For the heart - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16

Lillien glared at Nina and shouted.

“What if you can’t keep your promise? Whether your body is torn into a hundred pieces or a thousand pieces, you still can’t even offer your life!”

Nina remained completely unmoved by Lillien’s outcry. Instead, she spoke with an even firmer voice.

“If I fail to bring back a declaration of submission from the King of Nortanica in this campaign, I will step down from my position as Captain of the Arsed Order and return to being an ordinary knight. Of course, even as an ordinary knight, I will still serve Arsed…”

Nina paused for a moment and lowered her gaze. Because of this, no one noticed the fury raging within her.

Soon, Nina composed her emotions and slowly raised her eyes to look at the Emperor.

At his daughter’s cold blue eyes, the Emperor felt his spine tremble for a moment.

It felt like memories he wanted to forget were resurfacing.

Memories of that day that must never be revealed.

The brief silence was broken by Nina’s continued response.

“…I will still take the lead and sacrifice my body as always.”

The Emperor, Empress, and Lillien who were watching Nina were momentarily speechless.

They knew that for her, who had no power as a princess, giving up even her position as Captain would be no different from abandoning everything.

A heavy silence settled over the Audience Chamber at Nina’s firm resolve.

As if knowing what result would come if that silence continued, Lillien approached the Emperor and knelt down as if collapsing.

“Father, please. Okay? I don’t want this. And lately I haven’t been feeling well, so I need a skilled Healer too.”

“I plan to end the remaining wars as quickly as possible. The Arsed Order is also very tired from the long war.”

As soon as Lillien’s plea ended, Nina pressed forward, saying she would quickly end the future wars.

The Emperor, seeing his daughter’s pitiful face as she even grasped his hands tightly, spoke with displeasure.

“Fine. If you fail to bring back the declaration of submission, I will demote you to an ordinary knight.”

“Father!!”

At the Emperor’s permission, Lillien jumped up and screamed.

“This is for the Empire, Lillien. You should stop acting like a child too!”

“Ah, Father…”

Lillien was speechless at the first rejection she had ever received from her father and the fact that she had been treated like a whining child in front of Nina and Casian.

The Emperor, sighing deeply at his daughter’s appearance, stood up as if he couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

“To be so tired from morning reports.”

Though it was a request from his beloved daughter, on the path to becoming a great emperor who would unify the entire continent, a little girl’s whining was not something worth indulging.

“Such a stubborn thing. Coveting something so trivial.”

The Empress, who had been looking at Nina with disapproving eyes, glanced even at Casian, whom she referred to as “something trivial.”

Then she turned her head away as if disgusted and followed behind the Emperor.

Lillien, left alone in the Audience Chamber, glared at Nina with her chest heaving from rising anger.

“You think you’ve won against me? You think everything is going your way?!”

Nina simply watched Lillien silently as she screamed.

“Yes, enjoy yourself to your heart’s content. After all, you’ve practically proven that this is all you can do to beat me.”

“…”

“Without that horrible body of yours that never dies, you can’t do anything, can you?”

Here we go again.

Lillien constantly insulted Nina by bringing up her immortal body and missing heart.

Though it had long since lost its impact, today a hollow laugh escaped her.

“That’s rather disappointing coming from a princess who will inherit the throne.”

“What?!”

“No matter how much you hate me, that horrible body you mentioned is one that received an oracle and is devoted to serving Arsed. Don’t you think insulting me like this is the same as insulting all the knights who have sacrificed their lives for Arsed?”

“…”

“Lillien, it seems you’re not cut out to be a wise ruler.”

It was the first time. Nina, who had always accepted her vicious words with silence, was now not only arguing back but mocking her.

It felt like being stabbed deep inside by an unexpected attack.

Flustered, Lillien’s lips trembled as she blinked rapidly.

Nina turned away from Lillien and spoke to Casian, who had been silently watching the sisters’ confrontation.

“Since His Majesty has given permission, Duke Montregger should prepare to depart in ten days. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

“You!”

As Nina turned to leave, Lillien’s voice stopped her.

“Even when the entire continent is unified, you’ll just be Arsed’s weapon. Even without wars, you’ll be used for endless monster subjugation, suffering for life. Oh, and if Desmorak continues his research on casting spells on monsters, you’ll have to test those too. Unfortunately, since you have no heart, you can’t die even if you want to!”

What a truly horrible and miserable life.

Nina listened to Lillien’s mocking words to the end while turned away, clenching her teeth until her jaw ached.

Even if the oracle was false, it was an unchanging fact.

But she had no intention of living such a life anymore. Now that she knew the oracle that had forced her to be used as Arsed’s war weapon was a lie.

At least she would not tolerate insults about her future life being decided arbitrarily.

“Lillien.”

A low voice flowed from Nina as she slowly turned toward Lillien.

She had only called out a single name, but the dignity contained in that short voice was heavy.

Lillien flinched and widened her eyes at the cold blue gaze looking down at her.

“You’ve always insulted my existence, but you’ve never once brought me down.”

The corners of Nina’s mouth curved up gently.

“In words, in actions, and in existence itself.”

“….”

“And I’ll continue to do so. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t spout nonsense about my future life as you please.”

Lillien bit her lower lip hard and glared at Nina while trembling with rage.

“No! Don’t be mistaken. You and I are fundamentally different beings! Duke Montregger said so too. There’s always a distinction between nobility that must be protected and things that merely exist.”

Oh my. It seems I’ve caused a misunderstanding.

Casian responded by slightly raising and lowering his eyebrow.

“How could I not know the difference in existence? There’s always a distinction between nobility that must be protected and things that merely exist.”

These were the words he had said to Lillien when she asked for healing on the day she had wounded Nina’s arm with her brooch.

Anyone would know which was the more noble existence worthy of protection between a princess who threw herself into the front lines with her body and a princess who dressed up daily and only looked in mirrors, but he was certain Lillien would never understand.

As if proving that certainty, she had made an embarrassed face and even blushed.

He had inwardly mocked the princess’s self-centered thinking that unconditionally assumed she was that noble existence. Who would have thought it would come back like this.

Casian suddenly became curious about what expression Nina might be looking at him with.

Would it be an angry face, or perhaps one trembling with betrayal?

When he turned his head to look at Nina, his momentarily troubled heart became deflated.

She wasn’t even looking at him, and her expression showed no disturbance, no different from usual.

As if she had never been interested in what he thought of her in the first place.

Though they had formed an alliance from the beginning solely for each other’s purposes, Casian somehow felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Lillien became even more enraged and screamed at Nina, who stood staring at her with a face that showed no impact from what he had just said.

“In the end, I’ll become Emperor according to the oracle, and when I become Emperor, you’ll live even more miserably than now! I’ll make sure of it, so just wait and see!”

Nina looked at Lillien, who was screaming while clenching both fists, and let out a snicker.

That oracle is a lie, though.

“Sure. Do that. But Father would be very hurt if he knew you spoke of becoming Emperor while His Majesty is still healthy. It sounds like you’re hoping Father passes away soon.”

“Wh-what?!”

“Well then, I’m really leaving now.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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