Episode 101

I was startled when I saw the face of the child Vitrain was holding.

Not only was the child astonishingly adorable, but more so because the face resembled Vitrain so much.

“Vitrain, is this your child?”

“It’s my nephew.”

Vitrain replied with an exasperated expression, and I nodded in understanding.

When Vitrain placed the child on the ground, the little one lifted their tiny hands and gracefully raised the hem of their garment to offer a formal greeting.

As I acknowledged the greeting, the child, embarrassed, quickly hid behind their mother.

So, that adorable child was the heir of the Kidmillan Duchy, the one rumored to dress up dolls with seasonal outfits.

And the elegant lady must be the wife of the former eagle, Vitrain’s sister-in-law—his first love, no less.

There seemed to be a lot of history between them, but their atmosphere together was unexpectedly amicable.

Above all, I appreciated that Vitrain hadn’t come alone. After all, I only have two hands, so I wouldn’t have been able to hold his hand as well.

Smiling at the child peeking out from behind their mother’s skirt, I turned to Vitrain and said, “Your nephew resembles you quite a bit.”

“I resemble my older brother a lot.”

Vitrain’s expression softened as he looked down at his nephew.

The last time he had spoken about his brother, he had seemed uneasy, but today, there was none of that discomfort.

I didn’t know much about the Kidmillan family’s internal affairs, but perhaps something had happened to resolve whatever lingering resentment he had been holding onto.

I hoped that was the case. As I mused on this, Vitrain, looking relieved, glanced at me, Lothania, and Aiden before saying, “You look well, Your Majesty.”

“Nothing is as wonderful as a family that cherishes one another. You look well too.”

“Indeed. Thank you.”

The Vitrain who once vowed to slay the eagle was now smiling as he looked after the family his brother had left behind.

As the founding festival of Belpator began, all the Luminals, Tilenders, and Kidmillans walked side by side into the banquet hall.

Passing through the nobles bowing their heads and stepping aside, I thought of Zernia, who wasn’t with us.

Three hundred years ago, the three beasts became Emperor Barbados I’s friends. Why, then, was the legacy they left to their descendants akin to a leash of servitude?

Why did a relationship founded on friendship end in what seemed like a cursed form of obedience?

On the first day of the founding festival commemorating the friendship of Barbados I and the three beasts, the serpent that had bitten its master remained locked in a prison. The dog and the eagle, having lost their master, finally found peace with their families.

I smiled alongside the still-unawakened Lothania, though a part of my heart felt heavy with conflicting thoughts.

* * *

The five-day festival passed in a whirlwind.

The founding festival games concluded with the victory of the dog. The citizens of the Empire enjoyed the celebrations more than ever before.

Music echoed throughout the imperial palace day and night.

Everyone had such remarkable stamina.

Exhausted after four consecutive nights of banquets, I decided, as I had warned, not to attend the final night’s banquet.

Though the Empress’s palace was quite far from the main palace, I could still hear the music from the banquet hall.

Closing the bedroom window tightly, I resolved to go to bed early.

As I lay in bed and closed my eyes, I heard a strange sound from somewhere.

Tap, tap, tap.

At first, I thought I had imagined it.

When the same sound came again, I figured it might be leaves blown by the wind tapping on the window.

Then, I heard the tapping once more and rose from bed to approach the window.

Through the curtain, I could see the shadow of someone outside.

Startled, I almost called for help, but the shadow cast by the moonlight was familiar.

Cautiously, I drew back the curtain to find Aiden standing outside the window.

“Aiden?”

When we had parted earlier in front of my bedroom, he had been wearing his ceremonial guard uniform. But now, outside the window, Aiden was dressed in a black suit.

I opened the window to let him in and asked, “Why are you out there?”

“The boutique sent another suit.”

Aiden smiled as he answered in a way that made no sense.

It was a beautiful smile, yet it carried a dangerous air.

Lately, Aiden had been as gentle as a tame puppy. I had almost forgotten.

Forgotten that he was once the most brazen beast in the Empire.

I adored Aiden, but when he wore that expression, he was dangerous in many ways.

When the beasts showed a different glint in their eyes, one had to remain calm.

That was a lesson I had learned after months of tug-of-war among the beasts.

First, I examined the suit he was wearing.

As he said, it wasn’t the one I had purchased. Madame Rosalyn must have sent an additional suit as a service.

I had always thought Madame Rosalyn was excellent at business. She also made exquisite clothes.

The suit, in black fabric with green accents, seemed designed to complement the emerald brooch I had bought for him.

As I admired how striking the black looked on him, I asked, “Did you come to show off your suit?”

Aiden smiled wider and nodded. “Do you like it?”

I wasn’t sure why he needed to climb through the window to show me the suit, but it was stunning.

“Yes, it’s beautiful. It suits you well.”

He seemed pleased by my honest answer and took a step closer to me.

“Tonight, all love is forgiven.”

What an absurd statement. And why was his gaze growing increasingly intense?

As I hesitated, unsure of how to respond after so long, Aiden slid forward and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Will you forgive this love?”

Dazed by his intoxicating smile, I was momentarily entranced before realizing something strange about his words.

“Are you saying that on this night, where all love is forgiven, you came to me because you need forgiveness? Aiden, have you fallen in love with someone else?”

If that were true, I wouldn’t forgive him.

Even if he had committed murder, I would ask for his reasons first. But if he had found another love, none of that mattered.

When I glared at him, Aiden released my waist, stepped back, and let out a sigh.

Gone was the sly smile, replaced by an incredulous and aggrieved expression.

“How could that be? My heart isn’t even enough to love you fully.”

“Then why are you saying such strange things? Even Lothania accepted you, so what forgiveness are you talking about?”

“Her Highness the Crown Princess may have accepted me, but Your Majesty cannot forgive yourself.”

His words were nonsensical, yet they made a strange sort of sense.

It was no secret that I liked Aiden and that he was my lover.

Since deciding to accept my feelings, I had been trying my best to be honest with them.

But the very fact that I had to try my best to be honest with my feelings was strange.

I adored Aiden, loved him deeply, yet I couldn’t completely free myself from the sense of duty tied to my role.

Every time someone addressed me as Empress, I questioned whether my feelings were justified.

I thought I had hidden it well, but had he noticed and adjusted for me?

Was that why, on this night where all love is forgiven, he had come to me in secret?

A whirlwind of emotions surged within me, leaving me unsure of what to say.

As I silently stared at him, Aiden reached out a hand to me.

“Sione.”

He called my name.

The name I had almost forgotten myself because it hadn’t been spoken for so long.

“Tonight, I’ve come to kiss you. Will you take my hand?”

Faced with his fearless gaze, I felt my face flush.

To say he came to kiss me—it was such a brazen and sweet declaration.

“Sione.”

When I hesitated, Aiden called my name again in a pleading tone.

It was just my name, yet hearing it made my heart race more than any confession of love ever had.

Slowly, I reached out and placed my hand in his large, warm one.

Aiden lifted my hand, kissed the back of it, and placed it on his shoulder.

Then, he leaned toward me.

He wasn’t approaching the Empress of Belpator or the Crown Princess’s stepmother. He was approaching me.

As he drew closer, I thought his crimson eyes must feel searingly hot to the touch.

That thought likely arose because his lips, when they met mine, were so warm.

As his breathing grew urgent, I closed my eyes.

The following year, and the year after that.

I spent the last night of the founding festival with Aiden, just the two of us.

Two festivals later, a few days before Lothania’s fifteenth birthday, something changed.

Lothania awakened.

The moment the beasts’ new master appeared, everything changed.