Isekai: Princess Marquess Becomes Entrepreneur of Tempe

Chapter 71. Last Memories

“Next reaction is welcome to enter the room,”

Kiara looked towards the door of the hall, waiting with her heart racing. After the two witnesses who so incriminated him, who else would attempt to throw him in jail?

I just confessed my identity to Mama.. There's no way she is, right?

“Mrs Penny Perez!”

“What?!” Kiara was so shocked when her mother's name was called. And the girl was even more flabbergasted when the person she really trusted was now also trying to throw her in jail.

Penny Perez entered the room with her head lowered. Then, the woman stood on the witness podium. After Lady Perez had said the oath of honesty, His Majesty King Valcke began his question.

“What is your relationship with the suspect?”

“I am his mother.” answered Penny weakly, staring at his beloved daughter on the suspect's podium.

“Is it true that your daughter is someone from another world?”

Before making a statement that he could not possibly retract, Penny looked at Kiara fixedly, and was met with a horrified look from her daughter. Penny took a deep breath and exhaled it at times.

“True. Kiara was born from my own womb. But, the memory of life in the previous world still he could remember well. Kiara herself said that she had been reborn as a character in a story she often read first.”

“Mama! Why, Ma?!”

Kiara was clearly screaming hysterically after her own mother testified so. Audiences are back.

“Reborn?”

“Reincarnation, yes, he means? Does such a thing really exist?”

“Quiet! Again, relax!!” King Valcke again calmed the audience. However, the audience still did not stop talking about their surprise.

The king propped his forehead with one hand on the table. He is completely out of thought with the case he is handling right now. It's really like a fantasy story. The court was not always busy discussing between them.

“I'm sorry Mama, Darling..Mama just doesn't want you to fall for something you yourself know is wrong, and Mama knows very well your nature of that one.” Penny said while shedding tears.

Kiara looked down and shed tears. The beautiful story that he yearned for would happen to him in this world, now everything had to be destroyed just because of his impulsive actions. Just because of his love for a man. Now everything just disappeared right in front of him.

*****

“Good. With all the testimony so incriminating, then Lady Kiara Perez declared as a defendant in the case of blasting soybean factory owned by Lady Elona Locke!”

Audience cheers filled the room. His Majesty continued his court decision.

“For the punishment the accused will receive will be discussed in advance by the court board. In the meantime, Lady Kiara will be transferred to Aristocratic Prison. Court hearing for this case I declare closed!”

Three hammer blows on the table signify the trial is over. Kiara Perez was immediately taken by two bodyguards out of the hall room. At a glance, Kiara cast a gaze towards Elona who was looking back at her. Without any words, the two separated.

Iris immediately ran slowly towards the embrace of her sister-in-law, as soon as they were in the corridor of the palace.

“Sister Iris, be careful! Watch the content of Brother!”

“Hehe, I'm so happy, because you were so cool!” exclaim Iris while smiling widely.

“Hey, I also want to hug him!” suddenly Arthur's voice appeared from behind Iris's back. The young man immediately pulled Elona's hand. The girl is unprepared for her balance and ends up falling into Arthur's arms.

“What the hell, you, Art?! Just interrupt!” Iris looked up at her cousin.

“What the fuck are you!!" elona's hand was instantly pulled back by someone. Stefan who had just walked out of the hall instantly pulled his sister away from Arthur.

“Don't make me ride apitam ya! Go there!”

“Hey, I'm already her boyfriend!” Arthur gave in, and it made Elona's face turn red instantly.

“New girlfriend, not husband! Your engagement cover letter to Elona has not been received, I dare to come close. Scram!!” Stefan's getting riled up.

“Eh, so if I proposed to Elona, would you immediately blessing?” asked Arthur expectantly.

“Will direct kurobek!!”

“You're why, anyway!”

“Already, already! It's still in the palace area and you guys are making a fuss here! Later you are dragged by the guards to the prison, know the taste!” Iris finally couldn't stand it and broke them both.

