I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution

Translated by – Mara Sov

༺ Civil War Period – The Bloody Countess (Illustration)  ༻

Cornered and desperate, Countess Yvonne’s face paled as she screamed.

“L-Lies! This is all a trap set by this wench! W-What are you doing?! Guards! Guards! Arrest this woman who murdered the Lord!” 

The doors burst open as the Countess guards rushed in.

Before Christine could say a thing, Baron Charon and his soldiers drew their swords.

Amidst the clashing swords and the screams, Christine slowly walked towards the bed and looked at her father.

After gazing at him for a moment, she carefully slipped the Count’s ring from his finger and placed it on her own.

The moment she turned around, the soldiers who had already dealt with the Countess’s guards, knelt down at the sight of the signet ring.

“I’m aware that some of you knew about this farce, and turned a blind eye to it.” 

In the blood-filled silence, only Christine’s cold voice echoed.

“Prove your loyalty. Seize all the traitors of House Aquitaine who fled.” 

“We hear and obey!” 

The vassals and soldiers all shouted in unison as they left the count’s bedroom like a receding tide.

“Well then, shall I call you Countess? Or should I stick with Lady Aquitaine?” 

Christine glared at Gaap’s uncharacteristic relaxed tone.

“You see, I was supposed to bill the Counte–Err, Lady Duna for the verification service, but that appears to be a bit troublesome now. In any case, since House Aquitaine requested our services……” 

Suppressing the urge to rip the demon’s tongue off, Christine managed to utter some words through her clenched teeth. 

“There’s no need to worry. I don’t plan on severing ties with Abyss Corporation right now. I’ll pay the amount due. Even if it wasn’t your intention you still helped me solve this farce.” 

“Why thank you, Countess Aquitaine! Abyss Corporation and our ‘Envy Corps’ will continue to hope for the most wonder–”

“You.” 

“Yes?” 

Christine suppressed her emotions for a moment as she spoke coldly.

“If you intend to continue with this kind of business, you should be wary of the day you will pay the price.” 

The demon’s eyes widened as he gave her an amused smile.

“That would be something to look forward to. A shame that this would require a nation daring enough to set sail towards the land of the setting sun and break through the ‘Las’ fleets.” 

With those words, the flamboyant demon withdrew.

—

At last, the Count’s bedroom was silent.

Christine looked at her mother’s portrait hanging on the wall.

The Count had truly loved her mother.

And she must have loved the Count dearly, for even on her deathbed she asked Christine to continue supporting her father.

The Count probably loved his daughter as well.

And Christine loved her parents.

When she offered to help her father who was overwhelmed by grief and was struggling with the company’s affairs, he looked thrilled.

Christine honored her mother’s wishes and did her best to support her father.

But it was too much.

A girl who lost her mother and gave her all to help the only family she had left. She truly worked hard, becoming exceedingly competent.

By the time the Count recovered from his depression, the company had been completely rebuilt from the ground up by Christine and had reached the point where it could no longer operate without her.

In an instant, Christine had gone from a loving daughter who just wanted to help her father to a monster who stole his life’s work.

Turning her head, Christine approached the bed and looked down at her father.

—The Lord knew.

The words a confidant in the company said to her stabbed her heart, and Christine unconsciously closed her eyes as she placed a hand on her chest.

The Count knew that the Countess had purchased the poison from Abyss Company.

He must have known that Pierre sent a warming, which Yvonne ignored, and that had left the Company to Christine.

Christine could feel her heart throbbing painfully in her chest.

But that pain was only an illusion.

A phantom pain of something that didn’t exist anymore.

Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at the Count.

Indeed, the demon’s advertisement was correct, her father lay there with an utterly peaceful and content smile.

Originally, it was she who was supposed to consume the poison.

By the hands of her former maid, her closest friend and confidant who took care of her since childhood.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

If only she had remained ignorant of all.

Not betrayed by anyone, having no blood on her hands.

What if she had died alone, immersed in the blissful illusion this poison offered? 

Would they have been happy then? 

It was all meaningless now.

Turning her back to her father, she walked towards the door. 

Christine looked at her mother’s portrait one last time.

At the very least, her father’s love was real.

