I Returned As the Governor of the Country That Abandoned Me

14 – As you believe

“Guards of the nobles of the kingdom. Is it true that you killed three?”

A question asked again. Originally, I wasn’t the type to say twice, but I asked one more time.

“.. That’s right.”

“Why did you kill him?”

“… “

To my question, the girl hesitated for a moment to answer. However, it wasn’t long before her mouth opened.

“They persecuted innocent villagers…”

“What authority do you have?”

“I had no intention of killing him. It’s just that they rushed at the girl and did it to survive.”

This girl had no authority to stop them. She shouldn’t have, and she should have stayed still. After all, you are weak.

Still, this girl was driven by her own convictions. As a result, she was only imprisoned here for the crime of killing a person.

“What is your name?”

“The girl, my name is Ariel.”

“Your way of speaking is unusual. Are you from Johana?”

Johana is located on the outskirts of the kingdom. The village, which is famous for being the most closed-minded in the kingdom, is the one that lags behind the times the most.

“Do you know the girl’s village?”

“Yes.”

A normal imperial person would not know this, but since I came from the kingdom, I had no choice but to know her village.

“What is the reason for crossing the border of the empire?”.

“I just got lost.”

To the end, this girl did not reveal why she passed over to the Empire. But it doesn’t matter. The reason is because you can listen slowly.

“If you want, I will make you an imperial.”

“Is that possible?”

“Of course, it won’t work in the usual way. So, if you are naturalized as an empire, you will have to work for me.”

The naturalization process to another country is complicated. Approval must be obtained from the government office in charge of foreign affairs of each country, and permission must also be obtained from the government office in charge of law.

I don’t think those things will end anytime soon. By the time she becomes an imperial citizen, she must have already left this world.

Nevertheless, it is not that there is no way at all.

“What can the girl do?”

The eyes of the girl who said that and looked at me were full of anxiety. Perhaps, she’s imagining things that aren’t very good.

“It is to hold the sword.”

“Yes?”

“What you have to do for me is to hold the sword for the empire.”

So I decided to ease his anxiety. All you have to do is hold the sword, nothing else.

After hearing my words, she began to be engulfed in her troubles for a while. She must be suspicious of me.

It’s not that I don’t understand her troubles. The man who came to visit me, called himself an imperial man, and told me to hold the sword. There is enough room for anyone to be suspicious.

Nevertheless, I waited. The decision this girl will make.

“Why are you doing me such a favor?”

“Because you look like me.”

I fought the Empire for the Kingdom, but I was abandoned by them. They fought against the injustice of the kingdom, but the girl was captured by them.

If it’s a fit, it could be a fit. However, I decided to think so.

“Do you have a family?”

“..No.”

“Is there anyone I can rely on?”

“No.”

I see. Is there no one around you to protect you?

“Your country wants to kill you, but my country wants to protect you.”

I will protect you, abandoned by the kingdom.

After hearing my words, the girl’s eyes widened for a moment. Apparently, this is the first time I’ve heard this.

“How do you protect a girl?”

“I told you earlier. You had no authority to punish them.”

“.. Yes.”

“If you become an imperial citizen, I will give you permission to do such a thing.”

“I will give you the right to act according to your beliefs, I will give you the power to punish those who act against your beliefs, and I will give you the freedom to live according to your beliefs.”

So just one word. If you just say one word that you want to become a citizen of the Empire, I can give you everything.

The girl who heard me started to be silent. I calmly waited to see what she would say to me. And, that silence didn’t last long.

“The girl…”

The lost girl opened her mouth. Her answer followed shortly thereafter. I listened to her girl’s answer and nodded her head.

.

.

.

‘Just now, what was it..’

I still don’t know. What just happened to me

A man who claimed to be an imperial citizen came to visit me and suggested that I become an imperial citizen. To summarize, it can be summarized as follows.

‘Did they say they look alike..’

I still couldn’t forget his black eyes looking at me. Most of the men who look at me have desire for me in their eyes, but I could barely feel that in his eyes.

Basically not felt means that it was felt to some degree. I wasn’t offended or offended by that. Because these things are natural.

[You are the disaster that will destroy this village.]

Just before being kicked out of the village, the last words I heard from the head of the village. Did she say that beauty ruins the country? Chief Lee cited that reason and kicked me out of the village.

‘I said he would protect me.’

That’s why I don’t believe his words that he will protect me. Because I was abandoned by my parents, my village, and my country, whom I believed would protect me.

How can a person who doesn’t know anything about me protect me when people close to me also abandon me?

That’s why I can’t believe it. His words that he said he would protect me, his words that the empire would protect me.

“Hello!”

And then it was. What filled this prison filled with silence was a bright voice.

