Author's Note:
An early update! The book reached 10k reads!!! I just have to update, in my mind, I MUST UPDATE because of this.
Really guys, thank you all so much!
~~~
Reina gently wipes the blood on her mouth after coughing again. She smiled at Frankenstein who is looking at her worriedly.
"Miss Reina... I cannot thank you enough for what you did..." Rael looks at her with sincerity in his eyes.
"It takes everything in me not to go and punish the invaders who defiled Lukedonia but how can I leave the person who saved everyone..."
Rael frowns, not understanding what Reina meant.
"Your brother is the reason why Raskreia and the Clan Leaders are alive. He fought all of the invaders by himself... the battle took quite a bit of time and that is why I along with Raizel and Frankenstein were able to help Raskreia and the Clan Leaders from the enemies. If we are even a minute late, there is no guarantee that everyone will be alive-- Frankenstein, stop glaring at me." Reina sighs in defeat before massaging her temples.
"You could have told us before disappearing like that. We could go here together." Frankenstein angrily murmurs.
"If I could turn back time, that is exactly what I would do." She said in all seriousness.
"You did not saw his state, Frankenstein. If I am even a bit late... he would... Lazark would be..."
"Okay, okay." Frankenstein nods before hugging her trembling self to comfort her.
She is back in her room while Lazark was transferred to his own room. Lazark was still unconscious until now but his injuries and condition are starting to get better. It definitely helps that the healers of the Kertia Family are focused on him too.
"What will happen to you now, Miss Reina?" Tao asked while still chewing the cookies Seira baked for all of them. There are also chairs and tables that were set up by the nobles in the castle since they insisted on staying in Reina's room.
"Her soul will never be complete anymore... her regeneration will also become slower almost the same as mine. She needs to be more careful when using her powers from now on." Raizel explained when Reina tilts her head, not knowing what to tell the human.
"And after finishing the two traitors... it's a miracle that she's conscious right now." Raskreia's eyes stare at Reina's trembling hands. The Noblesse immediately clasp them together before laughing loudly.
"You guys are very serious! I'm fine now! I just need some rest and we can go back home." She chuckles but her own coughing cut her off, droplets of blood stained the covers. Instantly, Frankenstein's hand is on her back, trying to soothe whatever pain she is in while his other hand is holding tissue for her.
"Ahh-- I just choke on my saliva." She sheepishly said while still smiling.
"Reina, you need to rest."
She wipes the side of her mouth before accepting the water that Seira offers to her.
"Raizel, you need to rest too. I did not forget your state when I arrived." She said after drinking.
Raizel looks away from her. It is true that he is indeed in bad condition but he was so worried for her that he could not properly rest.
"Lord, everyone is ready." Rosaria announced after knocking softly on the opened doors.
"I'll take my leave." Raskreia sighs before standing up to leave the room.
"I'll go with you." Reina removes the covers off of her then tries to stand up but was stopped by Frankenstein.
"You're not well, Reina."
"Just stay here."
"But how can I stay here? You expect me to miss the passing of the title?"
Rael and Regis both blush and look away. They did not know that their relationship with Reina is to this extent. It seems like the princess does care for them.
Reina sighs again for the nth time while Frankenstein still got that smug look on his face. She groans in annoyance before crossing her arms on her chest.
"I do not understand the need to carry me when the throne room is inside the same castle we are in."
"If you really do want to see the passing of the titles then you would quietly comply in our terms." Raskreia murmurs from in front of them.
They all agreed to let her watch the ceremony but she was refrained from moving too much. They, namely Raskreia, Raizel, and Frankenstein, agreed that she needs to be carried and instead of standing all throughout the ceremony, she will have her own seat near the throne.
"This is just too much." She sighs again but no one talked to her so she pouted her lips.
"Hng!" Frankenstein unexpectedly tightens his arm around her shoulder to hug her. Reina felt his emotions pour on her mind, on their bond.
'Oh Frankenstein...' Of course, he would be worried. Reina is known to be the strongest being to ever walk the land, it is unsettling to see her so weak that she fainted.
She hugs him back and pours all the love she has for him into their bond.
"Are you crying, Frankenstein?" Reina teased.
"No, I'm not." He said, his voice muffled by her skin.
"You are!"
"We're here." He said before pecking her nose with a gentle kiss.
The two central knights stationed in the throne room pushes the door open for all of them. There, on the right side of the Lord's throne, was placed a comfortable chair for Reina. The other Clan Leaders are standing in a line on either the right and left side of the red carpet. But what caught her attention is the kneeling woman in front of the throne. The woman has purple hair that is evenly distributed on both sides of her head. Each section of her hair has two golden hoops.
"Please punish me." The woman started after Raskreia settled on her throne with Gejutel on her left side as her royal advisor. Frankenstein is on the left side of Reina while Raizel is on her right.
They all look down at the kneeling woman.
"I was the only one who followed the will of the previous Clan Leader. None of the other nobles in the Tradio Family knew anything. In fact, those poor souls actually had their life force stolen by their previous Clan Leader." She explains with her head bowed down.
