360 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 360 Louisa still remembered that day. No, she could never forget it. The saddest day of her life, 24 years ago. "—Louisa, never forget your mother." That familiar, tear-streaked face looking at her with a haggard expression. Her mother. The queen was being taken away by people who didn't even know her identity, yet her father, who held the empty title of king, couldn't stop them. "—You must forget, Louisa." He only held her, offering words that contradicted her mother's plea. As a young girl, she couldn't comprehend what had happened. She only cried and caused a scene upon hearing she'd never see her mother again. Her father, who left her in the capital, returned much later. That night, he hugged his child who sought her mother and wept all night long. "—I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Louisa. Your father is truly sorry…." After that day, the Empire's Eastern Wing King neglected his duties and drowned himself in alcohol. For young Louisa, coping with this reality was almost impossible. Her gentle mother had vanished, and her once kind father no longer showed interest in her. From then on, Louisa wandered around the palace as a troublemaker, and their once-perfect family fell apart. Then one day. Amidst days that felt as fragile as thin ice, a change occurred. "—How much agony must you endure." An old man with a gentle demeanor. A clown summoned by an overly loyal retainer to cheer the disheartened king. But the elderly clown performed a miracle before them. "—A chance to set all twisted things right will come." A grand wizard, thought extinct in this era, extended their hand to them. "—Soon, the time of prophecy will arrive. When our wishes are fulfilled, the imperial household, the emperor, will pay the price." "—And on the day that it descends…." At the time, Louisa didn't understand his words, but she vividly remembered her father wore a gleeful expression for the first time in ages. From that day, her father quit drinking and began smiling, actively engaging with the outside world. The mischievous young princess, perceived to have a talent for magic, started her education under the mage. Time passed, and as Louisa grew curious about the past. Her mentor revealed the truth of that day to her. "—The queen…." Her mother, wrongfully accused, was executed upon the orders of the current emperor who wished to solidify his position as crown prince. Her only 'sin' was being the sister of another prince, a rival to the emperor. This turned father and daughter's fate upside down. Moreover, her teacher shared a shocking revelation she couldn't have imagined. "—Your father, the Eastern Wing King, carried out his wife's execution." Apparently, he had done so to prove his loyalty to the crown prince. Naturally, Louisa initially thought it was a lie. But soon, she recalled the image of her father receiving the imperial messenger on that tragic day. "—How could I hesitate in executing a traitor implicated in rebellion?" She hadn't understood then, but the memory was etched sharply in her mind. And now she understood what it meant. The tenuous relationship between father and daughter ended that day. "—Why! Why did you do it! Just why!!" She screamed like mad, while her father, for once, wasn't smiling. After a long silence, her father spoke in a heavy voice. "—…It was your mother's wish. For you and our family…." "Don't make me laugh!" Those words didn't persuade Louisa. By then, she already knew. The couple loved each other so deeply that their arranged marriage seemed unbelievable, and they cherished their daughter immensely. Had her father not done it, the head of the Eastern Wing household would have immediately changed. Yet, even if she understood it in her mind, her heart couldn't accept it. In the end, Louisa uttered words that drove a nail into everyone's hearts— "You abandoned mom just so we could live!!" Afterwards, the father and daughter only talked concerning official matters. A long time passed like that. By the time the Eastern Wing King was known as a heartless husband or cunning royalty, and the princess became a mysterious magician mastering ancient magic, the time foretold by the prophecy finally arrived. The evidence of an era without gods appeared, and the power to change fate was confirmed. But then. "—The royal family has drawn their swords. All elders should prepare to seclude themselves." Again, would they hide and wait for the right time? 