Once again, I carefully replayed the words echoing in my mind.
How did things end up like this?
"What even is a noble title?"
Serpina turned her head to look at directly.
There it was again—that look.
The gaze of a girl in love.
"The title is not the only thing I have prepared for you. Look ahead."
Her long, outstretched hand pointed toward a small castle visible in the distance.
A vast expanse of land and the endless blue sky—all beneath the dominion of an absolute ruler.
"Here. Everything before your eyes has been prepared for you. Can you see it? The land stretching before you, the people living on it—they will all be yours."
If her nation were to beco a unified empire, the old governance system of the forr empire would likely be reinstated. If she bestowed a noble title upon , then just as she said, I could very well beco the actual ruler of the land and the people before .
As I remained silent, showing no visible reaction, she whispered softly.
"Yes, I... This body of mine, I will bind you to my side forever. If I must, I will do anything—granting you a title, gifting you land... even relinquishing certain imperial rights.
Would you still doubt then?"
I couldn't doubt her.
Because what I saw in her eyes was sincerity—nothing but pure, unshakable truth.
A stunningly beautiful and dignified woman, her long golden hair shining almost painfully bright in the sunlight. The ruler of the Serpina Army, the final victor of the imperial succession war—
Serpina von Eingart.
"Haven’t I already told you, Swen? You belong to ... ♥"
With eyes burning with devotion, she spoke in a voice laced with unbearable longing.
As she drew closer, the subtle scent of citrus that clung to her made it increasingly difficult for to think straight.
"For you, I will give everything. Wealth, honor, power... If you so desire, I will even grant you the na Eingart itself."
"......!!"
"Beco my husband, Swen."
"Beco my consort. I will mix my bloodline with yours, bind myself to you through an oath, and bear your child."
"You understand what that ans, don’t you, Swen?"
As she spoke, Serpina’s golden eyes curved into crescent moons.
Of course.
Of course I understood. It wasn’t the first ti she had said it.
This was—
a marriage proposal.
If I accepted, I would beco part of the most prestigious lineage on the continent, the Eingart family.
"Lyn Brans, Baranga Yuri Aishus—neither of them could ever offer you as much as I can."
She was right. Neither Lyn nor Yuri could offer sothing like this.
Lyn had never fully trusted , and Yuri had never even taken an interest in .
Of all the rulers who had sought to wield my 100 Intelligence, only Serpina—aside from Luna—had truly relied on it to lead her nation.
Even Luna hadn’t governed for long enough to fully utilize . If I were to compare, it was uncertain whether even she could have used as effectively as Serpina had.
Serpina t my gaze head-on, her expression filled with nothing but love.
"Even if that were not the case... you will never, ever be able to escape . You will stay by my side forever."
She clutched my hand tightly.
"From the mont we first t... this was our fate. Fufufu... ♥"
With those words, she laughed once more. The golden sunlight caught her flowing hair, once again clouding my vision.
Why?
The greatest discomfort I had felt over the past few days— was the realization that the way she treated was far removed from how a ruler treats a re retainer.
To put it bluntly— lately, she hadn't been looking at as a vassal. She had been looking at as a man.
Her voice low and sultry, she let out a soft laugh, then, like a girl filled with excitent, she asked once again—
"So... now, grant another prophecy from your Insight. Tell — I, Serpina von Eingart... will I be able to take this world into my hands?"
The sa question she had asked countless tis before.
Even after hearing the sa answer over and over, she never gave up. She continued to run forward.
It was similar to how Airen had once been under Brans Army, chasing after an impossible goal— but unlike Airen, who had always seed monts away from breaking apart, Serpina looked like she was bursting with energy, as if she would never stop.
Before I could dwell on the crushing irony of it all, I had only one thing to do.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Predict the answer to her question.
Whether I wanted to or not, as soon as I was asked, I would calculate the answer. That was the chanism behind my 100 Intelligence.
Will Serpina von Eingart beco the ruler who unifies the continent?
I turned the question over in my mind.
Could she truly subjugate this chaotic era and seize this world in her grasp? I had helped her for quite so ti now. Would she finally have a chance?
My predictions were not always absolute. The outco was determined based on the situation at the ti the question was asked. So there was always a possibility that this ti... the result might be different.
Before long, the answer arrived—so simple that it was almost ridiculous.
Of course. I had 100 Intelligence, after all.
[She will not.]
Of course.
As expected, the answer was the sa.
