Revrance Workhouse.
The relief supplies that had been piled up in wagons were all distributed to the workhouses and schools in each district.
Revrance’s empty lot, which had been untidy due to lack of hands, was cleaned up by the knights and transformed into a much more neat appearance.
The poor living in the workhouse went to work during the day and returned at night.
The children left behind waited for their parents to return and hung out with their peers.
The workhouse, which had been gloomy until a few weeks ago, was now full of energy after a long time.
“Your Majesty!”
Ayla and other young beasts hugged Sepia.
The maids were handing out cookies to the children.
This was the space where the children of the workhouse lived at a young age.
They had made a separate schedule to visit because they had not kept their promise to spend time together on Revrance’s meeting day.
“I’m sorry it seems so late.”
Sepia patted the children’s heads.
It took a long time just to organize the donations that had been pouring in since the Duke’s donation was publicly spread.
Sepia looked away for a moment and looked out the window.
Outside the window, Roxanne and Elon were talking.
It was revealed that Bremin leaves act as a painkiller for the people.
Roxanne was the one who found out.
Elon, the only importer of Bremin leaves, had monopolized the goods with Roxanne’s help.
Sepia also knew well that Elon had been taking responsibility for the poorhouse while bearing the losses of the merchant.
If the efficacy of Bremin leaves became known and demand skyrocketed, the merchant would also experience a great revival.
Sepia looked away.
The stove that had been lit only at night was burning nonstop, warming the inside, and firewood was piled up next to the wall.
It was the warmest change this winter.
Also, the man at the window was the one who gave Sepia the strength to move.
She could not take her eyes off Roxanne, and she heard a whisper in her ear.
“Yeah, so...”
“No. Not that.”
The children gathered around the fire were whispering with their heads together.
Sepia, feeling cute and curious, approached them and asked,
“What are you talking about?”
“...Oh, it’s a secret!”
The surprised children covered their mouths and blinked.
Aside from the cute and lovely sparkling eyes that they were trying to hide, there was concern that something might be wrong with the children.
Even among the weak, children are easily left out.
“Shall we play a secret sharing game?”
When Sepia met their gazes and asked, Ayla tilted her head.
“Secret sharing game? What is that?”
Ayla blinked as if she didn’t know anything.
Sepia was taken aback by the child’s reaction.
‘You clearly said it’s a game that children enjoy.’
So she thought Roxanne knew about this game too.
However, it was too early to be surprised.
Even for the same game, the name or method of playing it might be slightly different depending on the region.
Sepia explained the method to Ayla without showing it.
“It’s a game where we share one secret with each other. Is this a game you don’t know?”
“Yes. It’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Do you know about it?”
“No, there’s a game like that in the palace?”
Ayla started by asking the squirrel man, and the surrounding children rushed in.
“I’m hearing of this for the first time, too? What about you?”
“I don’t know, but it looks fun!”
“Gather here, men who want to share secrets with me!”
The children paired off and whispered in each other’s ears.
The new game quickly spread.
Half of the children in Revrance came from orphanages around the country.
However, out of the thirty orphans, not a single one knew about the secret game.
“Is this the first time you’ve heard of it, Madam Remody? I heard it’s popular among children.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it... It’s not like it doesn’t exist at all, right? Children often come up with unique games.”
It seemed like a game popular only among the nobles, but the other maids didn’t know about it either.
Sepia heard Madam Remody say that there might be such a game somewhere, but she was still confused.
Then she heard the door open.
She saw Elon disappearing down the hallway with a face full of emotion through the window.
Roxanne was coming in, having finished hia conversation.
“Sepia.”
As soon as their eyes met, Sepia sent Ayla back to the group of children.
“Did the conversation end well?”
“Yes. I think we’ve decided on a good path for both of us.”
“That’s good.”
Although she continued the conversation casually, her heart pounded as if she had made up a secret.
A group of children were whispering around Sepia.
Maybe he would find out that the children were sharing a secret.
“It’s a little stuffy to just stay inside.”
