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Chapter 57
Wish
Diana had several chances to obtain a magical key that could release his restraints. She even had opportunities, with her maternal grandfather’s help, to set Guiscard free.
But at some point, Diana realized that simply unchaining him wasn’t the answer. She decided on a third option: to openly and proudly release Guiscard from slavery.
If she had just unlocked the restraints, Guiscard would have become a runaway slave, hunted down. She remembered the atmosphere in the Brienne household back then—the Duke, rarely seen enraged, had sent out pursuit squads and even issued wanted notices.
Guiscard must have suffered greatly while on the run. His hatred for the Brienne family must have grown all the more.
That was why Diana wanted to free him in a safe way.
There was no need for him to run. He could go reclaim his own life. In doing so, the cycle of revenge could finally be broken.
Wasn’t that perhaps the “right path”?
Rather than killing Guiscard, or just letting him escape, freeing him from the life of slavery—wasn’t that the true answer?
As soon as she thought this, Diana began considering how to grant him manumission.
The authority to free a slave lay with their master, or with the king, the master of all.
Would her father free him? She doubted it. In these past two years, Diana had come to realize that the father she once saw as a lofty figure wasn’t such an ideal man after all. There had always been something strange about her father bringing Guiscard into their household. No matter what she did, she felt certain he would never free him.
That left only one option: the king restoring Guiscard’s status. Thinking along those lines, an idea came to her immediately. That was why Diana had taught Guiscard the sword. Through Barret, he learned swordsmanship, even sword aura, and grew at a frightening pace.
And now, the moment had come. Diana smiled brightly and said,
“Please, Your Majesty, restore Guiscard’s status, who has rendered such great service to you.”
She had worked tirelessly for this day. To keep Guiscard under her care, she had matured beyond her years, even found him a master who could teach him swordsmanship.
She made sure he ate well, so he could appear as a savior to the king. She trained him with Sylph, preparing him for the Great Demon Beast Battle, so that he could wield a blade faster than anyone.
At the right moment, they would appear at the right place, and Guiscard would save the king’s life. It had been no simple feat. Yet her plan had succeeded splendidly.
Thus Diana believed she could be freed from everything today—
from the filthy fate, the cruel destiny, the future where she would live as his bride in hell, from painful loss, from Guiscard himself.
Perhaps she too was being freed.
The king looked at Guiscard. Once, she might have feared the king’s wrath.
Her father had told her Guiscard was a criminal condemned by the palace.
But Diana, working as a handmaiden in Ionia, had gathered information herself. Looking at the palace’s punishment records, she found that since she was eleven until now, never once had a boy of Guiscard’s age been enslaved.
Guiscard wasn’t a palace slave—he was her father’s slave.
She knew her father would be displeased about this. But she had a sense that unless the king permitted it, her father would never let Guiscard go.
“How pure your heart is! Truly the daughter of Duke Brienne! Very well!”
The king laughed heartily and readily granted her request.
For the king, there was nothing to lose. Freeing a slave was far simpler and safer than granting a commoner a noble title.
“Guiscard, slave of House Brienne of Fanborough! I release you from bondage. From now on, you are a proper citizen of Fanborough, free from any restrictions that bound you!”
Words so light, almost casual, yet they changed an entire life.
Still, to her, it felt as though sunlight had poured into her very being.
“Anne, what have you done?!”
“Just what it looks like.”
On the way back, the duke shouted, while Diana smiled sweetly. Having received divine blessing that day, she decided to use it as her excuse.
“I always wanted to free Guiscard one day.”
“…You!”
“I prayed about it, and God blessed me. Perhaps it was God’s will that Guiscard should return to his rightful place.”
Duke Brienne’s face turned red. He seemed about to explode, but Diana lowered her gaze and said,
“Father, surely I haven’t done something terrible, have I? I just…”
“No, no.”
The duke let out a long sigh. Cautiously lifting her head, Diana saw him smiling.
“You’ve shown so many people that you possess a kind heart. That alone is enough.”
Strange—he gave up on Guiscard far more easily than she had expected.