'I can't allow that!' Having let her endless rage simmer since that day, Louisa had no intention of stepping down from the stage she now stood upon. So, she smiled. Just like her now-distant father. With an expression devoid of any true sentiment. "Oh, truly. It's more strange for you to be surprised, Count. Have you forgotten why I came here?" "Ah, it's perplexing. This seems totally different from what you said not long ago." The situation had changed, after all. Even seeing her sharp, piercing red eyes, Louisa laughed again. "Haven't you heard that a woman's heart is like a reed? As we conversed, I found the Count extremely appealing." "Was there such a romantic side to our conversation? Truly terrifying words." Despite Louisa's captivating smile, Ronyan only grew more guarded. To Louisa, it was somewhat refreshing to see a young man react to her in such a manner. "To invite someone who terrorized the palace into the family, it's horrifying to even imagine." The red-haired young man, initially acting as her suitor and essentially her guard, now spoke without any metaphor, his words direct. A chuckle. Watching this, Louisa couldn't help but smirk. ‘Well, it's only natural for them.’ Though the beginning started on the wrong foot, in marriages of their social stature, mutual feelings hardly mattered. "Won't it be advantageous for the kingdom?" "What?" Ronyan looked at her with disbelief, but Louisa continued speaking in an even tone. "Aren’t you preparing for war with the Empire? I heard that your faction has been working tirelessly to smooth things over. If our marriage goes through, who knows? Maybe the Empire will have some internal support during the conflict." "Pff, what an absurd idea…." Of course, to someone unaware of their situation, his reaction was perfectly normal. And indeed, it sounded like baseless bravado. 'The forces of the Eastern Wing would likely turn against my father if ordered to point their swords at the royal family instead.' This was a system designed from the outset, unrelated to the individuals within the forces, and related to the background that formed when the Four Wing Houses were established. It was one of the Empire’s well-kept secrets that outsiders could never know. Especially in times of war, defying orders was impossible. That was why father and daughter turned their gaze outward. But Louisa wasn’t planning on retreating. 'This kingdom can hold its own against the Empire’s offense. Contrary to what’s publicly known.' During her stay at the royal castle, she clearly felt that. Hidden superhumans, like the young Count in front of her and his allies, and the servants who, after intense reconditioning, snapped back to their senses in less than a week, all attested to this. The King, as one who changes fate, had no reason to busy himself breaking the brainwashing on mere attendants. And if he had, they would have already warned her. Which means… 'I possess magical powers beyond what I can comprehend.' Of course, this didn’t mean she could defeat the Empire. As a member of Cassel's Magic Tower, she had watched the intrigues of the imperial court and knew their strength far exceeded her assumptions. But for the sake of the Tower’s wish, the scale of the war needed to escalate. The kingdom’s resistance needed to be fierce enough. If they could drive the changer of fate into despair and into their grasp, nothing could be more fortuitous. 'The King will never trust me, or us, no matter what we do.' That was the fate a magician with the power to meddle with human souls had to bear. Plus, with what she had already done, gaining their trust was impossible. Hence, she needed to emphasize how she and the Eastern Wing could aid this kingdom. "I understand you don’t trust me. So, let's make a deal." "A deal?" Seeing his still doubtful face, Louisa had no choice but to lay her cards on the table. "Why don’t we both speak honestly about what we know? Both kingdoms’ leaderships know the Empire intends to wage war. Perhaps the Empire isn't too concerned about the kingdom, but…" "…Hmm. Continue." "If, and it's inevitable, a war breaks out, I’ll acquire and share as much confidential information about the Imperial army that the Eastern Wing can access. Isn’t that worth more than enough as a marriage dowry?" Watching the red eyes gleam more brightly, Louisa wore a sultry smile. 'Support the kingdom and force the Empire to pay the price. Blood spilling and overflowing until it covers the world. Then it becomes an offering in itself…' Louisa pictured her indifferent grandmaster, the Tower Lord. —…In that case, I won’t stop you. Do as much as you can. In any event, the clash will come sooner. If it goes well, it could keep the emperor’s attention there. —Thank you. —But remember, revealing your father’s and your secrets to the emperor is a risk. —I am willing to accept it. —…Good. Your sacrifice will hasten the day. —It’s an honor. —In an era where the gods have departed, or should depart, uproot their waning influence and usher him forth. Thus... ‘Our elders shall become the emissaries of his will…’ In the face of such aspirations, with memories of her beloved face growing faint, Louisa steeled herself once more. Yet Ronyan posed another serious question. "If you truly marry me, won't the Eastern Wing be severed from the Emperor’s strategy the moment war breaks out? I'm not sure of the feasibility of what you proposed." He wasn’t easy to sway, and his point was valid. 