Chapter 206: 110. The End and the Beginning (Part One)
Crown Imperial Prince White Olfolse headed towards his next destination while holding a sword of light.
Zombies were still teeming within the capital city’s streets. But they were soon impaled by the sword of light and got exterminated.
“I’ll kill her.”
The Crown Imperial Prince gritted his teeth.
A wife he held so dear to his heart, a woman he cared deeply for...
But now, a villainess so corrupted that for her own profit, she wouldn’t hesitate to defile the imperial palace, and even turn her own son into an undead to use him in her schemes.
Rose Darina.
White simply could not forgive her.
“Father?”
The Crown Imperial Prince turned his head at that voice. He discovered that his first son, Luan, was currently leading the Heavenly Army as well as the soldiers of Lome kingdom to clean up the capital’s streets.
White, feeling deeply relieved to see his son unscathed, walked up to him and asked a question, “I heard that Rose is in the royal palace. Is this true?”
Luan smiled bitterly and nodded. “Yes. Allen is currently protecting her.”
White’s expression crumpled instantly. What that clown Vampire had told him turned out to be true.
Luan saw his father’s expression and closed his mouth for a short while before saying something else, “A maidservant named Sharin was accompanying the Second Crown Princess Consort, father. We’re still investigating the matter, but well, she used to serve Ruppel back home and...”
While listening to Luan’s description of the events so far, White’s expression gradually became stupefied. He remained that way for a while before turning away to leave.
He soon broke into a powerful sprint.
While rubbing his temples, he began grinding his teeth.
‘Rose, just what did you do...!’
Eventually, he arrived at the royal palace.
The Paladins in front of the royal audience chamber tried to prevent him getting any closer, but White simply ignored their attempts and shoved the door open.
And that’s when he saw it.
...The scene of Rose on her knees, Allen sitting on the throne meant for Lome’s king, and next to them, Charlotte and the maidservant in question, Sharin.
White’s eyes locked on the maid. On her swollen belly.
That was...
His gaze shifted once more.
Rose turned her head around to stare at White, an expression of rapture quickly filling up her face.
She spread open both of her arms wide and cried out, “Ah, aaah! My dear Crown Prince! You’re finally here, I wanted to see you so much!”
She rose up to her feet. Shackles bound her arms and legs, making her wobble unsteadily, but she still managed to stand back up and extend her hands out.
White flung himself forward. He swung the sword of light straight at her throat.
“Charlotte!”
Allen shouted out at that very same moment and Charlotte instantly appeared right before Rose. She unsheathed her divine sword and deflected White’s blade.
However, his left hand rapidly shot out and grabbed Rose’s slender neck, instead. At the same time, Charlotte’s divine sword rested against White’s throat.
“...White Olfolse. I demand that you release her. This is an order of his highness,” Charlotte said while coldly glaring at White.
He shifted his gaze and looked at Allen.
The boy prince was back up on his feet in front of the throne with furrowed brows. As for the maidservant named Sharin, she was squatting on the floor while shielding her head and trembling in fright.
“Allen, order this Paladin to withdraw her sword at once.”
“No, you withdraw your hand first, Crown Imperial Prince.”
White immediately realised that Allen deliberately chose not to call him ‘father’ and felt his heart sink even lower. He spoke up again, “Are you planning to keep Rose alive?”
“I only merely wish to go through the proper procedures and have her executed back in the Theocratic Empire’s capital, that’s all.”
“Do you not hate this woman?”
“Yes, I do despise her as much as you do.”
White’s eyes trembled as he stared at his son.
Allen, how can you remain so calm even now? Here is the culprit, the evil villain responsible for murdering your own mother, placed a curse on your brother, and even tried to assassinate you, so how come you...
It was at that moment Rose suddenly opened her lips. “Do you wish to kill me?”
White looked back to Rose. Rather than a look of terror, she still had the same rapturous expression on her face as before.
“Very well. Dying at the hands of the one you love is also a wonderful end, isn’t it? After all, you’ll remember me for the rest of your life.”
Rose reached up and lovingly stroked White’s hand gripping her throat. She even began blushing deeply as well. Her expression resembled a shy maiden in love, but one could clearly see signs of madness burning in her eyes.
“Please, use this warm hand to wring my throat, and memorise the sensation of choking my life away for as long as you can. And every time you recall this moment, please remember me, too.”
White could only stare at her in an utter daze.
“I wish nothing more to die by your hands, my love.”
This woman, she...
“Even if it pains you and hurts you, I wish that you will never forget about me. I will always love you, White Olfolse. My dear Crown Prince!”
...She was insane.
“I...” White glared at Rose as he replied, “...do not love you.”
Rose’s expression froze up. “I beg your pardon?”
“I did love you once upon a time. But now, I do not. I shall forget about you.”
Rose was destined to die. And he’d be the one to end this madness once and for all.
Her expression distorted and her complexion became beet red.
But that lasted only for a brief moment as laughter exploded out from her lips.
“It doesn’t matter anymore!” She then pointed at her maidservant, Sharin. “You’ll never be able to forget about me as long as my bloodline continues on! Even if it’s you, you won’t be able to stop the execution of the Third Imperial Prince, but your grandchild will still live on!”
White’s eyes shook powerfully.
Rose reached out with both of her hands and stroked White’s face. “You’ve always been caring but indecisive. And as such, as long as your blood and my blood remains in that child, you will never forget about me.”
“...”
White stared at Rose’s face and recalled what Marquis Kirum had said.
-Firstly, the ugliness of humans.
“Yes, the Third Imperial Prince will die. I will also meet the same fate as him. However, that child will live on. And in the future, he will become a great and noble Holy Emperor. If he’s alive and I manage to survive, then I’ll do whatever it takes to make him the future Holy Emperor! That’s why...”
