Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Ludia peered at Lilica, who was in Altheos’ arms. Her reddened eyelids from crying so much made her look rather pitiful.

‘I didn’t know Lily had such thoughts.’

She kept feeling a little strange.

She kept thinking that she should protect Lilica, but she didn’t think that Lilica would protect her.

‘But when she thought about it, it was true that Lilica protected me. It’s an irrefutable truth.’

She was living to her fullest because of her. She tried her best to live an honest life, and tried her best to become a good person.

It’s because she wanted to be a good mother to her.

There were times when she thought that Lilica was a burden.

Such was the case before she burned at the stake.

She was a burden to Ludia, and it’s only natural that she should obtain something from her for the hard time that Lilica has put her through.

But Lily had only given her something. She didn’t know what it was then.

Ludia smiled faintly.

Altheos looked down at that face.

It was a smile that he’d never seen before.

Unnamed emotions surged up and disappeared. Altheos let out a soft sigh.

He said so.

“Was it meaningful, a gathering of everyone aside from me?”

“Is it meaningful for you to speak in such a manner?”

Ludia replied. Altheos spoke grumpily.

“But it’s the truth.”

A crooked human.

Ludia thought so. At the same time, she sympathised with him, but it was just a tiny amount.

A lithe and great dragon that breathed fire and air, and lived on a different level from humans.

— Once a human being.

He now possessed a body that’s easily broken and a mind narrowed from the whirl of emotions.

‘Yes, let’s be understanding.’

Ludia had such thoughts as she spoke slowly.

“It’s more meaningful to be together.”

Altheos glanced at her. An expression of wanting to ascertain the truth was on his face.

Ludia chuckled.

“You’re rather interested in the children these days. I’ve made a request to the emperor, but to think that you’re still leaving things as it is.”

“I only said that I’d protect you.”

When she heard justifying words, Ludia fell silent. In fact, the emperor he’d raised was rather outstanding.

Except for the fact that he had a wrecked personality.

Well, a good emperor isn’t synonymous with having a good personality.

‘Though I think the future would have been great. I wouldn’t know, since I died.’

He was such a despicable emperor that she hated at the time, but now Atil was just a child.

A boy that was as young as her daughter.

“As much as possible, please protect his feelings.”

Altheos mused over Ludia’s words and replied.

“Of course I’ll take it into consideration.”

What’s going on? He’s being so docile.

Ludia tilted her head. Altheos laid Lilica on the bed after entering the bedroom.

Altheos brushed aside Ludia’s offer to watch from the side.

“You’re also exhausted from today.”

Someone that has experienced the chaos in the grand theatre being on the fire should go and rest.

“I’ll remain by her side.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“……”

Ludia looked at Altheos with a dissatisfied expression. Altheos spoke again.

“In any case, am I not the father now?”

Ludia hesitated and sighed at Altheos’s insistent words.

She’s probably about to doze off, so she’d better take a nap and check up on Lilica in the morning.

It should be fine to leave her to him for a while.

“Okay. Then let’s switch turns in the morning.”

After saying that, Ludia caressed Lilica’s forehead once and left.

Altheos sat in a chair and fell into deep contemplation as he gazed at Lilica’s face.

‘A fire in the grand theatre.’

He knew that Barat was behind it. It wasn’t that weird either.

It was a human habit to want to go up if there’s a higher position, and Barat was originally quite jealous.

He could still remember the first Barat.

‘Ridiculous.’

Why were those memories still so clear, even now?

Then, he detected a sign of movement from the door. When he turned around, Atil was standing in front of an opened door with a flustered face.

Altheos rubbed his brow tiredly and asked.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“What it’s nothing, you’re here in the middle of the night.”

Words sprang forth like he was being interrogated.

“Well, just in case.”

He came to look for her in case Lilica woke up in the middle of the night or had a nightmare.

If he knew that his uncle was present, he wouldn’t have come looking for her.

“I’ll take my leave.”

Just as he was about to give his greetings, Altheos beckoned.

“Come here.”

Atil paused, closed the door, and stood in front of Altheos. Altheos spoke.

“Why don’t you bring a chair over and sit down?”

“……Yes.”

Atil brought a chair and sat beside him. It was rather awkward and frustrating.

A dim light reflected Lilica’s sleeping face.

While his gaze was fixated on there, Altheos opened his mouth first.

“When your father visited me, who was in the desert.”

“!!”

Astonished, Atil turned his head in his direction. It was his first time hearing a story about his father from Altheos’ mouth.

“I told him to leave because I didn’t want to. And yet he was desperate.”

Tired of humans, Altheos lived in the desert.

