CH 164

Ires took me to the palace of the emperor.

Guards were lined up in the hallway with lowered heads, and the maids were weeping and crying.

As I passed by them, I was able to guess ahead of time what I would see.

Upon entering the emperor’s bedroom, the first thing that caught my eye was Rixus standing at the bedside.

I approached him… Together, we looked at the emperor.

He was very dry, and his skin had the wrinkles of the years intact, but he surprisingly resembled Rixus.

The emperor was lying on his back with dignity until the end.

The father, who had been lying in bed for a long time, tenaciously holding his life and protecting Rixus, had a serene face as if he had finished everything.

“…….”

I held the hand of Rixus, who was silently in sorrow.

Then I greeted the emperor who was sleeping peacefully.

‘Goodbye.’

‘I only read a little about you in the original, but I do remember what a great lord you were.’

‘Now, I will cherish the remaining people and this land together with Rixus.’

‘Following in the footsteps of a great monarch… We will also silently follow you.’

On the day of the emperor’s funeral, it rained in the morning.

Many people mourned, and their tears fell like rain to commemorate the death of the emperor.

People flocked to the funeral procession carrying the emperor’s coffin without end. Each of them waved a black cloth to see off the emperor.

It was a moving yet majestic sight.

In the afternoon, the ceremony began. All the major nobility of the empire were present.

Of course, right in front of all those people, were Rixus and I.

“….…”

Rixus did not weep as he watched his father’s coffin get buried.

However, I was able to guess the emotions and sadness that had fallen on his chest.

No words could console him, so I just patted him on the shoulder and stayed by his side the whole time.

It didn’t have to be spoken for it to be enough.

‘I am your family now, Rixus.’

‘…Don’t be too sad’

‘I hope you don’t feel alone after losing your father.’

‘Because I’ll be by your side.’

Did he somehow hear what I said inside?

“……”

Rixus just grabbed my hand and wrapped it in his warm body temperature.

I meekly put my palm on his big hands and clasped them.

There was a sense of security deep in my chest.

That… was enough for us.

* * *

A few days later, an imperial coronation ceremony was prepared. That alone was a big deal, but there was one more really big thing.

It was the true unification of Spinel and Aktum.

Tariffs between the two countries had already been abolished, cultural exchanges were active, and a canal was built at the border to bring in and out of many ships.

Neutral country ‘Breathbridge’ no longer performed identity checks on people entering and exiting Aktoum and Spinel.

Civil works to build a huge bridge connecting the two countries were also in full swing.

In fact, the final gateway was to unify the different laws of the two countries… 

Berylia had started working on it since last winter.

Thus, the day of the emperor’s ‘coronation ceremony’ became an exceptional day to declare unification.

The ‘priority of sovereignty’ over the two lands was divided between Berylia and Rixus respectively.

They had equal rights with each other, but they agreed to share everything.

On the day of the coronation ceremony…

The coronation ceremony was being prepared under the clear sky and warm sunlight.

‘…Why am I shaking more?’

I watched as Rixus put on the emperor’s robes and finally ascended to the throne with a trembling heart.

Tears flowed down so much that it was hard to watch until the end.

It wasn’t because it was the happy ending of a loved one.

It was because I was so excited to see a boy full of scars, whose happiness I sincerely wished for, overcome all adversity and ascended to the throne.

The one who knew his wounds, his difficulties, his pains best… Because it was I who was watching everything from the sidelines.

Finally, I was the one who gave the most powerful applause.

Rixus, bearing the emperor’s crown, was much nicer than I had imagined, and it suited him so well. I could hardly stop crying.

Rixus came down and gave me a hug as soon as he finally finished his coronation ceremony. Then he looked at his wife in his arms and said playfully.

“I’m the emperor, but you’re crying out loud.”

“…Heh.”

There was a time when it was my wish for him to become emperor.

I just wondered if I would be able to see it alive… 

But seeing it with my own eyes like this…

I had a lot to say, but my tears kept flowing, so I didn’t say anything.

Rixus wrapped me in a warm embrace and wiped the tears from my eyes.

“You’re such a crybaby.”

These days, when she started to cry, she cried a lot, and when she smiled, she smiled more broadly.

Seeing the woman with a lot of tears and a lot of laughter was such a big happiness for Rixus.

Watching her reveal her feelings to her heart’s content without her vigilance, Rixus felt a deep love.

‘I hope she continues like this. May she be comforted by me, smiling brightly and frankly in tears.’

Rixus thought it was not a waste to have tread through his life up until now.

Because it was his only wish that Berylia was happy.

…That afternoon.

A new unified empire was established on two lands.

‘Ambrose’.

Never to die, never to crumble… It meant eternal empire.

