WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 95: The Villainess (2)

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5.

...My beloved daughter.

...Do not harbor any expectations.

...Do not expect anything.

...Expect nothing, lean on nothing. That is the secret of life.

...Every time you whisper to yourself, 'Maybe this time,' the world will whisper back, 'The same as ever this time, too.' Being deceived once is an experience, and twice is a tragedy. But being deceived a third time is a comedy.

...My beloved daughter, you are a noble. Take care that your life does not become someone else’s comedy. Do not allow yourself a third chance.

...Two. Just two wounds are enough to be remembered forever. The ancient emperors commemorated their own deaths while they were still alive. Do not repeat the folly of erecting a monument in the desert.

...Yet, if you were to entrust yourself to the world, remember this, daughter. You are not lending your life to others. Do not become someone's debtor. From the beginning, give without expecting anything in return. Give everything.

...Forgive people for holding a carnival over your corpse. Give them your hair. Give them your fingers. From your purest sacrifice to your most innocent joy and your purest hope, give everything. They will covet every part of you and feast greedily.

...And then leave this world without leaving anything behind.

Nothing at all.

Mother left those words as her final testament and died.

The funeral was a cremation.

6.

The basement was silent.

"Why do you hesitate?"

Only the low voice of Lady Silver Lily echoed. The air was cold. Though the interrogated servants bled, their pooled blood couldn’t warm the basement a bit.

"Hurry and pass judgment as the foundation of this nation."

"Hah, ha."

The Crown Prince chuckled faintly.

Was that really a laugh? Barely lifting the corners of his mouth, it was a miserably failed smile.

He glanced at us as if fleeing, the Heretic Inquisitor and me. His eyes seemed to ask, [What do you make of this absurd situation?]

"Your Highness."

But his attempt to escape was cut short. Lady Silver Lily’s sharp voice cut off his attempt to look away.

"Shall I report these crimes to the Emperor's special forces?"

The Crown Prince hesitated.

"Are you planning to follow in the deposed Crown Prince’s footsteps?"

"........"

"Are you testing the Emperor's mercy towards you?"

It was a threat.

Her tone was soft, polite, but Lady Silver Lily, the ducal daughter, was unmistakably pressuring the Crown Prince.

And it was an effective threat.

"Uh."

The empire's heir trembled, clutching the sword handed by Lady Silver Lily. But his resolve stopped at holding the sword. It didn’t extend to wielding it.

"Silvia..."

The Crown Prince let the sword tip droop listlessly and stared blankly at us. Was he hoping someone would step forward and stop Lady Silver Lily?

"What a clean way of handling things!”

But the Heretic Inquisitor merely smiled.

"It's good that you involved us too. Ah, it’s perfect. Everyone here becomes an [accomplice], keeping silent. The Crown Prince gets to cover his mistake, and I'm happy to see the Lady punished!"

"Si… Silvia?"

"The problem is, it seems only the Lady gains nothing from this arrangement."

The Heretic Inquisitor's eyes narrowed like an inverted moon.

"What benefit do you gain by handling matters this way, Lady? Three loyal servants of your house will die, and you even intend to accept corporal punishment in the Crown Prince’s place. I am terribly curious about what you are thinking.”

"What do you mean? As I said, they are my house's servants, and as its lady, it's only right I bear responsibility for their mistakes..."

"Ah, how lovely! But it’s inefficient for a discussion! Let's be frank for a more efficient discourse. Why would you take the punishment for the Crown Prince? Is that your 'love'?"

The sound of breathing in the basement.

The golden lady and the silver lady exchanged gazes for a moment.

"I’m just doing my duty as a future subject. That’s all. Lady Goldencup."

Lady Silver Lily’s voice remained calm.

"To weigh benefit against compensation is disloyalty. You may find that difficult to understand, having grown up in a family from the outskirts.”

"So, you expect nothing in return?"

"If you expect any answers, give up. Whether you understand me or not has no bearing on my actions."

"Interesting…"

The Heretic Inquisitor exhaled softly. The meaning behind that breath was beyond me at the moment.

But one thing was clear. Her reaction wasn't what the Crown Prince had hoped for. The Heretic Inquisitor had no intention of stopping Lady Silver Lily. With despair coloring his face, the Crown Prince, who had clung to his love, looked defeated.

"…Please wait a moment, Lady."

That's why I had to speak up.

The Heretic Inquisitor looked at me, slightly tilting her head.

"Yes, Butler? What is it?"

"If these servants truly masterminded the assassination, we too have a right to revenge. It's not right to leave the judgment solely to the Crown Prince."

My mouth felt dry. I racked my brain. To overcome this endlessly complicated political affair, I devoted myself to finding the [best strategy]. I did not even hesitate to use the butler’s knowledge.

[Immersion into your character is intensifying.]

[Your immersion rate is currently 7%.]

My tongue felt parched. It's still manageable.

"…And the same goes for you, Lady Silver Lily. You were betrayed by loyal servants. You have every right to punish them."

"Ho. So?"

"There happen to be three guilty servants and three people entitled to punish them. How about each of you taking one servant and administering punishment? Lady Silver Lily wants to make us accomplices anyway. That is why she brought us here. His Highness seems unable to bear the punishment alone. I submit that it would be fitting for the three of you to share the responsibility equally.”

Silence.

"Hmm."

The Heretic Inquisitor narrowed one eye.

"......."

Lady Silver Lily silently furrowed her brows.

