I Only Raised Men for Revenge - Chapter 32

“Look at her. She’s only polite at times like this, isn’t she?”

“Of course, of course, Sis. It’s not just any position, it’s the position of Empress. Someone as noble and well-versed in etiquette as you should take it, don’t you think? So, don’t even think about giving it up. Well then, Father, I’ll be going. I think you’ve said everything you needed to say.”

“Oh…? Y-yes. Go on.”

“Father!!! You have to stop her!”

“Stop what? This father wants you to become the Empress.”

He was a stubborn mule at times like this. He had been like that in the past too. The Marquis had persuaded and persuaded Elzer, who absolutely did not want to become the wife of a scoundrel, who said she didn’t even want the position of Empress.

Eventually, Elzer collapsed after not eating for a week. Because she collapsed unexpectedly, Elzer hit the floor and bled heavily, and only then did the Marquis stop trying to persuade her.

So, in the current situation, there was no way he would give up on Elzer and hand over the position of Crown Prince’s fiancée to Sesenia.

Sesenia downed the tea that had been placed with the dessert in one gulp and left the room.

“How interesting.”

Lizbeth tilted her head when Sesenia, who always looked uncomfortable whenever she went to family meals, came out humming a tune.

“Is something good happening?”

“Yes. Something very interesting.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried you might get indigestion after the family meal.”

“No, you don’t have to worry. Let’s go back to the room then. Because I think my sister will be coming soon.”

“Miss Elzer?”

“Yes. I should go and wait in advance.”

Even during the meal, Elzer kept looking at Sesenia as if she wanted to say something.

Her destination after parting with the Marquis was clear. Therefore, Sesenia arrived at her room with a lighter step than ever before.

**

As expected, Elzer came to Sesenia’s room.

“You. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“You came after all. I should have made a bet.”

“What?”

“I thought you’d come right away.”

“…So, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Isn’t that a bit of a silly question? The person who came would have something to say. What would someone who was quietly in their room have to say?”

Slurp. Slurp. Sesenia, who had nothing else to do while waiting for Elzer, made a loud noise as she drank her tea.

“Ha. This is so annoying.”

“It’s you who rudely burst into the room without any manners, so why are you getting annoyed?”

“Who said I’m annoyed about that? You know the situation. So why are you refusing? Shouldn’t you be engaged to Crown Prince Helbert? Huh?”

“Why should I…? Sis, are you really an idiot?”

Sesenia, who didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding her emotions anymore, slightly twisted up the corner of her lips and looked at Elzer.

“D-did you call me an idiot?”

“Or… are you really treating me like a fool? Why would I get engaged to that human being?”

“That’s what was supposed to happen. So, shouldn’t you just do it?”

Sesenia got up from her seat with a rather worried expression and held Elzer’s hand tightly. Elzer tried to quickly pull her hand away at Sesenia’s unexpected action, but Sesenia’s grip was quite strong, so Elzer couldn’t do anything.

“Sis. Think about it. A regrettable past has returned in time. What would you do first?”

“What?”

“You know, like that. As soon as you go back in time, you throw a letter of annulment at your fiancé and say, ‘Let’s break up,’ or tell your husband, ‘Let’s get divorced.’ People usually do things like that first, don’t they? But I’m in a very clean and perfect time where even that situation hasn’t happened yet. So why would I like an idiot, deliberately go down that path?”

“……”

“That’s why I’m saying this. I’m wondering if you’re really an idiot for asking me this. Otherwise, why would you deliberately tell me to walk down that shitty path? Are you sick somewhere?”

Her eyebrows, drooping downwards, seemed to be genuinely worried about Elzer. Elzer suddenly felt annoyed by that concern.

“And you know what, Sis? He’s the man you wanted so badly. The person you wanted so much that you betrayed your own sister. So why are you suddenly trying to give him up to me?”

“……”

“That’s right. You’re the one who took him even though you knew he was your sister’s husband. So, shouldn’t you just take him in this life? How great would that be? You can just have him from now on. After all, it’s obvious that Crown Prince Helbert will become the Emperor. Don’t even think about giving him up and keep him preciously in a treasure chest. That human’s place is a perfect match for you.”

It was then that Elzer, who had been silent all along, opened her mouth.

“Would you want to marry the person who killed you?”

“So, he did kill you. Then how would I feel? Wouldn’t I feel even worse than you? Would I want to marry the person who killed me and cheated on me every time?”

