Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 308

308

I Will Give Up on You

“But, listening to Zion, I realized that unless the opponent makes a clear move this time, Zion, you don’t have any other options, do you?”

At Lilith’s sharp remark, Zion nodded.

Until now, he had been focusing on using everything he knew to completely outsmart the opponent and prevent anything from happening, but now he was waiting for a decisive event.

By ruining the plans of the Celestial Race and setting a trap to make the Demon Race seem insignificant, they would try to deal with the humans and other races without worry, and then eliminate the Demon Race, which had been damaged beyond repair.

“Are you okay, Zion?

I’m a little worried.”

“Nyaa.”

However, the others, who had no way of knowing this, seemed worried about Zion’s decision.

They seemed to think that they should be more active and warn ordinary people, even if only a little.

It was understandable, since someone who had been so busy was suddenly saying that they had to wait for the right moment.

“Everyone has been running and never resting.”

However, Zion valued the importance of rest as much as the efficiency of work.

His best superior was a smart but lazy person.

Always being diligent and busy made it impossible to maximize the efficiency of others.

“A month is an ambiguous amount of time to do anything.

It’s better to just rest.”

“…I agree.”

Tricia subtly voiced her agreement with Zion’s opinion.

For her, rest meant being able to stick close to Zion, and since Zion wasn’t busy moving around, there was no reason to be apart.

Tricia seemed to think that she should catch Zion’s eye and secure her position in advance.

“I also agree with Young Master Zion’s opinion.”

Unlike Tricia, Helen seemed to have thought about something before coming to a conclusion.

“It’s been a little less than a year since I received news from the royal palace.

During that time, everyone gathered here, including Young Master Zion, must have been active in all directions.”

“Right?”

“It was really busy.

It was also incredibly difficult.”

“Everyone is probably full of fatigue without realizing it.

Anyone in the world is bound to make mistakes at crucial moments if that fatigue remains.”

“That’s true.

Beastmen also groom their fur and rest comfortably when they’re not hunting or training!”

“…Everyone here has been busy.”

Certainly, everyone seemed to be tired without realizing it after a series of forced marches.

Lilith shrugged her shoulders at the reactions of the women, as if she didn’t care.

Before proceeding with his decision, Zion glanced at Kim Yu-hyun, who was an essential figure for all future events.

If he said something like, ‘What rest? Shouldn’t we be thinking about doing something more, even if only a little?’

Then Zion would, of course, say, ‘Yes, we should!’ and immediately change direction.

“…If we’re not going to be running around busily like before, I’m going to settle down and properly teach some crazy woman about the hierarchy.”

Ah, ah… That was a part that made those words come out involuntarily.

It seemed that he had been under a lot of stress lately because of the dragon who was constantly sticking to him like a piece of gum and trying to fight, or rather, acting like a spoiled child.

In particular, the flames pouring out of his eyes showed that he had a lot pent up.

It could be said that the rest period was turning into a period of taming Ekaterina for Kim Yu-hyun.

“Then, everyone, let’s think of this as a time to wait and rest a little…”

Lilith secretly gestured to the others without Zion noticing.

Then, with the exception of Helen and Kim Yu-hyun, the rest of the group let out a small sigh, as if they had made a promise, and all stood up.

Thanks to this, Helen reflexively stood up as well, and Kim Yu-hyun, who was standing there blankly wondering what was going on, let out a groan and stood up when Lucia said, ‘Don’t you have somewhere to go quickly?’

“Um, then, Rishi?

Shall we try to match our skills for the first time in a while?”

“Nya, nyaa!

Ye, yes!

That’s right.

We were going to match our skills!”

“Excuse me?

When did you say that… Yes!

Yes, I remember!”

It was a very unnatural conversation, but before Zion could ask anything, the three women quickly left the conference room.

Following behind them, Tricia snatched Helen, who was standing there blankly, and took her out of the conference room as well, saying that they should go watch the fight.

“I’m going to quickly silence the crazy guy who’s addicted to fighting.

