“Your Majesty? Where are you going?”
“Wait here.”
Astria, with a cold expression, followed Sena into the forest.
‘How did their relationship develop to that point?’
She bit her nails in anxiety.
-It’s hard to endure.
What does that mean?
Astria hoped that it wasn’t ‘that’ she imagined.
She herself didn’t know how she would react.
-‘Why did you come all the way here?’
-‘Well, you see…’
-‘Hm?’
Soon, voices drifted through the air of the forest shrouded in darkness.
Astria stopped walking, her expression calm.
If she went any further, she would be discovered.
But the reason she stopped wasn’t solely because of that.
It was a fundamental question.
‘Why am I here?’
Even Astria, who had everything, had worries.
It was about an heir.
In a situation where she could die at any time, the fact that the Empress of the Laperci Empire had no children was a significant issue for the state.
If not for the title of tyrant attached to her, the officials would have forced a marriage upon her.
Therefore, when Sena appeared and Astria showed interest in him, the happiest person was Betty.
She vividly remembered Betty’s joyful face, proclaiming that the Empire’s only wish had finally been fulfilled.
Betty taught her many things.
“Your Majesty, to welcome a consort, you must change as well.”
At first, she didn’t understand.
She had been incessantly told to marry anyone and produce an heir as soon as possible.
They said it was a national issue. So, if she declared it, anyone should comply.
Political marriage and romantic feelings? Love? Such things were unnecessary. Astria needed only a child to continue the line.
Sena, with his exceptional looks, intelligence, and powerful abilities, was very suitable for that role.
“Yes. That’s right. If Your Majesty commands, you can marry anyone. But Sena is different. He is the son of Cruyff. If you marry without his consent, you will have the Church of Justitia as your enemy.”
Betty made a logical argument to Astria, who judged everything rationally.
“So, for Your Majesty and Sena to marry, love is necessary. At least, Sena must come to love Your Majesty.”
Astria decided to accept Betty’s advice.
It was partly because her words were credible, but fundamentally, Betty was the only person in the imperial court Astria trusted.
However, gaining love was not an easy task.
Astria only knew one way to achieve anything: violence.
If she wanted a country, she invaded. If there was no food, she plundered. If she desired something, she took it. If someone displeased her, she killed them.
“Love is difficult for me. I’ll possess Sena, even if it means making the church my enemy. The timing… yes, on the day Sena returns from the Birkender estate.”
One day, when Sena received a letter and sought permission to visit his grandfather for treatment.
Astria made her decision and informed Betty while having tea.
Although the empty palace without Sena would be bothersome for a while, she intended to fully possess him once he returned, so she decided to be patient.
“Please reconsider.”
At that moment, Betty did something uncharacteristic by showing surprise.
Betty, who never asked twice, dared to question the Empress’s words.
“What do you want me to reconsider?”
“It’s a shame to let go of everything we’ve built so far. If you must proceed, why not embark on a journey together for the last time?”
“What nonsense is this? Are you telling me to leave my position in such times?”
“A month should be fine. Sir Rafiel can endure a bit more…! If that’s too much, you could hire more people.”
“Hire people? Are you telling me to entrust my duties to vermin?”
“Your Majesty, if it’s out of your sight, it won’t be bothersome. It’s only important to cover the gap of a month. Please trust Sir Rafiel.”
“I just don’t understand. Why go to such lengths?”
“…If you spend just a little more time, Sena will surely come to love you. More than anything.”
“More than anything?”
“I have a strange feeling that if Your Majesty doesn’t follow Sena right now, you’ll deeply regret it. Your Majesty is still only 21. Life is long. Even without this month, it won’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things.”
To find the missing Chris. To track down Isabella. To confirm Duke Granz’s intentions.
Various reasons were attached to the journey, but the biggest and most fundamental reason was Betty’s persuasion.
Betty’s eyes, pleading as she spoke, revealed no hint of falsehood.
Betty truly believed that with a little more time, Sena would come to love Astria.
“Just a moment, Sylvia.”
“…I’m not lying about how much I’ve endured.”
“B-but in a place like this…”
“If you don’t like it, just say so.”
The large tree.
There, Sylvia grabbed Sena’s arms and held them still.
They kissed.
Sena flinched slightly, but didn’t refuse.
Astria’s pupils sank low.
‘Betty, you were wrong.’
The kiss wasn’t long. Though it felt like time itself had stopped for Astria, it was only brief.
Saliva stretched between them. Sena lowered his red face.
“…I have something to show you. Since we’ve kissed, you need to listen to what I have to say.”
“Of course, I will listen to anything.”
‘For someone who has never been loved by anyone, obtaining the love of the most desired person was always an impossible task from the start.’
Sena took Sylvia’s arm and led her somewhere.
Astria, with a somewhat dazed look, followed slowly.
“Chris?! What are you doing here?”
“Damn, I didn’t expect to trust this idiot.”
“Idiot is a harsh word! Sylvia is trustworthy. She’s my knight.”
