Clop—
A man dressed in priestly robes took a step forward.
The white robes were stained, sullied with blood, and bore no trace of their former purity.
Yet, he kept walking.
“…You said you’d come here on the day you died.”
Bereft of any will or hope for life, the man was like one already dead.
Still, he moved forward for one reason alone.
“In the end, your wish remained unfulfilled. Because you had a pathetic father like me.”
Sena’s reason for wanting to come here so desperately—
Cruyff had to know.
Atonement? Such a thing was neither possible nor deserved.
But at the very least, he had to know what his son, whom he truly considered his own, had wished for.
“Only now, after coming here, do I realize what it was you wanted.”
Before the monastery, on the dry earth, a single tree stood.
—’Then let’s make a bet.’
—’…A bet?’
As he walked, the man replayed a voice he would never hear again.
—’If you win, I’ll give you the Christmas present I couldn’t give you today.’
—’What’s this all of a sudden? I don’t need anything like that.’
—’You were so excited about it earlier. I saw you almost crying.’
—’Wh-when did I do that?!’
That was ten years ago.
Back when Sena was still a child.
There had been an abbot at the monastery.
A vile man.
He tormented children and committed unspeakable acts.
Then a fire broke out.
Cruyff had saved them.
But Sena resented him and sulked for a long time.
To console Sena, Cruyff had made a promise here.
—’In ten years, we’ll open this together and see who was right.’
Cruyff knelt before the spot and sank to the ground.
Devoid of hope, he summoned his last ounce of strength to dig into the earth.
The frozen winter soil was far too hard to dig with bare hands.
He didn’t care. Though his skin tore and bled, he didn’t stop.
Like a madman, he dug until his hands brushed against something solid.
It was the box.
The box they were meant to open together ten years later.
“…”
With trembling hands, Cruyff opened the box.
Inside were two letters.
He started with the one he had written.
—What kind of adult will you have become? I don’t know for sure, but I’m certain you’ve grown into a fine person, Sena. Just as you’ve become a wonderful adult, the abbot will surely have repented. Back then, you insisted he would always remain an evil man, no matter how much time passed. But look. See how he was moved by acts of kindness and became a better person. Forgiveness and kindness always find their way back…
“You… fool!”
Cruyff tore the letter to pieces, unable to contain his emotions.
“How dare you speak such arrogant words! When you couldn’t even keep your promises, couldn’t save him no matter what you sacrificed! You—!”
His cry, half a wail, half a scream, erupted.
The abbot had not changed, as Sena had predicted.
About five years ago, he was burned at the stake on charges of child m*lestation.
Sena had never been wrong.
Back then, and even now—
Cruyff had been a fool, and Sena had been right.
“I should have seen it. Somehow, I should have come here with Sena. I should have realized my foolishness. I should have… I should have…”
He felt bitter regret.
That Sena had left without ever knowing how foolish he had been.
That he hadn’t known what kind of pathetic man his father was.
“…No. Maybe he wouldn’t have been any more disappointed.”
Cruyff’s trembling hand reached for the other letter.
Sena’s letter.
He was terrified to read it.
But, he had to read it.
No, he wanted to read it.
Cruyff opened the letter.
Scrawled in crooked handwriting, it read:
—See? I won, didn’t I? I know you regret it now. But since I’m nice, I’ll forgive you.
“…Yes.”
Clutching the letter to his chest, Cruyff sobbed.
“You’ve won.”
**
The rebellion was successfully quelled.
The rebel forces, led by Duke Granz, met their downfall when the duke suddenly died of a heart attack.
It happened precisely as Astria boldly stood before the rebel army.
This event sparked countless stories.
Some said Astria was a messenger of God, and Duke Granz was so overwhelmed by divine fear that he perished on the spot.
Regardless of the interpretation, it was a fortunate outcome for both Astria and the Laperci Empire.
And so—ten years passed.
“‘The Golden Age’, they call it.”
The Laperci Empire, once ravaged by wars and internal strife, had stabilized.
Thanks to the late Emperor and Empress Astria.
Everyone spoke of it as an unprecedented golden age.
But Astria herself was far from content.
“If you’re a knight of the Teutonic Order, then train with your sword instead of testing my patience here.”
“I just thought I’d keep you company since I’ve got nothing better to do.”
“Leave.”
“Such harsh words from the Empress.”
Astria’s lips twitched as she hissed through gritted teeth.
“I should have let you die back then.”
“If you had, Senior Sena would have rung the bell of the apocalypse from heaven to come find me.”
The woman who clicked her tongue and spun around to leave was Sylvia.
