・・・・・
The declaration of remaining unmarried.
...Wasn’t this bound to happen?
An emperor, by default, was treated like a stud horse — discussed only in terms of noble blood and legitimacy.
But Claudia was an entirely different case.
She had ascended the throne not through inherited lineage but on the strength of her exceptional ability and the support of the people.
However, bloodline couldn’t be entirely discounted.
The influence of being blood-related to Felix, the guardian of the Empire, certainly played a significant role.
But that didn’t mean Claudia’s achievements counted for nothing.
She showed how a human could stand against devils with nothing but sheer will, and she had already become a symbol to the people.
A symbol of new hope. A pioneer opening the door to a new world.
I turned toward the door to see who had rushed in.
It wasn’t just one or two people.
When they belatedly noticed Felix and me standing so close together, they hesitated, visibly awkward.
"Uh...."
In an instant, their faces turned pale, full of dismay and helplessness.
“Our apologies, my lady. We didn’t realise you were here and ended up disturbing you…”
I calmly waited for them to finish apologising before asking.
“Sorcerers, what kind of person is Her Majesty?”
"Pardon?"
“Her Majesty is someone who has dedicated both body and soul to the empire's prosperity.”
So what if the great Emperor declared she would remain unmarried?
There was no need to follow outdated traditions, nor was marriage an obligation.
If succession was the concern, then they could simply find someone who showed the potential of an emperor.
Having served under Felix before, I figured they’d be fairly open-minded.
They didn’t seem completely rigid, so I thought they’d understand if I explained things.
But... was I too quick to assume that?
Just then, one of them shook his head and replied.
"It seems there’s been a misunderstanding, my lady, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with Her Majesty’s declaration to remain unmarried.”
"Then what is it?"
"Naturally, it's about the rumours involving my lady and Her Majesty the Emperor…"
"Enough."
But Felix abruptly cut off the sorcerer’s words.
His voice was gentle, yet the moment he finished speaking, the sorcerers stiffened as if gripped by strict discipline and straightened their posture.
“We’re in the middle of a conversation right now. Please come back later.”
Though his tone was polite, the words were a clear-cut order.
The air, which had fluttered softly like a spring breeze, suddenly froze as if it had turned to midwinter, and a biting cold wind began to howl.
I watched in disbelief as the sorcerers quickly rushed out of the office.
What on earth did they even come for?
I swallowed a sigh, watching the door handle close much more carefully than when they had entered.
‘Rumours about me and Claudia?’
Come to think of it, I had actually heard it not long ago.
The gossip-loving maids had been spreading that absurd rumour again — that Felix was just a cover.
It was such an old and familiar misunderstanding that I didn’t bother to correct it.
Ever since Claudia announced at the banquet that she would spend her life with me, that rumour had clung to us like a shadow.
‘Certainly, if the declaration of remaining unmarried becomes public, baseless suspicions about Her Majesty and me will only grow.’
There would definitely be rumours saying the Emperor harboured feelings for ‘Irene Amber’ and that was why she refused to marry anyone.
“Rin.”
But then Felix was the first to speak.
Startled, I turned to look at him.
The hand I had grabbed earlier was now tightly entwined with mine, fitting perfectly without any gaps. Like a snake that stealthily slithered and slowly tightened its grip around my throat, it wasn’t until afterwards that I understood what had happened.
“You perceptively sensed my anxiety…”
Felix lowered his long, shimmering eyelashes and spoke slowly, his face carrying a trace of resignation.
“Do you know why I’m like this?”
I had thought it was because I had left him alone during the day, or because I had been spending time with everyone but him.
At least, that was until I overheard the blatant hints the sorcerers carelessly dropped.
And until I looked into those raw, unguarded eyes ᅳ sunken deeper than the abyss itself.
“Whose hand are you holding right now?”
He squeezed our intertwined hands even tighter, as if binding them, and asked.
"Felix?"
What was he talking about?
It wasn’t my dull mind but my body’s memory that recalled the warmth of her hand.
At that moment, the image of Lady Redlight from the last banquet, firmly intertwining her fingers with mine, flashed through my mind.
‘No way.’
The dam, strained to its limit by the ceaseless monsoon rains, finally gave way.
Yet the flood of possessiveness that followed was quieter than before — eerily still, so deep it left me breathless.
"This—"
Felix hugged my waist tightly.
The mountain of papers stacked beside me toppled and scattered, but he didn’t care.
The heat radiating from him, his scent, and the rough pounding of his heartbeat all spun through my mind at once.
“Whose embrace is this?”
In the hunting tournament, deep in the uninhabited forest, I recalled the moment when my eyes met Felix’s while I quietly rested in Claudia’s embrace.
"This is…"
The breath that touched my forehead trailed down the bridge of my nose to the tip.
Then it reached my ear, a subdued voice asked, almost in a murmur.
"Whose lips are these?"
Naturally, the moment my lips so much as parted, dampened breaths collided.
A rich scent seeped in.
He slipped in with practised ease, creating space between us, and exploring me more slowly and persistently than usual.
The soft, pressing movements, wet and persistent, burned with a heat that felt like melting.
Eventually, his lips pulled away.
The hand that had gently cradled my nape hovered, as if ready to slip beneath my dress at any moment.
He teasingly traced my collar and the sensitively flushed skin beneath, his eyes alight with a deep, aching thirst.
In his gaze surged a burning desire — one I had only ever seen come alive in the night, flickering and barely contained.
Though it seemed reason had returned to him and he went no further, I flushed red, breathless and buried my face in Felix's chest.
