/
After the return, there was a time when she wanted him not to worry about her. Knowing that it was right, she deceived herself even though she actually wanted him to.
As she thought of that moment, tears welled up. At that time, no, he was taking care of her as she had always wanted. He loved her.
‘If I hadn’t noticed that everything was wrong, and if I hadn’t come back…’
There would never have been this moment. When Anastasia thought about it, she felt a tingling sensation in her chest.
Had it been a little later, he would have had to live as another woman’s husband forever.
She was content to see him from afar, and she would have had to bury him in her heart, and live her life in sorrow.
At that moment she realized if that had happened, she knew she wouldn’t be happy for the rest of her life.
It was unimaginable to have someone else besides him in the corner of her heart, and eventually she would have had to accept her tragic fate indefinitely and live in misery.
‘… I’m so glad.’
It wasn’t too late, there was still a chance to make everything right… She was really happy.
~~~~
“Her Majesty… She has Amatis’ disease.”
The moment he heard that from Colton, Wilhelm felt like the whole world was at a standstill.
In a perfect pause where neither time nor air flowed, Wilhelm could not continue thinking.
“… Don’t lie. No, that can’t be…”
At first, he denied it. But Wilhelm was forced to admit to Colton’s continued testimony.
She’s gonna die soon.
She left to hide the fact that she had a time limit, and came back to discourage him when the divorce was delayed.
“Then, when she rejected me so far…”
Ha… He laughed weakly.
Why the hell couldn’t he have thought of digging more tenaciously into the reason why she’d been so absurdly distant from him?
“I came because I missed Your Majesty.”
The words, the expression at that time, came into his mind vividly.
That was the only time he realized that she meant it to him…
“… No.”
Wilhelm felt like something in his head had broken.
He couldn’t think of anything more. Just, the idea of seeing her, not on her own order, made him move.
“Anastasia, Anastasia…!”
Wilhelm frantically ran to the Empress’ Palace, calling Anastasia’s name.
A damp breeze brushed his cheeks. But Wilhelm ran on, ignoring his gradually distorted, wet face.
When he finally arrived at the Empress’ Palace, Wilhelm felt his legs about to give in.
In the end, he collapsed on the spot and sobbed for a long time with his face buried in despair.
He came running at full speed to see her, but… he didn’t think he could see her in his right mind.
His emotions were so huge and destructive that it was simply beyond his control. The air around him choked him down.
“Your Majesty, may I help you?”
Mrs. Rochester, who belatedly found him, ran to him in amazement.
“Are you alright? Really…”
“The Empress.”
A voice came out that had been badly rested. He asked, organizing his face with difficulty.
“Where is the Empress now?”
“I’m sure she’s handling public affairs in her room right now.”
Wilhelm felt suffocated when he heard it. He couldn’t believe she was handling public affairs even though her deathbed was just around the corner.
“She’s really…”
He felt like he was going crazy. How could she do that? Wilhelm jumped up and headed for Anastasia’s room.
Now, emotions that cannot even be explained have exploded destructively throughout his body.
He really… he really didn’t know what to do now.
“Your Majesty…”
As soon as she saw him, Anastasia looked startled as if she had been caught in a secret.
He always thought her face was as cute as a rabbit. Even before, she looked like she couldn’t help but be so lovely.
But… Now he was just going crazy because his heart hurt.
This woman was so sad, so pitiful… He couldn’t even tell how much she cried alone with such a burden…
He hugged her like that and shook like a fool for a long time…
‘What do you mean she isn’t?’
Wilhelm’s mind went blank. He couldn’t believe everything he did so far was because of an illusion.
It was amazing. How could he misunderstand like this?
Nevertheless, it didn’t matter. The absurdity was only for a moment, and the joy that was even difficult to handle came.
She was in good health. She’s alive, she’s alive. She would be by his side in the future.
“That’s a relief, really… I’m so glad…”
“You worried a lot about me.”
“What are you saying?”
Wilhelm tightened his grip on Anastasia.
But he had no intention of showing off his troubles in front of her.
