Episode 2

Trevor, nestled in his father’s arms, raised both hands high and exclaimed joyfully.

His round emerald eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Wolves! I want to see wolves!”

“Do you like wolves that much?”

“I love wolves!”

As Trevor wriggled and bounced in excitement, Sione and Aiden exchanged amused smiles, shaking their heads in exasperation.

Trevor had always been fond of animals, but ever since he first encountered wolves last year, he had been utterly captivated by them.

For a while, he would run around on all fours, howling like a wolf, much to everyone’s amusement.

The memory of that wolf encounter remained vivid for Sione as well.

The pack of dozens had circled them briefly before disappearing into the forest, almost as if they were offering a wordless blessing to enter their territory.

If they wanted to see the wolves again this year, they needed to reach the northern mountains before the first snowfall.

Calculating the timing in her mind, Sione gently tickled Trevor’s cheek and said, “We’ll have to leave soon if we want to visit the snowy mountains before the ground freezes.”

At her words, Aiden looked slightly concerned.

He had only mentioned the wolves to cheer up their sulking son, but now it seemed likely his stepdaughter, Her Majesty the Emperor, might be the one to sulk.

“Her Majesty might feel a little hurt,” he murmured.

“We’ll be back by spring,” Sione replied with a chuckle.

Still, Aiden couldn’t help but think that this time, Lothania might seriously consider relocating the Tilender Grand Duchy closer to the capital.

* * *

Sione, Aiden, and Trevor spent a peaceful day together at the Empress Consort’s palace, a residence dedicated to Sione by Lothania.

As the sun set, Lothania and Melbrid returned to the imperial palace from their honeymoon.

The moment Lothania entered the palace, she headed straight for Sione’s residence.

“Trevor!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Trevor! Have you forgotten already? It’s not ‘Your Majesty,’ it’s ‘sister’!”

“Sister Majesty!”

“That’s right! My clever little brother!”

Lothania lifted Trevor into her arms and spun him around in circles.

The sound of his laughter echoed high, and those around them couldn’t help but join in the mirth.

Sione wrapped both Lothania and Trevor in a warm embrace and asked, “Welcome back, Lottie. Did you enjoy your trip?”

“Yes, Mother. Thanks to you, I was able to relax completely. Thank you.”

Lothania rested her forehead against Sione’s shoulder as she answered.

The honeymoon had been a rare and refreshing reprieve.

Having severed the ancient pacts of the Luminal imperial line to ascend the throne, Lothania constantly felt the weight of becoming a greater emperor than her predecessors.

Though Melbrid was always by her side, there were moments when she wished to set everything aside and simply rest.

Understanding this, Sione had stepped in willingly to bear Lothania’s burdens for a time.

And Lothania, in turn, deeply appreciated Sione’s devotion.

Between mother and daughter, bound not by blood but by unyielding love, stood Trevor. He wrapped his short arms around both of them, laughing gleefully.

Lothania peppered Trevor’s cheeks with kisses and asked, “Are you happy, Trevor?”

“I’m happy because Mother and Sister are with me!”

“That’s right, Trevor. We’re family, and we’ll always be together.”

When Lothania had lost her father at the hands of kin and faced threats to her own life, Sione had been her salvation under the name of family.

For Lothania, even a brother without shared blood was still family.

She resolved to be the same salvation for her younger brother if he ever needed her.

This bond, unbound by blood or ancient pacts, had an uncertain future, but for now, it held strong.

Many still expressed concerns about their unconventional family, while others sought to exploit their ties to gain power within Belpator.

But within the circle of their shared laughter, Sione, Lothania, and Trevor found their unwavering unity.

Little did the foolish hopefuls realize that this bond of trust and affection was the very foundation that supported the Belpator Empire.

The five people who were each other’s only family sat together at one table.

As the conversation turned to events during the honeymoon, Lothania brought up Vitrain.

“The stoic eagle of Belpator is a thing of the past, Mother. You wouldn’t believe how much of a doting father Duke Kidmillan has become. Every chance he gets, he brags about his daughter.”

“Vitrain? A doting father? I’ve heard his personality changed after marriage, but is it that extreme?”

“He’s like a completely different person. Sometimes, I wonder if he’s even the same Duke Kidmillan.”

Still, Lothania added with an exaggerated shrug, he seemed much happier now.

Sione nodded, recalling the Vitrain of the past—strong but always carrying an air of emptiness.

