Regina Rena – To the Unforgiven

Sin and Karma

Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook

Young Rena was lying on the grass in full bloom, reading a book.

[T/N: Grass… blooms? I’m sorry, let’s carry on]

Rena, who was so immersed in turning the book pages, suddenly raised her head and asked.

“Is this true?”

At Rena’s question, Regina, who was floating in the air, floated down. Then she looked at the book Rena had been reading and muttered as if she found it ridiculous.

— I was wondering what you were reading…

The book Rena was reading was none other than the biography of Emperor Nihil. It is also the part where Nihil first descends to the Tomb and meets the five kings.

“Is this true? Did you really say that?”

Rena asked again with sparkling eyes, and Regina smiled as if she were sighing at those innocent eyes. It was a relief smile.

Rena Ruber, who was abandoned by her father and reached death over and over again.

The 12-year-old girl was left alone in a cruel world, but she was determined to live nonetheless. She shouted that she would live as well as her father, who betrayed her.

But the strong pretense didn’t last long. This was because a new uninvited guest disturbed the difficult daily life.

The King with Many Hearts secretly sought Rena, and thanks to this, Rena was dragged to the Tomb again without knowing why.

When she had just fallen into the Tomb, Rena was shocked and couldn’t even speak properly.

Dozens of hours later, Regina brought her to this field and opened her bookshelf, and the child soon came to her senses as if her shock before had been a lie.

It was commendable and pitiful, and Regina gently accommodated Rena’s curiosity.

— ‘I will go back and rule over you. The living cannot bear the dead.’ Do you mean this?

[T/N: Chapter 19]

Rena nodded her head excitedly as Regina read her own lines from the biography.

The little girl was more curious about whether Regina really recited these novel-like lines than the fact that a short piece of history was in front of her.

Regina humbly replied to the explicit expectation.

— I did.

“Wow…”

— You’re being very rude.

Regina clicked her tongue and lay down on the grass like Rena. Then Rena got even more excited and started talking.

“Then why didn’t you?

— What do you mean?

“You said you’d dominate, but you didn’t do anything. Aren’t you too passive compared to the other kings?”

As she got used to the Tomb, she even dared to joke like this.

Regina laughed for a moment at her astonishment. On the one hand, she understood why Rena was asking this.

None of the dead who wandered on the land (as in, the real world above), belonged to Regina.

The presence of ‘The Unforgiven King’ was very faint compared to the most fearsome remark in the biography.

Rena wondered and asked, and Regina tapped her own cheek, which was only half, and said.

— There are three answers, but I will only tell you two.

“That’s  mean.”

— First of all, I am not passive at all. On average and compared to other kings. I’m rather aggressive.

Rena thought the word didn’t resemble Regina much.

It was obvious what Rena was thinking, but Regina added regardless.

— And secondly. Everything you’re reading right now is a lie.

“Huh?”

— That biography is fabricated.

Rena’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

“Fabricated? The whole book?”

— It was based on facts, but the truth was hidden. It was cleverly twisted. Besides, I don’t think she wrote it herself.

“H-how do you know that?”

— She’s not the type to write things like that. I’m sure someone wrote it in her stead.

Regina said with a sneer. Thanks to this, Rena was dazed and her body stiffened.

— Rena?

As Rena suddenly froze, Regina looked at her complexion. For some reason, Rena looked really shocked.

— What’s the matter?

“… This is a lie.”

When Regina asked again, Rena barely regained her senses and muttered.

“I didn’t even know…”

Rena touched the book with a look of disappointment and eventually closed the book. She then buried her head in her arms as if she was upset.

— Is it that shocking?

“I don’t know…”

— Are you close with the emperor?

“… I only thought she was incredible.”

Nihil who fought the dead with a sword, a great girl who conquered the Tomb and became emperor.

Rena, who fell into the Tomb, felt a strange sense of sympathy for Nihil, and admired her brilliant victory.

But it was all a lie.

Rena felt like she had lost the comfort she had gained for a moment.

“I feel disappointed.”

Rena mumbled softly, swallowing her disappointment.

Come to think of it, this despondency was not the first time.

When she was still a child with a family, she read romance novels and dreamed of a fateful encounter with a glamorous socialite.

But the dream was far away with her changing life, so Rena read another book.

It was a warm essay in which a teacher calmly unraveled his poor childhood. Reading it, Rena also briefly imagined being the teacher for a while.

However, even that became a far-fetched story as she was threatened by an unidentified assailant.

Rena was so concerned to the point where she felt suffocated, but she found a new story to not be discouraged. That was the biography of Emperor Nihil.

But when she heard that it was all a lie, she felt like the strength she had barely raked in was draining away.

— I shouldn’t have said that.

Regina patted Rena’s head in disappointment. Rena, who had been quietly comforted by her, raised her head slightly and said.

“Then you are not a bad person, are you?”

— What do you mean?

“It is said that the kings of the dead were great villains during their lifetime. If that’s fake, you’re not a bad person, are you?”

Rena asked cautiously. It was a tug of hope.

— No, I am a villain.

She knew what Rena expected, but Regina answered firmly. And she added.

― But one did not become the king of the dead because they were a wicked man. Rather the opposite.

As Regina said so, she wrapped Rena’s hair around her fingers.

Rena muttered at the touch that was unknown whether it was sweet or indifferent.

“So why did you become a king of the dead?”

— Because I carried karma on my back.

“Karma…?”