“And you saved His Majesty before it was too late. Do you realize how great that is? As your father, I am always grateful for you.”
The duke patted her head. Thankfully, it seemed he had let it go.
“So, will you raise Guiscard as a knight here?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Father, I’m old enough now to understand. Guiscard has to leave.”
“…”
“You told me yourself—I am destined to be this kingdom’s queen.”
Diana gave him a gentle smile. For a moment, Duke Brienne’s lips curved into an unnaturally wide grin, the excessive smile sitting awkwardly on his face.
The clear winter sky glittered with pouring starlight.
Diana sat on a bench, gazing at the stars. Before long, Guiscard appeared.
As he opened his mouth to say something, Diana reached into her cloak.
“I’ve been waiting! Here, take this.”
Guiscard looked at the pouch she held out. Since returning from the palace, her face had been brighter than he had ever seen.
“What is this?”
“Some small jewels. Easy to turn into money.”
“Why would you…”
“It’s your payment for all your hard work.”
“Wait—you’re giving this to me?!”
Guiscard’s voice rose. Diana widened her eyes and replied,
“You’re not a slave anymore, are you?”
“…”
“Take it and use it for your life.”
Her voice was gentle. But Guiscard’s face wasn’t as bright as she hoped. Instead, confusion and anger filled his eyes. He stared at her for a long time before steadying his breath.
“From the beginning… was this your intention?”
“Hm?”
“From the very beginning—was this what you intended for me?”
Diana nodded.
“Yes. Ever since I first saw you, I’ve thought about how to free you from slavery.”
Ah, how she had wanted to say this. Now, she could finally speak openly.
“A simple escape would’ve left you hunted forever. You needed formal manumission. That’s why I planned all of this.”
“…”
“But I couldn’t tell you. If I had…”
Because then he would have had false hope. Because she might have failed. Diana tried to explain, but he cut her off.
“If you had told me, I wouldn’t have cooperated, right?”
His voice was chilling. Before she knew it, his face was close to hers.
“Guiscard.”
Her expression stiffened. His hands pressed against the back of the bench, caging her in. Trapped in his arms, she looked up at him towering over her.
“Guiscard. Take your hands off.”
“You said I’m a free man now, my lady. So why not this?”
His voice was sweet as honey. Diana looked up at him. Danger—he reeked of it. She ignored the suffocating tension and spoke coldly.
“It wasn’t about you refusing to cooperate. It was about giving you false expectations. If I failed, you would’ve despaired all the more.”
“No. You knew I wouldn’t cooperate.”
“Guiscard.”
He stared down at her. His violet eyes seemed to pull her in. See? He had never thought of himself as a slave. That was why, once the title of slave was stripped away, he dared act like this.
“My lady.”
“…”
“What was I to you?”
His tone was calm, yet desperate. What is wrong with him? she thought, yet she found herself unnervingly calm.
“Let go.”
At her command, Guiscard instinctively drew back. Their nearly-touching faces parted. He gave a bitter laugh, as though mocking himself, and clenched his fists. Staring at her, he said,
“I thought… I wouldn’t mind spending my whole life by your side, even as a slave.”
Diana’s mind went blank. What kind of foolish words were these? She gazed into his eyes, where a storm raged.
Eyes she thought long dried out now swirled with something fierce, as though he had seen horrors no one else could imagine.
“Ah, so that’s it. Now I understand. To you, I was just a burden.”
“…”
“A problem to be solved. A task. Nothing more!”
He stood, trembling with anger. Where had things gone wrong? She had freed him from slavery—that was all. He was simply freed a year earlier than he was supposed to be. So why was he this furious?
She couldn’t understand. She truly couldn’t.
“I’ll stay by your side. Even if I’m no longer a slave. I’ll remain with you—whether you marry, whether you bear another man’s child—I’ll still be at your side!”
The words dripped with obsession. It was the same as what he had told her before. But now she realized—this was not true freedom. He wasn’t in his right mind. He had grown too accustomed to slavery.
Looking at him, overflowing with such twisted emotions, Diana finally said,
“No. I don’t want that.”
Her voice was firm, cold. Diana pushed Guiscard away.
