A night of ambition.
Reinhardt stepped into the conference room, quietly surveying his surroundings.
A meeting room filled with the most influential members of the imperial family.
This was the first imperial family meeting since Vanessa took power.
Soon, the doors opened, and Empress Vanessa entered.
The imperial family members all stood up respectfully to greet her.
Although Reinhardt was the youngest one present, aside from him, there wasn’t a single person who failed to respect Vanessa.
“What is the reason for summoning all members of the imperial family today, Your Majesty?”
“I wished to hear your opinions regarding my marriage.”
“Huh…?”
“To be more specific, my marriage to Count Aslan Vermont. Speak freely with your opinions.”
“…!?”
The light in Reinhardt’s eyes faded.
The conference room instantly descended into chaos.
Vanessa, who had always seemed as if she would never engage in romance and was practically married to the empire, was suddenly talking about marriage?
Had there been any signs of this?
Not at all—this was the first time anyone had even heard of such a thing.
The only one who remained unfazed amid the turmoil was the Northern Archduke.
“I object! I absolutely object, Sister!”
At that moment, Reinhardt slammed the table.
“I’m already against the idea of you getting married at all, but Aslan Vermont is even worse!”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“First of all, he’s ugly! He looks rough, his eyes are sharp, and just from his face alone, he gives off a bad feeling!”
“Why? Isn’t he cute? At first glance, he may seem fierce, but if you take a closer look, he’s rather pleasant to look at.”
“…!?”
Reinhardt’s face twisted in shock.
Pleasant to look at?
Had his sister finally lost her mind?
“And he has a terrible history with women. He already has two children he’s raising with marriage in mind, another fiancée, and on top of that, there are suspicions about his relationship with his knight escort, not to mention his own sister!”
“Ah. The last part is a misunderstanding. I’ve observed Aslan Vermont for a long time and realized that his soul is somewhat different from the souls of the people in this world. Surely, he must be a soul from another world. So, while he and Irene Vermont share blood, they aren’t truly siblings.”
“Why are you so desperate to explain this, Sister…?”
“…”
Vanessa turned her head away in silence.
Her protecting that bastard like this…
Wasn’t this basically the same as saying she’d already made up her mind?
Reinhardt was so shocked that he felt as if he might faint on the spot.
“Uncle! Please, say something! How does it make any sense for my sister to marry such a strange bastard?!”
“Aslan Vermont isn’t a bad choice. No, in fact, I think he’s the only suitable candidate.”
“Uncle…!”
The Northern Archduke’s unexpected agreement left Reinhardt nearly in tears.
“Aslan Vermont is absolutely unacceptable!”
“But he’s the only Count not involved with any noble factions, which makes him quite an appealing choice…”
“Thud! Slam! Bang Bang Bang!”
Heated debates broke out, and the conference room became chaotic in an instant.
The room split evenly into supporters and opposers, each raising their voices in argument.
Vanessa, seeming unimpressed, waved her hand dismissively.
Instantly, the room fell silent again.
“I have heard all of your opinions. After considering them positively, I have decided to move forward with my marriage to Count Vermont. Let that be known.”
“Sister!?”
“Your Majesty…!”
Regardless of the fierce backlash, Vanessa didn’t pay it any mind.
She rose from her seat and gracefully exited the conference room.
Of course, this meeting had only been a formality—she had already made her decision long ago.
Reinhardt, unaware of this, could only stare at Vanessa’s retreating figure, crying out in despair.
‘Now, all that needed to be done is finished.’
This wasn’t just any marriage—it was the Empress’s marriage.
It wasn’t something she could decide on her own.
That’s why she had gone through the democratic procedure of holding a meeting.
There was no longer a need to be mindful of others.
‘Tomorrow. The final decision will be made.’
Tomorrow was the coronation ceremony.
In other words…
It was her 19th birthday.
.
.
.
“What is it? Do you feel uncomfortable being alone with me?”
“N-No, that couldn’t possibly be the case, Your Majesty…”
His pupils trembled, and cold sweat dripped down his face.
Just moments ago, Charlotte, Julia, and Sylvia had all been by his side.
But now, without a trace, they had vanished, leaving him alone with Empress Sister.
Ever since he realized this fact, he had been in a state of extreme anxiety.
It felt as if he had confidently set out on a walk, only to turn around and discover that the owner holding his leash had disappeared.
No—more importantly, this was Empress Sister’s bedroom…?!
How did he end up here?
He couldn’t remember at all.
‘Oh, right. I got tempted when she said she’d show me her childhood album…’
Only then did he recall how he had ended up here.
The mere mention of seeing Empress Sister’s childhood photos had made him lose all reason.
By the time he came to his senses, he was already trapped in her bedroom.
Oh no! I’ve fallen into her trap!
To think I was ensnared by her cunning scheme.
A shiver ran down his spine, and his perineum tingled.
