Chapter 282

The aftermath of war was always complicated, but the Grand Duke and Duchess were constantly busy deciding the fates of the empire’s key figures—an order that had stood for six hundred years. Especially when it came to great nobles with countless vassals, there was far too much to weigh.

Many predicted that Duke Ganielo would keep his position, and some even speculated his status would rise further. As for the other great nobles, most would likely lose their names.

Around the time Nerys’s morning sickness finally eased, Duke Elandria and his son were captured and brought to White Swan Castle. Surprisingly, Valentin had escaped from Carten some time ago, and her whereabouts still hadn’t been discovered.

Unlike with Abelus, Cledwyn didn’t ask Nerys to see them. He went down to the dungeon alone, taking advantage of the time when his wife was out walking with Diane.

“Did you follow the instructions?”

He asked the guard at the dungeon entrance, who answered dutifully.

“Yes. As you ordered, the father and son are imprisoned where they can hear each other’s voices but cannot see each other. The Duke has been gagged. Oh, and the daughter of the Wells Family as well.”

“Good.”

“But the son’s condition is strange. He doesn’t respond to anyone and just keeps crying.”

“I’ve been informed. Make sure he stays alive. Don’t worry about it.”

‘For His Highness the Grand Duke to speak to me like this!’

The guard looked moved. Cledwyn patted him on the shoulder and, satisfied, entered Nellusion’s cell.

As autumn deepened, the cold stone walls and floor made you shiver even standing still. The only light was the dim yellow glow of torches seeping through the bars. The only furniture was an iron bed with a heap of straw, meant to keep the prisoner from freezing to death in his sleep.

Nellusion Elandria sat in that place, crying.

The beautiful silver hair the siblings had once boasted about was filthy and stained. The old prisoner’s uniform was thin and ill-fitting, barely covering him. The elegant, confident young duke was nowhere to be found.

At the sound of the door opening, Nellusion glanced over, and when he recognized Cledwyn, confusion crossed his face. Cledwyn scoffed at that expression, so different from what he’d seen in Camille’s secret room.

Cledwyn stood with his back to the door and looked down at Nellusion for a moment before muttering,

“What did she ever see in you?”

In his previous life, Nellusion had lived more dignifiedly than this. But was that enough to earn her love?

Nellusion looked at him blankly. Of course. It wasn’t as though he could be expected to understand.

To Cledwyn, Nellusion Elandria was ugly, low-born, insidious, weak, and cowardly trash. Some might say the standard was himself, but—

‘My wife’s standard for a man is naturally me.’

Thinking that shamelessly, he suddenly had an epiphany.

‘My wife is too kind.’

Yes. That was why she treated even someone like this—this trash—like a human being, with respect.

She couldn’t imagine that some people could pretend to love you, then use you.

Gentle, kind, fair to everyone. A noble angel…

And so on. The thought wandered for a long time. Anyone else would have doubted their ears if they knew what was going through his head, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t as though anyone could hear his thoughts.

And even if they could, he still wouldn’t have cared.

Nellusion asked, trembling,

“G-G-Grand Duke. Wh-Where, where, where is this?”

“Grand Duke?”

Nellusion casually used a title that might be spoken between equals—or, if one were to be precise, someone of a status comparable to the former Abelus. As if he himself stood above a duke.

Like a king, or a crown prince…

Cledwyn’s eyes narrowed. Only then did Nellusion notice his Ja’an, and his eyes widened.

“What? …Grand Duke, does His Highness the Crown Prince know about this situation? My, my sister… Ugh.”

Stuttering as if he couldn’t think straight, Nellusion grabbed his head and groaned. Cledwyn clicked his tongue, and at that moment—

A voice that shouldn’t have been heard in this prison rang out.

“What are you doing?”

Cledwyn flinched and turned. Nerys stood beyond the bars, eyes narrowed as she looked up at him. Her expression said, ‘I know exactly what you’re thinking, so tell me everything right now, and I might go easy on you.’

“Where’s Diane?”

“She agreed it was suspicious that you let Di and me go for a walk alone so willingly, and went to Lord Joyce. I’ll ask again. What are you doing?”

‘Damn it.’

Cledwyn clicked his tongue inwardly. Nerys’s gaze slid past his shoulder and landed on Nellusion’s face.

“Nerys…? Nerys, how? I thought you were dead…”

Nellusion jumped up and lurched toward them. Cledwyn lifted an arm to block him, so Nerys would see as little of that ugly face as possible.

Behind him, Nerys sighed.

“I see what you were trying to do. Step aside.”

There was no way to refuse. Cledwyn stepped aside, but he didn’t let her enter the cell. Who knew what might happen?

Nellusion stared at Nerys for a long time. Then he stood there as if rooted to the floor before bursting into tears.

“Nerys, Nerys. I was so sad when I heard you were dead. You’re alive.”

“Yes. I’m alive.”

It was clear Nellusion was confusing memories from his previous life with this one. Was it a side effect of being present when the Power of Pheros was released? Nerys seemed to realize it from his strange behavior, and she replied with cold honorifics.

Nellusion shoved at Cledwyn, trying to force his way out. When Cledwyn blocked him, Nellusion raised his voice in protest.

