"Carsis, what do you want to do?"
Carsis looked up, staring at her hand touching the lake.
“What you want, that's what I want.”
Although two years had passed since Carsis became Emperor, he still treated Bellona with respect whenever they were alone.
Bellona would always tell Carsis not to be polite anymore, but Carsis would just pretend not to be polite and say that it was because he was spoiled by his master.
“It's what I want...”
Bellona lowered her eyes, mulling over Carsis' words for a long time.
A dark shadow fell over her green eyes.
"Do you know anything about lotus flowers, Carsis?"
Bellona continued as if she hadn't originally intended to hear his answer to that question.
"It is said that there is a plant whose seeds are buried in the mud when the flower dies and falls, and when the time comes, it blooms again. It is as big and beautiful as the flower that bloomed before... It is beautiful to see it bloom so lonely even in the dirty mud."
She felt the waves rippling at her fingertips and imagined lotus flowers blooming only in the Eastern Continent.
"Isn't it a bit mysterious that a new life begins through death? It's a bit comforting."
“...What do you want to say?”
Carsis felt uncomfortable with Bellona's sudden mention of death, but also uncomfortable about what she would say next.
Bellona's shadowed eyes and pursed lips were one of her habits when she made a difficult request of him.
"As the nobles say, the position of Empress cannot be left vacant any longer. So..."
Bellona closed her mouth for a moment, then opened it again.
"Welcome the Empress. Not me, but another woman."
For a moment a cold silence rose between the two.
For some reason, even the cool breeze that used to ruffle her hair stopped blowing.
“Pfft,” Carsis replied with a laugh.
“That's nonsense.”
But unlike his smiling lips, his eyes were colder than ever.
Carsis flatly rejected her offer, as if there was no room for compromise.
He would sometimes talk nonsense like this as if he had never been polite to Bellona.
As if she had anticipated Carsis's reaction, Bellona brought up the words she had prepared.
"I don't have much longer to live. You know that, don't you? I'm lucky to have survived this long."
The doctors examining Bellona all said the same thing.
It's a miracle she's still alive today.
Even if it was broken, was Riventia still Riventia?
Her body was holding up better than expected. But it was literally just holding on. No one knew when she would die.
An Emperor could only maintain his power if he had a successor.
However, in Bellona's physical condition, it became increasingly difficult to accept Carsis, let alone her successor.
In this situation, if she became the Empress out of greed, there was concern that the position of the woman who would become the new Empress in the future would be narrowed.
“Carsis.”
Because of that, she called his name again and asked him to listen to her. But he didn't seem to want to hear anymore and started rowing the oars he was playing with.
"Isaac is currently looking for the escaped Duke Philosykos. He must know a way out."
He had been missing for two years, and Carsis had been searching for him ever since. He never knew when the wisdom and power of Duke Philosykos would come in handy.
Suddenly he stopped moving and strengthened his grip on the oar.
“But Carsis.”
“Bellona.”
It was when Bellona called out to Carsis in a voice that seemed to have gotten louder and louder.
Carsis interrupted her.
"There was a time when you told me something. About what it would have been like if the House of Jupiter had not been destroyed and you had grown up as an ordinary noble daughter."
“…”
Sometimes she would imagine what it would have been like if she had grown up as an ordinary noble girl, without a single glimmer of darkness or blemish.
"Two years ago, when Ellie lost her memory, she might have grown up to be the precious young lady of the Jupiter family you imagined."
“…”
“Because you looked exactly like the child I first saw you in.”
Sometimes, that warmth of sympathizing with someone, crying for someone, getting angry, and that shining, sparkling appearance when smiling.
"You are my light."
It was a single light that came down into the freezing basement, and it was a warm light that held his cold hand.
No matter how much he chases after it, he can never make it completely his...
"If you ever leave me, I will endure and live in the warmth of the place you stayed. So please..."
Carsis bent down and rested his face on her knees.
“Don't leave me.”
He pleaded.
Don't throw me and your life away so easily.
“Carsis...”
Bellona called his name with a choked voice.
She desperately tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, but it was no use.
Knock, knock.
A drop of water fell from her eye and fell onto Carsis's hair.
'I don't want to die.'
I didn't want to leave Carsis.
