“Have you calmed down a little, Your Majesty?”
“The very culprit who unsettled me is asking that? It only makes my blood boil… but I have already regained my composure.”
Empress Sister spoke curtly while glaring at me.
Her eyes were filled with anger.
But compared to the way they had burned with murderous intent earlier, they had softened considerably.
At least I won’t be executed.
For now, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
‘No way… it really wasn’t a disguise…?’
My reasoning had been flawless.
But a series of unforeseen variables had thrown me off completely.
The famously workaholic Empress had suddenly decided to skip work for no apparent reason.
She had greeted me wearing an outrageously provocative, airy nightgown.
She kept evading my questions, speaking in a frustratingly roundabout way.
With her behaving so strangely today, it would have been odd not to be suspicious.
“You seem quite different from usual… May I ask why?”
“And you expect me to say that out loud myself? You beast…”
“…”
Empress Sister clenched her teeth and glared at me again.
The moment I took in her expression, my breath caught in my throat.
What the hell? Why does she look kind of… cute today?
She was always stoic and exuded overwhelming charisma, yet now she looked utterly flustered.
Maybe it was because I had witnessed such an unexpected side of her.
For the first time, I found Empress Sister cute.
She had always been ridiculously beautiful.
But this was the first time I had thought of her as cute…?
‘Wait. Get a grip. Could this be a trap…?’
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I snapped back to reality and cleared my head.
For a brief moment, I had been so captivated by the Empress that I had lost my ability to think rationally.
Was this her plan all along?
Since showering me with gifts didn’t work, did she decide to switch tactics and try to win me over with charm instead?
Sacrificing her pride just to make me her state official and force me to work for her for life?
Faced with the Empress’s pure, unrelenting scheming, I shuddered in horror.
“Were you trying to seduce me…?”
“You caught on so quickly. You’re usually so oblivious, but now, of all times, you suddenly develop keen insight.”
“Next time, please inform me beforehand—‘I am about to seduce you’—so I don’t end up worrying that Your Majesty might have been kidnapped or suffered some other misfortune.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I shall never do this again.”
“Why not?”
“With this kind of reaction from you, do you think I’d ever want to try again!?”
“…”
I was at a loss for words.
She had a point.
“But considering the cost-efficiency, this method is far better than showering me with gifts. Wouldn’t it be worth trying again a few times?”
“Gifts? You mean the treasures I sent to your estate? If you thought I sent those with ulterior motives, you’re mistaken. They were purely an expression of gratitude—nothing more, nothing less.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would Your Majesty reward me with treasures equivalent to the entire fortune of a grand duke’s family, simply for giving you a small piece of advice as a child?”
“Why wouldn’t it make sense? You taught a monster, who could see the intentions hidden deep within people’s hearts yet failed to understand emotions, what it means to have a heart. Without you, I would not have become the wise ruler I am today, nor would the Empire have flourished as it has. You should be demanding more compensation, not questioning it.”
“…”
Hearing her words, I had no rebuttal.
Back then, I had believed that my brief trip to the past had not significantly altered the future.
I had assumed that, with or without my advice, my sister would naturally grow into a great Empress.
That was why I had hidden my identity and offered my counsel with the utmost caution.
But to think that my advice had meant so much to her…
“…Damn you. You might not have given it much thought, but I searched for you and waited ten years for your return…”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ strongly urges you to start paying more attention to our Empress as well.]
Her voice became quiet, almost timid, as she murmured those words.
Instinctively, my hand moved to the top of her head.
She made no effort to resist.
Without hesitation, she accepted my touch—almost as if it was something she had grown accustomed to.
“Why else would I have held on to your button all these years? You might have helped any child you happened to meet on the street without thinking much of it… but to that child, her entire life was changed because of you.”
“I believe there is some misunderstanding. I don’t help just any child I meet on the street. If you had been a total stranger to me, our connection would have ended the moment I hid you from the imperial guards. The only reason I gave you that advice… was because I knew who you were.”
“You really do have a way with words…”
Empress Sister blushed and averted her gaze.
Most days, I looked at her and wondered where that helpless little girl had gone.
But right now, it felt as though she had simply grown in size while remaining exactly the same.
