Side Story 1 - The Miserable Fate of Fabian (1) |
It was a change of emperor. He was shocked to learn that Prince Michael was a fake prince, and was even more shocked to learn that Michael had started a rebellion.
His family, the Marquis Yersil, was pushing Prince Michael. It was natural. Anyone with even a little bit of common sense would know that out of the three princes, he was the one most likely to become emperor.
But no.
He was not a prince, nor did he have royal blood, and he was a sinner among sinners who even researched to mix monsters and humans.
Second Prince Phil died, and Third Prince Giel and Princess Amelia also died.
Around this time, voices were wondering if they should contact the princesses in other countries, but they were resolutely ignored.
The point was that a person married to a foreigner could not be brought into the country. Additionally, the influence of those princesses was almost non-existent within the empire. None of the nobles would welcome them.
Then who?
The nobles knew that there was only one candidate. A person that the imperial family worked behind the scenes to disparage by spreading rumours that he was a murderer.
Fabian was astonished when the name of the most powerful duke with imperial blood came to mind.
‘Do you want the Duke of Cardian to become the emperor?’
The Marquis of Yersil had no choice but to express his disapproval. It was natural. Maybe it was because his fiancee was taken away, but after that, Fabian ignored the Duke of Cardian and committed something.
Fabian thought that the curse Duke Cardian put on him would last forever.
The first Duke of Cardian could not do anything, and Leonis’ father was also believed to have gone mad and died due to the curse.
Since she was forced to get married, he thought Leonis would tolerate it even if Celia had a paramour.
Because that’s what an aristocratic society was.
However, the rumours about the Duke and Duchess of Cardian were shocking.
It is said that the Duchess, whose heart was open to the Duke of Cardian’s extreme devotion, ‘truly’ loved him, and the god who admired that love sent down a divine beast.
That’s how the curse disappeared.
That was just crazy!
‘That shouldn’t happen!’
Fabian’s temper flared up again and again. Such luck should not have fallen on Leonis Cardian. Didn’t he already get Celia?
‘Is it true that Celia has feelings for Leonis? Because the love that they share is sincere…’
He also knew how much Celia loved him.
Because Fabian shared Celia’s feelings for him. He loved her beautiful appearance, good character, and historic family, and…
‘Your love for me wasn’t that great!’
He was outraged, but he also knew that wasn’t the case. The truth was that he had no choice but to know. Because Celia is not stupid.
He must have had a premonition that she would say that, write the letter, and wait until the day of her wedding to come get her. He may have believed because she had a loving heart, but she may not have fully believed.
While Celia also loved him, she could not have completely known him.
And…… I wait until the end because of that love….
“If you were dead, would I be satisfied?”
Fabian sat in a garden chair with his mind wandering to Celia the whole time he was there. The Marquis of Montague thoroughly banned him from joining, but Fabian, who lacked information about Celia, bribed the servant by giving him a large sum of money.
So he could barely hear what happened that day from the Montagues’ servant.
They said that Celia had intentionally overdosed on her medication to end her life, and for a moment her heart actually stopped beating, leading everyone to believe that she had passed away.
At that time, what was Celia thinking at that moment?
He sent her a false letter and didn’t come to pick her up, and in the end, she probably took medicine while blaming him for sending her a letter saying she wouldn’t go, right?
At the point when she prepared her medicine, Celia had a premonition of Fabian’s betrayal.
Still, Fabian thought it was not enough.
‘If you loved me that much! And then you married someone else? You love him? What kind of nonsense is that?’
He may have abandoned her, but Celia must continue to love only him. That’s what love is like! Celia is naive and in love…
‘…I thought she was a stupid girl.’
Celia was not foolish. After loving with all she had, when she got back on her feet, she simply chose not to look back on the feelings she had poured out.
Because he wasn’t a good enough man to deserve it.
Before he fell in love, he didn’t know it, but now there was no reason to look back.
Fabian also loved Celia, but he knew that his love for her was different, even though he still loved her.
He thought there was no such thing as eternal love.
But there was someone whose love continued to blossom.
Not at all. Power ruined and shattered his love.
Fabian still wasn’t sure, but he wondered if he might have continued to love Celia if someone hadn’t interfered.
‘I still think of you.’
Despicable me, selfish me, keep thinking of you.
When you told me that you thought it would be better to die than to go to a man who was not me, I wondered where you had gone and whether or not you would ever be able to receive the same amount of love that you did back then.
Tears flowed down Fabien’s cheeks, but he realised they were crocodile tears.
