―Hoo.
The sound of Lars blowing out the lamp echoed in Acella’s ear.
As the last light, which had cast a great shadow, disappeared, darkness descended.
Only the moonlight pouring in through the window allowed her to approximate Lars’s position.
―Swish.
Acella pulled the blanket up to her chest.
With her vision obscured, her other senses felt heightened.
Sounds seemed louder, and the touch of the fabric on her fingertips felt… sharper.
Was it always this soft?
For some reason, she didn’t want Lars to hear her breathing and covered her mouth with the blanket.
“Well then, Royal Princess, sweet dreams.”
She heard such a voice, and Lars rustled on the floor.
What is he doing?
Acella tilted her head in confusion.
“Prince, why are you there?”
“Eh? I’m going to sleep.”
“Sleeping… on the floor?”
“Yeah. Oh, I have a sleeping bag.”
Acella found herself frowning without realizing it.
This man is clearly teasing her.
Just where did he plan all this? From the moment he hurried in for her medical examination at night?
There’s no way he’d act this infuriatingly without a plan.
“Phew…”
Acella took a deep breath, trying to hold back her anger. Raising her voice would only make her look foolish.
…Wait a minute.
Why was she angry in the first place?
She thought they would sleep in the same bed, but the prince casually lay down on the floor instead?
That alone wasn’t enough to make her this mad.
Ah, did thinking about this lead her to imagine the prince’s calm reaction if she complained about the situation as a work-related issue?
Or perhaps… was it that she was the only one who thought they’d sleep in the same bed?
Huh? Did she really think that alone?
No, they had slept in the same bed twice already.
And she had used him as a substitute for her stuffed animal.
Shouldn’t it have been obvious they’d share a bed?
Isn’t he the weird one?
Acella bombarded her mind with questions that wouldn’t yield answers.
The more she thought, the more her irritation grew.
At last, exhausted, she went bang, smacking the blanket with both hands and closed her eyes.
“Let’s just sleep.”
She couldn’t hear whether the prince was dead or alive; there was no sign of breathing.
She had felt this before—the man strangely loses all presence while sleeping.
As if he didn’t exist in the world at all.
“What is he thinking right now?”
These days, her growing anger towards Lars stemmed from the fact she couldn’t understand his thoughts.
He would act like she meant the whole world when he focused only on himself, but whenever she looked back, he was busy with something else.
When she had first taken an interest in him, she never imagined it would end up like this.
If he had any use, she would have planned to wield him for power and keep him beneath her like the other servants.
Isn’t it like their roles have reversed?
“If it weren’t for me, he would still be a complete mess.”
How outrageous.
How infuriating.
Feeling a cold breeze in her empty embrace, Acella quietly closed her eyes.
*
“His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Empire, reveals his magnificent form! Show your respect!”
Acella was startled by the intense light before her eyes.
For a moment, her body moved of its own accord, stepping forward.
―Oooooh!
―Your Majesty!
―A new era for the Empire!
She had stepped onto the high platform connected to the Imperial Palace in the Central Square.
Countless citizens of the Empire welcomed her with cheers. Acella’s name echoed from all directions.
Did I become the Emperor?
The cheers changed.
It was right after Acella’s coronation.
A wave of happiness crept up.
No.
Acella nearly lost herself to the flood of achievement but quickly regained her composure.
Five magic circles floated in the sky.
It was the spell of Clairvoyance.
Is this a dream? An unconscious casting?
Either way, this isn’t real.
She wasn’t someone who would be satisfied with an illusion. If it wasn’t reality, it meant nothing.
Her head quickly cooled.
This was merely a possibility—not a future that would definitely follow in reality.
Acella understood that precisely, setting aside her dopamine and pursued clues.
There could be materials useful in reality.
The secrets of characters, their actions, changes.
Economics, the populace, everything was a clue.
Even one of many possibilities could be pieced together through multiple trials to predict reality.
That was the potential Acella envisioned within Clairvoyance.
“Bring the traitors!”
Acella was in the midst of the situation occurring in the middle of the square.
There was a single executioner. Surrounding him were a host of knights.
She had taken a position to observe, just as the former Emperor had done, to showcase her dignity to the people.
Traitors.
An interesting keyword, Acella thought.
A good opportunity to identify who the enemy was.
The traitors were dragged in, bound with ropes.
Upon seeing their faces, Acella frowned in mild shock.
They were familiar figures.
They’re the Emperor’s attending physicians.
Three attending physicians including Ambrosia, and more.
The Marquis of Gothberg…?
Baldur Gothberg.
That man, Lars’s father.
Why?
Acella could not grasp the urgent situation unfolding.
Before she could properly recite his crimes, the execution began.
Wait a moment. What treason did he commit?
Acella attempted to halt the execution, but she couldn’t interfere with Clairvoyance.
