Chapter 43

Finally, the last chapter of the Renaria arc. From the next chapter, it will be in normal mode.

When Renaria realized that Lucas had failed, it was immediately after he returned in high spirits and reported that he had caught a woman. She praised Lucas for his success and prepared tea, then retreated, humming a tune while considering the woman's fate.

Should she strip her of her status and exile her from the country?

Or perhaps sell her to slave traders or brothels?

The Kingdom of Sandis is generally peaceful, but not entirely. There are some bad places.

A woman who has been defiled and toyed with would have no proper prospects for marriage. The higher her status, the more devastating the rumors would be.

With Albertina gone, the fiancés of the target characters, starting with Vivian, are the most likely candidates for the next condemnation. It would be perfect for practice.

The elated Renaria did not notice the hand reaching out from behind.

By the time she realized, she was roughly pulled by the hair, thrown to the ground, and gagged. Then, her hands and feet were tied and she was dragged roughly.

In shock, she saw a person she had never seen before.

What a beautiful person.

She was shaken to her core. A paralyzing sweetness spread through her.

Though there was an age difference, it was more than made up for by his overwhelming presence and otherworldly beauty. His lustrous ash-brown hair and prominent forehead. His intelligent willow eyebrows and cool eyes, shadowed by long lashes. His gem-like eyes were a pale blue. His straight nose and slightly thin lips wore a seductive smile.

The attire he wore was a refined dark blue mantle, a white coat and trousers with elegant embroidery, and a gray vest. A small brooch was pinned to his chest—though Renaria did not know it, it was a medal related to his rank and commendations. Even though she did not know much about men's clothing, she was struck by the extremely sophisticated impression.

His movements were graceful, and he was a remarkably handsome and distinguished young man.

She had seen many noble young men at the academy, but he stood out as the most refined and dignified among them.

While being restrained by the knight he had brought, she initially tried to seek help from Lucas, but the moment she saw the beautiful duke, she could only see him.

He was the Duke of Latitche.

Kistaria's stepfather and Albertina's father? Him?

It was hard to believe that he had a child of the same age as herself. He was tall and slender, with a handsome profile that did not betray his age. She was so captivated by his beauty that she could not tell.

Grahl von Latitche.

In the "Fall in Love" series, he is one of the most difficult characters to攻略 (conquer).

After completing all the character endings, he can be encountered at the academy, palace, or social gatherings with a certain probability. However, the timing and order of the key choices are random, and all parameters must be significantly raised. It takes selecting the ability inheritance function and repeating the process many times to even have a chance to meet him.

Moreover, he has a high rate of death endings. Not for him, but for the heroine. Sometimes she is attacked by a mob girl who is infatuated with him, or caught up in the schemes of someone who hates him, or executed for some vague reason, or expelled from the academy.

His unpredictable thought process and extremely difficult conquest have led to him being called a demon king or hidden boss.

Strangely, Albertina does not get involved in his events. The unusual conditions for conquering him have limited the number of people who have succeeded, and the number of attempts is in the hundreds, even surpassing the number of reloads. The key to conquering him is said to be indomitable spirit, determination, and luck.

However, his overall stats are head and shoulders above the other characters.

Some say that he alone can support a country.

According to the brave souls who have conquered him, the heroine, who becomes the second wife of the Latitche family, is doted on and treated like a princess. However, it is rumored that she feels a darkness when it is mentioned that not only her stepson Kistaria but also her biological daughter Albertina was casually sent to another family, as mentioned only in the text.

However, the many who are deeply in love with Grael, who dotes on just one person, have many core fans. The difficulty is too high for experts, and Renaria, in her previous life, could not conquer him and gave up halfway through.

I want him.

Because I am the heroine. This world exists for me. As the heroine, Renaria Dace, I am the one who deserves to be by his side.

Though not well-versed in high society, Renaria knows that the Latitche family is a prominent one. They have vast wealth, and his wife's position is currently vacant. After Albertina's mother, Latine, was driven to suicide by Albertina, Kistaria deeply hates Albertina.

Renaria had forgotten.

At the academy, many men danced to her tune, easily falling for her sweet words and her superior knowledge of the game.

She could handle the differences, but she never imagined that Kistaria would have feelings for Albertina that were the complete opposite of hatred.

His intense attachment came from love and doting, and his hatred was directed at Renaria.

Kistaria's mother is still alive and gets along well with Albertina, often sharing tea. The duke dotes only on his beloved daughter. When Albertina accepted Kistaria and Latine, the duke did not neglect them. There was no trace of the family conflicts seen in the game.

Kistaria, calm and gentle, was the most beautiful step-sister. A delicate and fragile person with childhood trauma, she was a woman whose weaknesses were endearing.