‘What’s going to happen to me now?’
Would she drug him with an aphrodisiac and then pounce on him?
Would she overpower him with sheer strength and force herself on him?
Would she cover his mouth before he could even call for Sylvia and then…?!
As Aslan trembled with anxiety, Empress Vanessa moved even closer to him.
“Here. Look at this. It’s my album.”
“Ah…”
What she presented before him was an album—an album filled with portraits of her, drawn so realistically that they were indistinguishable from photographs.
Indeed, it was her.
The very child he had seen when he traveled back in time.
“So, that child back then was truly you, Your Majesty…”
“Did you think I was lying?”
“Not exactly… but I did have some doubts.”
“Hmm. In that case, I suppose I should put your doubts to rest once and for all.”
“…?”
Rustle.
At that moment, there was the sound of clothes shifting beside him.
And suddenly, the shadow before him shrank.
“Gasp…!”
Startled, Aslan turned to the side—only to be met with the sight of Empress Vanessa as she had been eight years ago, small and delicate.
Instinctively, he reached out to hold her clothes, fearing they would slip off.
Fortunately, while her height had grown considerably since then, her body structure had not changed too much, and the clothes held on just enough to remain decent.
For a moment, she averted her gaze in embarrassment.
Then, quickly, she reactivated her aura, restoring herself to her present form.
“I didn’t get a good look. Could you release your aura once more…?”
“Don’t lie to me. You were staring in a daze the entire time. I am never showing you that again!”
“Why are you so embarrassed?”
“Because it was a disgraceful time in my life. I was a foolish, arrogant brat who thought all humans were insignificant and shallow…”
“Even back then, Your Majesty was still adorable. There’s nothing disgraceful about it.”
“Utter nonsense…”
“It’s true.”
Her face flushed an even deeper red.
She even began fanning herself with her hand.
Had she never deactivated her aura in front of anyone before?
At the very least, Aslan wished she would show it to him more often.
‘If I could gather Charlotte, Julia, Yuri, Sylvia without her aura, and the Empress without hers…?’
Oh, dear.
Just imagining it sent an overwhelming wave of happiness crashing over him.
That would be five times the cuteness.
If only he could witness all five of them together in a single moment.
But he had to act fast—Charlotte, Julia, and Yuri had yet to fully mature, meaning there was a time limit.
He made a firm decision: he had to coordinate a meeting soon.
“…You look like you’re scheming something.”
“It’s just your imagination. More importantly, there’s something I must say to you.”
“…?”
Turning toward Vanessa, Aslan met her gaze.
He had been meaning to say this for a long time, but he had delayed it until now.
But he couldn’t postpone it any longer.
Gently, he placed a hand on her head.
“I’m sorry for disappearing without a word back then. If I had at least told you that you wouldn’t find me for another eight years, you wouldn’t have wasted your time searching for me in vain.”
“…”
“Still, thank you for not forgetting me, Your Majesty. I am truly proud to see you grow into a magnificent ruler and an even more beautiful woman.”
“…”
As he stroked her hair, Vanessa lowered her head.
But when he tried to pull his hand away, she pressed his palm against her head, preventing him from withdrawing.
Back when he had returned to the past, he had only helped Vanessa and Irene Vermont on a whim because they had seemed to be in danger.
He hadn’t realized how deeply that memory had stayed with her all these years.
How painful must it have been to wait for someone who might not even exist anymore?
“…You’re wrong.”
Slowly, she lifted her head and met his eyes.
“The eight years I spent searching for you were not in vain. Because I held onto the hope of finding you again, I was able to become a wise ruler. Because I believed you were watching me from somewhere, I had to become an Empress worthy of your gaze.”
“That is truly admirable. You’ve done well, Your Majesty.”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ urges you to hug our Empress immediately.]
Aslan barely had time to process the divine message before Vanessa lunged into his arms.
The cold-blooded, iron-willed Empress did not shed tears.
Out of courtesy, he simply closed his eyes and listened to her quiet sobs, without looking.
‘Wait… what is that?’
Just then, his gaze landed on the bedside table.
And the moment he noticed what was placed on it, his pupils began to shake violently.
.
.
.
“Whew… I feel relieved.”
After Aslan left the bedroom, Vanessa took one last glance at her reflection, adjusting her makeup with a soft chuckle.
It was a strange feeling.
She had thought she had already fully matured—physically, mentally, in terms of strength.
And yet, only after hearing Aslan’s words did she feel like she had truly become an adult.
It was as if some invisible weight, some worry she hadn’t even been aware of, had finally lifted.
The vague unease had vanished, leaving behind a sense of clarity.
Feeling lighter, she was about to leave her bedroom to prepare for the coronation.
Until—
“Ah.”
Her eyes landed on something by the bedside.
A vial of aphrodisiac.
Vanessa froze in place.
…She had completely forgotten why she had lured Aslan into her bedroom in the first place.