When I lifted my head and looked ahead, there was a boy and three girls standing there. Unlike the man we saw earlier, who looked like an aristocrat, these people looked like common mercenaries in general.

“Ariel, right?”

“Wow! Very pretty!”

“He too.. Joined the mercenary corps..?”

“Oh, look at his condition..”

Who are you? How do you know my name? However, seeing these people, I felt a warm feeling for some reason.

“My name is Kai! They are mercenaries around here.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Um… I want to explain why I came here, but I will tell you that after I get out of here.”

“Kai! No time! The time I promised with the jailer is 10 minutes!”

Did you even pay the jailer to find me? Why? Like that guy from earlier, why are there so many people looking for me?

“I don’t have time, so I’ll tell you directly. Become our mercenary. Then, I will help you get out of here.”

“.. The girl, you mean?”

“Yes. Our mercenaries, the atmosphere is surprisingly good!”

“If you come to our mercenary corps, you can be happy!”

“We.. Welcome anytime..”

They say they want to take me to their mercenary squad.

From noble mtl dot com

‘Are you happy?’

At the words of a girl that you can be happy, I closed my eyes for a moment and thought. If I become a mercenary, can I really be happy?

If I become a mercenary, I will travel with them. It’s hard on the body because of going around all over the place, but the thought of being with my colleagues will make my heart feel at ease.

And I will think, as they say, happy. Why? Because they are happy Among them, I can’t say I’m not happy alone.

Like that, maybe I’ll be acting happy and laughing with them. Even I would be fooled by my acting and think I was happy. Without knowing that my insides are rotting.

Sometimes we fight, we laugh, we talk, we might even talk about love. Perhaps, it is possible to fight with those colleagues over a man.

It will definitely be a comfortable life. It will be a happy life. But one thing is for sure, it is not my life.

“Let’s go, Ariel. Hold my hand.”

The boy who introduced himself as Kai reached out to me through the prison bars.

After thinking, I carefully opened my eyes and looked into his eyes.

Without a speck of dust, the clearest eyes. The hand that was extended to me looked warm just by looking at it.

“.. I’m sorry, but the girl won’t follow you.”

However, I refused his touch. Because the place I have to go is not the bright sunny place where they are standing.

“.. What?”

Did I not expect this choice of mine? The boy’s face, named Kai, began to stain with bewilderment. But it can’t be helped. Because my heart is already set.

“The girl is going to go where she wants to be. A place where you can live the life of a girl, where you can be fully a girl.”

“.. That place, where is it?”

“It is an empire.”

That offer was so sweet that I almost reached out to it without realizing it. However, that fruit is a fruit I must not covet. Because I don’t hang out with such a sunny side.

He promised to make me live as I am. Contrary to the boy who identified himself as Kai, I still don’t know who he is, what his name is, or what he does, but

“I want to believe in his words that a girl can live like a girl.”

[I will follow your will.]

This is my conclusion. I decided to trust the man from the empire who first came to me for the last time.

“Who is he..?”

“I don’t know. His name, where he lives, nothing. Ah, I remember that black hair and dark eyes were impressive.”

“.. Aran von Robertein..”

He muttered something, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Is it someone’s name?

“Why do you want to follow that man who knows nothing?”

“I said I would make a girl live like a girl.”

“Do you believe that?”

“I don’t believe it. Just choose according to the girl’s beliefs. In that sense, he was somewhat right.”

I said with a soft smile. Really, just as he said, I chose him according to my convictions.

“That person is worse than you think.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“That person will become the enemy of everyone in the world.”

“It’s okay.”

“And, that person…”

“Did you say Kai…?”

I cut off his words that were saying bad things about him.

“Girl, it doesn’t matter who the guy is. Certainly, if I follow you, I might feel a feeling of happiness.”

“But, why?”

“Because that is not the will of the girl.”

My last will to convey to him. No matter what he says to me, my choice will not change. So, not wanting to waste my precious time on me, I decided to reject the proposal he gave me.

“The girl, following the man, tries to live the life of a girl.”

My choice to hold the hand of the imperial people may have been wrong. His words that he will let me live my life may actually be a nice looking rose with thorns.

“Even so, the girl won’t regret it.”

Because it was my will to hold onto that beautiful rose. Even if blood flows from my hands, it is an action according to my beliefs.

So I am confident that I will not regret it. My choice to believe in him is entirely mine.

“..If that’s what you mean, I get it.”

Hearing my firm will, he started to leave this place. Like that, inside the prison where I was left alone again.

There was still warmth left in the prison after the mercenaries came and went. Perhaps, I may have blown the last chance to feel this warmth for the rest of my life.

‘Even so.’

I have no regrets. This is an action according to my beliefs, and it is a decision I made.

When I thought that, I laughed involuntarily.

Because I finally felt that I could live my life.