Renaria naturally thought that Julius, too, was one of the people Albertina had tormented. She had no idea that Julius, far from shunning Albertina, was a man with a passionate desire to kidnap her with his own hands. His admiration, lust, and reverence were all hidden behind the mask of a servant, and he would joyfully act on Albertina's wishes—far from being a lifeless doll. He was a flesh-and-blood young man who had cherished a high-born flower since childhood and was determined to make her his.

Furthermore, Renaria did not know that Micaelis, whom she thought had no connection, wrote letters to Albertina as often as possible. They had a deep bond from their childhood encounter, and despite being born into a noble family far above her, he had fallen deeply in love with the innocent and kind girl, a love that grew stronger with each passing year. He was willing to offer his sword and more if she asked, if she allowed it. The meaning of the kusudama on the sword, which Renaria, an uneducated country noble, could not understand, was a deep sentiment. She did not realize that he had already chosen a woman in his heart—she had no idea that this was the notorious villainess, Albertina, that Renaria believed in.

And above all, that Grael doted on Albertina.

Renaria had no idea what cruel thoughts were running through Grael's aqua-blue eyes as he gazed at her in rapture.

He would never whisper love to Renaria.

The dream of foam was cut short by blood.

A dull thud as a part of a human body rolled.

A splash hit her nose. A streak of light appeared in Renaria's blue eyes—she soon realized it was not light but a transparent and strangely phosphorescent sword.

The young nobleman who had been begging for his life just moments ago was now a silent presence.

The red carpet was stained even more, and the torso rolled weakly. The body was still twitching slightly, as if it were still alive. Blood continued to pour from the neck.

"Show it to the prince."

"As you wish."

In response to Grael's words, Julius picked up the blood-soaked head, wiped the face quickly, and placed it so that Lucas could see it well. Renaria, who was nearby, could see it clearly.

At the sight, she turned pale and gagged, unable to suppress her nausea. She vomited, and Julius, noticing, glanced at her but immediately returned to his work.

She could not even look away, her eyes wandering vacantly. Blood spread on the silver platter.

Lucas turned pale at the dead face. The person he had been talking to just moments ago was now in front of him, a result of his own actions.

Another young man, crying and screaming, was thrust before Grael. He was beheaded again, as easily as before. Like a cheap toy.

Blood splattered the carpet, staining Grael's leather boots and the hem of his trousers.

The head was placed on the silver platter again.

Lucas's bright emerald eyes grew darker and darker. Fear and guilt were eating away at his heart. Renaria watched this dully.

Her mouth was left with an unpleasant sourness, and her stomach and throat felt uncomfortable. Wiping her mouth, she tried to focus on the beautiful things she liked, pushing the ugly severed head out of her sight.

She straightened her back and looked at the beautiful duke with the white blade and the prince who was on the verge of falling into terror.

After all, Duke Grael is much better than Lucas—

I won't be killed.

Because I am the heroine, Renaria Dace.

I won't make mistakes. I have seduced many men in the game and in this world, and I was confident that I could conquer Grael, even if he was said to be unconquerable, as long as I could meet him.

She stared at Grael, wanting him to look at her. But he did not look at her for a long time.

Lucas looked at her a little, but not at Renaria.

Suddenly, Grael seemed to notice something and raised his face. His smile changed, not the cold, unreadable one but a soft, blooming one.

"—Father!"

"Yes, Albertina."

How sweet the voice that called his name was.

Grael turned to the voice's owner, ignoring the dead bodies, the panicked Lucas, the waiting Renaria, and the people waiting to be executed, as well as the teachers and students who were watching in anticipation.

As if there was only one person in his heart.

Without even a glance at Renaria.

His gentle, sweet baritone voice was filled with affection, even though he was facing away.

His outstretched hand was slow and careful.

Renaria, who had been crouching on the floor, watched in a daze.

No, no, no. Albertina cannot be loved. Only Renaria should be loved.

Grael responded to Albertina's earnest words. For a while, the people around her were tense, watching the sudden arrival of the young girl with a mix of caution and hope that she might save them. After a while, it was Grael who unexpectedly gave in to Albertina's plea. The air stirred.

The one-sided execution, which she thought would continue until the end, was stopped by Albertina's words.

With his beloved daughter's appearance, Grael's interest in the people already there seemed to disappear, and he quickly left, leaving the cleanup to his stepson Kistaria, as if there was nothing more important than Albertina.

Those who had participated in the commotion were given a severe warning and placed under house arrest.

It was not a reduction or pardon, but the opposite.

The ringleader was a royal, and the victim was a respected man's daughter. Moreover, it was a complete miscarriage of justice.

It was said that the matter would be followed up and reported, but Renaria was taken to a cell before she could return to the dormitory.

The person who pushed her in was not a knight or a gendarme, but someone in a dark outfit.

The eyes that were slightly visible were extremely