22 – Red Garden Landscaper 8

“Huh… .Heo-eok… Heo-eok… ”

YuRia gasped for breath as she looked at the dagger that was deeply inserted.

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Not the enemy’s heart…

A dagger embedded deep in the ground.

Seeing that, Lee Solda said to Yuria with a cold expression on her face.

“What… what are you doing? wake up! I must avenge my enemies! You shouldn’t have to avenge your parents! It’s not possible that you’re holding back the thought that killing people is scary… ”

“no!”

As if urging the story toward Isolda, Yuria shouted in a tearing voice.

“No.. you… you are not… Lee Solda!”

“..Still.. you said that. I am Isolda Evergarden..”

“That Isolda!”

Yuria cuts off Isolda’s words like a knife. At this, while Isolda was speechless, Yuria spoke in a slightly subdued voice.

“There is no way that Lee Solda… would have acted like that. There’s no way that monster with no blood or tears… would help me… listen to my story… and even offer his life like this now… there’s no way… he couldn’t… Ah… ”

“… ..”

Isolda couldn’t answer YuRia’s words.

She was right.

If you look at the original Isolda as a standard… In fact, things up until now were really not like her.

It’s also about repaying the favor to those who helped.

To empathize with someone…

And like this… the willingness to lay down one’s life while feeling guilty…

It was something that had never happened before in her life, and it was something she would never have thought of.

And, facing her who was so speechless, Yuria screamed with anger and pain.

“You are a monster… Isolda is a cruel and ruthless villainess who can be hated as much as she wants to be hated and not even worthy of sympathy. Why are you in front of me… why do you look like a person and not a monster?.. no different from me. i can like Does that… do you seem like such a normal person?…”

‘..Oh, I see..’

the moment you hear it. Isolda could tell that this child felt the same way as she did.

Just as Lee Solda assigned a part of herself to this child.

This child, too… was assigning a part of her to Isolda.

I admired what she showed. He sympathized with her who had the same sadness as himself.

As the person who did that revealed that he was Lee Solda, Yuria also came to realize.

The woman she thought was a monster… the woman she thought it was okay to kill.

The truth is, she’s not that different.

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Not a monster… but a human with the same pain as her…

‘To be precise… I must have changed like that… but YuRia… thanks to you…’

If Lee Solda was that person before she realized her sin. Yuria would have swung the sword without hesitation.

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No, if that was the case in the first place, Isolda wouldn’t even have appeared here.

Maybe he had already killed Yuria and robbed her wagon and property while passing through a deserted road to make even a little more profit.

But… she didn’t and came here.

Although it was a short trip. While meeting this child, Isolda had changed before she knew it.

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Not from above, but from the same eye level.

They felt the same pleasure, talked about the same pain, and recognized each other as beings that resembled each other.

In the process… Isolda had become a human resembling this child before she knew it.

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Not a villain without blood and tears. As a human being who can suffer and shed tears just like everyone else.

‘..if.. if I could have had this experience a little sooner… if I had had the time to fall from that high place and see the bottom of my feet sooner… my life might not have turned this ugly..’

However, because of that, Isolda couldn’t stay like this.

I realized my mistake, but I’ve already come too far to go back.

That’s what she thought.

“… I still have to do it.. Yuria..”

“…what?”

With those words, Lee Sol slowly pulls out the dagger stuck in the ground and puts it in YuRia’s hand.

As a result, YuRia’s face began to look confused. Seeing her like that, Lee Solda smiled.

with deep sadness. An empty yet sorrowful smile…

“I don’t know what I am now from your point of view, but… I was definitely a monster… I was a villainess. I have committed so many sins that will never be forgiven. So… so I have to atone for my sins like this… no… I really want to do that… so…”

Isolda’s voice gave me the feeling of sadness and regret… and even pleading.

While listening to this, YuRia lowered her head for a moment and did not say anything.

And..

-“match!”-

“!…”

The next moment, Yuria slapped Isolda on the cheek.

The power in her hands wasn’t that great.

There was only a slight shock as it was the strength of a child anyway.

But… nonetheless…

This girl’s blow felt too great to Isolda.

And looking at Isolda like that, Yuria said in a cold voice.

“You’re cowardly.. You’re.. a villainess.. you’re so.. soft!”

“… .”

Lee Sol-da looks at her with a blank expression at YuRia’s words.

YuRia shed tears and writhed toward Isolda.

“Atonement with just something like this? I don’t want to pay the penalty! You’re just going to run away to the other world!”

“… U.. Yuri.. Ah?..”

“If you are going to repent of your sins, pay it back with your life! Live like a madman! A bunch of people who suffered because of you! You go and get down on your knees and ask for forgiveness! Don’t even think about running away with such clumsiness and death!”

“… ..”

