him without any hint of embarrassment.
“He’s completely lost his mind.”
He wouldn’t say filthy parasite or despicable bastard anymore…
But perhaps, this thought would never change.
And that insane head of the family would undoubtedly lead the Rosenvester estate splendidly in the future, to the point of being unbearable.
Ernest snickered to himself.
“…Ernest.”
Lexion quietly murmured, thinking of Ernest walking away.
“…It’s just as well.”
Ernest replied, still walking away.
“The remark about apologizing. You won’t have to hear such words again.”
“What…?”
“And my willingness to attend your wedding isn’t because there’s no turning back anymore.”
“…”
“Because I clearly said before, you are true successor of the Rosenvester family. You and your family, all of you.”
That was it.
With a brief remark, Ernest turned away from Lexion.
“…!”
Lexion sat there quietly, watching Ernest walk away, his face filled with various emotions.
Then, he absentmindedly touched his neck, as if it were a habit. Sereniel’s earring.
Lexion treated Sereniel’s earring as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, gently caressing it and carefully pressing his lips against it.
And then, slowly, he got up from his seat.
…It was time to go back.
Back to the warm and affectionate home where Sereniel, the chatty maid, and the deceitful butler were waiting.