Half-dead at the time, Sylvia had been saved by Astria.
Not long after, news of Sylvia’s pregnancy had reached her ears.
‘And of course, the child is adorable.’
It was obvious whose child it was, and Astria hadn’t been able to cast Sylvia out.
“…The bell of the apocalypse.”
Leaning her chin on her hand, Astria murmured idly from the imperial throne.
“If I tried to end the world, would you come back for that bell, too?”
A faint smirk tugged at her lips as she entertained the idle thought.
Astria rose from her throne and walked purposefully toward somewhere she cherished.
Lately, thoughts of Sena had visited her more often.
Was it because the memories were too vivid to forget?
Or was it his audacity in running away like that, even at the very end?
Because of him, she’d prepared extensively to ensure she wouldn’t lose him again.
Relics capable of binding angels had been gathered from all over the empire.
At first, people had whispered that the Empress was delving into madness, consumed by ghosts of the past.
But now, even those whispers had faded.
Astria had achieved so much, and the empire thrived in such peace that collecting tools to capture angels was merely considered an eccentric hobby.
“That, too, is amusing,”
Astria arrived at her favorite place—her garden.
A place she had always loved and would continue to cherish.
…The place where she had made the most memories with Sena.
She used to pray among the flowers.
Ten years ago, she had wished for her legs to heal.
Now—her wish was different.
Since her first wish had come true, why couldn’t the next one as well?
“Hmm?”
Astria frowned as she noticed movement in the distance.
Who dared to intrude upon the Empress’s private garden?
Not even Sylvia would be forgiven for this.
And soon she realized. The one who invaded this garden was none other than—
Snicker.
Astria let a smile play on her lips as she slowly began to walk.
Brushing her fingers through the flowers, she stopped at a certain spot.
A white ball of fur, poorly hidden among the blossoms, revealed its presence.
“What are you doing there, insignificant furball?”
“Eek!”
Astria plucked a white feather drifting in the air.
From between the flowers, the puffball lifted its head hesitantly.
The figure awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“Ahaha, I was trying to surprise you, but I guess I failed. …You could have pretended to be surprised, you know.”
It was Sena.
The same as ever—except for one difference.
A golden halo floated above his head.
“I never thought it would actually happen. I imagined it, but I didn’t expect you to come back as a real angel.”
Sena sheepishly touched the halo, clearly embarrassed.
“Ah, I’m still just a baby seraphim. I only came down during a break in my training, so I can’t stay long.”
He looked uneasy, glancing around before whispering to Astria.
“I came without telling the Goddess. It’s a secret.”
Astria laughed in disbelief.
“So that’s why your body disappeared completely without a trace.”
“B-but you’re not as surprised as I thought you’d be. A seraphim has feelings, you know.”
Sena said, crossing his arms and giving her a slightly pouty look.
Astria shook her head.
“I’m surprised. More than you think.”
Sena broke into a radiant smile, and Astria couldn’t help but smile back.
She approached him and wrapped an arm around his neck to ensure he couldn’t escape.
“Sena.”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember the promise?”
“What promise?”
Astria looked at him seductively, her gaze sharp yet teasing.
As she thought of the past ten years, she couldn’t help recalling how envious she had been of Sylvia, even though she hadn’t shown it.
“You said you’d do it in a year.”
“W-wait, what are you talking about?”
“It’s already been ten years.”
“Uh, well, I don’t quite remember…”
Astria leaned in close and whispered into his ear.
“Making a baby.”
“…!”
“You’re not escaping this time. I won’t let you go.”
Without warning, Astria claimed his lips.
Sena initially resisted but eventually gave in, relaxing in her grasp.
Sensing his surrender, Astria smirked and deepened the kiss.
It was a passionate, intense kiss, one that spoke of years of restrained longing.
“G-geez… you really… held back a lot, huh? I can barely breathe.”
“Do angels even need to breathe? Shall we test that theory?”
“W-wait a second!”
Sena pleaded, looking utterly flustered.
He had only meant to visit briefly.
—Don’t worry, my child. I won’t interfere this time. Take your time and enjoy yourself.
‘Wait, what? Goddess? Hello?!’
But no answer came, no matter how much he called.
“What’s wrong?”
Astria asked, her hands gently holding his.
“…”
‘Does she not age? Maybe she’s not even human. Could she be a dragon or something?’
Sena paused for a moment, gazing at her with a curious look, before breaking into a bright smile.
“No, it’s nothing.”
With a light heart, Sena followed her.
There was so much he wanted to talk about.
Stories so numerous and long that even staying up all night wouldn’t be enough to share them all—
