CH 42

Chapter 42: Remembrance, Lamentation, and 1

It’s raining. The soft rain envelops everything, both sadness and joy.

A Druid and Courtesan - Neverwinter...

Guided by the sound of dampness, Ernesta opened her eyes. As soon as she did, a chilly coldness ran through her body, making her tremble.

It was an unfamiliar place. The wooden walls and floor had repair marks here and there, and the gaps allowed the draft to pass through the room. She had been thrown on the cold floor, and the medicine they gave her made her throat feel stinging. Apparently, she was tied up with ropes behind her back, and her right shoulder that had been pressed against the ground for a long time was throbbing with pain.

Through the window, she could see a residential area soaked in rain. The only thing she could judge was that it was near sunset.

“Have you woken up, My Queen?”

Suddenly, a clear voice came from behind, and Ernesta stiffened. It was difficult for her to get up immediately in her tied-up situation, so she rolled over and looked at the speaker.

There were three werewolves there. The two standing next to her were vaguely familiar.

“Veronica, Lord Kautsky …?”

Ernesta coughed loudly, unable to speak as she had anticipated. It was undoubtedly a critical situation, but it was the man in the center who concerned her with his calmness—the red-copper colored hair was all too familiar and made her dizzy.

“Oh, interesting. So, It’s true that you’re not afraid of the werewolf tribe.”

The red-copper werewolf spoke with curiosity, then stood up and approached her. He wore an ordinary, dark green chokha, but he had an extraordinary presence.

“My Queen is Brave. How do you feel about being kidnapped?”

His crimson eyes held a cruel light. The man crouched down, grabbed Ernesta’s shoulder, and forcibly lifted her up.

“What is your name?”

Ignoring his request, Ernesta asked him, and the werewolf narrowed his slanted eyes.

“You’re calm. What good does it do to know the name of a kidnapper?”

“I know a child with fur like yours. So, I just wanted to ask.”

With a hoarse voice, she finally said only that much and closed her eyes, enduring the cough. When it subsided, she heard a cold, brief introduction.

“Leight.”

She didn’t recognize the name meaning “summer.” While erasing the remnants of the girl she had found in his face, Ernesta asked him.

“Leight-san, what is your purpose in doing this?”

Naturally, she had to get out of this situation. To do that, she needed to gather information and loosen the surveillance as much as possible. However, her head, unaccustomed to dealing with rough situations, couldn’t control her restless emotions and spoke out on her own.

“What do you want? Abducting the queen from the royal castle is too risky for money.”

Presumably, Kautsky had recruited the perpetrator, and Veronica was responsible for luring the queen out. One of their comrades had disguised himself as a tailor. At the right time, when the real tailor arrived, the castle would have been thrown into chaos.

If there was one more thing that could be considered, it was probably the identity of the thing that connected them.

“Are you guys activists from the alliance opposing the human reconciliation policy? The only other thing that comes to mind is Lord Kautsky.”

The three werewolves all gasped at the same time. Sensing that she had hit the mark, Ernesta went silent while Veronica’s eyes burned with hatred, and she grabbed Ernesta by the collar.

“Shut up, human…! That mouth of yours that talks too much, do you want me to bite it off?!”

Sharp teeth loomed in front of her, but Ernesta bravely kept her eyes open and glared at the sight.

“Stop it, Veronica!”

At the sound of the sharp voice, Veronica released Ernesta. Her knees that had been floating finally hit the ground, causing her to wince in pain, and her cough, which had finally subsided, started again.

“But, Leight!”

“We may hate humans, but we don’t have any personal grudges against that woman. If we forget that, then we’re just a bunch of filthy criminals. You understand, right?”

Veronica suppressed her anger with a click of her tongue and returned to where she had been before. Leight’s leadership was impressive, and his presence was not just for show.

Trembling with the aftermath of the recent conflict, Ernesta looked straight into the red eyes in front of her.

“Clever My Queen, you are our bargaining chip. We want you to annul the alliance with Bral in exchange for your release. That’s all we want.”

