CH 83

Who is the Fake Bride? (25)

He smiled faintly at the look on Roelin’s face and continued his explanation.

“When it’s time to welcome your companion, the image of your companion will appear on the wall right here. Just like now.”

“……What? Well, what……”

“Before I sent my proposal to Rakain, I already saw you through this painting. Of course, I asked you to marry me because I thought that only your twin sister existed at that time.”

Kergel smiled bitterly. It was an awkward thing to say. Instead of his own wife, he had previously proposed to another woman.

If anyone else had done such a thing, they would have laughed at him while calling him a fool.

He looked embarrassed and tried to open his mouth once again. However, Roelin’s appearance in his eyes had forced him to say something else instead.

“Roelin? What’s wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable?”

Suddenly, he could see that her face was turning pale. He examined Roelin urgently. Roelin only shook her head and took a step back.

“It’s nothing. It’s all right.”

“You don’t look all right though.”

“……how can I be so sure that I’m the figure who is in that painting?”

She hesitated and opened her mouth with much difficulty. As soon as she saw the figure in the painting that looked just like her, that became the only thing that she thought. And the horror grew more as she listened to what he had just brought up.

A phenomenon that had been handed down from generation to generation.

When it was time to greet their companion, they would be able to see that.

So, he had proposed to her twin sister, Erita.

Then, who should have been his companion?

Was it herself or Erita?

It was either way.

If the woman in that painting was actually representing her twin sister and not herself……

“Because I’m the one who’s sure.”

Kergel replied in a calm yet determined voice. Roelin’s anxiety subsided in an instant. But it wasn’t completely subdued, so her blue eyes were still quivering with an uneasy glow. He continued again while facing her eyes.

“I’ve already confirmed it through the companion ceremony.”

“If you just confirmed that…”

They just put their hands on the altar together. After that, the wolves began to cry out somewhere at once, but…… it could have been just a coincidence.

In the first place, the wolves wouldn’t be involved in welcoming the Emperor’s companion anyway.

Roelin shook her head. Then, Kergel reached out his hands and wrapped them around her cheeks before opening his mouth just then.

“Even if it’s not, I’m absolutely sure that you are my companion.”

“……”

Roelin faced him straight in the eye, with both cheeks wrapped, unable to even move her head. Kergel continued, staring at her.

“You don’t have to doubt anything and you don’t have to worry at all. I choose my own companion. I did not follow the choice of the founder who had already died a long time ago. My heart for you was what made me choose that. You’re not going to doubt my feelings, are you?”

Kergel spoke seriously and then, he jokingly added. Roelin also listened to him with a serious look before she started smiling slightly and replied.

“……I don’t think so.”

“Then, it’s fine.”

Kergel pressed his lips over her forehead as if she had done well and soon withdrew them. Then, he held her hand with the hand that was still wrapped around Roelin’s face. Roelin glanced down at his large hand, which he clasped around hers, and looked up again to see the painting on the stone wall.

A woman such as herself was portrayed.

And it was the same woman as her own twin sister.

But apparently, the figure he was referring to had been herself.

‘So, what’s the point? Kergel had chosen me.’

She was determined to never be weak again as she closed her eyes tightly. She then slowly opened them before looking at the painting and remarked.

“It’s a wonderful portrait. I’ve never had a portrait done in my life.”

She looked back at him and said so. It was like stating the fact that the woman in the painting had truly been herself. Kergel immediately nodded at Roelin’s words.

“Our founder must have been well-versed in painting.”

Roelin burst into laughter when she heard his joke. And Kergel hugged Roelin, who was smiling all brightly.

There was no need to say who had said it first.

Kergel and Roelin began to embrace one another as they eventually kissed each other.

It was their very first kiss.

* * *

“The Princess had made another fuss a little while ago. She wants to see His Majesty. Hah, that kind of bullying was just amazing.”

“Heinez, she must be a great woman to hear the word ‘bully’ coming out from your own mouth.”

Kergel stood in front of the Second Palace and said to Heinez with a smirk. Heinez pressed his forehead as if he was all tired before he opened his mouth.

“It was all the more difficult because of someone who had just come back from a secret meeting after leaving all the trouble to his mere subjects.”

“What do you mean, a secret meeting? I only kissed her.”

“How proud you are. Ah! No. You kissed her? Everyone was worried because you two haven’t been sleeping together, but I can see some hope now.”

“…well, it’s quite strange to hear you say what Bert would normally say.”

Kergel felt somewhat awkward and swept his hand down the back of his neck. Then, Heinez smiled softly and opened his mouth with a slightly relaxed tone.

“I’m saying this instead of apologizing anyway.”

“Apologize?”

“What I had said to Her Majesty earlier. The Empress had to double-check to see if she was truly the companion……”

Heinez blurted out the end of his sentence. Kergel glanced back at him and spoke.

“You just said what you were supposed to say. You don’t have to apologize to me for that.”

“But…”

“Please continue to argue and take care of everything like that. I’m doing this all because you’re still by my side like this.”

“Your Majesty.”

Heinez’s purple eyes began to tremble. Kergel patted his friend on the shoulder and continued in a playful tone.

“Of course, no matter what I’ll be doing in that place now, just close your eyes a little.”

“……What? What do you mean? Aren’t you trying to talk to the Princess? Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Heinez called him out in surprise. But Kergel quickly went into the building just as if he was aiming right for this moment.

“……whoa. Well, he’s not the only one to talk.”

Heinez sighed and smirked. Then, he nodded and continued talking to himself.

“…and honestly, I also want to repay the Princess.”

Somehow he wanted to cheer for Kergel, so he scratched his forehead with his fingertips before he soon made an ambiguous expression.