Chapter 17: Violent Execution

Tonight, I have again decided to spend the night in the study. The night wind is like a monster, prowling freely through the moonlit corridors.

Ian, if you must hate, then hate me for a lifetime.

I admit, I did use you.

In my entire life, you were the only opportunity I obtained without having to pay a price.

Solene stopped her pen here.

The things she wished to change were piled as high as mountains; even sitting in silence, her thoughts would drift far away. She contemplated for a moment before continuing to write:

I leave this letter in the hope that you will adopt my suggestions and govern the country wisely.

The people are your blade, and you are the shield of the people; only when the two complement each other can you be invincible.

The abolition of slavery is a matter of great urgency. For grey industries such as horse racing, gambling, drug trafficking, the slave trade, brothels, and child abduction, clear legislation must be enacted. Furthermore, knight orders and supervisory roles—such as hospital doctors and orphanage teachers—must be established to uphold these laws.

……

Solene wrote with extreme detail, yet she frequently paused to think, feeling as though something was still missing. After finishing much of the content, she put down her pen, sighed, and leaned back against the chair. The road ahead was unpredictable; everything would depend on him alone.

As she closed her eyes, a sudden thought struck her. She quickly scribbled one last sentence:

Gradually and slowly weaken the influence of the Church to strengthen the sense of national belonging.

Once finished, she hid the letter in a secret compartment of the pocket watch left by her father, where the portraits of her parents usually resided. Solene closed her eyes and lightly kissed the glass of the watch, pressing it against her heart. Her father, who had never forced her into gambling, would always be the pure "white moonlight" in her soul.

Even when the family was destitute, her father always managed to find food, while her mother would sit by the warm hearth, holding her and telling stories of princesses and princes. Princesses and princes always found happiness. Sadly, she was no princess, though Ian was a true prince.

"Aren't you resting?" Ian pushed open the door, finding Solene slumped in her chair, gazing at him calmly.

"I’m tired today. In a few days, I’m going to the Lowlands." Solene rubbed her temples. She had already leaked this news secretly; soon, someone would walk straight into her trap. Even if she had to act in front of the citizens, she didn't care, for she had already pre-arranged her own future.

"Without me?" Ian asked, crossing his arms.

"Without you. Do you want to go that badly?" Solene raised an eyebrow.

Ian shrugged. "Even if you don't take me, I'll find a way. I’ll just stay here and act like a nuisance to stop you from leaving. What can you do? Unless you kill me."

Solene stared into his eyes. "You’ve grown quite clever. You know I don't want to kill you. You’re not as dim-witted as you used to be."

"Ha." Ian gave a short laugh.

Solene hung the pocket watch around her neck and stood up.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Ian wrapped his arms around her waist, catching the scent of ink mixed with the fragrance of flowers and wood. The woodsy scent was the smell of him, fresh from a bath.

"I’m going back to my own room."

"My room is the same. I won't touch you; let's just get some proper rest." Ian smiled slightly, but the look in his eyes didn't reach his heart.

Solene shook her head. "I find you annoying."

"Then I’ll just have to cling to you even more. On purpose." Ian’s smile widened, but his gaze remained deep and placid.

Solene turned her head to look at him and smiled. "You’ve changed, Ian. Is it because of me?"

"Is it?" Ian’s smile faltered slightly.

The two remained silent for the rest of the way. Although their words were meant to provoke and irritate one another, neither felt they had gained the upper hand or felt particularly satisfied.

When Solene stepped onto the soil of the Lowlands again, everything felt brand new. She walked toward her former home with practiced familiarity, followed by a group of guards. She had come specifically to visit this old residence that once belonged to her.

The house already had new owners. Everything was kept in perfect order, including the firewood left behind by her father. To her regret, before she could even light a single log, the new residents had sold it all. For some reason, she felt an urge to find that batch of wood, but she knew it was impossible. Firewood was a consumable—just like her late father, it could never be brought back.

"Countess Solene." A voice rang out; it seemed the new residents had returned. A woman knelt on the ground, followed by two men who knelt in greeting as well.

Ian sat inside the carriage, pulling back the curtain slightly to look outside. Solene frowned at the three people before her. Ian shook his head and let the curtain fall.

Suddenly, a cloud of purple mist erupted from within the house, knocking out the guards behind Solene. Solene gave a light wave of her hand, and her mana instantly partitioned the mist away.

The leading woman removed her mask—it was Sue!

Solene, having been prepared, swiftly drew a short blade and plunged it deep into Sue's body.

"Is this ineffective against you?" Solene sneered.

"Whether it is the power of a god or the power of a demon, both are useless against me. I have no faith; only power is eternal. Your father was nothing special either," Sue said, struggling.

As it turned out, this was a toxic gas Sue had spent years developing in secret. Too cowardly to come herself, she had sent her daughter to take the risk.

Solene gave a light laugh and continued, "Don't bother leaving. I imagine the two Family Heads are present as well."

