CHAPTER 71 #9
Nang marinig iyon ng ibang mga mamamayan, unti-unti ring nag-ugnay sa kanilang mga alaala ang lahat. The woman who had protected villages, helped the poor, saved people from monsters, and even gave them a place to find comfort... was the same woman they had once called a monster.
They had spent so long fearing Rassia because of what they had been told, never realizing that the person they called a monster had been protecting them all along.
Tila natigilan si Rassia. For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Sa dami ng nangyari sa kaniyang buhay, at mga bagay na kinailangan niyang harapin, halos tuluyan na niyang nakalimutan ang mga panahong iyon.
"Galing ako sa bansang Emberman..." umiiyak na sambit ng isang babae. "Isa ako sa mga babaeng iniligtas mo mula sa mga lalaking iyon sa taberno. Ikaw iyon! Ikaw ang nagbigay sa amin ng hustisya!"
Napatingin si Rassia sa kaniya.
"Hindi ko alam na ikaw pala si Lady Rassia..."
Mahigpit nitong yakap ang isang batang babae na tahimik lamang na nakatingin sa kaniya. The child's innocent eyes met Rassia's gaze.
That child... fuck...
Those men were fucking monsters... tama lang ang nangyari sakanila...
No... I should have tortured them more and killed them...
"Ikaw din pala si Madame Rische! h-hindi ko inaasahan na iisa lamang pala ang mga taong iyon... K-Kapag may sapat akong ipon, bumibili ako ng inumin mula sa café na iyon! paborito ko po ang mga ginagawa ninyo..." mahiyain na sambit ng batang babae.
Napangiti si Rassia nang marinig iyon. Sa dami ng mga pangalang ipinangalan sa kaniya at sa dami ng mga bagay na pinagdaanan niya, kakaiba ang simpleng papuri mula sa batang iyon.
"Really?" mahina niyang tanong, bahagyang nakangiti.
Mabilis namang tumango ang bata.
Bahagyang natawa si Rassia. "Then I'm glad you liked it."
A moment later, isang babae at isang lalaki na kapwa nakasuot ng pulang cloak ang lumapit mula sa gitna ng mga mamamayan. Huminto sila sa harapan ni Rassia bago sabay na lumuhod at yumuko.
"We pledge our loyalty to the rightful ruler of Erenhal Sartorias, Queen Rassia Saint Quentin!" sigaw ng babae.
Napatingin ang buong bulwagan sa kanilang dalawa.
"We do not recognize Lurtheron, the usurper, as the Emperor of Erenhal Sartorias. You are the rightful ruler of the empire, Queen Rassia! The Rightful Empress of Vermeleyon!"
The others followed them, their voices rising together throughout the entire throne hall.
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Rassia hindi dahil sa napakaraming boses na sabay-sabay na sumigaw sa kaniyang harapan. Kundi dahil sa dalawang piguryang nakaluhod.
Napansin iyon ng mga Erenhal at agad silang napatingin sa kaniya. Maging si Cayena ay tila nakilala ang dalawa.
"Is that you, Agarus and... Katarina?"
Rassia dismissed all the citizens and instructed them to go to their respective assigned homes. Raja was the one who guided them, making sure that everyone reached the places assigned to them safely.
Samantala, nasa labas ng Mysarea Palace sina Anastacio at Lucy Pearl, quietly checking on the citizens and observing how they were settling into their new surroundings.
Ang ibang mga Erenhal naman ay bumalik sa Vlymir, habang ang iba ay kararating lamang sa Mysarea.
Meanwhile, Rassia, Katarina, and Agarus were inside Rassia's private office.
Nakaupo si Rassia at pinagmasdan ang mga dokumento sa mesa. Bahagya niyang iniikot ang kaniyang hawak na kopita.
"So, why are you here? Hindi ba naging sapat ang iniwan ko sa inyo?" worriedly asked Rassia.
Napatingin siya sa mga singsing na suot nina Katarina at Agarus. Saglit siyang natigilan bago hindi niya napigilang ngumiti.
Oh... they got married, huh...
Napatawa si Katarina nang mapansin ang tingin ni Rassia, habang napailing na lamang si Agarus.
"No, it was more than enough," ani Agarus.
"We are here because we began to suspect the people wearing those black cloaks with the same phoenix symbol embroidered on them. Walang gumagamit ng simbolong iyon kundi ikaw lamang, kaya napagdesisyunan naming sumama sa kanila at alamin kung sino ang taong nasa likod ng lahat ng iyon."
Saglit siyang tumingin kay Rassia.
"It was you..."
Bahagyang ngumiti si Agarus.
"We're glad you're alive, Queen Rassia. You've achieved so many things now. Hindi lamang ikaw ang nakaligtas... you've built something of your own. You became the Queen of Mysarea, gathered people who believe in you, and you're now standing before us as the rightful ruler of Erenhal Sartorias."