I didn't want to hurt Carsis.
“...Yes, Carsis.”
Now, without even thinking about wiping away the tears that were pouring down like rain, she bent down over him.Then, Bellona overlapped Carsis's body.
“I'll be by your side.”
She promised to stay by his side until the end, in whatever form she took: as Empress, as his maid, or as his loyal subject.
A trembling voice dug into Carsis's ear.
“...with all my might.”
As she said that, she thought to herself.
A little bit, just a little bit...
Can't we be greedy?
From that day on, the national wedding of Carsis and Bellona progressed quickly.
When the long-awaited news was made known to the world, everyone, commoners and nobles alike, rejoiced and blessed the future of the two people.
And the person who was the most excited among them was Jenna.
"Good idea, Miss."
She said as she combed Bellona's hair in her separate quarters in the palace.
Jenna's face kept smiling brightly as if something was so good about her.
“No one is more worthy of the position of Empress than you, my lady.”
In fact, among the candidates for the Empress, there were some who were mentioned as Bellona's second choice.
Objectively speaking, they were the daughters of a family that was by no means inferior, but in Jenna's eyes, they were far behind Bellona.
In the meantime, she was secretly burning inside, skeptical about Bellona becoming Empress, but how fortunate she was that Bellona had changed her mind now.
Jenna also understood in her head why Bellona continued to avoid the position of Empress.
Because he knew better than anyone that his physical condition was not what it used to be.
But because of that, she couldn't stand to see anyone other than Bellona become Empress.
The moment that happened, Jenna couldn't stand it because it felt like she was really admitting that Bellona had a limited time left.
"If we just find Duke Philosykos, everything will be fine. Get well soon and go to Minolta Estate to make lanterns fly."
Bellona's eyes opened wide as she silently listened to Jenna's words.
"You still remember that?"
"Of course. I remember everything related to you, young lady."
Minolta has long been famous for its lantern festival.
And Bellona, who had been locked away in the mansion as a child, had a simple dream.
Go to Minolta Estate, famous for its sky lanterns, and try floating a sky lantern.
The picture book her nanny gave her when she was little depicted a scene of hundreds of lanterns flying across the autumn night sky.
It was enough to create the illusion that stars were pouring down from the sky, planting a fantasy about sky lanterns in young Bellona's mind.
“There were many other things you wanted to do, weren't there?”
“...There were a lot.”
In response to Jenna's question, she recalled her pure childhood dreams.
"I also wanted to go to the summer festival in the capital. I wanted to eat street food like everyone else there. I wanted to go boating on the lake on a nice day... I also wanted to dance with a nice guy on a ball day."
When she actually listed the things she wanted to do, most of them were things she had already done when she was living as Elizabeth. However, there were things she had never experienced while living as Bellona.
As her thoughts reached that point, Bellona suddenly felt like doing the things she had been mumbling.
After rebelling and coming to this position, all she wants to do is do these little things.
It was when she thought about it herself and found it so absurd that she couldn't help but laugh.
“Oh my, Lord Carsis!”
As Jenna's scream brought Bellona out of her thoughts, she saw Carsis reflected in the mirror.
He was leaning towards the door, staring at Bellona, for some time now.
"I thought you were ready."
Today was the day she decided to go for a walk with Carsis.
Although the sun had completely set, this was the best time for Carsis, who was busy preparing for the state wedding and attending to the Emperor's state affairs.
Before Bellona could respond, Jenna quickly cut her off and helped her up.
"Of course! Take care on your way!"
Bellona smiled and walked away, finding Jenna cute as she pushed her back, telling her to hurry up and go.
However.
Huh?
Bellona stopped for a moment, feeling dizzy.
“Bellona?”
Then, Carsis, who had come close to her in an instant, felt something strange about her behavior and spoke. His eyes and voice toward Bellona were filled with concern.
"If it's hard, just rest..."
"It's okay. I just felt dizzy for a moment."
Bellona patted Carsis' hand a couple of times to reassure him while he was supporting her, and then she walked away.
This kind of dizziness has long since become a familiar part of her daily life.
Carsis followed behind Bellona, who let out a low sigh as she stepped forward as if nothing was wrong.
Under the patronage of the Solerian Palace.