As her mana surged, a magic circle appeared beneath her feet. Sue pointed at Solene’s nose and shrieked, "You monster! Justice will defeat you! A hero will surely appear in this world to end you! This is my prophecy upon my death!"

With those words, Sue coughed up blood. Solene released the blade and kicked her aside with disdain. Then, she asked with a smile, "Guess who this knife belongs to?"

Sue looked down and roared, "You actually used the Goddess's blade to kill her chosen Saintess!"

"Are you the chosen Saintess? Hahaha. The Saintess killed by the Goddess's own blade—the collapse of faith... I’m truly curious how the believers will react to that."

A crowd began to gather, but upon seeing the corpse, they fled, not daring to approach. However, a few bold souls still peeked through the cracks of their window shutters.

"God will send punishment! You will be judged!" Sue let out one final roar before drawing her last breath.

The mages behind the two Family Heads suddenly lunged forward.

Solene shouted sternly, "Hiding mages in secret and stockpiling magic stones without royal consent—is this the conduct of nobles who claim to support the Royal Family?"

She spoke loudly, clearly intending for Ian to hear. But there was no movement from the carriage.

Solene made quick work of the battle. The scene was left in shambles, with residual magic fluctuations flickering like lightning on the wild grass beneath her feet. Those nobles were truly foolish; the weeds in the yard were so high—if someone had truly been living here, it never would have looked so desolate.

Solene opened the door; as expected, her father’s firewood was long gone. A family had indeed lived here once, but they had likely moved away long ago. The layout of the house hadn't changed much.

Solene ran quickly to the second floor, while Ian stepped out of the carriage to inspect the surroundings. Solene pushed the bed on the second floor aside and lifted a floorboard, revealing a dark little compartment. She pulled out a pencil drawing. Though a bit blurred, it was a portrait her father had drawn of the three of them—her mother holding her on her lap, and her father standing behind them, smiling with a hand on her mother's shoulder.

At that moment, she felt as if she could hear her father’s voice again.

"Solene."

She turned her head slowly to find Ian standing in the doorway. He watched her closely, his brow furrowed. "You shouldn't have acted so recklessly. The bystanders outside saw everything."

"I don't need your lectures. I didn't expect them to appear so suddenly. Was I supposed to just sit and wait for death? Then again, in your heart, you were probably hoping they would succeed in killing me," Solene retorted sharply.

"You are digging your own grave," Ian glanced at her with disdain.

Solene interrupted him harshly, "My business is none of your concern."

Afterward, the two lapsed into silence. They boarded the carriage together to wander through other districts of the Lowlands. Soon, the newspapers released a report on the incident, and Sylvia came rushing over upon hearing the news.

"Are you insane?!" Sylvia cried out as she stepped into the carriage, only to be startled by Ian’s presence inside.

Solene leaned her head on her hand and looked at her. "I’m tired and don't want to talk much. Just walk with me; there's no one else to talk to here."

Sylvia sat beside her. Perhaps only she could understand what Solene meant; Solene truly did need a rest after enduring so many upheavals. Sylvia cast a wary glance at Ian sitting opposite them.

"You actually dared to bring him out," she questioned.

Solene shrugged. "He’s not the man he used to be. He’s learned how to be a stubborn nuisance."

Sylvia looked at him with disgust. Ian smiled slightly, propping his head on his hand and watching them calmly, as if they weren't talking about him at all. He truly had changed a great deal.

"It’s fine to wander a bit and rest for a while," Sylvia said. She crossed her arms and turned to Solene.

Solene nodded and gave a soft hum of agreement. She pulled back the curtain and began to introduce the area. "This is the Goddess River. The people of the Lowlands depend on it for survival—for cooking, bathing, and laundry. In the winter, the river freezes over completely. People have to chop through the ice for water. I remember two families once got into a huge fight over a hole that had already been cut. Back then, Father would wrap his cloak around me and lie to me, saying he was sweating from the effort of chopping the ice."

Her voice was light and pleasant, as if she were leisurely enjoying the view.

"These are the problems a leader should have solved," Sylvia added. She looked out the window with Solene; the Goddess River was indeed beautiful.

"They were too busy with their internal power struggles to care about 'low-lives' like us," Solene added.

Sylvia gave a scornful laugh. "In the end, it was us 'low-lives' who flipped their table."

Crude, but true. Solene frowned slightly and looked at her. "You actually believed their lies once."

"I knew nothing back then. You were the one who made me understand. Now I know I must train the knights to prevent foreign powers from invading and oppressing our citizens."

Sylvia was straightforward and blunt, a trait Solene greatly admired. Ian’s smile grew a bit stiff, and he eventually fell silent.

Noticing his expression, Solene smiled. "Of course, we must also thank the Emperor."

"You're welcome," Ian replied with a small smile.

Sylvia, sitting to the side, was momentarily stunned into silence.