I barely managed to get the Emperor back on his feet and, gripped by an irrational fear that someone might have witnessed the scene, I quickly looked around.
Of course, there was no one there, but his sudden outburst had definitely shaved a few years off my life. I really wished he’d tone it down a little.
“I don’t know what kind of person he is, or when I’ll come face-to-face with him… but if I do, I’ll strike him down without hesitation. He’s the enemy of the Imperial Family. So please, don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you… Even just saying that means a lot…”
I couldn’t make any guarantees, but if that bastard Zelos ever showed up in front of me, I was dead serious about cutting him down.
Because of those Heavenly God Cult freaks or whatever they were called, my peace kept getting smashed to pieces.
“But you…”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
Suddenly, and unlike before, he unleashed such a terrifying aura that for a moment, I almost reached for a sword I wasn’t even carrying.
“You didn’t… happen to sleep with my daughter… did you?”
“Huh?”
“Huuh—?!”
What the hell was he talking about?
But he wasn’t joking. He glared at me like he seriously meant to kill me, as if he might crush my most precious body parts at any second.
“The news about her pregnancy might’ve been a lie, but… maybe you were involved with her in a way that led to that kind of rumor…”
“You’ve got it all wrong! Nothing happened! I mean, back then, Her Highness just blurted that out without giving me any kind of heads-up!”
Imagine trying to tell your girlfriend’s father that you were dating his daughter…only for your girlfriend to suddenly claim she was pregnant.
In that case, I’d probably end up visiting her father again.
Because he’d smash my skull so hard that I wouldn’t even remember we ever dated.
“Yes… that’s how it should be… but, doesn’t it bother you at all?”
“Huh?”
What was he going on about now?
“She took after her mother, and ever since she was little, she’s been remarkably beautiful. Beautiful enough to be compared to an angel. And yet… even after pretending to be lovers with such a daughter, you felt nothing?”
Why was he suddenly looking at me with those fury-filled eyes again?
“…Your Majesty. I know my place. Someone like Her Highness deserves a perfect match, someone worthy of her looks and character. A guy like me, who only knows how to swing a sword, was never meant to be in her life.”
Even this time, I helped her because seeing her reminded me of my own past and I felt sorry for her. If it weren’t for that, I might not have cared even if she’d been sold off to another country.
I wasn’t the type to treat others warmly, and I was fully aware that I wasn’t exactly a good guy either.
“Just a sword, huh…? The other knights would cry if they heard that.”
The Emperor let out a small chuckle at my words, then said,
“Well, now that you’ve heard me vent, go see Ria. You’re her benefactor, after all. She’ll at least listen to what you have to say.”
“Ah! I apologize. Then, if you’ll excuse me!”
“Wait just a moment. I’ll bring you something you’ll need. And… give this to my daughter as well. I’m sure it’s something she’ll find necessary.”
***
After running around asking all sorts of palace attendants, I finally managed to track down the princess who had stormed out earlier.
“…Why are you here?”
“What, should I have just let you go? How could I possibly ignore Your Highness?”
“You really never stop talking…”
The former empress’s chambers.
The room, where everything was still preserved exactly as it had been, made it fairly clear whose orders had kept it this way until now.
The princess stood in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the crib meant for a baby.
“So what? Am I supposed to understand everything that happened just because he’s a pitiful man in his own way?”
“………”
“Huh? No? Why would I?”
She had absolutely no intention of doing so.
He might have made that choice to protect his daughter, but the one who made the choice was the Emperor himself.
The resentment and anger his daughter carried were also his to bear.
I understood his circumstances, but I had no desire to make the princess understand them too.
“His Majesty’s actions toward you can’t be fully justified. Even if it was to protect you from some unknown threat, the pain and sorrow you experienced haven’t disappeared, have they?”
It was an obvious truth.
Just because someone knew the story or offered an apology didn’t mean the loneliness and sorrow she had endured would vanish in an instant.
She was clearly the victim, and she had every right not to forgive her father.
“Then… what am I supposed to do…?”
“Before that, there’s one thing we should make clear.”
“?”
“It’s fine to resent His Majesty…but you can’t resent only him.”
“…Ah.”
That was right.
She could resent the Emperor, yes, but the one she should truly hold responsible was that villain, Zelos.
He was the one who had driven others’ lives into ruin purely out of inferiority and for his own amusement. He should have been prepared to face destruction himself.
“He’s a man who destroyed an entire family for no reason other than his own enjoyment. And… who knows, there might be more victims beyond the imperial family.”
“…A monster…”
“Yes. That’s exactly what he is.”
A clear and undeniable villain.
At those words, it felt as if her demeanor had softened somewhat.
“…Thank you. For reminding me. But… my feelings toward Father—”
“That’s something you have to decide for yourself.”
“…Decide?”
“Yes. Decide. You can choose to cut ties with His Majesty while dwelling on the past, or you can choose to look ahead and occasionally share a cup of tea with him. Either way, it’s entirely your decision, Your Highness.”
This was the path she had to walk.
Even if I helped her to her feet when she stumbled, or even if she momentarily strayed, distracted by something along the way—
In the end, she had to reach the destination of that path by walking it on her own.
“I… I’m allowed to choose?”
“Of course. It’s your life, Your Highness.”
“……”
“Oh, right. Here, take this.”
“Huh? What is it?”
The bracelet I placed in her hand.
