(209) Side Story; Precious and New (3)
Ariana quietly turned her gaze to the side.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Don’t you want to become the Empress? You are to become the mistress of the largest and strongest country on this continent.”
The Arcana Empire, having swallowed the Western Territory and Camellia empires and devoured other small nations, has become so strong that there is truly no opponent on this continent capable of standing against it.
As the realm of Arcana has expanded to include not only the cold northern regions but also areas with stable climates, it will develop further in the future.
"I never wanted to become Empress."
In the past, Victoria became the Empress, but Ariana never coveted that position for even a single moment. Even after returning to life, she never wanted to become the Empress.
She simply wanted to strike down those who had driven her to her death, abandon everything, and leave to live out the rest of her life ordinarily and quietly.
"I just wanted to live a normal life."
“Is that so? Then I must step down from the throne. Would Duke Hern be a good successor?”
She thought his unhesitating answer was a joke. However, seeing the serious look in his eyes, Ariana was taken aback, as it seemed as though he were about to send a letter to Duke Hern saying, "I am stepping down as Emperor," at any moment.
“That’s not what I meant, Sei. I’m not telling you to quit being Emperor; I’m just a little...”
Ariana liked the present moment.
She enjoyed spending time with her family at Chase Castle, so she didn't want to leave yet.
Since meeting the White family seven years ago, she had been constantly loved, but at that time, Ariana's heart was entirely focused on the West and the Third Prince. Only now, after the war had ended, had she finally become an ordinary woman and was experiencing life with her beloved family.
She knows she can't act like a child forever, but it has only been two months since the war ended.
"I need time."
It was hard to speak harshly to someone who had come all this way to take Ariana away, so she was struggling to decide what to say when Cyrus nodded.
“Time. That’s a good thing. After all, no matter how much you have, it’s never enough.”
He intertwined his hand with Ariana's fingers and kissed the tips.
"Do you need time with your family?"
Ariana stared at him with a sense of wonder.
How is it that this man has understood her heart from the moment they first met until now, even without her saying a word?
Maybe that is why.
What made her fall deeply for this person? What made her feel like she couldn't live without this person?
Because it is comfortable to be understood without her having to express it in words, and because it is amazing to be able to share her thoughts and feelings without having to explain them one by one.
Ariana might have been influenced by Cyrus Carha little by little.
"Yeah, a little more."
“Alright then. Let’s do that. While I’m at it, I might as well spend my vacation in Stella, where the weather is nice.”
“You're busy. It hasn’t been long since the war ended; what would the people think if the Emperor were absent?”
“I have placed the right person in the newly recruited region, and the people who originally lived in the Northern Territory take the monarch’s absence for granted.”
When he was in the Northern Territory, Cyrus entrusted everything to Duke Hern and wandered around here and there.
“The people of the North are accustomed to living without a monarch. In any case, seeing that you are already worried about our country’s people, I am pleased to see that your mindset as an Empress seems excellent.”
"No matter what I say, you connect everything to that."
“Is a man unattractive who acts like an obsessive fool out of anxiety about losing you?”
"It should naturally be unattractive, but since you're so handsome, I end up turning a blind eye to that flaw."
“I should thank my parents for giving me such a handsome face. If Geor were here, he would have offered a prayer of thanks with me.”
Ariana recalled the image of him and Geor praying together one day.
When was it again?
Right, it was when she went out to see the elephants.
The events of that time felt faint like a dream, yet also vivid as if they happened just yesterday.
That day, when Ariana saw the two men's astonishing actions, she had no idea that the elephant would cause such a big mess.
Ariana handed a sandwich to Cyrus and held one for herself. She was hungry because she hadn't been able to eat since morning, since Cyrus had come to visit.
Under the warm sunlight, the two ate sandwiches in silence. The occasional breeze carried the scent of the river.
A man and a woman who appeared to be lovers were aboard a small wooden boat floating on the river. It looked like a good place to spend time alone, having a private conversation.