As he hid away in the land that fugitives lived in, they managed to locate him.

It must have been quite difficult for the emperor to leave the palace. Even more so when Barat’s eyes were wide open.

“So I was eventually dragged to the palace and met a younger you.”

Atil concentrated on the story without turning his gaze away.

“To protect you until you grow up and become the emperor. I was asked to do so by him, and I made a promise.”

Atil hesitated and said.

“When Father died, he told me to consider Uncle as my father.”

“Did he say something like that? Hah.”

Altheos let out a short sigh like he felt slightly deflated.

He reached out and rubbed the back of Atil’s head. Atil shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not a proper human being. But when I look at you, I don’t think the outcome was that bad.”

According to Ludia, the worst thing was knowing that and yet not trying to become a proper human being.

He chuckled, as that was a fact.

Why would he want to be a proper human being? It’s not like he became a human because he wanted to.

‘Even so.’

He removed his hand from Atil’s head. Atil looked like he was suppressing something.

The tips of his ears were dyed red.

Altheos laughed softly.

These days, he doesn’t think that it’s a bad thing to be a human.

“……Your Majesty……?”

Lilica opened her eyes, perhaps because she was awoken by the sound of laughter.

Altheos said as he looked at the hazy eyes that were looking in this direction while mumbling.

“Sleep for a while longer.”

Her hazy eyes wandered around, before reaching Atil.

She grinned and patted on the pillow beside her.

“Atil.”

“…….”

Flustered, Atil began looking at Altheos’s mood.

Lilica, who was falling asleep, quickly lost her patience.

“Atill~”

The end of her words drooped while her eyes closed. She patted the pillow next to her again with closed eyes.

When Atil rose awkwardly from his seat, Altheos asked.

“What does it mean?”

“Well, about that.”

Atil gulped down his saliva and said. For some reason, it felt like his and Lilica’s secret was being exposed.

“To sleep together…”

“Ah.”

Altheos stood up without pondering much.

“That would be nice, too.”

He lay next to Lilica. And spoke to Atil, who was standing there dazedly.

“Aren’t you going to lie down?”

“No, I’m lying down now.”

Atil circled around the bed and climbed in from the opposite side.

Lilica’s bed was wide enough for three people to lie down, but it wasn’t wide enough to feel distant.

“Ehehehe—”

Lilica laughed, as she felt the weight of the bed moving with her eyes closed.

Atil is next to her. And on the other side is His Majesty?

If it was a dream, it’s a good dream.

It would have been better if her mother was present.

How many times could she sleep with her mother in real life?

As she found a sense of stability with the body temperatures and breathing, Lilica fell into slumber once again.

Ludia, who came to exchange shifts the next morning, folded her arms.

‘Why is Atil here?’

And why are the three of them sleeping in the same bed?

‘That’s my daughter.’

She felt sullen.

However, the sight of Lilica’s peacefully sleeping face made her dismiss the idea of waking her up.

Besides, isn’t this a relatively rare sight?

She’d even wanted to call for an artist to leave a sketch.

She approached Altheos, and the hand she extended was pulled by him at once.

“?!”

She couldn’t even scream, wary of waking the children. Altheos hugged her waist and asked.

“Is it morning……?”

“It’s still dawn, and you’re sleeping in my daughter’s bed.”

Ludia whispered quietly, and Altheos closed his eyes momentarily like he was organising his thoughts, and then rose.

“Gosh.”

He got up slowly, and glanced back to see the sleeping forms of Atil and Lilica.

He brushed up his hair and let go of Ludia.

Ludia held in the urge to tease him with, “You seem to have gotten such a great rest,” and looked at Atil and Lilica.

She wondered if it’s alright for them to be too close.

She’d told Lilica not to get close to the next emperor, as he was too good a connection.

When Lilica eventually steps down from the position of princess, would he become a strong backer?

“Are we changing shifts?”

When Altheos got up from his seat and asked, Ludia shook her head.

“I think Atil will be quite embarrassed to see me present.”

“He shouldn’t have slept so well that he didn’t even know that someone else had entered.”

“Should you be saying that?”

Wasn’t he deep in slumber until she approached him?

“I’m strong.”

Ludia pointed out Altheos’ words.

“Perhaps that’s why he’s relaxing his guard for the first time in a long while.”

It meant that because Atil was sleeping with him, he was able to sleep deeply.

He mulled over Ludia’s words and found that she wasn’t wrong, so Altheos kept his mouth shut. Ludia spoke.

“Let’s have lunch together if you have the time.”

“Alright.”

Altheos left the bedroom. Ludia looked at her daughter’s sleeping face for a brief moment before leaving the room.

* * *

“Diare Wolfe?”

