By Zephyria 
“O noble soul of Temion, now lay down all your pain and sorrow and find rest beside the divine.”
The final prayer concluded in solemn silence.
As the funeral march began to resonate from the pipe organ, mournful people stepped out one by one to continue their remembrance.
Currently, the funeral of Johannes Albrecht IV was being held here. Cecile had visited the Kingdom of Temion just a few days before Johannes’s death.
When it was his turn, Cecile carefully walked out and approached the coffin placed in the center.
Surrounding the transparent glass coffin where Johannes lay were abundant flowers. His closed eyes appeared remarkably peaceful. Cecile gazed down at him, lost in thought for a moment.
The expression of Johannes, who had smiled joyfully upon seeing a friend come from afar, was still vivid in his mind.
Who would have thought he was someone about to die? Johannes had looked healthy even the night before, never losing his characteristic sunny smile.
But no miracle occurred. The Prince of Temion, Johannes Albrecht IV, met his death on October 16, as fate had decreed.
“Cecile, I think I am more blessed than others. Knowing the day I will die allows me to prepare in advance. I am scared, but I have no regrets. I am now ready to let go of everything and leave.”
Perhaps that’s why a smile seems to spread across his pale, stiff face. Standing before the corpse of a friend for the second time, Cecile mulled over countless thoughts.
Johannes, can I too prepare for a death without regrets, just like you?
Cecile placed a single red flower on Johannes’s chest and quietly offered a moment of silence. He also expressed his condolences to Johannes’s wife, who was lost in sorrow behind him.
After watching Johannes be laid to rest in the royal cemetery, Cecile headed back to the empire. The distance was considerable. It was a grueling journey that took a full five days just to go back and forth.
Inside the rattling carriage, Cecile kept his eyes closed as if in hibernation. His mind was tangled with worries.
The biggest concern was that he had only about 120 days left to live.
How had time passed so quickly? Cecile sighed deeply and looked out the window. The sight of the imperial palace began to shimmer in the distance.
Leaning his exhausted body against the side, he closed his eyes again. He couldn’t afford to waste the remaining time. Having just attended Johannes’s funeral made the reality of his own impending death feel even more tangible.
Recently, the Verka Empire was undergoing rapid changes in its political landscape.
First, Emperor Arnold’s health had deteriorated sharply. A chronic illness had worsened to the point where he could no longer manage state affairs, leading to the Crown Prince Alexis stepping in to take on the emperor’s role according to imperial law.
The factions supporting the Empress were keen to keep Alexis in check. However, there were also factions supporting the Crown Prince, and moderate nobles lent their strength to Alexis as well. All of this was thanks to Cecile’s behind-the-scenes efforts.
At a timely moment, the mining business also faced a crisis. The nobles who had invested heavily were beginning to struggle with financial difficulties, ultimately reaching a point where they had to liquidate all their assets.
With bankruptcy looming, internal affairs of the empire were hardly on their radar. The Crown Prince ruthlessly cut off nobles who were negligent in their duties and filled those positions with capable individuals.
As half of the nobles in high positions were replaced, the Empress’s power began to wane.
The woman who once manipulated the Senate with a single word had now been reduced to merely a pretty flower in the imperial palace.
“Someone among the rising nobles said that the current empire is undergoing a process of transformation.”
Cecile placed the book he had just chosen on the trolley in the library. They were all old books, and a cloud of dust rose as he did so.
“That’s quite a fitting metaphor.”
Alexis replied, crossing his arms. He seemed to find the expression amusing, letting out a small chuckle.
He lightly skimmed through the books Cecile had chosen and then scrutinized Cecile’s face, which was blowing away the dust.
“Are you not feeling a bit down?”
“What do you mean?”
“Doesn’t anyone know that you’re helping me from behind the scenes? In fact, I’ve heard that you’re getting a lot of blame. I’ve been told that the investment information you provided was all nonsense, leading to a flood of bankrupt nobles overnight.”
Cecile silently laughed.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m used to being blamed.”
“I’m somewhat concerned about it.”
“Are you bored? Why are you interested in trivial matters?”
Cecile replied nonchalantly and turned away. He busily moved around the palace library to find the rest of the books.
Just then, the book he wanted was on a high shelf. He stretched up to his heels, but his fingers barely grazed it.
“If it’s hard, just ask for help. I don’t understand why you insist on suffering alone.”
