Why Do You Meet Me Only to Hurt Me (4)
The heart of one who prays to a god that abandoned them—do you know it? Lips bitten until they bleed from rage, hands clasped in prayer trembling with hatred and denial. Even so, he prayed every single day.
In other nations it might be different, but at least in the Mines Kingdom, the goddess was real. That was why the Saintess held higher status than the king who ruled the kingdom. Because the goddess existed. Through the Saintess who borrowed the goddess’s power, the kingdom enjoyed bountiful harvests every year, and those who harmed it suffered the goddess’s wrath. That was why people believed in her with all their hearts.
Yet even knowing the goddess truly existed, Teodore von Frost hated and resented her with every fiber of his being.
Goddess, you who truly exist—why did you cast out my own flesh and blood?
She was a child so precious he would have felt no pain even if he held her in his eyes. On the surface she acted strong, but in truth she was tender-hearted. Even when a servant betrayed her, she couldn’t bring herself to punish them and simply forgave. She embodied the mercy you preached so fervently. She trained herself through relentless effort. She was a child who knew how to love others.
So why… why did you choose that woman instead?
Did her hypocrisy blind your divine wisdom? If not, what exactly about her pleased you?
In truth, there had been only one reason Teodore von Frost joined the imperial delegation this time.
Just once. He wanted to see his little sister again. It was the desperate grasp of a drowning man. But at the same time, part of him had already given up.
Ten years had passed. There was no way that child could still be alive.
Even so, he had clung to the tiniest sliver of hope—no, a wish closer to lingering attachment—and come all this way.
And then, astonishingly, a miracle appeared before Teodore’s eyes.
She wore the empire’s military uniform, a mix of gray and black. Beneath the neatly worn military cap, white hair like spreading roots whipped wildly in the wind. One hand casually tucked in her pocket, the other holding a cigarette to her lips—she looked nothing like the sister he remembered.
Yet even after ten long years, no matter how much she had changed, Teodore von Frost recognized her at a single glance.
She was his little sister, Lana Frost.
His heart nearly stopped. Bone-deep longing and a chest burned black with grief moved his body of their own accord.
He wanted to pull her into his arms right then and there. There were so many things he wanted to ask.
Did it hurt? Are you injured anywhere? Are you eating properly? Why have you grown so thin?
But above all else, there was only one thing he desperately wanted to say.
Thank you for surviving.
He wanted to tell her that.
Unfortunately, before Teodore could embrace the sister he hadn’t seen in ten years, the single sentence she uttered froze his body like a broken machine.
“Who are you?”
His blood ran cold. It felt as if ice, not blood, flowed through his veins. The chilling sensation pierced his lungs. Teodore twisted his lips and barely managed to speak.
“……What?”
“Who are Zaid von Bahamut, Crown Prince of Mines, and Lord Teodore von Frost?”
What? Who is who?
Naturally, she only knew the list of delegation members. She didn’t know their faces. This wasn’t a world with photographs or newspapers, after all. So the only inspection she could perform was to check the list verbally and verify the imperial-issued passes.
Thanks to the Mines Kingdom flag, she had immediately recognized them as the delegation. But that didn’t tell her their exact identities.
Moreover, she was Wolfgang Leonhardt, not Lana Frost. Even if she wanted to recognize him, she couldn’t.
But from Teodore’s perspective, unaware of that fact, there was only one way to interpret this.
Don’t tell me… she’s pretending not to know me.
Because I failed to protect you back then. That’s why you resent me.
While Teodore stood completely stunned, it was Zaid who answered in his place. As the representative of the kingdom, he could not afford to make a mistake here.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Zaid von Bahamut, Crown Prince of Mines.”
“Ah, yes, Your Highness. From now on, I will escort—”
“Captain~!!”
“Galina? How did you…?”
The voice that should never have been heard left Wolfgang visibly flustered.
Galina had desperately tried to stop him, insisting the captain didn’t need to come personally. She had been so annoyingly persistent that Wolfgang had ultimately ignored her and flown here at full speed. With her speed, she shouldn’t have been able to reach this place in such a short time. How on earth had she found him?
The answer appeared soon enough.
“Zaid, Crown Prince. I believe I gave you a clear warning.”
“The successor of the Frost Duchy is not permitted.”
All because the emperor had suddenly appeared.
He appeared without warning. As if he had sprung up from the ground itself.
An iron crown devoid of any gaudy ornamentation. A man with black hair and ruby-red eyes—he was the one called the Iron Blood Emperor.
Raypen von Bahamut.
The sudden appearance of the emperor left not only the knights but even Crown Prince Zaid stunned. Why would the master of the empire appear here alone?
It was certainly strange. No matter how strong he was as the Vendetta Legion’s second-in-command, Raypen knew his position within the empire well. He never moved alone unless absolutely necessary. Even when busy, he always took Black with him. Yet now he had come alone, as if some urgent matter had arisen.
Upon confirming Raypen’s arrival, Wolfgang immediately saluted him. This was an official setting; he had to show proper respect as a subject to the emperor.
“Loyalty.”
“Leonhardt, you’ve worked hard. Even having to protect the likes of them.”
“Are they not the kingdom’s delegation? No matter how poor our relations may be…”
“They broke their promise.”
His icy gaze turned toward the kingdom’s delegation, who were squirming like insects in the darkness. But Zaid met it calmly, as if he had been expecting this.
“I do not understand what you mean, Your Majesty.”
“Did I not make myself clear? The next archduke cannot be allowed.”
“Yes, you certainly said so.”
“Yet that man stands before me now. How do you explain this?”
For nearly a month and a half, the two nations had engaged in fierce negotiations, pushing and pulling. But there had been one condition the empire absolutely refused to yield on.
It was the inclusion of the next archduke—or more precisely, Teodore von Frost—in the delegation.
The kingdom had tried desperately to gain the empire’s approval, since excluding him would halve the delegation’s purpose. But Emperor Raypen von Bahamut had not given an inch.
He stepped in front of her as if he were a shield protecting Wolfgang.
“Did you think you could appeal to mere sentiment, Crown Prince Zaid?”
“……!!”
“How pathetic. It makes me laugh.”
At the emperor’s mocking laugh, Zaid bit his lip. His scheme had been exposed completely.
Despite the empire’s opposition, the sole reason he had brought Teodore along was this: if Wolfgang Leonhardt truly was Lana Frost, he intended to use Teodore to persuade her.
Teodore von Frost had been one of the few who had protected Lana Frost. Because of that, he had earned the archduke’s displeasure and still had not inherited the title. Moreover, Lana Frost and Teodore von Frost had shared an exceptionally deep sibling bond. Therefore, Lana should not harbor any ill will toward him.
But that did not mean he could openly defy the emperor of the empire.
Just as Zaid was about to explain his reasoning, someone grabbed his shoulder.
“Teodore?”
“I will explain this myself.”
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
“Of course.”
In truth, he was not alright. Being resented by his only remaining blood relative was more painful than he could have imagined. But he understood. He understood it all too well.
It was fine if she resented him. He could accept her hatred.
He was simply grateful that she was alive.
Before coming to the empire as a delegate, Teodore had already steeled himself. He was prepared to give up everything to find his sister. And without hesitation, he spoke his resolve aloud.
“Your Majesty, did you not say that only the successor of the Frost Duchy was not permitted?”
“……Don’t tell me……”
“Yes, that is correct. I am no longer the next archduke.”
He had no certainty. In fact, the chances were higher that it wasn’t true. Even so, for the faintest thread of hope, he had given up everything he had left.
“I hope my answer satisfies you, Your Majesty.”
He had abandoned all that remained.