Thump, thump.
My heart pounded so hard I thought I might throw up.
More than any mont before, this very instant was pushing my nerves to the edge.
Even more than that ti I stood alone atop the fortress wall, summoning a teor in front of everyone.
And Serpina—as if she could read every tremble in my chest—
once again spoke, not as a ruler, but as a woman.
"I... I don’t know much about these things.
About what makes a woman attractive to a man, how to approach soone and properly convey feelings like this... I never learned."
"When I was old enough to start learning such things, the empire had already been shattered.
There was no ti for learning the comportnt of a princess or the deanor of a woman. So... when it cos to n... I don’t really know what to do."
As she spoke, she took my hand—gently tracing her pale fingers along mine.
From knuckle to tip, she caressed like she was engraving her touch onto my skin.
"But... these feelings are real.
Swen, the desire to beco one with you—there’s nothing clearer to right now.
So... this is all I know.
n desire a woman’s body, right? If that’s the only part you can accept, I’m fine with that..."
Her fingers wove between mine.
When we interlaced our hands, she looked up at again.
Her pale face had turned deep red, like it could explode at any mont.
Her eyes were lost, unable to settle anywhere.
And from between her slightly parted lips, a thin, trembling sigh slipped out.
"Swen, if you want this... then... it’s okay."
"No, I’ll be honest. It’s not that I’d accept just anyone.
It’s because it’s you, Swen. I don’t need just a man. I need you."
"This isn’t an order from your liege.
I won’t ask you to take responsibility. I won’t demand anything from you.
I’ll bear all the consequences. So please...
Let borrow you—just for a little while...?"
"Your Grace..."
She was far more sincere than I’d expected.
This wasn’t a decision born of a fleeting impulse.
Was it really unclear what she was asking of ?
No—I'd be lying if I said I didn’t know.
She was asking to spend the night with her.
Why would she suddenly make such a request? Was it a desire she couldn’t suppress?
Maybe that was part of it.
But what I saw in her eyes wasn’t simple lust.
It was loneliness.
In her golden eyes swirled a suffocating depth of sorrow—so heavy, so profound.
Quietly, I asked myself a question:
What is it you truly want?
I didn’t have a strong body, but I was still a young man. That hadn't changed between this world and the last.
Of course I felt attracted to won.
I'd even entertained so inappropriate thoughts—
No, just earlier, I’d almost let myself fantasize about Airen.
If I only considered this from that angle, Serpina’s offer—
“You don’t have to take responsibility. Just spend the night with .”
—was as tempting as any could be.
At that point, it wouldn’t matter whether it was a plea or a command.
Serpina was more beautiful than any woman I’d ever t.
Her body radiated a mature, feminine allure. Her voice curled around the ear like silk.
And the ever-present yuzu scent tied it all together.
I could say with confidence—
Few n would refuse to spend a night with a woman like her.
Yes.
If I were only thinking from that angle.
But I couldn’t look at it that way.
"...Lady Serpina."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I slowly let go of her hand, then gently placed both of mine on her shoulders.
It might have been unthinkably disrespectful for a subject to touch their sovereign like this—
but if Serpina had co to not as a ruler, but as a woman,
then it was only right that I respond not as her strategist, but as a man.
Yes.
I would speak plainly to her.
Everything I’d just thought.
"I’m sorry... but I can’t grant your request. Not right now."
"......!"
Her face twisted instantly, like she might cry at any mont.
That sa woman who always hid her emotions so well...
Just from those few words, her feelings poured out with shocking clarity.
Honestly, it was... kind of adorable.
"So even now... I’m still not enough...?"
"Are you saying a tyrant like doesn’t deserve a simple happiness...?"
"That’s not what I’m saying."
I gently wiped the corner of her eye with my fingers.
Whatever had happened while I was gone to make her this vulnerable—
I didn’t know. But I could figure that out later.
"If you weren’t such an important person to ,
maybe I would have accepted your offer.
You said you don’t know what n like... but honestly, if we set aside /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ your reputation,
there’s not a man alive who wouldn’t be drawn to you.
You’re incredibly beautiful, full of charm, elegance, and femininity.
From a man’s perspective, there’s no reason to refuse."
