There was no decent guard around the Second Prince’s Palace.
While everyone in the imperial palace knew that his life was running out, it was still a royal palace.
“Did they purposely leave it empty?”
The wide-open main gate of the palace seemed to indicate that there was no intention to stop those who would come, making anyone who wished to enter feel uneasy.
Of course, knowing that the open door was meant to welcome him, Ern did not hesitate to step inside.
The palace interior was entirely empty except for a few familiar attendants and the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army, Schneider, who were lined up.
“…Did you know I would come?”
“Does it matter?”
I could not respond to Schneider’s counter-question.
What matters anyway?
We were in the same position.
Following Schneider’s guidance, I ascended the stairs and walked down the corridor.
Only a small candle lit the way, and at one of the windows, a man with blonde hair was seen greeting the cool night air.
Upon entering through the door,
“Have you come?”
Elius Grandeum spoke in a low voice that sounded as if he might die at any moment.
*****
There was something I wanted to ask.
Why did you provide support to Evergreen?
What benefits did you seek by trying to bring down the Empire?
Though I could not understand his intentions.
should I say I understand now?
I don’t know what circumstances he faced.
But why he had to make such a choice.
I suddenly thought that the intention he decided upon was not much different from mine.
“Did you know I would come?”
“I thought it was about time you would arrive. I just happened to get prepared beforehand.”
“You haven’t forgotten about Evergreen, have you?”
“Of course, to be precise, I forgot and then remembered again. It’s easy to devise a means to store memories using magic.”
“You’re still alive so far.”
“It’s like a fleeting light. I probably have only a few days left to live.”
To prove that his words were not false, his skin had turned white, almost blue.
With each breath, a little steam escaped into the frigid winter air, and his platinum hair, which was once close to blonde, gradually lost its color, turning closer to white.
“I will die soon. That’s why I came to tell you one last thing. Aren’t you curious why I provided full support to Evergreen?”
“I have a rough idea.”
It must be for love.
That damn love.
The most incomprehensible emotion but also the most understandable motivation.
“Still, I’m curious. What exactly happened, and what process led you to fall for the leader of Evergreen?”
“It’s not such a complicated reason. My fiancée died, and he promised me support to save her.”
“…The wish of the leader of Evergreen is to return the world to the Mythical Era. And a wish can only be granted once in a century.”
There was no way to save Fiona, Elius’s lover, from the beginning.
If Elius had betrayed the leader of Evergreen, that would be one thing, but in the end, he didn’t do anything except rely on Evergreen’s support.
“Why did you not take any action? With your power, Your Highness, you could have gathered the four essences easily.”
If he had not actively handed over authority to Epherna.
If he had actively sought to gather the four essences.
Epherna would never have dreamed of the throne.
It would have been the best scenario for him to enter into a contracted marriage under his tremendous power.
However, the Second Prince did not do that.
He handed over his power to Epherna and ordered her to become the next Empress, while he spent his remaining days in solitude, confined to the palace.
Why he made such a futile choice when he could have truly saved his fiancée was beyond my understanding.
Why this love-crazed man made such a choice was something I could not comprehend.
“Well, human hearts do not always flow according to what they intend.”
“What were you so concerned about?”
Why did he hesitate?
Why is he hesitating now?
*****
9 years ago.
Second Prince’s Palace
“Your Highness! Come here for a moment!”
Elius, who had been deeply focused on his work, threw down his pen.
Forgetting all decorum, he rushed toward the direction of the voice.
“Which one is prettier, this one or this one?”
Standing in front of a mirror, Fiona held up a red dress and a white dress.
Elius, who had thought it was something serious, let out a sigh of relief internally.
“…Both are pretty.”
“That answer isn’t helpful at all!”
It had been nearly half a year since the two had become lovers.
Elius wanted to get engaged to Fiona before it was too late.
Naturally, there were complaints and pressures from all around, given that Fiona was of common birth. However, he used the ongoing war to pressure the nobles instead, sometimes even mobilizing the underworld to purge the nobles who were usually bothersome and corrupt.
As time passed, only two days remained until the engagement ceremony.
Since their engagement was soon to be established, Fiona was putting in effort every day to enhance her appearance.
