CH 129

“…Berylia.”

I didn’t know what was happening.

This was an unfamiliar bedroom, and the man who had just stabbed my chest with a sword was in front of me.

What’s more, he was wearing only a gown, showing his chest. In his hand, he held a cup engraved with the emblem of Aktoum.

…Why wasn’t I born as a baby?

‘Am I dead?’

‘What the hell is this?’

‘Why is this terrible human being in front of me…!’

My body was shaking like crazy with the afterglow of death, and I was still weeping.

Seeing that face, Rixus’ own face was horribly distorted.

“…It’s fine…”

When he was about to reach out a big hand towards me, I reacted sensitively and instinctively counterattacked.

Krreee–aaaaah!

In an instant, hundreds of ice pillars broke through the floor and rushed up to attack him terribly.

Rixus evaded like a beast on the verge of being bitten by the nape of his neck, but he was forced to retreat in a series of attacks.

Chaeeng–!

He did not retaliate to the end, even though there was a sword hanging on the wall. Instead, the glass he was holding was smashed.

Thud! Rixus’s back slammed hard against the wall.

I reluctantly drew the decorative sword and pressed it against his neck.

Rather, I felt my own throat strangled by this fear, despair and anger.

‘Why am I still here…?’

A low sobbing leaked out of my throat, a raspy voice.

“…that’s enough.”

I cried, as if pleading with tears.

“It’s time to stop. I died as you wished!”

I disappeared because he said I wasn’t worth living.

After killing me like that.

After trampling me with such miserable words… Was it not enough?

“…….”

Rixus looked at me with crimson blood dripping from his cheek. With an expression that was as if a sword had been stabbed in his heart.

He never took his eyes off me, even during the intense attack.

I didn’t know what Rixus was thinking.

However, I would rather be abandoned by my mother.

It was more comfortable to be treated like a monster and abandoned in the swamp than to face the Rixus who killed me right away.

Rather, the swamp was my resting place.

Compared to the current situation.

“Your Majesty the Queen!”

Just then, the door opened and the guards and strangers poured in.

I glared at them swiftly.

But, among those unfamiliar faces, there was only one person… I saw a familiar face.

A man with gray hair and a pair of glasses. It was a face I knew very well and trusted.

He spoke in a calm tone that was never exaggerated.

“Calm down, Your Majesty.”

It was Duke Orléans.

“Draw back your power. Everyone is afraid.”

Like a boat on a calm lake, Duke Orléans urged me in an unwavering manner.

It was then that I saw the faces of the guards and maids who were terrified.

“…….”

I stared at Rixus’ face and slowly pulled the sword that was holding him down… and placed it back very, very slowly.

Like if a counterattack occured, I would be ready to strike back right away.

It was an atmosphere where the people around me were letting go of the tension by just a little bit.

Only, except for Rixus.

“Your Majesty, this Orléans will serve you. Come here, please.”

“……Don’t go.”

“!”

Like a hedgehog with thorns and cowering away from him who was trying to catch me for a moment, I reacted sensitively and flung my hand.

“……”

At that moment, indescribably deep emotions filled his blue-purple eyes.

But I didn’t know what that feeling was.

Soon, I followed Duke Orléans as if running away from the room.

Without letting go of vigilance until the very end.

My back was itchy.

His tenacious, dark gaze was biting the nape of my neck.

* * *

“I’m married to ‘Rixus Aktoum’…?!”

In my room, Duke Orléans made an unbelievable statement.

I listened to him without changing clothes, only covered with a blanket.

It was the most absurd thing I had ever heard in my seven or eight years of life.

“It’s true.”

Duke Orléans calmly explained what had happened.

Rixus came to propose to me one day.

My choice was to accept his proposal for Spinel.

And I worked hard to make my place in Aktoum,

Not long ago, I even had a wedding with Rixus Aktoum.

“…I can’t believe it.”

“Everything is true, Your Majesty. There may be a part that I missed after hearing the news from Spinel… but.”

“….…”

“I told you exactly what I know.”

“…Okay.”

I shrugged and shook my head quickly.

I had to sort out this chaotic situation precisely.

Duke Orléans did not know my secret, and I had no choice but to deduce what he left out.

‘I wouldn’t have gotten married just for Spinel.’

Maybe I thought it might be a chance. An opportunity to change the future.

…Berylia from the past, once again had an absurd hope.

But it seemed she eventually lost her memory for some reason.

Seeing her 8th life’s memories cleanly reset.

I moaned softly and touched my forehead.

‘…She did something crazy.’

Now it felt like the worst choice for me. This situation happened with him and her in one bed, clad in a damp, torn dress.

‘Even with all her memories lost!’

At that moment, Duke Orléans cautiously spoke up.

“…Don’t you remember anything at all?”

“Yes. I’ve lost all my memories except for the things in Spinel.”

Spinel. All my life was the same anyway, so it was as if I remembered it.

The only thing that has changed was that I handled the kingdom’s affairs a little more skillfully than I did in my 7th lifetime.

The problem was that the future had changed. From the moment since I met Rixus.

“Duke Orléans, tell me everything you know.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Duke Orléans explained everything I had done so far.

‘I was trying to convince Johann?’

Even research materials are meticulously organized and prepared.

