Chapter 193

Her voice full of disbelief, she asked, “What…?”

“I said, you are infertile.”

“Do not be ridiculous. Who are you to try to judge something like that? The barren one is not me, but you! I am not the infertile one! You are the one who is infertile!”

“Right. My body does not allow me to bear children,” Patrizia replied dryly. “But I am saying, that is the same for you.”

“What nonsense are you spouting on about? Do you have any evidence?”

“Indeed.” Patrizia answered her question with a blank expression. “I am the evidence.”

“What kind of bullshit is that…”

“Because I am the one who made you infertile,” Patrizia casually continued with her explanation.

“Do you remember the perfume I gave you as a gift a long time ago? The perfume contains specific ingredients that cause infertility. It is made of unique flowers that are only found in the Brahms Islands.”

“…”

“You would have liked the scent and spritzed it on, but that is what should have made you infertile. The desired effect is certain.”

“That cannot be…” Rosemond muttered to herself, as she realized everything had all been in vain.

Patrizia did not show any emotion on her face, even as she confessed to what she had done. Rather than her being in control of her feelings, she simply had no feelings to reveal. Her feelings had long since dried up, like a lake going through a drought. “I am not sorry about it. After all, there are things you have done to me, too.”

“Ah… No, it cannot…”

“Just disappear quietly. Do not leave anything behind and just go.”

“No… no…!” She seemed unable to believe the truth that Patrizia had revealed to her. She kept muttering ‘no’ continuously to herself, a dazed expression on her face. A child was the surest card in Rosemond’s hand to raise her identity and solidify her status. Of course, what would that matter in the face of death… but apart from that, she seemed to be extremely shocked by the fact that she could not have a child.

“No, it cannot beeee!!!” she shouted in a fit, pulling out her hair. Unfortunately, she seemed to be going crazy, unable to handle the truth. The intermittent screams bothered Patrizia’s ears. The guards ran into the prison cell and shoved a gag into Rosemond’s mouth to silence her. Patrizia looked on with emotionless eyes, and eventually walked away with slow footsteps.

It was all over. Patrizia quietly exited the prison, bidding a final farewell to the one who had been harassing her for a long time as both her political opponent and rival in love. “Good bye.”

With that, she hoped it would be the end of their ill-fated affinity.

—

Rosemond’s execution took place two days later.

Numerous people had gathered in the capital all morning. The usually quiet city was bustling with the crowd, but the atmosphere was not a good one.

The execution place was located in Gervianen Plaza near the Imperial Palace. The people surrounded the execution grounds. The gruesome guillotine was placed in the center. It was in that plaza that Empress Patrizia, along with her husband Emperor Lucio, awaited the execution of the criminal.

“…”

“…”

Neither Patrizia nor Lucio spoke to each other now. Duke Witherford was standing next to them and cried out loudly, “Bring over the criminal!”

With the loud command from the Duke, the criminal Rosemond appeared at the execution site. Patrizia’s face hardened for a moment when she saw the cursed face of Rosemond, but soon returned to a smooth state. She calmly observed Rosemond’s appearance.

Rosemond was dressed in a frayed white dress, her hair in a jumbled mess as she walked in, supported by two soldiers. She looked so devastated and exhausted that even her beautiful face seemed inconspicuous. There were nail marks all over her body, as if she had been harming herself for the past two days. The scariest thing was her facial expression. Rosemond was glaring into the air with sunken eyes, her countenance so scary that one would be afraid of encountering her in a dream.

“The criminal Rosemond committed a grave crime in trying to harm the Empress of the Marvinus Empire, and I, Lucio Carrick George de Marvinus…” Patrizia noticed that Lucio’s voice was shaking, but said nothing, biting her lip unconsciously.

“I order her execution in the name of the Emperor.”

The catastrophe was coming to an end. Patrizia closed her eyes, her face containing many thoughts and feelings. Everything was truly over.

“Start the execution of the criminal.”

Patrizia finally lifted her eyes to watch as Rosemond was being dragged to the site of her death. Her face had no emotion whatsoever, but Patrizia could clearly recognize what she was going through. Even on the threshold of her death, she held onto the feelings of being unresolved, with rage that she could not give up against the unfairness of it all.

-Ahh, Rosemond. What was so unfair for you? You were the one who tried to hurt me and steal my place, so what was that unfair for you?-

At that time, Rosemond’s eyes turned to Patrizia, and Patrizia received her gaze without any surprise. As soon as they made eye contact, Rosemond’s eyes became sharper. Even at the moment of her impending death, she did not intend to hide the hatred she had for Patrizia.

Patrizia was unperturbed, taking in all of the looks given to her as she continued to stare at Rosemond, even as Rosemond turned her gaze to Lucio. Looking at Lucio, Rosemond’s face was shockingly serene. Patrizia momentarily read some guilt on Rosemond’s expression, and bit her lip. After all that had happened, she had not revealed the truth about her feelings to the very end. Patrizia did not close her eyes as she intently waited for the final moments of Rosemond.

Kyaah! “Aaack!”

Rosemond’s head was cut from her neck, and cries broke out everywhere; the onlookers were in a frenzy. Patrizia pressed her lips together so tightly that they began to bleed.

Everything was over; Rosemond was dead. Patrizia felt tears drip down her cheeks and quietly wiped them away. Those two teardrops were enough to shed for Rosemond’s tragedy. Patrizia closed her eyes, a solemn expression on her face.

Everything was really over.

—

==============

Translated by Haeli

Edited by RED