The Vampire was right. Humans were truly ugly in their hearts.
There it was, the true nature of humanity on full display right before his eyes.
White opened his previously-shut mouth. “Do you even know the name of the Third Imperial Prince?”
Rose stopped her rambling at his question. “What do you mean?”
“What is the Third Imperial Prince’s name?”
“Well, that is... that is...” Rose began tilting her head in confusion and stared at White with her brows arched up. “...Did I have another son other than the Third Imperial Prince?”
White quietly closed his eyes.
“Uh? Uhm? H-hold on. Second Imperial... Third? Imperial Prince? Name. Name? He had a name? My child...?” She continued tilting her head side to side and then began covering her head with her trembling hands. “B-but, that’s so strange. Why are the Second and Third Imperial Princes... Ruppel, Ruppel? Who is Ruppel?”
-Secondly, the frailty of humans.
Indeed, humans were frail. Too weak.
Her entire nature changed because of the shock of losing her son.
She became obsessed with her dead child, and that obsession eventually changed its target to White. In the process, she even lost herself.
A frail and foolish woman, Rose Darina.
And the man who couldn’t protect her or console her sorrow, White Olfolse.
Humans were...
-Thirdly, you who will finally come to accept those points.
...Too frail.
‘Am I planning to run away yet again?’
White clenched his teeth.
Forget all about her?
No, it must be the exact opposite of that.
He must not forget her.
He must not forget about Rose, Ruppel, and Yulisia.
All these things began with him, and as such, he must be the one to end them. And just as important, he must remember them all until his dying day.
That’s why...
White pointed the sword of light at Rose’s heart.
He would end this with his own hands.
“Please stop.” Allen walked over and grabbed White’s hand. “Don’t do it if it pains you so much.”
He glanced at White’s face, at the man’s current expression. The latter’s facade had completely broken down by then. Tears streamed down his face as he silently sobbed.
Rose saw this too and her own madness fell away, leaving only a dazed expression behind.
“Rose is right. This matter must come to an end by my hands. This is my sin. That’s why... that’s why...”
“Father. This is older brother Ruppel’s last wish.”
White shifted his gaze back to Allen.
“His wish... he wanted to see his mother one last time before his death.”
“...”
“Isn’t it fine to humour your son’s last wish?”
All strength seeped out from White’s hands upon hearing what Allen said.
“Besides...” Allen muttered softly while looking over at the maidservant, Sharin. She was still trembling away while hugging her head. “Older brother Ruppel doesn’t have a child.”
The maidservant’s figure suddenly seemed to crumble. She began throwing up what was actually inside her swollen belly.
A scheme cooked up by the Vampires in order to bring Rose to their side was being undone right at that moment – a scheme to disguise the maid so that it looked like she had Ruppel’s unborn child in her womb.
Second Crown Princess Consort Rose remained as a foolish woman lost to her own delusions right till the end.
**
(TL: In 1st person POV.)
Rose was escorted back to the empire’s prison.
As for the maidservant, Sharin, she confessed to everything.
While serving Rose, she got to witness every scheme the Second Crown Princess Consort was a part of.
Sharin’s dream was to become an empress regent by seducing Ruppel through blackmail, relying on her knowledge of Rose’s wrongdoings.
Unfortunately for her, though, things had gotten out of hand way too quickly. The Second Crown Princess Consort began scheming a rebellion and got in bed with Aslan before she knew it.
The Theocratic Empire continued with their relentless pursuit, which left Sharin with only one way to survive this ordeal.
-I thought that Lady Rose would protect me if I said I was carrying his highness’s child.
And that was to rely on the Second Crown Princess Consort. It proved to be easy to fool a woman with a broken mind.
Since Rose witnessed Sharin seducing Ruppel almost all the time, she must’ve assumed that the two of them had already ‘consummated’ their relationship, so to speak.
On top of that, these two women got entangled with the Vampires and their magic was cast on Sharin, the deception became even more indistinguishable.
That one single lie ended up fooling both Rose and even the Second Prince of the Lome Kingdom, Derian Victoria.
Even I would’ve been stewing in shock for a long while if Ruppel hadn’t told me the truth about this matter back when we had a chat in prison.
And now, I was back in that very same prison, staring at Ruppel.
“Are you afraid of dying?” I asked him.
“Honestly, I am.”
Ruppel replied earnestly, his eyes were sunken and withdrawn. Although, his overall expression seemed to say that he was feeling relieved in his heart. I figured that that was because all the pressure crushing down on him had been finally lifted from his back.
Tomorrow was his execution day.
Rose was scheduled to be beheaded. However, I utilised my authority so that Ruppel would be hanged instead. There would be less damage to his body that way.
Both of them... wouldn’t be pardoned or get to keep their lives.
Their crimes of high treason and collaborating with the Vampires were some of the most serious sins you could think of.
I stood up while staring at Ruppel’s expression.
Charlotte, who was behind me, bowed before stepping back, and brought Rose inside the prison cell.
Ruppel’s face hardened. He became visibly tense as he wordlessly stared at his mother.
Rose’s eyes were lifeless, unmoving.
She should’ve begun acknowledging it by now – all the things she had done, and the cruel fact that her son and the rest of her bloodline would no longer exist in this world.
“Whatever you wanted to say to her, I don’t have any guarantees that Rose will be able to hear you.” I glanced at Ruppel and spoke up, “But still... Be with her for tonight. This will be my last act of goodwill for both of you.”
With that, I left the cell.
I could hear Ruppel in the distance. He was sobbing.
I hoped that he’d be able to say all those things he couldn’t say to her.
One night would prove to be far too short for them, though.
Once this night came to an end and tomorrow morning arrived, they wouldn’t get to meet each other anymore.
And that would be their final moments of this life.
(TL: Merry Christmas!)