I guessed I wanted to bring Johann to the side of pacifism and put him on my side.

‘Still, I must have acted stupidly in Aktoum.’

Considering the atmosphere between the two countries, marriage was by no means impossible, but since we had come this far…

So, was I successful in changing the future?

I listened to everything Duke Orléans had to say.

“Okay. You may leave.”

“…Your Majesty, I will call a doctor.”

“Not required.”

“Your Majesty’s condition now…”

“I won’t say it twice. Get out.”

I was a little sharp.

It was the sensitivity that any human being who had just died from being pierced by a sword would have had.

Now, there was no time for treatment or anything like that. Right away, I had to find out just how far this plate I had made was going.

“Simply telling him that I lost my memory.”

I wanted to hide it from my enemies in case it could become my weakness,

But right now, there was no way to hide that fact, and it was decided that this was the best thing to do.

However, I ordered him not to give too many details.

Duke Orléans eventually withdrew with a sullen face.

He asked me to tell him if I changed my mind, leaving a note that he could call a doctor at any time.

“Hah…”

Finally left alone, I sighed deeply and lowered my head.

When I raised both hands, my fingertips were still trembling.

The afterglow of death did not go away.

In this situation, I encountered Rixus, so I… I was very surprised.

‘To meet the man who just killed me again.’

All this while, after meeting such an end with Rixus, there was the time when I returned to a child and did not see him.

Those times acted as a kind of cushion for me.

Time to offset fear, hurt, and shock.

So, in any lifetime, when I met Rixus again, I was able to act like a dignified monarch.

But not this time. It felt as if a truck hit at full speed before the shock of death could even go away.

However, in the meantime, there was a strange face that kept coming to mind.

“……Don’t go.”

The face of Rixus who grabbed me earlier… Strangely, the thought of that face made my chest throb.

There was no reason to feel sick.

‘…Strange.’

Did my body remember?

Why did I react that way?

I hurriedly opened the drawer and went through my belongings.

I have always had a habit of taking notes. I came here to change the future, so I must have planned something carefully.

Surely there would be traces of it.

Just as expected. I found a small notebook. I quickly checked the contents.

It contained the events that I knew.

There were traces of writing, erasing, and editing, but the final contents were as follows.

1. Fireworks Festival

2. Birth of Morpheus

3. Spinel ‘Melphius’ Invasion Incident

4. The Lunar Eclipse of the Red Moon (Blue Rose)

Until the third incident, there were traces of strikethroughs.

I was able to guess what it was about because it contained my memo habit.

I guessed I wanted to predict whether the future ‘blue roses’ would bloom.

‘The third has already happened.’

So what about the blue roses?

Had it not happened yet since there was no sign of it?

I got up from my seat with strong doubts and looked at myself in the mirror.

From the thighs under the torn skirt to the exposed arms. There was nothing.

‘Maybe in this life… Was it successful?’

‘Does that mean I don’t have to die now?’

I could tell even if I didn’t remember how hard I had worked in the past.

In the end, did I become the victor by overcoming that heartbreaking fate?

The hands that were taking off my clothes quickened.

Swshh—

The dress fell to the floor.

And the moment I found the blue roses clearly blooming on my shoulder.

My heart was torn once more like the ragged dress.

‘Ah…’

‘Berylia.’

‘You failed so horribly and you lost your memory!’

‘This time, hope was bigger and more desperate, wasn’t it?’

‘I see it’s been ruined even more terribly.’

‘Isn’t this worse than the 7th life?’

I collapsed helplessly and gripped my shoulder.

The trembling that engulfed my whole body never stopped.

…And I couldn’t get up for a while.

* * *

“Her Majesty has lost her memory. It appears to be a temporary phenomenon.”

“She lost her memory? …Tell her I’m coming right now.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen is unstable. Please give her time.”

Rixius had to suppress his desire to go find Berylia.

It was the words of Duke Orléans who knew her well.

Besides, she had the expression that she was surprised to see him earlier… 

The eyes that showed extreme fear like a small animal on the verge of losing her life.

Her breath smelled of fear.

Thinking about it, it was hard for him to be stubborn. He was afraid Berylia would have a hard time.

“Damn it! Please go out. Take good care of Berylia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“If anything happens, report it right away.”

Duke Orléans bowed, doing an act of courtesy, and went out. Left alone in the room, Rixus felt like his heart was burning.

She lost her memory after the night.

The crazy thing about it was that he didn’t know what the hell happened to her during the night.

Because she slept in his arms.

“…Berylia.”

‘What the hell are you going through?’

Rixus got up with bloodshot eyes and walked towards the wall. And he slowly pulled off the sheet.

Swiiik–

A painting that had been mounted on the wall appeared.

It was a picture of a lady wearing an old-fashioned dress.

The ‘Portrait of Madame Artingus’.

It was the holy relic that Ires brought last night.

The woman’s ivory cheeks and emerald-colored eyes gave a somewhat mysterious feeling. It felt as if she knew all the past.

To the very deep past.

Now, it was time for Rixus himself to know everything.

“…….”

Rixus slowly placed his hand on the painting.

Then something surprising happened.

Hah—

The woman in the picture looked at him with a sigh, blinking her eyes.

She smiled at the man who woke her up.

[Hello.]