◆ Allen ~At "Milanais Square", Lucifenia~
Below the scaffold, many people were facing my way and showering me with jeers.
All of those words being fired at me-or to be more accurate, Riliane. Their eyes overflowed with hatred, making their hostility plain.
Ah, Riliane. You have no one but enemies around you. You really were all alone, weren't you?
But have some peace of mind. Because I will protect you. This country isn't yours anymore, but if I can let you keep laughing somewhere I'd be satisfied with that.
When I looked up, over my head was a blue sky, and an enormous blade. I was made to lie on my stomach, both my hands and head fixed to the guillotine.
"It'll be time real soon. The execution will be carried out when the bell of the big Levin church rings three times," the executioner told me.
Is that so, that I'll be killed with this guillotine?
-Haha, how's that Elluka? Your "prophecy" ended up being right.
But you made a mistake in your interpretation.
You said that you saw Riliane being executed at the guillotine.
But that was wrong. Riliane isn't the one getting her head cut off.
It's I, who disguised myself as Riliane.
...Maybe in the dream Elluka had, Riliane really was the one there.
If it was, I'm all the more thrilled. I altered a fate predicted by a sorceress!
I won!
And when the execution is performed without a hitch, here and now...
This huge blade is going to come down on my ne...
No.
I don't want to die.
Why? Why do I have to die? No. I'm scared. I don't want to die. No no no.
I should have escaped. I should have escaped with Riliane. No, I couldn't. With the two of us we would have been caught immediately. I had to become a sacrifice.
I should have escaped. I should have escaped with Germaine. No, I couldn't. I hadn't wanted to drag Germaine down with me. She was also...my big sister. So...I had no choice but that.
Why am I here? I'm still fourteen years old. Why-why is everyone speaking terribly of me!? Don't bully me! No! I don't want to die....
...Lu li la...Lu li la...
I felt as though I could hear a voice singing from somewhere. I strained my ears for it but couldn't hear anything but the crowd's booing. Maybe I hallucinated the noise again.
It was far from an auditory hallucination. It went as far as being able to see an illusion.
As usual, noble Riliane was close by my side. In the illusion, she was gently grasping my hand, while laughing.
...Ah, such a warm hand. So very, very peaceful...
I could see that the Riliane in my illusion was considerably more childish than now. That's right-this was her from when we slipped away from the palace to go to the sea, as children.
Riliane~~Let's go home already~~If we don't hurry up the day will be over, I remember having pleaded to Riliane that day.
When I was a child, I had been afraid of the night. The dark had been awfully frightening.
Don't worry. I'm not afraid! Here, I'll hold your hand!
Riliane's warm hand.
It's true. When you hold my hand, I'm not scared at all. I can relax.
That's right. It wasn't just Riliane. I was scared too. I was scared of being all alone. So I'd been at peace. You'd held my hand, and I'd been at peace.
I'm sure that had been what I wanted.
Thank you, Riliane! Thanks to you I'm not afraid anymore! In thanks, I'll tell you something real good!
Ooh~~What, what?
Well, you write your wish on this paper, put it in a bottle like this, and set it adrift in the sea. If you do...
If I do?
Your wish will be granted.
My wish'll be granted~?
Yeah! Riliane, what do you wish for?
Lemme see...I want to be reborn and become a horse!
...A horse?
The palace is so boring I can't stand it. So I'll become a horse and run around outside! Then I'd go on journeys to a lot of different places!
Heheh, that's right. Riliane had said that if she was reborn she wanted to become a horse, didn't she?
"Any time now. Princess, do you have any last words left?" the executioner asked me.
I wonder what Riliane would say at a time like this.
The sound of the church bells rang once.
Two more. When they ring two more times, my life will end.
It's alright, I'm not afraid. Because you're holding my hand.
"There isn't time. Princess, this is the end. Do you have any prayers to god?
A prayer to god...Yes I do. If-if I could be reborn...
The bell rang once, again.
That was two. One more left.
The jeering continued on as ever. That's right, I have to answer them as princess, as Riliane.
So "she" said this:
"Oh, it's tea time."
The third ring of the bells. The guillotine's blade fell towards my neck.
Farewell, Riliane
If only we could be reborn
Let's play again then, okay?
YOU ARE READING
Clôture of Yellow: The Daughter Of Evil
General FictionA vast kingdom called Lucifenia, whose popular name was the "Kingdom of Yellow," was ruled by a tyrannical fourteen year-old princess named Riliane. Under her absolute monarchism, everything was exploited from people and the ones who did not obey he...
