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“Ugh! I can only admire His Majesty’s decision!”

In the imperial audience chamber, a giant clad in heavy armor raised his voice.

“If we receive this much military support, our Imperial Army can become a powerhouse capable of reaching across the seas to the continent!”

“Yes. It’s always good to see such confidence. Leon, I entrust you with the task of expanding and strengthening the Imperial Army.”

“Yes! Leave it to me! Hmm! But I wonder if it’s really okay to provide this much military funding.”

Leon Peiriguris, the commander of the Imperial Army, had his doubts.

The budget mentioned by the Emperor seemed like a huge sum even to Leon, a warrior.

“…It doesn’t matter. I’m just doing what I’ve been putting off. I’ve already told Odell, so you must quickly turn the army into the strongest force in the country.”

“Of course! If Your Majesty says so, I will trust and follow!”

“Yes, yes…”

Luna nodded with a very tired expression.

Her double life, shuttling between school and the palace, always exhausted her, but today she was especially tired.

She hadn’t been able to sleep a wink since ‘that man’ visited yesterday.

Thinking she needed to wake up, Luna was about to take a sip of water when Leon asked her a question.

“Your Majesty! Is it because Count Ruelberta came for an audience yesterday?”

“…?!”

At those words, Luna almost spat out the water she was holding in her mouth.

She barely swallowed it and asked with a stern face.

“Why… why are you bringing up the Count now?”

“Hmm! I thought there might be some reason for Your Majesty to proceed so swiftly! But after Count Tristan visited yesterday, you seemed different, so I asked!”

“…I don’t really want to talk about that.”

Recalling what happened yesterday, Luna clicked her tongue and shook her hand.

She felt like her hands would start sweating again.

“Do not mention that man’s name in front of me. It’s unpleasant.”

“Hmm! My apologies!”

“Leon. Let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes! Please ask!”

“Can’t you, like your son Marco, be more reserved? Your voice is too loud.”

“Hmm! That’s impossible! I am a man always ready to fight with all my heart! Even if my opponent is a newborn baby, there are no exceptions! So of course, I speak with all my might!!!”

“Ah… I see. That explains it. I apologize. It was foolish of me to expect a normal answer from you.”

“Hahaha! I never thought even the always perfect Your Majesty could make a mistake!”

“…Now go. I need to rest.”

“Yes! Rest well!”

Even as he left the audience chamber, Leon’s booming voice still seemed to echo.

Luna, who had been rubbing her temples, heard a man’s voice beside her.

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t apologize. Leon has always been like that.”

“Even so, I apologize.”

“That’s enough. I was just a bit tired.”

She had been busy until today confirming the budget for military expansion.

The Empire’s finances are not exactly abundant.

Luna pulled together every last bit of the budget from the Empire’s institutions, leaving only the bare minimum, and poured it all into military funding.

Immediate backlash was expected.

In this peaceful era, people would ask if she was preparing for war.

But as Tristan said, once a crisis hits this world, it will be too late.

Trusting his words completely, Luna boldly seized the budget.

“Phew…”

Luna leaned back on the throne and let out a sigh.

It felt like she had overcome a major hurdle.

Even if she faced opposition from the nobles, the seven great families would support her, so there was no need for major concern.

But her worries didn’t disappear.

As she caught her breath, Marco spoke to her.

“Your Majesty. I heard your grades came out today.”

“Grades…? Ah…”

“Third place is impressive.”

“What? Hehe… Marco, you really can’t flatter. I appreciate the compliment, but that was ‘Lucy,’ not me. Getting third place probably means she just took the exam casually to avoid standing out.”

At Marco’s words, Luna burst into laughter.

At first, it was a genuine laugh, but soon it turned into a self-deprecating smile.

“You know it too, don’t you? Unlike Lucy, I’m terrible at studying. Everything Lucy is good at, I can’t do.”

“On the other hand, you could say that Your Majesty can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

“Hmm…?”

Marco’s words were unexpected.

He, who usually only gave short, mechanical answers, had expressed his own thoughts.

“Indeed. I take back what I said earlier. You are also excellent at flattery.”

“You flatter me.”