Carsis looked up, staring at her hand touching the lake.
“What you want, that's what I want.”
Although two years had passed since Carsis became Emperor, he still treated Bellona with respect whenever they were alone.
Bellona would always tell Carsis not to be polite anymore, but Carsis would just pretend not to be polite and say that it was because he was spoiled by his master.
“It's what I want...”
Bellona lowered her eyes, mulling over Carsis' words for a long time.
A dark shadow fell over her green eyes.
"Do you know anything about lotus flowers, Carsis?"
Bellona continued as if she hadn't originally intended to hear his answer to that question.
"It is said that there is a plant whose seeds are buried in the mud when the flower dies and falls, and when the time comes, it blooms again. It is as big and beautiful as the flower that bloomed before... It is beautiful to see it bloom so lonely even in the dirty mud."
She felt the waves rippling at her fingertips and imagined lotus flowers blooming only in the Eastern Continent.
"Isn't it a bit mysterious that a new life begins through death? It's a bit comforting."
“...What do you want to say?”
Carsis felt uncomfortable with Bellona's sudden mention of death, but also uncomfortable about what she would say next.
Bellona's shadowed eyes and pursed lips were one of her habits when she made a difficult request of him.
"As the nobles say, the position of Empress cannot be left vacant any longer. So..."
Bellona closed her mouth for a moment, then opened it again.
"Welcome the Empress. Not me, but another woman."
For a moment a cold silence rose between the two.
For some reason, even the cool breeze that used to ruffle her hair stopped blowing.
“Pfft,” Carsis replied with a laugh.
“That's nonsense.”
But unlike his smiling lips, his eyes were colder than ever.
Carsis flatly rejected her offer, as if there was no room for compromise.
He would sometimes talk nonsense like this as if he had never been polite to Bellona.
As if she had anticipated Carsis's reaction, Bellona brought up the words she had prepared.
"I don't have much longer to live. You know that, don't you? I'm lucky to have survived this long."
The doctors examining Bellona all said the same thing.
It's a miracle she's still alive today.
Even if it was broken, was Riventia still Riventia?
Her body was holding up better than expected. But it was literally just holding on. No one knew when she would die.
An Emperor could only maintain his power if he had a successor.
However, in Bellona's physical condition, it became increasingly difficult to accept Carsis, let alone her successor.
In this situation, if she became the Empress out of greed, there was concern that the position of the woman who would become the new Empress in the future would be narrowed.
“Carsis.”
Because of that, she called his name again and asked him to listen to her. But he didn't seem to want to hear anymore and started rowing the oars he was playing with.
"Isaac is currently looking for the escaped Duke Philosykos. He must know a way out."
He had been missing for two years, and Carsis had been searching for him ever since. He never knew when the wisdom and power of Duke Philosykos would come in handy.
Suddenly he stopped moving and strengthened his grip on the oar.
“But Carsis.”
“Bellona.”
It was when Bellona called out to Carsis in a voice that seemed to have gotten louder and louder.
Carsis interrupted her.
"There was a time when you told me something. About what it would have been like if the House of Jupiter had not been destroyed and you had grown up as an ordinary noble daughter."
“…”
Sometimes she would imagine what it would have been like if she had grown up as an ordinary noble girl, without a single glimmer of darkness or blemish.
"Two years ago, when Ellie lost her memory, she might have grown up to be the precious young lady of the Jupiter family you imagined."
“…”
“Because you looked exactly like the child I first saw you in.”
Sometimes, that warmth of sympathizing with someone, crying for someone, getting angry, and that shining, sparkling appearance when smiling.
"You are my light."
It was a single light that came down into the freezing basement, and it was a warm light that held his cold hand.
No matter how much he chases after it, he can never make it completely his...
"If you ever leave me, I will endure and live in the warmth of the place you stayed. So please..."
Carsis bent down and rested his face on her knees.
“Don't leave me.”
He pleaded.
Don't throw me and your life away so easily.
“Carsis...”
Bellona called his name with a choked voice.
She desperately tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, but it was no use.
Knock, knock.
A drop of water fell from her eye and fell onto Carsis's hair.
'I don't want to die.'
I didn't want to leave Carsis.
