I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 120 (FINALE)

After the festival, not just the Letius Empire but the entire world began to change.

There was no time to properly mourn the emperor’s sudden death. Ron Letius was crowned almost immediately. Any investigation into what had happened would only begin after the new emperor had settled into power.

No one expected Ron Letius, instead of Helio Letius, to take the throne.

At first, protests erupted, insisting that Helio should have succeeded the late emperor. But those protests quickly faded once people realized that the powerful House of Aschart was backing Ron.

Despite early concerns, the new emperor quickly began to build a solid reputation.

He removed corrupt officials from office and appointed competent, talented individuals in their place. Thanks to these efforts, the imperial court, once filled with flatterers, became noticeably more disciplined and honest.

Unlike the previous emperor, who insisted on managing the knights despite having no qualifications, Ron Letius admitted his limitations. He gave full authority over the royal knights to the former deputy commander, who now became the commander.

Without interference from the throne, the knights finally found peace. The royal order, which had lost many members in the recent tragedy, began recruiting again and slowly regained its former strength.

Thanks to Ron’s swift and effective reforms, the empire stabilized quickly. Criticism of him gradually faded. Before long, the people were ready to welcome their new ruler.

With the failed agreement between the empire and the principality, the Charlier territory, which had been reduced to a vassal under the Letius Empire, was returned to the Kshant Duchy.

Once the land was restored, the duchy no longer served a purpose. It was reestablished as the Kingdom of Charlier.

Afterward, the Kingdom of Charlier signed a peace treaty with the Letius Empire, securing the nation’s future.

Because the royal palace was still being rebuilt, the celebration for the kingdom’s liberation and the coronation of the new monarch was held at a temple.

Although no formal coronation had yet occurred, it was understood that Natasha Charlier, the last remaining royal of the line, would become queen.

Many honored guests gathered to celebrate her ascension.

Just as the crown was about to be placed on her head, Natasha, kneeling at the top of the steps, suddenly stood up.

She placed the royal scepter down on the cushion before her and turned to face the crowd.

“The Kingdom of Charlier will be led by Grand Duke Kshant, who protected half of its land with everything he had.”

Then came the shocking announcement. She was giving up the throne.

“What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”

“I mean I am handing over the right to rule Charlier to Grand Duke Kshant.”

Gasps filled the temple.

“This is outrageous!”

Even the grand duke himself had clearly not been informed. He jumped to his feet, stunned by her unexpected decision.

“A kingdom cannot be ruled by someone who isn’t of royal blood. That’s unthinkable.”

“How can someone who fought so hard to rebuild this country suddenly turn her back on it? That’s impossible.”

As the grand duke firmly declined the crown, others began raising their voices as well.

But Natasha remained calm and unmoved. She had no intention of reversing her decision. Instead, she focused on persuading him.

“Charlier was only able to rise again because of you, Grand Duke. Without the protection of the Kshant Duchy, this land would have been lost. There would be no Charlier left to save.”

She took his hand and continued, her voice steady.

“I believe bloodlines don’t matter. Even though you had no connection to Charlier by birth, you defended it with more heart and loyalty than anyone else.”

No one could deny her words. Thanks to the grand duke’s efforts, the kingdom had survived and was now rebuilding.

“Even if you betrayed me twice along the way…”

The grand duke’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“Even if you tried to force patriotism onto me…”

“…”

“Even that was for the sake of Charlier. You always wanted to see this kingdom restored. So why shouldn’t you be the one to rule it?”

With a wink, Natasha unclasped her royal cloak. It flew in a gentle arc and landed across the grand duke’s shoulders.

“But me, taking the throne of Charlier…” he said, hesitating after seeing how sincere she was.

“There’s also the issue of an heir. I can’t pass down the crown.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. My descendants will inherit the throne.”

“…What?”

“I mean I’ll take it back once everything is in place. That probably sounds a little selfish, doesn’t it?”

She smiled innocently and touched her finger to her lips.

“No, not at all. You’re making the right choice. Protecting the kingdom sometimes means making bold decisions like this.”

The grand duke finally relaxed and let out a loud, genuine laugh.

Natasha smiled too and walked over to retrieve the scepter she had set down earlier.

Sensing what she intended to do, the grand duke knelt on one knee and raised both hands. She placed the scepter gently into his waiting palms.

“Please take care of Charlier, Lienne Kshant. No, Lienne Charlier.”

“Thank you for giving me the honor of becoming a second sun to this kingdom. From today on, I will live as Lienne Charlier and do my best to lead this nation you have rebuilt.”

And so, the Kingdom of Charlier began a new chapter under the rule of Lienne Charlier.

The royal knights, once the pride of Charlier, also began to recover. Dante Euster, now serving as the new commander, played a major role in their return to strength.

Thanks to support from the shadows who had worked with them in the past or perhaps because of someone in the Galonde Empire, the relationship between Charlier and Galonde began to thrive.

Everything seemed to be falling into place.

But just as true peace had finally settled over the land, the House of Aschart collapsed.

It happened overnight.

Both the duke and duchess disappeared without a trace. With them gone, the house dissolved.

The House of Aschart had once held power equal to the imperial family itself.

People, unable to understand why anyone would walk away from such wealth and honor, began to whisper. Some wondered if the family had committed treason. The theories grew louder and more convincing.

As rumors refused to die down, the imperial palace finally broke its silence.

Ron Letius revealed to the public that he and the House of Aschart had personally executed the former emperor. To justify the action, he exposed the corrupt and disgraceful deeds of Kail Letius.

