If everything is going well, a strange anxiety always bubbles up inside me.
Maybe it’s because it’s happened like this before.
Whenever I feel this peculiar unease, I slowly start to sense time dragging on.
It’s okay. I reassure myself that nothing will happen, but thinking that everything might come to an end soon…
Naturally, I can’t just relax.
“Your Excellency.”
The position I gained over time was more impressive than I had anticipated.
But now, what does this position of Your Excellency even mean? It’s already been a year since my relationship with Miragen continued.
With winter approaching, we’ll return to square one once again.
Thus, my concern was about how Kaitel would move.
In my past life, I died under the charge of betrayal.
I pondered why such a charge could be placed on me, but it probably wouldn’t be as easy to pin blame on me this time around.
To call the Emperor’s son-in-law a traitor? In a romance that the entire Empire knows about, how could anyone possibly attach such absurd accusations?
But after all, it was a death I had experienced seven times.
Considering that Kaitel was always involved in that death, it definitely isn’t something to take lightly.
Now that I had deeply embedded myself within the Imperial Family, I was watching Kaitel’s every move more closely than ever.
So far, it seemed alright. As I focused on consolidating the northern remnants, it wouldn’t be easy to kill me on the day I was elevated to the Emperor’s son-in-law.
Knock, knock. The sound that disrupted my thoughts was someone knocking on the door.
Without hearing their voice, I could tell who it was, so I smiled and walked toward the door.
“It seems like you’re a bit free today. You didn’t even show your face yesterday.”
“I saw you in bed. You seemed quite upset that I didn’t see you the entire day.”
“Well, that’s the way it goes. Aren’t we practically newlyweds now?”
“We’re not newlyweds. We haven’t even gotten married yet.”
With a familiar move, she lightly pressed her lips against mine, then plopped down onto the sofa. Miragen’s position was no longer what it used to be.
With the northern territories consolidated, and her ownership of Teranite, along with bringing back relics from the south, she had built quite a bit of power.
Some referred to it as a leap to become the Emperor, but the reason Miragen acted that way was simple.
She simply didn’t want to see me being ignored within the Imperial Family.
This was also because she held a precarious status at Taylor, after all. Miragen seemed to be particularly sensitive about things like that.
She chose to act when she didn’t have to, braving the danger of the south to bring back the relics.
Taking it upon myself to act unnecessarily, I ventured alone into the dangerous South to bring back a relic.
To be precise, I secured the relic known as the Crown of Memories.
On top of that, I also managed to obtain the relic of the Dead Dragon, which until now had only existed in the records of the Order.
There was no way the Imperial Family could overlook Miragen’s achievements.
In the midst of all this, what I did was manage to maintain my position within Taylor.
Not as prominent as the Lady of the House, but at least in a position where she couldn’t dismiss me outright.
Not just a façade of being the Princess’s consort, but I managed to raise my voice within Taylor as well.
The effort it took to get to that point was by no means insignificant.
At one point, I even wondered if I wouldn’t have to repeat my reincarnations if I’d just done it sooner.
Perhaps it was because there were things I had to protect.
Without any real power to defend anything, I was seeking my own methods.
“What are you thinking about? You’ve been zoning out a lot lately, leaving just me here.”
“…Aren’t I busy with various things? Like the marriage and the impending emperor succession.”
“I’ll be attending, so clear your schedule in advance. By then, Robert will surely be proudly acknowledged as consort.”
“That’s true. But it doesn’t quite feel real yet.”
“Am I the only one feeling this way?”
When we first met, I never imagined we would end up in such a relationship.
Seeing Miragen’s slightly swollen belly made me smile faintly, and it seemed Miragen sensed my gaze, petting her belly and chuckling softly.
Having a child played a decisive role in my becoming consort.
I wasn’t particularly planning to use that, but when the Emperor finally mentioned his uncertainty about having children, I immediately agreed.
Perhaps Kaitel really craves a child he doesn’t have.
From the way he frequently asks about children, it seems future ridicule won’t be a concern.
Kaitel seemed pleased too, so while I couldn’t relax completely, keeping an eye on things might be necessary.
“When I first saw Robert, I thought maybe he approached me to use me.”
The sudden remark startled me, but Miragen flipped her hair back and continued speaking.
It was now a matter of no concern. The feelings I had for Miragen,
And the feelings she held for me were both closer to the truth.
Even if he did approach to use her, Robert genuinely loved Miragen.