“Anyway, I don’t want to. I won’t do it. You get married.”

“Why? Is it better to put me on the throne as Empress like in the past and then take that position away? Or, in order to beat me, is it easier for me to marry him like in the past?”

Even if she asked like this, Elzer wouldn’t answer.

“Anyway, I want you to do it.”

“Sis. Do you want to become the Empress?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Then let’s make a bet. Who will become the Empress? Who will survive until the end? You have so many choices, don’t you? You can marry the scoundrel Crown Prince Helbert, who will become the Emperor in any way. Or you can marry Prince Ian, who has no backing at all, so no one will keep him in check. Struggle and strive to become the Empress. If you’re in the same stupid state as you are now, it’ll be so easy to beat you. Crush me with power, if you can. Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”

“……”

Sesenia smiled more brightly than ever before.

As if she was really happy.

“I know from experience, you can never beat me with your brain. So please, become the Empress. Got it? Then, now that you know your place, will you please leave?”

“Are you really going to become the Empress?”

“Yes. And I won’t be taken advantage of like that this time.”

“…Okay. I’ll crush you no matter what.”

“Yes. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

She had already lost. From the moment she entered this room, from the moment she told Sesenia to get engaged to the Crown Prince. Or from the moment Elzer was found out to be a regressor, it was as good as Elzer had lost.

And Sesenia drove Elzer into a corner, again and again, in order to make her the Empress, in order to put her in that position, in order to elicit those words.

And finally, on the blank canvas, Sesenia dipped a bright red paint into a brush and began to paint.

For her own blood-stained future.

**

After Elzer left, the Marquis came to her room.

“You’ve arrived.”

The Marquis, more furious than ever, stepped inside.

“Ha. I’m really going crazy because of your sister.”

It was the first time ever. It was the first time the Marquis had revealed his emotions in front of her.

Lizbeth, who had naturally gone outside when Elzer came in, went outside again, saying she would bring tea. Then the Marquis sat down on the sofa with a frustrated expression.

“Why?”

Sesenia stood in front of him with an expression as if she didn’t know anything. Sesenia, who was standing in her own room like an uninvited guest, sat on the armrest of the sofa, just like Elzer had done, and looked at her father.

“Isn’t my sister listening to you?”

“Yes. I went to the trouble of arranging a position for her, and what? No one wants to get married? It’s the Crown Prince, no less. He’s going to be the Emperor. I don’t understand why she doesn’t want to do it.”

She couldn’t act like Elzer in the past. She didn’t feel the need to do so, and she didn’t even think she should. But Sesenia now was different.

“I know, right? I don’t understand why my sister is doing that either. The rumors about His Highness the Crown Prince aren’t good, but why is she doing that without even meeting him…?”

“Right? Yes. Sesenia. Now I can finally talk to you.”

So he was someone who could be communicated with just these words. No matter how the image of the thorough and cold-hearted Marquis came to be, the Marquis was also someone who could be handled more easily than she thought.

The Marquis was also on the list of people to be avenged. Just because they were family, the things he did made it impossible for a child to grow up as a child. He made her watch his every move, and he made her crave love.

A child’s temperament differs greatly depending on how their parents raise them from an early age. And Sesenia was unable to grow up as an ordinary child because of such a lacking father figure.

“I know, right?”

“Come to think of it, you’ve been very bright since you were young.”

“It’s all because I take after Father. So, what are you going to do?”

“Ha, I don’t know. She’s so firm this time. I don’t know if I’ll be able to persuade her.”

In the past, the Marquis had pushed forward regardless of what Elzer thought. In contrast, the current Marquis was just sighing deeply, as if he knew in advance that he would never be able to persuade her.

‘Why has he changed?’

This had nothing to do with what Sesenia was doing. Rather, Sesenia firmly said that she would not become the Crown Prince’s fiancée. Then he should be clinging to Elzer even more, but he was giving up like this.

‘Why has he changed? Why… what’s different from the past?’

No matter how much she thought about it, it was a part that she couldn’t understand at all. But just because she didn’t understand it didn’t mean that she could do anything about it right now. She couldn’t ask the Marquis why he was different from the past.

“But you’re still going to keep trying to persuade her, right?”

“That’s why I’m saying this, Sesenia.”

“Yes.”

“How about the position of His Highness the Crown Prince’s fiancée?”

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