NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 93: Luche Rubia And Serena
Luche Rubia, the rabbit beastman, was acutely aware of her deep admiration for Euphemia Grimwood, the human girl who had abruptly appeared before them.
The reason was simple. Euphemia had faced the terrifying Randall Kruger without flinching, going so far as to make the Lion King acknowledge her existence. And she did this not with a desperate resolve but with a natural ease, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, unafraid and unwavering.
Luche idolized her for that.
Luche had been genuinely terrified of Randall Kruger—so scared, repulsed, and hateful that she wanted him dead. And she had helped kill him because of it.
A tyrant like him needed to disappear. If he did, she could live without fear or hatred.
No more would she be forced into unpleasant tasks, face the Beast King’s terrifying presence, or use violence against innocents just because she was ordered to. Life would be better without him.
Or so she thought.
But then Euphemia Grimwood, the very one Luche idolized, had looked at her with a sneer and said:
"You’re just like Randall."
Those words left Luche bewildered. She couldn’t confidently deny it, couldn’t shake her head and say she was different.
Was she, like the Beast King, arrogant, selfish, and violent, imposing her will on others? Perhaps she was. She had decided to kill Randall for her own sake, dragging many others into it, just like Randall had imposed his desires without regard for others.
With that realization, Luche found herself unable to continue admiring Euphemia Grimwood.
She felt unworthy.
The brightness of Euphemia’s ‘light’ was too intense, making her own flaws 'painfully visible'.
The meeting had dragged on until late at night, finally ending when Euphemia declared she was 'tired'. Everyone then dispersed, though Euphemia remained in the large conference room with Lex, and a few others stayed as well.
Luche, however, did not stay. Nor did she feel like returning to her assigned room in the dormitory. She wandered out of the building, finding herself walking through the night city.
The moon was obnoxiously bright, casting shadows on the well-trodden paths. Her figure, illuminated in the bluish light, felt out of place.
She pondered whether it would have been better to resist and die when Randall attacked her village instead of surrendering. But she didn’t want to die. She surrendered because she didn’t want to die, becoming one of his subordinates. No matter how much she hated and feared it, it was better than death.
“Such a gloomy face you have, rabbit beastman.”
Suddenly, blocking her path was a six-tailed fox spirit, standing clearly in the moonlight.
“...Lady Serena, isn’t it?” Luche addressed her hesitantly.
“No need for formalities. I’m just a defeated fox, though I seem to have backed the right horse this time. Euphemia doesn’t care about winning or losing.”
Just hearing Euphemia’s name made Luche’s chest ache. She had longed for her so much.
“Do you need something?” she asked.
“You were quite taken with Euphemia, weren’t you? Those words must have stung. I suppose this is what they call an old woman’s concern,” Serena said, chuckling self-deprecatingly.
Luche didn’t know what to think, so she simply stood there, staring blankly at the fox spirit.
"You know, don’t take Euphemia’s words to heart,” Serena suddenly said.
Luche felt strangely irritated by that statement.
“Take them to heart? Are you saying Euphemia’s words were nonsense?” she demanded.
“Of course. You’re not like Randall. Will you persecute and disband us like he did? If someone like us appeared again, would you do the same as Randall?”
No. She wouldn’t. It wasn’t a matter of confidence; it was just that such thoughts never even crossed her mind. She had no desire to push others away just because they were inconvenient.
“If that’s the case, then you’re not like Randall,” Serena concluded.
“But we used many people for our own purposes and decided to kill Randall. We used our power because we wanted to. How is that different from Randall?” Luche argued.
Serena sighed, smiling wryly.
“That’s because this world works that way. Everyone uses their power to assert their will. Randall was no exception, and neither are you, nor Euphemia Grimwood.”
“Euphemia uses power?”
Despite her frailty, Euphemia had been so assured, shining brilliantly. That was why Luche admired her.
“She did. She used Katarina and Kirina to hold Lex Asuka hostage. She used me and Junos to corner Kairine. We acted for her. Euphemia knew that and used us without hesitation.”
And Serena continued,
“Your new king said it too, didn’t he? To become different from who we are now. If you despise yourself, it’s simple to change.”
Simple, yet painfully difficult.
To become different from who I was yesterday.
“I’ve changed. Or rather, I was changed by that human girl. Without intending to, I found myself talking to a rabbit beastgirl under this moonlit night. Didn’t you also experience that? Ever admired someone?”
“...I don’t really like you, Serena,” Luche admitted.
Luche muttered in frustration, to which Serena responded with a soft, knowing laugh.
"Isn’t it the truth?" Serena said. "After all, just as you are, you can stand by her side."
Until I truly realize how much I've changed, I can’t get too close—she’s too dazzling.
“Perhaps it was unnecessary meddling on my part. Most of an old woman's concerns tend to be, I suppose. Considering I’m a mother fox, you might pardon my excess care,” Serena said, her smile reminiscent of Euphemia’s own.
With that, Serena turned on her heel, starting to walk away with confident strides. Bathed in moonlight, her silhouette stood out as Luche called out to her.
“Why did you decide to help me?”
Without turning back, Serena answered, “Because I, too, am a beastman. Though I walk a different path than yours... sometimes, I feel the urge to lend a hand.”
Her silhouette gradually receded into the distance. The confident steps hinted she was off to offer guidance to someone else. The six swaying tails grew smaller until they vanished completely.
That night, Luche Rubia changed just a little more.