Tahimik na nakinig si Rassia.
"We never expected to see you again," dagdag ni Katarina, "but we're glad that when we finally did... you're now loved by the people..."
"Thank you, Katarina and Agarus. I saw your efforts that day... and thank you for rescuing my father. I'm glad that you never betrayed me."
Nagkatinginan sina Agarus at Katarina. Mabilis namang umiling si Katarina bago muling tumingin kay Rassia.
"No, we will never betray you, my Queen. Hinding-hindi namin magagawa iyon. You were the one who gave us a chance when we had nothing."
Bahagya siyang ngumiti.
"How could we ever betray the person who changed our lives?"
Rassia simply smiled at them.
Naikwento rin nina Agarus at Katarina ang naging buhay nila sa mga panahong wala si Rassia. Ikinuwento nila ang tungkol sa R Atelier Café, ang mga engkantari at bandido na nasa ilalim ng kanilang pamumuno, pati na rin ang pagkupkop nila kay Dazro.
They also told her that Dazro had become the number one-ranked student in the academy and was later chosen as Caspian's lieutenant in his squad.
Rassia felt genuinely proud of him. Naalala niya kung paano niya unang nakilala si Dazro at kung gaano pa ito kalayo noon sa kung ano na siya ngayon.
"If I may, how did you survive?" tanong ni Agarus. "You were declared dead. Based on the report, you let yourself fall into the sea together with your dragons..."
Dumako ang tingin ni Rassia sa buwan. Pumasok ang malamlam nitong liwanag sa kaniyang opisina.
"I'd rather kill myself than be killed by those filthy men..."
Muli siyang tumingin kina Agarus at Katarina bago marahang sumimsim sa hawak niyang kopita.
"I survived because a mermaid saved me and my dragons... and my child, Raquim."
Tila nanlaki ang mga mata ni Katarina nang marinig iyon. Bahagya namang napaawang ang bibig ni Agarus, tila hindi makapaniwala sa kaniyang narinig. Saglit silang nagkatinginan bago muling napatingin kay Rassia.
"Y-You have a child...?" tanong ni Katarina.
"He saved me without even knowing it. He was still in my womb at the time, and because he inherited the Vacardi bloodline, he possessed the power of a water mage. His power allowed me to survive beneath the sea long enough for the mermaid to find me. Without him...
I don't think I would have made it."
"Then... your claim to the throne is even stronger than we thought," mahinang sambit ni Agarus.
"You are also the wife of the Crown Prince Vincenzo, the rightful heir of Erenhal Sartorias. That means your claim is tied directly to the imperial succession. If Vincenzo is recognized as the true Crown Prince, then you, as his wife, stand beside him as his rightful Empress.
And if he is no longer here to take the throne himself..."
saglit siyang natigilan. "Then your position becomes even more important."
Rassia nodded at him.
"Lurtheron may have the crown now, but that does not make him the rightful Emperor. The throne was never truly his to claim." dagdag ni Katarina.
Muling pinuno ni Rassia ang kaniyang kopita bago marahang uminom. Tahimik siyang napatingin sa buwan na tanaw mula sa bintana.
I am still the rightful ruler because of the Quentin bloodline. King Drakkon entrusted the crown to Aurelius Archimedes Quentin but things happened...
Vincenzo's claim only strengthens mine, but even without him, my right to the throne remains...
Nevertheless, it was me and Vincenzo who should be ruling... not that bastard, Lurtheron.
According to King Drakkon and the other Erenhals, they never intended to rule Vermeleyon again. They had already accepted that their time as rulers was over. What they wanted was to support Vincenzo, guide him, and help him become the ruler he was meant to be...
He was the one they wanted to see sitting on the throne, carrying the responsibility of the empire while they stood behind him as his family, his guides, and his protectors.
They simply wanted the freedom to live once again in Vermeleyon without having to hide who they were...
Bahagyang nagulat sina Agarus at Katarina nang biglang bumukas ang pinto. Hindi sila sanay sa bilis ng pigurang iyon kaya mabilis silang kumilos at agad na nagbukas ng kani-kanilang magic circle upang protektahan si Rassia.
"No, it's fine. She's one of my trusted people."
Marahang ibinaba ni Rassia ang kaniyang kamay.
"Raja, why the sudden appearance?"
"My Queen, I apologize for the sudden interruption, but another letter from Desmond has arrived..." saglit siyang natigilan habang hawak ang liham.
"And I think the time has come."
Bahagyang napangisi si Rassia nang mabasa ang liham. Her plan had worked exactly as she intended.
Now, it's time to set foot in that continent once again... I wanted to go to Emberman to meet my younger brother, Russel, and talk to Galsarius... but I have things to do first.
Marahan niyang tiniklop ang liham bago muling tumingin sa harapan.
I have waited long enough.
Can't wait to surprise you, Megan.