By Zephyria 
“It’s not as if I would chatter about the flaws of a craftsman who is already dead. I simply closed my mouth.
As I fumbled and said no more, the conversation naturally shifted to Ruben.
“I thought His Majesty would have proposed first.”
“Why?”
“When he was tidying up the First Prince’s faction, the first thing His Majesty dealt with was the media. He tidied up the rumors circulating around him and gave an interview stating that there was an engagement already promised and he hoped unpleasant rumors would not spread. That was published as a newspaper article. While one might accept the Emperor’s every move being public, the Emperor is the master of the Empire. What is there now that he cannot do as he pleases?”
“…Hmm.”
“And… right after my brother disappeared, I met His Majesty quite a lot.”
“You did?”
Michael, sitting opposite me, fiddled with his teacup and smiled vaguely. I couldn’t tell where such a young boy learned to wear such a sly smile. At least none of my relatives acted like that.
“I enrolled in the Capital Academy hoping to hear news of my brother. I didn’t expect him to take such good care of me, though. Perhaps because it’s close to the Imperial Palace, His Majesty would visit about once a month to ask about my family and my well-being, or if he was too busy, he’d send a messenger to check if I had any inconveniences and send gifts.”
“…”
“So, there were often people who linked Asdel and His Majesty. They said that since Adel hadn’t made her debut in high society yet, and my brother had achieved great deeds as a Grand Sword Master, it was clear they were exchanging messages through me, and that their families must have arranged an engagement. Of course, we knew that wasn’t the case.”
“…”
“His Majesty even came to my brother’s funeral.”
My funeral was held in Earldom Ernhardt.
The capital and Earldom Ernhardt were by no means close. It took half a month if one traveled leisurely by carriage, and usually a week if one rode day and night.
I wondered why that busy child would go all the way down there. For what good reason?
“I was the one who told him about my brother’s funeral. At the time, I was so distraught that I only managed to send the date and location by telegram, yet he came in person. He stood there, pale as if someone had been strangling him, and remained silent throughout the ceremony before starting to cry… It was, well, like that.”
“…Like what?”
“I just thought, if this isn’t love, then what is it… We joked amongst ourselves then. We said he’d probably get married as soon as my brother came back to life, so it would be best to prepare for the wedding first. He was already hooked.”
What kind of feelings must they have had to exchange such jokes?
I looked again at the faces of my smiling family. My mother, who had been stroking the back of my hand with such affection, looked into my face with a deep smile. Her gentle gaze made my cheeks tingle again.
“It’s usual for the Emperor to borrow the mansion of the highest-ranking noble when he visits a province. However, he never arrives unannounced like that. There was nothing prepared… We had no choice but to offer you the room that had been kept vacant, expecting you to return… As soon as he learned that, that child cried so much.”
“…”
“…It was a great comfort. Thinking that you were so loved…”
“…”
“Actually, you always wanted children from when you were young, didn’t you?”
“…Pardon?”
Seiren looked at me, laughing as if he couldn’t bear how cute I was, and then pressed his forehead against my shoulder. I sat there, unable to move, listening to his sobbing cries.
“If you married a male consort, you wouldn’t be able to have the children you so desperately wanted. And you running off to save the Empire, it all seemed like his fault, so, though it’s a terrible thing to say to him, honestly, at the time, I was so sad… I wanted to torment him as much as I was suffering.”
“…”
“So, when I said I would keep your room vacant for him, last month he showed up at your grave with only two guards. We both knew perfectly well that only clothes and a few accessories were placed in the empty coffin, yet he insisted on coming all the way there…”
“…”
“So, my heart ached so much that I scolded him, telling him not to come like that. Then he asked me, ‘If I want to see him, where should I go?’… That child…”
I hadn’t heard a single word of this from Ruben.
It felt like a lie, my certainty that I knew how much the child had suffered in my absence.
After that incident, all the family members began to subtly welcome Ruben, and Ruben began to act like a son, exchanging letters.
Then, less than a month later, I arrived at Withrow and delivered the news.
The Ranunculus I sent and the Ranunculus Ruben sent arrived at Earldom Ernhardt at roughly the same speed. While the Ranunculus I sent only left a brief message about my survival, Ruben’s Ranunculus pleaded with a trembling voice for the entire family to be invited to the Imperial Palace.
Thanks to that, the family, who had barely finished explaining how they immediately accepted without much thought and started their carriage journey that very day, began to cry again, one by one.
They cried, then laughed, and laughed, then cried again. I embraced each of them, one by one, and gently comforted them.
Still, it was fortunate that there were more days ahead for them to laugh than the days they had cried until now.
Having used up all the Artifacts early on, by the time we had breakfast well past nine in the morning, all four of us had eyes that were bright red and swollen, like goldfish.
Asdel, with a hoarse voice, questioned why only I didn’t have swollen eyes. I laughed it off, saying it was because I cried less than you all, unable to claim I had good recovery like a god.
