Solendril and Temur.
It was such an unlikely combination that I blinked in disbelief.
Epherna rushed into my arms, her face fuming.
While I hugged her and tried to piece things together, I thought.
What exactly happened here?
From what I could gather, Epherna had gotten properly pissed and subdued the two.
The cause was obviously those two.
Epherna isn’t someone who gets angry easily, so they must’ve done something pretty serious.
I couldn’t find the words to ask before Solendril got up and said.
“I behaved disgracefully.”
“…Right, fine. Can you at least tell me what happened?”
“Let’s just say it was a minor misunderstanding.”
“…”
Like hell that’s going to cut it.
“Explain it in detail, please.”
“…”
“As detailed as possible.”
*****
“Well. That was definitely your fault.”
It was no one else’s fault but Solendril’s—anyone would agree.
He started the fight, after all.
“And you weren’t even going to win. Why pick a fight in the first place?”
“I admit I acted on impulse. But do you think centuries of prejudice and emotional baggage are so easily resolved?”
I knew the relationship between shamans and the plainsfolk like Temur was strained.
Both enjoyed similar natural philosophies but pursued them so differently that conflict was inevitable.
It was like dogs and cats disliking each other instinctively.
Even so, Solendril had clearly crossed a line.
He was usually the type to endure things even if they annoyed him.
When I asked him why.
“You’re not innocent either. How could a so-called leader let a single comment get to him?”
“…”
So, they had both just gotten on each other’s nerves.
It was absurd, but that’s what happened.
If Epherna hadn’t shown up while passing by, things could have gotten much worse.
Sure, they would’ve controlled themselves eventually, but two Heroes clashing wasn’t just about casualties—it was far more dangerous than that.
“Even without the Empress’s intervention, we would’ve stopped. He’s the same.”
“That’s true. It got a little rough, but it wasn’t like Her Majesty had to directly intervene.”
That little probably didn’t feel little to the people nearby.
Should I believe him?
“Are you heading back immediately? Even if you used teleportation, coming all this way must mean something. Just get to it quickly.”
These were men who had earned the title of the Seven Heroes.
There had to be reasons for both of them to make it this far without getting caught in a teleport ward.
“We came to confirm if you were real.”
Temur said.
Ah, this again.
“Do I look fake to you?”
“No. You don’t look fake.”
Temur’s Autumn Wind brushed over me.
He was trying to touch my soul.
I didn’t resist him, but—
“…You’re too real. That’s what makes it harder to believe.”
Temur still couldn’t be sure.
I get it—who’d believe someone who was dead had come back?
And the A utumn Wind wasn’t perfect, either.
“It’ll take time for me to be certain.”
“If you have questions, ask them. I’ll answer everything.”
“Then may I stay here for a while?”
“I’ll give you a room. You can stay there.”
“Thank you.”
He wasn’t the type to cause unnecessary trouble, so it should be fine.
Alright.
That dealt with him.
“And you, Elder? Why are you here?”
“Why else? I followed that barbarian. Who knows what he might do at the Imperial Capital. More importantly, lend me a room too. I’ll stay for a few days.”
“Do you have business in the Capital?”
“No? I just thought I’d do some sightseeing while I’m here.”
“Go ahead.”
“…”
Solendril nodded solemnly.
He had piles of work waiting at the Academy, but sightseeing? Really?
*****
After a storm passed, I carried Epherna to the bedroom and laid her down.
She wasn’t physically injured, but she said she felt dizzy.
It couldn’t have been easy to stop a fight between Heroes.
I didn’t know how many times she’d used teleportation, but I guessed at least five.
Epherna held her head, groaning as she said.
“…Why do grown adults act like that? The war ended barely a decade ago, and now they’re starting another one?”
“It might be because we’re at peace.”
“Even if they want to fight, can they not cause collateral damage? What if I hadn’t been nearby?!”
Didn’t the Academy have sufficient protective measures?
I thought that, but…
‘It’s probably pointless anyway.’
