Odelia briefly lowered the tip of her sword and slowly turned her shoulder.
"...My muscles ache after swinging with all my might for the first time in a while."
Her muscles stiffened and ached slightly. Her body still moved as before, but a strange sense of unfamiliarity lingered.
'...As expected, I hate this kind of slaughter.'
Combat where you cut down enemies in a single blow, a method that was taken for granted in the past for survival.
She let out a short breath, then calmly raised her sword.
Slash-!
With a single gentle swing, the drop of blood on the blade flew into the air, tracing a vivid curve. The steel regained its light.
The appearance was restrained to the point of being sacred rather than cruel.
Damian, who had been staring blankly at Odelia from a distance, muttered in a slightly flustered manner.
"...Why, when you could fight like that, all this time..."
Damian wondered if the nobles who had been harassing Odelia would have all fallen silent if she had shown them this side of herself earlier.
At that moment, Philip spoke quietly from the side.
"The Lord is a woman of action... although she would never admit it herself."
Damian turned his eyes away. Philip added expressionlessly.
"She is faster and more precise than anyone when it comes to taking direct action or fighting head-on. However, she is somewhat weak at devising schemes behind the scenes or engaging in political battles. In fact, she tends to avoid such things. You could even call it steadfast."
"..."
"It has always been like that. That is why her promotion was delayed."
Damian looked at Odelia without saying a word.
She is invincible in a head-on fight, but the type to come back needlessly wounded in a shady noble battle.
So...
'Did you choose Calix?'
A man with a weapon he doesn't have.
A being who can perfectly fill one's most vulnerable hole.
If the two of them fight, the world won't be able to handle it.
It was only then that Damian realized it. That it was a much scarier combination than he had thought.
***
"Lady Odelia! Let's go quickly!"
Philip shouted as he led a horse.
Odelia looked down at the dress. Mud, dust, bloodstains, and even knife scratches—the dress was already in a terrible state. However, she did not blink an eye.
"Would you like to change?"
"I don't think I'll have time for that."
With a swift stroke, the hem of her skirt fluttered as she lightly mounted the horse, cutting through the wind. Odelia gripped the reins tightly and spoke quietly.
"Because I don't want to be late."
The horse's hooves struck the ground.
The dust burst, and the wind split.
The dress had already lost its luster, but the woman was perfect just as she was.
Lord Talamand was running straight toward the Imperial Palace, past the battlefield.
At an unstoppable speed, without any delay or fear.
***
As soon as she arrived at the Imperial Palace, she jumped off her horse. The cold night air brushed against her cheek, but Odelia did not stop. The door shouldn't be closed yet.
As she ran down the palace's marble stairs one by one, the sound of music from the splendid banquet hall grew louder.
Gasping for breath, she stepped quickly to the edge of the stairs. The hem of her dress brushed against the corner of the staircase and fluttered softly.
Just as the huge door was about to slowly close, Odelia used her last ounce of strength to push her body through the gap.
The dazzling light and hot music engulfed her all at once.
The banquet hall had already reached its climax. The nobles, bumping shoulders as they conversed, turned their gaze toward the door. A murmur surged in like a wave, then fell silent in an instant, as if frozen.
Odelia swallowed her gasps and slowly raised her gaze.
The dress was stained with mud and torn in places, and the heat had seeped even into the bloodstains. Her hair was disheveled from being thoroughly exposed to the wind.
However, her eyes were shining straight ahead as usual.
Odelia swallowed her gasps and slowly raised her gaze.
As if in a dream, the chandelier in the center of the banquet hall was pouring out dazzling golden light. Beneath that light, a man was seen sitting alone on a platform.
It was Calix.
He sat quietly, draped in a dark blue cloak and with one hand resting on the armrest, as if he had been waiting for someone for a long time. His cold gaze was fixed on the doorway.
"Uh, what about that outfit?"
"Surely you didn't come straight from a battle?"
Voices of disbelief erupted among the nobles. Some frowned, while others could not even open their mouths.
It was strange.
That appearance, which should have been shabby, was instead more intense and overwhelming than anyone else's.
Gradually, all eyes gathered on her, but Odelia took a deep breath, feeling only Calix's gaze.
"...!"
Calix's heart pounded violently. The banquet hall seemed to fall into silence. The ladies' splendid dresses, the nobles' whispers—everything faded away, and only the clear figure of her standing at the doorway remained in Calix's vision.
In that very moment, the emptiness and loneliness of the past swept away like waves, and it seemed as though the whole world brightened in an instant.
His lips parted wide and brightly on their own. The emotionless expression wrapped in dignity vanished without a trace, and a radiant, warm smile spread across his face, like a puppy seeing its owner after a long time.
Calix rose from the throne and descended the platform with wide, quick strides. His steps were large enough to shake the floor of the banquet hall, but to him, the time it took to reach Odelia seemed to flow far too slowly.
The ladies stepped aside in surprise, clearing a path. Calix's gaze was fixed on only one spot—only Odelia, and only her.
Upon seeing that, the ministers' faces looked just like deflated balloons.
"It seems decided without further ado. There is no need to discuss the Empress candidates anymore."
"His Majesty's mind is so firm, there will be no room to penetrate..."
The nobles who had dreamed of the Empress's position finally realized the reality, swallowed their desires, and stepped back one step at a time.
The reaction of some young ladies was different. Their cheeks flushed red at the dramatic reunion. Rather than jealousy, they felt their hearts pounding like an audience witnessing a dazzling scene.
Finally reaching Odelia, Calix grasped her hands tightly without a moment's hesitation.
A desperate emotion filled his fingertips, as if he would never be able to reach it again if he let it slip away now.
“You’re here.”
A single word like a brief breath. However, it felt as if the longing and yearning that had been suppressed for a long time were pouring out all at once.
Calix's gaze burrowed deeply into Odelia. Neither the Emperor's cold mask nor political calculations existed in those eyes. Only raw emotion for one woman remained there.
Odelia’s breath trembled slightly. His hot body temperature traveled from her fingertips through her body, spreading like a shiver deep into her chest. Odelia, too, forgot the countless eyes in the banquet hall and gazed only at the man before her.
Calix pulled her a little closer.
At that slow movement, Odelia's heart beat faster. It felt as if all the light and gazes of the world were pouring down on her.
Gathering her trembling heart, Odelia straightened her back. Odelia opened her mouth in a clear and firm voice.
"I apologize for the delay."
After taking a deep breath, she continued speaking without the slightest hesitation.
"Lord of the Talamand, Odelia Rubis."
Finally, her voice raised the banquet hall.
"I stand here as a candidate for Empress."
Suddenly, the light from the chandelier brightened as if exploding.
The moment Odelia and Calix stood facing each other under the golden light, the entire banquet hall was witnessing the beginning of a new era.
I'm Sorry for My Late Debut <The End>
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