She Decided Not To Get Revenge

Red waves flow like the sunset over the square. Resentment flowed like blood as she gritted her teeth. It was a day when she couldn’t tell what was what. So that day, she washed her hands on something, as she doesn’t know if it’s a terrible death or resentment that awaits her.

She decided not to take revenge.

Fifteen years ago, the High elf, Prince Schaurillin Inborgia, who had been serving as prime minister for four hundred years, destroyed the Agreta family. The first and last exercise of power to summary judgement granted only to him in Roschodur. Under the terrifying charge of treason, the prestigious family was engulfed in flames without even a trial.

After two and a half years, when speculations about their innocence were raised, the only survivor, Schaurillin’s Kat-, or Katlena Agreta, no longer the ‘Schaullin’s’ Kat, became a count.

She lost all her blood, lost everything she had, and couldn’t even return to the bloody mansion. There’s no place for her to lean on.

At the age of twelve she had tasted the futility of life.

The bottom of the world.

***

Under the luxurious chandelier at the party, Katlena Agreta frowned for a moment then tried to open her eyes. A black cape fluttered and fell over her dark green dress uniform.

It was autumn at the age of twenty-seven. 

Finally, she became the seventh great sage of the time recognized by the Wizard Tower. Since she was young, she has been talented in fire magic. Her mother was small but a flame-based wizard. 

Pain and despair were used as fuel to refine her talent. Just after the day her respected teacher cut her family, something dark appeared in Katlena’s heart. 

Would it be nice to say if it was the darkness of the heart?

After losing her family, she became obsessed with elemental magic. As she was familiar with the natural fire magic, her major magic became a flame world, but she tried not to neglect other magic elements. Because she knew too well that it would be her only barrier.

The result was the title of Great Sage. Of course, not everyone in the world acknowledged that fact. Whether she was too young to be recognized by the Wizard Tower, her wise title was given a variety of reasons.

Katlena reorganized Roschodur’s administrative system last summer. She was informed that the achievement had been calculated with magic. She was told that the miserable situation was also taken into account.

There are those who say that the name was given because it was impossible to overlook the fact that she’s an authoritative noble of Roschodur and a favorite disciple of the sage Rosetta.

Applying such an excuse won’t erase her magical talent and achievement. Katlena’s dark eyes briefly rolled for a moment without a word.

But either way was fine. As long as she got the title of the Great Sage. The ultimate goal was achieved, so even if there was another reason attached to it, Katlena’s satisfaction was not undermined.

The reorganization of the administrative system was something that had to be done anyway, and since the work was successful, she was satisfied with it. Either way, it was something that needed to be done.

During the fifteen years absence of the capable prime minister, Roschodur had run as a rogue. 

When each of the unbearable nobles was given a beacon and sent down to the provinces, each local lord formed their own manor and began to think of the Emperor as an easy man. 

As a result, it was scattered to each province, and the people didn’t feel a sense of belonging to the Empire. In fact, it did not have the meaning of the ‘Empire’.

She decided that measures should be taken before it was too late. 

Due to the incident eighteen years ago, the competent Prince Inborgia had been in custody, and a long time had passed without taking any proper action. 

In the end, Katlena, a new generation talent who had even studied in Murta, the kingdom of Mado beyond the sea, where technology was extremely advanced, had no choice but to take the lead. In a way, it’s like a crime.

First she checked the taxation and administrative efficiency of the lords in each province. 

In addition, under the excuse of providing administrative help, administrators were intensively sent to areas where they could not pay ‘appropriate’ taxes. Of course, regions that fail to pay appropriate taxes’ means areas with high permanent autonomy. 

Most of the dispatched administrators were from Katlena Agreta. It was easy to manipulate because it was a subjective standard, such as ‘appropriate’. Eating the backs of those who were ignorant of the legal system was a breeze. It was a shame because the centralized system had not yet completely lost its light. For the time being, she put scissors on every place that seemed to interfere with the central government, and cut off the sprout.

Second, she stood up with the pretext of spending the welfare budget. After encouraging the spread of letters for the nobility and the common people, the chivalry also spread novels. 

As the novel, which had been ignored for decades as an entertainment novel, gained public popularity, competent knights who wanted to have wonderful honor and loyalty like in the novel, that was, who had no hope because they had no back, began to come to the capital. 

