[This was a marriage in na only.]
[From the beginning, Guinevere had prepared to submit to her fate.]
[She believed her sacrifice was for the sake of the perfect king, and that personal love was insignificant in the face of greater ideals.]
[But now, Artoria revealed the truth.]
[Learning that the invincible king, revered by the knights, was actually a petite girl,]
[shock and surprise were her initial emotions.]
[The truth was too astonishing.]
[But upon reflection, it made sense. How could the knights serve a woman as their king?]
[The Middle Ages were dominated by male supremacy,]
[where won were seen as weak, precious possessions to be protected by n. Even knights, who upheld chivalric ideals, viewed won as jewels to be cherished.]
[A French knight like Lancelot, who would abandon his duty for a woman, was seen as an oddity.]
[It must be said that Guinevere was wise.]
[She accepted the truth Artoria revealed and fully embraced it, which was a relief.]
[She knew how much effort Artoria had put into quelling internal strife and truly admired King Arthur.]
[Though King Arthur's authority in Britain was absolute,]
[no one knew the truth in private.]
[This king was too pure and selfless, a perfect king without flaws. People love correctness, but they don't love things that are too correct.]
[Many kings privately watched Artoria, waiting for any mistake or flaw to exploit for their own gain.]
[At the sa ti, so knights and kings were fiercely loyal. Human nature is complex and unfathomable.]
[If the truth of Artoria's gender were revealed, it would tarnish the faith in the perfect king. Though it wouldn't shake her rule, it would certainly cause trouble.]
[Guinevere understood this.]
[At least for the sake of Britain's peace, she would keep this secret, not revealing it to anyone.]
[This marriage, blessed by all, was, in reality, a cage for her. She was treated as a political tool, not allowed to pursue personal love or happiness, but only to make the perfect king even more perfect in the eyes of the people and knights.]
[What was her personal will?]
[The people and knights believed it would be happiness.]
[After all, marrying the flawless king—what could there be to complain about?]
"I'm sorry, Guinevere, for putting you through this."
"No, my king, it is you who deserves sympathy. To rule as a woman, commanding armies and earning the admiration of knights—this is beyond imagination. I can't fathom the hardships you've endured, but I believe your wish for Britain's peace and prosperity is not wrong."
"Thank you... Guinevere..."
Artoria showed a relaxed smile.
It was as if a burden had been lifted.
[In the past, only Moran, Ector, rlin, and Kay, who had watched grow up, knew her true gender. Others believed she was a man.]
[To confide fully in Guinevere,]
[and for her to promise to keep the secret and support the wish to protect Britain, moved Artoria deeply, bringing her a faint sense of joy.]
[She vaguely rembered a term that could be used. If possible, Artoria wanted to consider Guinevere a friend.]
[A friendship had blossod between them.]
[Though the relationship between king and queen was false, the friendship between them was real. Their trust in each other would, in the future, make them appear like a loving couple to others.]
[No one would doubt it.]
"Guinevere, you don't need to address so formally as 'my king.' Now that you know the truth, you can relax. Call Artoria."
"Artoria... I understand.
By the way, there's sothing I'd like to ask you, my king... no, Artoria."
Guinevere struggled to change her way of addressing her.
But Artoria simply smiled, not minding the slip.
"I've heard much about the Pure Knight Moran, who has watched over you since your childhood and had a deep relationship with your father, Uther. Though he's not part of the Round Table, he remains a role model for many knights in Calot!"
"Moran? Ah, yes, he is a knight my father Uther trusted deeply. I, too, consider him a strong and noble knight, as pure as the aurora... Guinevere, are you interested in Moran?"
Artoria looked puzzled.
She noticed a change in Guinevere's expression.
Though Guinevere tried to suppress her feelings, her brows relaxed, and her eyes sparkled with excitent.
Any man in her presence would have been captivated by her beauty.
But Artoria was a woman.
"Well... how should I put it? To say I'm not interested would be a lie. Now that you've told the truth, Artoria, I feel it's only right to be honest..."
"Don't worry, Guinevere. In a way, I'm the closest to Moran. If you want to know more about him, I won't hold back... though he's so exceptional in every way that one night wouldn't be enough to cover it all! Ahem... are you prepared?"
"Really... I'm ready!"
Guinevere lightly covered her lips.
She hadn't expected Artoria to be so willing to talk.
[To say she wasn't happy would be a lie.]
[When she learned that Artoria was a woman, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief.]
[At that mont, Guinevere realized]
[that she had not let go of her first love.]
[Artoria, feeling relaxed and sowhat indebted to Guinevere, chose to respond to her unspoken hopes, slowly revealing what she could.]
[The wedding night blessed by all of Britain]
[No one would have imagined that the hosts were actually two won, and they were now happily chatting in their chamber]
[Their conversation revolved around the sa man]
[Artoria was excited as she spoke, while Guinevere listened intently]
[Their strange friendship deepened]
"Achoo! What's going on...?"
Moran couldn't help but sneeze.
Given the resistance of dragonkind, it couldn't be an illness.
It must be the effect of causality.
"Could soone be talking about ? Or plotting against ? Is it rlin... or Morgan...? Or perhaps Mordred? Hmm... that's quite a few people..."
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