âŚif it werenât for that loud cry. It would have happened no matter what happened.
Anastasia, who was on the verge of fainting due to tension, quickly pushed Wilhelm and opened her arms toward Louis who was running to her.
âLouis!â
âYour Majesty!â
âLouis!â
âYour Majesty!â
Louis quickly came into Anastasiaâs arms, and Anastasia was quickly relieved after seeing Louis safe with her eyes.
âIâm glad to see you again, Louis.â
âMe too, Your Majesty.â
Louis asked Anastasia, looking here and there with a face that seemed on the verge of crying.
âAre you feeling better now? Doesnât it hurt?â
âYes, Iâm fine. Is Louis hurt?â
âIâm fine.â
Louis, who had tears in his eyes, began to whimper and replied.
âYour Majesty protected me. So I didnât get hurt.â
Louis said, hugging Anastasia tightly.
âThank you. Itâs all thanks to Your Majesty that Iâm safe.â
âThank you for being safe too, Louis.â
âAndâŚâ
There seemed to be more to say, but she couldnât hear anything from Louis who had his face in Anastasiaâs arms for a while.
But the bottom of her dress was getting wetter and wetter, and Anastasia was forced to notice, feeling Louisâ body shaking.
This kid, he was crying right then.
âLouis.â
Anastasia called the childâs name in a soft voice.
Louisâ face, who raised his head only then, was already covered with tears.
Anastasiaâs eyes also became moist after seeing that.
âYour MajestyâŚâ
Louis twisted his face as if he were about to burst into tears and confessed to Anastasia.
âI love you, too.â
âWhat?â
âAt the end⌠You told me you loved me.â
He clearly remembered what Anastasia, who hugged him tightly, told him in a trembling voice just before the wagon crashed.
âI love you. I loved you so much.â
Louis realized at that moment. That that moment was the end of their short lives.
Nevertheless, in order to leave a good memory, Anastasia was confessing her love to him while hiding her fear.
âI was really scared back then⌠⌠Her Majesty said she loved me⌠So it was okay.â
As soon as he came to his senses, he immediately looked for Anastasia, and he wanted to tell her the same thing he had heard her say, but he could not.
When he thought that Anastasiaâs care might go wrong, inexplicable despair engulfed the child.
âIâm sorry I couldnât tell you that I loved you the same way back then.â
He regretted it. Why couldnât he tell her that he loved her right away at that moment?
Why hadnât he been able to properly respond to her numerous confessions of love that she had handed over until now?
When he thought that maybe it could end like that, he became very scared and distressed.
âIâm sorryâŚâ
Even at the moment when the end of life became clear, her love toward him, was undoubtedly enough to wrap around him and protect him.
He realized it too late. She had already been his mother for a long time.
âI also love Your Majesty a lot. I really have a lot to say⌠⌠Huh!â
After confessing, Louis finally burst into tears, and after that, the world began to cry.
It was the second heartbreak after the last time they reconciled with each other.
Anastasia, startled, hurriedly calmed Louis.
âLouis, itâs okay. itâs okay.â
Anastasia comforted Louis with all kinds of friendly words, but Louis never thought of stopping tears.
It was a time when Anastasia patted Louis, who was crying.
âMomâŚâ
One word mixed with the sound of crying, faint but clearly stuck in the ears, hardened Anastasia as if she had become a stone.
âMomâŚâ
She realized what had been said over and over again and again. She didnât hear anything in vain.
She finally got her love recognized by the kid.
As soon as she realized that, Anastasiaâs eyes also turned red.
~~~~
Louisâ cry stopped after a long time.
After her son-in-law* became quiet, he ran away with his swollen eyes closed as if embarrassment had suddenly risen, and Anastasia looked at Louisâ back with a loving gaze until the end.
*TN: while this would refer to a different relation normally, I kept it because heâs like a son to her through marriage
ââŚAh.â
Then she realized. Wilhelm was still there.
âYour Majesty must go now. You must be busy.â
Anastasia, who naturally recalled the situation before Louis broke in, tried to hurry up and let him go, and Wilhelm looked at Anastasia with a strange expression and opened his mouth.
âI havenât heard the answer yet.â
âNo, what answerâŚâ
âYouâre doing it for me, right?â
Wilhelm kindly repeated the question.
âFrom the beginning to the present.â
ââŚI donât know what youâre talking about.â
Anastasia quickly cleared up the situation, avoiding his persistent gaze.
âIâm grateful for you saving me this time. I must have exaggerated that expression. If you misunderstood.â
âMisunderstood?â
âWhat I said earlier was justâŚâ
Anastasia sighed briefly and ended the conversation.
âAs I said, I just wanted to reveal the truth. I donât want innocent people to be suspected.â
âYes, I understand your righteousness.â
Though she thought he would get angry, Wilhelm responded unexpectedly calmly and got up from his seat.
