"Your Majesty! I sincerely congratulate you!”
Immediately after the coronation ceremony, Marquis Tailor, the head of the ministers, bowed respectfully to Illeon.
“I knew this day would come from the beginning.”
Illeon asked, looking down at the Marquis's thin head.
“Currently, what is the public sentiment of the people?”
“They are in a completely festive mood because of Your Majesty’s coronation. It seems like they don’t even care about the death of the royal family.”
Everything was as Illeon expected.
The reason the coronation ceremony was held the day after the royal family's funeral was also to calm people's suspicions and complaints.
If Illeon had sat on the throne while the royal family was still alive, he would have been opposed by many, saying he had broken his oath not to sit on the throne.
However, if Illeon ascended to the throne when all the royal family was dead, it would not be treason, but a hero.
Like Balt, there were some who were dissatisfied with him, but it was nearly impossible for him to overturn the public sentiment that was completely tilted toward him.
He had the option of imprisoning Dietrich on all charges, including the tsarist murder, but Illeon chose not to do so.
Because his method is to give hope and then take it away.
He thinks he can escape when he is already trapped and dying.
He thought it was hope when it was despair wrapped in the name of hope.
Illeon enjoyed seeing such a despairing face pushed to the edge of a cliff.
But he knew that Dietrich wouldn't bat an eye even if he ended up in prison.
So he gave Dietrich a variety of options, but he never thought he would choose to fight with his sister.
'He's a schizophrenic bastard, so I thought he'd never choose that option if he had abandoned her.'
It seems that Seliya was more important to Dietrich than he thought.
“What do you plan on doing with Seliya Brillion and Duke Calypso?”
Illeon had a faint smile on his lips as he heard Marquis Tailor's words.
However, perhaps because he cut his hair short, even if he smiled like before, he looked rather cold.
The corners of his lips were raised, but the inside of his sharp eyes took on a sharp look.
Marquis Tailor swallowed his saliva as he looked like a true Emperor without the appearance of a saint.
“Duke Calypso is a problem, but especially Seliya, that woman is an unholy woman who stormed out in the middle of Your Majesty’s coronation...”
"Marquis."
Illeon cut off the Marquis' words.
“There are many ears listening, so keep your voice down.”
"I'm sorry. I'm so excited...”
Illeon grabbed the Marquis' shoulder.
The old Marquis's eyes moved to the owner of the white, smooth hands without a single callus.
For a moment, he felt that the wall beneath his dark gray hair was as cold as ice.
“See you later. I have something important to do right now.”
Illeon's hand fell off.
'I have ascended to the throne I so desperately wanted.'
After parting ways with Marquis Tailor, Illeon entered the Emperor's room and swept the golden throne in slow motion.
‘Why do I feel so uncomfortable? As if something had been left out.'
Illeon narrowed his eyes.
No one dared question his decision to become Emperor.
Not only because Arthur cleaned up after him very neatly, but also because Illeon manipulated people's public opinion.
'Nevertheless.'
Something bothered Illeon.
At the same time, Seliya's voice played automatically in his head.
- I'll just leave now. It's not as fun as I thought.
This was a woman who proudly said that his coronation was not fun.
-Because the Duke is not a good person.
He is not a good person. It was the first time he had heard such a thing in his life.
Anything worth tormenting is fun.
Illeon closed his eyes and smiled. Illeon had his hair cut short and had sharp lines.
Maybe that's why his laugh felt crueler than before.
***
Dietrich thought for a while, then knocked on Seliya’s door.
Knock knock.
He got no answer from inside.
“Shelly.”
Dietrich softly called Seliya’s name.
He wanted to apologize to her.
He made his decision without any consultation and looking back, he concluded that he had made a mistake.
He never thought about Seliya's position.
He was only trying to take advantage of Seliya from the beginning.
In the name of protecting her, he tried to keep Seliya, who had a special ability, by his side, saying without hesitation that he would treat her as his master.
The fact that it came back as his weakness was something he brought on himself.
For Seliya, she had no other options but him.
Even though he knew that, he tried to take advantage of her.
"I have something to say. Shelly.”
Dietrich called Seliya once again, but it was dead quiet beyond the door.
Dietrich, worried about Seliya, opened the door and pulled it open.
Dietrich's eyes turned to Seliya, who was curled up like a shrimp on the white bed.
The only sound in the large room was the quiet sound of Seliya's breathing.
As Dietrich approached the bed, she called Seliya.
“Shelly, are you sleeping?”
Seliya didn't move at all.
Dietrich looked closely at Seliya, who was sleeping because he could not tell whether she was awake or not.
Her dense eyelashes were down, and her breathing was steady rather than irregular.
Seliya was sleeping very, deeply.
So much so that she couldn't even hear him calling.
A soft smile appeared on Dietrich's lips.
At the same time, Dietrich worried about her, looked down at Seliya with his worried eyes.
What if the person who arbitrarily entered the room was someone else instead of him?
A person with a strong natural ability attracts the opposite sex to a frightening extent.
Regardless of whether she wants to or not.
So, he felt like she had to protect herself.
Seliya's ability did not work on Dietrich, who had a healing ability.
However, Dietrich found himself increasingly attracted to Seliya.
It is not polite to sneak a peek at her sleeping state.
Dietrich was careful not to wake her, so he covered her with a blanket.
Seliya's expression became much more relaxed as she slept.
Dietrich unconsciously tried to touch Seliya's cheek, but he stopped just before he reached it.