“The North, what are the couples of Arcana like?”
"Usually, the river is frozen, so we break the ice to enjoy ice fishing. Men who are good at breaking the ice are popular."
Ariana smiled faintly.
“Then, you who only know how to freeze ice?”
"It's terrible."
Cyrus gazed at Ariana, who was laughing a little harder this time, as if she were dazzling. Ariana spoke.
"If I go ice fishing with you next time, I'll break the ice for you."
“What will you do if I fall for you all over again, seeing you bravely break the ice? If I fall for you even more than I do now, I won’t want to leave your side.”
“Then you should wear me attached to your side like a pretty accessory.”
"That is still possible right now. If you want, I could be your bear replacement."
"Our bear is still doing well, so we'll have to wait a little longer."
"Oh, dear. What a long-lived teddy bear."
The silly conversation was enjoyable.
In the past, whenever she talked with Cyrus, there was always something she had to talk about, but that wasn't the case anymore. It was strange that they had so much to talk about when there was nothing urgent or difficult to deal with.
Cyrus, who had been staring at the river with his eyes half-closed, opened his mouth.
“As soon as the aftermath of the war subsides, I’m thinking of building a long road connecting Arcana to Stella.”
"The road?"
“Right. A wide road where carriages can travel comfortably. It will create jobs since we will need to hire many laborers, and even after it is completed, we plan to train personnel for maintenance and security to keep it safe.”
"Once that road is completed, the travel time between Arcana and Stella will be faster."
“That’s right. Since Stella is rich in resources, a safe and fast trade route would be good for Arcana.”
Even though he said that, he could tell that it was actually for Ariana's sake. This man was about to start a massive business so that she could come and go from Stella whenever she missed her family.
“Once the road connecting Arcana and Stella is completed, we plan to build roads connecting to other countries as well. Improved roads will boost trade, and more jobs will likely reduce the number of bandits.”
Cyrus turned to look at Ariana and smiled.
Cyrus asked Ariana, who was squinting her eyes as the shimmering silver hair in the sunlight blinded her.
“How about it? Do you think I have some charm now, besides just my handsome face?”
Charlotte was staring blankly out the window from inside the carriage.
The Kingdom of Stella, formerly the Eastern Territory, had a better climate than the region where the Camellia Empire was located, so in April, clear skies stretched out endlessly.
April is usually the month when the social season begins, so she was always busy preparing for it, but because of the war last year and the year before, and because the war had only recently ended this year, it seemed like the social season would pass quietly.
'It has nothing to do with me now, though.'
The Cameria Empire fell, and the House of Blenwitt, the imperial family, also collapsed. Cyrus showed compassion by bestowing the title of Count upon David, the former Crown Prince, but the House of Blenwitt relinquished everything and went into exile in the Kingdom of Stella.
Russell, the King of the Kingdom of Stella, recently summoned David and offered him the title of Count, but David declined. However, because the King urged him again, David received the lower title of Viscount.
"I don't want to get entangled in political issues anymore. I want to live quietly."
No one blamed David's decision, which he spoke of as if he were exhausted.
From birth, David's life was threatened solely because he was the Crown Prince; even the love his lover offered him turned out to be fake, and he lost the child in his wife's womb. And his father was beheaded for repeating his foolish actions.
Charlotte also welcomed David's decision.
Now, simply because she was an imperial Princess, Charlotte had no obligation to enter into a political marriage, nor did she have any reason to behave properly or worry about the reputation of others.
Thanks to the jewels brought back from their exile, life was not difficult, and Ariana also looked after the Blenwitt family in many ways.
Thanks to that, life in the Kingdom of Stella wasn't bad.
David, his wife Julia, and Charlotte all wanted to settle in a quiet countryside, but the reason they acquired a mansion in the capital was because of his mother. It was because he thought his mother, a former Empress, would find it difficult to adapt to rural life.
