As Ariel presented demands to each nation, we boarded the carriage early in the morning to have an audience with His Majesty the King.
According to the conditions I had heard from Zenith, I, who was no longer a prisoner, also had to leave for the Empire.
King Leonhardt was aware of this, which is why he summoned us.
Even though he had the authority to make the decision on his own, I was grateful for his consideration.
“We greet the Sun of the Kingdom.”
“Raise your heads, both of you.”
As soon as we arrived at the audience chamber, Letia and I knelt on one knee before King Leonhardt.
The king, as if the formalities were unnecessary, waved his hand dismissively and ordered us to stand.
“There is no one else in this chamber except for us, so you may speak freely, just as before.”
“Thank you for your generosity and broad-mindedness…”
“Your Majesty, I wish to ask directly—will you accept the Empire’s offer for an armistice and fulfill the conditions they have set?”
“To be honest, I view the Empire’s proposal positively.”
At King Leonhardt’s response, Letia’s eyebrows twitched.
Though she was displeased, she couldn’t openly express her emotions.
She seemed to be swallowing back the anger that was about to spill out.
“Not just me, but the other kingdoms in the alliance feel the same. If the Empire had only proposed a prisoner exchange, we would have been deeply troubled. However, they have even agreed to return half of the occupied territories as part of the treaty. It is a clear disadvantage to the Empire, so there is no reason for the alliance to refuse.”
“But they aren’t just taking back the prisoners! They also demanded the return of citizens who chose to naturalize in the Empire. This is putting people who made that decision at risk!”
“That is why the Empire has promised not to take any retaliatory action against those who betrayed their homeland. Some were forced to naturalize due to torture, and the Empire claims they intend to show mercy to such individuals. Furthermore, an exceptional clause has been added stating that those who have established families will have a choice regarding their naturalization.”
Letia, who had been furrowing her brows deeply, suddenly looked relieved.
If someone had a family, they wouldn’t be forced to leave.
But if it were that simple, King Leonhardt wouldn’t have bothered to summon us.
“However, only families with children will be granted the right to choose.”
“So, they don’t care if couples are separated?”
“In the case of married couples, there is an additional clause stating that the husband or wife will also be given an opportunity to naturalize.”
It was a clause clearly aimed at Letia and me.
For commoners, both spouses could choose to move to the Empire together.
However, Letia was a noble and an unparalleled hero.
If she went to the Empire, the balance of power between the alliance and the Empire would be shattered.
The delicate equilibrium between the two sides would be completely overturned because of her.
Crunch!
I heard the sound of teeth grinding near my ear.
Her patience was wearing thin.
“Zenith.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“What is the public’s reaction?”
“They welcome the armistice. After three centuries of war, they have shed too much blood. No one opposes the arrival of peace.”
Not only King Leonhardt, but even the people were reacting positively.
Letia, unable to ignore the will of the people, bit her lower lip tightly.
“What was the reaction to the conditions proposed by the Empire?”
“For the most part, people accepted them. Some even blessed those who were leaving for the Empire, wishing them well in their new beginnings.”
“And what about the rumors regarding me and Sir Siyoon?”
“Speak.”
“Aside from the nobility, most people didn’t pay much attention. The nobles, however, seemed to be anticipating your broken engagement, already preparing new marriage proposals.”
Letia and I had not yet held an official wedding.
Though we were in a de facto marital relationship, we were not fully recognized as a married couple.
The nobles, aware of this fact, seemed eager to use this opportunity to dismiss our marriage altogether.
It must have been a deeply unpleasant thought for Letia, as she did not bother to hide her killing intent.
“Calm yourself, Sir Letia.”
“I have devoted my entire life to this kingdom, burning myself to ashes for its sake. In the midst of endless suffering, I finally found my happiness and wanted to cherish it. And yet, instead of blessing me, the kingdom is forcing me to abandon it? What does that make of my sacrifices?”
Letia could no longer restrain herself and raised her voice.
She began to release the resentment that had built up inside her, pouring out her pent-up frustrations.
Just as I had been disillusioned by the corruption festering within the Empire, Letia harbored similar dissatisfaction with the kingdom.
However, there was a crucial difference between the Empire and the kingdom.