“Step aside, Grand Duke. Do you think the Elandria Family will stand still if you treat a prince like this?”

Now his voice was clear, without a hint of stuttering. Cledwyn glanced at Nerys, who was watching Nellusion with unsettling interest, and thought he was doomed.

It was fine for her to see Abelus. He wanted her to feel relieved. He wanted her to see that bastard brought low and say everything she’d wanted to say.

But Nellusion…

Didn’t she love him?

He knew the current Nerys loved him. Even so, he didn’t want her to so much as glance at Nellusion. He hated it.

The two men waited for Nerys’s reaction. Cledwyn waited for her to slap Nellusion across the face. Nellusion waited for her to order them to take him out.

After a moment, Nerys smiled.

A calm, ice-cold smile.

“Nell Oppa, is that really you? Nell Oppa?”

“Yes, Nerys. What’s going on? Is that really you? What’s with that look? I’m so glad you’re alive. Please get me out of here, Nerys. It was all a misunderstanding. Now the time has come. The time for us to be happy together.”

“Excuse me? The time for us to be happy together?”

Nellusion’s eyes shone with eagerness. The words poured out smoothly, as if he’d practiced them for a long time.

“Listen. It was unavoidable that I declared independence while you were in the Empire. I opposed it to the end. At least while they believed you were a hostage, the Imperial Family wouldn’t kill you. See? You’re alive and well.”

The corners of Nerys’s lips lifted a little more. Nellusion pleaded, affectionate and earnest.

“Let’s go together. You’re an Elandria too. Let Valentin stay with His Highness the Crown Prince since she’s desperate to become the Crown Princess Consort. I’ll sneak you out. Let’s go to our country and live as royalty. Our family will all live happily together.”

“Ah… but will everyone want me?”

“Of course. Of course. How much credit do you think you deserve for us becoming a royal family like this?”

Cledwyn was so dumbfounded he nearly tore Nellusion’s throat open. What kind of oil did he have in him that let him spout such nonsense without blinking?

Nerys chuckled. After staring into Nellusion’s eyes for a long time, she said softly,

“You’re still saying things not even a dog would take, just like you always did, Nellusion.”

Nellusion looked as though he couldn’t believe his ears. Nerys stepped back and smiled—absolute and cruel, like a goddess in a pagan scripture, yet strangely gentle.

“Valentin came to kill me with Joseph, and you didn’t know? I must have looked stupid enough to believe that. My life must have been that foolish. And surviving like a bug even through that war… it’s disgusting.”

Now Nellusion looked like he didn’t even know whether he was breathing. Cledwyn glanced at the guard outside and, as calmly as possible, said to his wife,

“It’s not good for your health to stay in a place this filthy for long.”

“I suppose not. But I want to leave with you.”

“Alright. Then say what you have to say to him.”

Nerys shrugged as if to say, ‘Do as you please.’ Cledwyn turned to Nellusion and growled,

“I know you’re confused, but there’s no reason to be considerate, so open your ears and listen. Your family has all been captured. No—your viper of a sister escaped. But how long do you think someone like that can survive without servants and maids to protect her?”

Nellusion’s eyes trembled, then drifted to Nerys’s stomach.

“Your mother has been dragged off with the Wells Family’s leftovers and locked up elsewhere, and your father is imprisoned separately. Normally it wouldn’t be enough to execute your entire filthy family… but I’ll spare you because my wife is from your family. One person. Only one person will be spared. Your sister is going to die no matter what because she dared lay a hand on my wife, but one of you three will live.”

“Wife? What are you—”

“Can’t you see? Decide. Who will be the only one to survive? You? Your mother, who loves you so much she scraped together everything left of her family for you? Or your father, who cherished you as his successor?”

“This is ridiculous…”

“The decision and the execution are entirely up to you. You were kind to my wife at the academy, weren’t you?”

The meaning of entrusting the execution was clear.

If you want to live, kill the rest of your family yourself.

Nellusion let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re out of your mind.”

Cledwyn shook his head, almost pitying.

“What made you think I was sane?”

He couldn’t forget his wife’s face as she died in his memories. Whenever he thought of what she’d gone through, he wanted to scream at everyone who had tormented her.

You have to keep standing there.

You don’t have the right to cry that you want to get out.

Just suffer there. Strangle yourself, let blood leak from your eyes, swing your sword until you fall on your own, and wallow in the mud because you have no legs to stand on. Let it at least resemble atonement for the suffering you started.

But even your death won’t be atonement, so what should I do?

Even if someone like you is beaten to death, the lamb you killed won’t come back to life.

“Then I’ll combine the rooms soon, so do your best.”

Cledwyn patted Nellusion on the shoulder once and left.

As they left the dungeon, Nerys half in her husband’s arms, she whispered,

“Are you really going to make Nellusion kill the other two?”

“Of course not. The other two heard everything Nellusion said. If I combine the rooms, they’ll torment each other, but no one will die easily. And I have no intention of leaving anyone alive.”

The Elandria Family had long killed innocent people to feed their ambitions. Nerys nodded, thinking the verdict was right.

“Alright, then.”