Inside the carriage returning to the mansion after the audience.
As I stared blankly out the window, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
“So, does this mean I’ll be fighting on the front lines with Letia now?”
“I’d love it if that were the case, but it seems unlikely.”
“Sir Siyoon, while you were a knight in the Empire, you’re technically a naturalized citizen. In a military system where rank is critical, assigning you a low rank would be wasteful, but giving you a high rank is difficult as trust hasn’t been firmly established yet.”
“We trust you, but others don’t. Just a few days ago, you were a prisoner; if you were suddenly placed in a position of authority, there would be a strong backlash.”
“It’s certainly hard to trust someone under those circumstances, especially in life-and-death situations on the battlefield.”
They would doubt whether my orders could put their lives at risk and hesitate to follow me.
Hesitation on the battlefield, however, leads directly to death.
If my orders aren’t obeyed, they’ll result in failure.
A commander’s failure erodes trust, creating a dilemma where giving orders becomes increasingly difficult.
Ultimately, going to the front lines in my current state would only lower morale and serve no purpose.
“I’m sorry. Even if I try to persuade them, I doubt this issue can be resolved easily.”
“It can’t be helped. All I can do is prove that I have no attachment to the Empire and build trust gradually.”
“Sir Siyoon, speaking of which, I do have a way for you to build trust in a short period. Would you like to hear it?”
There was no reason to refuse when she claimed to have a good solution.
I nodded and listened attentively to Zenith.
“If you head east from the capital, you’ll reach Bernard Port. Do you know it?”
“Of course. It’s a major trade route for the United Kingdom. The Emperor tried to take it over but failed spectacularly. But why bring it up?”
“Recently, there have been a series of shipwrecks along the sea route connected to Bernard Port. Initially, storms were suspected to be the cause, but it’s now been revealed that a sea dragon causing the storms has appeared.”
“I see where this is going. If I go to Bernard Port and deal with the sea dragon, I can quickly gain the trust of the kingdom’s people, right?”
“Exactly.”
It was a straightforward and excellent idea.
Although the continent is engulfed in war, not all human casualties are due to battles.
Beasts don’t spare people just because they’re caught up in a war.
With personnel for relief efforts conscripted for war, the situation in civilian areas in need of aid had become increasingly dire.
“Good suggestion. Thanks, Zenith. You’ve saved me from overthinking.”
“I’m glad to have been of help.”
Zenith responded with a slight bow, saying she was merely doing her duty.
“So, does that mean our honeymoon destination is Bernard Port?”
“You’re coming too?”
“Even if it’s a common-law marriage, we’re still technically a couple! Are you already planning to live apart from me?”
Letia pouted, sticking out her lips in protest.
I hadn’t intended it, but I seemed to make her sulk quite often these days.
To reassure her, I cupped her cheek with my palm and gently rubbed it.
Her soft, springy cheeks squished under my touch, her eyes closing and opening repeatedly.
The sight was so comical that I couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
“W-What are you doing?”
“My wife is just too adorable.”
“Huh?”
I felt her cheek heat up rapidly under my palm.
Her cheeks turned crimson, and her wide eyes reflected her startled emotions.
Her reaction was as transparent as ever.
Inside the carriage, I reassured her.
“It’s not that I wanted to go alone. I was just worried it might be too exhausting for you to follow me around while managing your own tasks.”
“That may be true, but it’s fine! As long as you’re by my side, I feel energized!”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes!”
“Alright then, let’s go together.”
The reality that I was now tied to Letia still felt surreal, but she was undeniably my wife.
Treating her as a stranger and rejecting affection would be heartless.
I wanted to spend more time with her, getting to know her better and falling for her unique charms.
“Hm, I think I won’t even need sugar in my tea today.”
“Should we leave Zenith behind?”
“Would you be alright without me? I’ve always been in charge of attending to your needs, Master.”
“Ugh…! Well, but honeymoons are supposed to be for just the two of us, aren’t they?”
“Don’t worry. I know when to excuse myself if the mood calls for it. Honestly, I’m already excited about enjoying the sea breeze and indulging in seafood dishes after so long.”
Though Letia didn’t seem thrilled about Zenith joining us, she eventually sighed in resignation.
It seemed she couldn’t find a valid excuse to leave the ever-resourceful aide behind.
For me, it didn’t make much difference if there was an additional companion on this trip.
We hadn’t even had a wedding yet, so calling this a honeymoon felt like a stretch.
A proper honeymoon could wait for the future when I could take Letia, dressed in her wedding gown, on a trip just for us.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but the goal of this trip is to defeat the sea dragon and gain trust. It’s not exactly a vacation.”
