Chapter 61
Leticia felt burdened by the way she was being stared at.
Was it because of her connection to the Empire that I disliked her?
Even though relations with the Emperor had soured, the Empire was still the Empire.
She was the Queen of Brevant, and her presence only fueled the already strained relationship.
Leticia approached the Pope, who welcomed her with a smile, as if he had been waiting.
“You must be exhausted; it would be best for you to stay here for a while.”
“Your Holiness, is it really okay for me to be here? Is it right for me to receive this help…?”
She fiddled with her hands anxiously as she asked.
Though she had escaped with the Pope’s help, uneasiness continued to linger around her.
“Arden is probably scouring the kingdom to find you.
But he won’t make a fuss that would allow the story to leak…
The moment he realizes you’re gone, the Emperor will act immediately.”
“…I’ve been meaning to ask. How much do you know, Your Holiness?”
Her golden eyes, now cold and sharp, locked onto him.
It was crucial to first determine whether he was on her side.
Knowing how much to trust him would help her decide the path ahead.
The Pope gently stroked his chin and then looked up at the sky.
His silver hair swayed in the breeze.
Following his gaze, Leticia also looked up at the sky.
Contrary to her troubled heart, the sky was a clear, brilliant blue.
The cloudless sky resembled a lake, and even the wind brushing past felt like gentle ripples.
There must have been a reason the Pope called her to this place instead of meeting indoors.
“Elrosha was a bright person. She cherished and loved you more than anyone.”
He smiled wistfully.
“I still can’t forget the last thing she said to me, the only request she ever made.”
“…What did my mother say? Did she leave any special message?”
Leticia leaned forward and took a step closer.
As her hair fluttered, it was as if the night sky unfolded around her, with her golden eyes gleaming like stars.
The color that had lost its light in the darkness now shimmered with new life.
Her clenched fists trembled slightly.
“Please tell me.”
She had intended to wait patiently, but now she took another step closer, her voice firm with urgency.
Kabita had said she wouldn’t reveal anything, but perhaps the Pope would be different.
Leticia was no longer calm.
Whenever her mother’s name was mentioned, the emotions she had buried deep within her heart surged to the surface.
Her mother was the one she missed and longed for the most.
She wanted to cry in her mother’s arms, like a child, overwhelmed by everything she had endured alone.
If her mother had been there, would things have been different?
She wasn’t trying to find the reason why her mother had died, abandoned by the one she loved.
It was simply a desperate hope that maybe there had been another path.
“I hope you can understand. I can’t tell you everything, but know that Elrosha is always watching over you, so don’t worry.”
“…How can I know that, when I can’t see her?”
“Sometimes, what we see with our eyes isn’t all there is.”
It was another vague response.
Just like Kabita, the Pope avoided speaking directly about Elrosha.
Leticia let out a bitter laugh and dropped her head in resignation.
“Your Holiness, what was your reason for helping me? I reached out for help, recalling that you were my mother’s friend, but it feels as though you also have something you desire from me.”
Her gaze suddenly changed.
If help was available, she had to take it.
Until she could stand on her own, she would not reject the hands extended toward her.
If that was the way she could survive, it didn’t matter what it took.
She now had a desperate reason.
‘I will protect you.’
She would not allow anyone to take her or place her in danger.
Even if she had to die, she would protect this child.
She would not leave her to stand helplessly before death as she had once done.
“I’ve located the elves, Elrosha’s kin. I rescued them from the Empire’s grasp.”
“…Elves.”
A strong gust of wind blew, scattering her hair.
She closed her eyes briefly, feeling the air around her as the wind swept over her as if to comfort her.
“Just as you suspected, Kabita and I know about your previous life, not just this one. The Empire capturing elves is connected to you as well.”
“I know. I’ve experienced it in my past life—how he wanted me.”
“But why does the Emperor desire me?”
“Because you were born with the power of the elves.”
“…But I’m only half. I can’t give him the immortality he seeks.”
“I think what the Emperor wants from you is something different. People often desire what no one else can possess.”
“That doesn’t make sense to me.”
“You are the only half-elf in existence. That alone makes you rare. The Emperor is someone who must have everything, no matter what it is.”
All for such a reason?
Leticia ground her teeth.
She thought there would be another reason.
It made her furious to realize that he had committed such cruel acts just to possess her.
“If I had left Arden and gone to the Emperor in my past life, would others not have died?”
“Who knows.”
The Pope responded with a cold smile.
So, it wasn’t just about possessing her?
“He knew that an elf who isn’t loved will die.”
“…So, he destroyed everything, not just me.”
“He likely knew—or at least believed—that your heart already belonged to someone. Or he might have deluded himself into thinking that you loved him.”
“That’s ridiculous…!”
“Is it really so ridiculous? Think back to your conversations with Kadius.”
Kadius had known that Arden didn’t love her.
Since he had watched her struggle, he probably thought she was faltering.
‘That’s absurd. It was just a complaint. Just venting about Arden, nothing more.’
She had thought it was no more than that—a grievance shared with a friend.
The Pope’s words left her speechless.
Had the things she said to Kadius given him false hope?
“I never loved Kadius, only Arden. I loved him until the end.”
She was honest about her feelings.
This, at least, she could say with confidence.
For her, no one other than Arden had ever been allowed into her heart.
If she had chosen someone else, perhaps she wouldn’t have perished.
Maybe, like a flower in bloom, she would have lived each day full of life.
Not as a withering tree, nor as a woman desperate for love, but…
As someone who was loved—bright, without a shadow—who brought light to the kingdom.
That was why she tried to believe in him again upon her return.
She hoped that the slightly different version of him might mean things could change between them.
Perhaps their relationship could be different this time…
But all of that had been an illusion, shattered into pieces.
“Don’t make that face—it’s not your fault. Why are you trying to find a reason for Kadius’s behavior in yourself, when it stems from his inherent madness?”
The Pope placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a faint smile.
Had he cornered her to make her realize something?
Leticia wore an expression of confusion, unsure of his intentions.
“You must have had a reason to try to run away. Now it’s time to discuss that. The reason you’ve come here is for the sake of your body.”
“…Is it similar to what Lord Kabita did when he gave me strength?”
“Yes. From now on, come here once a day to replenish your life force. It’s precarious, but strangely, as he said, your body seems to be holding on.”
It was strange. Arden didn’t love her, and yet…
Rather than withering away, her life force remained intact.
Leticia tilted her head in response to the Pope’s words.
She should have withered without love.
Yet, the life force she carried was strong.
That was why the Pope had tried to gauge her heart—perhaps the process hadn’t fully started yet.
“Even Lord Kabita mentioned something similar. Though I still don’t understand…”
Naturally, she was supposed to fade, like a forsaken tree waiting for death, or a lake slowly drying up…
In the end, she was meant to disappear, leaving nothing behind.
“Are you absolutely certain that the King doesn’t love you?”
The question made her chuckle softly.
There was no room for doubt.
Without hesitation, she answered the Pope.
“He doesn’t love me.”
“And how can you be so sure?”
“Your Holiness, I carry his child. But he told me that he could never have a child. Do you now understand why I fled, unable to hope for his love?”
He never loved her. He never wanted a child.
Even the child she carried would be denied.
He might even strangle her, demanding to know whose child it was.
After all, he truly believed that he was incapable of having children.
“I want to save this child. Even if I have to die… I just want to save this child.”
Her golden eyes brimmed with sorrow as she wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach.