I didn't want to hurt Carsis.
“...Yes, Carsis.”
Now, without even thinking about wiping away the tears that were pouring down like rain, she bent down over him.Then, Bellona overlapped Carsis's body.
“I'll be by your side.”
She promised to stay by his side until the end, in whatever form she took: as Empress, as his maid, or as his loyal subject.
A trembling voice dug into Carsis's ear.
“...with all my might.”
As she said that, she thought to herself.
A little bit, just a little bit...
Can't we be greedy?
***
From that day on, the national wedding of Carsis and Bellona progressed quickly.
When the long-awaited news was made known to the world, everyone, commoners and nobles alike, rejoiced and blessed the future of the two people.
And the person who was the most excited among them was Jenna.
"Good idea, Miss."
She said as she combed Bellona's hair in her separate quarters in the palace.
Jenna's face kept smiling brightly as if something was so good about her.
“No one is more worthy of the position of Empress than you, my lady.”
In fact, among the candidates for the Empress, there were some who were mentioned as Bellona's second choice.
Objectively speaking, they were the daughters of a family that was by no means inferior, but in Jenna's eyes, they were far behind Bellona.
In the meantime, she was secretly burning inside, skeptical about Bellona becoming Empress, but how fortunate she was that Bellona had changed her mind now.
Jenna also understood in her head why Bellona continued to avoid the position of Empress.
Because he knew better than anyone that his physical condition was not what it used to be.
But because of that, she couldn't stand to see anyone other than Bellona become Empress.
The moment that happened, Jenna couldn't stand it because it felt like she was really admitting that Bellona had a limited time left.
"If we just find Duke Philosykos, everything will be fine. Get well soon and go to Minolta Estate to make lanterns fly."
Bellona's eyes opened wide as she silently listened to Jenna's words.
"You still remember that?"
"Of course. I remember everything related to you, young lady."
Minolta has long been famous for its lantern festival.
And Bellona, who had been locked away in the mansion as a child, had a simple dream.
Go to Minolta Estate, famous for its sky lanterns, and try floating a sky lantern.
The picture book her nanny gave her when she was little depicted a scene of hundreds of lanterns flying across the autumn night sky.
It was enough to create the illusion that stars were pouring down from the sky, planting a fantasy about sky lanterns in young Bellona's mind.
“There were many other things you wanted to do, weren't there?”
“...There were a lot.”
In response to Jenna's question, she recalled her pure childhood dreams.
"I also wanted to go to the summer festival in the capital. I wanted to eat street food like everyone else there. I wanted to go boating on the lake on a nice day... I also wanted to dance with a nice guy on a ball day."
When she actually listed the things she wanted to do, most of them were things she had already done when she was living as Elizabeth. However, there were things she had never experienced while living as Bellona.
As her thoughts reached that point, Bellona suddenly felt like doing the things she had been mumbling.
After rebelling and coming to this position, all she wants to do is do these little things.
It was when she thought about it herself and found it so absurd that she couldn't help but laugh.
“Oh my, Lord Carsis!”
As Jenna's scream brought Bellona out of her thoughts, she saw Carsis reflected in the mirror.
He was leaning towards the door, staring at Bellona, for some time now.
"I thought you were ready."
Today was the day she decided to go for a walk with Carsis.
Although the sun had completely set, this was the best time for Carsis, who was busy preparing for the state wedding and attending to the Emperor's state affairs.
Before Bellona could respond, Jenna quickly cut her off and helped her up.
"Of course! Take care on your way!"
Bellona smiled and walked away, finding Jenna cute as she pushed her back, telling her to hurry up and go.
However.
Huh?
Bellona stopped for a moment, feeling dizzy.
“Bellona?”
Then, Carsis, who had come close to her in an instant, felt something strange about her behavior and spoke. His eyes and voice toward Bellona were filled with concern.
"If it's hard, just rest..."
"It's okay. I just felt dizzy for a moment."
Bellona patted Carsis' hand a couple of times to reassure him while he was supporting her, and then she walked away.
This kind of dizziness has long since become a familiar part of her daily life.
Carsis followed behind Bellona, who let out a low sigh as she stepped forward as if nothing was wrong.
***
Under the patronage of the Solerian Palace.
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