The Crown Prince's face lit up rapidly.

"That's right! The butler’s words are wise. The Lady was betrayed by her subordinates. Silvia was attacked. I need to uphold the law! It’s fair for each of us to take responsibility for one!"

"Your Highness, a ruler should not share responsibilities---

"Quiet!"

The Crown Prince irritably threw the sword at Lady Silver Lily. Thud! The scabbard hit her leg and bounced off.

Lady Silver Lily remained expressionless, even though the hit must have left a bruise.

"Whenever anything happens, it is ‘Kill them! Execute them! Punish them!’ Is that all you know how to say? How many people do you think I have disposed of, all this time?”

"It's the duty of the future emperor."

"I am not a murderer! I am not a butcher! You vicious thing. You wicked thing! If you are so eager to see blood, then you kill one first!”

The Crown Prince fumed. Lady Silver Lily just stared at him. Time seemed to freeze.

The ice in the air shattered as Lady Silver Lily slowly bent her waist. She picked up the sword with practiced movements, left hand on the scabbard and right on the hilt.

"Your Highness."

The blade’s color resembled her moonlit hair.

"Then at least give me an order."

"An order?"

"Yes. Your Highness, command me to execute. Why are you hesitating? Have you forgotten how to command? Are you renouncing your royal authority?"

The Crown Prince took a deep breath.

“Ki...”

He uttered, as if stumbling over the word.

"Kill them..."

But Lady Silver Lily did not falter.

Blood splattered.

The air in the basement split, followed by a more weighty severance of flesh.

"Hah."

With a sigh akin to a subtle shrug of her shoulders, Lady Silver Lily ended a life with a single breath. She then turned to look at us.

"......."

A sense of foreboding surged. My heart raced disquietingly.

I realized what I felt towards Lady Silver Lily.

[Immersion into your character is intensifying.]

[Your immersion rate is currently 8%.]

It was an instinctive intuition that [she will eventually hinder Lady Goldencup's path].

An obsession that I must deal with this person before me.

"Ahaha, I find you increasingly interesting! Well, alright!"

My immersion rate was rising crazily.

"It's problematic to leave the person who ordered the assassination alive. Hand me the sword. I'll take care of the second one. Shall we become accomplices?"

How many had the Heretic Inquisitor killed until now?

I didn't know yet, but it was clear she was no amateur in this area.

As soon as she received the sword, the Heretic Inquisitor cried, “Hmph!” and carried out the execution in a single strike.

Only one servant remained.

"Ah..."

Only one person left to administer punishment.

The Crown Prince stared, gaping at the Heretic Inquisitor, not expecting her to carry out the execution so easily.

"Ugh, ugh!"

Then, astonishingly, or rather shockingly, the Crown Prince began to retreat, attempting to escape. Before Lady Silver Lily could say anything, and just as the Heretic Inquisitor exclaimed "Ah!", the Crown Prince ran.

No one anticipated this, so the Crown Prince nearly escaped. If I, who had been at the back of the group, hadn't blocked the basement stairs.

"How dare you! A mere servant blocking my path!"

"You."

I grabbed and squeezed the Crown Prince's wrist firmly.

The Crown Prince struggled to break free but failed. A low whimper escaped him. He stood no chance against my grip.

"‘You’...? Ngh! Will you not release me at once?”

"This is your doing."

My voice sounded chillingly cold, even to my own ears.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't foolishly ordered an assassination. Falling madly in love and kidnapping is one thing, but to shirk responsibility is another."

I glared at the Crown Prince.

"Hold it."

"Hold what...?"

"The sword. Hold it."

The Crown Prince flinched.

[Immersion into your character is intensifying.]

[Your immersion rate is currently 9%.]

Despite the deepening immersion, it didn't matter. My feelings were identical to the butler's. Rage against someone cowardly escaping.

I dragged the Crown Prince. He resisted, but I ignored his struggles and led him forward.

"Grasp the hilt properly."

"Release me! I command you! Is anyone there?!"

He didn’t want to, so I forced him to.

"Raise the sword."

He refused to raise it, so I forcibly raised it for him.

"I can see how much of your life you must have spent blaming other people. Every dirty task, every sordid task, everything you did not want to touch, you must have pushed it all onto Lady Silver Lily. And you call yourself the Crown Prince of a nation.”

"Silvia! Restrain your servant! I beg you, Silvia!"

"Strike down with the sword."

The Crown Prince had pitifully little strength in his arm. It was easy to force the blade down. So I did.

"Ah."

The scent of blood grew stronger in the basement. The bound servant's body slumped lifelessly from the chair.

The Crown Prince stood there, stunned. At his feet, Lady Silver Lily slowly knelt down, her skirt soaking up the blood, staining it red.

"The nation's foundation has righted the law, a blessing for all, Your Highness."

"......."

The Crown Prince didn't respond. He turned and left. I let go this time.

"Strengthen your resolve and continue to uphold the principles of reward and punishment."

The Crown Prince climbed the basement stairs with strengthless steps. Thud, thud…. All the while, Lady Silver Lily continued her advice. Her voice gently echoed around the basement, striking the Crown Prince's back.

"The fate of the empire and its people depend on Your Highness's attitude. You may appear to stand alone, but your person is not yours alone. Your actions and decisions greatly impact the empire. Please…"

Footsteps faded away. We continued to look at the still bowing Lady Silver Lily.

"Become stronger."

I found myself wanting to understand this person.

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