“Should we go out for a walk?”
“Yes.”
Sepia nodded and hurriedly put on her coat.
It was only after she got out into the hallway that she realized that she had been quickening her pace.
‘...I could have just asked.’
Why was he so eager to hide it?
Roxanne and Demios.
Despite sharing the same divine blood, the two completely different beasts overlapped unexpectedly.
‘Even the words that I should cherish myself the most.’
In fact, she had heard them before.
It was thanks to Demios’s encouragement that she was able to endure the abuse of her childhood.
Without him, she would have collapsed long ago.
Sepia was the first to leave the workhouse.
The vacant lot covered in snow was covered in sunset.
Yes.
It was winter then, just like now.
‘You are the most precious, Sepia.’
Sepia looked back.
Roxanne was watching her bathed in sunset light.
Looking at the sunset in his golden eyes, Sepia suddenly became certain.
That Roxanne was hiding something.
When Demios was studying abroad, Roxanne must have been in the LeopoId territory of the Beastkin Empire.
So he had nothing to do with her childhood. Even though she knew that well.
‘Why do I keep thinking this?’
The illusion that the current Roxanne overlapped with the past Demios.
Maybe the reality of not being loved by the person she desperately wanted was causing her strange delusions.
Roxanne approached her and grabbed her hand.
“Because you can’t fall.”
Sepia couldn’t shake him off.
The warmth that touched her was so warm.
She was confused.
He reminded her of the past, and even her own heart that was fluttering like that back then.
The back road of the Reveries was connected to a hill with a small forest.
Thanks to the residents of the workhouse diligently clearing the snow, it was easy to walk.
Sepia and Roxanne climbed the road without saying a word.
That’s the highest point they reached.
Sepia asked in the pouring sunset,
“Are you really helping me because we’re friends?”
She also knew.
No matter how much they were friends, just because they helped each other didn’t mean he was showing this much mercy.
What on earth would he say?
At that moment, when Sepia’s heart was beating unsteadily, Roxanne frowned slightly as if he had been caught and smiled.
“No. Sepia.”
He kissed the back of the hand he was holding with a negative.
His raised golden eyes were sparkling like a burning flame.
“Unfortunately, there is no man who helps a woman without a reason. But I really wanted to be your friend. Even that feeling was part of my emotions. I want to be everything to you.”
The emotions created by the unbearable doubts were so overwhelming and hot that she couldn’t dare look away.
No, maybe she knew it since she first felt the warmth.
The name of the heat that would gradually spread.
The fluttering emotions made her eyes hot.
Even her heart was racing helplessly from the intense trembling.
But she had to turn away from everything.
“I can’t accept it.”
She was the mother of the empire.
As an Empress, she was supposed to serve the people of the empire more than anyone else.
Even if Demios looked down on the duties Sepia had built up as Empress and kept a government with his name by his side, she had to be perfect.
That was the value of life that Sepia knew.
‘A perfect Empress.’
The Empress dowager of Huron emphasized perfection to Sepia during the day.
And at night, she threw her value to the ground.
The Empress of the Huron Empire.
The Princess of the Duke of Arte.
Sepia ended up being nothing in Huron.
Because no one wanted her.
Sepia found her worth here.
Even though her duties had unspeakable flaws. Maybe that’s why she wanted to become a more perfect Empress. Because she needed meaning to exist to fill her heart that had been left with a hole for a long time.
‘...I said that if I can’t protect myself, I can’t protect others.’
In fact, what she was protecting from Roxanne’s words was not herself, but the position of Empress.
Maybe she hadn’t yet escaped the shadow of abuse. Even though she knew that she couldn’t stop.
Empress. Because she hadn’t found any other value for herself.
‘Even if he finds me offensive, I can’t help it.’
Sepia lowered her eyes.
It was true that she had accepted his help even though she knew Roxanne’s feelings.
However, the answer that followed shattered her anxiety.
“I will wait. Not the Empress, but you, Sepia.”
The dizzying winter wind was hot, ripe with the sunset.
