“Don’t ever tell Rosie that I left home!”
Moiya called the eagle and urged Aoshi.
“Meow, meow! (You wouldn’t even ask, would you? But this isn’t how you’re going!)”
Despite Aoshi’s protests, Moiya transformed into an eagle.
He picked up the silk pouch containing the wyvern egg with his eagle’s paw and headed towards the main palace, where Zelda was, without looking back.
“This is where our master is. Ow? Looks like she went out for a moment.”
Moiya entered through Zelda’s bedroom window and went straight under the bed, placing the silk pouch down. He then looked around the room, grabbed a cushion, and went back under the bed.
Moiya placed the wyvern egg on the cushion, lay down next to it, and fell asleep.
“Haa, haak...!”
I opened my eyes, feeling as if my face was pressed against a furnace.
An unidentifiable heat suffocated me.
I'd had dinner with Joseph, talked in his room until he fell asleep, and then returned to sleep.
Nothing had happened today, so why was my body acting like this?
It wasn't the time to take a magic potion...
In my sleep, it felt like the room was engulfed in flames, but when I opened my eyes, there was only silence.
Could there have been a fire somewhere in the main palace?
I got up from my bed, went to the window, opened it, and looked outside.
There was no flame anywhere in the main palace building.
Just then, Sharon came running in from the next room.
"Your Majesty!"
"Sharon...?"
"Are you okay? I kept hearing the sound of windows opening."
"Yeah, I suddenly felt a surge of heat in my sleep. Huh?"
Flames erupted from my fingertips.
"T-It's hot, isn't it?"
"It's okay. I was just a little startled."
I was as flustered as Sharon.
It was the first time flames had burst out for no reason.
When I clenched my hands, the flames vanished immediately, but the heat in my palms remained.
I returned to the bed.
“Is this me...?”
The spot I was lying on was drenched in sweat.
But that wasn’t what surprised me.
The part of the bedsheet I had squeezed with my hands, unable to bear the heat, was on fire.
“Oh my god, what the hell is going on? You’re on fire, too.”
Sharon, who had been staring blankly at the charred bedsheets, placed her hand on my forehead, startled.
I carefully examined my palms.
“Why did the power of fire suddenly manifest...?”
“Look under the bed,”
The incarnation inside me said.
“What?”
“I think Moiya has caused an accident.”
“Is Moiya here?”
I quickly knelt down, pulled up the bed skirt, and looked under the bed.
Just as the incarnation had said, Moiya was sleeping under the bed.
But Moiya had his legs resting on something.
What was that?
Something white and round stirred under Moiya's legs.
"Moiya, what is that?"
I tried to wake Moiya, but he seemed deeply asleep.
"Sharon, a lamp."
"Yes."
Sharon grabbed the lamp from the nightstand.
I bent down under the bed again to shine the lamp, and crunch—.
Something rolled in front of me.
"This is the cause. Where on earth did that troublemaker get this?"
The incarnation said with a laugh.
I opened my eyes wide and stared at the writhing white egg.
"Is this... a wyvern egg?"
I thought back to when I first met Moiya in Rosie's quarters, when he was a wyvern egg. Judging by the similar size and appearance, this must be a wyvern egg.
"Oh my, I guess so!"
Sharon covered her mouth and quickly got up and locked the door.
My heart was pounding.
As I touched the wyvern egg, I felt movement within.
"Zelda, wrap both hands around the wyvern egg, imagining you're infusing it with the energy of fire."
I closed my eyes and wrapped my hands around the wyvern egg, as the incarnation instructed.
The heat scattered within me began to gather in my palms.
I continued this way for several minutes.
Even though I didn't put any strength into my hands, the wyvern egg cracked and split in half.
"Whoa!"
I was so startled that I let go of both my hands and fell flat on my butt.
"What a surprise!"
Sharon, who was next to me, fell backwards as well.
"...Huh?"