All she could do was feel the sensations as she witnessed the scene her future self saw.
Then, a clash erupted in the corner of the square.
“Stop! It’s all false! Everything is a scheme by the current Emperor!”
A group of knights attempted to charge forward to stop the execution in the square’s center.
At the forefront was none other than Tanya.
“The Marquis of Gothberg did not assassinate the former Emperor! Here’s the evidence! It’s all false!!”
The clash intensified.
The Imperial Knights swung their swords mercilessly towards Tanya and the knights.
Tanya, who stubbornly resisted, ultimately allowed her sword to cut through.
As a sharp longsword pierced her left eye, red blood burst forth.
The documents Tanya had held flew into the air, trampled by the knights’ feet, torn apart.
Some knights’ commotion went unnoticed, and many citizens of the Empire failed to witness them.
―Slish!
At that moment, the head of the Marquis of Gothberg fell.
The citizens rejoiced.
They finally executed the traitor who had assassinated the former Emperor and praised Empress Acella, who had ascended the throne after years of vacancy, ushering in a new era.
Ugh.
Acella’s heart trembled.
If she could move her body, she would have instantly turned her head from the gruesome sight unfolding before her.
But this future self seemed to want to savor the situation for a long time, not averting her gaze or ears from the square.
Tentatively, she turned her head.
Her eyes were drawn to the full-length mirror against the wall.
Had she grown into adulthood? Acella witnessed her completely matured self.
Why.
And she realized the most horrifying scene was not the severed head or fallen Tanya, but what lay within that mirror.
Why are you enjoying this?
The Emperor Acella in the mirror was smirking, holding back laughter like a devil.
What’s so funny? Ruining Lars’s family… destroying Lars, trampling Tanya.
Even though she was in the illusion of Clairvoyance, Acella clenched her teeth tightly.
As a result, blood burst from her gums and trickled down her mouth.
Am I becoming like this?
No.
This is not something that will happen from now on.
This isn’t Clairvoyance at all. It’s a nightmare. A feeling-bad dream that occasionally appears.
“No!!”
Acella screamed.
She was breathless.
The once-soft and pleasant blanket became drenched with sweat, turning unpleasant.
No, no.
While she mumbled that without realizing it and wandered through the darkness, she heard a voice by her ear.
“Royal Princess, are you okay.”
“Ugh, hick, Lars.”
Acella unconsciously tugged at his collar.
Lars didn’t reject her and came closer.
Acella slowly wrapped her arms around him.
Just like hugging her favorite stuffed animal, or Max when she didn’t have one.
“Haah, haah… huff.”
Her breathing gradually calmed.
The dream faded away like an illusion in her mind.
“Lars…”
“Yes, Royal Princess. I’m here.”
Hearing his voice gave her reassurance.
No matter where or when she hurt, her attending physician was by her side, ready to heal her.
Acella realized.
At first, she thought she had sought him out due to being clouded by the assassin.
The second time she hugged him, she believed it was because of the drowsy effects of medication.
But now, she was certain.
Rather, that was the best decision she could have made.
Acella realized that it was only when she held Lars that she could sleep without worry.
Even if her reason rejected it, her instincts knew.
It was an instinct-driven action.
“Lars.”
“Yes.”
“If you betray me, you’ll die.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Acella inhaled the scent of Lars’s skin, softly falling back into a deep sleep.
*
She was able to sleep more comfortably with Acella than before.
Acella wasn’t great at sleeping. When she slept alone, she tossed and turned and her breath became irregular.
She discovered that hugging her could make her as calm as a doll.
It might be a bit bothersome, but if it worked, she settled down just like when she slept alone.
Since her body temperature was low, it felt like she was cuddling a soft bamboo pillow.
Thanks to having a good night’s sleep, her condition was lively.
She was a bit surprised when Acella stared at her intently as she woke up.
But, well, that was within tolerable limits.
After sending Acella back to her room and preparing for activities, I completed the morning examination and headed to the Inner Palace.
The first person I naturally sought out was Falkenhayn.
I entered the office on the first floor used by George’s faction.
For some reason, the healers were sparse and the place felt deserted. Were they late for work, or did they collectively take a vacation?
I went to Falkenhayn’s office inside and knocked.
“Oooh, Gothberg-sensei!”
His expression welcoming me was filled with brightness.
Considering that both George’s demise was due to me and Acella, I thought he would hate me, but this was unexpected.
“Long time no see, Sir Falkenhayn.”
“Indeed! Well then, take a look at this!”
Falkenhayn excitedly removed the zucchetto he had on.
From the once-bald top of his head, wisps of hair were sprouting.
“My hair, my hair is coming back!!”
Seeing Falkenhayn look as happy as a child, I instinctively felt that negotiations would go well.
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