“Luna.”

“I can’t forgive you….”

Luna glared at me with piercing eyes.

I responded with a blank expression.

*Tap tap.*

We were sitting by a small fire in a cave under a rock, warming ourselves. Luna, who had fallen into a pond and gotten completely soaked, had to quickly remove her clothes to avoid hypothermia and frostbite. Of course, that meant I saw her naked.

Reluctantly, Luna wrapped herself tightly in my coat and was using drying magic to dry her wet clothes by the fire.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t forgive me. How’s your condition?”

“……I’m fine.”

“Good then.”

Since Luna was naked, we couldn’t return to the unit in this cold. Plus, it would take at least 30 minutes to dry the clothes properly with magic without damaging them.

This is an awkward situation.

The relationship between Luna and me is as bad as it is with Ariel. William, Tristan’s father, is the one who killed her father, Maxime Meikhael.

Being alone with her in a place like this is incredibly uncomfortable.

I have no idea what to talk about with Luna in the meantime…

‘I hope her clothes dry quickly. Then we can go back and sleep.’

As I was thinking that and watching Luna dry her clothes, she noticed my gaze and flinched.

“You… I won’t give this to you!”

“…Who asked for it?”

I can understand her reaction. Given my past actions, it’s only natural.

In her eyes, I’m probably labeled as a pervert. That might be better than being seen as an enemy.

Wait… come to think of it, even as an enemy, there’s something I haven’t received.

“Luna.”

“What?”

“Shouldn’t you thank me for saving you?”

“Hmph… You want gratitude from me? Fine. You did well.”

Talk about arrogance. I saved the life of the Emperor of this country, and this is the thanks I get?

“Are you dissatisfied? Isn’t it your duty as a subject to save me?”

“I don’t need or expect your gratitude. I-.”

“Let me say this first!”

Luna cut me off and declared.

“I won’t give you anything!”

“I look forward to it. I wonder what ‘reward’ I’ll get this time….”

“You crazy… Did you even hear what I said?”

As she said that, Luna moved to shield her wet clothes from me. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for them.

“I think I deserve a reward. It’s surprising that the Emperor of this country wouldn’t reward someone who saved her life.”

“Tch….”

Perhaps stung by my sharp remark, Luna pouted and muttered.

“Stop whining… Fine. I’ll give you a ceremonial sword later, you pervert.”

“Is it the one you used?”

“It’s new! New! I said it’s new! You dirty pervert…!”

Luna trembled with anger and shame. Seeing her glare at me like a wild animal, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“You seem just like any ordinary woman.”

At that, Luna’s expression twisted in displeasure.

“Hmph… An ordinary woman? Don’t get the wrong idea. I am not a woman.”

Then what are you?

Seeing my puzzled expression, Luna cleared her throat and continued.

“Ahem… The Emperor is the one who rules this country. As the Emperor, my life must be entirely devoted to the people. Both Lucy and I have long since abandoned the life of a woman.”

Luna Meikhael.

The alternate personality of Emperor Lucy Meikhael, and the one who built the current Empire.

The Meikhael Empire is one of the great powers in this world. Despite being an island nation, it boasts vast lands, abundant resources, and advanced magical technology, leading in economy and culture. But that’s all in the past now.

With the increase in population, the appearance of the Demon Lord, frequent appearances of demons and monstrous beasts, and the intensifying power struggles among the nobles, the Imperial Family and the Empire have declined.

Amidst this chaos, when Emperor Maxime Meikhael passed away and the young Lucy Meikhael ascended the throne, rumors spread that the Empire was finished.

But Lucy… that is, Luna, defied everyone’s expectations and successfully revived the Empire. Immediately after her coronation, she used her charisma to mediate the nobles’ conflicts and recruited talented individuals to efficiently manage the state.

Though she only corrected what was wrong, that alone allowed the Empire to stand tall as a great power once more.

Of course, the process wasn’t smooth.

Luna organized a powerful Imperial Guard and mercilessly purged corrupt or law-breaking nobles and officials. Later, after being removed by Tristan, she was recorded in history as a tyrant.

Though she seems similar to Tristan in eliminating her opponents, she’s different.

Unlike Tristan, who assassinated even his uncle over a minor disagreement, Luna only removed those who were detrimental to the country. To her, nothing is more important than this nation. Reviving the Empire left by her predecessors was her mission.

However….

“I can’t understand.”

“What…?”

“Do you think the Emperor is some kind of god? Even if your face isn’t known, the people know. They know the Emperor is human… and a woman. So why deny the life of a woman?”

“You… What do you know, Tristan?”

“I know.”

“What?”

“I know what you’ve been through since you took that position, and how you’ve lived with that resolve.”

I stirred the fire with a branch. The embers crackled and sparked. Watching the small fireworks, I spoke again.

“Some of it might be my fault. Your obsession with the Majesty of the Emperor, your strong determination to live as the Emperor. But I’m not your enemy.”

“What?”

“I’m on your side. Or rather, as long as you don’t harm the people around me, I won’t oppose you.”

“You’re telling me that now….”

“Don’t believe me if you don’t want to. But this is a precarious time when the Demon Lord could appear at any moment. To overcome this, cooperation is essential. So, I’ll trust you first.”

Though I mentioned the Demon Lord, our real enemies are the players. Until then, I want to avoid unnecessary friction with Luna.

