You Said You Wanted Us to Break Up - Chapter 53

“You might think you were hated because you resemble your father, but some mothers love even the children born from fear.”

In reality, Lerisa cherished her daughter like her own life.

Even though it would have been much safer to simply hand over her daughter rather than instigate a rebellion, she never gave up.

While growing up in the arms of Lerisa and Hesen, Merwen had no idea what kind of tragedy she had come from. The love they gave her contained no impurities that could suggest a negative past.

Had she continued to grow up in their embrace, she would have remained unaware of Lerisa’s past for her entire life.

Recalling a smile as radiant as sunlight that she would never see again, Merwen spoke each syllable with emphasis.

“So don’t blame your father. You were hated just for being yourself.”

“……”

“I wish for your unhappiness in the same way. There’s no reason for it. Just because you are you, I hope you’re unhappy.”

These words were the exact opposite of the truth.

Even if all the misfortunes Sioden Raslet faced were mere coincidences, her hatred had its reasons.

Merwen deliberately hid that fact. Even a small reason could become a lifeline for her opponent.

She hoped he wouldn’t rationalize the pain he would face in the future with the logic that he had no choice.

With a smiling face, she cursed the man before her.

“You will make everyone you encounter suffer from now on. Misery is contagious.”

Her voice, tender enough to sound like a whisper of love, echoed in the room.

“Rather than living like that, you might as well just die.”

* * *

Merwen reached out toward Sioden as if pleading.

“I know you wanted to die.”

At some point, the man lost his light.

He wore a mask of normalcy when making friends and meeting people, but occasionally, a look of boredom unique to those who do not expect a future would reveal itself.

Even if he usually hid it, his true feelings would emerge when he felt the fatigue of life.

Merwen thought that bleakness was justified.

“It’s understandable. How unfortunate your life has been.”

There was no need to delve into his past.

Just looking at that withered expression, like a faded ruin, made it clear that his every day felt like a dark room devoid of any light.

Merwen pointed to the tower’s window with the arm she had extended toward the man.

“Rather than living like this, barely alive, let’s jump down together.”

Jumping from this height would mean instant death.

Still, considering the years they had spent face-to-face, she felt she could offer him that much.

It would also signify completely severing the Raslet bloodline in one fell swoop.

Ending all the suffering of living each day would be better than dragging it out, but the man, resembling his father so closely, did not agree with her.

He dismissed all her words and actions with a single word.

“You’re insane.”

With cold eyes, he scanned Merwen from head to toe and declared, “Once the trial is over, you won’t be able to step outside the territory even once.”

First, he had her confined within the territory, likely intending to organize things so that public opinion could not advocate for her pardon before executing her.

Having spent quite a long time with him, Merwen knew well how he handled matters. Once he decided to execute something in his mind, he would carry it out without fail.

Having said all he needed, Sioden turned his back. Merwen called out to the man as he strode toward the door.

“You’ll hold the trial and call Iella. You need to show her how hard you’re working and what your plans are for the future.”

It was something he had to do to persuade a woman whose heart had already turned.

Sioden said nothing. However, Merwen noticed that his hand, which gripped the doorknob, had stopped moving.

She was confident.

“But Iella won’t attend the trial.”

“……”

“You can believe me; my predictions never miss.”

Her intuition was always remarkably accurate.

Merwen silently declared another truth she had sensed.

One day, you will hang yourself with your own hands.

She kept that thought to herself. Having scratched at her insides, she knew that if she spoke it aloud, Sioden Raslet would do everything in his power to avoid that death.

She didn’t want that to happen.

The man did not look back at her until the end.

Soon, the sound of the door opening and closing echoed. Merwen lifted her head and looked around.

Perhaps dawn had just broken, as bright sunlight poured into the room through the window. Merwen approached the window with a light, dancing step.

She closed her eyes. The air was cold, but the sunlight remained warm, not losing its essence.

With the light on her face, Merwen laughed out loud.

It was a genuine laugh after what felt like an eternity, so long she couldn’t even count the years.

* * *

As she stepped into the hallway, Lisa was waiting for him.

Sioden spoke to the restless knight following closely behind him.

“First, we’ll confine her in the territory, and then we’ll execute her.”

If he were to consider it from his own heart, he would want to cut her down immediately, but the timing wasn’t right.

To behead Merwen, he first needed to eliminate the friends of Lerox. Otherwise, from the moment the execution was announced, he would have to bear their backlash.

Thus, to handle the matter cleanly, he needed to send Merwen and Lerox’s vassals back to their respective territories to disperse their power. The beheading would come later; he needed to execute everyone at once to prevent any rebellion.

Lisa, realizing the late omission of the subject, widened his eyes.

“Excuse me?”

It seemed Lisa thought Merwen was only detained for embezzlement. Sioden succinctly explained the situation so the knight could understand.

“She admitted herself that she was colluding with Rowen.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Didn’t you hear in the capital? There was a conspirator with Capren Rowen.”

He hadn’t thought the conspirator would be related to Merwen. To act as a spy for three long years, one would need many connections within the castle, but such individuals were few.

However, he had not found a suitable motive.

From what he observed today, it seemed there was no need to search further.

Reflecting on Merwen’s actions, Sioden issued an additional order.

“She seems out of her mind, so keep a close watch on her.”

Sometimes, a mentally unstable prisoner would take their own life before the trial began.

“Find a doctor who can write a certificate stating she’s sane.”

It would be troublesome if she managed to escape the situation by claiming she was mad and spouting nonsense. Whether she was insane or not, her head had to be cut off.

Lisa, who had been standing there dazed, followed behind him.

“What happened inside?”

What had happened, indeed.

Sioden paused for a moment at the knight’s question.

He replied, “She suggested we jump down together from the tower.”

“Excuse me?”

Lisa looked astonished.

“Your Excellency, what do you mean…?”

Sioden did not respond to the shocked knight and started to walk away.

The woman’s light voice echoed in his mind.

‘I know you wanted to die.’

Merwen had spoken the truth.

‘Let’s jump together; it’s better than living like this.’

However, that didn’t mean he had to comply with her words.

Sioden had seen people escape into death several times.

He still had no intention of falling to the same depths as them.

* * *

“Your Excellency has arrived.”

When I heard that from outside the door, I had just begun writing the first line of my reply to Iswen.

Apple, who was preparing the necessary envelope and wax once I finished writing the letter, turned to look at me.

I glanced down at the paper that only said “Dear” and then reinserted the pen into the ink bottle.

“Tell them to come in.”

Apple nodded and went to convey the message beyond the door.

Soon, Sioden entered the room. He looked around and said, “It seems you were doing something.”

His gaze fell on my desk, where Apple was tidying up.

Did he mean to ask what I was doing?

It was hard to tell if it was just a casual remark or a roundabout question since there was no direct request involved.

Regardless, if he was asking, there was nothing to hide.

“I was writing a letter to my brother.”

It was something I had intended to start but could no longer postpone.

Ah. Sioden sighed softly and apologized.

“I’m sorry for coming so suddenly.”

“It’s fine.”

Unlike him, who must be busy with various matters, I had done nothing at all.

Of course, I had intended to do something a moment ago, but sending a letter to Iswen would be considered trivial, if not nonexistent, in his eyes.

After finishing that level of conversation, there was nothing more to say.

As I stood quietly in front of him, I realized I had forgotten the basic courtesy of offering a seat to a guest. I had skipped that procedure while lounging in my bedroom, but now that I had come to the study to write a letter, I should have offered him a seat.

Just as I was about to say, “Shall we sit down now, even if it’s late?” Sioden spoke.

“The trial of Ethel is about to be held.”