Ah, and…”

“I’ll tell Eos to wait when he comes.

Don’t worry, Kim Yu-hyun.”

Kim Yu-hyun smiled at Zion’s quick answer, and then jumped out of the window instead of the door, a bad habit he had learned from someone.

‘This is the third floor,’ Zion thought, but he thought that Kim Yu-hyun would probably be fine even if he jumped from the 30th floor, and then stared intently at the one woman who remained by his side.

“Lilith-nim’s work, right?”

“What is?”

“Giving them the eye to chase the kids away.”

“Wow, listen to you talk.

Did I chase them away?

No, I just asserted my legitimate rights!

Those guys were trying to eat all the delicious food by themselves while the owner was away!”

“…Don’t turn a perfectly good person into food.”

At that answer, Lilith grumbled that that’s just what she meant!

Of course, she didn’t forget to twist her legs and move closer and closer to Zion, looking like she wanted something.

“More than that, it seems like something unpleasant happened in the royal palace?”

“…How did you know?”

They said there’s nothing more foolish than a man trying to hide his feelings from a woman.

So when Zion readily told the truth, Lilith shrugged her shoulders as if it was obvious.

“How else would I know?

You came in with an ‘eh’ expression.

I’m probably not the only one who noticed that you’re in a bad mood, right?”

“It’s not good, but it’s not bad enough to say it’s terrible.”

“Liar.”

“I’m serious.”

It wasn’t really a matter of feeling bad or terrible.

It was just that seeing those words or expressions directly, even though he had expected them, made him feel down.

–

“I was going to turn everything upside down and propose in the Queen’s name when you returned.”

Immediately after Vanessa said she would give up, she muttered that.

It was such a shocking statement that Zion coughed dryly, and Vanessa smiled as if she knew this reaction would come.

“I, I’m sorry.”

“No.

Rather, it would have been inevitable.

If I had really forced things my way, you would have been the first person in the kingdom’s history to receive a proposal from the Queen.”

“…”

Just imagining it was a truly terrible result.

It wasn’t that she disliked Vanessa, but that the Queen was proposing directly.

And the problem was that the person named Zion Claussen was being exposed too much.

‘If I go any further, it’s too much.

Too much is not medicine, but poison, poison!’

Where people live is no different in this world.

Ordinary people might listen to Zion’s story and see him as a hero of the kingdom and a winner in life who worked hard and finally achieved results, but it would be different from the perspective of the political world.

If the other nobles saw the huge Claussen family and the royal family uniting, they would not be happy about it.

The great noble families strictly prohibited direct ties with the royal family, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, no matter how great their power.

It was in accordance with the will of the first king of Hispania, who believed that power built on the fence of blood ties would not last long, and it is still strictly observed today.

For the ordinary nobles of the kingdom, the moment a great noble family joined hands with the royal family, they would become an existence that they could not touch, so it was a part that they welcomed and were wary of more than anyone else.

And if he became the Queen’s spouse, Zion would naturally have his hands and feet completely tied.

Even if Vanessa released some of it with the authority of the monarch, it would be impossible to move as freely as he does now.

It was highly likely that even participating in the military, let alone being involved in military affairs, would be completely prohibited.

‘If that really happens, all the plans I’ve drawn up will be ruined, of course.’

Finally, he would have to give up everything, including taking over Claussen in the future.

Of course, he would formally receive the title of Margrave [a noble title, ranking below a duke], but in the end, the real power would be exercised by a proxy, for example, his relative Aden.

‘My retirement will be completely ruined.’

The future of sitting in the Margrave’s seat and living without any worries is completely shattered!

These were the parts that Zion would have to bear if he became the Queen’s spouse.

“…Pfft.

Haha, ahaha!”

Perhaps it was because of Zion’s tense appearance.

Vanessa suddenly burst into a bright smile and began to giggle in a way that was not befitting of the Queen’s position.

