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12. Red Stone
“Hmm… It’s pretty far. If you run the wagon to death… Let’s see. Even if I accelerate my way while sleeping only five hours a day, it is about two months. I have to cross a mountain range in the middle.”
Two months. It was the time that it would take to go to Delarta.
‘It’s really far. If it’s two months to go.’
By the time she returned, it would feel even more far away. Lasilia glanced at the Emperor’s expression. The hand had been tightly held by the Emperor since before. It was from the moment she said that she wanted to go to Delarta. Since she was in a position to ask for something, she couldn’t pull her hand out mercilessly. Her hands were still warming to a body temperature much hotter than hers.
“Two months. Not bad.”
“Then why are you asking? It is a place where there is no communication with Elliarden.”
“Because the empress needed something there.”
Lasilia, who thought he would reject her, saying that it was too far away, was relieved inside.
‘Now… Can I go back?’
Even if she went back to Delarta, this won’t be over. Above all, she did not know what the situation was like in Delarta, or whether King Ricardo had left the Great Temple as it was. But the thought of being able to escape that unfamiliar place already weighed on her heart. If the high priest believed in her, something would come up.
“Then it’s my turn now.”
The Emperor tightened his hand and spoke softly into his ear.
“I heard your request, so I want you to listen to mine too.”
If she could go to Delarta, she could do that much.
“Tell me.”
The Emperor would not ask for a new contact. That’s because that was for after getting her memories back. But it was something not to be taken lightly.
“I want to be with you for those two months.”
“… yes?”
She wondered what that meant.
“What exactly do you mean by being together, Your Majesty?”
“Literally.”
“Literally?”
“I will be by your side. always.”
“Always…?”
“So that you don’t misremember the past like today.”
Lescal lifted her hand and placed it on his lips.
“I will tell you word by word.”
That was strange, but it was also strange that it was two months.
“That means… Are you saying that His Majesty will also go to Delarta?”
“No.”
“Then…?”
Lescal tilted his head.
“Why should I go to Delarta?”
“Pardon?”
“I have to call the priest here.”
“…”
Lasilia’s face hardened. No wonder it was too easy. It couldn’t have been that easy.
* * *
“You look so disappointed.”
Ryan came closer to her and whispered softly. He was preparing a place for the Emperor to stay in the Empress’ palace. He wasn’t building a new room, but he had a lot to do, just like that. While the room next to him was crowded with courtiers and attendants, Ryan did not become the Emperor’s shadow, but remained in the Empress’ bedroom.
“As if there was a reason to go to Delarta.”
“… It must have been embarrassing to see His Majesty’s generosity.”
It was the reason why La Silia couldn’t insist on going to Delarta until the end. It was very exceptional for the imperial family to visit a foreign country for several months. There had to be a war or something like that. Since it was a special prayer, she said that it might have to be done at the shrine, and the Emperor said that if so, he would build one of Delarta’s shrines inside the imperial palace.
Then the chamberlain of the imperial palace moved quickly. As if preparations had already been made, the items for the Emperor’s use were brought to the Empress’ palace in a row.
“Hmm…  You come out like that. Well, I see.”
Ryan accidentally touched a gardenia flower that was still fresh.
“Then, Her Majesty the Empress, it seems that Her Majesty is fine with the Emperor always sticking by her side, day and night, from now on?”
No, it couldn’t have been okay. Even thinking about it again, she was angry with the chamberlain, Count Persson. But there was no way to do anything further. Lasilia decided to think of the good side.
First of all, it would be certain that the priest would come, so she would be able to hear the news of Delarta. If she was lucky, she might be able to get in touch with the high priest. It was the best she could do for her now.
“That’s what happened, and I decided to accept it.”
“That’s true. When did you become so resolute? In the past, if there was something you didn’t like, the courtiers cut off their heads and ate it.”
The Empress, she was told to formally punish her courtiers as a norm. There were various reasons, and many said that things like stealing and insults were just excuses to kill. Lasilia thought the reason might have been to conceal her mark.
“I’m sorry. That I, who deserves to be blamed, don’t remember anything now.”
“I know you’re not a person with a clear conscience anyway.”
There was no hesitation in Ryan’s words. She was sure the shadow knights hated the Empress. It was proof that the Emperor’s statement that he was on good terms with the Empress was an absurd lie.
“Isn’t that oath absurd? If you memories return, you’ll make contact. A blue moon could appear even tomorrow. His Majesty will have to lock himself in his room again and endure the terrible pain for several days.”
“…”
Lasilia did not know exactly what kind of pain the Emperor was going through. There must be a limit to his understanding of the pain that the human body could endure. So she had to go back to where she was. Only when the fake disappeared would the Emperor find a true partner.
“You may not believe it, but I am doing my best in my own way.”
“Oh, amnesia is the best?”
“Just as it is your heart to be sarcastic, it must be my heart that is not comfortable to hear. If you don’t have something to do, just leave.”
“Well, since you kicked everyone out, I have to get kicked out.”