Hearing those words… Isolda lowered her head and didn’t respond.

everything was wrong

Her life so far, her thoughts… and the way she’s trying to atone for sins like this now.

.

‘The person who was severely withdrawn.. was me.. someone like me.. compared to this child.. was really.. nothing..’

Thinking so, Isolda quietly looked at YuRia’s face.

A little girl who is so immature and has a lot to learn.

However, at this moment, Isolda had a little longing for this child.

He wants to be like her…

I want to look at the world correctly and walk the path confidently.

*

The rain has stopped.

A warm light began to shine in the sky, which had always seemed dark.

The birds are chirping and the clouds are passing quietly.

Under the world that was a little different from just before… she…

The wicked woman Isolda Evergarden… was kneeling in front of the graveyard with her head bowed.

“I’m not expecting you to forgive me. That’s why I… I’ve gone too far. But at least… I want to apologize. I’m sorry… I’m really… I’m really… sorry.”

Lee Sol-da talks with earnestness with a dark expression on her face.

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Next to her was YuRia, who was silently watching this.

Even though her face was still dark.

It was an undeniable fact that it became much lighter than when talking about Isolda’s death.

“From now on.. I will try to live with atonement.. At least.. when I myself go there someday. So that I can kneel down in front of you… and ask for your forgiveness… so that I have the shame to do so…”

With those words, Isolda once again .. as she has done many times before, was motivated.

However, it was neither about success nor about revenge.

A promise to atone for her sins.. It was such a promise to lighten the burden that was still weighing heavily on her heart..

*

YuRia and Isolda leave the cemetery and take the carriage back to the city.

Although the awkward feeling still lingered, YuRia cautiously opened her mouth in a more relaxed atmosphere.

“So… what will Mr. Lee Solda do from now on?”

“..First of all, I’m thinking of going as planned.. I have a connection here, so I’ll have to look for a job through that person. oh over there.”

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Next, Yuria stops the wagon at the location Lee Solda pointed out.

It was the entrance to a huge building the size of a palace, and Yuria also knew where it was.

Sol is slowly getting off the carriage as she finally arrives at her destination.

Looking at her like that, Yuria cautiously spoke with bittersweet feelings.

“..can I see you again?..”

“If the opportunity arises… no… yes… I’m sure. At that time, I will stand in a slightly different position than I do now.”

“… ..”

At Lee Solda’s words, Yuria quietly smiled and drove the wagon to leave.

That man was the enemy he longed to kill with his own hands not long ago.

But…the feelings she’s feeling right now…

It was similar to the feeling of regret when parting with a good friend.

*

Following the guidance, Isolda entered the building.

Contrary to what was expected, upon naming her, the people silently granted permission to meet with the owner of this place as per her request.

‘Still, did I pass the most difficult hurdle with this?’

To be honest, there was no possibility of being shut out of the door, and if that happened, the work would be tiring, but fortunately that did not happen.

With such thoughts in mind, Lee Sol-da goes deep inside the building.

Then, standing in front of the ornate door, she took a small breath to relieve tension.

‘I’m starting over… everything… and I’m asking for forgiveness… to all the people who have suffered because of me…’

While dreaming of the future, Isolda carefully opened the door and went inside.

‘It must be a formidable opponent.. Here… the person who holds the capital of the Holy Empire, Bin…’

With that thought in mind, Isolda entered the room.

And… the person waiting for her there…

“uh?…”

“Welcome, Isolda Evergarden. I am waiting.”

The owner of this place is standing straight and looking at himself.

Leader of the Uranus Merchant.

The moment she saw Bertina Minerva, the blue-gold woman, Isolda’s face hardened.

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No, to be precise, it wasn’t Bertina that shocked her…

“Come on. I was waiting for you.”

the person right in front of you.

Seeing the very person she never wanted to meet at this moment, Isolda began to tremble.

“Uh..how..how you..you.. here..”

Lee Sol mumbles in a voice that seems to have drained her soul.

Looking at her like that, the man… Bahamut started to show a sincere smile on his lips while sitting in a fancy chair.

“How? What’s wrong with me visiting my slave’s house?”

“radish… What… are you talking about? It’s the headquarters of the Uranus Merchant in Vienna! But… this place… how is this place…”

Impossible… even if it was true, while listening to the unbelievable story, Isolda tried to deny it, and Bahamut sighed as if he couldn’t help it.

“Sigh… Well, it must be hard to accept reality. In that sense… kneel down, lady.”

“all right. master.”

“!”

As soon as those words were spoken, Bertina, the blue-gold woman, bowed her head in front of Bahamut, kneeling respectfully as it was.

Looking at this incredible reality, which is hard to believe even after seeing it with her own eyes, she…

Isolda Evergarden was unable to think for a moment.