The relief supplies that had been piled up in wagons were all distributed to the workhouses and schools in each district.
Revrance’s empty lot, which had been untidy due to lack of hands, was cleaned up by the knights and transformed into a much more neat appearance.
The poor living in the workhouse went to work during the day and returned at night.
The children left behind waited for their parents to return and hung out with their peers.
The workhouse, which had been gloomy until a few weeks ago, was now full of energy after a long time.
“Your Majesty!”
Ayla and other young beasts hugged Sepia.
The maids were handing out cookies to the children.
This was the space where the children of the workhouse lived at a young age.
They had made a separate schedule to visit because they had not kept their promise to spend time together on Revrance’s meeting day.
“I’m sorry it seems so late.”
Sepia patted the children’s heads.
It took a long time just to organize the donations that had been pouring in since the Duke’s donation was publicly spread.
Sepia looked away for a moment and looked out the window.
Outside the window, Roxanne and Elon were talking.
It was revealed that Bremin leaves act as a painkiller for the people.
Roxanne was the one who found out.
Elon, the only importer of Bremin leaves, had monopolized the goods with Roxanne’s help.
Sepia also knew well that Elon had been taking responsibility for the poorhouse while bearing the losses of the merchant.
If the efficacy of Bremin leaves became known and demand skyrocketed, the merchant would also experience a great revival.
Sepia looked away.
The stove that had been lit only at night was burning nonstop, warming the inside, and firewood was piled up next to the wall.
It was the warmest change this winter.
Also, the man at the window was the one who gave Sepia the strength to move.
She could not take her eyes off Roxanne, and she heard a whisper in her ear.
“Yeah, so...”
“No. Not that.”
The children gathered around the fire were whispering with their heads together.
Sepia, feeling cute and curious, approached them and asked,
“What are you talking about?”
“...Oh, it’s a secret!”
The surprised children covered their mouths and blinked.
Aside from the cute and lovely sparkling eyes that they were trying to hide, there was concern that something might be wrong with the children.
Even among the weak, children are easily left out.
“Shall we play a secret sharing game?”
When Sepia met their gazes and asked, Ayla tilted her head.
“Secret sharing game? What is that?”
Ayla blinked as if she didn’t know anything.
Sepia was taken aback by the child’s reaction.
‘You clearly said it’s a game that children enjoy.’
So she thought Roxanne knew about this game too.
However, it was too early to be surprised.
Even for the same game, the name or method of playing it might be slightly different depending on the region.
Sepia explained the method to Ayla without showing it.
“It’s a game where we share one secret with each other. Is this a game you don’t know?”
“Yes. It’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Do you know about it?”
“No, there’s a game like that in the palace?”
Ayla started by asking the squirrel man, and the surrounding children rushed in.
“I’m hearing of this for the first time, too? What about you?”
“I don’t know, but it looks fun!”
“Gather here, men who want to share secrets with me!”
The children paired off and whispered in each other’s ears.
The new game quickly spread.
Half of the children in Revrance came from orphanages around the country.
However, out of the thirty orphans, not a single one knew about the secret game.
“Is this the first time you’ve heard of it, Madam Remody? I heard it’s popular among children.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it... It’s not like it doesn’t exist at all, right? Children often come up with unique games.”
It seemed like a game popular only among the nobles, but the other maids didn’t know about it either.
Sepia heard Madam Remody say that there might be such a game somewhere, but she was still confused.
Then she heard the door open.
She saw Elon disappearing down the hallway with a face full of emotion through the window.
Roxanne was coming in, having finished hia conversation.
“Sepia.”
As soon as their eyes met, Sepia sent Ayla back to the group of children.
“Did the conversation end well?”
“Yes. I think we’ve decided on a good path for both of us.”
“That’s good.”
Although she continued the conversation casually, her heart pounded as if she had made up a secret.
A group of children were whispering around Sepia.
Maybe he would find out that the children were sharing a secret.
“It’s a little stuffy to just stay inside.”
“Should we go out for a walk?”