Among the revelations was one long-hidden truth, shared to emphasize the former emperor’s incompetence.

Years ago, the operation that recovered Charlier’s territory had not been led by Kail Letius, as previously believed, but by Sieghart Aschart.

Once it was made clear that the plan had originated from Sieghart, the controversy quickly faded. People began to believe that eliminating Kail Letius had helped the empire advance, not harmed it.

But a new controversy soon followed.

The relationship between Sieghart and Natasha resurfaced and drew attention once again.

A love between the victim and the one responsible? For the media and a public always looking for scandal, it became an irresistible topic during peaceful times.

However, the House of Aschart had vanished without a trace a month earlier. When reporters questioned former staff members, they all insisted they knew nothing. The truth remained hidden.

Only wild speculation remained.

Some said Natasha had left Sieghart after learning something in advance.

Others claimed the couple had escaped before public reaction could turn against them.

Another rumor suggested that the duchess had fallen ill again and was hidden away in a hospital.

But none of it could be confirmed. The truth remained buried far beneath the surface.

As the public’s curiosity turned obsessive, even the former staff of House Aschart began to disappear.

The gardener who once cared for the estate grounds, the loyal butler Jenkins, and even the duchess’s close attendants, Meliana and Vanessa, all vanished without a trace.

With everyone connected to the Ascharts gone, rumors only grew more bizarre. Some joked that the entire group had settled on a deserted island to live happily ever after.

“Hey, young man! You ready? You promised we’d go hunting today!”

Fenril, the village troublemaker, shouted with a big grin on his face.

People nearby looked over with amused expressions. Their gazes turned sharp as sparks flew toward Fenril.

“What are you talking about? I made a huge pot of beef stew just for tonight. I invited them to dinner.”

“And tomorrow, they’re going on a walk with me. Don’t even think about taking that time.”

“And the day after that, I’ve already invited them over to my place. So don’t you dare steal that either. Ho, ho!”

The women were loud and full of energy, insisting they had already claimed every moment of the couple’s time.

The young man who had recently moved into the village looked a little embarrassed.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to join dinner tonight.”

“What? Why not?”

“My wife asked me to come home early. It sounded urgent, so we’ll have to decline this time.”

“Oh dear. I hope it’s nothing serious. Well, I guess I’ll just have to make sure the rest of the neighbors eat well.”

The woman who had invited them sighed in disappointment.

She wanted to ask him to come later, even just for a short visit, but knowing how often the wife had minor health issues, she guessed it might be more serious this time.

As the young man hurried away, the villagers looked at his retreating figure with warm smiles.

“Still such a sweet couple.”

“I know she’s not feeling well, so I feel bad saying this, but I’m so glad they moved back. It’s refreshing to see them.”

“Right? I feel the same way. If they even think about leaving again, we should do whatever it takes to make them stay.”

More sparks lit up in the women’s eyes as they shared a quiet laugh.

“Natasha, I’m home.”

Sieghart called out as he stepped inside the house.

From the quiet dining room, Natasha peeked her head out.

“You’re back, Enoch?”

“At home, you’re supposed to call me Sieghart.”

“Oops. Right. You’re back, Sieghart?”

“My wife called me home urgently, so I ran back and left everyone else behind.”

Sieghart and Natasha had moved to a quiet countryside village in Osrael, living as Enoch and Tisha Winter.

“Sieghart, should we start over?”

“A new beginning?”

“Yes. Somewhere no one knows who we are. Somewhere we can live freely without worrying about other people’s eyes. Let’s leave behind those names, Charlier and Aschart. They were too heavy and painful.”

Contrary to the rumors, there was only one reason they left behind the name Aschart.

They could no longer bear to carry the names that had caused them both so much pain.

So the couple came to Osrael to start a peaceful and quiet life together.

“Ugh, how annoyingly sweet. Who would’ve thought our lord was such a romantic?”

Jenkins muttered as he brought their food, clicking his tongue playfully.

“I think it’s lovely. Watching them these days is so fun, I lose track of time.”

“I don’t even need to watch plays anymore,” Meliana said with a laugh.

She and Vanessa gently poured tea into Natasha and Sieghart’s cups as they playfully scolded Jenkins.

Natasha smiled shyly and waved her hand, telling them to stop teasing. Surprisingly, Sieghart didn’t mind and quietly took his seat.

“You were looking forward to that stew for days. Why did you suddenly decide we should eat alone?”

Natasha sipped her tea and asked with a curious smile.

“I think it’ll be faster if I show you instead of explaining.”

She gave a quick glance toward Meliana and Vanessa, whose faces instantly brightened.

Vanessa skipped over cheerfully and placed something round and wrapped on the table.

“These days, they say divine power can reveal a baby’s gender in advance.”

A flowerpot with beautifully blooming flowers took over Sieghart’s view.

“It’s a girl.”

“…Natasha.”

“She’ll have clear, bright eyes just like us. I wonder how tiny and pretty she’ll be. Oh, and her name…”

Sieghart suddenly stood and walked toward Natasha. The others, realizing what was coming next, quietly stepped out of the room.

He gently took Natasha by the waist and spun her around. The hem of her dress swirled like a flower blooming above the flowerpot.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes. Happier than I’ve ever been. I don’t even know how to describe this feeling.”

“You don’t have to explain. One small action is enough.”

Watching Sieghart bounce nervously on his feet, unsure of what to do, Natasha couldn’t help but smile. She slowly closed her eyes.

Then, the two shared a soft kiss to celebrate yet another new beginning.

The beginning of their child’s life.

The End

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