CH 14

Wolfgang heard the news a little after the rain starting pouring down from the Prime Minister, Hainz.

"It seems that the Duke of Raihenbahha went to meet Her Majesty."

Since he said it in such a carefree manner, Wolfgang didn't pay any heed about it for a moment. However, as soon as he understood the context, his hand that worked on the document stopped, while he raised his face.

"What!? What kind of idea is that man giving to Nicola….?"

Wolfgang, who was about to go to Nicolette's place as soon as possible, was stopped by Hainz and Alberto.

"Well, calm down. Her Majesty has a strong mentality after all, it’ll be alright."

"Rather, I feel like if His Majesty were to go now, it'll only give the opposite effect."

Hainz and Alberto didn't show any restraint to their own emperor. Even though they had good points sometimes, it made Wolfgang sadly think, "I’m your emperor, you know~"

However, since the ‘opposite effect’ that Alberto just mentioned seems to be true, Wolfgang decided to prioritize his job for now. Wolfgang wanted to leave everything to his impulses and go straight toward Nicolette, but since there is quite lot of work piled up, he wasn’t able to have dinner together with Nicolette, so the time he was able to meet her was when he went to bed.

"Ah, Wolf-sama, thank you for today's work~"

When he thought that she still felt downhearted; in reality, Nicolette was reading a book while sprawled on the bed. Hearing her cheerful voice, Wolfgang's shoulder lost it's power. He felt relieved that he was able to see Nicolette's usual smile.

" Yeah…. you can just sleep first before me you know."

Wolfgang sat on the bed and then touched Nicolette's hair. He didn't know if he had any right to touch her skin or not. (TL: But you guys are married….)

"Hnn~. Since this book is interesting, I can't sleep."

*smile* Nicolette smiled. Wolfgang’s lips slackened a bit because of her appearance. Nicolette raised her body and then sat face to face with Wolfgang.

"I met the father of your first wife today, you know.”

Nicolette said that quite indifferently, so Wolfgang asked with a trembling voice, "what did he say to you?"

"He said that you loved the first empress….Rizerotta. He said that you loved her, but you still killed her."

"........"

That was the truth, Wolfgang loved the first empress Rizoretta. Even though he loved her, he still ended up killing her. It’s also true that it became a heavy burden on his mind because of it. He always thought that he could’ve handled it a different way.

Wolfgang averted his eyes, while Nicolette started holding Wolfgang's face to get their eyes to meet.

"I am well aware of the fact that you’ve murdered all of the empresses before me. I also understand that you had no other way. I married into your kingdom knowing all that, so there's no way I would blame you, and i’m not scared of you."

If I was scared, I would have left this place a long time ago you know.

"You know, since I was raised in a monastery, I understand somehow or another. I know the fact that His Majesty really regrets having killed all the previous empresses. Thinking that there must be some other way, i’m sure it scarred your heart."

"Such a thing is…."

"Possible."

Nicolette cut him off. Wolfgang couldn’t calm down because he felt like his heart had been seen through.

"Wolfgang didn’t realize or understand it yet, but there were also people like that among the people who rushed into the monastery. Even though he totally understands, he didn't understand it at all ." (TL: In other words, denial)

Nicolette raised her body higher to make her forehead and Wolfgang’s forehead to meet.

"You think that someday I will disappear, or perhaps I might choose someone else over you. I want you to think about it, because I will always stay beside Wolf-sama until the day you say you don’t need me anymore. I promise. Since I don't have any other choices, please let me stay behind you at least, you're a person who gives me a place to belong."

"....Nicola, you…."

Nicolette, who separated her head from Wolfgang's, smiled sadly.

"My mother is already gone. The Head Priestess that I consider family is also gone. They say that the monastery where I was raised caught fire.”

“Fire?"

"Yeah, Folger-sama brought me a letter this morning from a surviving nun. I'm sure that my father did it to remove any traces of me. If he does, it basically means that the prophecy disappears.”

The prophecy that Nicolette received was, "this kid will surely bring demise to her father" Fearing that it would come true, King Roware confined her in the monastery.

King Roware didn't provide Nicolette a place to belong, he even robbed her of the only place she did feel like she belonged. Nicolette pushed her forehead to Wolfgang's chest while his face warped.

"....Everyone is already gone."