Ryan quickly turned around. But before opening the door, Ryan looked back at Lasilia.
“I’m sure you remember well what I said earlier, Your Majesty the Empress. As much as the oath I made to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“… Of course I remember.”
“You will have to.”
Thud!
Ryan closed the door and disappeared.
* * *
Beep beep!
Gooooo!
As soon as Ryan went out, the birds pecked at the window and cried. Lasilia looked at the closed door once more and then opened the window.
“What’s the matter? I didn’t even call.”
– That woman, that woman.
– It’s grumpy, it’s grumpy.
– Torturing, torturing.
Lasilia laughed.
“So you came to kick me out again? It’s okay.He is already gone.”
– Already gone? went?
-No, no.
This time a black bird came out.
– Harass, harass!
Pooh Deok!
Before Lasilia had time to stop, the black bird flew away.
“No, don’t do that!”
Lasilia shouted, but she was belated.
“It didn’t bother me too much. All I could say was a few words… Well, not yet.”
Not yet. So, until now, he hadn’t found out that she’s fake. After that, it was a long problem not knowing what would happen to her. Lasilia smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“I probably won’t. You guys go and dry them off.”
Then the remaining birds flapped their wings and screamed.
– Why why?
– That woman, that woman is grumpy. *
“No. Not necessarily. She’s just so loyal to the emperor. That’s her job, and it’s not fair to punish her for working too hard on her job. Go dry the black bird.”
– It’s strange, it’s strange.
– Fair, fair.
The birds protested vigorously, but when Racilia petted their head and begged them, she eventually chased after the black bird. Lasilia shook her head as she picked up some of her feathers that had fallen on her window sill.
“He said he likes me, but he has a bit of a blind corner. What could be the reason?”
This place was still full of unknowns. And one of those things where she didn’t know exactly what those birds were. Still, one seemed to know.
“… look alike.”
His blind personality was somehow reminiscent of the Emperor.
He said that if he had to go to the temple, he would rather build a temple.
* * *
“What is it, Ryan?”
“This?”
Poof!
Leaving the Empress’ palace, Ryan tossed something into the air and caught it.
“I don’t know either.”
“What? But what are you holding on to so tightly?”
“It’s Her Majesty’s.”
Ryan grinned and opened her palm, which was holding something in her.
“… rock?”
“Looking at it, it doesn’t look like stone. So, isn’t it very strange? There’s no way our evil Empress’d have the delicate sensibility to keep things like stones beautifully.”
Serben suddenly made a serious expression.
“There’s no way Her Majesty would have given it to you… Could it be that you stole it?”
“It’s closer to being picked up than stolen.”
“That’s…”
“No. It’s different.”
Poof!
Ryan thrown and catched the stone like a joke again. She was joking, the stone she threw with the strength of her arm rose beyond sight and fell only after a while. Without looking, Ryan reached out and grabbed her stone.
“I was with Her Majesty for a while. She sneaks open the dresser drawer and this is what comes out. I secretly took it out and held it in my hand, but she didn’t say anything when she saw it. Well, that’s just saying.”
“Hey, anyway… no. There must be a reason for what you did. Have you ever tested whether amnesia is real?”
“Compassion and honor.”
Whiing!
The stone flew again.
“She is acting as if she has changed. With suspiciously common sense and nobleness. Even if I was openly sarcastic, she responded gracefully. Does that make sense? Our filthy and venomous Empress?”
“You are so good at wrapping yourself.”
“We were alone, but she’s not the kind of person who would waste her talent for nothing.”
“Ah, I can’t argue with that.”
“So now I am a bit confused. When people suffer from amnesia, they change completely, don’t they?”
“I don’t know.”
“How did it happen? It’s not just Her Majesty the Empress who has become a different person, His Majesty is like that too. Did you see him when he kicked the Little Duke of Peelion? Isn’t it against the etiquette to kick a noble, no matter how majestic he is?”
“It’s very different.”
“You’re not the only one who doesn’t know that, why are you doing that? It’s like a suspicious husband who can’t control his anger after witnessing his wife with another man… No, but my stone! where did my stone go? It’s time to fall…”
Ryan was searching the air with her eyes wide open for the stone.
“Chaaaaaaagh!”
Pod!
A black bird appeared somewhere, cutting through the wind, and snatched a red stone with its beak.
“Evil! It’s that crazy bird from back then! Hey you crazy! Are you saying you’re going to eat a stone?”
Ryan hastily drew her sword and ran.
“Caw!”
The black bird flew high as if mocking Ryan.
“There! If I caught you, all your fur would be pulled out!”
Soon, Ryan also became a dot.
Left alone, Serben shook his head.
“… Why did she have a real stone anyway? It really doesn’t suit her.”
It was absurd to say that the Empress treasured stones that were not even jewels.
“Isn’t it an ordinary stone?”
As for the answer, she would know when Ryan came back safely with the stone. But Ryan couldn’t catch the black bird.
The Black Bird also failed to return the stone to Lasilia. It was because the Emperor returned to the Empress after a short move at that time.