“That’s another impressive choice.”

Atil and Pi, who she was having breakfast with, spoke alternately.

Lilica looked at them both alternately and asked.

“Is she someone famous?”

“Doesn’t she have a name in Wolfe? You’re still going to have her as a conversational partner?

“Her Majesty the Empress must have a plan.”

Pi tilted his head as he said that.

He has yet to discern the reason Diare Wolfe was her conversational partner.

“What’s wrong? What kind of person is she?”

“Uh—”

Atil folded his arms and was about to say something, but Pi waved his hand.

“Actually, I’ve only heard rumours. I think it’s best for you to meet her in person and ascertain it with your eyes.”

Also, there was another from the Wolfe clan that’s present.

Lauv Wolfe stood silently like a shadow, but his gaze didn’t leave Lilica.

It was akin to a hound looking at its guardian, who was holding a snack.

Whether it’s the Sols or the Wolfes, they were loyal, but the conclusion was completely different.

As such, it’ll be better to be a little cautious of what they say.

At Pi’s words, Atil’s face turned dissatisfied and he spoke while moving his tomatoes to Lilica’s plate.

“After seeing her in person, let me know if she’s no good.”

Lilica didn’t hate tomatoes, so she gave him his favourite sausages instead.

This time, Atil slipped her the bell peppers.

As that was unacceptable, Lilica returned the bell peppers back to him and pondered.

Just what kind of person was she?

The members of the Wolfe family that she’d met were good people, and she liked them all.

As such, she had a vague positive feeling about Diare.

‘As she’s supposed to be a conversational partner.’

Fjord also asked to be her conversational partner.

Lilica was rather willing to do that.

She looked at Atil.

“Atil.”

“Speak.”

“Why do you dislike Fjord?”

Someone took a sharp inhale.

Atil replied to Lilica, feeling annoyed by that sound.

“If I die, that punk will ascend the throne.”

“What? But he’s a Barat, isn’t he?

Can he still become the emperor, when he isn’t a Takar?

Lilica tilted her head, and Atil explained.

“Aside from me, the one holding the highest rank in the imperial family is Fjord. To give you a rough explanation, his father is my uncle.”

Although he’s dead.

Additionally, Barat in itself held deep familial ties with the imperial family, so Fjord may be closer to a pureblood than Atil in terms of legitimacy.

As his mother wasn’t a blueblood, and someone from the lower ranks of the aristocracy.

At those remarks, Pi let out a, “Oh?”

“Come to think of it, that isn’t the case anymore.”

“What?”

“No, after Your Highness, it’s Princess Lilica.”

Atil’s knife paused in its motion. Lilica tilted her head and asked.

“It’s fine as long as it’s a Takar? Isn’t power a requirement?”

Tan had mentioned something like that before, but at that time, she didn’t know about power.

“It would be best if he possessed both, but Takar would be considered first anyways.”

Lilica nodded at Pi’s explanation.

“Then I’m the second.”

As it was a confident declaration, Atil and Pi found it amusing.

Lilica didn’t have much of an opinion. In any case, there’s no way she can be the emperor.

She’ll leave in eight years. But if she was a true Takar, she would definitely be self-confident.

Pi was lost in thought.

He didn’t even realise it, but after coming to a realisation again, he had strange thoughts.

What Pi was worried about was the birth of a child between the empress and the current emperor.

He promised to hand over the throne to Atil, but his mind can change as much as he wants when he has a child of his own.

But there was Lilica.

Pi didn’t notice it from the beginning, but the minds of the Barats, which were rather focused on the succession to the throne, would have worked faster.

‘In order for Fjord to ascend smoothly, it would be better to get rid of the princess. Ah, come to think of it, marrying Fjord and the princess wouldn’t be a bad idea, right? Since she wasn’t a Takar while being a Takar. But the Duke of Barat will boil with rage if the blood was muddied.’

It was a pleasant figment of imagination, but Atil wouldn’t leave him alone if he heard about this, so Pi just imagined it.

If the emperor adopted Lilica as a foster daughter to use her as a card, it would be a pretty good political plan.

‘In that case, would Barat kill her? Our princess.’

Simple thoughts such as ‘I wouldn’t like that…’ surged in his mind.

Pi decided to erase the plan to use Lilica from his mind for the time being.

In addition to being a precious being that he could treat comfortably, Atil also showed a good change because of her.

‘I’ll have to opt for the protecting path.’

Pi smiled at that thought, and Lilica, who met his gaze, gave him a smile.

Pi couldn’t help but smile again.

“That Diare Wolfe won’t pose a problem for our princess either.”

Pi Sandar made a rare boast.