The simple act of having this portrait in his quarters while he married that woman was proof of this.

At the very least, the fact that he had been a loving husband, and a loving father was a small salvation for Christine.

Just as she was about to leave the bedroom.

Christine—

She quickly turned her head as she heard her father’s voice uttering her name.

Her father’s lips, immersed in the poison’s illusion, didn’t move.

Whether he called her because she was represented in those happy dreams, or because she was hallucinating something she longed to hear……

Christine would never know.

Stepping out of the room into the mansion hall, the chaotic pursuit of the Countess faction still continued.

As the sun gave way to the darkness of the night, only the clicking sound of her heels could be heard in the hallway.

Walking around the mansion, she passed by the door leading to the Countess’s chambers.

When her father had taken a young woman from a fallen baronial family, not even one of a good lineage, Christine had been disappointed.

Even a marriage of convenience would have been more acceptable, but to welcome a woman with nothing more than youth and beauty made her think her father had forgotten about the woman he so dearly loved.

Even then, despite her feelings, Christine greeted her new – barely older than her by a few years – stepmother with a smile.

—My dear, you can rely on me. Since there’s not much of an age difference, I would appreciate it if you’d think of me as your sister.

Whether Yvonne’s words at that time were legitimate and she had a change of heart after birthing her son, or if she had been lying from the beginning, Christine didn’t know.

Christine passed through the Countess’s room, as she gripped the railing, and made her way downstairs.

–Sis!

She could see the illusion of her cute half-brother waiting for her at the foot of the stairs.

As she descended the stairs, Christine could see the long dining table in a dark room.

Memories of the time her beloved mother was alive and her father was filled with warmth flooded her mind.

–Now, now, eat a little more slowly Christine.

—Hahaha.

A simple memory that had no place in this dark and decrepit room.

–Sis! This is delicious!

–You can eat a little more slowly, Louis.

–Ah, it’s a relief to see both of you getting along so well.

She remembered trying to look after her younger brother while mimicking her mother, and Yvonne watching over them with a pleased expression.

Continuing her stroll, Christine headed for the mansion’s main gate.

One step at a time.

The place that housed her dearest memories was now covered with flesh and blood.

No.

Perhaps those memories, that warmth were just her delusions from the very beginning.

Stepping out of the main gate, with closed eyes lost in thought, she opened them in order to see what was happening.

“Please save me, My Lady!” 

“Have mercy!” 

“My Lady! I’m innocent!” 

Amidst the vassals and retainers of the Aquitaine County, and the Knights and soldiers of Lafayette, she could see the Countess and her followers bound and captured.

Her younger brother, a child barely 8 years old, trembled, clueless, and terrified.

Christine felt a little uncomfortable seeing all her vassals kneeling down in unison, waiting for her orders, as she walked towards her brother.

“Christine! I was the one who did all of this! He, this child doesn’t know anything! I swear!

Please, at the very least spare Louis! He’s your brother!” 

Yvonne’s plea, with her dress torn and her hair a complete mess while shedding tears, sounded completely worthless.

As Christine continued to walk towards Louis, he flinched and backed away.

The boy who enjoyed her sister’s affection now retreated in fear of her.

Only then did she remember that her black dress, a mourning dress, was drenched in blood.

With a bright smile, Christine reached out and grabbed his shoulders as he continued to try to back away.

“Louis, my brother.” 

Christine felt a strange emotion as she watched her brother, who always came running after hearing her call, now backing away in fear.

“You don’t know anything about this, do you?” 

The boy’s frantic eyes looked not for his sister, but towards his tear-stricken mother.

As his mother nodded, Louis also nodded nervously.

“I’m not sure how to explain this to you since you’re too young to understand it.” 

As Christine pondered about this situation, Louis quickly opened his mouth and shouted.

“P-Please, Please help mother!” 

Christine’s face contorted when she saw Yvonne’s eyes fill with tears at the boy’s words.

Ah, how utterly,

Cruel innocence can be.

A daughter who unknowingly crushed her father’s life work with only the purest intentions in mind.

An innocent child begging to save his mother who tried to kill her sister, and who killed his father.

The parallels were so sickening that a shiver coursed through her spine.

Christine continued to hold onto the child’s shoulders and she said.