'The Emperor…' Her father's words echoed again in her mind. —You wouldn’t have allied with your mentor if he was more terrifying than the Emperor. At the time of "that event," her father surely knew greater despair than her childhood self could comprehend. She promised to remember, but those words seemed hollow now. 'The Emperor is nothing.' Her mentor bore the essence of the magical sage who saved ancient humanity. Information on the progenitor's bloodline, which was once deemed essential to past endeavors, had long been lost to time. Yet, he prophesied about 'the changer of fate'—a figure unmentioned even in the progenitor's records—and developed transcendent magic aimed at this mysterious figure. He often said he fell short compared to the ancient great magicians, but it was only due to the era void of mana. In magical achievements, he was a genius, second to none. Such was her mentor. And the Emperor? He was a petty human, executing innocent women to secure his status. 'His strength merely stems from his position.' On the day her wish was realized, he would be nothing more than a pitiful human, crushed by her own hands. With renewed determination, she spoke firmly once more. "…You're absolutely right. But do not underestimate the power of the Four Wing Houses. Even if we were outside the Emperor's plan, what I proposed is doable. And honestly, marriage is just an excuse." "An excuse?" "As you know, I've overstayed my welcome at the royal residence. Using the attack as a pretext for recuperation has reached its limit." "…So your engagement is simply a reason to stay longer? Isn’t that too much?" "If I return to the noble house now, there's no telling when I'd be able to come out again." Though she had been secretly active while hiding her true identity, they weren't aware of that. Considering her status as a princess, it was an excuse that would work well. In addition to the reason about helping to impose losses on the Empire, there was another important reason. A reason even more critical. —Once our ritual begins, causality will be shaken, and the gods will try to intervene in the world, even at a cost. Especially, they'll want to eliminate the changer of fate. In the worst case, an apostle might descend. —Only our Cassel Magic Tower can identify a descended apostle in the current world. Thus, you must stay there and protect him until that day arrives. This was another reason the Grandmaster had accepted her insistence. As Louisa thought back to this and organized her thoughts, the red-haired young man before her was also deep in thought, eventually nodding his head. 'As expected.' He finally understood that her proposal could benefit the kingdom. And if this young man, who oddly followed his brother, the king of this country, to an extreme, had any choice, it was obvious. "It's not a bad proposal. Turning a false pretense into reality shouldn’t be too difficult…." Exactly! "I'm delighted you understand. I might actually fall for you, Count." There was probably about 10% sincerity to her statement, though he seemed to take it as just a joke. With a faint smile, he set his teacup down and suddenly asked, "…May I ask something I'm curious about?" "Sure, go ahead." "The peculiarity of your status as a princess has always been quite intriguing to us. But hearing you speak now, it gives me a peculiar certainty." "Hmm." "Do you perhaps harbor hatred for the Empire?" As Louisa lowered her teacup, her expression froze ever so slightly. A princess of the Empire harboring hatred for it? To the average person, that would sound absurd, yet Ronyan's eyes glimmered with literal certainty as he uttered those words. Hmm. 'Hatred, is it.' It wasn't incorrect, but to simply call it hatred was a gross understatement of the deep sorrow of a young girl who lost her mother. A life lived with only one goal since then. It had grown beyond mere hatred, becoming her entire existence. Louisa softly bit her lip and gave a wry smile. Then, she quietly stood and whispered in Ronyan's ear. "…If you wish to know my secret, I'll tell you only after we're wed and in bed, dear husband." Seeing Ronyan's face flush brightly, she felt an odd sense of triumph. Finally, he resembled a man of his age. "I'll see you next time with good news. I’ll be on my way then." It was at that very moment Louisa turned to leave. "Woof!" A cute silver-furred puppy was barking at her. A dog in the royal inner palace? And without a leash? Startled, she looked back at Ronyan, who smiled lightly and explained. "Ah, that's Tyr. My brother, the King, brought him from somewhere. There's an order to let him roam freely anywhere in the palace." "Oh… I see." A free-roaming dog in the palace. It seemed the changer of fate had quite the peculiar tastes. Louisa accepted it as such and turned to leave, but the silver puppy watched her retreating figure with an uncanny gaze.