She’s Tristan’s enemy, not mine….

I wouldn’t have said this in front of others, but being alone with her now is the perfect opportunity to extend an olive branch.

I drove the point home with a final remark.

“Think about it. If I wanted to eliminate you, I wouldn’t have saved you earlier.”

“…….”

Luna wrapped herself in the coat and fell silent.

A long silence followed.

I waited patiently for her response.

Finally, Luna spoke.

“……Can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

“You… What do you find so appealing about those dirty things…?”

“…?”

Dirty things??

Seeing my confused expression, Luna pointed at me accusingly.

“Don’t play dumb! You always take those dirty things from me!”

Ah.

I see….

Luna, her face red with shame, waited for my answer.

“Don’t worry. They weren’t dirty at all.”

“What? Not dirty? You, you… Did you, did you smell them?”

Luna’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck. Seeing her reaction, I asked nonchalantly.

“Well, what do you think?”

“Pervert! Psycho! Crazy! Deviant!”

Suddenly, a cold sensation hit my face.

Luna had thrown snow at me.

Far from being offended, her cute reaction made me laugh. I brushed the snow off my cheek and spoke to the fuming Luna.

“See? This is more like a normal girl’s reaction than an Emperor’s.”

“Shut up!”

“I won’t tell anyone, so feel free to be embarrassed.”

“I told you to shut up! You, you…! You’re humiliating me again…!”

Luna, about to throw more snow, suddenly lost her energy or perhaps realized it was futile, and sat down.

Burying her face in my coat like a blanket, she muttered.

“I… hate you.”

“I know.”

“I hate your face. For a man, you’re annoyingly good-looking.”

“That’s possible.”

“I hate your voice. It’s obvious you don’t respect me.”

“I understand.”

“I hate being in the same space as you. It’s disgusting that you’re breathing the same air as me.”

“…I never thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, it’s not so bad.”

“You’re really….”

After this pointless exchange, silence fell between us again. I was the one to break it.

“Then, can I ask you one thing?”

“……What is it?”

“Backstory… no, reality can sometimes be harsh on us.”

Looking at the burning fire, I asked Luna with concern.

“If, by any chance, the truth we believed in so firmly… turned out to be false, could you accept it?”

*

The next day, I headed to the Demon Forest early in the morning, not at night.

Ariel’s Defense Magic Formula was nearing completion. I also needed to conquer the Demon Forest as soon as possible, so I left the unit under the pretext of reconnaissance.

Things were going smoothly on both fronts.

Lycan, Orc, Goblin, Kobold, Yeti, White Fang, and so on… All sorts of monstrous beasts and demons had joined my ranks.

Thanks to the Blacktooth Clan and the Annihilation Maids sweeping through the forest. They had been winning battle after battle against other races, expanding my influence. Their mobility was unmatched among my subordinates, allowing us to handle things quickly.

Moreover, rumors had spread that I, a candidate for Demon Lord, had appeared in the forest. More races were coming to seek our protection.

During this time, I met with the leaders of the surrendered races one by one, assuring them that I had no hostile intentions. Given my intimidating presence, they immediately bowed their heads as if meeting the Demon Lord himself.

To demons, the Demon Lord is the apex predator and their absolute leader. Some were so moved they even shed tears. To them, meeting such an absolute being was a once-in-a-century event.

The problem is, I’m not the Demon Lord yet. Being treated as one already is troublesome. Even if I conquer the Demon Forest, I can’t become the true Demon Lord without Lukaela’s approval.

That’s why I’m so busy, cutting down on sleep every day.

But on the way to the Blacktooth Clan’s base, Blanshe was the first to notice something unusual.

“Count.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s more than just the Blacktooth Clan ahead… I sense a lot of activity.”

“Huh? You felt it too, Blanshe?”

Helga was already channeling magic into her body.

Given their reactions… the activity ahead isn’t from those seeking our protection.

I instructed the two.

“Just in case, put on your masks.”

“Yes.”

They were rabbit-shaped masks I had made after seeing the Blacktooth Clan. I didn’t want anyone recognizing them.

Watching them put on their masks, I moved forward.

As the Blacktooth Clan’s base came into view, I saw what they had sensed.

“Are they really ambushing us so openly?”

In front of us, the Blacktooth Clan and the Annihilation Maids were in a tense standoff with intruders in our territory.

On the other side were Polar Bears, along with the robust Ho-in Clan, who had been vying for dominance in this forest. And, oddly enough, skeletons emitting cold air were also present.

“Miss….”

Muiry and Cynthia looked at me worriedly.

They too had drawn their weapons, ready for battle.

Both sides were on edge, ready to clash at any moment.

As everyone held their breath, I stepped forward.

The identity of our uninvited guests was obvious.

I just didn’t expect them to appear so suddenly, and so soon.

“I was getting tired of waiting.”

The one who spoke was a man riding a pure white horse. His transparent ice armor exuded a chilling aura.

“I’ve heard rumors about you. I didn’t expect you to be such a delicate woman though….”

His icy blue eyes stared at me. His skin was pale like a frozen corpse. Upon closer inspection, the white horse he rode was made of snow.

Yes. Seeing this, everything became clear.

“Nice to meet you, nameless villainess.”

The first subordinate of the 3rd Demon Lord, the one who taught Bella Izakhel defeat.

Known as the ‘Knight of Winter.’

Aaron.

He had come for me.