The commoners came to have respect for the nobility and the imperial family.

So, this was enough. She was a great flame wizard, she earned the title of the great sage, both noble and commoner supported her. Everyone in the world knows of her greatness and fears her. 

In exchange for losing her youth, she held all the glory in the world at a young age of twenty-seven. So why did she do it?

Ultimately, It was the way to reach her goal.

“I know you left early last night, but you still look tired.”

A party to celebrate her great sage title drew a myriad of people to examine this young, competent, and ruthless new administrative minister. Katlena Agreta glanced and checked the faces of the people who talked to her. She has a faint smile on her face. People were paying keen attention to whether there was someone trying to speak to Katlena Agreta. She would need to repay the enthusiastic attention with a suitable topic.

“When I saw a bug crawling into the house, I accidentally shot it.” Katlena answered softly. 

Not like the main character of the party, she was leaning against the wall and finally she stood upright and came out.

“It’s embarrassing, but when I see bugs, I get startled because I’m a human too. But a gun? I guess it’s too much to catch a bug.” Katlena muttered in a high pitched voice as if reading a play script.

“Yeah, it was an overkill that wasn’t suitable for the situation. It was Murta’s magic bullet. The smell of burnt was terrifying, so I didn’t know what to do and tried to clean it up, and ended up going to bed a little late.”

With no other place for her to stay, she spent her childhood in the Wizard’s Tower. Fortunately, she realized her extraordinary talent for fire magic, and her ability was greatly recognized. She even went to study in Murta, the kingdom of Mado. 

She was a natural administrator, like her father, perhaps because she had a good influence related to administration. 

She was good with the number systems and calculations. At the age of nineteen, she completed the intensive training of the great sage of the wizard tower, and at the age of twenty-three, she obtained a diploma from the Murta University.

At the age of twenty-five, she returned to Roschodur and became a senior administrator, and at the age of twenty-seven, she became an administrative minister under the title of the great sage. 

She was the only person to replace the forty year role of Shaurillin Inborgia who remains in ruins, raising the name of the family and being promised to the top of the Duke. 

In the coming month, she would become the Duke.

What’s in her hand? Nothing, there’s nothing in her hand.

“Did you notice that I didn’t get enough sleep? Oh, my! I put on makeup to hide it.” Katlena Agreta replied with a calm smile

Count Agreta’s family was framed for treason and destroyed. Three years later, when the only survivor who was framed, regained her family’s honor she was called to the convent and got reinstated, at the age of twelve, she was already Count Agreta.

Katlena grinned as she recalled the three Alves spies she had killed last night with magic bullets engulfed in black flames. Beneath the crimson red hair that flutters in the wind, she anticipated that the acrid and bloody smell the spread last night would blow soon.

Then ultimately she got here. If so, then it’s time to do it. Katlena Agreta was gentle and kind, with so much luck.

“What are you worried about? I was going to talk about something important today, but I wanted to add some concern.”

“Are you talking about something important?”

There was suspicion that the bug that was shot and killed was not a real insect. They were probably looking forward to it and asked about a story that might come out of that extension. 

When a young aristocrat came to introduce himself, Katlena smiled coldly at him. That question was indeed necessary. With a grateful smile, she replied softly.

“Wouldn’t it be time for Prince Inborgia to return to the capital?” 

Katlena Agreta whispered lazily, like a person who recited a very natural story. Ignoring the astonishment and frightening gaze, in a sad voice as if immersed in memories. Without a single smile on her sharp dark eyes.

“He has made a greater contribution to this country than anyone else over the past four hundred years. Who else, if not me, could ask His Majesty again for him who Roschodur truly needs? This was what I wanted to say. So I dare to take advantage of this honorable occasion today.”

Ignoring the old Emperor’s mad expression, looking at her as if she were crazy, he smiled as if it were drawn by Katlena Agreta. She thought of the elf with lemon-colored hair.

“Fifteen years ago, I urged you to reduce the sentence of Shaurillin, the Prime Minister of Inborgia, who was sentenced to 40 years for insulting the Agreta family and committing hasty punishment for misjudgment, and bring him back to the capital.”

