Revolutionary Period – Black Rose (3)
When I came out of the mansion, the sun had completely set.
My subordinates seemed a little embarrassed by my appearance and the thick smell of blood, but no one dared to speak.
“I’m going back.”
“ancient!”
While riding a horse, I reached the central square of Lumière.
We encountered a man with a familiar face leading a group of people.
Maximilien Isidore.
The man who gave everything to the republic and democracy hardened his face when he saw my reflection illuminated by the moonlight.
After hearing about Christine’s attack belatedly, were you going to punish your former followers?
“…Marquis de Lafayette.”
“Representative Izidor.”
After a short silence.
Isidor slowly bowed his head to me.
“…I regret the unfortunate incident that happened to the Count of Aquitaine.”
“regret?”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
When I jumped off the horse, Izidor’s followers tried to block his path, but Izidor raised his hand to block them.
I walked over and grabbed him by the collar.
Even though his neat clothes become stained with blood, Isidor’s complexion, wearing glasses, does not change.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. “I’m sorry…”
I can’t stop laughing.
“Wouldn’t it be a shame if I blew off the congressman’s head right now?”
Isidor opened his mouth after a moment of silence.
“Those who harmed the peace of Lumiere and committed acts that should not be done as citizens of this country deserve to be judged according to the laws of the Republic. Me too, if necessary.”
Isidor’s eyes do not waver.
“However, if the Marquis cuts off my head without a proper trial, the Republic will judge the Marquis.”
“Ha…”
What’s so bold?
Why are you so proud?
“Maximilian Isidor.”
-I, Maximilien Isidore, the plaintiff, representing the citizens of the Republic, request that the defendant, the Marquis Pierre de Lafayette, be sentenced to death for the following crimes.
The one who denied my life and demanded death.
“Those who followed you and built up hypocrisy with you ignored the laws of the republic and harmed my people.”
-Oh, so since we’re in a civil war, attacking our own citizens is not guilty? Tell me, Marquis. Did the residents of that territory directly support the second prince and take up arms for him?
Over and over again, I recalled his words, which I clearly remembered in my nightmares.
“Tell me, Senator. Did Christine, Count of Aquitaine, break the laws of the Republic?”
You guys denied everything to me, saying it was justice.
“We, who compromised with you even giving up our territory, are the ones who attacked our old allies to protect your republic! My soldiers on the battlefield to protect this country! Have you rebelled against the republic?”
If that’s the case, at least you guys shouldn’t do this.
“say.”
Even though it’s not just, you shouldn’t have trampled on the justice you were talking about.
“If you have something to say, say it!”
Do something like that to someone who trusted me and placed their future with you!
“…Do you understand the anger of the Marquis de Lafayette-”
“Understand? Have you ever tried to understand me and my people?”
What price did we pay?
We gave up our vested rights.
Funds and food were provided to the collapsed republic.
I fought and shed blood for them, even abandoning my old allies.
“You, who have defined us as enemies and planned to drive us out just because we are nobles and have different opinions from you, dare to understand me?”
So have you ever given up anything to be with us?
“Did you say that the sacrifice of a few is heartbreaking and sad, but sometimes necessary for the sake of the whole?”
You believed that only you were right, and you labeled those who did not obey you as traitors.
“Through him, democracy will take root in this country and true reform will become possible.”
How important is that and how valuable is it?
“You who are convinced that only your beliefs are right and exclude those who stand in the way, claiming that they are necessary sacrifices, are more arrogant than nobles.”
You guys who have been discussing that belief are calmly committing things that shouldn’t be done.
“A self-righteous hypocrite who believes that he is absolutely right because he is not corrupt. “Can’t you see what those who followed you and thought they were awake, but who couldn’t admit that they might be wrong, did what they did?”
And then you keep spouting hypocrisy with your shameless mouth?
“In this country, there is neither the justice you sing about nor the cause you believe in.
“You are the ones who brought down the republic that was built so hard with so much blood.”
Isidor opened his mouth as if to say something, but the mouth that tried to move several times closed without being able to make a sound.
After a long silence, Isidor’s mouth opens again and he lets out a heavily suppressed voice.
“Even if that were the case.”
The look of exhaustion is evident on the face of a man who seemed to never waver.
“If we give up on making things right and destroy order, only eternal chaos will remain.”
I turned my head, laughing at Isidor’s words.
In the corner of the main square is the guillotine that ended my former life.
A tool for executing justice put forth by the Republic and a symbol of the order they established.
Revolution was inevitable in the old system, which had become so corrupt that it could not be saved.
However, if what was established after that was an order that could only be maintained by sacrificing all those who violated the justice they had set.
Must such a bloody order be maintained?
“If the order can only be maintained by doing things like this, it would be better to collapse.”
He turned his back, drew his sword, and pointed it at Isidor.
We sacrificed a lot to be together with the Republic.
To prove that we are truly with them.
“So prove it. “Is this republic truly worth protecting?”
So this time, you guys prove it.
“If you can’t. “If the justice you have been singing about and the freedom, equality and fraternity you promised to the people are all nothing but hypocrisy.”
