Bonus chapter thanks to '@Sage, the ascended outer' for subscription to 'Sorrow' tier on Ko-fi.My Knight
The night, filled with the sound of weeping, had passed.
Morning arrived even in the world of darkness and silence, which had seemed as if it would last forever.
Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, my eyes fluttering open at the sunlight that stabbed at my eyelids.
"Ugh…"As I sat up and stretched, the remnants of last night's hangover tormented my head.
I threw off the covers, my mind still hazy.
Through my unfocused vision, I saw the wall clock, its hands pointing at eight.
A small sigh escaped my lips.
"I didn't get a wink of sleep…"
It was around three in the morning when I finally managed to get Lucy, exhausted from crying, back to her room.
Lost in my thoughts, I had stayed awake until just before dawn.I must have slept for about two hours.
"Humans are amazing… How can we survive on just two hours of sleep a day…?"
Maybe it was because it was morning.
Senseless murmurs spilled from my mouth.
The soft feeling beneath my feet disappeared, replaced by the hard touch of the floor.
I swayed for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden pull of gravity, before making my way to the bathroom.
-Swoosh…
As I doused myself with cold water, my foggy mind slowly began to clear.
After showering and drying off, I reached for the neatly folded clothes in front of the bathroom.
It was the suit Bella had taken yesterday, saying she would wash it.
Although it was stained with dirt, it was now spotless.
"It's… time to go back."
I murmured as I slowly got dressed.
It felt a bit too soon to be leaving the Imperial Palace after arriving just yesterday.
But that was the original plan.
Well, I could stay longer if I wanted to.
But I desperately wanted to return to the dormitory and see Ariel and Rachel.
It had only been a day, but their absence felt… empty.
"…Empty."
Perhaps I relied on them more than I realized.
I formed a vague smile and tied my tie over my shirt.
Just as I was finishing getting dressed, someone knocked on the door.
-Knock, knock…
-Young Master Lishite, the carriage is ready.
It was Bella's voice from outside.
I responded and walked towards the door.
"I'll be out shortly."
Fidgeting with my awkwardly askew tie, I opened the door.
My eyes met Bella's, who was standing upright.
As if she had been waiting for this moment, she turned and began to lead the way.
"Then, I'll guide you to the audience chamber first. His Majesty is waiting."
"I apologize for making you wait every time."
"This way, please."
I followed Bella.
.
.
.
"You've arrived."
"Did you rest well last night, Your Majesty?"
"Thanks to you, I did... Hehe."
As I entered the audience chamber, Milliam greeted me with his characteristic chuckle.
I knelt on one knee, offering a light bow.
As expected, Seon, Lucy, and Neria were standing side by side.
I could understand the princesses being there, but for the Crown Prince to be here to see me off, despite his busy schedule…
I was touched.
"Thanks to the grace of the Imperial family, I was able to rest comfortably. I wish to return to the Academy now."
"Leaving in such a hurry… It's a shame. I thought I finally had someone to talk to."
"I apologize for the inconvenience."
"How many times are you going to apologize?"
Milliam teased me with a playful smile.
He glanced at Lucy, who had a bright expression on her face, then smiled warmly.
"I'm glad everything worked out well."
"It's all thanks to Your Majesty's grace."
"Heh heh… You did well, just as I said. It's good to see."
"…?"
What did he mean by 'just as I said'?
As I tilted my head in confusion at Milliam's cryptic words, a few snippets of our conversation from last night flashed through my mind.
-Take good care of those around you…
-You need to fix everything you've messed up…
-If it's too late, it might become irreversible…
A possibility dawned on me.
"…Did you know everything…?"
"Heh heh… Well, I did orchestrate the situation where Seon would tell Lucy about you."
Milliam shrugged with a sly grin.
I frowned.
He deliberately allowed my sensitive family matters to be spread…
"I'm the Emperor. Who's going to question me?"
"......"
"You're not going to growl at me just because I let slip a 'little' private story, are you?"
"......"
At Milliam's subtly infuriating tone, I lowered my head and muttered,
"I am simply in awe of Your Majesty's arrangements."
"Heh heh… If you're so upset, why don't you become Emperor yourself?"
Seriously, that's a very dangerous thing to say.