'Ahh, that must be why Raizel wasn't able to finish him off. Lagus possessed my power, the werewolves', the nobles', and his own. If not for my blood demons, the phoenix will probably give him severe injure. Fortunately, it seems like the soul left in me was enough to finish him off... If not, all of us here...' Reina grips the armrest of her chair in anger.
"I know that I have no right to ask this favor of you, Lord. But please, I beseech you. I will accept any punishment so just let me take responsibility for this."
"Enough." Raskreia cut her off.
"Lord, wait just one moment. Not only Claudia, but everyone in the Tradio Family was tricked and used by Lagus."
"Sir Gejutel." The woman, Claudia looks up to Gejutel.
"The result of our investigation has revealed that there was more than one located device which he used the bloodstone to absorb power from. We found a device, not only in the house of the Tradio Family but near the place where we evacuated the nobles. Nobody noticed it since Lagus had installed it there centuries ago. But we are able to stop the worst from happening since Claudia had destroyed everything. There is no problem with her momentarily taking Lagus' side either. If she had resisted Lagus, she would not have known how to use these nor could she have gotten rid of them. If anything, she has done a great service in protecting Lukedonia." Gejutel reported.
"Enough. I will now make my decision as to what to do with Claudia Tradio." Raskreia sighs and stares at Claudia who bows her head again.
"Your Clan Leader, Lagus Tradio, betrayed the nobles in the past and planned a detailed execution of the Princess which fortunately failed. And he even conspired with outside forces in an attempt to eliminate the previous Noblesse. And more and more of his plans which threaten the existence and peace of all nobles were revealed. On top of that, he invaded this place and endangered all nobles... Because of this, Lazark almost died... and as if her life force was not enough, the Noblesse had to sacrifice her soul."
Everyone bows their head in sadness.
"But you and your family have sacrificed yourselves for the sake of the other nobles for ages. This is a fact which everyone has witnessed." Raskreia stands up from her throne.
"I, Erga Kenesis di Raskreia, the Lord of all nobles, hereby dub thee, Claudia Tradio, the official Clan Leader of the Tradio Family. From on this day forward, she shall devote herself not only to her family but towards all."
Tears started to fall from Claudia's eyes as she bit her lip, trying to stop her sob from coming out.
"May I talk?" Reina whispers while leaning towards Raizel. He stares at her blankly.
"You're a Noblesse, Reina." He curtly said before looking at Claudia again.
"So... is that a yes?" Reina asked, still confused.
'That's an of course.' Frankenstein told her through their bond.
'Is that so?' Reina grins at him to which he answered with a glare.
"I will... follow your orders." Claudia quietly states while still kneeling.
"Claudia Tradio, stand up." Reina firmly stated. The new Clan Leader immediately wipes her tears away before standing up.
"Hold your head up, the sins of your father is not yours to bear. Engrave it to your heart and soul that you are now a Clan Leader and your responsibility is to devote yourself to all, release yourself from the shackles that tie you to your father's schemes. You are not your father." Reina smiles at the new Clan Leader.
This time Claudia was not able to stop the sob that came out of her.
"Oh! Frankenstein, be a gentleman and give the lady a handker-" Before Reina can even finish her sentence, Frankenstein immediately offers her his handkerchief.
"Not to me, silly. To her of co--"
"Your nose..."
"Oh, I'm bleeding again?" Reina gladly took the handkerchief and gently wipes her nose, and true enough, she is bleeding again.
'Seems like I really need a proper rest.' Reina shrug before tucking the handkerchief in her pockets.
"Rael Kertia and Regis Landegre" the two boys kneel in front of the throne with their heads bowed down.
"I, Erga Kenesis di Raskreia, the Lord of all nobles, hereby dub thee, Rael Kertia and Regis Landegre, the official Clan Leaders of the Kertia Family and the Landegre Family, respectively. From on this day forward, they shall devote themselves not only to their respective families but towards all."
~~~
Reina snuggles closer to Frankenstein who hugs her tighter as Tao started the engine. The four Clan Leaders are settled comfortably on their seats while Tao and Takio are on the pilot seats with M-21 behind them.
"Miss Reina!" A loud exhausted voice called out from outside the vehicle.
"Brother!" Rael quickly jumps out of the helicopter to help his brother.
"Lazark, you're still not well enough. You have to rest and let your body adapt to your new soul." Reina frowns at him.
"I cannot let you go without thanking you. For you to unnecessarily sacrifice your soul for me..."
"It was not unnecessary Lazark. Just because the invaders successfully entered Lukedonia did not mean that you failed to protect this land. Someone told me..." Reina looks at Raizel who is sitting in front of them before looking back at Lazark again.
"...I will not be able to protect the ones I wanted to protect when I'm dead. Rest for now, even if you are not the Clan Leader now, you can still protect the ones you wanted to protect because you're alive."
Author's Note:
"Unnecessary"?! Really, Lazark? Do you know how much people wanted to murder those traitors again and again for touching you?!
Anyway, want to guess what chapter I got "I will not be able to protect the ones I wanted to protect when I'm dead." from??