It was a proper name for the two newly crowned emperors.

The two emperors, who had overcome death and overcome fate with endless will, would remain in the land for a long time.

Berylia and Rixus finally ended up using the same last name.

It was the birth of the ‘Ambrose Imperial Family’.

* * *

“These days, the smell of food is disgusting, and you keep getting sleepy.”

“…Yes.”

I called the doctor and was being examined in secret.

It wasn’t necessary to keep it a secret, but it was because the maids’ excitement was annoying.

“The baby must have come! Seryl’s sense is right! Kyaak!”

“Please seek medical attention, Your Majesty.”

Seryl made a fuss about having knitted 59 pairs of baby socks and needing to knit more right away, and I had to stop her by saying, “I’m having a baby, not an octopus.”

There were so many things to prepare right now, so it was burdensome to receive a medical examination. But the three maids were anxious about the examination I had been procrastinating on.

So today, I had some spare time, so I secretly called a member of the medical council.

‘It doesn’t seem like it, but…’

Good things couldn’t happen in a row like this.

I worked hard to calm my nervousness and waited for the result, and the doctor, who had been checking for a long time, finally opened his mouth.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. A baby has arrived.”

“…What?”

When I asked in disbelief, the doctor said in a voice that couldn’t contain his sincere joy.

“There’s a baby growing in your womb!”

“……”

I carefully patted my flat stomach with my index finger.

I hadn’t thought about it until recently, but as soon as I heard that, my hand became strangely cautious.

Being a little stunned, I reacted surprisingly bluntly.

“I get it.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

After sending the doctor away like that, I went to Rixus, a little dazed.

He was lying on his back on our bed, drinking wine.

“…Rixus.”

I walked a little faster and pressed myself against his chest. Rixus slowly set the wine glass aside and gently stroked my back, accustomed to it.

The warm body temperature and the firm chest were just as familiar to me now.

I put my body on top of his and hugged his sturdy upper body tightly with both arms and listened to his heartbeat for a moment.

I still couldn’t believe there would be three heartbeats to hear now.

“I’m tired today. Shall I hug you and go to bed early? Candy.”

He said tenderly, stroking my shoulder.

I suddenly raised my head. Then I looked at him and asked.

“Why are you talking to me so sweetly…?”

His handsome face smiled softly.

I liked the hand that stroked my cheek as if I was cute.

In the past, I would have asked because I really did not know the reason, or I would have asked with a voice full of doubt… 

These days, the ‘Why are you so nice to me?’ had changed to a slightly different meaning.

Usually, the answer to that question was ‘because I love you’. He knew very well that I wanted that answer.

However, the answer that came back from Rixus was a little sweeter and more sincere.

He whispered as his blue-purple eyes met me earnestly.

“Because I love you so, so much.”

“……”

My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

It seemed like it could be said.

No, I just wanted to tell him right now.

Another wonderful blessing between us… 

I grabbed Rixus’ hand and sat right next to him.

He looked a little puzzled, but he meekly followed what I was doing.

After a while, I exhaled slowly.

“I’ve got your child, Rixus.”

“….…”

For a moment, it was as if time stopped, like he forgot to even breathe as he stared into my eyes.

Soon… Tears welled up in Rixus’ eyes.

Seeing that reaction, my heart raced and soared. It was a completely different feeling from what I had heard from the doctor before.

Now that this happiness was so real, I said it again with tears in my eyes as well.

“Baby, Rixus…!”

Without a word, he pulled my body tight and hugged me deeply.

Then he took a deep breath, rubbing my back.

“Thank you, Berylia.”

I could feel how vigorously his warm heart was beating against my cheek. I whispered to him.

“…Are you happy?”

“Of course… are you?”

“I am… so happy that I can’t be anymore.”

I never knew I could feel this kind of feeling in my life.

I never knew this moment would come to me.

Rixus, you gave me a present that only you could give.

A new life…

I cried and laughed, looking at him and said, a little jokingly,

“I must have died seven times for this.”

Then, Rixus blinked his tear-soaked eyes and begged with a smile that was like he had been hit by a sudden blow.

“Keep it a secret from the baby.”

“No, I’ll tell him everything!”

“…Please.”

Rixus pleaded, and pulled me back into his arms again.

We embraced each other for a long time, enjoying elation and happiness.

‘…Can we be happy in the future?’

No matter how harsh fates and trials I had overcome, I would never know what other trials would come in my life.

This life that I had been through had been full of variables.

But this one thing was certain.

No matter what hardships I face in the future…

I would hold the hand of the person I love and get through it.

And that, too,

It will be our little happiness.

【When the Nemesis Eats the Wicked Woman, Main Story END】