“Elona..” a new voice appears again calling the girl's name. Louis approached Elona, before finally asking for permission.

“I want to talk to you for a minute, okay? We'd better go to the park, if you'll allow.” asked Louis.

Elona looked at her two brothers and Arthur. Stefan nodded his head, “I'll be waiting for you here,”

“What's Louis?” elona asked as soon as they both sat in one of the parasol umbrella chairs.

“I just want to make sure once again. Are you also from another world, just like Kiara?” louis asked, looking into Elona's eyes.

“Iya. I come from another world. The difference with Kiara is, I wasn't born here. I entered this body just after the real Elona matured.”

“Elona the real one.. means, my old fiancee was.... isn't it you?” ask Louis again. Elona shook her head.

“The fat one was not me, but the real Elona.”

“Then, since when did you..?”

“In your opinion, since when if I wasn't your fiancee Elona?” ask Elona back. Louis glanced a little at the thought of past events.

“Since I defended Kiara at school? Because I realized that from that day on, you started to change.”.

Elona nodded her head and smiled gently. “You're right. On that day, I entered this body. As soon as I realized I was the antagonist Elona Locke in the story, I immediately broke off my engagement to you in order to avoid a sad ending. I'm sorry for that,”

Elona lowered her head slightly.

“It's okay. It has passed.” said Louis. “But, I feel, as we stroll through the City of Armelin, your nature returns to your former self.”

“Ah, for that one day only, the real Elona enters this body again. He said he wanted to make memories together with the man he loved one last time.” explains Elona, leaving Louis flabbergasted.

“Last time, he means..”.

“Louis...” Elona took a breath before continuing. “Elona is gone..”

“What?! So... who was with me back then... was really the last time..?”.

Elona nodded her head and said, “Elona is actually gone when I take her place in this body. And that day was the last time.”

Louis' tears broke upon hearing Elona's statement. The young man slapped his face with both hands on the table.

“And in that day.. I made him sad.. Even in his last moments, I still can not make him happy just a little, but I'm instead.”.

“Louis gone..” Elona tried to calm the man down when she saw the young man's shoulder shake.

“Elona has forgiven you sincerely. He tells you to keep living your life happily, that's all. It was precisely that time that I could not forgive you to the point of letting you get injured like that, not Elona.”

“But I killed him..”

“Don't say that! Don't blame yourself. It's all fate, come on!” Elona hugged Louis warmly, letting the man cry on his shoulders.

“Thank you..” Louis let go of his embrace. “I can know your real name?”

“Tara. My previous name was Tara. But keep calling me Elona. I want to remember him. After all...among everyone, we both know her best,”

“Alright, Elona. If you could just say my apologies to her, I would be so happy.”

“Without me being able to say it, Elona knew it, and she forgave you.”

*****

The next day, in Aristocratic Prison, in the capital.

Elona entered a whitewashed building located not so far from the city center. After saying her needs at the reception, Elona was escorted to a meeting room between visitors and prisoners.

Along through the corridor, Elona circulated her gaze around. The girl saw several cell rooms covered with white iron doors with eye-catching holes at the top. Elona also passed through an empty cell whose door was left open. The girl peered for a while into the room, then she grumbled.

You nobleman! This building is so good! Rather than a prison, his room was even bigger than my original rented room on earth. Indeed his name is in accordance with the conditions in it: Aristocratic Prison!

Amidst her grunts, Elona was welcome to enter the meeting room. Inside there are lines of iron bars that limit between visitors and inmates.

Across Elona, there is a girl who yesterday became the accused perpetrator of the explosion of his soybean factory in Armelin. Kiara Perez's.

Kiara wore a plain black dress provided by the prison. The girl turned her head towards the door, wanting to know who had visited her. As soon as she saw Elona's face, Kiara immediately threw her face away.

“What else are you doing here?”

*****

...\=\= original writing by @author.ryby \=\=...

...\=\= cover art by @fuheechi_ \=\=...