He had been striving for her sake this whole time.
Even if he were to die, he was determined to save Miragen and the child by any means necessary.
“Is that so?”
“When I heard someone say they fell in love at first sight, I thought it couldn’t be true. Where else does a meeting like that happen?”
“Where else would there be meetings like those in novels?”
“…I was surprised too.”
“If destiny exists, it would surely be here.”
Just as Miragen said, isn’t this something that can only be imagined as a fantasy?
Though I didn’t fall in love at first sight, it only took me a week to have my heart stolen.
Now, when I say I like or love her, I felt no embarrassment. It was as natural as breathing, and before I knew it, the woman named Miragen had become a part of me.
Only a week left now.
It was the remaining time until I would become a complete consort, as well as the time it would take for my name to be fully engraved in this imperial family.
“By the way, there was something I wanted to say.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about saying I love you. It may not be romantic, but still.”
“…Well, that’s quite romantic enough.”
For a moment, the warmth felt from our lips pressing together was soothing.
If possible, I wanted to feel this warmth for as long as I could.
#
“I heard you were in the North, but I never expected you to come all the way here, especially secretly.”
As Duke Taylor spoke, a man with his face hidden by a hood chuckled softly.
The North? My plans regarding that had long been settled.
All the plans I had established had actually started three years ago.
Dealing with Adele Igrit was just a small part of it.
The estimation of the North? I had already calculated it in my mind.
But to do it personally would only make it finish quicker, extending the time for stealth operations just like now.
The man facing Duke Taylor tossed off his hood, revealing his hair.
As his shadowy black hair cascaded down, golden eyes scanned the air.
Once the insignia revealing his title as Crown Prince was shown, the Duke smiled bitterly and touched his forehead.
If the Crown Prince had secretly come here, the topic was obviously clear.
Having opposed the imperial purge from the beginning, it probably meant he had climbed to the top by now.
He knew that Kaitel’s stance was different from the previous emperor’s, being more pro-emperor.
Duke Taylor vehemently opposed it because if the empire expanded, it would lead to troubles.
Surely, he hadn’t come to protest about that.
As the Duke’s mind raced, Kaitel, seated at the table, pondered while stroking his chin.
It was obvious what the Duke, observing him, was thinking.
It was obvious what the observing Duke was thinking.
He must be concerned about the frequent clashes between Taylor and the Imperial Family lately.
‘…Not that I’m particularly concerned.’
Conflicts with nobles arise in any situation. While it might be a bit more troublesome with Taylor, one way or another, one had to fight against the nobility.
If you start to worry about every little thing, you won’t accomplish anything at all.
It will end with proof of the results. But if that’s what he’s thinking, Kaitel only wanted to take advantage of that.
With a slight chuckle, Kaitel turned to look at the Duke and spoke in a low voice.
“You’ve become quite robust lately. It’s one thing to oppose the Southern subjugation, but to defiantly oppose the North, even with a pretext of betrayal, is quite something.”
“Anyone can see it’s a false charge. The idea that Adele is a traitor is something one wouldn’t usually think.”
“Well… it is indeed a false charge. I thought I needed to cut off the sprout as it was necessary for my path.”
“If you readily acknowledge that, aren’t you putting yourself in a precarious position? This isn’t the time for such things. I thought you were a wise person, but it seems—”
“Duke’s wife.”
That single utterance had a massive impact. As Duke Taylor’s expression froze coldly upon rising from his seat, Kaitel, who had quietly smiled, flicked his fingers and continued speaking.
“You should know why she died.”
“…She died of sickness. She was originally frail, it’s just her nature.”
“Nature, huh. What a convenient excuse.”
Knowing all too well it wasn’t true. When Kaitel added that, his eyes softened while the Duke exhaled, trying to hide his trembling hands.
It wouldn’t be surprising to strangle him at once. Yet, in that tension, Kaitel maintained his calm demeanor and slowly continued.
The reason he went through all this trouble was for the most important card to make his ‘plan’ a success.
Robert Taylor.
He must not exist. More precisely, it’s unacceptable for him to exist, but there was a need to drive him toward death somehow.
It was a concern arising from instinct rather than reason. Even knowing it was entirely unwarranted, Kaitel began to act on this baseless impulse.
“What is it that you desire?”
When the Duke asked that, Kaitel smiled and replied briefly.
“Let’s just kill one person from Taylor. I’ll ensure there are no consequences.”
Just a tiny bit of silence will be enough.
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