“This place is only for the royal family.”
Currently, there is only one woman in the royal family besides Sepia.
The Princess is the red fox BeastkinLudian, and she was famous for her fiery red hair when she was young.
However, Ludian had married a foreign figure and left the country before Sepia came to the Beastkin empire.
So currently, Sepia was the only woman in the royal family.
She thought that if she said this, he might have to reveal his identity.
If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to maintain this comfortable atmosphere.
‘It’s a little disappointing.’
Actually, it was more than that.
It was when Sepia was waiting for his answer.
“Then let’s keep it a secret between the two of us.”
His golden eyes sparkled playfully.
As she watched him coolly stretched lips curve softly, such a thought crossed her mind for a moment.
Could he be pretending not to know that I am the Empress?
‘A strange feeling.’
Would it be strange if even that were comforting?
It was a strangely comfortable and nostalgic feeling.
She felt a little sorry that she kept deceiving him, but wouldn’t it be okay now?
“Will it be just this once?”
“Yes. Just this once. When I came in earlier, I saw a place over there where the maple leaves had turned pretty.”
Roxanne pointed to the other side of the lake.
When Sepia came to her senses, she was naturally taking a walk with him.
When she went to the place he had mentioned, the yellow and red maple leaves were really gorgeous.
‘Pretty.’
The willow leaves that swayed in the wind were nice to look at, but this side definitely looked more lively.
Sepia stood next to him and admired the maple leaves. There was no special conversation, but perhaps because even the silence was not awkward, her tumultuous heart calmed down as if it had never been like that.
Whoosh.
The colorful leaves were falling like raindrops in the autumn wind.
She absentmindedly held out her palm, but she couldn’t catch anything.
She looked down at her empty hand with regret, and a small red maple leaf floated above it.
It was Roxanne who had given it to her.
When she turned her head, her eyes met his.
How long had he been watching?
Roxanne smiled when their eyes met. He spoke as if he was confessing.
“Actually, it hasn’t been that long since I came to the capital. I’ve been living on the battlefield for a long time.”
As Sepia had guessed, Roxanne was indeed a member of the punitive force.
Along with the beast empire, the history of punitive expeditions against barbarians was deep.
The barbarians were a race of beasts and humans mixed together, but they had no reason and only had instincts left, and the gap between the beast empire and their territory had been stained with blood for a long time.
The first person to end that long war was none other than Duke Leopold.
‘A full ten years.’
She heard that there was no reinforcement in the meantime, so Roxanne must have spent a long time on the battlefield as well.
It was a war that was impossible to win, let alone punitive.
Nevertheless, Duke Leopold created a miracle in the wasteland.
In the end, he won, but not only he, the commander-in-chief, but those under his command must have suffered greatly as well.
It was a long time that could not be described in words.
Sepia wanted to sincerely comfort him.
“You’ve had a very hard time.”
“It would be a lie if I said no.”
It was a flat answer. Sepia could guess the emotions contained in it a little.
As Empress, Sepia also planned to congratulate the victory of the punitive force.
However, she wanted to help Roxanne in another way.
His heart came first.
However, it was difficult to know how to help him.
At that moment, Roxanne’s eyes narrowed gently.
“In that sense, could you be my friend?”
“...A friend?”
Sepia’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“Yes. It’s been so long since I’ve returned that I don’t know anyone and I feel very lonely.”
It was only natural.
It had been more than ten years since she left the capital.
‘Friend...’
Sepia also had no one she could call a friend.
Her first and last childhood friend, Demios, had become a couple, and there was no one in her home country or the Beastkin Empire who had asked to be her friend.
She had thought that he would be a piece of her life that would be absent forever.
Her heart suddenly began to pound.
'I wonder if it'll be okay.'
Neither he nor her had yet fully opened up to each other, but she felt like it would be okay.
It was purely a feeling, but rather.
“Okay.”
“It’s an honor.”
He bowed deeply and gave an exaggerated greeting.