His mother, Aegis, tried not to show it, but he could sense that she was struggling with her life, which had completely changed from before.
'It must be hard for my mother, having lived like that her whole life. She can't seem to get used to it either.'
It was difficult to move from a position where everyone had to bow their heads to a position where one also had to know how to bow to others. Charlotte hadn't even adjusted yet, so how much harder must it be for her mother?
She was very worried because her mother, despite understanding the situation, still refused to come out of the mansion. Since saving the mansion, Aegis had not come out even once.
'It wouldn't be so bad if you just came out once.'
Charlotte was also afraid to go outside at first. She stayed holed up in her room for a while, terrified of how people would view and treat her as someone who was not an imperial princess.
"The weather is really nice, Charlotte."
It was Ariana who dragged Charlotte out of the mansion.
"Would you like to go to the teahouse together?"
Around this time last year, when the war was still in full swing, Ariana visited the Blenwitt family mansion and spoke in her usual gentle voice.
Only the title used to address Charlotte changed; Ariana's attitude remained the same as when Charlotte was the Princess.
The teahouse Ariana took her to was a quiet and pretty place in the bustling downtown area. Even though there was a war, the capital of the Kingdom of Stella was not much different from usual, and Ariana's expression did not seem particularly worried.
Charlotte heard that Ariana had also lost someone precious to her in the war. Ariana's father, Russell, was still on the battlefield.
She was fascinated by how calm Ariana looked despite everything, so she asked without realizing it.
"Aren't you scared?"
“What?”
“All of this.”
At those words, Ariana turned her gaze toward the teahouse window. Ariana's blue eyes turned toward the equally blue sky.
"Even a sky that blue is sometimes obscured by dark clouds. Just as the sky cannot always be clear, isn't life the same? It is frightening when pitch-black clouds cover the sky, but knowing that if I wait, the blue sky will eventually reappear, it is okay. It has to be okay."
"But... the clouds might not clear. If the dark clouds never disappear for the rest of my life, what am I supposed to do then?"
Ariana quietly turned her gaze to the side.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Don’t you want to become the Empress? You are to become the mistress of the largest and strongest country on this continent.”
The Arcana Empire, having swallowed the Western Territory and Camellia empires and devoured other small nations, has become so strong that there is truly no opponent on this continent capable of standing against it.
As the realm of Arcana has expanded to include not only the cold northern regions but also areas with stable climates, it will develop further in the future.
"I never wanted to become Empress."
In the past, Victoria became the Empress, but Ariana never coveted that position for even a single moment. Even after returning to life, she never wanted to become the Empress.
She simply wanted to strike down those who had driven her to her death, abandon everything, and leave to live out the rest of her life ordinarily and quietly.
"I just wanted to live a normal life."
“Is that so? Then I must step down from the throne. Would Duke Hern be a good successor?”
She thought his unhesitating answer was a joke. However, seeing the serious look in his eyes, Ariana was taken aback, as it seemed as though he were about to send a letter to Duke Hern saying, "I am stepping down as Emperor," at any moment.
“That’s not what I meant, Sei. I’m not telling you to quit being Emperor; I’m just a little...”
Ariana liked the present moment.
She enjoyed spending time with her family at Chase Castle, so she didn't want to leave yet.
Since meeting the White family seven years ago, she had been constantly loved, but at that time, Ariana's heart was entirely focused on the West and the Third Prince. Only now, after the war had ended, had she finally become an ordinary woman and was experiencing life with her beloved family.
She knows she can't act like a child forever, but it has only been two months since the war ended.
"I need time."
It was hard to speak harshly to someone who had come all this way to take Ariana away, so she was struggling to decide what to say when Cyrus nodded.
“Time. That’s a good thing. After all, no matter how much you have, it’s never enough.”
He intertwined his hand with Ariana's fingers and kissed the tips.
"Do you need time with your family?"
Ariana stared at him with a sense of wonder.
How is it that this man has understood her heart from the moment they first met until now, even without her saying a word?