A small, round pink head popped out of the split wyvern egg.
"!"
"!"
We just stared blankly at the pink baby wyvern that had just hatched.
"Haaam, slept well, Moiya~."
At that moment, Moiya woke up and walked out of bed.
"Master, you're home? Ow? When did this one come out?"
Moiya stopped trying to be held in my arms, but his red eyes sparkled when he spotted the pink wyvern.
"Moiya, what the heck is this...?"
I asked, pointing to the pink wyvern hiding inside the egg.
“I brought it from the Empress’s bedroom. I took it out from the bottom shelf of the dressing table, right, Moiya~?”
“...Roxana had a wyvern egg?!”
“What should I do, Your Majesty? Shr’ll soon find out that the wyvern egg is gone!”
Sharon slapped her forehead with her palm and made a troubled expression.
“She wouldn’t know? I told you it was really kept in the bottom shelf of the dressing table?”
“That’s right, Roxana checks on Moni every two or three days,”
The pink wyvern said, flapping its cute wings.
“Moni...?”
“Huh? You said to me, ‘Is this Moni?’”
The pink wyvern, who insisted her name was Moni, twisted its body and said shyly.
“My goodness, this wyvern also thinks of Your Majesty as her master!”
Sharon smiled cutly at the pink wyvern.
“Really? Why?”
“That’s because you woke her up with the energy of fire.”
The incarnation inside me giggled.
“Good, your name is ‘Moni’ now.”
Moiya said with a dignified voice, patting the pink wyvern’s back.
“Well... let’s do that. Anyway, Moni, when was the last time Roxana saw you?”
“This morning.”
“Whew, then there’s a good chance she won’t know the wyvern is gone until tomorrow.”
As Sharon breathed a sigh of relief, the pink wyvern suddenly shouted at her.
“My name is Moni! I told you it was Moni? KWAAAAH-!”
It must have been really upset because it spewed fire from its mouth.
It was quite a strong flame for a newborn wyvern.
“Oh? Moni, you’re amazing! Even this great wyvern couldn’t breathe fire right after being born.”
Moiya watched Moni’s fire with interest.
One of the bedposts was becoming charred black.
I winked at Sharon, and she reluctantly agreed.
“...I’m sorry, Moni.”
Moni immediately smiled brightly at the mention of her name.
“Your Majesty, what do we do now? Even if today and tomorrow pass, Princess Roxana will soon find out that Moni, the wyvern egg, is missing.”
“That’s right. But before that, we need to find out where the Incarnation Sword is...”
If they found out Moni was missing, security would be tighter, so now was the chance to retrieve it.
“It’s there,”
Moni told me with a bright face.
“Not the bedroom, but nearby.”
“What?”
“The Incarnation Sword. Moni can sense it.”
“Your Majesty, isn’t Moni talking about the dressing room?”
Sharon asked in a low voice.
“Yes, it’s probably the safest place in the palace. Even though you were caught sneaking in, there’s a good chance it’s still stored there.”
The dressing room, windowless, was one of the most closed spaces in the Empress's palace.
"I need to retrieve the Incarnation Sword before Roxana realizes Moni is missing, but I'm blocked on all sides. What do I do..."
The door leading to the dressing room via the laundry stairs had been stolen, so now the only way in and out was through the Empress's bedroom door. I muttered to myself, contemplating the matter, when Sharon hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking.
"Um... Your Majesty, the key to the laundry stairs, and the key to the dressing room. I made a copy of another one..."
"...What?! Is that true?"
I asked, grabbing Sharon's hand.
"Yes, just in case, before I sneak into the dressing room."
Sharon smiled bashfully.
How wonderful!
I hugged Sharon tightly.
Moiya and Moni, oblivious to the situation, simply followed my lead and clung to Sharon.
“The concubine ceremony is coming up soon, so it would be best to move after that, right?”
Sharon scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, then whispered with a serious expression.