He spoke as if chewing, suppressing the boiling anger that felt like it was burning inside his chest.
“I will stand at the forefront of destroying your order.”
–
next day. Rumors about Christine’s attack spread throughout Lumiere.
There was also a lot of talk about the brutal murder of 10 lawmakers and their subordinates at the Last Club.
The National Assembly was held, but for the first time, Maximilien Isidor was absent, and no member of the National Assembly mentioned the incident.
Rather, the entire National Assembly seemed to be terrified, and the members were more cooperative with us than ever before.
It wasn’t until two days later that Christine woke up, feeling helpless and bitter about the situation and feeling like her blood was drying up.
“…Christine.”
“Pierre.”
Although she looks gaunt, Christine is looking at me with her eyes properly opened.
Only then did I feel like I was breathing.
When she opened her eyes, there were many things she wanted to say, but none of them took the form of words.
After a period of silence, it was Christine who spoke first.
“…I heard you saved me. thank you.”
“No, you are in danger after all-”
“No.”
Christine flatly denied it.
“I brought this risk on myself. “Even though I figured out their plot, instead of dealing with them first, I waited for you to politically weed them out all at once when you came back.”
Christine, who took a moment to catch her breath as if she was still feeling tired, added.
“So this is my fault. “It’s not your responsibility.”
Her attitude seemed to alleviate my guilt.
…It seemed like he was trying to keep his distance from me.
I slowly walked over to Christine who was sitting on the bed and got down on one knee in front of her.
He looked straight into her deep, cloudy eyes, stretched out his hand, lifted her long black hair, and kissed her.
“…Pierre.”
It would be better if we restored the relationship that was connected in a formal way.
Then, will she try to lean on me a little bit?
“Shall we get engaged again?”
The always calm black eyes are trembling.
“…You’re telling a practical joke.”
Her eyes look like she’s going to cry, and she’s shaking because she can’t keep her normally calm expression.
Her mind and body must be exhausted.
I may also be too tired of approaching her cowardly and taking advantage of her condition instead of being considerate of her.
“…I’m thinking of handing over Aquitaine to Louis.”
Christine looked caught off guard, but could not deny it.
“I will wait until you come of age and hand over Aquitaine to Louis.”
We already know each other too well to not know that.
“So, I’m asking you to join me once I’ve returned the rights to Lewis as you wish.”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
Christine’s expression seemed either genuinely angry or sad.
The black eyes that had been shaking at my words sank very slowly but calmly.
“Are you planning on destroying Lafayette’s prestige? Or are you kidding me? Either way, I-”
“You alone are worth more to me than the prestige of Lafayette or the influence of the upper reaches of Aquitaine.”
Christine kept her mouth shut.
After a long silence, she reached out and touched the black rose brooch I was wearing on my chest.
An artifact to protect me that she personally gave me as a gift.
A slightly trembling voice asks quietly.
“Do you know the language of black roses?”
When I didn’t answer, she said.
“It’s farewell.”
After saying that, Christine’s eyes became completely cold and dull.
I made her like that.
In order to involve Christine in my plan, I urged her to take revenge on her for being betrayed by her family.
Even though I knew that she shuddered with a terrible sense of futility, I kept my distance under the pretense of respecting her wishes.
Instead of comforting her, I pursued a vain ideal that deceived even myself: that I would give her a better future by fighting for Franzia.
I slowly took off the brooch I was wearing on my chest.
Christine looked at me with emotionless eyes.
“Christine.”
“Please speak, Marquis de Lafayette.”
“So you don’t like me?”
The mask Christine was wearing was broken.
“If you really don’t like me, just reject me and tell me not to approach you again.”
Christine raised her hand and covered her eyes.
“That’s it. how.”
“If that’s not the case, please don’t reject me.”
Before returning, we had only had a few conversations.
Without even knowing what kind of person she was, she was betrayed and left to die at the hands of her family.
Christine, who was biting her lip, asks as if sighing.
“Why are you doing this? “I’m going to tell you how much more selfish I have to be.”
Saving her life is the beginning of everything I can do to change the future.
Everything I’ve changed so far has been done with Christine’s help. Every moment she worked for a better future, she was always top priority.
Anyway, actually.
Where can I find a better future if I let the person who is most precious to me live because he cannot die?
“…The black rose also had a different flower meaning.”
I don’t know if you really want me not to know or if you want me to know.
Did you think you wouldn’t wonder about the meaning of a gift from someone you like?
I looked at Christine, whose usual calm demeanor was completely messed up and her face was contorted, and spoke as kindly as possible.
However, he said it as if it were engraved.
“You are mine forever.”
Finally, tears flowed from Christine’s eyes.
“I am already yours.”
I slowly stretched out my hands and placed the black rose brooch I had taken off my chest onto her chest and asked her to do so.
“Would you please be mine too, Lady?”
I nodded and hugged Christine, who was collapsing, in my arms, shedding tears.
The sobs of the person who killed the family member who betrayed him and encouraged him to dance with tears in his eyes while smiling made my heart ache.
He apologized to her for not being able to save her before returning, and to the woman who was finally able to shed tears.
“…I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”
?
