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71화

“Shushu, would you mind joining me?”

Diego, with soft, sweeping eyes, asked.

‘Being on the terrace together is quite the scandal.’

I sharply scanned for any signs of life outside the balcony and sighed in relief. Luckily, there was no one around, but being alone with Diego, whose reputation was already in a delicate situation, wasn’t going to yield any pleasant outcomes.

“Of course, it would be an honor, but you shouldn’t stay long.”

Diego slightly nodded in agreement. As I gently pulled the curtain aside, he stepped into the moonlit balcony. A subtle silence fell between us as we faced each other.

“What is it?”

My voice came out rough, still tinged with residual anger. Diego, who had been looking up at the sky, turned to me. His gaze held a hint of drooping.

“I came to apologize.”

“Excuse me?”

‘Did Diego have a reason to apologize to me?’

Caught off guard by his sudden comment, he continued.

“Just now, regarding Frama Young Lord. I got angry seeing you treated that way and intervened, but I realized it might have seemed like I was disregarding you. You are certainly someone who can handle things like that on your own.”

His calm voice was infused with deep trust. It truly seemed like Diego saw me as a good person.

“I apologize for intervening without cause. It was presumptuous of me.”

Every single word dripped with politeness. I hadn’t felt any anger towards him from the start, yet his attitude eased any nonexistent frustration.

Objectively speaking, Diego’s actions were kind, not rude; after all, he was the Crown Prince. Even if it were rude, he wouldn’t have needed to apologize to such an extent.

‘What a perfect image of a leader.’

This thought crossed my mind after having periodic encounters with Diego over the past few months. He was courteous to everyone while maintaining a level of cold fairness, keeping his dignity while lowering himself when necessary. Such integrity was hard to come by.

“It’s alright. There’s no need for you to apologize, Diego.”

His calm, blue eyes turned towards me. I smiled gently at him.

“It was something I could handle on my own; I simply pushed you away. I was actually very grateful for your intervention.”

This was my genuine feeling. Just knowing someone could share their anger over my situation warmed my heart.

“I’m glad to hear you think that. I was beginning to worry that you were angry with me.”

At that moment, Diego relaxed, releasing a sigh of relief. I watched as his previously sagging eyes softened into a gentle curve.

‘In the original story, Diego becomes Emperor… but could I twist the future so he might become Emperor in this world as well?’

In the original story, the Emperor suddenly dies, leading to the Crown Prince Diego ascending the throne hastily. However, with my intention to change the storyline, I could no longer guarantee Diego would become Emperor.

‘Currently, the positions of Crown Prince and Second Prince Serenon are precariously balanced.’

The Emperor was backing Diego as the Crown Prince, but he couldn’t interfere in the power struggles, so Diego had to fortify his position entirely on his own. Meanwhile, the Second Prince had the support of his biological mother, the current Empress Tina Cypros, making it significantly easier for him to grasp power than Diego.

As a result, the Second Prince’s standing was strong enough that even Crown Prince Diego couldn’t afford to ignore it.

‘They even occasionally discuss whether the Crown Prince should be changed in the royal meetings… this is a close call.’

In this situation, if I flipped the storyline, it might very well lead to the Second Prince becoming Emperor.

‘That absolutely can’t happen. Serenon is clever, but… he simply cannot compare to Diego.’

The Second Prince Serenon wasn’t cruel or foolish, but he wasn’t a figure of comparable greatness to Diego, who represented the perfect Emperor. I couldn’t allow the Solarit Empire to miss the opportunity to welcome the best ruler.

‘If only Crisis could support Diego…’

Until now, they had never intervened in the throne conflicts, but if the most powerful House of Crisis were to back Diego, the throne would undoubtedly belong to him.

However, the House of Crisis had maintained perfect neutrality throughout their long history, balancing the scales of power.

Not only could they not break that long-standing neutrality, but their recent silence could also be interpreted as an inclination towards supporting the Emperor faction over the Temple faction.

‘While Crisis cannot support openly… I could provide help.’

Due to my personal guilt over being unable to guarantee Diego’s ascension as Emperor in this timeline, I was determined to make him Emperor.

He is the one deserving of the throne. There’s no arguing that point.

“Diego.”

“Yes?”

He looked at me warmly, tilting his head with a smile. His blonde hair sparkled in the moonlight like sunshine. I adopted a serious expression.

“I will definitely make you Emperor.”

“…What?”

“You don’t need to know the details. Just keep that in mind.”

Diego looked dazed for a moment at my sudden declaration. Ignoring his befuddlement, I raised my finger to gesture that he should remember this clearly.

Diego blinked while holding my determined gaze and then burst into a great smile.

“Alright. I believe in you.”

His ocean-like blue eyes held unwavering faith in me.