“No, then it’ll be too late. She will notice Moni is gone. We need to find the incarnation sword before then.”
The next day.
After lunch, Sharon came into the room with a slightly excited look on her face.
“I’ve airlifted the wedding dress you’ll be wearing for the concubine ceremony tomorrow!”
“Really? That’s good. Should I try it on?”
“Yes. It’s off-the-rack, but it still needs some minor alterations.”
“As long as it’s roughly the right size, it’s fine.”
“Still. I could have gotten a new wedding dress in a week...”
Sharon sighed deeply, feeling regretful.
“Well, the wedding dress you wore on your state wedding day was really pretty.”
Even though I couldn't recall Linel's face that day, the wedding dress I wore lingered in my memory.
"That's right. The dress Her Majesty the Empress wore for the ceremony was truly beautiful!"
"Come to think of it, where is the wedding dress you wore then stored? I don't remember seeing it in the Empress's dressing room after that day."
"Oh, the ceremonial attire of Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress is stored separately in the Imperial Exhibition Hall in the main palace."
"Is that so..."
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress."
Just then, a knock was heard, and the door opened.
"Did you hear the news?"
Empress Elan asked with an excited expression.
"What?"
"Prince Tesla and Princess Resilia of the Kingdom of Shattonil just arrived."
What the hell?
"They... why?"
"They must have come to attend the concubine ceremony. They couldn't attend the remarriage ceremony because it was so sudden, but they're attending the concubine ceremony, or something like that. Where did you hear the news about the concubine ceremony?"
“Roxana must have leaked it. It’s possible she deliberately invited someone uncomfortable with me.”
I scoffed, remembering the siblings of the Shattonil Kingdom.
“I saw her briefly in front of the main palace, and it seems Empress Roxana suggested tea time to Princess Eesilia at the Empress’s Palace.”
“Really?”
“Yes, she let it slip as if she was bragging when she saw me.”
“She probably meant it for me to hear.”
Moiya called the eagle and urged Aoshi.
“Meow, meow! (You wouldn’t even ask, would you? But this isn’t how you’re going!)”
Despite Aoshi’s protests, Moiya transformed into an eagle.
He picked up the silk pouch containing the wyvern egg with his eagle’s paw and headed towards the main palace, where Zelda was, without looking back.
“This is where our master is. Ow? Looks like she went out for a moment.”
Moiya entered through Zelda’s bedroom window and went straight under the bed, placing the silk pouch down. He then looked around the room, grabbed a cushion, and went back under the bed.
Moiya placed the wyvern egg on the cushion, lay down next to it, and fell asleep.
***
“Haa, haak...!”
I opened my eyes, feeling as if my face was pressed against a furnace.
An unidentifiable heat suffocated me.
I'd had dinner with Joseph, talked in his room until he fell asleep, and then returned to sleep.
Nothing had happened today, so why was my body acting like this?
It wasn't the time to take a magic potion...
In my sleep, it felt like the room was engulfed in flames, but when I opened my eyes, there was only silence.
Could there have been a fire somewhere in the main palace?
I got up from my bed, went to the window, opened it, and looked outside.
There was no flame anywhere in the main palace building.
Just then, Sharon came running in from the next room.
"Your Majesty!"
"Sharon...?"
"Are you okay? I kept hearing the sound of windows opening."
"Yeah, I suddenly felt a surge of heat in my sleep. Huh?"
Flames erupted from my fingertips.
"T-It's hot, isn't it?"
"It's okay. I was just a little startled."
I was as flustered as Sharon.
It was the first time flames had burst out for no reason.
When I clenched my hands, the flames vanished immediately, but the heat in my palms remained.
I returned to the bed.
“Is this me...?”
The spot I was lying on was drenched in sweat.
But that wasn’t what surprised me.
The part of the bedsheet I had squeezed with my hands, unable to bear the heat, was on fire.