Exhausted from the long journey and even longer crying, the family was drowsy as soon as they finished their meal.
I asked the attendant standing in the hallway to provide my kin with a place to sleep and comfortable clothes to change into, and then immediately set off to find Ruben.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe unless I hugged Ruben tightly. My body was burning with fever, and I couldn’t bear it. I had no idea how to control this surging emotion.
❖ ❖ ❖
Ruben’s office.
The knights guarding the entrance gave two knocks to announce my presence and let me into the office. I worried I might be disturbing the busy child, but since none of them stopped me, I entered without hesitation.
I saw Ruben sitting behind a large desk that blocked the view ahead. A warm smile, brighter than sunlight, spread across Ruben’s face, which had been somewhat worried. Before he could say a word to me, he strode forward, pulled me into his embrace, and held me tight.
Can one become like this from loving someone too much?
My breath, which had been catching in my throat with impatience, finally eased. I brushed aside Ruben’s hair, tied back and hanging down, and touched his white neck. I nuzzled my nose against his dark crown and held him tighter in my arms.
His hands, flailing in surprise, wrapped around my shoulders. Ruben buried his forehead against my shoulder and let out a languid sigh.
Then, a familiar voice struck my ear.
“…This bastard, he doesn’t even acknowledge me anymore.”
“…Hmm?”
It was Hugh Benson.
Beside him sat Samantha Andrei and Elvin Brooks. On a low table near the sofa, various documents were scattered, and behind them, several knights, both familiar and unfamiliar, stood at attention, staring at Ruben and me with wide eyes.
Was it my imagination, or was Ruben’s grip on my shoulder tightening?
No, it felt… like he was squeezing me.
Awkwardly, I tried to pull away. Ruben, his face flushed crimson like a cherry, looked up at me, which was incredibly alluring, but I felt I might burst if I teased him any further, so I forced myself to take a breath. I must be out of my mind. I keep forgetting to look around, like a wild boar, which is a big problem.
After a few coughs to compose myself, I offered a belated greeting.
“Uh, it’s been a while, Senior.”
“Yeah. I missed you terribly and wanted to see you, so I’m glad. I’m relieved you seem to have been doing well.”
“…When did you arrive?”
“As soon as I heard news of you, I came right away. About five days ago? I was near Grimsvein. At Post 22.”
Even reading from a textbook wouldn’t be this awkward.
But he arrived five days ago?
Where had he been hiding, not even saying hello until now? I could have asked any attendant for my whereabouts, and they would have told me. Looking at him with a sense of bewilderment, Hugh Benson gestured towards Ruben with his chin.
“His Majesty here blocked everything, saying he didn’t want you getting caught up in other matters before meeting your family. Thanks to that, I had a fulfilling Imperial Palace vacation. I’m very grateful.”
“…Ah… I’m sorry?”
“No, I didn’t say that to make you apologize. …Are you going to stand there the whole time?”
Ruben, hesitating because he didn’t want to let go of my hand but needed to seat me, pointed to the sofa. I shook my head, refusing, and simply stood beside him. Ruben’s lips curved into a smile, which he then pressed down with his hand, a sight that was quite endearing.
“Yes.”
“Oh dear… Anyway, this funny guy, he’s exactly the same after all these years.”
The man who looked up at me with a teasing grin sank deep into the sofa and chuckled.
Hugh Benson was just as consistent. Ruben was now Emperor. Yet, Hugh Benson’s casual demeanor hadn’t changed one bit. His way of speaking and his actions felt like a sign of their close friendship, which was both reassuring and amusing.
Still, he had stayed by Ruben’s side until the very end and returned alive. He was amazing and I was grateful. Feeling very awkward, I stood there blankly and then, for no reason, touched my own face.
“…What were you talking about?”
“Are you genuinely curious, or are you asking to change the subject because you’re embarrassed?”
“…”
“Both?”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll let it slide this time. We were just talking about you.”
“About me?”
“Yeah. After you disappeared, I and a few others here formed the Michael Tracking Unit and went searching. Even though we didn’t solve it, you returned, and our mission ended. So, while we were here, we were giving face-to-face reports on other matters as well.”
Michael Tracking Unit?
I looked back at Ruben, puzzled. Ruben smiled vaguely with a gentle expression.
“Yes. Because your body wasn’t found… I didn’t know where you might appear. So, we dispatched Sword Masters of considerable skill to various regions and established outposts everywhere so that you could receive immediate help if you returned alive. A few places near the Yuil Mountains, a few in the Shatun Desert, and a few in the Empire and the Five Kingdoms.”
“Four out of 36 outposts were partially destroyed, so 32 remain. Thanks to them, we managed to fend off the Monster Rush and catch some criminals, so it wasn’t a waste, but it’s funny. Anyway, welcome back. I never thought I’d see you alive again.”
“Ah…”
“And, the Oasis seems to have come to its senses now, so you can rest assured.”
Oasis?”