“Louis, I cannot and will not save your mother. But I won’t kill you, who were merely caught in the crossfire. I will let you live. I’ll keep you, and I’ll raise you as a true child of Aquitaine.” 

She said each word, as slowly as possible so that even if the child didn’t understand why this was happening, he would never forget those words.

She wanted him to engrave those words into his very being.

“You may hate me if you wish. But even then, you will always be my brother. I will care for you, raise you. Even if you seek revenge one day, then try to kill me with all your might. Because on that day, I’ll do the same to you, my dear brother.” 

The child’s legs faltered at the hollow tone of his sister who used to be filled with such warmth and joy.

But as one fell, the other continued standing and declared.

“As the new regent of Aquitaine, I declare. Yvonne Aquitaine. You are found guilty of treason against this country and are sentenced to death. All titles of the Duna family are revoked and both his family and retainers are also sentenced to death.” 

“No. T-this can’t be!” 

“Please spare us! Mercy, My Lady! Mercy!”

“No! Please!”

Among the cries and screams, the countess was dragged out, and before she could even say a parting word to her son, the Knight’s sword flashed.

Christine quietly turned her back to her brother’s wails, as the Countess’s blood-soaked body fell.

With every step taken, her memories were replaced by the dying screams of the traitors and the emptiness of the corridors.

Christine silently ascended the stairs.

Without even knowing where she was going, she entered her bother’s room before she realized.

Finding a familiar music box in the corner of the room, Christine slowly approached and lifted it.

[To my dear Louise – From your dearest sister Christine]

Christine stared blankly at the engraving on the music box when she suddenly noticed Pierre standing at the door.

After meeting his eyes for a moment, Pierre spoke.

“Good work.”

Was this his way of checking on her? 

Christine let out a small laugh, at this unexpected side of him.

But, whether this was his aim or not, his words did provide a small manner of comfort to her.

Christine gently activated the music box.

The melody, one she held dear to her heart, one she gifted to her brother, began to play.

She then turned towards the man who was her Knight for the day.

“Shall we dance to a tune?”

While Christine was confident in her composure, she had no idea of how her smile might look to him.

Accepting her offer, Pierre stepped forward, and with a polite bow, he stretched his hand.

“If you would honor me with this dance, My Lady.”

“Glady, My Knight.”

The dance between a Knight and a lady with a blood-soaked dress, without proper lighting, dancing only with the moonlight and the music box tune was truly a mess.

Despite the dance being a disaster, Pierre covered for her gracefully, as befitting of a Knight.

Just as Christine was contemplating whether to step on his foot purely out of defiance, the music box stopped.

Feeling a faint regret as the dance naturally reached its end, Christine opened her mouth.

“Since your Excellence, the Marquis has kept your promise, then it’s now my turn to help you.”

“I’m glad you remember, Countess.”

Christine smiled softly upon being called a countess.

“So, what can I do for you?”

“First, I want you to strengthen your cooperation with the cities that are connected with the Aquitaine County. I will also support you in this endeavor.”

“Hm, that shouldn’t be difficult.”

“And in the spring, a plague will start to spread.”

Christine blinked as she considered what she just heard.

“My Lord, are you perhaps a prophet?”

“Nothing of the sort, I’m afraid. Though it might appear that way for a time.”

Christine laughed in sheer disbelief.

“So…What then? We’ll need to prepare for this plague, I’ll need to gather suplie–”

“Yes, I would like to ask for your help with that, but we have an even more pressing matter.”

“More important than a plague?”

“After the plague starts to spread, there will be rumors of a saint traveling around healing the infected. Probably around the southern part of the kingdom, but I could be wrong.”

“Now I’m really suspicious.”

Her words made Pierre laugh, as they both grinned at each other.

“Please inform me immediately after hearing rumors about this saint.”

“Gathering influence in the cities and now this saint, huh? What exactly are you planning? Are you trying to break away from this cursed kingdom?”

Christine merely joked, so Pierre also replayed in a joking manner.

“No, no, I’m just trying to survive the Revolution.”

TL note: OMGGGGGG

She’s too hot for this world

Ahhh

I wanted to dance with her too…….

***

https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken