Episode 102. A Changed Daily Life (2)

My response made Percy tilt his head in curiosity.

“A honeymoon?”

Oops. It seemed like the concept didn’t exist in this world. I nodded.

“Yes, it’s a trip taken to celebrate the marriage. Have you ever traveled outside the capital?”

In *Victorian Love*, most of the setting was centered around the Bohan estate, so during my time playing the game, I didn’t really get to see much of the rest of the world.

‘That’s probably because I only played the early parts of the game… I suppose the protagonist might have gone shopping or participated in festivals, but nothing more than that.’

Unless the protagonist had some special reason, there wouldn’t have been much need to leave the capital.

So, I was curious. What was the world outside the capital like? Was the game’s world built up to that extent?

Percy quickly provided an answer.

“I have. I was originally stationed in the North. I had to return after just a year because I achieved too many military successes.”

Ah, the North!

‘Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing something about that. He didn’t always work in the capital, after all.’

The fact that it was the North among all directions meant that this game had taken some cues from other similar settings: a cold, harsh region where barbarians roamed.

‘To be honest, it’s a bit cliché.’

I was pouting at the thought when I looked up, realizing something in Percy’s answer didn’t quite add up.

“But you said you returned because you achieved too many successes? Shouldn’t that have been a reason to stay longer as a reward?”

Wouldn’t returning to the capital be considered a reward? I blinked in confusion, and Percy shrugged.

“Yes. But His Majesty grew jealous of my rising fame.”

“Why would he be jealous of that?”

“Think about your father. Try to imagine what his reasons might have been.”

“…”

Right, the late Emperor was a piece of trash.

‘But still, to be jealous of a subordinate’s hard work instead of praising it…’

He was indeed a waste of space. No wonder gentle Julius had committed patricide to seize the throne.

I must have unconsciously made a face. Percy’s long fingers brushed against the corner of my eyes, his touch warm and unfamiliar without his usual gloves.

“Don’t make that face. Honestly, it didn’t matter much to me. The North wasn’t as stifling as the capital, and you were here in the capital.”

His calm, detached blue eyes seemed to genuinely convey that it didn’t matter to him whether he was in the North or the capital. It wasn’t a lie; it probably didn’t matter to him at all. No matter where he was or what he did, the world would have continued to follow its predetermined scenario. For someone aware of the existence of such a script, it must have been an immense burden.

Imagining what that must have been like, I shivered.

“…I think I understand why you seemed so obsessed with entertainment.”

“Obsessed with entertainment? That’s a new term to me.”

“Of course, it is. I just made it up.”

I recalled how he had looked at me with curious eyes when we first met. Perhaps he had been intrigued by me not as Sienna Liata, but as the person I truly was.

But the past wasn’t the most important thing right now. I clenched my fists with determination.

“I’ve never been outside the capital, so I’d like to go on a trip with you and see different places.”

“A trip…”

Percy murmured.

Percy loosened his grip around my waist and seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he looked up, meeting my gaze. His crimson eyes sparkled with newfound energy.

“In that case, how about visiting Stewart?” he suggested.

“Your estate?” I asked.

Percy gently corrected me, his thumb brushing across my lips as he spoke in a soft tone. “It would be more appropriate to call it *our* estate, wouldn’t you say, my wife? And if your brother grants us independence, it could become our own country.”

I realized that, as Sienna Stewart now, I shouldn’t refer to him so formally. But hearing him call me “wife” still felt strange and unfamiliar, making my face heat up. I pushed his hand away, embarrassed.

“Why do you speak so distantly? You could just call him His Majesty, you know,” I retorted.

“He’d probably prefer being called your brother rather than His Majesty,” Percy replied with a mischievous smile.

“As if,” I scoffed. Real siblings don’t enjoy being called anything but distant. That’s just how it is.

I let out a small laugh, but Percy, with a tone as sly as Mephistopheles, whispered, “If you doubt me, why don’t you go and ask him? Say something like, ‘Give me a wedding present as grand as your love for me.’ He might offer you something even better than Stewart.”

“…You definitely seem to have something up your sleeve,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.

Why was he encouraging me like this?

When I gave him a suspicious look, Percy responded by placing a light kiss on the corner of my eye. With him acting like this, it was hard to keep questioning him, so I rubbed my eye and changed the subject.

“Anyway, does that mean you agree with going on a trip instead of holding a grand banquet?”

“Traveling with you sounds delightful. Besides, I’ve hardly spent any time at the estate myself,” Percy admitted.

Stewart estate… I stared at Percy, a thought creeping into my mind. Hesitantly, I asked, “Is Stewart perhaps a cold and barren place?”

“No, it’s not,” Percy replied.

Not cold? Maybe our definitions of barren differ? I decided to ask for more details.

“It’s not a place where it snows all year round, food is scarce, and barbarians attack frequently? Really?”

“I’m not sure where these ideas are coming from, but it’s warmer than the capital and has clear skies most of the year. There’s also a vast ocean.”

Surprised by his answer, I let out an awkward laugh and nodded.

“Alright, let’s go to Stewart then.”

* * *

As the newly titled Sienna Stewart, I still needed Julius’s permission to leave the capital. After all, he was the Emperor, and I was the only other remaining member of the imperial family.

‘Well, there’s no real reason for Julius to refuse, right? It’s just a honeymoon, after all,’

I thought nonchalantly as I headed to see him. But to my surprise, Julius practically shouted as soon as I mentioned it.

“Where do you think you’re going?! Can’t you see that your poor brother is about to die from overwork?!”

When will Julius ever grow up? Watching my overly dramatic brother try to prevent his one and only sister’s honeymoon, I couldn’t help but look at him with a mix of pity and frustration.

“People don’t die that easily,” I replied.

“You’re really too harsh on me,” he pouted.

Who’s being harsh here?

A maid placed a teacup on the table opposite Julius, and I sat down quietly across from him. As he dropped sugar cubes into my tea, Julius continued to grumble about how unfairly I treated him.

“I’m working so hard for you, yet all you want to do is go off and have fun by yourself. I’d love to go on a trip with you too, you know. I have a villa that’s twice the size of Stewart’s castle.”

He sounded like a little kid bragging about his toys. I picked up my teacup and chuckled before asking.

“So, how does it feel to finally have that freedom you’ve always wanted?”

Pushing a plate of sweets toward me, Julius shrugged.

“It’s exhilarating. For the first time, I understand that freedom comes with responsibility.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, intrigued.

“It means that while I used to be unable to die no matter what, now I can,” he explained.

“Ah.”

This world was the world of a game, where a single line in the narration—“The Emperor and the Five Dukes existed”—meant that no matter what happened, the dukes could never oppose the Emperor. But now that the game had ended and the scenario that governed the world was over, the Emperor’s position was no longer as secure as it once was.

‘This must be unsettling for Julius,’ I thought.

In a way, Julius might have been more at ease if he had the same absolute power as the previous Emperor. As I pondered this, my lips pressed into a thin line. But Julius let out a light, almost deflating laugh.

“Don’t make that face. This is what life is, after all. And, well, living in fear of death has always been my specialty,” he said with a surprisingly lighthearted expression.

It wasn’t just a comforting lie—he genuinely seemed relieved. Realizing this, I finally allowed myself to smile.

“Right, you and cockroaches are impossible to kill,” I teased.

“Still, you could show a bit more concern,” he replied, feigning hurt.

“Are you stupid? Of course, I’m worried.”

“…I see.”

Julius leaned in slightly, reaching out to gently pat my head as if I were a child.

“My sweet little sister. Is going to Stewart the only thing you want from your brother? Nothing else you’d like?”

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, I remembered what Percy had mentioned before I came here. Tilting my head slightly, I decided to bring it up.

“And a wedding gift, too.”

At my words, Julius flinched, his tone growing noticeably stiffer as he asked.

“Did the Duke of Stewart ask for an independent duchy?”

This man’s intuition was uncanny.

‘Did he already know Percy would suggest such a thing?’

I couldn’t help but wonder if I was being caught up in a battle of wits between the two.