Nicolette said that with a trembling voice. Wolfgang continued to softly embrace Nicolette's quivering shoulders while she kept crying, she then said with a small voice,

"That’s why, please don’t say you don’t need me.”

The next morning, Nicolette was still sleeping by the time Wolfgang woke up. Last night, she sobbed and fell asleep because she became tired of crying. Wolfgang stretched out his hand, and wiped off the remaining tears at the tip of her eyes.

"Hnnn….?"

She may have perhaps awakened from Wolfgang’s touch because Nicolette opened her violet eyes with a stupid voice.

“Nicola, good morning."

"....Yeah, good morning."

As he called out her name, Nicolette narrowed her slightly red eyes from crying, and softly smiled. He put a gown on Nicolette when she sat up from bed.

"What happened? It's rare for you to stay up this late. Usually, around this time, you should be on the way to your office, right?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to see your face, you know."

He said that in a half joking-half serious tone causing Nicolette to blush. Seeing her usual innocence, a smile appeared on Wolfgang’s face. Wolfgang stretched out his hand, then crawled it over her cheek to her nape.

"Nicola…. Nicolette."

"Un, what?"

Nicolette narrowed her eyes looking ticklish, and asked back, Wolfgang, while caressing her soft cheeks, then said,

"Will you always be with me? Will you stay by my side?"

His voice came out more flaky than he thought. He thought that her words last night hit the mark. Deep inside Wolfgang’s mind, the three wives he’s killed have left a scar. He feared that Nicolette, who he loves, will disappear from his side like the other three. It was just like what Nicolette said, he wondered when she realized about the scar in Wolfgang’s heart.

"....Wolf-sama, you will give me a place where I belong, right?"

Nicolette muttered, closed her eyes, then placed the hand that was on her head to her cheek.

"Of course. Other than mother, the first one that loves me is you after all. I won't leave your side, or betray your heart."

"Is that….so? Thanks Nicola."

"Un, likewise, thanks."

Wolfgang hugged Nicolette, then their lips slowly meet. At that time, both Wolfgang and Nicolette were able to achieve the thing that they wanted most in life.

"By the way, I heard that you were angry at the Duke of Raihenbahha because of me, right?"

"!? Who said that to you!”

When Wolfgang visited Nicolette's room for tea time that day, she was reading her book. Since yesterday was raining and outside was muddy, Nicolette was prohibited from going outside by Helma.

Even so, Nicolette already made a compromise with Helma by letting her experiment and read her books inside her room. It seems that Nicolette has finally got her hand on ancient language, just how fast is her learning speed?

When today came, Marcus was reporting about Nicolette's state yesterday, and because of what Helma said, "it was my first time seeing Her Majesty like that" which made Wolfgang feel happy. At the same time, he also felt a bit disappointed because he wanted to see Nicolette’s serious side too.

"Well, you know, I just felt really irritated, okay~"

Nicolette said that while looking sullen.

"If I had to say, the Duke of Raihenbahha is a coward. If he wanted to do it, he can just do it himself, right? To even involve your own daughter…."

Surprisingly, it seems that the one Nicolette felt pity for is the daughter of the Duke of Raihenbahha, which is also Wolfgang's first wife. As always, she is a girl that exceeded expectations.

"....But, perhaps, the words that I said to the Duke of Raihenbahha were actually words I wanted to say to my own father."

Her grieving face from the side was really beautiful, so Wolfgang slowly caressed her hair. She then closed her eyes with an entranced expression.

"Do you want to say that to King Roware?"

Nicolette is the Empress of Hainzel Empire, if she wished for it, she can send as many retributions as she liked. However, she shook her head left and right.

"Nuh uh, I will not. I am not that interested in that after all."

It was her usual Nicolette answer. She said that she didn't have any interest in the father that cast her away. Inside his heart, this was the difference between Nicolette and Rizoretta, or so he thought.

Nicolette slowly tilted her body toward Wolfgang, then leaned her head on his shoulder. While feeling happy that Nicolette was fawning over him, Wolfgang asked her, "something happen?"

"Nuh uh, nothing. I was just thinking that i'm glad I came to this place."

"Is that so? I am also glad I was able to meet you.”

Nicolette made an arc with her mouth.

After which, she slowly closed her eyes, and slept….