— The sins accumulated by humans create a threshold here, and the person best suited as the gatekeeper becomes the king. I haven’t done anything wrong in my life. However, the sins and karma accumulated here have chosen me, and I have followed them.

Rena blinked blankly at Regina’s explanation.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

— You will understand.

Regina smiled softly at Rena’s protest. She then whispered to the child who looked like her.

— Because you are also the chosen one for sins and karma.

***

“I can’t be too rude, so, welcome, in any case, The King Deprived of Blessings.”

Hiems Gracia said so and greeted the uninvited Rena Ruber.

Rena looked at the gentle gesture calmly, while Rubid stared in astonishment.

“The King Deprived of Blessings?”

Rubid’s eyes widened and he looked alternately at Rena Ruber and Hiems Gracia.

However, Rena and Hiems ignored Rubid and talked to each other.

“I am not a king.”

“Then what should a noble like you be called?”

“I’m just a person. One of the many.”

“You are too humble.”

Hiems smiled softly. With that smile, he looked more like Clavis.

Rena brought up the main topic with a firm expression.

“I’m here to get your heart.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to resist?”

“How can I disobey you with a body that is already half-asleep? As long as you make it to the inside of the castle, I have no chance of winning.”

Hiems’ attitude toward Rena was very polite. Considering that he was a king, he even looked servile.

Hiems Gracia asked in a relaxed manner, as if he had already accepted the defeat.

“Did you take that weeping king’s heart like this?”

“King Celeste handed me his heart by himself.”

“It must have been so. He couldn’t help it. You are an abandoned child, and he is a parent who abandoned, so he wouldn’t have been able to face you.”

It was then.

“What are you talking about? If you want to talk, talk about something that I understand!”

Rubid, ignored by the two kings, suddenly revealed his presence.

When there is a serious conversation going on, usually, the third person will shut their mouth on their own, but the little prince was just upset that he was left out and began to question Rena.

“So, what’s with you? What do you know? Do you know each other?”

“Wait, I’m going to talk about an important matter…”

“An important matter? Then what am I? A not so important matter?”

“Mr. Rubid.”

“Are you dead?”

“… Pardon?”

Rena was at a loss for words after hearing the absurd question. However, Rubid was absolutely serious.

“It’s not like that…”

“Then why are you called the dead?”

The King Deprived of Blessings. To Rubid, this expression could only be heard in the name of the dead.

Rubid, who became suspicious, did not hold back, and Hiems Gracia suddenly asked.

“What is that novel animal?”

“Your descendant.”

Hiems burst into laughter at Rena’s short answer.

“A hundred years ago, my daughter broke my half, and now my son came to pick up the other half.”

Hiems complained so much and reached out to Rubid.

“Since it’s like this, I want to see your face up close. Come up, Gracia, you deserve to be up here.”

The moment he beckoned as he said that, Rubid realized.

Where this strangely familiar place was.

This was none other than the Doom Palace. It was the audience room that shone brilliantly as a royal palace before it was called the Doom Palace, before it was ruined.

Rubid, who found out where this place was, changed his mind a little.

It was not until then he realized that Hiems Gracia was his ancestor, and he hesitated involuntarily at the command to come up.

“Don’t go.”

But before he could move, Rena stopped him.

“It could be a trap.”

“I have no intention of making any further fuss here.”

When Rena was alert, Hiems muttered sadly.

But Rena didn’t believe it. The King with Many Hearts had warned her. That the fanatic and war maniac were aiming for her. So this wouldn’t be all.

Rena stood in front of Rubid, keeping in mind that Hiems Gracia was not an easy opponent.

“Stop there and let me take it.”

“Please, take it.”

At Rena’s request, Hiems took off his cloak and lowered himself like a surrendered king.

Rena walked the red carpet of the hall and approached the king, leaving Rubid behind.

Even until Rena stepped on the stairs and stood in front of the throne, Hiems was bowing as if he were dead.

Rena approached him slowly and reached out her hand.

At that moment, flames sprouted from Hiems Gracia’s back like wings and wrapped around Rena.

‘I knew it!’

Rena was quickly bitten by the terrible heat.

The flames soaring along with the smoke quickly surrounded Rena, however Rena, who was trapped inside, rushed faster than that.

Hiems Gracia, who was burning red in the scorching flame, also rushed to Rena.

Kaang! Rena’s dagger and Hiems’ hand were engaged. His hands were blazing like lava and heated Rena’s sword red.

Rena threw away the dagger and took out her whip. And in the swirling flames, she collided close with the king.

“Newborn king! I curse you!”

Hiems exclaimed as he endured Rena’s onslaught.

“How rude! Presumptuous! Arrogant! I curse you for meddling and acting like a king! I will definitely…!”

Hiems’ cry was cut off. Because the whip, which endured the heat, crawled through his burning flesh and found his heart.

As the heart was exposed, his body stiffened and the heat dissipated.

When Hiems stopped, Rena took a breath and tightened the whip that wrapped his body closer. Then she murmured.

“You don’t even believe in God. What curse are you speaking of?”

At Rena’s ridicule, Hiems laughed weakly. He was shattering like charcoal. But his face was still beautiful and kind.

“After all, halves cannot beat one.”

“You know, so why did you have to?”

“When two halves unite, they are also one.”

Hiems smiled softly, still tied with the whip. Then, he squeezed his last power and exploded.

“Ugh!”

Rena quickly covered her mouth. But it was too late. Without realizing it, Rena swallowed a puff of the ashes.