Maybe that is why.
What made her fall deeply for this person? What made her feel like she couldn't live without this person?
Because it is comfortable to be understood without her having to express it in words, and because it is amazing to be able to share her thoughts and feelings without having to explain them one by one.
Ariana might have been influenced by Cyrus Carha little by little.
"Yeah, a little more."
“Alright then. Let’s do that. While I’m at it, I might as well spend my vacation in Stella, where the weather is nice.”
“You're busy. It hasn’t been long since the war ended; what would the people think if the Emperor were absent?”
“I have placed the right person in the newly recruited region, and the people who originally lived in the Northern Territory take the monarch’s absence for granted.”
When he was in the Northern Territory, Cyrus entrusted everything to Duke Hern and wandered around here and there.
“The people of the North are accustomed to living without a monarch. In any case, seeing that you are already worried about our country’s people, I am pleased to see that your mindset as an Empress seems excellent.”
"No matter what I say, you connect everything to that."
“Is a man unattractive who acts like an obsessive fool out of anxiety about losing you?”
"It should naturally be unattractive, but since you're so handsome, I end up turning a blind eye to that flaw."
“I should thank my parents for giving me such a handsome face. If Geor were here, he would have offered a prayer of thanks with me.”
Ariana recalled the image of him and Geor praying together one day.
When was it again?
Right, it was when she went out to see the elephants.
The events of that time felt faint like a dream, yet also vivid as if they happened just yesterday.
That day, when Ariana saw the two men's astonishing actions, she had no idea that the elephant would cause such a big mess.
Ariana handed a sandwich to Cyrus and held one for herself. She was hungry because she hadn't been able to eat since morning, since Cyrus had come to visit.
Under the warm sunlight, the two ate sandwiches in silence. The occasional breeze carried the scent of the river.
A man and a woman who appeared to be lovers were aboard a small wooden boat floating on the river. It looked like a good place to spend time alone, having a private conversation.
“Couples in this beautiful region sure know how to enjoy a style date.”
"Usually, the river is frozen, so we break the ice to enjoy ice fishing. Men who are good at breaking the ice are popular."
Ariana smiled faintly.
“Then, you who only know how to freeze ice?”
"It's terrible."
Cyrus gazed at Ariana, who was laughing a little harder this time, as if she were dazzling. Ariana spoke.
"If I go ice fishing with you next time, I'll break the ice for you."
“What will you do if I fall for you all over again, seeing you bravely break the ice? If I fall for you even more than I do now, I won’t want to leave your side.”
“Then you should wear me attached to your side like a pretty accessory.”
"That is still possible right now. If you want, I could be your bear replacement."
"Our bear is still doing well, so we'll have to wait a little longer."
"Oh, dear. What a long-lived teddy bear."
The silly conversation was enjoyable.
In the past, whenever she talked with Cyrus, there was always something she had to talk about, but that wasn't the case anymore. It was strange that they had so much to talk about when there was nothing urgent or difficult to deal with.
Cyrus, who had been staring at the river with his eyes half-closed, opened his mouth.
“As soon as the aftermath of the war subsides, I’m thinking of building a long road connecting Arcana to Stella.”
"The road?"
“Right. A wide road where carriages can travel comfortably. It will create jobs since we will need to hire many laborers, and even after it is completed, we plan to train personnel for maintenance and security to keep it safe.”
"Once that road is completed, the travel time between Arcana and Stella will be faster."
“That’s right. Since Stella is rich in resources, a safe and fast trade route would be good for Arcana.”
Even though he said that, he could tell that it was actually for Ariana's sake. This man was about to start a massive business so that she could come and go from Stella whenever she missed her family.
“Once the road connecting Arcana and Stella is completed, we plan to build roads connecting to other countries as well. Improved roads will boost trade, and more jobs will likely reduce the number of bandits.”
Cyrus turned to look at Ariana and smiled.
