Winter Bud - Side Story 7
Sermione (7)
“About today….”
“No. I clearly heard from the butler that you are His Grace’s fiancée. He warned me very carefully and told me so.”
Basie said with a startled expression. At the word “fiancée,” Nanna froze stiff and stared at her. So Basie was a new maid who had been selected by the butler about a week ago and had just begun working at the Duke’s residence. She had been introduced to Nanna by the butler and the head maid as the Duke’s fiancée, and had been assigned as her dedicated attendant, her personal maid.
“The head maid must have thought I was meticulous and diligent, so she told me to take care of you personally.”
“That’s….”
Basie tried to keep calm, but she still looked somewhat surprised. After all, how surprising would it be if someone introduced as the Duke’s fiancée called herself a mere maid of the household? If a maid lay in the Duke’s bed and received service from other maids, it would be natural to think of her as a “mistress.” But if she had been introduced as a “fiancée” by the head maid and the butler, that was a different matter.
Nanna stared at her blankly, then lowered her gaze. Her heart pounded hard. She didn’t know what to say. More than the young maid staring at her with wide, round eyes like a fish, she couldn’t understand the Duke, who had declared her his fiancée.
If he had simply called her a “mistress,” she might have accepted it, even if bitterly. But a fiancée? Was he truly intending to marry her?
“Madam.”
Basie approached the distorted-faced Nanna carefully. Her heart felt as though it was beating wildly.
***
After removing the Emperor, who would be best to place on the throne? Ever since returning, Sermione had always thought about that. He didn’t want to become Emperor himself. To sit in a position so restrictive, burdened with so many responsibilities, was troublesome.
Above all, he was the type to wield power from behind the throne, not the type to hold it openly and rule. Therefore, someone to replace Orestes was necessary. He had once considered whether it might be acceptable to keep him alive, since it would be troublesome later and Orestes hadn’t yet shown hostility. But as long as he had taken Nanna, Orestes would try to kill him at any time.
Even if not now, someday he would. And besides….
“It seems you’ve been enjoying yourself quite a bit with that woman.”
The Emperor said as he fiddled with his rifle. Sermione knew exactly who the “woman” referred to. Just as the Emperor had planted people in the imperial palace, he too had placed people in the Duke’s residence. He looked at the young man with sharp features.
Nanna loved the Emperor. That alone was reason enough for him to kill him, and he realized it far too late. Why had he simply let Orestes be? He recalled Orestes from his first life, the one who had killed him.
Orestes had cowardly smeared poison on his blade. It was the act of someone who had sold off his chivalry. That such trash was the Emperor, the king of knights, was laughable. But that was not why he intended to take the Emperor’s life today.
“Do you want that woman?”
“What?”
Orestes turned around. He looked bewildered that Sermione, who used no honorifics or formal speech toward him, would speak like that. Even if he wasn’t surrounded by attendants, there were still eyes watching.
Orestes was accompanied by imperial guards, and Sermione too had brought along retainers of considerable martial skill.
“Duke.”
Though he was the Emperor’s father-in-law, he was still a subject. Even if he cherished Thea, there was no way he wouldn’t know that it was also a political act. Every action of an emperor is, by nature, political. Sermione would not overlook that fact.
“Orestes.”
Sermione turned to his son-in-law with cold eyes. He intended to kill Orestes right here. It was not revenge driven by personal resentment. Regarding his past death, he blamed only himself. He had been defenseless and paid the price like a fool. He found his own death ridiculous and pathetic.
Therefore, today’s murder is not intended to settle a grudge stemming from a past that Orestes does not remember. It is simply to remove a hidden danger that could strike at any moment. Sermione took two steps toward him. Orestes merely furrowed his brow with a look that said, “Have you gone mad?” but did not back away.
He quickly drew his poisoned dagger. Then, the moment Orestes tried to speak, he plunged the blade into his solar plexus. The golden eyes widened. For an instant, Sermione showed a faint, feral smile.