She was laughing more freely than when she was a princess, to the point where the chamberlain or maids would have nagged her to keep her dignity if they had been in this place.

“Your Majesty?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.

It’s just that seeing you so flustered is so enjoyable.

Who in the world could fluster you this much?”

“…Certainly, only Your Majesty seems to make me this embarrassed.”

When he matched the mood with a joke, Vanessa showed another bright smile.

After laughing like that for a while, she slowly stopped laughing and opened her mouth.

“Although I may not be a perfect monarch, I don’t think I’m foolish or stupid.”

“Your Majesty is right.”

“There would be nothing more detrimental than keeping you by my side.”

“…”

“Or is there?”

“…Your Majesty is right.”

“Yes.

So I changed my mind.

In these times when everything is uncertain and nothing can be trusted, I can’t just make the flames that brightly illuminate the future smaller and hold them in my arms just because they’re warm.

It’s the same as taking away the eyes of those who are walking the path relying on that light right now.”

Vanessa stared intently at Zion and continued.

“There would be no more foolish or cruel thing to do in a world of chaos.

So I thought so and made a decision.

I don’t want to put shackles on you, who will have to move even more busily for the sake of this country, for the sake of the kingdom’s people, for the sake of the people by your side, and for the sake of myself.

Young Master Zion Claussen, I can say that I will give up on you.”

“…I can only apologize.”

“There’s a saying in the world.

That first love never comes true.

That must be it.

How can everything in the world flow in the direction I want?

There are things that I can’t do even if I desperately want to, so there is tragedy and sadness.”

Even though Vanessa is now about the same age as Zion, she speaks as if she has lived for decades longer.

Zion unknowingly committed a basic mistake of staring intently at Vanessa, feeling a sense of alienation from the figure of the woman who had become so mature.

“Ah, I’m sorry.

Your Majesty.

I have committed a discourtesy…”

“No.

You fought in the war, were injured, and even advanced into Nudia, which no one had ever done before, and then returned to mourn the late king for the last time.

I brought you here because of my greed, even though you haven’t been able to rest properly since you returned.

You must be exhausted to the limit.”

In fact, he had never felt tired, but Zion knowingly entered the escape route that Vanessa had given him.

When Zion nodded slightly, Vanessa ordered him to stop for today, rest for a few days, show his face briefly, and then return to Claussen.

She seemed very worried that if she kept him in the royal palace, that lingering attachment would hold each other back.

“Then I will step down.

Your Majesty.”

As Zion was about to disappear from Vanessa’s sight, Vanessa hesitated for a moment and said in a slightly urgent voice.

“Zion Claussen!”

Unlike the voice she had been using until now, which was firm with determination, her voice was gradually wavering.

At Vanessa’s change, Zion stopped walking and turned to her, tilting his head slightly to ask if she had anything more to say.

However, Vanessa hesitated and couldn’t say the next words, and time passed like that.

If this continued, Zion would have been blameless even if he said that he would step down if she had nothing to say, but Zion stood silently in his place and waited for her next words.

“…If.”

Until a moment ago, she was speaking as the monarch of a country.

Now, Vanessa had returned to her former self as a princess and was asking Zion a question.

“If, really if.

If you no longer need to light the way for others.

If we no longer need to be apart for your sake and for my sake.

Then…”

“…”

“Then, wouldn’t I be able to give up?”

It was very heartbreaking to see her constantly looking back even after making a decision.

Even so, unable to abandon that lingering attachment, Vanessa kept asking.

If such a day comes in the future, would she be able to change her mind then?

“Answer me.

If such a time really comes, wouldn’t I be able to give up on you?”

Zion stared at the floor for a while at the woman’s anxious question.

After thinking for a while, Zion finished his 고민 [Korean: worry/anguish] and raised his head.

Then, he slowly opened his mouth and gave an answer to the Queen’s question.

―――――――Author’s Notes―――――――

It may increase a little more than 30 percent as I write…!

Decrease…

The number…

No, it won’t.

Recommendations are always welcome!