Her eyes widened, reacting in real ti to my words.
She looked just like a startled cat.
"But I don’t want a casual night with you.
If I ever do spend that kind of ti with you...
then I want to take responsibility—for you.
That’s why I can’t accept, not right now."
"What... what do you an...?"
"I an... you’re soone incredibly important to .
Too important to treat carelessly."
"......!!"
Yes.
The third face that ca to mind so naturally whenever I thought of marriage—
that was... Lady Serpina.
At so point, it had beco second nature to associate the word marriage with Serpina.
It was different from Airen, with whom we had exchanged feelings, and different from Reika, with whom I had discussed a formal union.
Serpina had simply been my liege.
And yet, no sovereign I had ever served before had stirred these feelings in .
At first, I thought it was just sympathy.
But when Lady Luna raised her banner and began her rebellion... I still couldn’t bring myself to return to her.
My plan had gone awry.
And just in ti, I arrived at a convenient justification:
Serpina needs to stay in power for Lunarian to eventually unify the continent.
That made for a very useful excuse.
Staying by Serpina’s side was the right move—for the sake of keeping my promise.
She needed right now.
And until Lady Luna fully established herself, it would be fine for to remain here.
Jinor would be there with her, so it wouldn’t be a problem if I was absent for a while...
Now, looking back, I wondered if I hadn’t been grasping for those thoughts just to justify this situation to myself.
Maybe I had already known, subconsciously, what I really wanted.
"But... Swen. One day, you will—"
"Yes."
Even so—my feelings were genuine.
I slowly nodded and said,
"I won’t be able to stay by your side forever. But... the fact that you’ve beco an important person to —that’s real."
"......"
"Honestly, I’m not sure what the right path is yet. But if I keep thinking about it, over and over, I believe I’ll find a way.
A way where I can take responsibility for you and still fulfill what I must do."
"Take... responsibility for ?"
"Yes."
I want to be with her only when I’m able to take full responsibility for her.
It might sound like a foolish thing to say—but it’s the truth.
A way to take responsibility for everyone and still keep my promise to Lady Luna...
That’s what I was searching for.
"So please—just until then...
Can you wait a little longer?"
Serpina stared into my eyes for a long mont—
then softly said,
"...All right."
With that, she leaned into again, resting her head in my arms.
Airen and Serpina... co to think of it, both of them seed to really enjoy being held.
I gently brushed her golden hair with my fingers.
Serpina accepted it all without resistance—entrusting everything to .
And seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but think:
Yes.
I can’t leave Serpina behind.
No matter what happens.
From the mont I first imagined marrying her...
these feelings were no longer just sympathy.
Everyone had turned their back on her for cris she never even committed.
I couldn’t—I wouldn’t be one of them.
––Even if it ant never returning.
In that mont, Lady Luna’s face flashed across my mind.
Lady Lunarian. The ruler I had pledged to serve as her strategist.
But... was there ever truly a reason I had to choose only one of them?
No matter how many tis I thought about it—I couldn’t find one.
Then I’ll find a way.
My predictions were always correct, yes.
But depending on how I acted, I could always guide the future toward a different outco.
If I could create a world where Lady Serpina and Lady Lunarian both coexisted—
If that was what it took to defy fate—
Then I would gladly pursue it.
And so, I remained there, holding Serpina close for a long ti.
I couldn’t return to the welcoming banquet...
But right now, just being with her like this was enough.
***
A few days passed after the banquet.
Irian, who had accomplished a major feat, and Reika, who had made back-to-back achievents, had now risen to positions of unmatched prominence within the country.
The plague that had once threatened to consu the entire Central Continent had been completely subdued.
At the very least, it had cald to the point where people no longer needed to sever travel out of fear.
Naturally, the travel restrictions to the Northern Continent had been loosened as well.
It wasn’t to the extent where people could co and go freely between Kelstein Castle and the two continents, but at least basic procedures allowed passage again.
Everything was slowly returning to how it had been.
With one major exception—
While our army still remained strong and intact,
every other nation on the Central Continent, aside from Brans, had collapsed in so form.
Which ant only one thing remained—
A return to the Central Continent.
Once again, the season of war was drawing near.
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