Beloved Tyrant - Chapter 1

〈 Chapter 1 〉

1. Clown

It was already the end of winter.

“What do you want your last words to be?”

“Laius Tantal! I will continue cursing you even if I die!”

However, the dead cannot speak.

A death rower with a broken neck will fail to continue his desire of cursing Laius after his death.

The execution continued.

A cruel yet boring time ensued.

Aurest, who was sipping on wine, kindly asked

“Erin, you looked bored. Why don’t you go and rest?”

“My brother is extremely kind….”

I shook my head a little.

“But it’s alright. I wish to keep my eyes on the traitors who had committed such vile acts.”

“If you’re alright, then it’s okay.”

Aurest waved his hand to an attendant.

Understanding the meaning of the gesture, the attendant winked at the musicians which were waiting in the corner of the balcony.

A performance had begun.

As the flute’s tune began, a cry was heard from beyond the balcony.

It seemed that one of the condemned criminals had caused a disturbance.

The tune of the lute, faltered.

“I really am curious about who hired that musician.”

The face of the musician paled after hearing Aurest’s remark.

The hand’s of the lute performer, who missed a beat in front of the Crown Prince, will be cut off before the end of the day.

My heart chilled.

I leaned on Aurest’s shoulder with a chuckle.

“It was just one mistake, they say it’s a virtue to forgive a mistake up to three times, so please let it go this one time.”

“I wonder who my sister takes after being so good at heart?”

Aurest hugged my shoulders, pulling me into his arms.

There was a strong scent on his chest, but there was also a smell of blood which could never be erased.

“But Erin,”

Aurest pointed to a place under the balcony.

It was where the executions were taking place.

The executed were the ones who plotted the revolt.

“They only made one mistake. Should we forgive and give them a second chance?”

I shook my head.

“Never. Two chances are a luxury for traitors.”

“Exactly. So, should I give that musician a second chance?”

Your Highness views starting a rebellion and making a mistake in a performance the same?

It would be great I could be sarcastic like a Court Clown is.

But I was not a clown, I was a princess and must behave gently like a princess should.

“…I’m not sure.”

“There is no second chance, the first time determines everything.”

I closed my eyes and buried my face in Aurest’s chest.

Aurest clicked his tongue and patted me on my shoulder.

“It’s a problem that you’re so weak-minded. If you’re not feeling well…”

Cutting off his hands would be far too much, giving him a beating would be enough,

“…an execution is a bit too much, so let’s just end it with cutting off his hands.”

My brother never stops surprising me as time passes, I want to stop getting surprised.

“Both of you, stop talking and come here.”

My father narrowly saved the musician by calling us.

The highlight of the execution had come.

Aurest got up from his seat and walked towards the balcony’s railing.

I stood next to him.

There were four people who were being dragged out of a wagon.

They were all members of the ducal house of Lowenthal.

The middle-aged woman who stood in the front was the duchess, Batolia Lowenthal.

Where did that strong woman go and why was there only a gaunt looking person left?

She looked more like a corpse than an alive human.

My eyes met hers.

Her black eyes were burning, similar to a fallen comet.

It burnt brighter than ever before as it was nearing its end, and it was even hotter because the fuel that lit it alabze was life.

I paid a brief tribute to the women.

It was the only thing I could do.

Batolia’s gaze turned from me to Aurest, followed by my father.

If her gaze were a blade, my father would have become minced meat by now.

If it were a spear, his body would have been pierced by millions of spears and he would have died.

If it were the wind, it would have been torn to pieces.

My father, who had been killed countless times in her imagination, was still standing and wearing the crown of the Emperor’s.

“Batolia Lowenthal, beg.”

The most powerful person in the world finally opened his mouth.

“Get down on your knees and beg. Tell me of the sins you have committed because you were blinded by your greed for power. Tell me all that you regret to have done.”

There were no traces of emotion in his low voice.

“If you do that, who knows? I might be merciful.”

However, you could see the white joints and tendons on the black of the emperor’s rough hands which held onto the balcony’s railing.

“Regret?”

The cracked lips of the Duchess twitched.

“Listen to me if you have ears. If I had a second chance, I would do anything for your downfall.”

Batolia was now smimling.

“If given a third chance, I would join hands with the devil for your destruction, and if given a fourth chance, I would sell the souls of the mortals of this world to destroy you.”

All her words fell like lightning bolts.

“Even if I fail every single one of those attempts, I will never regret it.”

The dukedom of Lowenthal revolted against the empire under the leadership of the Duchess.

It was on the basis that the tyranny of the Emperor and Crown Prince would no longer be tolerated.

Many people were sure the rebellion would be successful.

The public had long turned their backs against the emperor and many powerful nobles sided with the dukedom.

And although very few people knew this, there was a direct descendant of the imperial family who had been on the side of the Duchess.

Nonetheless, the revolt had failed.

The people closed their mouths in front of the blade, nobles surrendered and the Dukedom of Lowenthal was to end today.

I turned to the people who were behind Botalia.

The Duke had fallen in battle, so only his children and the Duchess were standing before the guillotine.

The blond man who was shaking his left leg was the heir and the lady with black hair who had her head held high was the second born.

And then, the person with the neatest appearance out of the four.

He was the youngest son of Botalia, the greatest general of the family, the blue knight of Tantal, and the noblest sword of Aurest, Tristan Lowenthal.

During the revolt, he was fighting on the western border to protect the empire of Tantal.

He was not a traitor.

He had been dragged out simply because his family had committed treason.

As if he wanted to see Tristan’s death as close as possible, Tristan grabbed onto the railing and leaned forward.

I wanted to push him off.

However, even if he fell, from the height of the second floor, you would not die but end up looking ridiculous.

Then my neck would be broken by an angry Aurest.

That’s how it was for me, all I had was shallow favour which could be lost at any moment.

I didn’t want to die like that.

So, I cooperated with the Dukedom of Lowenthal.

If things went as planned, my father and brother would be behind the guillotine and the Lowenthal family would be here.

And by now, I would’ve been smiling as I rode a horse on the southeast coast whilst the sun set.

Regardless, the rebellion had failed, and the Lowenthals will all die today.

We had failed.

I’ll have to live my entire life sucking up to my father and brother in order to not meet such an end.

We failed.

Have ‘we’ really failed?

No.

It was the Lowenthal family which failed.

I did not fail.

The people of the Lowenthal who died today will not get a second chance.

But Erin Tantal who will be alive tomorrow will get one.

Think.

Think of a way to kill Lauis Tantal and Aurest Tantal.

Think of a way to not meet such a damned end.