It hadn’t been long after Sione and Aiden’s wedding that Vitrain married as well. His bride was his first love, the woman who had once been his brother’s wife.

Sione didn’t know the details of how their intertwined fates eventually brought them together, but Vitrain’s happiness on his wedding day had been undeniable.

Looking around the table now, Sione saw smiles on the faces of Aiden, Vitrain, and Melbrid—men who had once been beasts or nearly became them.

Reflecting on how the struggles of six years ago had led to this present happiness, Sione felt a deep sense of gratitude.

Lothania, watching Sione and Aiden lost in thought, casually shifted the conversation.

“You know, having a daughter seems nice. What do you think, Mother?”

“Lottie, are you already planning for children during your honeymoon?”

“Not me, Mother! I meant you! Don’t you think it’d be wonderful if Tilender had a daughter who resembled you? She’d be absolutely adorable!”

Turning her attention from Sione to Aiden, Lothania teased with a mischievous grin.

Aiden, who had firmly decided against a second child after witnessing Sione’s struggles during Trevor’s birth, found himself momentarily swayed. The thought of a little girl who looked like Sione tugged at his heart, and before he realized it, the corners of his lips were twitching upward.

Seeing Aiden struggling to suppress his expression, Sione’s laughter softened her features. Taking Lothania’s hand in hers, she spoke gently.

“But I already have a daughter who is absolutely lovely.”

“Oh, Mother…”

This time, it was Lothania whose smile grew wide and proud.

Watching them, Trevor suddenly jumped to his feet and shouted, “Father and Sister have the same smile!”

Lothania and Aiden exchanged amused glances, and laughter rippled around the table, filling the room with warmth.

* * *

That night, Lothania sat up in bed, her long, disheveled hair falling over her shoulders.

Draping a gown over her bare skin, she followed the faint light seeping through the crack in the door.

Outside the inner chamber, Melbrid sat at a desk, illuminated by candlelight, sorting through a stack of documents.

Lothania wrapped her arms around him from behind, her voice tinged with a playful complaint.

“Mel, what are you doing, leaving me alone?”

“I thought you were asleep,” he replied, his cheeks faintly reddened as he offered a half-hearted excuse. Despite her presence, his hands didn’t leave the papers.

Sione had already taken care of most of the urgent matters, so there wasn’t much left undone. But Melbrid had thought that reviewing the documents in advance might ease Lothania’s transition back to her duties the following day.

Lothania, however, had other ideas. She plucked the papers from his hands, set them aside, and seated herself on the desk.

A smile tugged at Melbrid’s lips as Lothania leaned closer, her lips nearing his.

Her golden hair, cascading like threads of silk, draped over his shoulders, carrying a soft floral fragrance that made his breath hitch.

Unconsciously, Melbrid tightened his grip on the armrest of his chair.

Looking down at him with languid eyes, Lothania spoke in a teasing tone, her voice carrying an undercurrent of mischief.

“I thought I was with my husband, but it seems the Chief Secretary has entered my chambers without permission?”

“That’s not the case, Your Majesty.”

“‘Your Majesty’? And you say it’s not the case?”

Her crimson eyes sparkled brilliantly, even in the dim light, like jewels catching the sun.

Melbrid had always thought of her radiance as something one could hardly dare to meet directly.

His violet gaze, which had wandered in the shadows cast by the candlelight, finally met his sun.

“Lottie.”

The name, reserved for only two people in the world, was both a promise of forever and the essence of their bond.

Every time he spoke the name of the most cherished person in the Empire, Melbrid was reminded of who he was.

The bloodline of a sinner who had nearly become a beast, the man with the lowest status in the imperial palace, and the audacious Chief Secretary favored by the Emperor.

No matter what the world called him, he was the one who loved the Emperor.

Since his foolish youth, when he had blushed while holding Lothania’s small hand, Melbrid’s feelings had remained unwavering.

Lothania, her large eyes crinkling with affection, placed a light kiss on his lips.

“Alright, Mel. Are you going to sleep now?”

Melbrid extended his arms, pulling Lothania close as he stood.

Carrying her back to bed, he whispered, “What should we do? I’m not sleepy yet.”

Meeting his deepening violet eyes, Lothania laughed softly from within his embrace.

“Oh? Neither am I. What should we do?”

Her clear laughter melted into the night, followed by a kiss that deepened as the hours stretched on.