‘Chris?’
Astria was considerably surprised by Chris’s voice.
And that surprise quickly turned into anger.
How dare her own Guardian Knight not show his face even though he was so close?
If he feared her wrath, he could at least have left a small note.
‘And how dare you lay hands on what’s mine?’
The anger spread to Sylvia as well.
Though the leash had been loosened for a moment, Sena was still Astria’s possession.
And yet, a member of the Teutonic Knights dared to lay hands on the Empress’s property?
Bold. So bold that it momentarily stunned her, but this was an act that couldn’t escape immediate punishment.
‘Even if that furball defends her, I will administer severe punishment.’
No, it might not be so bad to demand love as compensation for forgiving Sylvia.
‘If I can just obtain that love, I will bind you perfectly.’
Astria made up her mind and continued forward.
To ensure a perfect capture, she suppressed her presence as much as possible.
Although the trees obscured her view, she could still hear the voices.
Sena was talking to an unknown woman. Astria didn’t know who she was.
But from the conversation, it was clear they seemed quite close.
Astria found even that unbearable. She thought to herself that she needed to issue an imperial edict preventing Sena from talking to any woman.
As Astria pushed through the underbrush.
Her view cleared. She could see Sena’s figure from a distance.
But the blue flame of her burning gaze extinguished.
In her murky eyes, a sight reflected.
Sena’s smile, looking so genuinely happy.
It was probably the first time she had seen Sena’s sincere smile.
“It feels like a class reunion. All the people I like are gathered. I’m so happy.”
And now.
Astria realized.
She was the only one who needed Sena.
But Sena didn’t need Astria to the same extent.
**
“So, Chris. What really happened?”
Chris was tending to his bandaged arm.
It had been a wound almost rotting away due to poison, but now the unpleasant sensation was gone.
Sena had examined the wound, cut it open without flinching, and reached inside with his hand.
Chris had shouted, “Are you trying to kill me!” but, after a brief moment, the poison that had been tormenting him was gone.
‘Sena Birkender can even save the dead.’
The famous rumor from the Academy came to mind.
That might not have been an exaggeration.
If Sena hadn’t healed him, Chris would have been contemplating cutting off his right arm, which was as important as his life.
“Can you also neutralize poisons?”
“Oh, yes. Visible poisons are easy to remove. But stop changing the subject, will you?”
“If you have questions, ask them.”
Chris, half resigned, leaned against a tree. He heard Chloe’s triumphant voice saying, “I told you we should go to Sena quickly.”
“…You’re chasing Isabella?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“The Granz estate.”
Sena was at a loss for words in response to Chris’s straightforward answer.
“The Granz estate?”
Sylvia was the one who reacted to Chris’s words.
“Are you saying… the Duke Granz is rebelling?”
“It’s confirmed. When we put a spell on the assassins sent to kill us, they revealed that the Duke Granz was behind it.”
“That’s…”
Sylvia’s pupils trembled at Chloe’s words.
‘Her Majesty was right.’
Sylvia herself had been the one to stop Astria from leaving after the Granz rebellion was confirmed.
She was internally quite alarmed. What if something irreversible happened?
“Anyway, we’ll be leaving now. We can’t let the Her Majesty see us like this.”
“Chris.”
Sena asked with a worried voice.
“Are we going to the Duke Granz’s territory?”
“Yes.”
“But…”
Sena had a face that clearly showed his desire to dissuade them.
Chris, an old friend, knew this well.
At the same time, Sena also knew.
Chris would never be swayed.
Of course, Sena still tried to persuade him.
“Her Majesty has already forgiven Isabella. At the very least, we should hear her out. If the Duke of Granz is truly rebelling, then Isabella is just a pawn in this.”
Chris knew Sena’s approach all too well.
Which was to simply ignore it.
Chris was already prepared to leave. While Sena continued to babble beside him, Chris listened with one ear and let it go.
“This is so unfair.”
Sena was deeply shocked. But Chris, indifferent, kept moving.
“Chloe.”
“…Again?”
“Yes.”
“You’re making me do everything.”
Chloe sighed and picked up her staff.
“What are you doing?”
“Sena, you’re always getting kidnapped from somewhere, which you might not realize.”
“Huh?”
“New magic is being introduced to the world of magic every year.”
A magic circle was drawn on the ground where Chloe and Chris stood.
“This is one of them. It’s a teleportation spell.”
“Wait a minute! The conversation isn’t over yet!”
Sena, startled, tried to grab Chris. Chris nodded at Sylvia.
“I’m sorry. Senior.”
Sylvia embraced Sena from behind.
Seeing Sena move out of the magic circle’s range, Chloe closed her eyes and completed the spell.
“Take care.”
The forms of Chris and Chloe grew faint.
Just before they completely vanished, Chris spoke in a serious tone.
“Don’t trust anyone, Sena.”
“Even if it’s your father.”
Sena wanted to ask what that meant, but he couldn’t.
There was nothing left in front of him.