“I am well aware of your sacrifices, Sir Letia. That is why I have prepared a solution within my power. But first, please, calm yourself.”
“Tell me what I need to do.”
“I have formally requested a meeting with the Empress of the Empire. I told her that there are aspects of their demands that require negotiation.”
“Has she responded?”
“She accepted without hesitation. In five days, we will meet at the Lunaria Front for discussions. You will attend as the king’s representative, and Sir Siyoon will accompany as an observer.”
King Leonhardt had provided us with an opportunity to negotiate directly with the key decision-maker.
With public sentiment overwhelmingly in favor of the armistice, opposing voices could have easily been ignored.
Yet, the king ensured that fairness prevailed.
This was where the stark contrast between the kingdom and the Empire lay—in the competence of their leaders.
“This is the best I could do. If you must blame someone, scorn this incompetent king.”
King Leonhardt even bowed his head as he expressed his apology to Letia.
Completely disregarding his own dignity, he left no room for Letia to continue her anger.
With a solemn expression, she knelt before him once again, showing the proper courtesies.
“I was short-sighted. I deeply regret displaying such strong emotions before Your Majesty. Please, punish me as you see fit.”
“Sir Letia Heter, leave the audience chamber immediately and depart for the Lunaria Front. That is the punishment I bestow upon you.”
Even in the final moments, King Leonhardt maintained a warm and graceful atmosphere.
Suddenly, memories of the humiliation I had suffered under the Emperor of the Empire resurfaced.
“That Emperor… what an absolute fool.”
Even riding at full speed on horseback, it would take at least fifteen days to travel from the royal capital to the Lunaria Front.
Reaching it within five days was impossible.
However, King Leonhardt provided us with wyverns.
By traveling through the open skies, we reached the Lunaria Front in less than a day.
With four days to spare, Letia and I intended to strategize on how to persuade the Empress during the negotiations.
That was, until the griffon carrying the Empress arrived at the same time as us.
“There’s a saying—strike while the iron is hot. Let’s not waste time and begin immediately.”
Though Empress Ariel had set the meeting date for five days later, she proposed proceeding right away since all the key parties were present.
It was clear—she had anticipated that we would arrive early.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted.”
“I’m glad you’re someone I can actually talk to. I was worried you might be the type to charge at me recklessly just because you’re the leader of the Empire!”
“This is a meeting arranged through the Empress’s valuable time—how could I possibly act so rashly? Besides, I have a honeymoon planned as soon as this is over, so I intend to finish this without causing any trouble!”
“A honeymoon sounds wonderful. But does the kingdom even have good travel destinations? I imagine they pale in comparison to the resorts in the Empire.”
“As long as my beloved husband is by my side, anywhere can be a honeymoon destination. Your Majesty will understand when you find a husband of your own someday!”
Even before stepping into the conference room, the two women were already exchanging sharp words, cautiously but firmly measuring each other.
Just watching from behind made it hard to breathe.
I had a feeling that getting between them would not end well, so I quietly stepped away.
As I observed Letia and Empress Ariel from a distance, I suddenly felt an arm drape over my shoulder.
When I turned my head, I was met with the face of my mentor, clad in the Imperial Knights’ armor.
“As expected, my adorable little scoundrel of a disciple has arrived!”
“Scoundrel? Where in the world will you find another devoted husband like me?”
“The numbers may be small, but you’ve only ever stolen the hearts of the most powerful figures. In that sense, your ending won’t be any different from that of a true scoundrel.”
“Sir Siyoon, I’ve heard that you’ve never been interested in women yourself. Isn’t it the Empress who, unfortunately, gave her heart away of her own accord, rather than you actually stealing it?”
“Who’s this?”
“Apologies for the late introduction. I am Zenith, an aide serving Lady Letia Heter.”
“Are aides given high ranks in the kingdom? Or do they simply have the freedom to speak as they please?”
“Neither. This is just my personality. I say whatever is on my mind.”
“You’re quite an interesting person…”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Beyond Letia and Empress Ariel, another tense dynamic was unfolding.
The real issue was that both of them—my mentor and Zenith—were also attending the meeting as guards, standing by their respective sides.
It felt as if the entire conference would be like standing in the middle of a battlefield.