Episode 69: Severe
Destroying the Crown Prince.
Dethroning Fedelian Rozino.
Of course, it might involve the bloodshed of many nobles, and the aftermath could bring tremendous upheaval to the Empire.
Even so, it was something that had to be done, no matter the cost.
“…Then may I take it to mean that you don’t mind me becoming Yohan’s second?”
Rudella struggled to hide her emotions, pressing her lips tightly together. Her eyelashes and fingertips trembled slightly. She felt her heart pounding fiercely in her chest.
It was anticipation.
“Yes. Honestly, I really don’t want to, and I’d prefer to refuse…”
Francia closed her eyes, exhaled deeply, and shook her head.
“…But there’s no more perfect way to bring down the Empire’s small sun.”
Francia recalled the memories of her previous life, where she had been utterly crushed by the Crown Prince.
Not only did he annihilate the House of Fervache, but he also completely destroyed the Empire.
Her father, the Duke Fervache, had lost his life to him, and countless others had shed blood under his tyrannical rule.
If she missed this opportunity, everything might return to that same nightmare.
“…Alright.”
Rudella smiled faintly. She had succeeded in persuading Francia. Now all that was left was to take action and find her way into Yohan’s arms.
“Tomorrow, my most trusted aide will bring the evidence.”
“The one who accompanied you today?”
“Yes.”
Francia narrowed her eyes.
“…Can that person be trusted?”
“They serve the Bismarck family, but I come first for them.”
“I see.”
As this was a major matter, suspicion couldn’t be completely dispelled, but Francia decided to trust Rudella’s assurance. She knew her aide better than anyone else.
“One last question.”
Francia locked eyes with Rudella. Her crimson eyes stared intently at her, as though piercing through her very soul.
“…Do you truly love Yohan?”
“Yes.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Rudella answered immediately.
“To me, Yohan is irreplaceable. He’s the one who taught me so much and the first person to stir my heart.”
Rudella pressed her lips together firmly, her gaze unwavering as she looked at Francia. Her unwavering eyes showed no sign of hesitation or doubt.
Even Francia could see that her feelings were pure. Like freshly fallen snow on a day of first snowfall, unblemished and untouched. Like a child pressing their footprints into it for the first time.
“…Let’s end this conversation here.”
Francia asked no further questions. If she delved deeper, her emotions might become an entangled mess, like a knotted thread she couldn’t unravel.
“Thank you, Lady Fervache.”
Rudella was simply grateful to Francia for allowing her to become Yohan’s second.
***
At that moment, Yohan was in his private study, sipping tea.
Quite some time had passed since Rudella had gone to meet Francia, but there was still no word, suggesting the conversation was dragging on.
‘I don’t know how this will turn out…’
Yohan clenched his fists in nervousness. His palms were damp with sweat, and he felt as though his heartbeat was echoing in his ears.
He had wanted to be present to hear the discussion, but Francia had firmly forbidden it, insisting that matters between women should be resolved by women alone.
Thus, Yohan waited quietly for their conversation to conclude.
“Haa…”
He let out a deep sigh, filled with worry.
To be honest, he sincerely hoped Rudella would succeed in persuading Francia.
He couldn’t simply stand by and let someone who had found a place in his heart slip away.
Though he hesitated to admit it in Francia’s presence, the more he thought back on that day, the more he realized he had come to like Rudella.
Not everyone might feel this way, but men often found themselves drawn to those who showered them with affection, rather than to the ones they liked first.
Perhaps women were the same, but Yohan wasn’t sure, and he decided not to dwell too much on it.
Regardless, he had fallen for Rudella. He liked her unwavering, blind devotion, even to the point of risking her life for him.
He liked how she smiled and blushed at the smallest things, how she openly showed her feelings of excitement and nervousness without hiding them.
‘I’m a hopeless case…’
Yohan found these emotions both sweet and terrifying. Exciting yet unsettling, as he feared being swept away by these unfamiliar feelings. The weight of his emotions rested heavily on his heart, leaving a tingling ache.
Though he had lived for a good forty years, including his previous life which ended during his school days, he had never experienced such feelings before.
In his previous life, his good looks often garnered the affection of female classmates.
Now, in his reincarnation, his flawless appearance earned him the title of the “Trophy of the Social Scene,” and noblewomen’s attention was unceasing.
But… despite receiving countless advances and endless affection, he had never felt this kind of tremor, one that seemed to shake him from deep within.
That was why Yohan accepted Rudella’s feelings—not out of mere pity or compassion, but something far more genuine.
Knock, knock.
“Sir Yohan, Lady Bismarck has finished her conversation and has stepped out.”
While Yohan had been staring into space with a serious expression in his study, a servant brought him the news he had been waiting for. He had asked to be informed when she was ready to speak with him.
“I’ll head out immediately.”
He had been waiting for this moment. He needed to know how the conversation had ended. Rising from his seat, Yohan left the study.
Led by the servant, Yohan arrived at the mansion’s lobby, where he saw Rudella wrapped in her coat, glancing around.
Yohan was certain—she had been looking for him before she left.
“Lady Bismarck.”
“Ah, it’s you.”
As soon as Rudella saw Yohan, a shy smile graced her lips. Her eyes softened, brimming with emotion, as she gazed at him.
“…Shall we talk outside?”
“Alright.”
Yohan opened the mansion door, and Rudella tightened her coat and followed him out.
