I Just Raised Men for Revenge - Chapter 63

“Li?”

“Yes. Li. Is it strange?”

“No. It’s just a bit unique.”

“The royalty of Salmon create nicknames with a single letter. And Li means ‘one who will make history’.”

Sesenia looked at him with a slightly disbelieving expression.

“That’s interesting.”

“For generations, the royalty of Salmon have been considered special, so the king names them. The queen too. And their children.”

“Then Pepe is……”

“Pepe… doesn’t have one. But I’ve already chosen one. Since I’ll be king, it should be fine if the order is a little different.”

Sadness once again swept over his eyes.

“Pepe……”

“You don’t need to comfort me. I’m not that sad.”

Silian, who soon found his smile again, looked at Sesenia and stretched her cheeks out.

“W-What are you doing!”

“Because you’re cute. I wish my sister would move like you too. Then I could play pranks like this.”

“……”

Just as Silian seemed unable to do anything when Pepe was mentioned, Sesenia also couldn’t say anything when the name Pepe was brought up, which Silian seemed to know quite well.

In the end, Sesenia had to just watch as he stretched and squeezed her cheeks like a toy.

“Ah. Satisfying.”

“…This is just this once. Because you look sad whenever you think about Pepe.”

“I should look sad more often. Then I can see your defenseless side.”

When will his sadness get better? Sesenia felt sorry for Silian, who was deliberately acting nonchalant.

It’s okay to say it’s hard waiting for his sister to wake up. It’s okay to say he’s tired.

Why does he always pretend to be relaxed, like nothing’s wrong? Sesenia looked at Silian.

“Don’t be sad. Be happy. That’s why you’re with me, right? I’ll make you happy.”

“That’s a statement easy to misunderstand.”

“Huh?”

“It sounds like you’re confessing.”

“There’s no way I’d confess.”

“You could.”

Somehow, conversations with him always seemed to have a predetermined answer. Before she knew it, she’d be rolled up like in a blanket.

Sesenia didn’t dislike it, but she didn’t want to be rolled up either. She wanted to be firm, like bamboo that never bends.

“I understand your nickname is Li. What about Pepe’s nickname?”

“Ah. I haven’t told Pepe yet, but Pepe’s nickname should be Pia.”

“I thought you said it was one letter.”

“Just… I took it from Utopia. Hoping that the end of Pepe’s journey will be paradise.”

The resonance that one word brought was huge. Paradise.

“I hope our end is paradise too.”

“That’s nice. Paradise……”

Will her own end be paradise? Or hell? She couldn’t know what it would be, but she wanted to give paradise to those who helped her. Hell was enough for her alone.

This feeling of wanting to bring down those she couldn’t forgive was enough to be punished for.

“But… should it really be one letter?”

“No. It suits well. It suits very well.”

“Even though you haven’t seen Pepe……”

“Still. I just feel it will suit well. They say a person’s life follows their name, right? So Pepe will surely become happy according to that nickname.”

I’ll definitely make it so. Though she didn’t say it, it seemed like those words would come out of Sesenia’s mouth.

That’s why a smile rose on Silian’s face as well.

“Yes. That’s right. I must make my sister happy at least.”

“I hope she wakes up soon.”

“Already……”

“Hm?”

“Never mind. I’m leaving now.”

Silian, who was about to say something, roughly ruffled Sesenia’s hair and went outside.

“Really, that guy!!”

Thanks to him, Sesenia’s hair was a mess. She glared at him while combing her hair with her hands, but he had already disappeared, having taken on the form of a beast.

**

The next day. Sesenia started preparing to go to the temple early in the morning.

“You looked dazed yesterday, but you seem fine today.”

“Yeah. I think I slept well.”

“You must have been tired.”

“A little.”

“Did something happen?”

Lizbeth, who was gently combing Sesenia’s hair, opened her mouth very carefully.

“Something happened…?”

“Yes. I wondered if something happened at the company yesterday……”

“Was it very noisy yesterday?”

Lizbeth shook her head.

“No. It was too quiet. It’s strange when a man and woman are alone in a room and it’s quiet. Well… I’d welcome anyone if it makes you happy, but… my brother couldn’t do that. He was pacing back and forth so anxiously… I thought he was a puppy that needed to poop.”

