[Why him…?]
Eula looked at Leon with a complicated expression.
She never imagined that the one who would respond to her cry for help would be Prince Leon. No—more than that, she had never believed that anyone would come to save her, a descendant of the Lawrence family.
This very prince—the man who had personally destroyed House Lawrence and ordered the execution of all its members—was the one Eula Lawrence hated the most, the one she longed to take revenge on.
[He even healed my wounds…]
Her body no longer ached, yet Leon's magic still lingered inside her—a gentle, soothing power that had even mended her oldest scars.
Her heart grew heavier with every passing second.
"Attempted rape is a crime punishable by death."
Unbothered by the turmoil in the girl behind him, Leon's cold gaze fixed upon the drunken man who had tried to assault her. His eyes were filled with pure disgust—like one staring at a pile of garbage.
"Your Highness, please listen to me! I haven't done anything wrong! Don't be deceived by this woman's appearance. Her name is Eula Lawrence—she's a descendant of that Lawrence family!"
The man stammered desperately, emphasizing "Lawrence" as if the name alone was enough to condemn her.
"So what?"
Leon's voice was indifferent, cutting through the air like a blade.
"I was only punishing a criminal! It wasn't rape or anything like that—you must understand, Your Highness! Yes, that's right! She's the one at fault! She was tempting me! Please, Your Highness, deal with this filthy remnant of the Lawrence family!"
The drunkard's words grew more erratic by the moment.
Eula clenched her teeth and lowered her head. Her hands trembled as she gripped the hilt of her sword—but in the end, she said nothing.
Leon's eyes softened with something between pity and disdain. He shook his head slowly.
"What foolishness…"
"Huh?"
CRACK!
A thunderous slap echoed through the alley. The drunkard spun several times before crashing to the ground, blood and teeth scattering across the dirt.
Eula and the man both froze in shock.
"The Lawrence family this, the Lawrence family that—you people really can't let go of that name, can you? Yes, they committed terrible crimes. But that has nothing to do with Eula Lawrence."
Half his face swollen, the drunkard gawked at Leon in horror, trembling where he knelt.
"No one chooses where they're born. But everyone chooses what kind of person they become."
"Even if she was born into the worst of families, she has remained kind."
"I investigated thoroughly—Eula Lawrence has never committed a single crime. A filthy creature like you has no right to slander her."
Eula's eyes widened. She stared at Leon's back in disbelief. It was the first time in her life that someone had spoken up for her.
For someone used to hearing only hatred and scorn, those words struck deep—so deep they almost hurt.
"You spoke for me… I'll hold this grudge dearly," she whispered, her voice trembling with conflicted emotion.
But to the drunkard, those words sounded like a confession of guilt.
He quickly seized on them, raising a shaking finger toward Eula.
"Your Highness! Did you hear that? This woman dares to resent your kindness! She must be plotting to overthrow Mondstadt!"
"You—!"
Eula's voice rose in fury, but she stopped herself.
She had never harbored such intentions. Her so-called revenge was nothing more than a shield—a mask she wore to protect herself from the prejudice surrounding her bloodline.
People hated her simply because she was a Lawrence.
So she embraced the image of vengeance they cast upon her, if only to silence their venomous words.
In truth, she had never taken revenge on anyone.
Yet now, her heart tightened with unease as she looked at Leon. Surely, she thought, this time he would turn against her too.
"Revenge? And what's wrong with revenge?"
"Eh?"
Both Eula and the drunkard froze in disbelief.
"There's nothing more natural or just than her desire for vengeance. I destroyed House Lawrence with my own hands. I am her enemy. Isn't it only natural for her to want revenge on me—and on Mondstadt?"
Leon's voice was calm, detached—as if stating a simple truth.
"But Your Highness, she threatened you! Shouldn't you arrest her?" the man sputtered.
"And why should I?"
Leon turned sharply, his eyes narrowing.
"She may have spoken of vengeance, but she hasn't done a single thing that violates the law. On the contrary, she's done much good. Why would I imprison her…?"
He looked at Eula again—his gaze now softened, almost admiring.
Then, gently, he reached out and wiped away the tears gathering in her eyes.
"When the monster tide struck today, this woman led a group of beasts away from the city—risking her life to protect others."
"Impossible!" the drunkard shouted.
"Are you questioning me?"
"I—I wouldn't dare!"
"Hmph. Eula Lawrence is no criminal. She's a heroine who defended Mondstadt—a true heroine."
Indeed, she had done more than most.
Leon did not include himself among the heroes—for he had been the one who unleashed the monster tide in the first place. Resolving it was merely atonement.
But Eula… she had used her own body as bait, cutting down thirty monsters single-handedly.
Though that number meant little against the entire horde, her courage was unmatched.
While the Knights of Favonius stayed safe behind the city walls, watching from above, Eula had faced the beasts alone in the open fields. Her valor was worthy of legend.
And yet—
When she returned, wounded and bleeding, and sought medicine, every merchant in Mondstadt turned her away for bearing the name Lawrence.
In the end, her injuries worsened until she collapsed in a filthy alley, where that drunken wretch found her.
Had Leon not arrived when he did…
The heroine who had saved Mondstadt would have met a fate far too cruel—
in the very city she had protected.
"Now then," Leon said coldly, his voice carrying like a judge's gavel,
"let's list your crimes. Attempted rape. Defamation. And the slander of a heroine's honor. Each of these is punishable by death. I hereby condemn you."
(End of Chapter)