Even if it's a joke.
How could he say that in front of the Crown Prince, who will inherit the throne?
I clenched my jaw, suppressing my frustration at Milliam's childish jab.
He seemed to find my reaction amusing and continued to tease me for a while longer.
After some time, I was finally able to excuse myself.
"Well… as much as I hate to say it, it's time for me to leave."
"Parting only makes the next meeting more meaningful, wouldn't you say?"
"You seem strangely happy about it?"
"......"
"Heh heh… Just kidding. Anyway, safe travels, Young Master."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I wish you good health until we meet again."
"So you're saying I shouldn't be healthy after that?"
"......"
"Heh heh… Like I said before, if you're so upset, why don't you become Emperor yourself?"
Battered by his nonsensical humor punches until the very end, I left the audience chamber, feeling utterly defeated.
Finally, it was time to leave the Imperial Palace for good.
As I was about to head towards the carriage…
"Wait, Raiden…!"
Lucy, who had followed me out of the audience chamber, called out to me.
***
"Then, farewell."
Raiden offered a courteous farewell and stepped out of the audience chamber.
Lucy, who had been lost in her anxiety, snapped out of it and hurried after him.
"Wait, Raiden…!"
Her voice trembled with nervousness.
The youthful tremor rode the wind, reaching out to grasp Raiden's sleeve.
"…Your Highness? Is something the matter?"
Raiden turned his head slightly, his obsidian eyes gazing at the girl.
Meeting his eyes, Lucy flinched and blushed.
The events of last night in the moonlit garden flashed through her mind.
At the age of eighteen, she had shamelessly cried in another person's arms.
It was enough to make her feel a deep sense of shame, especially considering her usual composed and mature demeanor as the Empire's star.
The backlash was even stronger.
"......"
"Your Highness…?"
"Ugh…"
Lucy groaned softly and took a deep breath.
Once she had calmed her racing heart, she slowly spoke.
"Th-thank you…"
"Pardon…? What do you mean all of a sudden?"
Raiden feigned ignorance, his voice flat.
Lucy fidgeted with her fingers, struggling to continue.
"For… For the other day, the assassination attempt…"
"Ah."
"…I don't think I properly thanked you…"
As she added those words, Raiden's blank expression shifted into something more complex.
It was a smile that held a mixture of surprise, relief, and sadness.
Lucy couldn't quite decipher the meaning behind those emotions, but one thing was clear.
He was genuinely happy.
She smiled brightly at the boy, whose face held a hint of nostalgia.
His current image overlapped with the phantom of her childhood friend from long ago.
He hasn't changed after all.
The you from that precious time remains the same.
She murmured to herself and let out a chuckle.
"Pfft…"
"…?"
"It's nothing. Just a happy thought."
Lucy lowered her head, avoiding the boy's questioning gaze.
Then, as if it were truly her last chance, she thanked him once more.
This time, with a playful bow
"Thank you for saving me."
It was reminiscent of the past.
The day the boy and girl had promised a playful master-servant relationship.
"My knight."
At some point, tiny dewdrops had formed in the corners of her blue eyes.
The tears, shimmering under the golden sunlight, were a single bloom of joy offered to her valiant knight.
The boy, who had been lost in thought, finally accepted the flower of emotion presented to him, replying,
"I only did what was natural."
Perhaps both the boy and the girl had deeply yearned for this return of their ill-fated connection.
They carefully untied the knot that had become tangled and messy.
"My liege."
The gentle autumn breeze swept past them, a refreshing caress.
Amidst the fluttering black and blonde hair, the girl held the boy's image in her eyes, her breath catching in her throat.
-Thump…
Her heart beat faintly.
She didn't seem to realize it, but a single strand of affection for the boy was blossoming deep within her delicate heart.
As she wondered at her racing heart…
"Then… I'll be going now."
"Yes…! See you at the Academy."
The boy turned away with a calm voice.
The girl waved goodbye.
The liege watched the retreating figure of her knight and smiled once more.
The knot of their ill fate had been untied.
Now, a new kind of knot was tied between their fingers.
A precious connection called 'fateful encounter.'
The girl quietly walked away, feeling the thread of fate that bound her to the boy.
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