TSMMT Ch 123

Reason

[O Dragon, entity destined for eternal dawn,

Was the one you loved a flower destined to wither?

Was the one you loved a star that shines only in the night?

The maiden weeps, burying her face in pale hands,

O beloved, in the forest where I met you, ah—

You, who resembled the night dew.

I shall cherish the withered wasteland where you lingered.

I no longer fear a morning bereft of stars.

Here with you, ah—

The sorrow-stricken maiden weeps bitterly.

Thus did sorrow drench the earth.

Sorrow turned into a mire, swallowing every tale.]

Guiscard listened to the music in a daze. The Panborough bard, retained in the palace by his command, often sang in the garden. Drinking, he focused his hazy gaze on the melody drifting through the window.

[Dianna] "It is a famous Panborough folk song."

[Guiscard] "What is it about?"

[Dianna] "They say a dragon fell in love with a human."

When he first heard the song back in Panborough, she had kindly explained it to him.

Why did I hate that girl so much back then?

Had he truly hated her? Looking back, he longed for those moments. He had found her indifferent expression insufferable. Yet, whenever those silver-gray eyes turned to him, he was immobilized.

He remembered the small hand that gently stroked his wounds. Wearing an expression as if she were the one in agony, Dianna Brienne had wept while tending to his injuries.

For him... such warmth was unprecedented.

That tender goodwill, that gentle concern she bestowed beneath an indifferent facade, seeped deep into his heart, tormenting him through endless nights.

Her pale face, peach-tinted cheeks, seemingly cold silver-gray eyes, and moonlight-hued hair that felt almost too ethereal to touch.

He couldn't erase her image. Whether his eyes were open or closed, she haunted his thoughts. He would likely remain unable to forget her until his dying day.

Guiscard closed his eyes. Perhaps he would be left utterly alone, just like the maiden in the song, longing in a withered wasteland for the departed dragon.

A gentle voice echoed nearby. Ignoring the sound, he kept his eyes shut.

[Dianna] "Guiscard, wake up."

A soft hand rested on his shoulder. Her fragrance drifted to his nose, the scent of his wife, Dianna Brienne.

When her hand touched his cheek, he finally opened his eyes. Night had fallen. Looking up, he saw the woman gazing down at him.

She was far more mature than the young girl from his memory. Her face was paler, her gaze calmer. The baby fat had vanished from her slender jawline, leaving a figure piteously delicate.

[Guiscard] "Let go."

[Dianna] "Guiscard."

[Guiscard] "You aren't even my wife anymore. Why do you care...?"

[Dianna] "I am your wife until the moment I leave. So get up."

A sharp laugh escaped him. It was pure mockery.

[Guiscard] "Why bother when you despise me so much...?"

[Dianna] "..."

[Guiscard] "You don't need to try so hard. You don't have to care about this anymore."

[Dianna] "..."

[Guiscard] "Stop playing queen."

She released a low sigh at his cold words.

[Dianna] "Do you wish to be recorded in history as a drunkard king?"

[Guiscard] "Let them."

[Dianna] "In that case... do you want to spend our final moments together like this?"

[Guiscard] "..."

He held his breath, staring at Dianna. Amidst his hazy consciousness, a single reality pierced his mind. She was leaving. She had no choice but to depart, and no one could hold her back.

[Dianna] "Is this the final image of yourself you wish to leave me with, Guiscard?"

He let out a dry laugh. Her soft voice gradually cleared his mind.

[Guiscard] "I can never win against you."

Dianna offered a gentle smile. Guiscard took her hand.

When the king, who had been virtually secluded, emerged guided by her hand, the court attendants gasped and approached him in astonishment.

When an administrator stepped forward, Dianna politely held up a hand to stop him.

Guiscard followed her lead as the cool night air washed over them.

The bard's song grew clearer. Dianna sat on a backless bench, listening to the melody for a long while. The cool breeze refreshed her flushed cheeks, making her appear almost luminously pale beneath the night sky.

[Dianna] "Do you remember how much I used to love looking at the stars?"

She spoke with an easy smile, her serene face devoid of past turmoil.

Seeing her show such a peaceful expression only when the time had come to part, a twisted urge to trample this serenity flared within Guiscard for a fleeting moment. Yet, acting on such an impulse would mean she would remember him only as a monster forever.

[Guiscard] "I remember."

[Dianna] "That must be why you built these backless benches."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "Did you like seeing me look at the stars?"

He gazed at her before nodding silently. A faint smile played on her lips, and a smile touched his face in return.

Shifting slightly on the bench, Dianna guided him to rest his head on her lap.

Lying on her lap, he looked up at the night sky.