“Oh, so Lizbeth didn’t come up because she was worried?”

“Well, I just waited, thinking you’d handle it well. I trust you. But my brother couldn’t seem to do that. He paced back and forth for a while, then suddenly asked if it wasn’t taking too long. He said it was strange because it was too quiet, so I said it was taking a bit long, and he used me as an excuse to go up to you.”

“Is that so……”

That was unexpected. The silence was probably because the archmage had cast a spell to prevent any sound from leaking out.

But to think Rohan was so anxious.

“Yes. Anyway, my brother really likes you a lot, even if he doesn’t say it.”

“I see.”

“My brother even gets jealous of Teddy. He really cares for and likes Teddy, but… he wants to win, I guess. Really… he’s so foolish. If he likes you, he should just say so… He seems to think that if he works hard at the company, maybe someday you’ll notice him.”

“I’ve given him unnecessary burden.”

“Not at all. Of course, he really enjoys the company work regardless. He likes it. He likes learning and using the sword too, but the company work seems to suit him better. He looks happy achieving things. It’s not a burden, and he likes it, so don’t worry.”

But Sesenia’s face hardened as she listened to the story.

“Of course, I’m not saying this with any of my brother’s thoughts included. He didn’t ask me to say this either. I just wanted you to see that my foolish brother is thinking this way. He’s really insignificant, but… I wanted to tell you. He’s a good person. My brother.”

“I know. I know Rohan is a good person.”

“He’s more devoted than you know. He’s so loyal in love… Ah… I feel like I shouldn’t have said anything. But if I don’t do this, I felt like he’d never express his feelings to you, just like he’s always been. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? Thank you. I understand how Rohan feels. He likes me, right?”

Sesenia turned around. Lizbeth, who had been arranging her hair with a comb, had to stop what she was doing.

“You shouldn’t say it. I may be called oblivious, but I understand if someone tells me.”

“Ah… but I’ve burdened you… I’m absolutely not saying you should do anything because of what I said. It’s just that watching from the side, my brother seemed so frustrating……”

“I know. I understand. But Lizbeth, I have no desire to love anyone.”

“What…?”

“I’m living for a different reason. Not to be happy, but to take away someone else’s happiness. Someone like me can’t love anyone or give more affection.”

Lizbeth’s expression became a little gloomy.

“Still… Still. Teddy is a bit more special to you, right?”

“Yes.”

It was a different kind of special from love, but Sesenia didn’t add any explanation.

If she could settle Rohan’s feelings this way. If she could make him let go of his feelings for someone who couldn’t repay anything, anything was fine.

“I understand. Don’t worry. My brother, despite how he looks, is handsome, so he’ll meet a good person soon. Besides, brother’s heart changes easily. He’ll soon pull himself together while looking at someone else. So please forget what I said. I feel like I’ve burdened you unnecessarily.”

“No. It’s not a burden. I just… feel sorry.”

“Not at all. That’s what feelings are, right? It’s not something I can control. So it’s okay. It’ll be okay. I’ll help with your revenge, and I hope that after you finish your revenge, you’ll live like an ordinary person. You couldn’t do that in the past, right?”

Sesenia’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then she nodded.

“Yes. Let’s… not live like in the past.”

“Yes. Me, you, my brother… everyone related to us.”

It became certain that Lizbeth knew everything. And seeing that, Sesenia felt more sorry than surprised.

“Well then, shall we get ready? You said you’re going to the temple, so I’ll make you even prettier. Your ebony-like black hair goes well with the bright white of the temple.”

“Yes.”

Sesenia turned around again and faced the mirror to make it easier for her to prepare.

Lizbeth hummed as she dressed Sesenia, seeming to be in a good mood. Sesenia put on a ring she had kept in her jewelry box and sat at the desk to write a letter.

After all preparations were complete, Sesenia left the mansion with Lizbeth.

**

“Does Teddy need to go on today’s outing?”

“Yes.”

Before going to the temple, they briefly stopped by the Iar Company. But Rohan blocked her more actively than usual.

“Why? No, young lady. If you had given me a heads up, I would have made time… These days you’ve been going out without me……”

“You’re the only one who can run the company, Rohan.”

“Still……”

Perhaps because of Lizbeth’s story earlier, Sesenia could clearly see Rohan’s feelings.