With only luck to her name, she was determined not to fall short in her outward appearance.
Elius let out a hollow laugh as he watched her try on the dresses one by one.
“Hmm….”
They all looked beautiful.
Fiona tried on more than ten dresses in front of him, but in Elius’s eyes, each dress had its own charm.
For example, the navy dress, reminiscent of the night sky, seemed to bring a sense of calmness to her lively spirit.
The red dress matched her hair color, and the white dress felt like a promise of their upcoming wedding. Everything suited her and looked good.
Was this what it meant to be lovestruck?
As he pondered this and didn’t say anything.
“…Your Highness, are you not interested in me?”
“……??”
Fiona glared at Elius with a face full of dissatisfaction.
“T-That’s not it….”
He had just been squinting his eyes with an expression of annoyance until a moment ago, so it was understandable.
But despite only appearing to be uninterested, Elius was genuinely focused on choosing her clothes and felt wronged.
Feeling hurt, Fiona turned away in silence, and Elius hurriedly got up from his chair to comfort her.
*****
Engagement Day
After many trials and tribulations, the day finally arrived.
“Phew…! Phew…!”
Fiona took deep breaths to calm her nerves.
There was still time before the engagement ceremony began.
Elius gently patted her shoulder.
“There’s no need to be nervous. You’re the main character today.”
“…??”
Fiona turned to Elius in surprise.
It was only natural.
“Your Highness… your tone…?”
Elius had always maintained a formal tone.
But just now, his voice had been friendly and soft.
“There’s no need to be formal even with my fiancée.”
In that moment, Fiona felt her heart race like never before.
It was just a change in tone, but everything felt different.
The face she had been looking at just moments ago now seemed too noble to meet her gaze.
*****
With her face flushed, Fiona felt the need to go outside to cool her reddened skin.
Perhaps due to the transition from summer to autumn, the sky was filled with an orange hue as the sun had yet to set.
In this place, where the redness on her face couldn’t be seen, Fiona fanned herself with her hand to cool down.
“…Is it that awkward?”
“Yes, extremely.”
And it was stimulating.
Fiona started to say something but stopped herself.
“Your Highness has always felt like he was being formal even when speaking casually.”
It felt as if a wall had been erected in their relationship.
Right now, it felt as if that wall had crumbled and she was speaking with her face right in front of him.
“You’ll get used to it. If the woman who will become the Empress trembles at her husband’s words, what will people say?”
“…Huh? The Empress?”
“Yeah. The Empress.”
Fiona blinked in surprise.
“Wait, wait, wait. Why are we talking about the Empress?”
“Well, because I will become the Emperor?”
“But you’re the Second Prince! How can you say that when the First Prince is still alive? Are you talking about rebellion? Have you developed a desire for the Emperor’s seat?”
“Of course not. As you know, my brother is not in his right mind, so I have no choice but to become the Emperor.”
“Is there really no way to resolve that?”
“I’ve looked into every possible method, but I’ve concluded that it’s impossible.”
Then, there was only one option left.
The First Prince would have to die, and he would ascend to the throne.
Even the First Prince himself had acknowledged and accepted this matter.
“Fiona, what kind of country would you like me to create?”
Elius’s tone became serious, and Fiona noticed it.
“I… I don’t know…”
When it comes to politics and the country, Fiona had no idea.
Having focused solely on surviving for a very long time, she had never thought about such a serious topic.
Therefore.
“I just want it to be a happy country.”
With that simple thought, she spoke with pure honesty, not containing even a hint of deceit.
“I hope as many people as possible can be happy. I hope that’s the kind of country you will create, Your Highness.”
She knew it was impossible.
She understood that it was truly a dreamlike story.
But still.
There was no harm in wishing.
It was something she could hope for.
“…”
Elius looked at Fiona, who was lost in thought, with a loving expression.
A pure person, completely opposite to him.
He gently held her chin, the face of a woman who would boldly dismiss the harsh realities and fall into the mud.
Elius lowered his head slightly and pressed his lips to hers, sharing warmth.
Under the evening sunset.
They basked in the warm sunlight that brushed against them with the wind.