ââŚIs that it?â
It was when Anastasia was embarrassed by a clearly different reaction from last winter.
âYouâd better take a rest now. Your face is very red right now. Like a tomato.â
âWhat?â
As Anastasia fumbled with both her cheeks in embarrassment, Wilhelm, who saw it, smiled softly.
Only then did Anastasia realize that he had made fun of her, and she glanced at Wilhelm, but he only calmly responded to her eyes and said this.
âIâm not falling for it anymore.â
What the hell was he not falling for?
Without being me to ask, he left, and Anastasia, who was left alone, muttered, still unable to take her hands off both cheeks.
âWhat, reallyâŚâ
It was strange that a person suddenly became sly. It was when Anastasia was constantly mulling over Wilhelmâs last words.
âYour Majesty!â
Mrs. Rochester rushed into the room. After that, she saw the appearance of the palace doctor that followed.
Anastasia greeted her with a friendly smile on her face, which she hadnât seen in a long time.
âMrs. Rochester, you were worried, werenât you?â
âFirst of all⌠Get a checkup first.â
The joy of a reunion was for later. Mrs. Rochester tried to suppress her soaring emotions and asked the palace doctor.
âDr. Faulkner, please be as meticulous as possible.â
After such a long examination, fortunately, there was no abnormality.
There was no particular discomfort when she woke up, so Anastasia accepted the result as if it were natural.
âBut just in case, you have to take it easy, absolutely easy.â
After the court doctor went back, and only the two of them were left, Mrs. Rochester expressed her pent-up feelings to her heartâs content.
âYou woke up safely and really⌠Iâm so glad to hear that. I almost fainted when I heard that the carriage had fallen down the cliff. Iâve been so worried that you might not wake up⌠Heuck!â
âMrs. Rochester, are you crying?â
âWhat do you mean crying? What do you mean⌠Iâm not crying. How can I cry in front of Your MajestyâŚâ
She seemed to cry, but Anastasia decided not to point out more to save her face.
âI think Iâve gotten thinner.â
She seemed to have had a lot of heartache. Anastasia, sorry for no reason, apologized.
âSorry to trouble you, Mrs. Rochester.â
âYour Majesty is also wrong. Is this something Your Majesty would apologize for? Itâs all because of that vicious woman!â
Mrs. Rochester, who was whimpering, suddenly changed her posture and gritted her teeth to a squeaky sound.
From the mouth of Mrs. Rochester, clenching her fists, a lionâs roar of wrath erupted.
âHow dare she do such a thing to our Empress, a shameless human being! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and Your Majesty would give her a stoning sentence, right? You have to return a hundred times, no! A thousand times the pain you suffered!â
âUm⌠Itâs hard to avoid the extreme punishment.â
âBut to end it like thisâŚâ
She felt uncomfortable. Besides, after Oliviaâs death, she would never be able to bring the truth to the surface.
This meant that this was the last opportunity to investigate the death of the Emperor and Empress.
âI canât do this.â
Itâs ridiculous for Wilhelm to suffer until his death for what Olivia did.
Letâs be determined. She must end what Olivia has done.
She didnât dare let Olivia escape with death.
âDid you say that the Fontaine girl is now imprisoned in the dungeon?â
âYes. That poisonous thing, eating three meals a day, every day, not guilty until the end⌠ugh, Your Majesty, where are you going?â
As Mrs. Rochester was grinding her teeth, Anastasia abruptly rose from her seat and draped a shawl over her shoulder.
When Mrs. Rochester saw the figure, she asked in disbelief.
âYouâre not going to meet her in person, are you?â
âYes. Please guide me.â
âYour Majesty, how long have you been awake! Besides, why would Your Majesty meet the wretched criminalâŚ!â
Mrs. Rochester pleaded with Anastasia with her pale, tired face.
âDidnât you hear what the palace doctor said? He told you to calm down, take it easy again!â
âBut I donât have time. The trial is tomorrow.â
âThatâs true, but⌠⌠No, what the hell are you going to do with her? She will be sentenced to death anyway.â
âIt just doesnât matter. IâŚâ
Anastasia frowned as she spoke her words.
âI will tell everyone all her sins that she has committed. I wonât let her die before that.â
âYes? What is thatâŚâ
âMrs Rochester, do you believe me?â
At the sudden question that followed the incomprehensible words, Mrs. Rochester was stunned for a moment.
But she nodded her head firmly, as if she was sure.
âOf course, Your Majesty.â
âThen follow me. After I meet the Fontaine girl, I have something to tell her.â
Anastasia muttered, raising the corners of her lips sullenly.
âI donât think she will easily admit her guilt.â
Then she had no choice but to give her a choice. Whether she gets the worst punishment or the most evil one, it was time for her to fall