The cold air rushed in, but it didn’t feel particularly harsh.
At the mansion’s main gate, Yohan glanced around to ensure no one could overhear them, then finally spoke.
“Did the conversation go well?”
“It did.”
Rudella gave a small nod, smiling faintly.
“You can hear the details from Lady Francia, so there’s no need to discuss it here. Right now, I’d rather talk with you… about the things we haven’t been able to discuss.”
She spoke casually, though her heart was pounding heavily.
She had grown accustomed to these emotions and no longer avoided eye contact or flushed uncontrollably like she used to.
Yet, standing before him still made her heart race. Her chest ached pleasantly, filled with anticipation.
“I’m glad everything worked out.”
“I feel the same—so relieved.”
Rudella’s soft smile lingered as she gazed at Yohan. Emotions spilling from her eyes without restraint.
Her gaze felt overwhelming…
“You’ll no longer have to worry about this anymore. Things turned out as Lady Bismarck wished.”
Yohan said, his voice devoid of emotion, even slightly cold. Worried she might misunderstand, he quickly added,
“…Of course, I didn’t accept Lady Bismarck’s feelings out of pity or sympathy. It wasn’t a reluctant decision.”
Her blue eyes locked steadily onto Yohan.
“Are you worried that I might get hurt?”
“I’m not exactly worried…”
“Even over the smallest things, you’re so kind.”
Rudella chuckled softly, her brows lifting, and her lips curving upward slightly.
“No matter what kind of feelings you hold for me, it’s okay. Even if they are pity or sympathy, I don’t mind.”
The smile on Rudella’s face refused to fade.
She was fully aware of how selfish her feelings were—confessing her love despite knowing it would burden him and likely go unreciprocated. Yet Yohan had accepted her.
“So, please don’t feel burdened. Whatever you decide, I’ll always be happy. From the moment you acknowledged my feelings, I was already content.”
Because of this, she harbored no complaints about how he viewed her. She was simply grateful for the present.
“If you put it that way, doesn’t it sound like I’d use you and abandon you later? Do I seem that kind of person to you?”
“Oh, no! That’s not what I meant…!”
Yohan’s low, subdued tone made Rudella hasten to explain herself, fearing she had been misunderstood.
“I just wanted to say that I didn’t want to burden you. I would never think to belittle you…”
Her voice grew quieter as her hands fidgeted nervously in the air. Her sky-blue eyes quivered faintly.
“I understand.”
Yohan smiled faintly. He knew now that Rudella had no ill intentions.
She was simply clumsy in her approach.
“But this isn’t good.”
“…What do you mean?”
Rudella cautiously raised her gaze, observing Yohan’s reaction. Her fingertips curled slightly with anxiety.
“This behavior of yours.”
Yohan said, continuing to speak as he stared at her intently.
“A relationship between people should not be one-sided or defined by dominance and submission.”
Rudella tilted her head slightly, her expression puzzled.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.” Yohan affirmed.
Looking at her, he continued, “A one-sided relationship fails to respect the other person. Without respect and consideration, relationships accumulate conflict and dissatisfaction, eventually breaking apart.”
The absence of mutual respect.
“A relationship must involve equal communication to endure. If the balance tilts and one side holds all the power, it leads to emotional isolation and dissatisfaction.”
The Importance of balance and equality.
“In such a case, I would inevitably cause Lady Bismarck stress. Over time, that stress builds up, leading to pain.”
The unsustainability of such relationships.
Even outside of romantic relationships, this principle applied to friendships as well.
“I see…” Rudella nodded slowly, her expression serious as she rubbed her chin, her brows furrowed in thought.
“I assumed it was only natural to relinquish control to you since my feelings were one-sided. That seemed fitting for the one with desires in the relationship…”
To her, relationships were nothing more than a power struggle to gain what one desired. Yohan’s perspective felt unfamiliar.
“…But that’s not how it should be. This isn’t a transaction or a negotiation, is it? I accepted your feelings because I genuinely like them, and you, in turn, chose me because you like me. This is about sharing our feelings with one another.”
Rudella blinked quietly.
To her, relationships had always been transactions of emotions. But in such transactions, “love” was excluded.
Sharing, on the other hand, was about exchanging affection.
“Sharing… I see.”
“Yes.”
As she slowly nodded, realization dawned, and a gentle smile spread across her lips.
“By the way, did you just say you liked my feelings?”
“…I did.”
“Is that so… then you like me as well.”
A blush spread across Rudella’s face as she smiled shyly.
Truthfully, she could hardly believe this moment was real. It felt like a dream. To hear those words from him—the first man she ever truly liked—felt unreal.
“And from now on, please call me Yohan.”
“…Your name?”
“Yes. Surely, you can’t call me ‘you’ forever.”
Yohan scratched the back of his neck with an awkward smile, feeling inexplicably clumsy in this situation.
“Yohan… Yohan, is it?”
Rudella smiled and took a step closer to him. The distance between them shrank. In the cold air, she could feel the warmth of his breath.
“Please take care of me from now on, Yohan.”
Then she took another step closer, rising slightly onto her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek.
“…!”
The unexpected gesture left Yohan wide-eyed in surprise.
Her red lips slowly parted from his cheek, leaving a faint warmth in the cold night air.
“I like you.” she whispered.
Her eyes sparkled with unwavering sincerity.
“Truly.”