It was a miracle.
A marriage proposal with the seal of the Beastkin Emperor.
Even the Empress of Huron couldn't ignore this.
'You haven't forgotten me.'
It was truly like walking on clouds.
After several discussions between the imperial family and the Beastkin Empire, Sepia was able to leave for an unknown country.
Even when she boarded the carriage heading to the Beastkin Empire, she was worried.
'What if they hate me?'
The Beastkin Empire was a country of beasts.
They were all different species, to begin with.
However, she was only worried, not afraid.
Anywhere on the continent would be better than her home country and that distant desert land.
When she arrived at the Beastkin Empire with such anxiety, Sepia couldn't help but be surprised.
What awaited her was an incredible welcome.
'The Star of Ishtar.'
A special place occupied by the goddess.
The Beastkin people called Sepia by her destiny given to her by the goddess rather than her real name.
Sepia was able to realize it belatedly.
Demios had not called her because of her past memories.
When they met again, he had changed into someone else, and he seemed to not remember most of the memories of their time together.
But it was okay.
In the end, it was no different from finding her.
Even if the reason was the goddess’s call.
That’s how Sepia became the Empress of the Beastkin people.
Even though she had received lessons under the guise of abuse, it was a great help in fulfilling her duties as an Empress.
However, she was not satisfied with just doing her work.
‘I have to prove myself useful as an Empress.’
Sepia was obsessed with her duties as an Empress whenever her past memories came to mind. She did not want to be an unnecessary being or a stranger who only had the goddess’s protection on her back.
So she had to become a perfect Empress in every way.
That was how her first determination ended up tying Sepia down.
‘...I thought that was enough.’
Sepia thought as she worked hard.
As long as she was useful, the memories of the past that the other person did not remember, and the distant relationship between the couple were all okay.
But that was not the case.
This secret lake was a place Demios and her used to visit occasionally.
They used to take a walk together as a date when they had some time in their busy schedules.
'We won't be able to come together anymore, right?'
No. She wondered if he would even remember this place before.
There were many places more beautiful than this lake in the palace.
If he went around here and there with the government, he would quickly forget about such a remote place.
Sepia thought back to what Demios had said at the lake.
'You don't have to try so hard. Those who don't know the efforts of the Empress are just blind beasts.'
The man who had comforted Sepia like that was no longer there.
She could ignore the finger-pointing from others.
However, he shouldn't have said such things since he had seen Sepia's efforts right up close.
'Maybe that was sincere.'
Before the woman with his name appeared, Sepia was his only wife. Suddenly, this thought occurred to her.
'Were we even a couple in the first place?'
No. Maybe if we went back further and were lovers?
Now, all that was left for him and Sepia was the relationship between the Emperor and Empress. That was all. Her eyes turned red again. The tears that had once burst out suddenly and tormented Sepia as if they had been determined to do so. Instead of crying, Sepia looked at the lake. Looking at the clear lake, she felt like washing everything away.
'Should I dip my feet in?'
Wouldn't that make her feel a little better?
It was autumn, but it wasn't that cold during the day. She felt the urge to do something that was out of the ordinary. Before she knew it, she was approaching the water's edge. It was the moment Sepia was about to take off her shoes on the grass that had turned brown.
"Stop it!"
Someone's urgent voice. At the same time, an arm stretched out from behind and pulled Sepia's waist. A firm body touched Sepia's back. The warm embrace of another person. She turned around in surprise, and there it was.
"... Sir Roxanne?"
His neat eyebrows twitched as he heard his name. Roxanne's face had become paler than Sepia's.
“Under no circumstances should you attempt to take your life.”
...What are you talking about now?
...What are you talking about now?
Sepia wanted to ask that.
However, his complexion was so bad that she couldn’t help but hesitate.
In the meantime, Roxanne blocked Sepia’s path.
“You have a problem with your husband. It’s very serious.”
Sepia shut her mouth at his confident tone.
No matter how he figured it out, that statement was true.
His clear golden eyes had cooled and were shaking as if they were shaking.
Adding to the earnestness in those deep eyes.
She didn’t have the confidence to face him.
Sepia lowered her eyes. However, Roxanne’s gaze was persistently scanning her.
“...Is your husband abusing you?”
“What?”
Sepia asked back, lowering her head to follow him.
“Ah.”
A wound on the back of her hand.
A while ago, she accidentally scratched the sharp tip of a pen, and the mark was as clear as a red line.
The maids were furious, asking what it was, and tried to apply medicine, but Sepia had refused.
The wound left in her heart could not be healed.
But it felt strange that traces left by mistake could be quickly erased.
“It’s nothing.”
In her panic, she forgot what she had asked.
She tried to pull her injured hand back, but Roxanne was faster.
“Please tell me properly.”
He said, holding Sepia’s hand.
His gaze was persistent.
That’s why she couldn’t turn away.
Even though it was just a scratch, the person looking at it seemed to be in more pain.
“It’s not like that. It’s just... I got hurt because of my mistake.”
She had to say it as if nothing had happened.
But her voice seemed to tremble a little.
When she looked down at the wound again, Demios, who had turned his gaze to Titi right in front of her, came to mind.
Silence followed.
He must have thought that he had pushed Sepia too hard, so he tried to soften his expression.
However, the anger in his eyes was so clear that there was no big difference.
“Even if it wasn’t violence, it’s clear that there is a problem.”
But her voice seemed to tremble a little.
When she looked down at the wound again, Demios, who had turned his gaze to Titi right in front of her, came to mind.
Silence followed.
He must have thought that he had pushed Sepia too hard, so he tried to soften his expression.
