Side Story 13

After the graduation banquet, Annibella decided to get engaged to Avennos. The Benstein Viscount family, which had adopted Bangara, a commoner, was destroyed after their embezzlement and other crimes were revealed.  

As for Bangara, considering the severity of her crimes, the verdict deemed the death penalty too merciful. Instead, she was sentenced to lifelong labor, moving stones to construct bridges.  

Emperor Flau initially intended to name Avennos as the next Crown Prince. However, Avennos refused.  

<If you have decided to get engaged to the young lady of the Marquis of Zenovil, becoming the Crown Prince would be a simple matter!>  

<I wish to become the Marquis Zenovil family’s son-in-law.>

Klaritas encouraged Avennos to accept the position of Crown Prince, but Avennos persistently declined. Curious about his reasoning, Klaritas asked and Avennos answered,  

<The Emperor is required to have concubines by duty. I do not want that. One person is enough for me.>

Flau repeatedly asked Klaritas to persuade Avennos, but after understanding Avennos’ feelings, Klaritas stopped trying. Instead, he declared his support for the third prince, Aidan, as the next Crown Prince. With the support of the Marquis Zenovil family, Aidan ascended to the position of Crown Prince.  

Nibert, meanwhile, secluded himself in his palace. The realization that Bangara had deceived him, coupled with his failure to trust Annibella, led him to lose not only the Crown Prince title he had so desperately wanted to protect but also the respect of those around him.  

“Brother.”  

The door opened, and Aidan entered with a cheerful smile, waving at Nibert, who sat alone on the sofa in the dark, surrounded by the stench of alcohol.  

“Aidan… Have you come to mock me?”  

“Yes, I have.”  

“Ha… I heard you’ve become the Crown Prince?”  

“Yes. Thanks to you, Brother, I’ve become the Crown Prince. As you may or may not know, Avennos chose to live solely for Lady Annibella and entered the Marquis Zenovil family as a son-in-law. It seems the saying ‘You can achieve something if you truly desire it’ isn’t entirely wrong.”  

Nibert’s vacant eyes grew moist.  

“Love truly is extraordinary, isn’t it, Brother?”  

“What are you trying to say?”  

“You lost your position as Crown Prince because of your love for Bangara, while Avennos gave up the Crown Prince title out of love for Lady Annibella. Thanks to the love of both my elder brothers, I, the third prince, became the Crown Prince. I plan to go around saying that love is truly great.”  

Aidan chuckled as he sat across from Nibert.  

“I came here to tell you something.”  

“What is it?”  

“Do you still love Bangara?”  

Nibert thought of Bangara. Conversations with her had been enjoyable and intriguing. He had wanted to stay by her side and believed without a doubt that it was love.  

“I heard Bangara injured herself while moving stones at the labor camp.”  

Aidan observed Nibert’s trembling pupils as he spoke.  

“If you wish to go to her… just tell me. I can arrange a position for you at the labor camp where you can watch over her from afar, Brother Nibert.”  

“That liar…”  

“Think about it and let me know, Brother.”  

After Aidan left, Nibert, with a vacant look in his eyes, picked up the bottle again and drank deeply.  

The reason he had trusted Bangara’s words over Annibella’s, who had stayed by his side for so long, was that he had feelings for Bangara. He knew he had been foolish, but…  

“Bangara… My feelings for you were genuine…”  

Although he wanted to save her, Bangara had to pay for her crimes.  

Nibert put down the bottle. Tears streamed down his face, soaking his ears.  

He felt powerless, without the will to act. All he could do was remain in the dark room, yearning for and hating Bangara, shedding tears, and regretting the love he had for her. To soothe his suffering, he drank.  

***

Avennos and Annibella saw Theodore and Meia off as they departed for Florence.  

“Lady Annibella, we’ll be going now.”  

“Thank you for saving me at the port, for helping me when I was in danger, and for being my friend. I can think of nothing else to say but thank you.”  

<Ending a miserable chapter means… you can begin a happy one.>  

<A happy chapter has already begun.> 

Recalling Meia’s words, Annibella stopped her tears and smiled brightly.  

“You once asked me if I was ready to begin a happy story. My happy story has already started.”  

“I’m glad to hear that.”  

“The prologue to my happy story begins with ‘I made a precious friend.’ A friend who stays by my side without requiring my best efforts.”  

Meia’s eyes widened slightly before softening into a smile.  

“I also wrote in my own happy story that I gained a good friend.”  

“Lady Meia…”  

Meia clasped Annibella’s hands tightly and smiled.  

“Prince Avennos, it was a pleasure meeting you. Please take good care of my dear friend, Lady Annibella.”  

“Yes, Your Grace. Please attend our wedding.”  

“Yes, please invite me.”  