Alexis, who had approached without Cecile noticing, retrieved the book for him. With his tall stature, he could easily reach it with just an arm’s length.
The central library of the palace was rarely used, making it very quiet. Alexis and Cecile often came here to have secret conversations.
Of course, no one mentioned the kiss that had happened in the Peridot Palace study that day. Even after three months, it remained unspoken.
As if it had been carved out of each other’s memories, it was all treated as if it had never happened.
In fact, since attending the funeral, Cecile had worried that Alexis might bring up Johannes’s death again.
However, unexpectedly, Alexis did not mention it at all. He treated Cecile as if he had never harbored any doubts from the beginning.
Though it wasn’t entirely comfortable, Cecile couldn’t probe into Alexis’s intentions either. He hoped that things would continue to flow like this. Both he and Alexis had many responsibilities ahead.
Looking over the selected books, he said, “If you need help, you’ll surely say so. By the way, you mentioned you’d be leaving tomorrow, right?”
Skillfully changing the subject, Alexis smiled lightly as if to acknowledge it.
“Yeah, it should take about a week.”
Finally, the guard post in the Black Forest was completed. It had taken two years since construction began. Alexis planned to inspect the Black Forest and the guard post, as well as tour the surrounding outer districts on behalf of the emperor.
“Don’t you wonder how the guard post was built?”
“I am curious since you supervised it personally. Of course, it must have been built well.”
“What if I asked you to come with me?”
At the sudden proposal, Cecile set down the book he was holding.
“Are you suggesting I join you on your tour?”
“It wouldn’t be bad to have someone accompany you.”
“Shouldn’t you take Yuria instead? Traveling with a saint would be more….”
“I just made you the offer, didn’t I?”
When Cecile couldn’t respond, Alexis reached out and brushed aside his disheveled bangs. His stunned expression became even more apparent.
“Have you not been gloomy since returning from Temion? Your face has deteriorated quite a bit.”
He pointed out how much weight Cecile had lost and how sharp his face had become. In reality, Cecile had been losing sleep again lately.
“There’s no need to follow me on the tour. Just come visit when you have time. For a change of pace, to get some fresh air.”
“I’ll see. I’m busy… I’m not sure if I’ll have time.”
Cecile mumbled his response. Honestly, he had a strong desire to go, but he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to be greedy.
* * *
A week after Alexis left the palace, Cecile managed to carve out a few days of free time.
The outer district with the Black Forest took a full day to reach even on horseback.
In the early dawn before the sun had risen, Cecile packed lightly and set out with one of his attendants and a guard. Thanks to riding a swift horse, he was fortunate enough to arrive at his destination before sunset.
Cecile climbed to a high hill and admired the forest spread out before him.
The vast woodland, aptly named the Black Forest, was dark even in the daylight. Towering ancient trees that had grown for hundreds of years intertwined to block the sky. It was more mysterious than frightening, approaching a spectacle.
The group rode up to the guard post. Just then, a knight on duty recognized Cecile and rushed over, greeting him with utmost respect.
“It is an honor to meet the little star of the empire.”
“You’ve worked hard. Where is His Highness?”
“His Highness has gone out to inspect the outer districts.”
It seemed they had just missed each other. Cecile swallowed his disappointment.
“It’s not far from here. I’ll send someone to inform His Highness that you’ve arrived.”
“There’s no need for that. I can just look around by myself. If it’s alright, could you guide me?”
“Yes! Of course!”
The knight quickly called his superior, and Cecile was able to tour the walls with the guidance of the captain of the guard.
The walls, seen up close, were much sturdier and grander than they appeared from a distance. He had heard that great care had been taken in the repairs, and indeed, the quality reflected the time invested.
“It should be fine.”
“Pardon?”
“Even if the monsters were to appear again, a wall of this scale wouldn’t be breached.”
“Haha! Monsters, you say? Have you forgotten that we’ve eradicated them all?”
The captain of the guard laughed heartily, dismissing it as an excessive worry. The surrounding group seemed to share the sentiment. No one appeared to imagine that monsters would reappear.
Cecile laughed it off like everyone else. He had intended to push for the fact that if preparations were lacking, he would forcefully inform them of the monsters’ potential resurgence, but with this level of fortification, he felt reassured.
The wall stretching long in front of the dense forest, along with the imposing guard post.
It was clear that the achievements Alexis had made would continue to protect the empire steadfastly in the future.