“Yes.”
Sepia nodded and hurriedly put on her coat.
It was only after she got out into the hallway that she realized that she had been quickening her pace.
‘...I could have just asked.’
Why was he so eager to hide it?
Roxanne and Demios.
Despite sharing the same divine blood, the two completely different beasts overlapped unexpectedly.
‘Even the words that I should cherish myself the most.’
In fact, she had heard them before.
It was thanks to Demios’s encouragement that she was able to endure the abuse of her childhood.
Without him, she would have collapsed long ago.
Sepia was the first to leave the workhouse.
The vacant lot covered in snow was covered in sunset.
Yes.
It was winter then, just like now.
‘You are the most precious, Sepia.’
Sepia looked back.
Roxanne was watching her bathed in sunset light.
Looking at the sunset in his golden eyes, Sepia suddenly became certain.
That Roxanne was hiding something.
When Demios was studying abroad, Roxanne must have been in the LeopoId territory of the Beastkin Empire.
So he had nothing to do with her childhood. Even though she knew that well.
‘Why do I keep thinking this?’
The illusion that the current Roxanne overlapped with the past Demios.
Maybe the reality of not being loved by the person she desperately wanted was causing her strange delusions.
Roxanne approached her and grabbed her hand.
“Because you can’t fall.”
Sepia couldn’t shake him off.
The warmth that touched her was so warm.
She was confused.
He reminded her of the past, and even her own heart that was fluttering like that back then.
***
The back road of the Reveries was connected to a hill with a small forest.
Thanks to the residents of the workhouse diligently clearing the snow, it was easy to walk.
Sepia and Roxanne climbed the road without saying a word.
That’s the highest point they reached.
Sepia asked in the pouring sunset,
“Are you really helping me because we’re friends?”
She also knew.
No matter how much they were friends, just because they helped each other didn’t mean he was showing this much mercy.
What on earth would he say?
At that moment, when Sepia’s heart was beating unsteadily, Roxanne frowned slightly as if he had been caught and smiled.
“No. Sepia.”
He kissed the back of the hand he was holding with a negative.
His raised golden eyes were sparkling like a burning flame.
“Unfortunately, there is no man who helps a woman without a reason. But I really wanted to be your friend. Even that feeling was part of my emotions. I want to be everything to you.”
The emotions created by the unbearable doubts were so overwhelming and hot that she couldn’t dare look away.
No, maybe she knew it since she first felt the warmth.
The name of the heat that would gradually spread.
The fluttering emotions made her eyes hot.
Even her heart was racing helplessly from the intense trembling.
But she had to turn away from everything.
“I can’t accept it.”
She was the mother of the empire.
As an Empress, she was supposed to serve the people of the empire more than anyone else.
Even if Demios looked down on the duties Sepia had built up as Empress and kept a government with his name by his side, she had to be perfect.
That was the value of life that Sepia knew.
‘A perfect Empress.’
The Empress dowager of Huron emphasized perfection to Sepia during the day.
And at night, she threw her value to the ground.
The Empress of the Huron Empire.
The Princess of the Duke of Arte.
Sepia ended up being nothing in Huron.
Because no one wanted her.
Sepia found her worth here.
Even though her duties had unspeakable flaws. Maybe that’s why she wanted to become a more perfect Empress. Because she needed meaning to exist to fill her heart that had been left with a hole for a long time.
‘...I said that if I can’t protect myself, I can’t protect others.’
In fact, what she was protecting from Roxanne’s words was not herself, but the position of Empress.
Maybe she hadn’t yet escaped the shadow of abuse. Even though she knew that she couldn’t stop.
Empress. Because she hadn’t found any other value for herself.
‘Even if he finds me offensive, I can’t help it.’
Sepia lowered her eyes.
It was true that she had accepted his help even though she knew Roxanne’s feelings.
However, the answer that followed shattered her anxiety.
“I will wait. Not the Empress, but you, Sepia.”
The dizzying winter wind was hot, ripe with the sunset.
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