Even if I was told to live as I pleased, I didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, I felt like abandoning everything and going somewhere faraway. Since Gilmer was there, I didn’t think that there’d be any problems even if I was away for the time being.

“…Apparently, it’s true. There’s nothing after revenge.”

It was a phrase often used in stories.

A phrase commonly used by a hero or heroine with a strong sense of justice and a beautiful heart to admonish a villain. At the same time, they never even considered the reason why the villain sought revenge in the first place.

In the end, they were just beautiful words.

Hence why they didn’t always resonate with the villains.

As a result, the villains would have to be defeated—or to be precise, killed in the end.

It was just that the hero and those around them didn’t consider it as such.

Murder was always justified by the situation, environment, and the personalities of those who were involved.

A villain who wanted to ruin everything and a hero who wanted to save everything—

—which one is arrogant?

“Halt the carriage, I’d like to walk for a little.”

When the driver offered to accompany me, “Leave me be.” I gave that order and walked around town.

I had no particular purpose.

As I saw others walking around the city for various purposes, I imitated them and wandered aimlessly.

If I follow this path, where’ll I end up?

How far shall I go?

How far should I keep walking?

I didn’t know.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

I was so busy trying to prevent the same future from happening, I didn’t think about the future itself.

In the end, I—who wanted to avoid the future more than anyone else, had to give up and accept the inevitable.

I stopped and stared into the distance.

The road went on and on.

I could go anywhere I wanted.

But there was nowhere for me to go.

Hence why I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Where are you going, Sofia?”

“…Your Highness Weiss.”

Prince Weiss, who suddenly stood in front of me, began approaching with a faint smile.

He was smiling—and yet, his eyes weren’t.

I wondered what had happened, why he was there, and before I knew it, I was enveloped in his arms.

“No, Sofia. Don’t go anywhere.”

Prince Weiss was trembling.

“…Don’t leave me.”

He desperately clung to me, his voice was fleeting.

That was my first time seeing Prince Weiss so vulnerable.

“You’re free to go wherever you want—but I’ll take you there. I’ll make your wishes come true, so stay within my reach. Don’t leave my side. Stay in my arms.”

“Your Highness Weiss…”

“I love you.”

It was as if he was crying.

“I love you more than anyone else, Sofia. You’re my destiny, my reason to live, my purpose—my everything. You, and only you. I can’t bear to lose you again. You don’t have to give me your heart. I won’t ask you to reciprocate my love—I have no right to. But please, please don’t deny me, let me stay by your side.”

***

(side: Weiss)

My world was colorful once.

However, it soon turned black and white, before eventually rotting.

There was someone I loved, but she already had a fiancé. To be precise, she was my brother’s fiancée.

Unable to watch Sofia standing beside another man, I fled to a foreign country.

I didn’t know that decision would also be my biggest regret.

“…Sofia has passed away.”

One day, the news suddenly reached me. When I rushed to return to my kingdom, what awaited me was her changed appearance.

—someone was screaming.

The scream was so loud, it shook the place.

Before I knew it, I had a sore throat and was vomiting blood.

That was when I realized that it was none other than me who had screamed earlier.

Why wasn’t I by her side? Why did I leave her? Why did I flee the country?

I only realized it too late that seeing her laughing beside another man was nothing compared to the pain of losing her. If it was the former, I’d still be able to feign cheerfulness.

“I’m sorry, Sofia. I’m sorry, everything’s my fault. If only I’d been stronger, then I could’ve protected you…”

From the report, Sofia was reported to have been killed in a robbery. However, her body was full of bruises, and some of them were old. By merely looking at her body, I could tell that the information was false.

Despite that, her bereaved family refused to investigate it further.

In fact, no one bothered to investigate the death of Sofia, someone who had just become the wife of a low-ranking aristocrat.

“Why did you leave Sofia? Why did you refuse the honor of becoming her spouse?”

After her funeral, I visited Wagner.

“Honor? Has my brother gone mad?”

Aah, I’m going crazy…

Sofia was dead.

—yet, why was no one grieving?

—yet, why did he leave her for another woman?

…Did I seriously entrust my Sofia to this man? Did she die because of him?

“…Such a mediocre woman, she was unbefitting of someone of my stature. A loveable and intelligent woman like Aries suits me better.”

“Oh my, Lord Wagner~ I’m truly happy to hear that. Although my sister’s death is regrettable, it couldn’t be helped.”

“…It couldn’t be helped?”

“I mean, it was only natural! Your Highness Weis, since you spent most of your time abroad, you probably didn’t know. Let me tell you, my sister was a bit on the promiscuous side, and mingling with various gentlemen gave her no second thoughts. Not only that, she used the power of the duke to look down on those she loathed. How many times had I been bullied by her? It got to the point that I couldn’t sleep at night, and was scared during the day—”

“—Silence.”

It was often said that ‘dead men tell no tales.’

Because no matter how the dead were disparaged, they wouldn’t even be able to refute a single word.

However, speaking ill of Sofia in front of me was a mistake on her part.

---

***T/N: Kill them all, Weiss.

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