“Oh my god, what the hell is going on? You’re on fire, too.”
Sharon, who had been staring blankly at the charred bedsheets, placed her hand on my forehead, startled.
I carefully examined my palms.
“Why did the power of fire suddenly manifest...?”
“Look under the bed,”
The incarnation inside me said.
“What?”
“I think Moiya has caused an accident.”
“Is Moiya here?”
I quickly knelt down, pulled up the bed skirt, and looked under the bed.
Just as the incarnation had said, Moiya was sleeping under the bed.
But Moiya had his legs resting on something.
What was that?
Something white and round stirred under Moiya's legs.
"Moiya, what is that?"
I tried to wake Moiya, but he seemed deeply asleep.
"Sharon, a lamp."
"Yes."
Sharon grabbed the lamp from the nightstand.
I bent down under the bed again to shine the lamp, and crunch—.
Something rolled in front of me.
"This is the cause. Where on earth did that troublemaker get this?"
The incarnation said with a laugh.
I opened my eyes wide and stared at the writhing white egg.
"Is this... a wyvern egg?"
I thought back to when I first met Moiya in Rosie's quarters, when he was a wyvern egg. Judging by the similar size and appearance, this must be a wyvern egg.
"Oh my, I guess so!"
Sharon covered her mouth and quickly got up and locked the door.
My heart was pounding.
As I touched the wyvern egg, I felt movement within.
"Zelda, wrap both hands around the wyvern egg, imagining you're infusing it with the energy of fire."
I closed my eyes and wrapped my hands around the wyvern egg, as the incarnation instructed.
The heat scattered within me began to gather in my palms.
I continued this way for several minutes.
Even though I didn't put any strength into my hands, the wyvern egg cracked and split in half.
"Whoa!"
I was so startled that I let go of both my hands and fell flat on my butt.
"What a surprise!"
Sharon, who was next to me, fell backwards as well.
"...Huh?"
A small, round pink head popped out of the split wyvern egg.
"!"
"!"
We just stared blankly at the pink baby wyvern that had just hatched.
"Haaam, slept well, Moiya~."
At that moment, Moiya woke up and walked out of bed.
"Master, you're home? Ow? When did this one come out?"
Moiya stopped trying to be held in my arms, but his red eyes sparkled when he spotted the pink wyvern.
"Moiya, what the heck is this...?"
I asked, pointing to the pink wyvern hiding inside the egg.
“I brought it from the Empress’s bedroom. I took it out from the bottom shelf of the dressing table, right, Moiya~?”
“...Roxana had a wyvern egg?!”
“What should I do, Your Majesty? Shr’ll soon find out that the wyvern egg is gone!”
Sharon slapped her forehead with her palm and made a troubled expression.
“She wouldn’t know? I told you it was really kept in the bottom shelf of the dressing table?”
“That’s right, Roxana checks on Moni every two or three days,”
The pink wyvern said, flapping its cute wings.
“Moni...?”
“Huh? You said to me, ‘Is this Moni?’”
The pink wyvern, who insisted her name was Moni, twisted its body and said shyly.
“My goodness, this wyvern also thinks of Your Majesty as her master!”
Sharon smiled cutly at the pink wyvern.
“Really? Why?”
“That’s because you woke her up with the energy of fire.”
The incarnation inside me giggled.
“Good, your name is ‘Moni’ now.”
Moiya said with a dignified voice, patting the pink wyvern’s back.
“Well... let’s do that. Anyway, Moni, when was the last time Roxana saw you?”
“This morning.”
“Whew, then there’s a good chance she won’t know the wyvern is gone until tomorrow.”
As Sharon breathed a sigh of relief, the pink wyvern suddenly shouted at her.
“My name is Moni! I told you it was Moni? KWAAAAH-!”
It must have been really upset because it spewed fire from its mouth.
It was quite a strong flame for a newborn wyvern.
“Oh? Moni, you’re amazing! Even this great wyvern couldn’t breathe fire right after being born.”