However, the anger in his eyes was so clear that there was no big difference.
“Even if it wasn’t violence, it’s clear that there is a problem.”
She couldn’t refute this.
In fact, it was difficult to even open her mouth. The lake where Demios had comforted her, of all places. Because she was standing there.
Was it because of the place? Or was it because she had difficulty enduring even the slightest sadness? She was just confused.
Roxanne grabbed Sepia’s hand.
“I will help you with anything. So don’t have any negative thoughts.”
He was clearly misunderstanding.
A very big misunderstanding.
Even though she knew that his eyes were so sincere that she felt like crying.
Barely holding back her tears, Sepia cleared her throat.
Thinking back to the first words Roxanne had said to her...
“...You are misunderstanding something, Sir. I didn’t mean to drown myself in the lake, I just wanted to dip my feet in for a moment.”
“This fall?”
It was a simple question, but it sounded overly serious.
The gap made her lose her temper a little.
He had originally thought she would jump into the lake.
Even at this moment, she felt sorry for him, who was so ignorant, but the whole situation seemed like a cheerful drama.
“Surprisingly, that is true.”
His eyes widened slightly as the soft, relaxed voice mixed with a joke. She wanted to cry until just before, but now she was laughing.
Sepia also knew very well that her reaction seemed strange.
She thought her emotions were fluctuating, but she felt much better than before.
“But...”
Roxanne’s expression also improved slightly because Sepia was already smiling. However, it seemed that he still had some doubts.
“Really. This lake is actually so shallow that it only comes up to my neck. If I really wanted to die, I would have found a different place.”
Demios had told her this fact, too.
A bitter taste lingered in her mouth. However, it was fortunate that she didn’t seem to be shedding tears like before.
Only then did Roxanne sigh as he looked straight at the lake.
“Ha...”
The bottom of the lake was visible, and only small fish were playing with the leaves floating near the surface.
He washed his face with his empty hands.
His left hand was still wrapped around Sepia’s hand.
He turned to where Sepia’s gaze had caught his eye.
The warmth had transferred to his cold hand, and it had become warm.
A large hand covered in scars.
But it was straight and hot.
Sepia quietly looked down at his hand, and his index finger twitched.
Soon, Roxanne’s hand slowly moved away.
“...If that’s true, I have been rude. Please forgive me.”
She was a little surprised, but she didn’t feel bad.
Sepia nodded as if it was okay.
Roxanne finally felt relieved and let out a deep sigh.
Seeing the cold sweat on Roxanne’s forehead, she felt sorry instead.
‘I was really surprised.’
He really thought she was going to die.
It was a strange feeling.
At the same time, she remembered that this was a private place that only the royal family could enter.
‘But how did he get in here?’
There was no one to control access, but the lake itself was located behind the Empress’s Palace, so outsiders wouldn’t even know there was a lake there.
Did he get lost again?
Sepia faced him, much calmer.
In fact, it was difficult to even open her mouth. The lake where Demios had comforted her, of all places. Because she was standing there.
Was it because of the place? Or was it because she had difficulty enduring even the slightest sadness? She was just confused.
Roxanne grabbed Sepia’s hand.
“I will help you with anything. So don’t have any negative thoughts.”
He was clearly misunderstanding.
A very big misunderstanding.
Even though she knew that his eyes were so sincere that she felt like crying.
Barely holding back her tears, Sepia cleared her throat.
Thinking back to the first words Roxanne had said to her...
“...You are misunderstanding something, Sir. I didn’t mean to drown myself in the lake, I just wanted to dip my feet in for a moment.”
“This fall?”
It was a simple question, but it sounded overly serious.
The gap made her lose her temper a little.
He had originally thought she would jump into the lake.
Even at this moment, she felt sorry for him, who was so ignorant, but the whole situation seemed like a cheerful drama.
“Surprisingly, that is true.”
His eyes widened slightly as the soft, relaxed voice mixed with a joke. She wanted to cry until just before, but now she was laughing.
Sepia also knew very well that her reaction seemed strange.
She thought her emotions were fluctuating, but she felt much better than before.
“But...”
Roxanne’s expression also improved slightly because Sepia was already smiling. However, it seemed that he still had some doubts.
“Really. This lake is actually so shallow that it only comes up to my neck. If I really wanted to die, I would have found a different place.”
Demios had told her this fact, too.
A bitter taste lingered in her mouth. However, it was fortunate that she didn’t seem to be shedding tears like before.
Only then did Roxanne sigh as he looked straight at the lake.
“Ha...”
The bottom of the lake was visible, and only small fish were playing with the leaves floating near the surface.
He washed his face with his empty hands.
His left hand was still wrapped around Sepia’s hand.
He turned to where Sepia’s gaze had caught his eye.
The warmth had transferred to his cold hand, and it had become warm.
A large hand covered in scars.
But it was straight and hot.
Sepia quietly looked down at his hand, and his index finger twitched.
Soon, Roxanne’s hand slowly moved away.
“...If that’s true, I have been rude. Please forgive me.”
She was a little surprised, but she didn’t feel bad.
Sepia nodded as if it was okay.
Roxanne finally felt relieved and let out a deep sigh.
Seeing the cold sweat on Roxanne’s forehead, she felt sorry instead.
‘I was really surprised.’
He really thought she was going to die.
It was a strange feeling.
At the same time, she remembered that this was a private place that only the royal family could enter.
‘But how did he get in here?’
There was no one to control access, but the lake itself was located behind the Empress’s Palace, so outsiders wouldn’t even know there was a lake there.
Did he get lost again?
Sepia faced him, much calmer.
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