Chapter 103

‘Michelangelo’s {Pietà} can’t be any better than that.’

What kind of genius sculptor created such a smile?

The woman’s gracious smile was so beautiful it could embrace everyone.

What I thought was a statue, was a sculpture in the shape of a human to be exact. It seemed to have spent quite some time there standing with its arms outstretched.

Preservation magic shone faintly.

And pure white lilies laid down at her feet.

In Aktoum, it was customary to place white lilies in front of a tomb as a symbol of remembrance of loving the dead forever.

This sculpture was her tomb.

“…Maricella Aktoum.”

“…….”

“It’s your mother.”

I got it now.

Maricella was swept away by the storm, and her body couldn’t be found, so her tomb was replaced with this piece.

Rixus looked at the statue of Maricella and said calmly.

“If we had found even a single piece of my mother’s bones, we would not have built her grave on this beach.”

……How does it feel to be unable to find even traces of your loved ones?

If one day your parents, siblings, and children suddenly evaporated from this world.

If you wanted to build a grave, but you couldn’t find any traces of them.

An ache filled my heart and I grabbed his hand.

‘He didn’t even go to see his father often…’

In the original, it was said that although Rixus wanted to see his father, he didn’t go to see him.

It was because he was sorry about the situation where he did not have full imperial power even though he had grown up.

Despite it being not his fault, such a sense of debt was etched in his chest.

‘The fact that a child could wholeheartedly miss his parents… It’s a privilege.’

Some people spend their whole lives with their heads down..

Like Berylia. Her mother and father had such a bad personality that she couldn’t even miss them, or, like Rixus, have a sense of debt.

I would probably live my whole life unaware of that longing, while Rixus would live longing for his parents as much as he could.

“I’m always ashamed of myself when I’m here.”

“…….”

I looked at him quietly.

My heart ached as much as the pain that was conveyed heavily.

Rixus had a strong sense of responsibility, so he would feel more indebted.

‘Even if he didn’t say it… It must have been.’

If Rixus’ reign was strong, I wouldn’t have had to come alone to Aktoum in the first place.

In Spinel, after I ascended to the throne, I had maintained a strong monarchy, so those who dared to oppose this marriage could not speak.

They were afraid because they had witnessed how I had gotten rid of the nobles against me.

In Spinel, the will of the monarch was the will of Spinel.

So, the decision to get married was pretty much settled with one seal of mine.

That simple thing was so difficult in Aktoum.

If I thought about it, to this man, his whole life was like that.

It was a challenge and a fight for him to breathe and get through each day.

‘Everything simple must have been difficult for Rixus.’

Not just this marriage… But ever since his childhood.

Wasn’t he one who even had difficulties eating, sleeping, and feeling the warmth of others?

‘Was he serious when he said he was doing well?’

His words, which I had trusted in and passed over, were now carefully reconsidered.

“I… have been fine.”

“….…”

“I’ve been waiting for someone so pretty, there’s no way I couldn’t have been.”

After defeating the curse wizard in total darkness, he returned to the icy Imperial Palace.

Could he have lived well…?

He had been waiting for me, never forgetting the little warmth he felt when he was very young.

In this vast Imperial Palace, among the frivolous and cruel nobles,

Without a family… 

My chest throbbed. I frantically blinked because I thought I was going to cry.

I asked Ires to lay down a plain bouquet of lilies at Maricella’s feet.

She should be relieved now.

The day after kissing her son on the cheek, may her poor soul, who never returned, be relieved.

Calmly looking up at Rixus, I said,

“Now I’m your family, Rixus.”

“…….”

Maybe he had made up his mind a long time ago, and now, I have as well.

Whether this feeling was compassion or love, I couldn’t tell.

I only wanted to be by his side, but I was sincere.

Even if in the future that heartless oracle separated us… 

I believed that this feeling would never be forgotten.

Rixus was looking down at me with trembling eyes.

“From now on…”

I hugged him slowly.

He was so large that it looked like I was being held in his arms, but I stretched my arms out wide and hugged his neck and stroked his head.

Then I whispered.

“I’ll be your home.”

This was something a boy once told me.

“No matter how difficult the world may be, you can come back to me and rest in peace…”

Now, I wanted to do it for him.

I felt my heart beating loudly.

“….…”

Rixus silently hugged my back with his large and warm hands.

