Chapter : 46
It wasn’t until several months later that Regis fully understood why he had never wanted to let go of Casielope’s hand from such a young age.
Knock, knock—
“Lope.”
Regis quietly called her name as he knocked on the bedroom door of Princess Casielope.
The war with the Verf Empire had begun. And the one appointed as the overall commander in this Verf Empire campaign was none other than Princess Casielope Clemens herself.
A fourteen-year-old princess with no prior combat experience.
She had learned swordsmanship as part of her royal heir training and practiced daily at the training grounds, but she was utterly unfit to be the commander of an army.
Being the emperor’s only direct heir, her presence was the perfect opportunity for nobles dissatisfied with the current reign.
If they could push the princess to the battlefield under the pretense of royalty, whether she died or was injured, it would be nearly impossible for Casielope to return safely.
‘What should I even say…?’
The nobles, claiming that the throne’s authority wasn’t fully secure, were essentially forcing the princess toward death.
Sharp-minded as she was, Casielope surely understood the circumstances that led her to the battlefield.
Regis had already volunteered to join the war the moment he heard of her deployment. But their situations were different.
No matter how you spin it, being forced into battle and volunteering are not the same thing.
He hesitated in front of her door, knocking once more.
“Lope… can I come in?”
“Come in, Regis.”
A faint voice answered from inside.
Opening the door, he saw her red hair whipping in the wind.
“Lope…”
She sat perched on the terrace railing, letting the cold night air wash over her.
Her posture seemed precarious, and Regis hurried toward her.
“What are you doing, Lope? That’s dangerous.”
The thought that she might jump from there filled him with dread. Even knowing she wasn’t a fragile person, he couldn’t suppress the instinctive fear rising within him.
“I’m going to the war, Regis.”
“…I know.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Because I’m going with you.”
“Mm, I know that too.”
Neither of them could be unaware of the other’s plans. Yet, as if it were natural, they shared their news with one another.
“You could get hurt, Regis.”
“I know.”
“You could die.”
“I know that too.”
“You’ll still go to the battlefield with me?”
“Of course.”
“Then… even if it’s selfish, can I be happy about that?”
“Of course.”
Her slight shoulders shook at his calm answer, giving away the low, stifled laugh she couldn’t suppress.
“You could get hurt, you could die, Lope… are you really okay with that?”
“If I weren’t okay, would it change anything?”
At her calm retort, Regis had no answer.
The situation would not change. That was all he could be certain of.
His hand, reaching to comfort her, froze in midair.
“But I really am okay, Regis.”
Casielope turned to him, her face entirely free of shadow.
There was no trace of fear of death; the smile that bloomed on her face was clear and bright.
“Look over there.”
She pointed straight ahead. Following her finger, Regis’s gaze fell upon the sparkling vista of Clemens.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It is.”
“If I’m going to protect such a beautiful empire, I’m really okay with it.”
Her eyes shone with a rare intensity. Lost in the gleaming empire against the endless darkness, she seemed to forget even the passage of time.
Following her gaze, Regis silently watched the same spot.
“But I hope you come back alive.”
“…Lope.”
“Because… the empire His Majesty built is beautiful, but the Clemens I will lead will be even more radiant.”
Her smile, expressed with those words, shone brighter than anything else.
Regis clasped her hand in his.
Now he understood why he had never wanted to let go of the warmth in their joined hands.
Her radiant smile, bright as if kissed by sunlight, was so pure that he wanted to capture it fully, without losing a single moment.
He wanted to protect that smile beside her for every single instant, even if that radiant face never turned toward him in return.
The battlefield was brutal. Countless people, regardless of age or skill, perished.
Some knights went mad from the endless flow of blood, and faces contorted in horror at the carnage.
“Lope…”
Regis instinctively checked Casielope’s reaction.
“…What are you doing?”
His assumption that she would be distressed was completely wrong. She clenched her teeth, holding something in her hands.
It looked so suspicious that he reflexively grabbed her wrist.
“Let go of that.”
“What is this, Lope?”
“…Poison.”
“Why would you—”
Regis’s eyelids trembled. What was she thinking? The fear that she might act on a wrong impulse gripped him like a vice.
Reading his thoughts, Casielope spoke softly to reassure him.
“It’s not what you think. I’m preparing for any possibility.”
“What do you mean? Speak clearly, Lope.”
“I’m the princess of Clemens. If I’m captured, I’ll be a valuable hostage.”
Suppressing the tremor in his voice, Regis met her eyes.
“So? If you’re captured alive, you’d drink this poison and die?”
“Yes. I have the resistance; I must drink a lethal dose to end my life.”
Her answer was unwavering.
Only now did he realize that such beautiful violet eyes could harbor such cruelty.
‘You can’t stop someone like her.’
He knew that once she made up her mind, she would see it through. There was no way he could break her resolve.
“…What are you doing?”
Regis snatched one of the two poisons from her hands and tucked it into his own.
“I’m preparing too. I may not be as valuable a hostage as you, but I still have some worth.”
Casielope froze, momentarily speechless. Her words had simply been returned to her.
“Regis, if I die, will you die with me?”
“Of course.”
His answer left no hesitation. Without a second thought, he replied immediately, making her widen her eyes in surprise before breaking into a small laugh.
“You fool. Just say we’ll live together.”
“If you say we’ll live together…”
“Why do you act like you’d do anything I asked?”
“I’m not acting. I really would.”
You may not know it, Casielope, but I am truly ready for anything.
Regis muttered to himself, unaware that he might one day regret this certainty and resolve, and devoted himself fully to that decision.
That day, a torrential downpour thundered across the battlefield. Regis gritted his teeth as he cut through the ongoing battle.
News reached him at the northern front that the western forces were losing ground—exactly where Casielope was.
Hearing this, he spurred his horse toward her location, convincing himself she would still be okay as he charged forward recklessly.
Breaking through the driving rain, he reached the western front. The sight before him made him halt in shock.
Despite being pushed back by the Verf forces, something was clenched in Casielope’s hand.
“No! Lope, don’t!”
Regis shouted, realizing her intentions.
But it seemed she had already acted; Casielope poured the poison into her mouth.
Despite her partial resistance to poison, what she carried was a deadly toxin strong enough to fell a beast. After ingesting it, Casielope staggered weakly atop her horse.
Her noble body, which should never have touched the ground, collapsed helplessly.
