NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7 - Rewind
The Pezzalot Ducal Tomb―
Here lies my older sister.
“I wish I could have come sooner, I apologize.”
I recounted the events leading up to this to my older sister at her grave.
After all, the last time I came was when I swore revenge.
I declared I wouldn’t return until it was fulfilled. Several years have passed since then.
As a result of working to rebuild the country, I was delayed in returning to the territory.
“The royal family is barely holding onto its name. They’ve become nothing more than a name without any authority. The king and his faction, blinded by their love for their children, are no more.”
By unanimous decision of the parliament, the king was abdicated and imprisoned.
The new king was recruited from another ducal family.
The crown prince, now a criminal, was stripped of his title and publicly executed for causing turmoil.
Although it was called an execution, it wasn’t by guillotine.
They were still of royal blood.
Many believed that shedding blood was not appropriate.
It’s common sense to receive a poisoned cup as prescribed, but that alone wouldn’t satisfy the public.
Even though they were deceived, they had also made derogatory remarks about the duchess.
There must have been guilt.
But more than that, there was also the consciousness of being “deceived victims.”
From my perspective, it’s all the same, but from theirs, they seem to want to emphasize that “there’s still a difference.”
I couldn’t help but sneer at the excuses given by the lawyer who attended the meeting as a representative of the commoners.
Even the bold lawyer, who usually defends the shameless commoners, fell silent when he realized that the victim was a relative of mine.
It seems they do have some sense of “shame” after all.
As a result, the magicians set up a box-shaped barrier at the execution site and settled the matter by having the former crown prince drink from a poisoned cup there.
Essentially, it was about everyone watching the former crown prince drink the poison and die.
I thought it was in poor taste, but it was also the safest option.
The public wanted to alleviate guilt by seeing the main culprit, the former crown prince, die from the same poison as the duchess.
On the other hand, the royal family and nobles wanted to demonstrate to both internal and external parties that the royal family was reflecting on their actions by having the former crown prince bravely die from the poisoned cup.
It can be said that the interests and feelings of both parties coincided in this outcome.
However, such alignment of interests usually doesn’t go smoothly.
The former crown prince thrashed around in fear of death, leaving no choice but to force him to drink from the poisoned cup.
His convulsions and agonized struggles made for a pitiful sight.
His face was filled with terror, and there was no cheering from the audience, all of whom looked pale with shock.
“It seems like those who executed the punishment are developing trauma. Don’t you think they’re mentally weak? They’re just ordinary people, after all.”
Witnessing the former crown prince’s death has left the audience in a collective state of depression, with many seeking counseling.
“Finally, it’s over. Rest assured, father, who doubted sister, has been imprisoned in the cellar of the estate.”
My father, who trusted the former crown prince over his own daughter, resigned from his position as prime minister in light of my sister-in-law’s death.
It seemed like an act of loyalty to the royal family, but he underestimated the influence of the duchy.
A mere adopted son betraying his own family.
“Heh. Being beaten to death by the peasants or being imprisoned until his life ends. The choice was made by my father-in-law. There’s no room for complaints, right?”
A blue rose was placed on my sister-in-law’s grave.
One of the specialties of the duchy. It was her favorite flower during her lifetime.
Looking back, it’s likely that the former crown prince didn’t even know my sister’s favorite flower. The bouquets he sent were always filled with “white flowers”.
“I won’t end up like that idiot. I’ll cherish my wife. Oh! I’m sorry for the delay. I finally have news to share. I’ve decided on my fiancée. She’s the daughter of the border count. The border count family has no involvement in my sister’s affair and tends to dislike the royal family. We hit it off on that point alone. She even said we could name our daughter after sister. I believe we can build a good family together”.
At that moment, a gust of wind arose.
Everything warped and suddenly turned into a mosaic.
‘What?! What on earth happened!?’
I couldn’t make sense of it as the world spun around me.
Blue roses scattered in the air.
‘Sister…’
“What’s wrong?”
Amidst my hazy consciousness, I heard a concerned voice.
When I managed to open my heavy eyes, a familiar face was peering down at me.
A refined beauty with flowing platinum blonde hair and amethyst eyes.
“Big…sis..ter…”
“There’s no need to force yourself to speak. Your throat seems to be sore.”
‘Sore? What does that mean?’
As I tried to speak, I noticed my throat was parched.
It hurt badly.
And it wasn’t just my throat; for some reason, my body felt heavy.
It seemed I was lying in a bed, but not in the royal capital –
It was in the mansion of the duchy.
Was heaven in the duchy?
Or did my sister come to fetch me as a messenger?
In that case, my sister…
“An angel…?”
“What are you talking about? Are you still dreaming?”
‘A dream?’
‘Was it all just a dream?’
“Are you really okay?”
My supposedly deceased sister looked at me with a troubled expression.
Her beautiful form from when she was alive was there.
I wanted to reach out, but my body felt heavy, and moving my fingers was the best I could manage.
“Don’t you remember anything? You collapsed as soon as you arrived here. The doctor said it was a cold brought on by exhaustion. So, rest properly, okay?”
I wanted to say “yes,” but no words came out.
I could only nod, and my sister gently stroked my head.
Her touch was awkward, but her kindness was evident.
I closed my eyelids.
I couldn’t keep them open any longer.
What I understood was that this wasn’t heaven.
I had regressed to the point when I was taken in by the ducal family.
A regression…
I didn’t understand how such a strange thing had happened.
But this is a chance! I absolutely want to help my stepsister no matter what.
To read ahead, you can use starkeys, which not only unlock more chapters but also support my work!
Click here to buy starkeys → https://luminarynovels.com/top-up/
If you’re enjoying this novel, please consider leaving a review and rating on Novelupdates. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
For the latest updates and to report any mistakes, join our Discord server linked below.
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/KtBrFHP5yZ