“...”
Dietrich withdrew his outstretched hand.
Isn't this why he is no different from him, the Crown Prince who lusted for Seliya?
He's not going to curse at anyone.
Tonight, Princess Reina invited him to her bedroom.
In exchange for giving up his body, he is guaranteed Seliya's life.
But is that really what Seliya wants?
Maybe Dietrich himself wanted her to tell him to stop.
He makes his own decisions and then expects her to stop him.
'I really feel like crap.'
Dietrich mocked himself. He doesn't even deserve to protect Seliya.
The only thing more threatening to Seliya than Illeon becoming Emperor, is he himself.
“It’s okay to fly away. As much as you want.”
Dietrich muttered lowly.
He thought it was annoying to have something to protect.
However, what was more annoying was that he did not just see things as objects to be protected, but also harbored bad feelings towards them.
Dietrich got up, being careful not to wake Seliya.
However, Seliya's weak voice caught Dietrich's ankle.
"Don't..."
Instead of moving on, Dietrich stopped in place.
“Don’t leave me alone...”
The voice, full of crying, was so sad that it seemed as if the listener's heart was being torn apart.
"Mom... Oh, Dad... Don't leave me alone. I have nothing left.”
“...”
“I don’t need any special skills. It's like a special ability that even mom and dad couldn't keep...”
A single tear flowed from Seliya's closed eyes and down her cheek.
“If I don’t take revenge, who will... Mom and Dad. How will we look upon the deaths of our kingdom’s citizens... I, with my own strength...”
Seliya bit her lower lip and sobbed quietly as if she was sad.
“...I miss you."
Dietrich looked down at Seliya, who was talking in her sleep, with a confused look on his mind.
He felt like he had seen something he shouldn't have.
For a moment, Dietrich sat down on Seliya's bed and spoke to her.
“You are not alone.”
At Dietrich's words, Seliya's sobbing stopped as if it were a lie.
“Now you have me.”
Dietrich held Seliya’s hand.
Seliya's small hand and Dietrich's large hand touched.
Dietrich intertwined his knuckles.
“So don’t cry. Yes?"
Dietrich wiped away the tears from Seliya's eyes with his other hand.
This was the second time that Seliya, who was always confident and lively, showed such a weak side.
The first time was when she used her superpower and her body was completely destroyed and she was in pain.
Second, now.
Dietrich was excellent at swordsmanship, but he was bad at appeasing someone.
Dietrich, seeing Seliya crying for the first time even though she was asleep, did not know what to do.
Has her insides been so rotten and festering that she has been deliberately pretending to him that she is okay?
Thinking about that, his heart broke.
“I’ll be with you. As long as you want.”
So he made a promise he couldn't keep.
Dietrich's words stopped Seliya from crying. Soon, Seliya was fast asleep.
Dietrich stayed by Seliya's side as she slept, entwining Seliya's hand.
A long night passes, and so on until Reina, angry to the core with his failure to keep his promise, sets foot in his mansion the next morning.
Dietrich mocked himself. He doesn't even deserve to protect Seliya.
The only thing more threatening to Seliya than Illeon becoming Emperor, is he himself.
“It’s okay to fly away. As much as you want.”
Dietrich muttered lowly.
He thought it was annoying to have something to protect.
However, what was more annoying was that he did not just see things as objects to be protected, but also harbored bad feelings towards them.
Dietrich got up, being careful not to wake Seliya.
However, Seliya's weak voice caught Dietrich's ankle.
"Don't..."
Instead of moving on, Dietrich stopped in place.
“Don’t leave me alone...”
The voice, full of crying, was so sad that it seemed as if the listener's heart was being torn apart.
"Mom... Oh, Dad... Don't leave me alone. I have nothing left.”
“...”
“I don’t need any special skills. It's like a special ability that even mom and dad couldn't keep...”
A single tear flowed from Seliya's closed eyes and down her cheek.
“If I don’t take revenge, who will... Mom and Dad. How will we look upon the deaths of our kingdom’s citizens... I, with my own strength...”
Seliya bit her lower lip and sobbed quietly as if she was sad.
“...I miss you."
Dietrich looked down at Seliya, who was talking in her sleep, with a confused look on his mind.
He felt like he had seen something he shouldn't have.
For a moment, Dietrich sat down on Seliya's bed and spoke to her.
“You are not alone.”
At Dietrich's words, Seliya's sobbing stopped as if it were a lie.
“Now you have me.”
Dietrich held Seliya’s hand.
Seliya's small hand and Dietrich's large hand touched.
Dietrich intertwined his knuckles.
“So don’t cry. Yes?"
Dietrich wiped away the tears from Seliya's eyes with his other hand.
This was the second time that Seliya, who was always confident and lively, showed such a weak side.
The first time was when she used her superpower and her body was completely destroyed and she was in pain.
Second, now.
Dietrich was excellent at swordsmanship, but he was bad at appeasing someone.
Dietrich, seeing Seliya crying for the first time even though she was asleep, did not know what to do.
Has her insides been so rotten and festering that she has been deliberately pretending to him that she is okay?
Thinking about that, his heart broke.
“I’ll be with you. As long as you want.”
So he made a promise he couldn't keep.
Dietrich's words stopped Seliya from crying. Soon, Seliya was fast asleep.
Dietrich stayed by Seliya's side as she slept, entwining Seliya's hand.
A long night passes, and so on until Reina, angry to the core with his failure to keep his promise, sets foot in his mansion the next morning.
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