“His Majesty gave it to you. If you wear it and press this part in an emergency—”
Shoosh!
“S-Spatial teleportation?!”
“Yes. It’s set up so I’ll be transported to your side instantly. As a bonus, I also got one that lets me store weapons.”
The Emperor had made arrangements, not knowing when or where her life might be in danger.
To hand over such incredibly valuable items, each worth tens of billions, without hesitation…
When it came to loving his daughter, at least, he was absolutely sincere.
“…Father…”
Upon hearing that it had been given to her by His Majesty, the princess once again sank into a swamp of emotion.
At that moment, her inner world was overflowing with mixed feelings, leaving her in a deeply unstable state.
Her own choices were important, of course, but what she needed right now wasn’t self-pity or lamentation; it was laughter.
“Did you know? Your way of speaking has changed lately.”
“Eek! Y-You didn’t have to point that out!”
I deliberately changed the subject to pull her out of her thoughts.
When we first met, she spoke using elegant expressions just like the Emperor himself.
Maybe it had been a habit born out of her desire to be acknowledged by her father in some way.
“I’m glad it changed. Honestly, when a girl our age talks like that, it kind of gives off those… um, cringe middle school delusion vibes. It was a little funny.”
“D-Delusion? How rude!”
I let out a small laugh as I watched her flush with anger.
Even though she was protesting, perhaps she secretly agreed it was a bit embarrassing, because she didn’t argue back any further.
“Surely, there must’ve been something you truly wanted to do besides becoming Emperor. You weren’t trying to take the throne just to be acknowledged by His Majesty, right?”
“W-Well, that’s true…”
“Exactly. So, what would you have wanted to do if not become Emperor?”
Now that she knew her father loved her, she needed to find a new goal.
Before she could start feeling like everything she had done so far was meaningless, maybe she could redirect all that sincerity into something new. And maybe that would help her.
“Um… A mother.”
“?”
“I wanted to be a mother… because I don’t have any memories of mine… the kind of mother who would never leave her child’s side…”
Was it a longing for the mother who had left her first, or a wish to fill the emptiness left behind?
It was an unexpected dream, yet somehow, it suited her situation so perfectly that I found myself thinking it made sense.
“Ugh! This is why I didn’t want to say anything—!”
“That’s a lovely dream.”
“……Huh?”
“You’ll make a great mother.”
“Huh? Oh… thank you……”
Yes. I meant it.
She would make a wonderful mother.
I didn’t really know why.
But—
The look in her eyes as she spoke about her dream. That gaze filled with longing.
It shone so brightly.
I couldn’t help but believe it.
“Even if you’re a bit reckless, always prying into people’s business, and going around saying nonsense like you’re pregnant.”
“Y-You—!”
“You’ll still make a great mother. Because you’re a good person, Your Highness.”
“……I hope so.”
“But then, doesn’t that mean you’ll have to find a new husband? What kind of person is your type?”
“Me? I guess… someone kind, easy to be around, who likes children, and would cherish them…”
“That’s exactly the kind of unrealistic ideal someone comes up with when they’ve never actually dated a man.”
“B-Be quiet!”
It suddenly hit me. This was a problem.
How were we supposed to find her a new husband now?
“U-Um… there’s something I want to ask……”
“? Yes, go ahead.”
“Do you, um… happen to like children?”
“Hmm… I think I do?”
In my past life, there were plenty of bratty kids with no hope, but overall, I had always liked children.
They were pure, and I believed it was our duty to protect the young sprouts who would go on to live in a better future.
That’s why, even in our territory, I scraped together what little money we had to open a small orphanage, and I often visited to play with the children.
“R-Really? That’s amazing……”
“They’re kids. It’s only natural they should be cared for with love and attention.”
“R-Right……”
But why was she asking something like this?
Was she planning to visit an orphanage as some kind of new volunteer activity?
“Well then, I’ll be heading back. If anything comes up, please feel free to call me.”.
“W-Wait! Are you, by any chance… dating Lady Eus?”
“……Huh? No? Why would you say something like that?”
“Well, uh… lately you two seem to be spending time together, so I was kind of wondering……”
Ah~ maybe it was because I’d gotten a bit more casual around the noble lady after she found out about my identity.
There was probably some truth to that.
“I was actually the one who rescued the young lady that time. And then, well, she discovered who I really was, so I stayed close to keep her from revealing it, that’s all.”
“I see… but it didn’t really feel like that……”
“Well then, I’ll be goi—”
“Just one last question.”
“……Yes. Go ahead.”
I was exhausted and truly wanted to go home, but rank was rank.
“S-So… what’s your type…?”
“Me?”
My type, huh.
I hadn’t really given it much thought…
“Hmm. I don’t usually think about that kind of thing, but if I had to say… someone kind, with a nice smile… and a big chest?”
“…Don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate to say in front of a woman?”
“You told me to say it. But now you’re all worked up because I was honest.”
“I see… Well, I am the biggest, so I guess I have the highest chance….”
“Then I’m going, okay? I’m really leaving now.”
Leaving the princess who was muttering something behind, I got up from my seat to head back to the dormitory.
“Ah…….”
“Oh, right.”
Swoosh—
I stopped in my tracks and turned around. Looking at the princess standing there awkwardly, fidgeting, I said,
“See you tomorrow at the academy.”
“……Mhmm. See you tomorrow.”
Wow, as expected of a heroine.
That smile of hers was seriously beautiful.
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