It was the expected answer, but hearing it was a shock that split her body in two.

There were werewolves who hated humans to the extent that they would go to such lengths. Even though she knew it was true, when she faced the reality again, her chest throbbed with pain.

“…You should appeal through proper channels. I don’t think you’ll come out of this unscathed by resorting to something like this. Even Lord Kautsky would lose his hard-earned trust.”

To what righteous cause could they be clinging on to, rejecting human interaction to the point of sacrificing their own lives?

In Shenka, there is a parliament, and members can present their proposals. Kautsky was a member, and if he didn’t reach the process, it was only natural to recognize it as the will of the people.

Why can’t they understand each other? Ivan is suffering and struggling so much, acting only for the sake of the people.

“My Queen, I don’t need such a thing.”

Ernesta’s anger-like question was interrupted by a voice that felt empty. Kautsky stared straight at her with bottomless eyes.

“My son was killed in a country he went to as an envoy during the reign of the previous king. His head was exposed until it rotted, and when he returned home, only a single finger was sent back.”

The sound of someone swallowing thin air echoed in the darkness. Ernesta replayed his treatment, and at the same time, everything faded away. Blood drained from her face and ringing in her ears caused her a headache.

——That’s so cruel. So cruel.

“The people who carried out this plan, all had similar circumstances. Regardless of whether they were commoners or nobles, they moved for a single purpose, and as a result, were willing to lose their own lives… accepting it as an honor. They are a group that is crazy in a sense. Whatever you say, it’s meaningless.”

After saying that, Kautsky went outside. Veronica followed him, leaving only two people in the now-empty room.

“…I am pathetic.”

Leight didn’t say anything in response to her muttered thoughts. Knowing that his reaction wouldn’t prompt the continuation of the conversation, Ernesta continued speaking.

“I have no power or knowledge. I didn’t understand what you all were dealing with. It’s natural that there are different ways of thinking, but it would be good if I could gradually understand.”

Ernesta was helpless. Apart from her unusual birth, she was just an ordinary girl who grew up without losing important people, a commoner.

Nonetheless, ignorance is a sin. No matter how much we regret it now, the fact that we’ve lived without even thinking cannot be changed.

“If that’s true… If that really happened, then it’s only natural to hate. Even if I were Lord Kautsky, I might have done the same.”

There is no way she can do much for this country as mere substitutes. That’s why she never meddled in politics or took unnecessary tasks, as they would only cause trouble after her role was over.

What would Ermengard have done? She would have patiently spoken to those who had complaints and worked hard to gain their understanding.

She wanted to do the same. If possible, she wanted to support Ivan with all that she had.

“I want to understand the suffering that this country is going through. But even if I say that, it’s meaningless. I came here with the determination to do whatever I could do for you, but in reality, I can’t do anything at all. I just ended up causing trouble for you all and being of no use whatsoever…”

Ernesta held her breath and endured the burning pain deep in her eyes for a short while. Leight remained as silent as ever, listening to her expression of desperate thoughts.

“You’re very humble and brave. Is that what “he” likes about you?”

With a sudden, ironic tone, Ernesta lifted her face, which had been downcast until then. Leight’s intense atmosphere remained unchanged, but his eyes seemed to hold flickering flames.

“The day before yesterday, I saw you walking with Ivan. You looked like you were having fun… Both of you had natural smiles on your faces. I was happy, but at the same time, I was sad. If only you were a werewolf, we wouldn’t have to tear these two apart.”

His tone of speech was one reserved only for speaking about close acquaintances. Ernesta listened to his heart-wrenching words, feeling her initial doubts turn into conviction.

“But the paths have already diverged. The me who swore to support him at that time died in the summer nine years ago. No matter how sincerely you plead with me, my determination has not changed. Either I will see this country cut off from all human contact… or my life will end. Until either future comes, I will continue to act.”

Leight stood up without a sound. With a supple body that felt like that of a wild beast, he restrained Ernesta’s neck.

An impact wave that shattered the glass enveloped her entire body, right after that.