Finally she would bring him to her. The backbone of this country, which has become her domain completely.

“If you give me permission, I would bear and take responsibility for all the necessary resources and party preparations for his return.”

And she laughed very pleasantly. Katlena Agureta hung a unique cool and picturesque smile around her lips and picked up a glass of champagne in a neat manner. Asking the Emperor to lift the glass together, she recited coldly.

“If His Majesty understands my will and grants him a reduction in his sentence…”

When the Marquis Rochester whispered a few words to the conflicting Emperor’s ear, the Emperor seemed to have no choice.

With a little complicated and subtle anticipation, she raised the glass of champagne. And with the abstract permission, Katlena Agreta expressed her sincere gratitude and swallowed a lemon-colored drink that burst air bubbles over her thirsty throat.

‘Lemon color’. Whenever she thought of the beautiful elf with lemon-colored hair that was as bright as the champagne, she always had to feel that burning thirst. 

A burning mansion. A bloody mother’s bed. After passing through a bloody hall that would only appear in a mysterious novel, she rushed out holding a spectacular baby dress.

In the red square, her eyes met with Shaurillin Inborgia. Under the pale colored hair of a lemon tree fruit. The pointed ears, like the representation of being non-human, glared at Katlena Agreta. A person who was not human hits her father’s neck.

It was not long before Katlena Agreta put the cup down and declared it in a friendly manner.

“Look forward to it. It’s going to be a huge party.”

***

The world shook when it became known that she had made a statement to the Emperor.

Katlena Agreta was a sample of the Goddesses counselor. From the humiliating moment when she lost her father in front of her eyes at the age of nine and put her forehead on the floor in the dirtiest and lowest place in front of the Palace at the age of twelve.

How intense the black flames are burning in that cold heart. How monstrous anger she may have had. None of the people knew where the origin of the hatred that whipped her life came from.

So everyone thought. Since it was not possible to assassinate the Duke of Inborgia, who has been confined on a remote island, she was trying to bring him to the capital to kill him and eliminate him. 

There was ‘it’ in the capital city. The secret assassination group ‘Lupus’ of Katlena Agreta.

So, perhaps, Lupus would eventually kill Shaurillin Inborgia.

While disturbing rumors were spreading as if they were carried out with the wind wings on their backs, the title of the Duke will be given to Katlena the next week.

Shaurillin Inborgia stepped on Roschodur’s land for the first time in fifteen years. Thinking that if he go to the capital, he may be cut off by the secret assassination group of renowned Katlena Agreta. However, as soon as Shaurillin arrived at the imperial palace garden she accidentally encountered Katlena Agreta who looked very calm. 

She stood with a unique iron mask-like face, with neither an expression nor pretending to be welcoming. Under the bright red hair, the pitch-black darkness shook gently like the surface of the still ink.

For a while, they stood face to face without saying a word. After staring at the beautiful face of Shaurillin Inborgia, who had not changed a bit, she said this for quite a while.

“It’s been a while since I saw you.”

With her neck drawn long in an arrogant and strong manner, she flipped out a black feather fan to cover her mouth and lay her eyes. There was a chill in the smiling eyes of an adult.

“Unlike the hasty thoughts of the world, I have no intention of retaliating against you in such a blunt way, Your Excellency.”

At the same time, she said this.

“But you can’t have the most naive thought that I forgave you, right? You who are so brilliant.”

When Roschodur’s 400-year-old prime minister, Shaurillin Inborgia, heard that, he naturally thought of this. ‘Oh, my. First of all, I should write a will and…’

Talking lukewarmly, Katlena Agreta interestingly pulled her chin up. Looking down at Shaurillin Inborghia with an expression as if looking at a unique person.

There was no avoidance of either gazes. Until two pairs of eyes that seem to be exploring each other have different smiles they turn a blind eye toward each other. Then, when each other’s eyes laughed in a subtle form, Katlena Agreta turned around first. Shaurillin Inborgia would be going into the palace, and she was on her way out of the palace.

Without regret, the first encounter in fifteen years ended. 

The fluttering red-haired knife like a winding rose vine, Katlena Agreta thought about the upcoming ‘party.’

‘Yes, I decided not to take revenge.’

Because she knew that it would be the wisest way.