If he had time for that, he’d rather tell her how happy he is now.
“I’m so glad, really… I will continue to laugh, cry with you… I think we can do all those things together…”
“…”
“I don’t think I can express this feeling in words right now. To the point where I think it’s terribly insincere to explain this feeling by saying that I’m so happy…”
“… I know. How can I not?”
Anastasia spoke to Wilhelm in a tearful voice.
“I know everything. Your Majesty’s heart…”
“If you really know everything.”
Wilhelm buried his face in Anastasia’s shoulder and whispered.
“Don’t leave me.”
“…”
“Never again, never… Don’t disappear without telling me. Please, it’s an order, a plea.”
“… I told you. I will never leave Your Majesty’s side again.”
Indeed, it was amazing how she thought she could dare to do so before that.
Every day she spent away from him, every moment was painful. On the contrary, this time in his arms was so precious that it was regrettable that it just goes by.
“I can promise you. I… I don’t even want to imagine that now.”
Now that she knew that her separation from him was not the right way, it doesn’t matter what the end is.
She’d stay by his side until the last breath. She would die as his Empress.
~~~~
“I have a question for you.”
After a lot of commotion, they came out for a walk to cool his face that was burning with tears.
Wilhelm, who had been walking silently while holding her hand, broke the silence to which Anastasia turned to him. The look on his face was very serious.
“May I ask?”
“Anything.”
“Why did you change your mind and come back?”
Anastasia stopped. Wilhelm’s gaze was still on her.
“I wondered about that.”
“…”
“Of course, I don’t think the answer that you came to see me is a lie.”
He did not think that the sincerity conveyed through those eyes and voice was a lie. Nor was there any reason or need for her to disguise it.
“But you, as I know you, are not the kind of person who will overturn your decision by being swept away by those feelings.”
That fact later puzzled Wilhelm.
“Since you left for the marriage of Lady Hazel and I, even if you felt that way, you must have put up with it anyway.”
“…”
“Since you changed your mind and came back, I think there must have been another reason.”
“… What if.”
Anastasia was silent for a moment, then opened her mouth.
“What if Lady Hazel is not the woman of the oracle?”
It was a sudden and out-of-the-ordinary question. But Wilhelm didn’t show any sign of surprise, he merely came up with an answer after thinking quietly.
“That would mean the oracle was rigged.”
“…”
“She will die a painful death at the stake with the High Priest. To dare to impersonate the Goddess and make fun of the imperial family and empire.”
“… You are not embarrassed.”
Rather, it was Anastasia that was embarrassed. She murmured in a voice of doubt.
“As if you’ve ever thought of this ridiculous question.”
“Actually.”
Wilhelm spoke after a moment of silence.
“The night before you left, I heard a strange voice in my dream.”
“If it’s a voice…”
“My son, do not be deceived by those who pretend to be me, and do not be deceived by lies.”
Anastasia’s eyes widened rapidly at Wilhelm’s answer. It was truly a dignified expression.
Wilhelm continued his speech, watching the change astutely.
“So I started to doubt it. Maybe… the oracle was rigged, as you say. So I asked Colton if there was any contact with the High Priest and the Hazel family, but they didn’t have any particular connection.”
“Ah…”
“Now, it’s your turn.”
Wilhelm said, looking straight at Anastasia.
“You seem to know something. Isn’t that right?”
“I…”
Anastasia opened her lips with difficulty.
“What I’m going to say now, it’s going to sound like nonsense.”
“Is the voice of the Goddess I heard in my dream logical and valid?”
Smiling, Wilhelm promised in an unwavering voice.
“I believe you, no matter what you say.”
At the same time, Wilhelm tightly wrapped Anastasia’s hand, which he had held with the other hand.
The body temperature passed down was warmer. Anastasia looked at Wilhelm with trembling eyes.
“And I want you to believe it too. That I trust you very much as my wife.”
“… Yes.”
Anastasia, who smiled lightly, finally began her story.
“Actually, I… I heard the voice of the Goddess.”
And as the story continued, Wilhelm’s expression hardened, and conventionally distorted with astonishment.