“What does the Phoenix say, Your Majesty?”
Serven asked impatiently. It may not be a coincidence that the Phoenix caught up with the maddening carriage. It seemed from his expression that all sorts of ominous thoughts were swirling in his head.
“Is there any news worse than your mutated Majesty wandering the capital? Yes?”
“No… it is not so.”
“Then what is it? Ugh, please… Please tell me. I know it’s an ugly thing to say, but my heart feels like it’s going to explode right now.”
Serven really looked at Lasilia, rubbing his chest. She was aware that her actions in openly revealing my anxiety did not seem appropriate. But strangely enough, she didn’t think it was wrong. It would be from then on. A time when she was caught in some trick by the imperial tailor and had part of her consciousness taken away. From that moment on, when the Empress looked straight into her eyes and brought her back to her own consciousness, Serven had been unable to hide anything from the Empress. It happened that way even if she didn’t intend to. But she didn’t think it was very strange. She didn’t think it would make much sense to hide something from someone who looked at him like that. Serven didn’t realize it, but the antipathy he had toward the empress had disappeared like melting snow since that day.
“Your Majesty did not mutate.”
“…yes?”
“Is that true?”
The two shadow knights opened their mouths at the same time with similar expressions. It was as absurd for them as for Lasilia.
“Then… No, then what does that mean?”
“It must be a demon.”
“Demons… Are you saying another demon has appeared?”
“I think so.”
Lasilia locked eyes with Decan. The concerns became real. There was a demon that took the consciousness of the imperial tailor and Duke Piellion. And then she appeared.
“Since His Majesty led the Royal Guard, people will not be confused about the existence of demons. That’s a good thing.”
“Beep!”
Pipi nodded his head. But saying “fortunate” was too optimistic. Decan spoke softly as if he was talking to himself.
“It’s the appearance of demons… There will be chaos in the empire. It’s also huge.”
No one could deny Decan’s words.
* * *
“…Oh, it’s fast too.”
If the black wings were fully spread, they could make an entire square as dark as night. Standing at the end of the tower in the central square of the capital, a demon with its wings spread narrowed its eyes and gazed into the distance. It looked clear. The sight of a being who inherited the blood of Bahamut riding a horse. The sight of it mixing with humans was quite believable. It was absurd, but he seemed almost human now.
“It’s hard, it’s hard.”
Saint Malik, who revealed himself as a demon, or rather, Hasdeya, a demon who usually wears the shell of Saint Malik and imitates a human, snapped his fingertip.
Warrrrrr…
Then, a building somewhere near the square collapsed.
“Aaaah!”
“Ugh!”
The screams and sounds of dying humans continued.
“You too will return eventually, Bahamut.”
Boom, boom!
Hasdeja strengthened his toes. Then, the tower made of smooth marble began to crumble little by little.
“I’m doing this troublesome thing to take you away.”
Hasdeja flapped his wings and lifted his body up. At the same time, the tower completely collapsed.
Whick!
Hasdeya flew in the opposite direction of the Royal Guard approaching from afar. Before that, Hasdeya did not forget to set fire to buildings that had not yet collapsed.
* * *
Knock knock.
This time it was a pigeon.
“Beep?”
Pipi found a pigeon sitting on the roof of the carriage, lowering its head and gently tapping on the window frame.
“Ha… Now even a carriage.”
Decan opened the window and quietly expressed his useless concerns. As expected, the pigeon passed by Decan intact and approached Lasilia’s side. The dove bowed her head as if bowing to Pipi and extended one of her paws to Lasilia.
“It’s you again. Great job.”
Lasilia untied the string that bound her paper and handed it to Decan. A pigeon sneaked up and tried to rub its head against Lasilia.
“Beep!”
At that time, Pipi suddenly hit the pigeon’s head with his foot.
“Goo!”
The pigeon was startled and made a crying sound. Pipi was merciless.
“Beep! Phee!”
Pipi scolded the pigeon for asking where it dared to sit and chased the pigeon out.
“Guu…”
The pigeon went out with its head down and landed on the roof of the carriage.
Serven looked at the scene with great interest and asked.
“Phoenix hates pigeon. Is there any reason? Has pigeon done something wrong?”
“Beep!”
Pipi screamed. The reason was a bit absurd. They said the pigeon was very rude.
“What are you saying? I think you gave me the answer.”
Lasilia looked at Serven for a moment before answering.
“Are you sure I understand Pipi’s words?”
“Hmm? Of course it wasn’t like that, was it?”
Serven looked genuinely embarrassed.
“Isn’t the Phoenix the Empress’s majesty’s bird? Isn’t it even weirder that we can’t communicate with each other?”
That’s how it was from other people’s perspectives. Lasilia realized that the efforts she had made to avoid being trapped in the misunderstanding of being a companion were futile. She already thought of herself as a true companion to everyone except herself. Decan, who noticed the strange expression Lasilia was making, added her words.
“It was something that could not be hidden from the beginning, Your Majesty.”
“…I think so.”
Lasilia let out a small sigh and Serven gave her a puzzled look.
“There must be something I don’t know about. Did you make a mistake? Should I just keep my mouth shut?”
