Chapter 57: The Sword Festival (4)

"So, Isaac, you're certain that Galenia Helmut is the traitor?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Hearing Isaac's words, Clarice pressed her lips together. His reasoning seemed logical in some ways.

In fact, she judged that it was quite likely to be true.

"Sorry, but I have a question."

Clarice deliberately pointed something out.

She didn't particularly want to argue against Isaac's opinion, given his current state.

But this was not a situation where personal feelings should come into play.

Especially when it involved Helmut.

Helmut was called the kingdom's "war deterrent," to the extent that even the royal family had to be cautious about provoking them.

That's why absolute certainty was necessary.

"Before the Sword Festival began, someone from Blackson came as a guest of Helmut."

"..."

"It was the eldest son of Blackson. But do you know what happened? Arandel personally killed him. Brutally."

Blackson had remained silent about it to this day. They also hadn't attended the Sword Festival.

Clarice crossed her legs and questioned him again.

"Right? Even with my brilliant mind, something feels off. It was strange that they came so openly in the first place. But if they were truly colluding, why would they kill him? To clear suspicion? Would they really sacrifice the eldest son for that? Blackson now only has one heir left."

Clarice voiced her frustration, but Isaac responded far too easily.

"You're misunderstanding."

"…Excuse me?"

"Galenia Helmut is a Transcendent. But Arandel is not."

"..."

Clarice fell silent for a moment.

Since Helmut was involved, it was natural for her thoughts to immediately connect to Arandel, causing her mind to freeze for a moment.

"That makes even less sense. If Arandel became a Transcendent, people could say, 'He betrayed humanity! He's plotting to overthrow the nation! It's a coup!' That would make sense."

The kind of words that should never come from a princess slipped out of her mouth without hesitation.

If someone had overheard, they would have been shocked, and strange rumors could have spread.

"But what does it matter if just one noblewoman becomes a Transcendent?"

"...She probably wants to save someone."

"…What? Who?"

Isaac finally felt like things were starting to come together.

In his past life, Arandel had died from an illness.

It was clear that, in one way or another, this was connected to the Transcendents.

Galenia must have turned to them in an attempt to save Arandel.

"Because that's the kind of family they are."

"Haa… In any case, that means you don't believe Arandel is a traitor, right? Well, that's a relief."

As long as their strongest warrior, Arandel, hadn't switched sides, the royal family had little to worry about.

Of course, a man's heart could always change depending on his wife's words.

But the fact that Arandel had killed Blackson's eldest son gave Clarice a clear idea of where his loyalties lay.

"We need to move quickly."

Clarice suddenly stood up from her seat.

"This will be the most chaotic Sword Festival ever."

The emotion in her violet eyes was something akin to anticipation.

Finally having a clear lead, she smirked and muttered to herself.

"If we're unsure, we could just stab them in the stomach. From what I've heard, Transcendents can regenerate from that much."

"…Princess?"

"I'm not joking."

Wasn't this the kind of situation where people usually say they're joking?

"More importantly, this is a serious problem. If humans can transform into Transcendents, there's no way to know who might betray us next."

"That process likely isn't so easy."

Isaac knew that no human had ever truly become a Transcendent.

He had encountered beings that were close, but never one that had fully crossed that threshold.

For example, Alois, who had been subjugated as a vassal.

Or the Grandmaster, a half-blood born of a Transcendent and a human.

Isaac suspected that Galenia's body had undergone some kind of transformation through sorcery.

"I really hope that's the case. I can't live my life constantly doubting every noble."

Clarice briskly walked past Isaac.

As a princess, she had preparations to make and her own ways of confirming things.

Left alone, Isaac took a moment to look around the garden.

Helmut's rose garden was always a magnificent sight. The vast grounds were filled with beautifully blooming roses, their thorns hidden beneath—truly befitting of Helmut.

"..."

A few nobles strolled through the garden, laughing and chatting as they admired the rare spectacle of the Sword Festival.

As he followed the fluttering butterflies carried by the fresh scent of roses,

He soon arrived at a familiar place.

A flowerbed where, like a mischievous secret, someone had planted a few violet lilacs among the roses.

And there, gazing down at them, stood Liana Helmut.

Due to the attempted assassination of Galenia, Liana's house arrest had been lifted, so it wasn't strange to see her freely moving about.

Though Liana was never particularly robust, she looked especially fragile, as if she might break at any moment after her confinement.

"..."

A single lilac had bloomed, defying its season.

Liana stood there, staring at it blankly.

"...Today."

Isaac wasn't sure how she had sensed his presence.

Yet, in a detached voice, she spoke.

"Will I be able to leave?"

Why wouldn't she turn around?

Was it guilt?

Or did she find herself pathetic?

Whatever the reason, she didn't seem to want Isaac to see her as she was now.

At that moment, Liana seemed smaller than ever before.

"You don't have to worry about the Sword Festival. I'll take your place."

"..."

"I'll deal with the pursuers, so why not head north? Silverna will surely—"

"Liana."

She had been deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Focusing solely on the lilacs.

But before she knew it,

Isaac was standing right beside her.

"What was our biggest problem?"

"...I— I did nothing—"

"Haha, I'm not asking so you can blame yourself. Let's just take a step back and look at the truth."

Liana clutched her chest, ready to shout, but the words caught in her throat.

The small smile on Isaac's lips resembled the lilacs before them.

"It was my incompetence."

"No, Isaac, that's not true."

"From the very beginning, Helmut wanted someone who suited them. And I was just a nobody."

"Isaac—!"

"I barely understood love. I didn't know how to express it. I just happened to charm an inexperienced noblewoman—"

"Stop it!"