He missed Celia, but he also wanted to spoil her. I didn’t want to see her happy next to another man.
‘That bastard will become the emperor? You…’
Celia will be addressed as the Empress after marrying a man who formerly held the title of Duke of Cardian. Even though she couldn’t make him a duke, she thought that because she was Celia, she had the power of a duke…
‘That man is making you empress.’
A dark rage surged in his miserable heart.
✦ ✦ ✦
Whenever the nobles gathered together, they talked about the new emperor.
There were six ducal families, but since all four dukes died in Michael’s trap, the only candidate was the Duke of Cardian.
Because most of the famous nobles in the capital suffered disaster, a reorganisation of power in the capital was inevitable.
Usually, when the emperor changes and the capital is relocated, there are loud voices opposing it, but this time there was no such thing. This was because Prince Michael set a trap inside the imperial palace and even set off an explosion in the capital city.
Those who had many bad memories of Lagann wanted to leave the capital, while those who wanted to gain new power were in favour of moving the capital.
Those who fell victim to the catastrophe this time were members of high-ranking noble families who were also well-known for their corrupt power. Since most of the family heads and successors suffered the same damage, their remaining family members were busy just trying to control the damage.
Most of those who came to these meetings had nothing to do with the damage. Perhaps that was why most of the gathered nobles looked somewhat excited.
A new reorganisation of power was bound to be an opportunity for some to gain wealth and for others to move up.
People were excited about this new opportunity. Fabian, who was the only one who could not participate, could not hold back his anger.
Even if the capital was relocated, it was still the Duke of Cardian’s land, and it was clear that Celia’s ex-fiancé would have no chance!
“Everyone, you have a good stomach! Whenever you curse at someone for being a murderer, cursed by God…”
When Fabian spoke out of the blue, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on the banquet hall. He thought it was a mistake when everyone looked at him, but the water had already been poured out.
“That’s in the past, and God has lifted the curse now!”
“I think you drank too much.”
When Fabian saw that someone was sending someone to him and telling him to call his servant, he got mad.
“Even if the curse disappears, does the past disappear? All the nobles in the capital know that he is a murderer who has killed countless people! A person like that is the emperor! This is not right!”
“Count Rowan, you speak too much. I think you would better leave.”
A close friend sitting next to him advised while observing the surroundings, but Fabian could not keep his mouth shut as he began to spit out the words that had been brewing in his heart.
“This wrong must be righted, even now! A murderous emperor is something that even commoners would laugh at!”
“Who is laughing at him? The one who is proudly recognised by the God of the Sky and is even protected by the Divine Beast!”
Fabian’s head turned at the irritated voice. Even though he was a count, Fabian was treated like a marquis because he was the next in line to be a marquis.
But he couldn’t help but cringe when he looked at his opponent.
“Du-Duke of Carta…”
Logan, who was the heir to the Duke of Carta, gave Fabian a dirty look. Logan was handling external affairs on behalf of his father, who was devoted to caring for his daughter.
The same was true for exchanges between nobles. Even though he didn’t have as much influence with nobles as his father did, he helped gather the will of new nobles.
The Duke of Cardian, who belatedly noticed Michael’s atrocities and overturned the imperial family, was in some ways a benefactor to the Duke of Carta. Therefore, the Duke of Carta also publicly announced the elevation of Leonis as emperor.
“He is the one who overcame the trials given by the God of the Sky and proudly rose to his current position! How dare you merely insult someone who has already been chosen as emperor by many nobles?”
He wanted to confidently say that he was not just a count, but Fabian would only be ashamed. Anyone with a brain would have known it was best not to say anything at this point.
Someone whispered in Logan’s ear. There was a subtle expression in Logan’s eyes, as if he had informed him that Fabian was the former fiancé of the Duchess of Cardian.
Fabian’s eyes seemed to turn black with anger when he realised it was pity and contempt.
“…If you apologise here, I’ll think you were drunk and made a mistake.”
Logan told Fabian this, but Fabian didn’t say anything. Even though his hands were shaking with shame, Fabian lowered his head quietly.
“I’m drunk… I was drunk and made a mistake.”
“Never again will you talk about the person who will become emperor. Someone might doubt your loyalty.”
When Logan said these words, everyone turned to look at Fabian. Fabian just knew that the mistake he would make today would not be a mistake.
Other nobles will also try to distance themselves from the Marquis of Yersil. Because he was the former fiancé of the future empress.
That made Fabian mad.