[Guiscard] "Is this your final act of kindness?"

[Dianna] "Who knows? Perhaps it is, perhaps not."

She gave her usual ambiguous answer. Yet, it no longer mattered.

The crisp breeze cooled his feverish forehead, and her gentle caress dulled his frayed nerves. Her scent hovered nearby, paired with the warmth radiating beneath his head.

His sleep-deprived body succumbed to overwhelming exhaustion, and he soon closed his eyes and drifted off.

When he awakened, the cool night had deepened, the moon had crested into the western sky, signaling dawn.

He looked up sharply at Dianna. She was dozing with her eyes closed. He gritted his teeth as he sat up. Resting without back support must have been agonizingly uncomfortable.

She's foolish. A complete fool.

Supporting his weight with her frail frame through the night air, she had succumbed to sleep without even a blanket.

[Guiscard] "Ann."

She opened her eyes and lifted her head. As he stood over her, she rubbed her eyes and stood up.

[Guiscard] "What on earth were you thinking?!"

[Dianna] "You were sleeping soundly..."

He pulled her up by the hand, his voice sharp.

This woman still has no realistic grasp of her own frailty. The night air is freezing. What if she catches a fever again...?

If she catches a fever, would she stay a little longer? If she falls ill, I could use treatment as an excuse to keep her here.

His pace slowed. Yet, he quickly hurried his steps again, realizing the night air was far colder than he thought.

Together, they entered the bedchamber.

[Guiscard] "Go to sleep."

As he turned to summon the maids and leave, she stopped him.

[Dianna] "What about you?"

[Guiscard] "What?"

[Dianna] "You said we were spending our final moments together. Why are you sleeping elsewhere?"

He released an exasperated sigh.

[Dianna] "Sleep with me."

[Guiscard] "You must be out of your mind."

[Dianna] "I am your wife. Until the moment I step out of this castle."

A curse escaped his lips. He could have brushed her off immediately and walked out.

Yet, finality possessed an uncanny way of inciting irrational choices. Dianna slipped out of her dress, changed into nightwear, and slid beneath the covers.

It had been so long since they shared a bed that the atmosphere felt stiffly awkward. Lying wide awake, both stared at the ceiling before Dianna broke the silence.

[Dianna] "How will you handle the queen's disappearance?"

She was the queen of a nation; it couldn't simply end with a quiet divorce. Countless political ramifications would follow.

[Guiscard] "I will marry another woman."

[Dianna] "With Lady Levian?"

[Guiscard] "Why on earth would I..."

He released a soft sigh.

[Guiscard] "That is hardly your concern now. Don't worry about it. It will have nothing to do with you ever again."

At his frigid rejection, she spoke softly.

[Dianna] "If you love me, why are you being so cold?"

[Guiscard] "Have you lost your mind all of a sudden?"

At his sharp rebuke, she turned onto her side to face him. Bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window, she gazed at him with a strange expression.

She should have felt terrible, yet curiously, her face revealed no emotion at all.

[Dianna] "I am leaving tomorrow."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "There is something I wish to learn at Grand Duke Blake's estate."

It was an expected answer.

[Dianna] "My claim about wanting to become queen was a lie."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "I said it because I was afraid you wouldn't leave and would stay bound there."

[Guiscard] "I know."

She offered a bitter smile. Looking at her face, he spoke.

[Guiscard] "I will make sure that bastard dies in agonizing pain. If you ever wish to see it, come anytime... No, don't come."

[Dianna] "..."

[Guiscard] "Or I can execute him before you depart."

It sounded somewhat unhinged. Her expression softened into a faint chuckle.

[Dianna] "No... handle him as you see fit. So long as he dies alongside his mother, I am satisfied."

[Guiscard] "In that case... live as you wish from now on."

An unburdened smile touched her lips.

[Dianna] "Guiscard, you claimed it was revenge when you forced me into marriage."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "I think I will exact my own revenge now."

Guiscard closed his eyes.

While an act of revenge was unexpected, he had no intention of resisting. Naturally so. If anything, ending things cleanly before her departure was a relief. If she meant to kill him, he would die.

Dianna leaned over to gaze down at him. As her clear eyes locked onto his, a faint smile crossed his face.

[Dianna] "Close your eyes."

At her command, he closed his eyes.

[Guiscard] "If it is a blade..."

Before he could finish, his words were smothered. He realized her lips pressed against his. Dianna leaned her body over him, kissing him deeply. Her soft hair brushed against his skin.

It was an unbelievable turn of events.

[Dianna] "This is revenge."

She whispered. Her gentle voice, the soft skin slipping between her clothes, her body claiming his, and finally, the end.

Once again, Guiscard abandoned all reason.

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