I was momentarily speechless in the face of his continued trust.

“Do you… trust me? What do you think I can do?”

“I don’t know how, but I trust you.”

The softly shimmering moonlight illuminated the space between us. A gentle smile graced Diego’s lips, and that smile felt like an acceptance of everything about me, prompting me to unconsciously open my mouth.

“…But if you trust me, I might ruin everything.”

A sentence that had been tightly sealed within me suddenly burst out. I clasped my mouth in surprise at my own words.

For the sake of everyone’s best interest, I had resolutely decided to change the future, using everything at my disposal to make those I love happy. Yet in truth, I still found myself questioning so much.

Is changing the future the right thing to do? Will it truly lead to the best outcome?

If my efforts only served to worsen the situation? If my actions brought unhappiness to the people around me?

My interference had already altered many things. “The Night of the Fairy” was no longer an apocalyptic event for this world.

Now, the things written in words would change and the unwritten futures would unfold—all within my grasp.

A future even I didn’t know awaited before me, that future filled me with a sense of vertigo.

‘Can I really succeed?’

I bit my lip and lowered my head. The heavy burden and numerous worries pressed down on my shoulders.

Diego watched me with a gentle gaze, contemplating my troubled countenance.

Then, his large hand firmly grasped my shoulder.

“It seems you often forget.”

“…What?”

“If you were to mess something up greatly, there are many people around you who would help clean it up. That includes me.”

I slowly lifted my bowed head. His wall-like blue eyes, sparkling with kindness and faith, were so beautiful it nearly blinded me. Gently, Diego brushed my hair back with his long, unblemished hand, smiling at me.

“You are someone I cherish and trust the most. I wish you would have a bit more confidence in your own capabilities. You can do anything well, and if something doesn’t go as planned, then what of it? There are plenty of people ready to help you. So, don’t be afraid.”

Diego Solaritne was kind. His sweet voice had a calming effect on me, making me forget the weight on my shoulders and simply smile.

“…Thank you. Really.”

I was truly glad to have someone by my side who trusted me and offered such comfort. I gazed at him reflected in the moonlight, then adjusted my expression to be serious.

“If you are the one I cherish and trust most, then you are my only lord.”

The Emperor was my father’s lord, and Serenon was not worthy of that title. The only Emperor I recognized in my age was Diego. Like an oath, I grasped Diego’s hand and bowed to kiss the back of his hand. His gaze resting on me was warm.

“When you become Emperor, you must create a good Empire. One where no one feels left out.”

Having lived my entire life in the shadow of the Sun Empire, I firmly believed that kind-hearted Diego could see even the shadows that lay beneath.

“If you do that, then I will be the sword that protects that Empire.”

Since ancient times, the Temple represented the all-covering heavens. The Solarit Imperial Family was the sun that shone above that sky, while the House of Crisis was depicted as the sword guarding both the sky and the sun.

If Diego became the sun that illuminated everyone, I was ready to wield my sword without hesitation for him.

Though it wasn’t formal, this was a sort of pledge of loyalty.

“…Are you swearing loyalty to me?”

“I guess I could say that.”

Diego’s expression turned serious as he rubbed his lips with his thumb. After contemplating something for a while, he shook his head.

“I’m really happy, but I must refuse.”

I blinked at his unexpected rejection. He chuckled softly as he looked at my bewildered face, gently withdrawing his hand from mine to grasp my hand in return.

“Loyalty oaths imply a hierarchy. Does that mean you’re offering to become my subordinate?”

“…Yes.”

“I don’t like that.”

As I continued to look confused, Diego pulled my hand towards him, leaning down to kiss the back of my hand. His golden hair brushed against me delightfully.

“I would prefer if you stood beside me, not serving me. I want you to walk with me, for the entirety of this life.”

His low, sweet voice whispered gallantly. For a moment, I failed to understand his words, blinking in confusion, but suddenly I grasped their meaning, covering my mouth with my free hand.

‘Is this saying that our friendship will last forever…?’

Just as Diego was a valuable friend to me, the warmth of the revelation tugged at my heart. I beamed brightly at Diego and nodded.

“Absolutely! We will be lifelong friends!”

The expression he had while waiting with rosy cheeks fell apart in an instant. He looked like a farmer who caught sight of a tentacle monster growing where he had sown turnips. For a moment, I was baffled by his expression, but I struck my chest with a fist and boldly proclaimed.

“As a lifelong friend, I will walk by your side no matter your path. We are in this together until the end.”

Diego stared at me, his face full of countless question marks, reeling back as if he had been struck, leaning against the railing.

He buried his face in his hands.

“Shushu, please… please, could you think about this from a different angle…?”

I tilted my head at Diego’s murmurs.

Once again, it was a comment I couldn’t comprehend.

 

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