Betrayed Heart

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Zil

“Stone wall!”

A stone wall appeared in front of Justy’s eyes.

Instead of destroying Justy’s head, the metal prosthesis, which was coming at him at an alarming speed, shattered the stone wall. The stone wall, which was insufficiently hard, crumbled into pieces with a clatter.

It’s not a conscious decision to use earth magic to prevent this. It was a reflexive act of defence, based on years of practical experience.

If there had been even the slightest delay in activating the magic, Justy’s skull would have been crushed like an egg dropped on the ground.

“Eh?　You’ve defended it. That’s not what you promised.”

Angelica wondered as she lowered her prosthetic leg to the ground with a high kick.

“I thought you were going to do me a favor. I would have preferred you to die peacefully. ....”

“Angelica, why on earth did you....”

“Why?　If you ask me that, I’ll ask you the same question. Why did you turn to the Empire?”

“....!”

Justy gulped at Angelica’s questioning.

Angelica glared with her cloudy right eye at the man who shuddered and shook his spine.

“If the Oigist hadn’t betrayed us and sided with Ilkas, my family might not have perished. If all eight Eastern houses had worked together, we could have pushed back the Empire. Tell me, tell me. Why did you betray us?”

“I, no, I ....”

Justy was about to revert to his natural tone of voice, but he couldn’t get the words out and fell silent.

It was his father who decided to turn to the Empire, while he insisted on going to war.

Even if the eight eastern families were united, they could not defeat the imperial army with its holy sword holders.

Then again, in the first place, it is the royal family and the national army that should be blamed for the Imperial army breaking the borders and not sending them reinforcements.

There are a number of excuses that could be argued, but Justy doesn’t think Angelica would be convinced by them.

In addition, it does not erase the past that the Oigist Viscount family turned to the enemy.

Hence, Justy spat out different words from his mouth.

“....It is true that the Oigist have betrayed the Empire. They deserve to be punished for it. But now they are loyal to His Highness Raidorl. It is not in your interest, nor in Ilkas’s interest, to touch me. I know you can’t forgive me, but can you please restrain yourself for now?”

(TL: he’d really took all the blame)

“Restrain? No, I can’t. It’s the only time I can do it.”

Angelica smiled coldly at Justy’s persuasion.

“If Ilkas is reinstated as a vassal of the Crown, I will have no chance to retaliate against you, a vassal of His Royal Highness Raidorl. Therefore, it must be done before the full restoration can take place.”

“Angelica, you’re ....”

“Well, if I kill you, I’ll have to go and kill Shirley’s father and her too. Shirley was like a little sister to me, so I feel bad that I have to kill her.”

Angelica spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, as if confronting the obvious.

She declares the murder of former friends – those who were close to her – without mercy.

The tone of her voice was clear and Justy realized.

The woman in front of him was no longer the Angelica Ilkas he had once admired.

She had gone too far to turn back. She has been transformed into a woman possessed by revenge and madness.

“.... I would have given my life if it were only mine. But if the lives of others are at stake, I cannot let them die. Angelica-dono. If you continue to run amok, I will use my spear to stop you.”

“Ara....that’s the decision you’ve ended with. Okay, I was going to keep you from getting blown up because you’re a dear friend, but it’s heartbreaking to kill an unarmed person so I’ll break you into pieces with all my heart and soul.”

“....Farewell to the days of my youth.”

He points his spear at the woman he once admired, murmuring in a despairing voice.

Angelica also took out a dagger that she had hidden under her clothes and pointed it at Justy with a thin tip.

The Lion of the East and the Slaughter Princess of Ilkas

Two of the strongest warriors in the eastern border region of the Kingdom of Zain. The battle was about to begin.