“..This is how it happened.”
After finishing her speech, Hestia wore a face that seemed much relieved.
For the past 10 years, all the stories she had kept inside her heart were finally spoken to the person she wanted to tell the most. Now, she couldn’t help but feel the discomfort in her heart vanish.
Having finished all she needed to say, Hestia remained silent, as if to imply that the next move was up to the other person.
Meanwhile…
“…”
As Hestia’s story came to an end, a rather complicated expression began to surface on Senel’s face.
It was as if she didn’t know what to say.
And it was no wonder, because Senel could no longer view Hestia as just a filthy traitor.
Although the fact that she had used the emotions triggered by her betrayal was undoubtedly unpleasing, Senel couldn’t help but empathize with the reasons behind it.
After entering the Sacred Empire to find Hestia, Senel had witnessed countless people dying in the whirlpool of war…
Thousands, even tens of thousands, caught up in madness, killing each other…
If there was a hell, such places vividly illustrated that fact…
And now, standing before Senel was Hestia, claiming her betrayal was to end that hell.
Not merely a filthy traitor’s excuse…
But backed by none other than Santana, the man she trusted most.
Thus, Hestia had transformed from a traitor to one with her own reasons…
Reasons that Senel could genuinely empathize with… She could even be viewed as pitiable and worthy of respect…
This led Senel to seriously hesitate about how to address Hestia.
A brief, awkward silence enveloped the two, and it was Senel who finally broke it.
“…Why… didn’t you say anything?”
“…”
“If that happened… you could have at least told me, right? Even just me…”
Senel spoke with a voice filled with urgency, resentment, and sadness.
In response, Hestia wore a bitter smile and calmly replied.
“Because it was enough for me to bear the sacrifice alone. I didn’t want to burden Senel with this.”
“…Hestia…”
“Besides, even if I had told you, there’s no way you would have allowed it. You hate the idea of someone being sacrificed.”
“…”
Hestia’s words pierced through Senel’s thoughts with pinpoint accuracy.
With her being hit so hard, Senel had nothing left to say.
As Hestia had mentioned, if she had known about the plan, would things have unfolded as they did?
In fact, having too many thoughts could have derailed the plan and if the Dragona Empire had intervened, things might have become uncontrollably complicated.
As Hestia said, the simplest narrative of her being the traitor and Senel chasing the traitor was, in fact, the best situation.
Finally accepting this overwhelming thought…
A hollow laugh escaped Senel’s lips.
“Haha… I can’t believe it… Nobody knows me like you do, Hestia.”
“Isn’t that natural? After spending over a century together, it would be strange not to.”
“…Yeah… I guess so…”
With that, Senel slowly stood up.
Having seemingly cleared her thoughts with those words, a look of complexity no longer lingered on her face.
And regarding this, Hestia spoke slowly, her voice tinged with bitterness.
“Then, is this all we have to discuss?”
“Yeah, thanks to you, my curiosity has been satisfied. Now all that’s left is to finish the job.”
With those words, Senel began to draw magic from her body.
Watching her, Hestia closed her eyes slowly with a relieved smile.
It was indeed true that the atmosphere had softened after their conversation.
However… regardless of this, the fact that Hestia had betrayed her still remained.
No matter how great the decision was, Hestia had bitten the hand that fed her.
While she could hope for a painless death in consideration, the fact remained that she had to pay for her betrayal.
At least there was some relief in knowing she wouldn’t owe her former master and friend, Senel, any further emotional debt.
Accepting her impending end, Hestia was met with Senel slowly binding her body in crimson magic.
And then…
-Bang!
“!”
In the next moment, a sharp sound echoed.
Simultaneously, something fell to the ground where they stood.
“….?”
However, despite the sensation of something snapping, Hestia opened her eyes, filled with deep confusion.
‘..It doesn’t hurt…? No, more importantly… why am I still alive?’
Before her stood Senel, and she felt no pain at all.
The only sensation was that her head felt lighter than before.
Hestia’s gaze turned toward her back.
Immediately after, she saw something…
And upon realizing what it meant, Hestia looked back at Senel with urgency.
“…Senel?”
“…I’ve just cut off the traitor’s head. I’ll report it that way to the Empire, and the handling will go accordingly. As for what happens after, I’m not sure.”
With that, Senel turned gracefully to leave.
Watching her, Hestia, who had gone from having long hair to short, slumped down to the floor, as if relieved.
“…You… forgive me?”
Hestia asked with a trembling voice.
Without even looking back at her, Senel dropped a phrase.
“I have nothing else to say to the dead. Just live quietly like a corpse from now on.”
With a lighthearted, bright voice stripped of seriousness, Senel spoke.
Upon hearing this, tears began to well up in Hestia’s eyes.
“Ah… Ahhh…”
The moment her burden from over 10 years vanished.
Recognizing that… Hestia felt a profound sense of relief and joy…
And a deep gratitude toward the friend who had settled things in this manner began to swell within her.
*
“…”
After wrapping up things with Hestia, Senel walked down the corridor on her way back to her quarters.
However, at this moment…
Her face no longer bore the joy she had when she ‘forgave’ Hestia.
What was visible on her face now was a predatory aura akin to a blade…
And a deep, thick sentiment of vigilance.
“…I never knew you had a hobby of peeking like this. Especially as a representative of a nation.”
“..Oh? Has it already been discovered?…”
As soon as her words ended, a figure started to emerge from the shadows.
Dressed in a maid outfit similar to Senel’s, but in varying shades of blue, she observed Senel with a cold smile.
“It’s been a long time. You’ve really grown a lot during our time apart. As I always feel, you’re increasingly resembling His Majesty the Emperor.”
Her words were laced with courtesy.
In response, Senel smiled eerily and emitted a chilling aura as she replied.
“Yet you… haven’t changed one bit, have you? Whether as a thief or the representative of a nation. So, what trouble are you causing today? Aunt Athena.”
“…”
At that remark, the poker face of Athena, the representative of the Kalmar United States, slightly faltered.
Yet, she soon regained her composure…
And once again, Athena wore a polite smile as she looked at Senel.
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