Cyrus asked Ariana, who was squinting her eyes as the shimmering silver hair in the sunlight blinded her.
“How about it? Do you think I have some charm now, besides just my handsome face?”
***
Charlotte was staring blankly out the window from inside the carriage.
The Kingdom of Stella, formerly the Eastern Territory, had a better climate than the region where the Camellia Empire was located, so in April, clear skies stretched out endlessly.
April is usually the month when the social season begins, so she was always busy preparing for it, but because of the war last year and the year before, and because the war had only recently ended this year, it seemed like the social season would pass quietly.
'It has nothing to do with me now, though.'
The Cameria Empire fell, and the House of Blenwitt, the imperial family, also collapsed. Cyrus showed compassion by bestowing the title of Count upon David, the former Crown Prince, but the House of Blenwitt relinquished everything and went into exile in the Kingdom of Stella.
Russell, the King of the Kingdom of Stella, recently summoned David and offered him the title of Count, but David declined. However, because the King urged him again, David received the lower title of Viscount.
"I don't want to get entangled in political issues anymore. I want to live quietly."
No one blamed David's decision, which he spoke of as if he were exhausted.
From birth, David's life was threatened solely because he was the Crown Prince; even the love his lover offered him turned out to be fake, and he lost the child in his wife's womb. And his father was beheaded for repeating his foolish actions.
Charlotte also welcomed David's decision.
Now, simply because she was an imperial Princess, Charlotte had no obligation to enter into a political marriage, nor did she have any reason to behave properly or worry about the reputation of others.
Thanks to the jewels brought back from their exile, life was not difficult, and Ariana also looked after the Blenwitt family in many ways.
Thanks to that, life in the Kingdom of Stella wasn't bad.
David, his wife Julia, and Charlotte all wanted to settle in a quiet countryside, but the reason they acquired a mansion in the capital was because of his mother. It was because he thought his mother, a former Empress, would find it difficult to adapt to rural life.
His mother, Aegis, tried not to show it, but he could sense that she was struggling with her life, which had completely changed from before.
'It must be hard for my mother, having lived like that her whole life. She can't seem to get used to it either.'
It was difficult to move from a position where everyone had to bow their heads to a position where one also had to know how to bow to others. Charlotte hadn't even adjusted yet, so how much harder must it be for her mother?
She was very worried because her mother, despite understanding the situation, still refused to come out of the mansion. Since saving the mansion, Aegis had not come out even once.
'It wouldn't be so bad if you just came out once.'
Charlotte was also afraid to go outside at first. She stayed holed up in her room for a while, terrified of how people would view and treat her as someone who was not an imperial princess.
"The weather is really nice, Charlotte."
It was Ariana who dragged Charlotte out of the mansion.
"Would you like to go to the teahouse together?"
Around this time last year, when the war was still in full swing, Ariana visited the Blenwitt family mansion and spoke in her usual gentle voice.
Only the title used to address Charlotte changed; Ariana's attitude remained the same as when Charlotte was the Princess.
The teahouse Ariana took her to was a quiet and pretty place in the bustling downtown area. Even though there was a war, the capital of the Kingdom of Stella was not much different from usual, and Ariana's expression did not seem particularly worried.
Charlotte heard that Ariana had also lost someone precious to her in the war. Ariana's father, Russell, was still on the battlefield.
She was fascinated by how calm Ariana looked despite everything, so she asked without realizing it.
"Aren't you scared?"
“What?”
“All of this.”
At those words, Ariana turned her gaze toward the teahouse window. Ariana's blue eyes turned toward the equally blue sky.
"Even a sky that blue is sometimes obscured by dark clouds. Just as the sky cannot always be clear, isn't life the same? It is frightening when pitch-black clouds cover the sky, but knowing that if I wait, the blue sky will eventually reappear, it is okay. It has to be okay."
"But... the clouds might not clear. If the dark clouds never disappear for the rest of my life, what am I supposed to do then?"
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