Moiya watched Moni’s fire with interest.
One of the bedposts was becoming charred black.
I winked at Sharon, and she reluctantly agreed.
“...I’m sorry, Moni.”
Moni immediately smiled brightly at the mention of her name.
“Your Majesty, what do we do now? Even if today and tomorrow pass, Princess Roxana will soon find out that Moni, the wyvern egg, is missing.”
“That’s right. But before that, we need to find out where the Incarnation Sword is...”
If they found out Moni was missing, security would be tighter, so now was the chance to retrieve it.
“It’s there,”
Moni told me with a bright face.
“Not the bedroom, but nearby.”
“What?”
“The Incarnation Sword. Moni can sense it.”
“Your Majesty, isn’t Moni talking about the dressing room?”
Sharon asked in a low voice.
“Yes, it’s probably the safest place in the palace. Even though you were caught sneaking in, there’s a good chance it’s still stored there.”
The dressing room, windowless, was one of the most closed spaces in the Empress's palace.
"I need to retrieve the Incarnation Sword before Roxana realizes Moni is missing, but I'm blocked on all sides. What do I do..."
The door leading to the dressing room via the laundry stairs had been stolen, so now the only way in and out was through the Empress's bedroom door. I muttered to myself, contemplating the matter, when Sharon hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking.
"Um... Your Majesty, the key to the laundry stairs, and the key to the dressing room. I made a copy of another one..."
"...What?! Is that true?"
I asked, grabbing Sharon's hand.
"Yes, just in case, before I sneak into the dressing room."
Sharon smiled bashfully.
How wonderful!
I hugged Sharon tightly.
Moiya and Moni, oblivious to the situation, simply followed my lead and clung to Sharon.
“The concubine ceremony is coming up soon, so it would be best to move after that, right?”
Sharon scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, then whispered with a serious expression.
“No, then it’ll be too late. She will notice Moni is gone. We need to find the incarnation sword before then.”
***
The next day.
After lunch, Sharon came into the room with a slightly excited look on her face.
“I’ve airlifted the wedding dress you’ll be wearing for the concubine ceremony tomorrow!”
“Really? That’s good. Should I try it on?”
“Yes. It’s off-the-rack, but it still needs some minor alterations.”
“As long as it’s roughly the right size, it’s fine.”
“Still. I could have gotten a new wedding dress in a week...”
Sharon sighed deeply, feeling regretful.
“Well, the wedding dress you wore on your state wedding day was really pretty.”
Even though I couldn't recall Linel's face that day, the wedding dress I wore lingered in my memory.
"That's right. The dress Her Majesty the Empress wore for the ceremony was truly beautiful!"
"Come to think of it, where is the wedding dress you wore then stored? I don't remember seeing it in the Empress's dressing room after that day."
"Oh, the ceremonial attire of Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress is stored separately in the Imperial Exhibition Hall in the main palace."
"Is that so..."
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress."
Just then, a knock was heard, and the door opened.
"Did you hear the news?"
Empress Elan asked with an excited expression.
"What?"
"Prince Tesla and Princess Resilia of the Kingdom of Shattonil just arrived."
What the hell?
"They... why?"
"They must have come to attend the concubine ceremony. They couldn't attend the remarriage ceremony because it was so sudden, but they're attending the concubine ceremony, or something like that. Where did you hear the news about the concubine ceremony?"
“Roxana must have leaked it. It’s possible she deliberately invited someone uncomfortable with me.”
I scoffed, remembering the siblings of the Shattonil Kingdom.
“I saw her briefly in front of the main palace, and it seems Empress Roxana suggested tea time to Princess Eesilia at the Empress’s Palace.”
“Really?”
“Yes, she let it slip as if she was bragging when she saw me.”
“She probably meant it for me to hear.”
Empress Elan nodded in agreement.