As long as Luna—the one fated to unify the continent—existed, Serpina could never take that position. And considering that the key condition for Luna’s rise was Serpina’s survival, the chance for Serpina to claim the throne was nearly impossible.
No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she struggled—the weight of that truth was sothing she could never overco.
There was no way I could explain all of this to her in full. So once again, I could only give her the sa answer I always had.
"My lord cannot take the world into your hands."
Fate had not changed.
Not yet.
"I see."
Serpina slowly nodded again. Then, turning her head, she looked out over the land stretching before her.
"Understood. I apologize for asking the sa question over and over. It must be tireso for you to always give the sa answer."
"Not at all. I..."
I wanted to say sothing—anything—to comfort her. Her profile, as she gazed at the horizon, looked unbearably lonely.
But I didn’t know what words to offer.
If I spoke carelessly, my words might turn into blades that wounded her. Sotis, knowing the future felt less like a gift—and more like a curse.
And then—
"Swen."
"...?"
"...You have my thanks."
She turned her eyes away, her cheeks faintly flushed. I was caught off guard.
"...Pardon?"
"You were worrying about , weren’t you?"
"......!!!"
Once again, I was reminded of just how impossible it was to hide my emotions in front of Serpina.
"You are kind, Swen. Perhaps... what I truly desire from you is not your ability—but the warmth of your heart."
"......."
**"I know.
A ruler of a nation—no, one who carries the blood of the empire—
should not be saying such things.
Before leaning on another,
they must be the one that others can lean on."**
"That is the weight of an emperor’s throne. A sovereign who embodies the passion of the people, shaped by the sacred light of duty."
Serpina smiled again.
**"But I do not mind.
If this were sothing that could be achieved in a single day,
I would not have attempted it in the first place.
You will see, Swen.
I am a woman who will accomplish whatever I set my mind to.
Fufufu... ♥"**
I did not respond.
I only bowed my head in silence.
This fate—the absolute truth that Serpina von Eingart would never beco the ruler of a unified empire—as long ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ as it remained unchanged, a ti would eventually co when I would have to make a choice.
And when that ti ca—I would have to tell her my truth. I would have to leave her.
I had made a promise.
Back when I was in Brans Army, when I was in Aishus Army, and now, even as I stood in Serpina’s Army—I had never forgotten it.
...Then why?
Why did her smile make feel so unbearably sad?
Why did the sight of her struggling toward an unattainable goal leave such a weight in my chest?
As the lingering scent of citrus filled the air, I recalled the ruby-red determination I had sworn myself to.
My lord...What is the right thing for to do?
No—
What must I do to ensure I have no regrets?
Even as I sent that unreachable question into the sky, the passage of ti marched forward, slowly—but without pause.
***
A Day Like Any Other
It was just another ordinary day.
Serpina, preparing to head out on an inspection to gauge the sentints of the people, was, as always, accompanied by her four personal knights—her unwavering shadows.
However, today, there was one difference.
"He was thrown from his horse?"
"Yes. He suffered serious injuries and is currently in the hospital..."
One of the knights had been injured. Which ant only three remained to accompany Serpina today.
Among them was Lenny, the de facto leader of the knights who had served Serpina ever since she took power, Shura, the female general who had voluntarily joined her guard, and finally— Airen, who had only recently been added to the list of personal knights.
The absent knight was Siegfried, a young elite of a similar age to Airen.
"Then, the inspection today...?"
"It will proceed as planned. We are not leaving the lands outside Eingart Castle, after all."
Hearing Shura’s words, Airen nodded, lost in thought.
One knight missing... but General Lenny and General Shura are both strong. Nothing should happen.
Her greatest concern remained the possibility of an assassination.
Her only basis for believing in such a possibility was that Swen had said it would happen.
There was no concrete evidence. She had even conducted her own investigations through people she trusted— but no signs of an assassination attempt had surfaced.
Within the Eingart domain, a sudden ambush seed unlikely.
Even if sothing did happen, she was confident that the three of them could handle it.
After spending so ti alongside them, she knew firsthand that they were strong.
But since Swen said it, the chances of an assassination—or sothing just as dangerous—are high. I need to stay more vigilant than ever today.
Airen was tightening her focus, keeping her guard up as she ntally reinforced her resolve—
"...Apologies for keeping you waiting."
The doors opened. Serpina stepped forward.
The knights imdiately bowed in greeting.
"I will be relying on you all once again today."
"Yes, my lord!"
And so, yet another uneventful day—began once more.
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