I finally felt a sense of unity.

We hugged each other for a long, long time on the beach.

It felt like my soul was being warmed.

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* * *

Finally, the day before the wedding.

In the midst of a busy morning, really welcome and surprising news arrived.

Lucia Hermes, who was officially appointed as a knight in the Valderi Order…

…The news that she had become a ‘Sword Master’!

It was like seeing a runaway locomotive, no, a runaway carriage full of talent.

She was the first to tell me this news.(TL/N: as in, before others told Berylia or before she read in the news.)

{To my lord who is like my life.

I wanted to be the first to tell you this glorious news.

I missed Your Majesty day and night, and deeply felt the reward of wielding a sword.

As the only sword master of the Valderie, I, Lucia Hermes,

Until the day I run out of breath, my lord……}

I read the letter with a feeling of pride and grandeur.

‘She reached the highest point not long after she entered.’

Was that all?

‘It’s insanely faster than the original, isn’t it?’

Rather, it occurred to me that she was underestimated in the original.

In the original work, it appeared as if her talent bloomed through hard work and overcoming bad circumstances.

That was why it took a long time.

‘She’s a genius.’

However, it was just not made known because she was pressed by reality.

……Back then, I just hoped that she would become a useful knight within two years.

To think it would turn out like this.

How desperate must she have been to bring such brilliant results so quickly?

And what a bloody effort she must have made.

{…I want to attend the wedding tomorrow.

Will you grant me such glory?}

Lucia wanted to come to my wedding, but I had a different thought.

‘If she just became a sword master, her schedule will be tight.’

Right now, the rank within the knights would have changed, and the things they were assigned to would have changed. 

It was an important period for her as well.

‘I have to tell her not to come.’

She didn’t have to strain herself to come to my wedding.

I called the chicks and told them these good news.

The maids were surprised that ‘that Lucia’ had become a sword master, but they were happy as if it was their own work.

“I want to send a letter and a gift telling Lucia not to come.”

Since she became a sword master, wouldn’t she need a more sophisticated sword and training suit?

‘I can’t let my baby be overwhelmed by money!’

There must be a lot of children from wealthy families there.

With a particularly wretched expression, I said,

“Prepare the best quality swords and training suits right away.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

But I almost instantaneously changed my mind.

“No. I’ll have to pick it out myself, even if I’m short on time.”

Of course, I was very nervous and busy today, but I wanted to give that much to Lucia.

I quickly got ready to go out with the chicks and left.

Just as I was about to get on the prepared carriage, a shrill, nasally voice was heard.

“Your Majesty the Queen!”

My footsteps stopped.

If it was a talent, it was a talent to make people feel uncomfortable with just one short call.

Even just hearing that voice made me feel uncomfortable in the stomach and intestines.

In front of my cold face, Deborah came closer with a warm smile on her face, and a bunch of maids behind her.

“I was just about to go ask for an audience… I’m glad to see you like this.”

‘Well, I’m not.’

“Please greet me as Deborah ‘Caruso’.”

Crazy…… Caruso?!

Look at this shameless human.

‘You’re not even married yet?!’

“….…”

I looked at Deborah, who was wearing the name Caruso with excitement, as if it was a given.

‘I’m sure it came from using Yuria to pin me.’

That certainty, joy and confidence made Deborah’s eyes twinkle.

I asked with a sneer inside, without hiding my contemptuous expression.

“What did you find me for?”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t give you a wedding present. I couldn’t do such a disrespect to Your Majesty, so I prepared it with all my heart.”

“…….”

It was then that I saw a maid holding a moderately large box.

And, the maid who brought the box was supposedly ‘Mary Jane DeCzeco’.

‘It’s the maid whose name she borrowed when dealing with Shadow.’

Due to the disgrace of the DeCzeco family, she was a woman with weakness and had to act as Deborah’s every hand and foot and mouth.

Her face was emaciated and her countenance looked dark and dead.

“Give it to her.”

I made a simple gesture to hand over the present.

Laura took the gift and brought it into my hand.

“Can I open this here?”

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

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I ripped open the package and took out the gift inside.

The gift that Deborah prepared was…

…A crown adorned with a very bright red ruby.

In Aktoum, such things were often exchanged as wedding gifts, but… 

In Spinel, it was a gift of consolation for a woman who had ‘miscarried’.