“I think it would be best if you avoid meeting Princess Resilia. Something feels off.”
“I think it would be best if you avoid meeting Princess Resilia. Something feels off.”
Empress Elan expressed her concerns for a while before turning away.
Honestly, I didn’t have the energy to worry about the Shattonil siblings.
My mind was completely occupied with how to retrieve the Incarnation Sword.
Suddenly, as I pictured Princess Resilia and Roxana meeting, a brilliant idea struck me.
“Ah...!”
Maybe I could use Princess Resilia for this!
I quickly found a pen and paper.
I scribbled down a few words.
Then, folding the paper, I lifted the bed skirt.
“Moiya, call a pigeon and deliver this to Grand Duke Martins.”
At my words, Moiya grabbed Moni’s hand from under the bed, and we both ran out together.
“Master, can Moni and I go together?”
“Can Moni transform?”
“Huh? Of course, Moni is amazing.”
“Alright. Great Moiya and great Moni go together. In return, you just have to deliver the letter and come back right away.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Moiya immediately called two pigeons.
The two wyvern hatchlings transformed into pigeons and flew affectionately to the annex where Grand Duke Martins was staying.
I arrived at the greenhouse just in time to meet Grand Duke Martins.
“Are you here?”
Honestly, I didn’t have the energy to worry about the Shattonil siblings.
My mind was completely occupied with how to retrieve the Incarnation Sword.
Suddenly, as I pictured Princess Resilia and Roxana meeting, a brilliant idea struck me.
“Ah...!”
Maybe I could use Princess Resilia for this!
I quickly found a pen and paper.
I scribbled down a few words.
Then, folding the paper, I lifted the bed skirt.
“Moiya, call a pigeon and deliver this to Grand Duke Martins.”
At my words, Moiya grabbed Moni’s hand from under the bed, and we both ran out together.
“Master, can Moni and I go together?”
“Can Moni transform?”
“Huh? Of course, Moni is amazing.”
“Alright. Great Moiya and great Moni go together. In return, you just have to deliver the letter and come back right away.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Moiya immediately called two pigeons.
The two wyvern hatchlings transformed into pigeons and flew affectionately to the annex where Grand Duke Martins was staying.
***
I arrived at the greenhouse just in time to meet Grand Duke Martins.
“Are you here?”
When I entered, Grand Duke Martins was already there.
“You’re early.”
“Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you here. How are your whip wounds?”
“They’re healing well, thanks to the magic tower master’s treatment. Thank you for your concern.”
I strolled slowly through the greenhouse with Grand Duke Martins.
"Prince Tesla and Princess Resilia came to the Imperial Palace today, didn't they?"
"Yes, I thought that might be why the Empress was seeking me out."
Grand Duke Martins, like my close associates, still addressed me as "Her Majesty the Empress."
“You’re early.”
“Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you here. How are your whip wounds?”
“They’re healing well, thanks to the magic tower master’s treatment. Thank you for your concern.”
I strolled slowly through the greenhouse with Grand Duke Martins.
"Prince Tesla and Princess Resilia came to the Imperial Palace today, didn't they?"
"Yes, I thought that might be why the Empress was seeking me out."
Grand Duke Martins, like my close associates, still addressed me as "Her Majesty the Empress."
"Grand Duke, there's something you need my assistance with."
I stopped walking and spoke directly.
"Please speak. If there's anything I can do to help you, I'd be happy to help."
"It's not difficult. Just drop a few words to Prince Tesla and Princess Resilia."
I smiled faintly and approached Grand Duke Martin.
Then, with a nervous expression, the Grand Duke asked,
"What... words?"
I stopped walking and spoke directly.
"Please speak. If there's anything I can do to help you, I'd be happy to help."
"It's not difficult. Just drop a few words to Prince Tesla and Princess Resilia."
I smiled faintly and approached Grand Duke Martin.
Then, with a nervous expression, the Grand Duke asked,
"What... words?"
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