“But hearing that makes me even more worried. What kind of game should I play with that guy next week…?”

Tristan had proposed a game, staking his own life.

For Luna, who wanted revenge against the Ruelberta family, it was prey that had come to her on its own.

But that very fact made her uneasy.

The head of the Ruelberta family, whom even past emperors dared not touch.

He had said he would stake his life if he lost even once.

What an arrogant man.

What confidence did he have to challenge the Emperor, to say he would never lose to her?

Tristan’s life was now in her hands. But…

“…I don’t like it.”

Sitting on the throne, Luna frowned.

She wasn’t afraid of such a lowly man from the start.

But his strange confidence bothered her.

Perhaps it was pride.

Men tend to stake their lives on trivial things.

Especially a man as arrogant as Tristan.

“Hmph… What a fearless guy.”

As Marco said, if you combined Lucy and Luna’s talents, they could do anything.

There was no way she could lose to a man who looked down even on the Emperor.

The moonlight streaming through the throne room illuminated Luna’s slender limbs.

Under that moonlight, she made a vow.

The next time they met, she would definitely grant Tristan Ruelberta death.

*

“Helga. Has there been any word from the Public Safety Bureau?”

“Yes. They’ve arrested all those impersonating Aslan without exception. And as expected, most of them were connected to the Navy.”

“Just as I thought.”

“Count. Won’t the Navy pressure the Public Safety Bureau?”

“No. They won’t. In fact, they’ll probably feign ignorance if questioned.”

“Then…”

“If the Public Safety Bureau acts aggressively, the impersonators will soon disappear. The more Navy-related impersonators there are, the more awkward their position becomes.”

Inside a carriage heading somewhere.

Wendy sat quietly, listening to the two’s conversation.

She had lost sleep again last night and was tired, but the moment she saw Tristan’s face, her cheeks flushed.

‘Ugh…’

Recalling what happened last night, Wendy couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him.

In contrast, Tristan was as composed as ever.

As if nothing had happened yesterday, there was no trace of agitation on his face.

‘Count…’

Beside Tristan sat Helga, close to him.

A former soldier of Aslan, she was strong, dignified, and beautiful.

At first, Wendy hadn’t noticed, but without her eyepatch, Helga looked even more stunning.

To an outsider, they might look like lovers.

Tristan had a face that captivated women.

Helga was a beauty with mature charm.

All things Wendy didn’t possess.

In fact, she vaguely knew it.

Wendy looked at her reflection in the window.

There sat a girl with a youthful face.

‘The Count said I’d be pretty in ten years…’

But now, no matter how you looked at it, her face was far from mature.

To anyone, she was just a child.

Thinking that, last night’s events made sense.

The kiss he had placed on her forehead last night.

Thinking about it, that was the kind of skin contact you’d expect between a parent and child, not lovers.

From the start, Tristan didn’t see Wendy as a romantic interest.

Wendy hung her head low.

‘If only I had been born a little earlier…’

Could she have conveyed her feelings?

Could she have been braver?

She felt like crying but held it back.

If Myohail had seen her like this, he might have scolded her.

But luckily, Myohail wasn’t accompanying them today.

He had gone early in the morning to confront Chancellor Mondri about her grades.

“…Sniff.”

She thought it was for the best.

That no one had noticed her desperate feelings.

“Wendy.”

The sudden voice made Wendy jump.

“Y-yes?!”

“…Are you okay?”

Raising her head, she saw Tristan looking down at her.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“N-no, it’s nothing! I was just thinking…!”

“If it’s nothing, then that’s fine. Get ready.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve arrived at our destination.”

Tristan pointed out the window.

There, the scenery of a quiet countryside village unfolded.

Staring blankly at it, Wendy’s eyes widened.

“Huh…?!”

Old houses, a road without a single streetlight, and vast fields.

It was a village you could find anywhere in the countryside, but to Wendy, it was different.

The scenery was all too familiar.

“Why… why are we here…?”

The place they had arrived at was Wendy’s hometown, ‘Rihart.’

Stunned, Wendy listened as Tristan briefly explained the purpose of their visit.

“Wendy. We’re here to meet your parents.”

 

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