Sepia laughed at that humorous sight.
“But, rather than asking to be my friend, shouldn’t we ask who am I?”
As Empress, Sepia also planned to congratulate the victory of the punitive force.
However, she wanted to help Roxanne in another way.
His heart came first.
However, it was difficult to know how to help him.
At that moment, Roxanne’s eyes narrowed gently.
“In that sense, could you be my friend?”
“...A friend?”
Sepia’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“Yes. It’s been so long since I’ve returned that I don’t know anyone and I feel very lonely.”
It was only natural.
It had been more than ten years since she left the capital.
‘Friend...’
Sepia also had no one she could call a friend.
Her first and last childhood friend, Demios, had become a couple, and there was no one in her home country or the Beastkin Empire who had asked to be her friend.
She had thought that he would be a piece of her life that would be absent forever.
Her heart suddenly began to pound.
'I wonder if it'll be okay.'
Neither he nor her had yet fully opened up to each other, but she felt like it would be okay.
It was purely a feeling, but rather.
“Okay.”
“It’s an honor.”
He bowed deeply and gave an exaggerated greeting.
Sepia laughed at that humorous sight.
“But, rather than asking to be my friend, shouldn’t we ask who am I?”
She wanted to tell him that she would answer if he asked.
And that she wanted to know about him too.
‘Even if he knew in advance.’
It could have been because he was using Sepia’s position.
But she wanted to trust him at least once.
Unlike when they first met, Sepia was now asking about Roxanne.
Did she like that part? Roxanne’s eyes caught a different color.
Just as he was about to answer,
“I...”
“Oh, aren’t you the Empress?”
A high voice was heard from beyond the grass.
Beyond the view, Titi, holding a parasol, was looking at the two.
‘Why is Titi here?’
This was a secret place behind the Empress’s palace.
There was no reason for Titi to come here.
Sepia instinctively glanced at Roxanne.
'He must have heard that.'
Whether he knew or not, she didn’t want to reveal her identity through someone else’s mouth.
However, Roxanne was calm, just as Sepia had guessed.
However, his golden eyes were noticeably sunken.
'He looks upset.'
And that she wanted to know about him too.
‘Even if he knew in advance.’
It could have been because he was using Sepia’s position.
But she wanted to trust him at least once.
Unlike when they first met, Sepia was now asking about Roxanne.
Did she like that part? Roxanne’s eyes caught a different color.
Just as he was about to answer,
“I...”
“Oh, aren’t you the Empress?”
A high voice was heard from beyond the grass.
Beyond the view, Titi, holding a parasol, was looking at the two.
‘Why is Titi here?’
This was a secret place behind the Empress’s palace.
There was no reason for Titi to come here.
Sepia instinctively glanced at Roxanne.
'He must have heard that.'
Whether he knew or not, she didn’t want to reveal her identity through someone else’s mouth.
However, Roxanne was calm, just as Sepia had guessed.
However, his golden eyes were noticeably sunken.
'He looks upset.'
It might be an illusion, but it felt that way.
While Sepia was watching him, Titi approached.
The maid holding the parasol also moved behind her.
The maid flinched at Sepia’s gaze. Her small physique and timid personality were probably like a gentle herbivore.
Soon, Titi walked over and stared at Sepia.
“I didn’t know I would meet the Empress in a place like this.”
Her face, with rose powder on her cheeks and a bright smile, looked particularly fresh.
How could she approach her so casually when she had such a hurt expression?
“What happened up to here?”
“His Majesty told me to tell him if there was a place I liked. I think he wanted to give it to me.”
Titi widened her eyes as if she had been waiting for that question.
Her blushing cheeks as if she had thought of Demios, looked particularly shy.
“So I was looking around the castle and ended up here.”
Her excited, babbling appearance was no different from that of a woman in love.
However, Sepia could not believe her words at face value.
Even so, you came all the way to the back of the Empress’s Palace? Just because you were looking for an area you liked?