Even if it was unintentional, I had turned her life upside down.
I had made her wait for me for ten years.
It would be stranger not to feel a sense of responsibility.
“So… where were we? You were asking me why I seem different from usual…?”
“No, I’m fine now. Let’s just take it easy and pass the time.”
“Hmm…”
“You must be exhausted. You can always resume your work after you’ve had some proper rest and recharged.”
“That… sounds reasonable…”
For some reason, Empress Sister, now as meek as a lamb, leaned her head against my chest.
I didn’t stop stroking her hair, gently wrapping my arms around her.
What? She’s acting differently than usual?
The workaholic is skipping work?
She’s speaking in circles, being frustratingly vague?
So what?
People act like that when they’re tired and worn out.
As I recalled the little girl she used to be, I found myself forgiving and accepting everything.
If she had waited ten years for me, the least I could do was indulge her just this once.
‘…But how long is this going to last?’
That thought crossed my mind, but I decided not to dwell on it.
Her break would likely end soon enough.
…Or so I thought.
I never imagined that I would end up staying in the same position until night fell,
with my arm completely numb from holding her for so long.
.
.
.
“I shall now commence the meeting. Ministers, present your reports.”
“Yes, Your Majesty…”
As Vanessa entered the council chamber, the ministers instinctively stiffened, carefully gauging her mood.
Lately, due to her constant overwork, she had been on edge.
They were all bracing themselves, worried that even the slightest mistake would invite her sharp criticism.
‘Wait… she looks unusually cheerful today?’
‘Did something good happen?’
The ministers were baffled to see Vanessa’s noticeably improved complexion.
Not only was she smiling faintly—something unheard of—but at times, the corners of her lips even twitched upward in amusement.
Overall, she looked… happy.
“What are you all standing around for? Get on with your reports.”
“Ah! Apologies, Your Majesty!”
“There is no need to apologize. If you’re feeling unwell, take a moment to drink some water. Many of you must have stayed up all night working—it must be exhausting.”
“Y-Yes… Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty…”
…The Empress was being lenient?
She was showing concern for their well-being instead of scolding them for their mistakes?
A cold chill ran down the ministers’ spines.
For a brief moment, they even considered the possibility that the Empress had been kidnapped and replaced by an imposter.
That was how uncharacteristically different she was today.
Meanwhile, as the ministers trembled in silent fear, Vanessa was struggling to suppress the smile creeping onto her face.
‘I wonder if Aslan realizes… just how happy I was to have found him again that day. But at long last, today…’
It seemed Aslan still had no idea just how much his casual piece of advice to a little girl had shaken the very course of the Empire’s history.
Back then, I was less of a person and more of a spirit… No, not even that.
A monster.
Born in a human body, yet able to see into people’s hearts with the Spirit’s Eye of a Spirit King.
Because of that, I had lost all faith in humanity.
By the time I was a child, I no longer understood the concept of trust or empathy.
I was little more than a walking time bomb.
And the one who changed me was… a repulsive man.
A man who hid his entire being beneath layers of black-hearted hypocrisy.
Yet, paradoxically, his so-called hypocrisy was so… uncertain that it was impossible to dismiss it as mere deception.
He constantly deceived himself, convincing himself that everything he did was for his own gain, for his own satisfaction.
Yet, at the same time, he spread acts of kindness throughout the world under the guise of that very hypocrisy.
How could I not listen to the words of such a man?
Not everyone is purely dark inside.
For every shadow, there is an equal light.
Perhaps that light was hidden in places even the Spirit’s Eye could not reach.
That realization was what ultimately led me to stop relying so heavily on the Spirit’s Eye.
‘Hehehe… Next time, I should call Aslan Vermont over again and— And just snuggle into his arms and let him pamper me to my heart’s conten—Ah!? Wait, no, that’s not it!’
At that moment, Vanessa’s eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something crucial.
No. That wasn’t why she had summoned Aslan today.
She hadn’t called him over just to nestle into his embrace and be coddled.
No, today was supposed to be the day she turned their relationship into an irreversible reality.
…How had things gone so horribly off-track!?
Vanessa’s expression quickly turned into one of deep frustration.
