Chapter 84
“Your Majesty, please… save my husband.”
At Seriniel’s plea, Johan looked at her with eyes filled with a multitude of emotions.
[Why is she so precious to you? That lady.]
When was it? On some battlefield, perhaps. Johan had said this out of frustration, watching Lexion, who always lived with Seriniel in his thoughts yet couldn’t dare approach her.
[You’ve never really met her properly. She might not be as great as you think. Why do you always act like such a fool over a woman you barely know, one you’ve only glimpsed at a debutante ball?]
Johan sometimes couldn’t understand.
Why was he so desperate? Without truly knowing her.
Why did he long for her so achingly? Without even having proper memories to hold on to. Why?
In Johan’s eyes, Lexion was an exceptionally good person.
Of course, there were plenty of grim rumors about him, but Johan believed. He believed that someday, someone would come to understand the true heart of Lexion Rosenvester and love him sincerely.
That’s why it was even harder to understand. To him, Lexion seemed to lack nothing, yet he suffered daily because of Seriniel, whom he barely knew. A woman he had merely passed by at a debutante ball.
[She is very brave, wise, beautiful, kind, and gentle.]
And every time, Lexion would answer like this.
[There’s no one like her in this world, only Seriniel Verdellete is like that.]
…So he could only keep her in his heart, never forgetting, and looking up to her.
Johan didn’t believe his words.
He thought it was just because Lexion was in love. When you have feelings for someone, you naturally see them in a positive light. He thought it was simply because Lexion had fallen deeply in love.
But Johan realized he was wrong.
On the contrary, Lexion’s words were true.
“……”
The emperor looked at Seriniel with a complicated expression.
The woman before him showed no sign of fear or hesitation as she continued to speak, even before the emperor.
“Your Majesty… I don’t know what you are worried about, but now is the time to fight.”
[This is not the time to think, but to make a decision.]
Lexion’s words from their previous meeting overlapped with Seriniel’s voice.
“Save the Duke and save yourself, Your Majesty.”
“The Duke told me the same thing before. If you have something to protect, never back down and fight to the end.”
Surprised by the emperor’s sudden words, Seriniel hesitated.
“Are you the same?”
“……”
“Is that why you brought this to me?”
“……Yes. I must protect my husband.”
Seriniel replied with a breaking voice.
“Until now, he has protected me, so I too will fight without backing down.”
The emperor vividly remembered what Lexion had told him.
Even if your teeth are pulled, you must bite fiercely, and even if your fingers break, you must swing your sword to the end. And if your teeth are pulled, sharpen your nails, and if your fingers break, hold the sword in your mouth if you must.
“The Duke fought so desperately to protect you.”
“……”
“He also said my trust, the power and military authority I can give, are just some of the means to protect you. If our intentions don’t align, he will protect you in his own way.”
The emperor continued.
“Seriniel Verdellete, you’re the same, aren’t you?”
“……”
“Even if I don’t give the Duke military authority in the end… you’ll find another way, just like he said.”
Seriniel said nothing, but the emperor seemed to know her answer.
And he also realized what the wisest choice for him was.
“You and the Duke are right.”
“……Your Majesty?”
“I must also choose the wisest means to protect this position… and my life.”
They were right after all.
Now was the time to fight.
Not a time to be scared, cowardly, and petty.
“I will grant your husband military authority.”
“……”
“To Duke Lexion Rosenvester.”
Seriniel looked briefly stunned, then bowed her head in a respectful salute. Johan, who had been quietly observing their conversation, did the same.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
The night air was cold.
“You did well, Madam.”
As soon as they left the chamber and the heavily guarded corridors, Johan’s first words were.
“Truly… you did well. And you were impressive.”
“……”
“Madam?”
Though it was a sincere compliment, no response came.
Johan looked at Seriniel with a slightly puzzled expression, and Seriniel wavered slightly, as if her legs had given out.
“Are you alright, Madam?”
“I-I was just a bit tense…”
“……”
“I guess now that it’s over, I feel more relieved and that’s why. But I’m fine.”
Johan smiled softly and carefully helped Seriniel up. He then spoke again.
“Living with the Duke seems to have made you more like him.”
“Pardon?”
“The Duke is very good at handling situations like the one you just did.”
This time, Seriniel smiled faintly.
“But I had no idea. It might be impertinent to say this, but can I speak honestly?”
“Of course.”
“I was worried that if His Majesty didn’t grant the military authority, you might do something drastic.”
It was half-joking, half-serious.
“I even thought about grabbing his legs and pleading if it came to that.”
“……”
“It was a last resort, but I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”
As she finished speaking, Seriniel’s smile faded, replaced by a heavy sigh slipping from her pink lips.
“I need to return to Rosenvester mansion…”
“……”
“The Duke will be coming soon…”
Johan knew why Seriniel was acting this way. She was worried about Lexion.
Even though she believed he would return safely, believing didn’t make the worry disappear. Especially after seeing such a dangerous situation.
However, Seriniel’s worry was unnecessary.
“Madam, next time, make the Duke promise something different.”
“What? What do you mean suddenly…”
“Make an impossible promise, not something easy. For example, asking him to bring down a star from the sky or bring the moon…”
“Why would I wish for such things…?”
“I’m curious.”
Johan smirked.
“Even if you made such an impossible wish, it seems like he would find a way to bring you the stars and the moon.”
“High Priest?”
“It seems you won’t have to wait alone for the Duke at the Rosenvester mansion. At least not today.”
Johan’s gaze was directed behind Seriniel.
Sensing something amiss, Seriniel turned around hastily.
There, riding madly towards them, was Lexion.
“Duke!”
By the time Lexion arrived, breathing heavily, he dismounted and looked at Seriniel.
“I heard you went to the palace…”
“……”
“I heard from the maid and the butler, so I came straight away…”
Lexion, standing before her, was covered in blood here and there.
Some of it was others’ blood like before, but some of it was his own this time. It was unavoidable. He had fought against many soldiers to return.
He must be in pain. He must be exhausted.
Yet, without even changing his clothes, he had come rushing straight to the palace because of her.
“I’m so glad you returned… really…”
“……”
“I was so worried…”
Lexion couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t bring himself to hug Seriniel, who worried so much about him.
He felt too guilty to touch her with his blood-stained hands.
But Lexion’s worry was just as unnecessary as Seriniel’s.
“Ser…”
When Seriniel suddenly hugged him, Lexion froze in shock.
“Thank you. Thank you for not being seriously hurt…”
Even though his clothes were covered in blood, Seriniel didn’t care. Instead, she held him tightly, then gently pulled back to hold his large hands.
Lexion looked slightly dazed, then he carefully hugged Seriniel back.
“If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t even be allowed to enter the palace in that state, Duke.”
“I don’t care. My wife is here. Who cares who tries to stop me.”
…Really? Even if it’s the Emperor?
Johan swallowed those words back down, knowing all too well that Lexion wouldn’t care even if it were the Emperor.
“But why did you come to the palace? What if something happened… Seriniel.”
“Sorry, Duke, but I’m here too. And before we find out how you got here, what the situation is… Madam and I need to ask you first…”
Johan paused and looked around.
“There are too many eyes here. The first thing the two of you need to do is leave the palace immediately.”