***
No matter how much she tried to leave the Duke’s bedroom, she could not. The servants, Basie included, made a great fuss the moment it seemed she might even take a step. And it was not only Basie who called her “madam.”
Even the butler, who usually treated Nanna strictly, bowed his head to her and addressed her as “madam.” It was clearly an order from the Duke. Nanna couldn’t say anything, her lips parting and closing before she turned her head sharply away.
She wanted to face him immediately. She wanted to demand what on earth he was doing. But when she thought she would only end up powerless in front of him, her chest felt stifled again.
Two days passed like that. After easing her fatigue in warm bathwater, Nanna dozed off in a soft velvet armchair. The sunset light, ripening like dye soaking into red blossoms, wrapped around her like satin.
A cool hand suddenly brushed her cheek. Still wandering in a dream, Nanna looked at the person with hazy eyes. The outline was familiar. Even through her blurred vision, his sharp features retained their edge. A large hand supported a cushion beneath her head. As she was about to close her eyes again, she suddenly woke and looked at him. It was Sermione.
“Your Grace….”
She wanted to say, I’ve been waiting. But her lips did not move easily. Of course, the reason she’d waited was not because she missed him, but because she had something to say. To ask to be let out of here. To question what he meant by calling her his fiancée.
She had waited two days to confront him. And yet….
“There’s something I want to say.”
“Sleep a little longer.”
“…No.”
Nanna shook her head. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, but she didn’t let it show. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again. As she pushed herself up with both hands, her arms wavered slightly. The man grabbed her shoulders.
Nanna lifted her gaze. The beautiful face reflected in the slanting light looked the same as always. But the faint, metallic smell at the tip of her nose… as if he had just slaughtered a beast, a grim aura brushed against the back of her neck. Because of that, she couldn’t easily speak. The hands gripping her were very gentle, and yet….
“…People are calling me your fiancée.”
“….”
“But I’m Lady Thea’s maid, not your fiancée.”
Nanna carefully parted her lips. The Duke only stared at her silently. When their gazes met, a chill ran through her, and as she swallowed dryly, he gently stroked her face.
“You are my woman.”
“Your Grace.”
“You cannot belong to another man. Nanna. I told you. If anyone tries to have you, I will kill them.”
“What?”
It was the first time she’d heard such words. Yet the Duke did not seem to be lying. His eyes were more sincere and calm than ever. Nanna, seized by fear, pulled back in an attempt to escape him. Sermione grabbed the wrist of the woman trying to flee, the joints creaking as he yanked her back without restraint.
“Orestes is dead.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I killed him.”
Sermione whispered without emotion. Nanna looked as though she were wandering in a dream. Even so… she was still beautiful, like a dream. Lovely. He recalled the time he’d wondered whether this place, where he had regained her, was hell or heaven. There were nights he couldn’t sleep, afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would wake from a dream. But no matter how many nights passed, it wasn’t a dream.
So it was true that he had been given a second chance. He no longer wanted to make mistakes. If he had to abandon his daughter, then so be it. If he could exchange that child for Nanna, he wouldn’t hesitate.
“I will kill Thea as well.”
“Your Grace. I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You don’t need to understand. You only need to stay in my arms.”
Sermione smiled gently. Nanna shook her head and tried to run. He seized her roughly as she attempted to escape the bedroom. She couldn’t even scream in his arms. He lifted the face of the woman frozen pale with fear. Then he bit into her sweet lips.
Winter Bud Side Story <Sermione> End
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msprism
Wow, in the end, only Nanna truly suffered. Sermione and Orestes can delude themselves all they want, I know they are aware that having Nanna that way will never be satisfying but that was enough for them. As for Nanna, in the end, she wasn’t able to escape from the men who abused, raped, and hurt her. I feel extra sorry for the Nanna in the original timeline. She’s suffered enough but even she wasn’t able to choose her own ending.
The author was able to give Sermione an alternate universe ending, why couldn’t they give Nanna and Jerix one? 😭