The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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“You know who I am?”

I had expected that she would likely know me. Even though she was entrenched in the north, she had consistently shown interest in the capital, so if she had heard rumors, she would have known about me to some extent.

Rather, it would have been strange if she did not know. When it came to bad rumors, there were few more famous than me.

As I asked with a perplexed expression, she stared at me for a moment before letting out a chuckle and opening her mouth.

“People think I have little interest in politics. Since the north is always busy, they assume I’m just someone skilled with a sword.”

“But I don’t think that way.”

“No, most people do think that way. But I’m different – I’m quite interested in the capital.”

The blue gemstone embedded in her black waist sash exuded an unmistakable presence.

After briefly glancing at her sword, as if sensing my gaze, she brought her hand to it.

“Are you interested in swords?”

“No, not really.”

“Well, these days, there are also people who find success through scholarship. Anyway, the reason I know you is because of that. The rumor that a man who dreamed of romance realized the harsh reality and broke off his engagement – it even reached the north. Is it true?”

Rather than the rumor having spread to the north, it meant that she already had her claws embedded within the capital.

Understanding that meaning, I smiled faintly, and Adele followed suit with a slight smile as she drew her sword.

With a smooth sound, the unsheathed sword emitted a clear radiance.

It was no ordinary sword.

I immediately realized this because of the transparent brilliance of the blade shining in the moonlight.

As Adele caressed the icy-transparent blade, her gaze turned towards me.

What should I say – she still seemed as unfathomable as ever.

In fact, the Grand Duchess of the North had many nicknames.

At times, she was called a tyrant, while at other times, she was called the guardian deity protecting the empire’s northern regions.

Despite receiving both adulation and condemnation, she herself did not seem too concerned about her reputation.

She simply wanted to live as she desired, and perhaps her attendance at today’s party was for no particular reason.

If I had to speculate on a reason…

Perhaps she had come simply because she wanted to.

“Your eyes seem vacant. Quite different from what I had heard.”

“…What did you know about me?”

“It was just a rumor, but I heard you had a weak and pitiful personality, and that you were utterly useless. I heard that Lady Violet would be miserable marrying such a man…”

In an instant, the atmosphere around Adele, standing before me, changed.

A chilling sensation enveloped my body, and it felt as if my entire being wanted to scream and flee at that very moment.

It was a sensation I remembered all too well.

Indeed, I did not need much time to recall the feeling I had experienced just before dying.

However, I did not evade her. Since I already knew how she would move, I realized that remaining still would be safer for me.

Lowering my gaze slightly, I saw that Adele’s sword was pressed against my neck.

Although it did not touch me, a trickle of blood flowed as if drawn by the mana emanating from her.

This was one of the reasons for Adele’s notorious reputation.

Due to her bad habit of acting solely as she pleased, few dared to approach her.

I had expected to experience something like this upon meeting her, but the experience came sooner than I had anticipated, causing my eyes to narrow slightly.

However, that was all – my gaze returned to meet Adele’s unwavering eyes.

For a brief moment, a blue ripple passed through them.

There was no need for me to be flustered. I already knew her well enough.

The reason for her action towards me was likely a test.

“Well? Do I seem similar to the rumors?”

Since death no longer held any fear for me, my expression remained perfectly calm.

I had even been torn apart and devoured by beasts while still alive.

Dying from a slashed throat would almost be a luxury in comparison.

Adele seemed slightly surprised by my response.

“…Completely different from the rumors. I certainly understand now.”

“That’s quite fortunate, then.”

As she sheathed her sword, her gaze turned towards my neck.

Blood trickled down, and as I moved to wipe it with my sleeve, she hurriedly grabbed my wrist.

“Wait. Don’t wipe it with your sleeve.”

She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and brought her hand to my neck.

The menacing aura she had exuded when she had pointed her sword at me had long since dissipated.

Instead of the rough hand that had gripped the sturdy sword, a soft, warm sensation touched me as she slowly began to wipe away the flowing blood.

As I had guessed, she had merely tested me to see what kind of person I was.

Whether I was the pitiful man described in the rumors, or someone worthy of her interest.

If I had reacted as expected, she might have responded accordingly, but it seemed that showing her my true self had worked in my favor.

In other words, it appeared that I had piqued her interest quite a bit.

“My apologies. I didn’t intend to go that far.”

“Do you think an apology will suffice?”

Thus, I retorted slightly. Ordinarily, I would not be able to speak this way to her, the Grand Duchess of the North.

But was I not clearly the victim here?

The handkerchief she had given me was soaked in the blood seeping from my neck.

A sigh involuntarily escaped me as I thought about how poorly she had controlled her strength, cutting me so deeply.

As my eyes narrowed, Adele averted her gaze and cleared her throat awkwardly.

It seemed she realized her mistake.

Meeting someone and immediately pointing a sword at them was something she should correct, but I knew well that it would not be easy for her to change that habit.

Even the version of her I had met much later would still suddenly point her sword at my neck.

A chronic condition, perhaps?

This was why I had hesitated to return to the capital.

Adele’s body flinched as she noticed the blood that had trickled down to the collar of my shirt.

“…What do you intend to do?”

“I didn’t expect you to be so frail. To bleed even without being touched…”

“What will people say if I return to the capital like this, with blood dripping from my neck? What could I possibly accomplish in such a state?”

My plan to meet the princess had also been disrupted.

For various reasons, a frown creased my brow, and Adele regarded me with a peculiar expression.

Unlike her earlier apologetic demeanor, her golden eyes now held a distinct sense of perplexity, as if observing something wondrous.