That in itself was absurd, but it was even stranger that she had found a lake in the first place.
The maid standing behind Titi was holding a map of the palace.
The lake behind the Empress’s Palace was originally an area created solely for the royal family to rest and was not even marked on the map.
Titi, not paying any attention to the silence, stood there and took in the lake with her eyes.
“The lake is really pretty. If we clean up the reeds over there and plant camellias in the winter and cherry trees in the spring, it will be perfect.”
Titi already acted as if the lake was hers.
It was even harder to bear to imagine the lake changing piece by piece in her head.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
Titi blinked her large eyes. Her originally clear purple eyes looked particularly dark under the shade of the parasol.
She lowered her eyes as if she was very upset.
While Sepia was watching him, Titi approached.
The maid holding the parasol also moved behind her.
The maid flinched at Sepia’s gaze. Her small physique and timid personality were probably like a gentle herbivore.
Soon, Titi walked over and stared at Sepia.
“I didn’t know I would meet the Empress in a place like this.”
Her face, with rose powder on her cheeks and a bright smile, looked particularly fresh.
How could she approach her so casually when she had such a hurt expression?
“What happened up to here?”
“His Majesty told me to tell him if there was a place I liked. I think he wanted to give it to me.”
Titi widened her eyes as if she had been waiting for that question.
Her blushing cheeks as if she had thought of Demios, looked particularly shy.
“So I was looking around the castle and ended up here.”
Her excited, babbling appearance was no different from that of a woman in love.
However, Sepia could not believe her words at face value.
Even so, you came all the way to the back of the Empress’s Palace? Just because you were looking for an area you liked?
That in itself was absurd, but it was even stranger that she had found a lake in the first place.
The maid standing behind Titi was holding a map of the palace.
The lake behind the Empress’s Palace was originally an area created solely for the royal family to rest and was not even marked on the map.
Titi, not paying any attention to the silence, stood there and took in the lake with her eyes.
“The lake is really pretty. If we clean up the reeds over there and plant camellias in the winter and cherry trees in the spring, it will be perfect.”
Titi already acted as if the lake was hers.
It was even harder to bear to imagine the lake changing piece by piece in her head.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
Titi blinked her large eyes. Her originally clear purple eyes looked particularly dark under the shade of the parasol.
She lowered her eyes as if she was very upset.
“Empress, ever since I first met you, you’ve only told me I can’t do it. That really... breaks my heart.”
Her pure white eyelashes fluttered thinly.
Titi bit her lower lip and shed tears, looking as if she might collapse at any moment.
An herbivorous albino.
Sepia was always the perpetrator in front of animals so fragile that they were considered the lowest in the ecosystem.
“...This is the back of the Empress's Palace, and only the Imperial Family can enter. That's why it's not marked on the Imperial City map."
"Really? I didn't know. There was no one to stop you. Right, Luna?"
Titi asked the maid, swallowing back tears in surprise.
The maid called Luna nodded excessively.
Titi explained why Luna nodded instead of answering, even though Sepia hadn’t asked.
“Please forgive Luna, Your Majesty. In fact, this child can’t speak. She lost her parents at an early age and was a maid who worked as a servant for a Count, but I took her in because I felt so sorry for her.”
She crossed Luna’s arms with a pitiful expression.
The maid quickly lowered her eyes at the excessive friendliness of the young lady she was serving.
“It’s not her fault that she can’t speak. I never blamed her for that before.”
Luna’s shoulders flinched at Sepia’s words.
Titi pushed the maid behind her and smiled brightly.
“I said that because I was worried that you might take it to heart.”
It was a subtle remark.
Before she could point it out, her purple eyes sparkled as if they had found their target.
“But...”
Titi’s gaze turned to Roxanne.
Titi, who met his eyes and turned her head shyly, asked Sepia.
“Who is this gentleman? I’ve been wanting to ask you this question for a while now.”
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