As he brushed against my collar and sensitive skin, I felt, for the first time, that I might finally be able to give him the answer he’d been waiting for.
"...Felix."
I wouldn’t do this kind of thing with just anyone.
"Of course..."
You idiot.
Who exactly were you jealous of?
No matter how comfortable I was with showing affection between people of the same gender, no matter how okay I was with physical contact, I would never have kissed anyone.
It was unfair.
It was so unfair, but I could understand how he felt.
‘Has he been keeping this bottled up all this time?’
I just assumed it was fine because Felix didn’t say anything.
Back when the hopeless trio and the devil were around, they had already pushed him to his limit, so this issue never came to the surface.
But looking back, even if he seemed indifferent, I shouldn’t have taken that as a sign to simply overlook it.
This was something we should have discussed and agreed upon beforehand.
After all, it was a matter of cultural difference.
When a man and a woman who came from different worlds formed a connection, the more they stayed silent, the more misunderstandings inevitably built up.
I was indeed lacking in consideration.
Felix had been overly thoughtful toward me, even to the point of suppressing his own feelings.
“Shall I tell you an old story?”
After catching my breath to some extent, I held onto Felix and began explaining about the place where I used to live.
・・・・・
“I have something to say.”
Claudia, who had been silent for a while, pressed the space between her brows tightly and spoke.
Her expression was as if she had just swallowed poison.
“I’ll allow it.”
What on earth was she talking about?
Sitting quietly across from Felix, I waited for her to continue after her sudden declaration.
“You two should get married.”
Us two… get married?
Even though I clearly heard the words with both ears, my brain refused to process them at once.
Blinking dumbfoundedly, I repeated the question a beat later.
"What?"
“Marriage ᅳ I will permit it.”
Marriage… Before excitement could even bloom, a wave of unease swept over me.
This was definitely not something I expected from someone who had fiercely opposed marriage, saying it was thirty years too early.
“It’s such a shame about Rin — a hundred times over — but her happiness is my happiness too, so there’s nothing I can do.”
Chloe… it was truly moving. But what was this sudden change of heart?
Even Felix, who rarely lost his composure, was wearing a look of disbelief as if doubting what his own ears had just heard.
If I were to put this feeling into words...
“It’s like I was just walking down the street when suddenly a gift box fell right in front of me from the sky — I’m happy, but also totally bewildered.”
At that, Claudia let out a deep sigh and continued her explanation.
“There’s a mountain of marriage proposals piling up for you, Rin.”
Marriage proposals, huh?
Now that I thought about it, the Diamond Siblings had once asked if they could take care of the proposals that came my way.
I had readily agreed. After all, I was going to spend the rest of my life with Felix anyway.
Moreover, everyone already knew us as an official couple, so those fellows who still tried to propose despite that were just weird and out of their minds.
“It’s natural. You’re an unmarried noble lady favoured by the Emperor herself, and anyone who talks to you even once would fall head over heels for you.”
Claudia lamented, saying she had known it would turn out this way and that there was no way anyone could fail to see Rin’s charm.
From my point of view, though, it seemed the former reason was the bigger one.
“It can’t be helped. Still, among all the men in the world, my older brother indeed is the best.”
That was an unexpectedly silly-but-adorable older brother remark.
“I admit, I’ve been a bit petty, wanting to monopolise our friend all this time. You know how it is — I didn’t want to be the only one left out among the three of us.”
Claudia pursed her lips in a sulky little pout, grumbling as if asking me to just overlook it because it was cute enough.
She said that if Felix and I got married, the ‘three’ of us wouldn’t be able to stay together anymore.
“From now on, let’s not get hurt anymore, and the three of us will live happily forever.”
Remembering that promise, I, too, couldn’t bring up the topic of marriage easily.
Honestly, I was scared. Scared that someday our relationship would break apart.
There was no such thing as forever in this world.
There wasn’t. But...
“Still, I don’t want to keep you two tied down out of my own selfishness. I want you both to be happy. It would hurt even more if, because of me, you missed out on something even greater.”
“Chloe…”
My nose tingled as I called her name in a choked voice. It was so touching...
“If you two ever have a child someday, I’d like to consider them as my heir. I hope they’d be cute and lovable like Rin, and talented like my older brother. Of course, the final choice will be up to the child.”
As expected of Claudia. Once she made a decision, her drive was like a bulldozer.
She had already brought up the topic of having a child, even though we ourselves hadn’t said anything about getting married yet.
‘Of course, I definitely plan to.’
I sniffled, swallowing the overwhelming emotions that left me momentarily dazed.
‘As for the marriage, it was already settled between us back when Felix was Walter. And we’ve already gotten the in-laws’(?) [1] approval.’
Marriage.
I had planned to postpone it for thirty years, but it was suddenly looming in front of me. I felt stunned and disorientated.
Ever since Felix returned from being Walter, we hadn’t said a word about marriage.
I couldn’t help but wonder: have I been acting too flirtatiously with women, making him lose the desire to marry?
Even though I knew that couldn’t be the case, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy, and after a moment’s hesitation, I finally turned my head toward Felix.
"Fel..."
I called out to him worriedly, but stopped short.
Felix lowered his head, covering his face with one hand, and let out a sigh.
His earlobe, visible through his stark silver-white hair, flushed a deep red.
Translator's Corner:
[1] The (?) is intended by the author. It's to show that Rin already considers Felix's parents as her in-laws, but it hasn't been officially confirmed yet.
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