When two of the Seven Heroes start throwing punches, protective measures might as well not exist.
If they fought for real, everything would be shredded like paper in under five minutes.
‘Epherna actually managed to stop them, huh.’
I’d always thought her magical talent was unreal, but to think she achieved something comparable to Bergamot Katia by the age of twenty-three…
It was another moment that reminded me just how extraordinary her abilities were.
“I came all the way here since dawn, and thanks to those guys, I couldn’t even sleep in the carriage.”
“You should rest.”
“Yeah, I was just about to take a nap.”
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, Epherna’s clothes changed into her usual white nightgown.
She seemed ready to doze off immediately, but unfortunately, I had something to say.
“Can you listen for a moment before you sleep?”
“Hm?”
“It’s about time we started preparing… for our wedding.”
Epherna blinked like a stunned fish.
*****
The Imperial Court was already making preparations for the marriage.
They were so eager to speed things up that new proposals were being submitted almost daily.
Ern felt the same.
He saw no reason to delay the marriage, so he had already made some preliminary arrangements.
“Not that I’ve prepared much. In the end, it all depends on your decision.”
If Epherna didn’t agree, all those preparations would simply be wiped away.
Not that it was a bad thing—like he said, not much had been done.
The only real change would be the wedding getting postponed.
“…”
Epherna stared blankly at Ern.
The sleepiness that had clouded her face was completely gone now, and she didn’t know how to respond.
‘Marriage.’
It was a dream she had clung to since she was young.
Back when she was just a fifteen-year-old girl, she had hoped and wished for this moment—
for Ern to be the one to bring it up.
And now?
Of course, she felt like flying.
It was so happy and unreal that she desperately hoped this wasn’t just a dream.
But as the Empress, not just a woman, she had to speak properly.
“What do you want, Ern?”
She was the Empress.
The ruler of the continent, the peak of power.
If she wanted something, no one would dare refuse her.
Even if she indulged in that power, who could complain?
However, I don’t want to be intoxicated as a man’s lover.
But as a man’s lover, she didn’t want to do that.
She didn’t want to impose her will on him.
She wanted to share this decision—not as ruler to subject, but as woman to man.
“If you’re happy with it, then it doesn’t matter.”
“…Really?”
It doesn’t matter.
That she could do things her way.
With his permission, Epherna spoke her mind.
“I want to do it as soon as possible.”
Even tomorrow would be fine.
Epherna was always ready.
Of course, it wasn’t so much about emotional readiness—
it was her selfish desire to solidify her relationship with him as quickly as possible.
She had dreamed of this for so long that even marrying immediately didn’t seem too soon.
“But.”
But…
Before the wedding, there were a few things she personally wanted to do with him.
“…Hmm?”
Ern looked puzzled as Epherna suddenly blushed.
“There are a few things I want to do before we get married…”
Still lying down, unable to hide her face, she fidgeted with her hands.
Ern, thinking her behavior was unbearably cute, felt the urge to just grab her right there and then.
“Like what?”
He barely managed to restrain himself and asked.
Legally speaking, once they married, he and Epherna would become husband and wife.
The dynamic between a couple and lovers would inevitably change.
The citizens of the Empire would recognize him as the Empress’s husband and Grand Duke.
Many things would have to change, so if there was something she wanted to do beforehand, he wanted to hear it.
“I want to go on a trip. Just the two of us.”
“A trip?”
“Not too far, not too short.”
She wanted a long, relaxing trip.
Ern understood the meaning behind her words.
“Like the old days—just simple and peaceful. Even if it’s just for a week, that’s fine.”
Maybe Epherna was longing for her childhood.
The days spent in that small, cozy mansion, where things weren’t grand or extravagant.
‘Because things will never be the same again.’
Once they were married, those moments would truly become memories.
They would build new ones together, of course, but marriage itself was a milestone.
“Let’s do it. Where do you want to go?”
Epherna’s eyes sparkled brightly.
