Execution of the Heart

ㅤ Even with a musket pointed at her lover, Clorinde couldn't believe his crimes, that all this time there had been a completely different man by her side, so skillfully deceiving her. A heartless manipulator, angrily trying to accuse her of lying about her feelings. He would mercilessly crush and destroy her, just to get away with it. He chose a duel only because he knew who would be the champion duelist: with his connections, Meropide didn't seem such an impenetrable fortress to him. The stinging words pierced her heart, but Clorinde seemed oblivious, seeing the beautiful fragments of the past shatter before her. 'These flowers are as beautiful and resilient as you,' she said with a gentle smile and such a believably caring gaze. 'They were brought from Sumeru just for you.' The flower quickly withered, its petals falling to the last. The giver's insincerity had shortened its lifespan. Clorinde hadn't realized it then... 'Try it on; it was custom-made for me by Chiori herself. She refused for a long time, but when she learned it was a gift for you, she dropped everything. Come on, come on! You need to take a break from the stern image of a champion duelist sometimes. You are too beautiful to confine yourself to the cage of one image. I know how vulnerable and kind you are, how much you hold within yourself. Take a rest...' And Clorinde allowed herself to relax. With him alone, she could simply exhale and close her eyes, surrendering to the warmth of his strong embrace. 'You're the only one I can allow to bear my child,' he breathed hotly on her neck, his lips teasing her. 'You're the only one with whom I can allow myself to be myself.' He almost made her believe that she, too, was different. She was his. Completely. Weak and defenseless under his gaze, under the force of his words, shattering the illusion of the past. 'You will become my queen, and together we will rule the world!' She didn't understand the literal meaning of his words. Unscrupulous, obsessed with power, he used everyone, especially her. She had proven surprisingly pliable, all he had to do was make a hole in her heart. Clorinde didn't want to take his life... She didn't want to see him again. It was enough to win, but Albert continued to press, stubbornly, playing on broken strings. With every word, the clouds in the sky thickened. Believing in his invulnerability, the impossibility of falling at the hands of "his" woman, Albert risked attacking Clorinde directly, not even thinking of stepping away from the gunpoint. Click—the trigger snapped, sending a bullet flying after the trigger was pulled instinctively. Along with the lifeless body, the first drops of rain fell to the ground. Iudex watched the duel closely, not daring to interfere. He knew the feelings of his loyal champion duelist, the connection. He suggested Clorinde retreat, give the duel to someone else. But she took responsibility. For the man who had managed to deceive her. For herself, for daring to be deceived. Taking control, Clorinde looked calmly at the dead man and saluted the man who had fallen in the duel. And no one dared accuse her of weakness. No one but the rain knew the taste of her tears. ㅤ