Liana clung to Isaac's arm, her hands trembling violently.

"We loved each other… Don't say it was a mistake."

Hearing Isaac frame their love as if it were a sin, Liana pleaded desperately.

"…Yeah, I might have gone a little too far."

Isaac admitted it honestly.

The conversation had indeed taken a somewhat sharp turn.

"But, Liana, we need to see the truth. If I had been the son-in-law Helmut wanted—if I had the abilities they desired—we wouldn't have suffered like this."

""It's cruel to expect that from you."

"Maybe so."

A brief silence settled between them.

The warm breeze calmed the air, and amidst the scent of roses, the faint fragrance of lilacs wrapped around them.

"Why didn't you tell me that your mother brought Blackson's guests?"

He shifted the topic slightly.

When Isaac glanced at Liana and asked, her expression darkened again.

But this time, she did not hide it and confessed honestly.

"Because I didn't want you to be involved with Helmut anymore."

"...."

"I wanted you to leave quietly, start anew, without being entangled in anything."

Liana spoke as if releasing the emotions that had been welling up inside her.

"In the end, I made another mistake. If I had told you earlier…."

"Do you think Millie wouldn't have died?"

Liana didn't answer.

She truly believed that, and she was blaming herself for it.

"Did you kill her?"

Liana flinched.

It was the first time she had ever heard such a voice from Isaac, cold as ice, piercing her skin like a chilling wind.

"W-what…?"

"I'm asking if you killed Millie."

"No, but—."

If she had spoken sooner, maybe she could have saved her.

Isaac grew angrier at the silence filled with regret.

"Then what? I was the one closest to Millie. If anyone should have noticed something was wrong sooner, it was me. So, does that mean I killed her?"

"...."

"This kind of thing happened before, and I didn't suspect Millie back then either. Does that mean I am the one who killed her?"

"...."

"No. Millie took her own life out of guilt. The true culprit was your mother."

"…You're right."

Liana's voice grew small.

She acknowledged that her mother had done something unforgivable.

"Liana, don't say sorry to me and act as if everything was your fault. That only insults me as well."

"…Okay."

She apologized honestly.

"Helmut… is a place where the word 'love' doesn't belong. And yet, love is the very thing that has destroyed so much."

It was a sudden thought that crossed Isaac's mind.

Liana had been torn between her love for her family and her love for Isaac.

Galenia had loved her husband so much that she had allowed the Transcendents to interfere.

And Alois, in his forbidden love for his sister, had shattered Isaac's legs in a fit of rage.

"Liana, I won't ask you to turn against your mother."

Isaac spoke calmly, a warning laced in his tone.

"I know how cruel it would be to ask a daughter to raise her sword against her own mother."

That was the nature of family.

Love that defied reason.

People always put their own survival first, yet family was often the exception.

"But if you stand in my way—I'll cut you down too."

It wasn't a question of whether he could do it.

It was a declaration of how serious he was.

Millie's death had changed many things within Isaac.

Clenching her eyes shut, Liana could hear echoes of the past, like lingering regrets whispering in her ears, holding her in place.

[My dear Liana, you're so beautiful.]

[Hmm? A gift for Mom? Really?]

[You want to sleep with Mommy? Oh dear, but you have to keep it a secret from Daddy?]

A ghostly touch.

Such memories, ones that anyone might have, were among the few warm moments Liana possessed within the cold and desolate mansion.

[Why is my daughter so beautiful? Is it because she takes after her mother?]

[It's okay, even if he speaks that way. Deep down, he truly cherishes you.]

[A child who resembles a rose. More than anyone, a child as lovely as a rose.]

Drifting along the lilac-scented breeze, carried by the gentle wind, were the warm words of her mother.

[Liana, you take after me.]

And the last words—

[The way you cling to love.]

[Knowing that it will lead to your ruin, yet unable to let go.]

—arrived belatedly, piercing her heart like thorns.

Now that she knew what Galenia had done, the words "You take after me" weighed heavily on Liana's shoulders.

"Liana."

As she was sinking deeper into her thoughts, Isaac's voice called her back.

Liana snapped her head up.

In the short time that had passed, her face had become even more gaunt, burdened by concern.

"Don't be blinded by love."

A feeling of her heart breaking. It was as if something heavy had struck her.

Because—

If there was a reason the words resonated so deeply, it was because—

The person she loved most had just denied her love.

"You're right, Isaac."

Her breathing steadied. Slowly, the color returned to her eyes.

The moment the deep red hue of her irises settled—

There was no longer Liana Helmut standing there.

Instead, there stood the kingdom's next great swordsman.

The Blood Rose, the one destined to lead the next generation from the very frontlines.

"I won't stand idly by anymore."

"Liana."

"I lost you because I was ignorant and powerless."

It was an agonizing wound.

But wounds accompany growth.

When it comes to actions,

There can be many justifications.

For example—

She distanced herself from Isaac because her mother threatened her.

If she protected Isaac from her siblings, he would only be hurt even worse.

If she told him everything,

Isaac wouldn't be able to bear being a burden to her—

And he would leave.

She had swallowed it all.

But listing all these reasons, one by one, in front of Isaac—the victim—

Would be nothing short of an insult.

To justify an action with a reason—

Was the same as her mother.

"I was too greedy, wanting to hold onto everything."

Even if she didn't want to accept it, she had to.

"And so, in the end…"

As she finally opened her eyes to the responsibility she had turned away from—

She realized that the time had come to lose everyone she had ever loved.

Closing her eyes gently,

Liana accepted it.

"I lost everything."