“Sea serpents like that are nothing to us! We’ll just defeat it quickly and then enjoy ourselves!”
“Just so we’re clear, I’ll be the only one handling the sea dragon. Got it?”
“What? Why?”
“Because if we do it together, people will think you’re the one who took it down. That would defeat the purpose of building trust.”
“I-I could just testify that it was you who defeated it…”
“Master, that would only lead to suspicions that you were exaggerating your husband’s achievements on purpose. It could backfire. Sir Siyoon’s approach is the right one.”
“Fine, I’ll give up.”
With both Zenith and I in agreement, Letia reluctantly accepted.
The atmosphere gradually grew quieter, the mood sinking into silence.
The journey hadn’t even started, yet it was already feeling daunting.
Would this really be okay?
Even if it wasn’t a honeymoon, it was my first trip with Letia.
I wanted to keep things lighthearted and fun until we reached Bernard Port.
“Don’t be too disappointed. After we finish dealing with the sea dragon, we’ll enjoy ourselves like you wanted. There’s bound to be a beach, so let’s spend some cozy time there.”
I patted Letia’s head gently, attempting to console her.
Though some might find the gesture unpleasant, Letia’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes sparkling.
“Alright, then I’ll show you my secret swimsuit! But first, I’ll need to start watching my figure. Zenith, prepare a vegetarian menu for me for the time being!”
“I actually prefer a bit of softness. Too skinny and it feels fragile to hug.”
“Correction—lots of meat, please!”
“You’ve already mastered how to handle Master Siyoon! Impressive!”
“Shut up!”
This was the cheerful, noisy atmosphere I wanted.
I hoped things would continue this way.
Meanwhile, in the Empire, chaos had erupted.
The Emperor, praised as the Sun, had collapsed upon hearing news from the kingdom and ultimately passed away.
“Princess Ariel, the Emperor has passed.”
“It went according to plan. I suppose adding the potion to his meal was worth the effort.”
“Won’t it be risky if they discover the potion was used?”
“There’s no issue. It was merely a stimulant to heighten emotions. It wasn’t harmful to the body. The official cause of death is a heart attack from excessive stress, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Realizing the Emperor had succumbed to his rage, Ariel quickly took action.
She had tampered with the meal presented to the Emperor, worsening his condition.
Unable to control his rising anger, the Emperor suffered a seizure and died, hurling curses until his last breath.
Though it wasn’t poison, it had directly contributed to his demise, allowing Princess Ariel to exact her revenge for her mother in the same manner.
“By the way, Your Highness, how do you feel about the news of Sir Siyoon’s naturalization into the kingdom?”
“It’s fine. It’s a perfectly reasonable decision. If he hadn’t naturalized, Siyoon would have been eliminated by the kingdom.”
Even if he had earned the opportunity to return to the Empire by winning the tournament, they would have tried to kill him as soon as he crossed the border.
The kingdom wouldn’t have tolerated a dangerous figure who disrupted a tournament meant to promote their prosperity.
Ariel firmly believed that Siyoon’s allegiance to the kingdom was only temporary.
“Then what do you think of the news about his marriage to the kingdom’s hero?”
“He must have been coerced. The kingdom likely saw his abilities and forced him into marriage with a hero to produce superior offspring. That’s why we need to extract Siyoon from the kingdom as soon as possible.”
No matter her ill will toward the kingdom, she couldn’t predict how things would change if he had children.
He might develop paternal feelings and refuse to return to the Empire.
‘If Siyoon were like my late father, that would never happen. But Siyoon has such a warm heart and sense of responsibility that he’d protect someone even if they caused him grief.’
That’s why his absence felt all the more painful.
Compared to the years of suffering under the Emperor’s neglect and the Crown Prince’s assassination attempts, the few months without Siyoon were far more agonizing for Ariel.
Foolishly, she had only realized how precious he was after losing him.
But Ariel was determined to make up for it now, willing to do whatever it took to keep Siyoon by her side forever.
Ariel stared at herself in the mirror, her gaze filled with resolve.
“But the Crown Prince will never leave Sir Siyoon alone.”
“Then I’ll start by cleaning house. How could Siyoon return to a home in such disarray?”
“Do you mean…?”
“A revolution. I’ll drag that wretched brother of mine off his throne.”
She had never cared about the Emperor’s seat before, but now things were different.
If wearing a blood-stained crown was what it took to reclaim her most cherished person, she would do it.
And so, Princess Ariel drew her sword.