I couldn’t answer right away.

I wanted to condemn his wickedness. I wanted to question his inappropriate greed and his attempt to kill me.

But at the same time, I didn’t want to face him at all.

After maintaining silence for a while, Millean spoke.

“If you bury it out of fear, it will remain somewhere, constantly reopening the wound.”

“……”

“It’s better to resolve old emotions and move on.”

It was uncharacteristically sincere advice from him. Thanks to that, my heart began to waver.

“I’m not sure if I can do it.”

I was afraid memories of unhappiness would rush in like the tide, afraid of stirring up old wounds.

My fear was much greater now than when I was in Leonora’s body.

‘Back then I could hide behind Leonora, but not anymore.’

I wondered if I could face him as Foil’s daughter.

“I guess I’m afraid of everything. Maybe it’s because of the thought of starting over.”

“What exactly are you so afraid of?”

“……”

“You were the duke’s daughter before, but now you’re the Empire’s Empress.”

Millean shook his head with an irritated expression.

“I don’t even know what to say to him.”

He looked at me with incomprehension.

“You don’t know what to say?”

“……”

“Tell him to go to hell. Now let’s go.”

❀❀❀

Thanks to his straightforward advice, I came to my senses.

Before I knew it, I was walking calmly behind Millean.

Occasionally, people who recognized my face turned in surprise, but no one dared to speak to me first.

Passing by those who froze in shock as if they’d seen a ghost…

……was quite amusing.

“Where did the person who said she was afraid of everything go?”

Millean muttered in a barely audible voice.

I suppressed a laugh as I followed him.

After walking for quite some time, Ainberg’s office came into view in the distance.

Finally.

Just as I took a deep breath to compose myself.

Millean suddenly stopped walking and looked at me.

“I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“You’re leaving?”

I looked back and forth between the distant office door and Millean.

“Weren’t you coming in with me?”

“I’m not an aide, am I?”

Well, that’s true, but still.

Weren’t we supposed to go in together and talk about this and that?

It’s been so long since I’ve seen Ainberg, and things might be a bit awkward.

This is the first time meeting him in this body, and I don’t know how to act.

As I hesitated, Millean spoke again.

“You acted like a fighting c*ck about everything when you were a Chadmon, what’s wrong with this body?”

“What did you say?”

“Where is the person who never backed down from anyone?”

His words made my heart strangely thump, but again I couldn’t respond.

Thinking about it carefully, he was right.

‘Why was I so confident when I was Leonora Chadmon?’

Looking back, I had overflowing confidence, almost to the point of recklessness.

“I guess it was because I thought there were many people supporting and helping me then.”

“……?”

“Originally, I was someone with low self-esteem. Easily manipulated and quick to crumble over small things.”

That’s why I couldn’t say a word when the maid behaved rudely.

“But when I gained a family and wore the mask of someone completely different, I changed without realizing it. But that wasn’t my true self.”

Yes, Sienna Viper is the woman from “The Forgotten Empress.”

She was originally a powerless and unhappy person.

Not that my current self is carrying all the unhappiness of the past.

Having lived as Sienna for years, I couldn’t help feeling strangely inhibited.

At that moment, Millean rubbed his forehead and muttered.

“You’re thinking about this all wrong.”

“……”

“Finding courage because people supported and helped you? That’s quite a strange thing to say.”

Millean continued with a somewhat heavy expression.

“By that logic, shouldn’t your self-esteem be through the roof right now?”

I blinked with a somewhat dejected face, not understanding what he meant. Then he spoke with a short sigh.

“Think about who supports Your Majesty now.”

“……”

“Not a duke, but the Empire’s Emperor.”

“You’re also here, High priest.”

“Leave me out of this.”

Then he spoke again.

“But even setting all that aside.”

“……”

“The most important thing is that Your Majesty from the past and now are completely different people.”

I see.

Millean was right. I’m not Sienna Viper to begin with. Why was I trying to confine myself to that character?

“I think I’ve realized something important, High Priest.”

As I finally smiled slightly, Millean grabbed my shoulders with both hands.

“Now stop wasting time and go in to see for yourself.”

He spun me around.

Yes, Millean was right.

Even though I’ve returned as Sienna, I’m different from the Sienna of the past.

I’ve been waiting all this time to come back.

I’ve returned to a position where I can do anything, as such a person.

There’s no need to be unnecessarily tense or afraid.

I took a deep breath and walked down the corridor.

When I arrived in front of the office, the guards who saw me became flustered. I calmly spoke.

“I’ve come to see His Majesty. Announce me.”

A guard with a very tense face walked inside, and shortly after, the office door swung open.

As I took a step forward, I saw Ainberg sitting at his massive desk as always.

“……”

He stood up as soon as he saw me.

Watching Ainberg approach, the resolve I had made while walking alone disappeared completely, and my mind became foggy.

Because of this, I forgot I should show proper respect before the Emperor and gripped my dress tightly. At that moment—

Ainberg, who had somehow come close, embraced me.

I closed my eyes at the familiar yet special scent.

“Your Majesty.”

He said nothing.

How could I explain our reunion now?

Perhaps a reunion after a year, or a casual meeting after a few days.

With complicated feelings, I couldn’t easily speak. Then the hands embracing me began to tremble slightly.

“You’ve finally returned.”

My tense heart began to slowly loosen at his elegant, deep voice.

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

Ainberg said nothing and tightened his embrace.

Being in his arms, feeling his warmth wasn’t frightening or awkward.

It felt as if all the unnecessary emotions I had built up until just moments ago had vanished in an instant.

“I was concerned you might have been too shocked this morning.”

His low, elegant voice continued.

“I was a bit surprised, but I’m happy to be back.”

“I’m glad.”

“Of course, it still feels strange. I feel awkward, and it doesn’t feel real yet.”

I closed my eyes with my head against his chest.

Being held in someone’s arms made me feel excited like a child again, softening my heart.

“It’s like I’ve had a long, long dream.”

Ainberg gently stroked my back.

It was the moment when the fact that I had returned, and that I was truly Empress Sienna Viper, felt real.

I moved away from his embrace for a moment.

The person I now faced in my original form after passing through uncertain and precarious times.

After looking at me for a while, Ainberg spoke.

“I’ve always thought I was quite good at waiting.”

“……”

“It seems I’m not.”

Just as I was about to ask what he meant, he cupped my face with both hands and tilted his head.

“I missed you.”

A sensual fragrance poured onto my lips.

There was no time to hesitate or be surprised. I closed my eyes following his lead, feeling the warm, mellow sensation that followed.

‘Me too, Your Majesty.’

I thought we would need time.

Even knowing his feelings toward me, I expected it would take some time to restore our relationship.

But this was the moment I realized that everything was meaningless in the face of his sincerity.

I responded to his kiss and embraced him tightly.