Come and Cry at My Funeral - Chapter 179
The performance
On the coastal shores of the fortress island, Canopus had made her an offer: to use him to exact her revenge on Izar, to drive him mad with jealousy by presenting themselves as lovers.
But Freesia had firmly rejected the hand that lightly touched her waist.
〈I decline, Canopus.〉
Just because someone desired her didn’t mean she had to follow their wishes. Not anymore.
〈I have no intention of becoming a woman lacking in virtue.〉
〈How strange. Izar has done nothing to keep his vows to you.〉
〈……〉
〈He might claim to love you, but he had no intention of treating you as his true wife.〉
〈That’s likely true.〉
She wasn’t certain about love, but she knew Izar had, at the very least, desired her body. In the heat of the moment, he might have said things like “You’re my only wife.”
But if she were to say she had been with another man—even his despised half-brother—it would leave an indelible scar on his pride.
However, Freesia was her mother’s daughter. Since she was young, she had been forced to listen to her mother’s muffled cries, her tongue cut out, knowing well the pitiful end of a woman used by a man.
Above all, she was not an animal. Others might mock her principles as the laughable pride of a shepherd’s daughter, but she wanted to preserve her own boundaries as a person, even until death.
So, she would never use another man as a means of revenge.
〈I won’t pretend otherwise, even as a pretense. And I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t touch me without my permission, either.〉
〈And how can you be so sure of that?〉
〈Because I saw how you proudly speak of your parents. You want to prove that you’re different from Izar. Am I wrong?〉
〈……〉
〈That’s why you didn’t lay a finger on me while you brought me here.〉
At her words, Canopus’s previously smug smile faltered slightly.
〈…Pity.〉
Once again, Freesia thought he was a strange man. She was correct in assuming he wouldn’t harm her, but the odd, bitter smile he now wore was puzzling.
Before long, though, Canopus resumed his relaxed, teasing expression.
〈So, you don’t want to make me your lover to spite Izar. Then what do you want, Freesia?〉
〈Let me go, Canopus.〉
〈Ha. I’m afraid I’ll have to deny that request.〉
〈Didn’t you come here to regroup? Izar caused you more trouble than you expected.〉
〈……〉
Freesia knew she had struck a nerve.
The man was, to be honest, in terrible shape. From the looks of him, he could never hope to defeat Izar with force, not even after summoning creatures far more powerful than wolves.
Not yet, at least.
〈Assign someone to watch me. Then let me go and take the time you need to recover. Then…〉
〈And then?〉
Canopus tilted his head, intrigued. Freesia looked at the unmarred left side of his face and thought of one man.
Izar. The man who would soon lose everything.
〈And when the day we agreed upon arrives, wipe out everything in the Arcturus Duchy. Izar included.〉
* * *
…Recalling that conversation, Freesia closed her eyes again.
Would she have been happier if she could have forgotten the hatred that had consumed her on the day she died? Could she have found peace, lying blissfully in Izar’s arms, basking in his future glory before her life came to an end?
‘But once remembered, there’s no going back.’
Honestly, even if she were to return her remaining days to the divine, she wouldn’t regret it. The night sky held no beauty for her anymore.
But revenge—she would see that through, if only for her miserable past self and the child who had died without ever seeing the light of day.
Tap, tap.
Just then, the sound of a gentle knock on the carriage door made Freesia open her eyes, though it took effort.
“Madam, are you alright? Are you hungry?”
“…Ah, Thea.”
For a brief moment, Freesia’s cold demeanor softened.
Though she’d had Kara by her side on the island, she realized she’d missed the familiarity of Thea.
‘And I’m surprised she followed me here.’
Leaving behind the comfort of the estate to travel south with the search party must have been a grueling ordeal for a maid. In her previous life, Thea had tormented her—she never expected her to go this far, even if there was money to be gained.
‘And I’m glad Sir Dike is safe as well.’
Looking outside, she noticed Van standing respectfully behind Thea, his hands folded behind his back. Thanks to the medicine she’d given him, the wound on his neck had completely healed. Most importantly, his eyes, now full of unwavering loyalty, looked back at her.
Even aware of Izar’s volatile mood, he had personally come to offer his gratitude during Izar’s absence.
〈I will never forget the kindness you showed me in saving my life with that precious medicine.〉
And his words had been sincere.
At least she had one knight who truly served her.