What was she so surprised about?

However, that perplexed feeling soon vanished, at a speed that made me doubt whether it had been a mere momentary illusion.

After briefly contemplating something, Adele stepped closer and spoke.

“Come to the north later. Have a drink with me.”

“A drink, you say? You speak in earnest.”

“Yes, you know well that I don’t extend such invitations to just anyone. Hmm, shall I be more direct?”

I tilted my head slightly at the mention of being “direct,” and a frown formed as a certain idea crossed my mind.

And Adele continued, confirming that my assumption was correct.

“You’ve piqued my interest.”

“Ah, I see.”

It was a remarkably candid response.

And one that made her regret her earlier actions.

While it was true that I was more well-disposed towards Adele compared to others, I did not wish to become deeply entangled with her.

Thus, I displayed a somewhat insolent attitude, but that seemed to have the opposite effect.

“If I may be so bold, I am curious as to what aspect of me caught your interest.”

I had assumed that my composure in the sudden situation had piqued her interest, but the response I received was quite unexpected.

“Your eyes intrigue me.”

My parted lips froze. For a moment, I was at a loss for words, unable to find a response to what I had just heard.

After a brief pause to contemplate the meaning of those words, a somewhat cold voice flowed into my ear, as if denying me the opportunity to speak.

“The calmness you displayed just now was akin to someone accepting their impending death. As if you knew the sword was coming, and death would simply be the end – or even if you died, it would be more convenient for you.”

“…Haha.”

“So, come to the north next time. I would like to hear the reason behind that, if you don’t mind.”

The Grand Duchess of the North did not elaborate further.

It seemed she had said all she wished to say, for she abruptly turned to leave, just as she had when she first appeared.

As Adele turned her back, the wolf’s fur glistened in the moonlight.

While I gazed blankly at the silvery white hair cascading over her shoulders, she added one more remark.

“And don’t die before then.”

It felt like a direct hit, leaving me unable to offer any rebuttal.

The figure of Adele walking through the garden soon vanished from sight in an instant.

If the handkerchief around my neck had not remained, I might have mistaken our encounter for a mere dream.

I had certainly understood her invitation to the north.

She would likely extend a formal invitation, beckoning me to come as far as the hospitality offered under the name of the Grand Duchess of the North would allow.

It was certainly an excessive reward for a mere scratch on the neck.

However, there was still a reason why I did not wish to become too involved with her.

For she was someone who would depart this world even earlier than I would die.

Just as I had been falsely accused, she too would be executed under false charges.

…Truly, it was a peculiar connection between us.

I stood there, gazing at a secluded corner of the deserted garden.

More precisely, I looked at the full moon hovering over the spot where she had vanished.

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I gazed at the moon.

The pale, almost frozen light of the moon was no different here in the capital than in the north.

That was why I had not come to the capital. Unlike when I remained in the north, in the capital, I would face various restrictions.

Yet the reason I had come for the princess’s birthday celebration was simple.

It was merely because I had wanted to. Or rather, I had felt a strong urge that I had to come here.

Grrrr…

Instead of a carriage, I had ridden a dire wolf larger than a carriage, and the lone wolf left in the secluded spot let out a low howl as its master approached.

“Yes, you’ve been waiting.”

Owoo…

As I stroked the wolf, much larger than myself, as if it were a dog, it merely shuddered.

Having grown up together since childhood, this creature was a unique companion, so close that it would not be strange to call it my only friend.

It was lamentable that animals seemed more trustworthy than humans, in reality.

As Adele stroked the coarse fur, she recalled the earlier encounter.

The man she had met by chance in the garden, where she had gone due to her dislike of crowds, had piqued her interest quite a bit for a chance meeting.

Had there not been quite a few rumors about him circulating in the capital?

“I had thought him an unremarkable man.”

Weakness was one of the personality traits Adele disliked the most.

She knew well the hardships of dealing with an indecisive superior, recalling the few such memories she had in her life.

Even now, when she had no real superiors, the memories of her past struggles were not something she wished to relive.

Thus, her initial impression upon meeting him had been one of displeasure.

However, it did not take long for that feeling to turn into curiosity.

The nobles who typically encountered her would invariably have a glint in their eyes.

Whether it was reverence or fear, she was well-accustomed to the gaze of those looking upon something inhuman.

But Robert Taylor had merely seemed slightly surprised upon seeing her.

The emotion in his eyes was closer to nonchalance.

No, it would be more accurate to say they were vacant.

Even when she brought her sword to his neck, his eyes did not change.

The hazy blue hue reflected nothing, and within that murky color, only her own face was visible.

Moreover, he had even brazenly demanded an apology from her. That aspect had piqued her interest.

Or rather, it seemed more accurate to say that his eyes had intrigued her.

“Perhaps I should have him hold a sword next time.”

However, her interest did not extend beyond that.

It was simply that his vacant eyes, devoid of fear towards her, were unsettling.

To label it as any particular emotion might be too hasty.

“Let’s head back. Home.”

Adele murmured as she mounted the wolf.

Originally, she had intended to find the reason for the urge that had brought her to the capital, but upon meeting Robert, the tightness in her chest had instantly dissipated.

The cause of that feeling had been Robert. Why, she did not know.

Pondering reasons before acting was something she had rarely done in her life.

As she contemplated the reason, the corners of Adele’s lips curved into a slight smile.

There was no need to ponder it urgently. Was not life about going with the blowing northern winds, following the drifting snow?

She would likely meet him again soon. And even if not, she could make it so.

That was the way of the north, and Adele’s way.

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