“Beep!”
Pipi gave the answer. Pipi flapped his wings and continued to get angry. The question was as to why no one knew that that pigeon was rude. Lasilia was in a fuss, telling Serven to tell her what she said. Lasilia placed Pipi in her hands and did as she pleased.
“He said the pigeon was rude.”
“Ah? Did you? Do birds also have a complex etiquette system?”
“Well… But I don’t know what kind of rudeness the pigeon committed.”
“Beep!”
He said that she was proud, but it was rude for her to snap at Lasilia and it was rude for her to stick her foot out.
“That’s because I had to release the secret letter.”
“Beep!”
“How do you untie a string with a bird’s beak? Even you can’t do that.”
“Beep!”
“Pigeon should take care of that on its own. That’s too harsh.”
“Beep! Beep!”
Pipi turned his pack head. However, his butt was still pressed against the back of Lasilia’s hand, so it seemed like he wasn’t just pouting.
“That is… It looks like someone…”
Serven muttered softly, like a sigh.
“If Your Majesty were to become a baby bird, it would definitely be like this… No, I made a mistake. Please pretend you didn’t hear this.”
Serven awkwardly scratched the back of his head and brought Decan with him to change the subject.
“Have you seen all the secret letters? What happened this time? Has the situation become more serious?”
“That is… no. I think we can just return to the imperial palace like this.”
“Hmm? What about demons?”
“It’s gone. Before the Royal Guard showed up.”
“What… Are you saying you just watched the passage? No, they are demons?”
“Whatever it is, it seems to mean that it was not the intention to confront the imperial family head-on.”
“Then you were just trying to scare me? Something is a bit unclear.”
Lasilia asked.
“Did he just show himself and disappear? Or did you do something else?”
“It looks like there is damage to the central square. They say there are several dead people. I am of the opinion that it is not a very big disaster due to the devil’s actions.”
“Still, the feelings of those who lost their family will be different. You will need a place to express your anger and resentment. As the number of such people increases, the issue of demonic blood passing on to the imperial family will once again surface.”
Decan looked a little surprised. It was the same with Serven. If she were the Empress of Cartagena, she would not have paid any attention to what others did. After losing her memories, the Empress not only had a different personality, but also gained a keen sense of politics.
“I can’t tell you that I think differently, Your Majesty.”
Lasilia, who had been contemplating her thoughts with her brows narrowed, opened her mouth again.
“I think I know why the temple wrote her complaint against the empress.”
The shadow knights’ ears perked up.
“What is that?”
“Please tell me.”
“Beep!”
The narrowed eyebrows looked heavy. Perhaps due to her mood, his voice sounded softer and heavier than usual.
“The mark disappeared, and it was revealed that the empress had been hiding the fact for four years, and when a demon appeared and killed the person… What do people suspect first?”
Decan and Serven’s expressions hardened.
“You must be suspicious of Your Majesty. The demons were revealed because they could not subordinate their blood.”
It was correct. What the temple was aiming for was not the empress’ reputation. The indictment and trial were intended to attract attention from the beginning. It was a means of signaling the disappearance of her mark and eventually turning the arrow to the Emperor.
“Then… The emergence of demons may be just beginning.”
It was an undeniable statement. Something was starting. On the fate of the emperor and his companion.
* * *
“We have arrived, Her Majesty. But do you really want to get off?”
The carriage stopped. However, it was not the imperial palace, but near the central square of the capital where the disaster caused by the demons occurred.
“Even though they have disappeared, you never know when the demon will reappear.”
“Still, it is necessary.”
Lasilia pointed to the door of her carriage.
“If the Unmarked Empress could become a weakness for her imperial family, she cannot allow that to happen. I had better show her at Her Majesty’s side.”
Serven sighed briefly before opening the carriage door.
“I can agree with this a hundred times over, but I am a little worried about Your Majesty’s reaction. I think she will be angry with me if she finds out that I brought Her Majesty to a place like this. I’ve already been demoted, but if His Majesty gets angry… No, this sounds too much like whining. I apologize, Your Majesty. I will open the door.”
Serben realized that he had spoken too much and shyly closed his mouth.
Rattling.
The carriage door opened. Serben, who got off first, turned towards Lasilia and held out his hand.
“Get off. The steps are narrow, so watch her heels.”
“Of course. And your Majesty, don’t worry too much.”
“Yes?”
Serben held Lasilia’s hand and lifted her head.
“I’m the one who insisted on coming here, so I’ll tell you that. Please don’t get angry with me.”
Then Serven tightened her hand holding Lasilia like someone who was embarrassed.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Yes? Oh no… that is… It was something that came out without thinking, but it was because you paid attention to it…”
It was something he didn’t expect, so it surprised him, but it somehow sounded so sweet that it was a moment when Serven couldn’t properly say that he didn’t know what to do.
“Let go of that hand.”
Serven quickly turned his head at the sudden sound of Lescal’s voice.
“Your Majesty? When…”
“Hand.”
“Yes?”
Lescal, who had narrowed the distance in two steps, grabbed Serven’s arm and said.
“Let go of your hand.”
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on March, 31.
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