As she teleported away, Meia smiled at Annibella, who smiled back brightly. Watching Theodore and Meia disappear, Annibella began to cry again.  

Partings after good encounters were painful. However, through parting, she could imagine her current and future self.  

Thanks to Meia, she was able to begin her happy story and learned that parting wasn’t a great sorrow. Though she felt sad now, she decided to smile, thinking of the day she would meet Meia again.  

“When we meet again, I’ll show you the happy story I’ve written, Lady Meia.”  

Certainly.  

***

Theodore couldn’t take his eyes off Meia’s face as she lay beside him. Waking up earlier than her, he spent his mornings basking in the happiness of watching her sleep peacefully.  

Theodore gently stroked Meia’s cheek and forehead, unable to resist touching her.  

“Mm.”  

Smiling, he kissed her cheek, nose, and forehead as usual.  

“Mmm.”  

Seeing Meia pout and grumble in her sleep, Theodore kissed her face again.  

If he kept kissing her, she would eventually wake up, laughing and saying it tickled. Then they could begin their morning as a couple.  

“Mm, Theo…”  

Meia turned away, pushing at him with her hand. Theodore, feeling a bit dejected, pressed himself against her back and began sliding down the strap of her nightgown.  

Meia stirred slightly as Theodore embraced her, rubbing his face into the crook of her shoulder and neck, exhaling deeply. He had no intention of giving up their morning as a couple. 

Just as Theodore was about to nestle into her arms, Meia murmured irritably,  

“Let me sleep….”  

Her sharp tone startled Theodore. This wasn’t the usual Meia he knew in the mornings. It felt as though his heart had dropped.  

“I had such a hard time last night… Can’t you hold off this morning?”  

The irritation in her voice made Theodore tense up.  

“Just let me sleep!”  

Having been chased out of the bedroom for rustling too much on the bed, Theodore ended up in the training grounds, swinging his sword with a gloomy expression to burn off his excess energy.  

Versha and the knights, who had also come out to train, exchanged puzzled glances as they watched him.  

“What’s gotten into him?”  

“Since when did he start doing this?”  

“He’s been swinging his sword for two hours straight….”  

Hearing the murmurs of the knights, Theodore stopped his sword mid-swing and shot a sharp glare at them. The knights quickly shut their mouths and averted their gazes under his piercing stare.  

“Versha, and Kai.”  

Theodore called out to the two.  

“What is it, Your Grace?” 

Versha asked, looking concerned.  

Theodore furrowed his brow.  

“Do I look like something’s wrong with me?”  

“You seem different from usual.”  

“…Versha. And Kai.”  

“Yes.”  

“Is it that obvious?”  

“It’s very obvious.”  

Versha answered seriously, and Kai nodded in agreement. Their responses made Theodore sigh deeply before speaking.  

“The truth is… I got kicked out of the bedroom.”  

Versha and Kai blinked in surprise.  

“Meia got mad at me.”  

“What did you do to upset Her Grace?”  

“She called me a beast.”  

“Are you bragging, Your Grace? When a woman calls a man a beast, it’s a compliment.”  

“If it’s a compliment, why did she get mad and kick me out of the room?”  

“She might’ve been annoyed because she was too exhausted….”  

“This has never happened before.”  

“Well, it’s just the first time it’s happened.”  

“Meia used to say she liked how I lacked self-control… Could it be that she’s grown tired of me?”  

As Theodore’s face grew more serious and his expression darkened, Kai and Versha struggled to maintain straight faces. They didn’t know what to say to comfort a man who had been kicked out for being overly affectionate.  

“So, I’ll ask you both.”  

“Yes.”  

“How do I make sure Meia doesn’t grow tired of me?”  

Theodore was completely serious.  

“Versha, how do you and Agnita resolve your arguments?”  

“We settle it with swords.”  

Clicking his tongue, Theodore turned to Kai and asked the same question.  

“I give my girlfriend flowers and presents.”  

“Flowers and presents… Sounds like a good idea, Kai.”  

Theodore nodded, deciding to take Kai’s advice.  

“Shall I introduce you to a place that makes beautiful bouquets?”  

At Kai’s suggestion, Theodore eagerly demanded an introduction.  

However, the next morning, Theodore was back in the training grounds, swinging his sword. When Kai arrived late, Theodore beckoned him over with a crook of his finger.  

Understanding the gesture, Kai quickly approached him.  

“I gave her the bouquet… and Meia got mad.”  

“What?”  

Kai couldn’t understand. 

What could possibly make Her Grace angry about receiving a bouquet?  

“Did Her Grace explain why she was upset?”  

“I’m not sure… But I ended up sleeping alone again last night.”  

Kai swallowed dryly, unsure of what to say, and simply stared at Theodore.