Side Story 2

“I feel uneasy hearing that Her Highness the princess has been confined. She was such a good person.”

“How can you be so sure she was a good person?”

The man continued with a sneer.

“I heard countless people died in the imperial palace. Could Her Highness the princess truly not have known about it? Turning a blind eye is also a sin.”

“What could she have done when the emperor was killing people like that?”

“Even so, one cannot say that condoning such actions was right.”

“She was someone who allowed us commoners to use precious medicines. I don’t think someone with such intentions could be malicious.”

“Who knows if those medicines were also made with someone’s blood.”

“That’s enough.”

A heavy voice interrupted the heated debate.

He soothed the two people with differing opinions and continued speaking gently.

“Whatever the case, it’s all in the past now. There’s no need for us to get so worked up about it. Instead of dwelling on unsettling stories, why don’t we think about what’s to come?”

“……What’s to come?”

“Yes, for instance, who will become the next emperor.”

As he ignited a new topic of debate, unlike before, everyone’s voices grew louder.

“Well, wouldn’t it be Duke Vicheravali? Once the duke becomes emperor, we have both the young duke and the lady as candidates for the next throne. I mean that genius lady.”

“We can’t leave out His Highness the Grand Duke either. The great Mercenary King who led the battlefield to victory, everyone knows him. His Highness the Grand Duke also has excellent bloodline.”

“His abilities have been proven on the battlefield, but politics isn’t war. In that aspect, I cast my vote for Duke Vicheravali.”

“But to think that ‘that’ Vicheravali would become part of the imperial family. I’d rather cast my vote for His Highness the Grand Duke.”

As people gathered around their conversation, a heated discussion began about who would become the next emperor.

Reibella’s lips also curved into a smile at their vigorous appearance, looking toward the future and trying to move forward on a new path rather than dwelling on the past.

Listening to the conversation with great interest, Reibella couldn’t hold back anymore and quietly turned around. After biting her lip as if contemplating for a moment, she finally subtly joined their conversation.

“From what I’ve heard, His Highness the Grand Duke will succeed to the throne.”

At Reibella’s assertion, the voices of those engaged in the debate immediately died down.

With a brief silence, everyone’s eyes turned to her. After quietly staring at her, one of them opened his mouth.

“How does the young lady know this?”

“I came from the capital.”

“Is such talk already circulating in the capital?”

“Yes. I’ve met His Highness the Grand Duke, and he was an extremely kind and fair person. I’m certain he will make this country even greater!”

“That’s right, the Mercenary King is such a person!”

Then, stories of Calyx’s great deeds and his exploits in the recent war poured from people’s mouths.

She was pleased with the voices praising the new emperor.

As she listened to their conversation with sparkling eyes, a pretty cherry blossom-colored ice cream appeared in front of Reibella.

Taking the ice cream, Reibella slipped away from her seat and held it out to him.

Calyx was about to take it casually, but before he could bite into it, Reibella pulled it back. Surprised, Calyx watched her lick the ice cream and then smiled slightly.

“I was just teasing. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”

“Everything you give me is delicious.”

“I saw your brow furrow.”

Reibella also offered ice cream to Leon, who was sitting on Calyx’s shoulder. Leon began to s*ck on the ice cream, holding it tightly with his small hands.

Perhaps because he was someone who couldn’t resist sweet foods, he seemed to really like the ice cream as well.

After finishing the cream and crunching on the cookie, she watched Leon and asked Calyx.

“Did you hear the conversation earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Everyone says you’ll become a great emperor.”

Reibella smiled softly while looking at his face.

“I’m also certain. You’ll become an emperor who will go down in history.”

“I’ll have to do well.”

“You will.”

She smiled brightly and brushed off the cookie crumbs from his shoulder before extending her hand toward Calyx.

As he gently enveloped her hand, only then did they resume walking.

Entering the alley leading to the port, the surroundings became even more bustling. Walking while observing the cheerful appearances of people, she suddenly recalled past events.

Things she had been so reluctant to reveal in the past now naturally flowed out of her mouth.

“Before, when I was working. I got separated once during a festival.”

On a certain day when Erina went to a festival with her friends, Reibella had also gone outside the palace with them.

She should never have lost sight of Erina. Unfortunately, because Erina dropped a pin she valued dearly, Reibella fell behind while picking it up.

At first, she believed Erina or the maids would come looking for her.

So she waited, but……

“No one came. No matter how long I waited, there was no news.”

“……That happened to you?”

Reibella nodded.

“At that time, I was waiting for my group in front of a tent where a circus was being held. Looking at the people passing by, they all seemed so happy.”

“……”

“I thought I might be the only unhappy person in this world.”

Even while comforting a child crying after losing their parents, she thought, this child must have someone who will come looking for them. She didn’t show it, but she was a little envious of that.

But now it was different. Looking at other people, she wasn’t envious at all anymore.

There was no time to feel lonely. She had a wonderful family who would vow to find her by any means if she disappeared, a loving partner, and a cute dragon.

“Now people might look at me and say I look happy, right?”

Calyx squeezed their joined hands a little more firmly at Reibella’s question.

It seemed he was affirming that yes, they would.

She hoped he was as happy as she was.

As they walked around slowly like taking a stroll, Reibella’s eyes caught accessories at a stall. Thinking “this is it,” she linked her arm with Calyx’s and led him.

“Look at this. So sparkly.”

“Indeed.”

“Is there anything you like?”

“……That I like?”

“Yes. I’ll give it to you as a gift. A ring would be nice if possible, but would it get in the way for someone who uses a sword?”

He, looking somewhat flustered in front of the fancy accessories, quickly answered.

“I can wear it around my neck.”

“Really? Then choose one!”

At her suggestion, Calyx began examining the rings at the stall with a very serious expression. Then he picked up a ring with a green gemstone and held it against her hand. It seemed he wasn’t trying it for himself but intending to buy it for her.

Just then, Reibella also discovered a ring with red gemstones made for a couple.

“Do you like that one?”

Somehow knowing that she had briefly looked away, Calyx immediately asked for her opinion.

Reibella shook her head.

“I prefer what Calyx chooses.”

Calyx examined the rings once more with a serious expression. Then, after careful consideration, he selected a pair of rings.

Again, it was a green gemstone ring that perfectly matched her eyes. Though the gemstone was small, the pattern engraved on the platinum body was beautiful. It was exactly to her liking.

It also suited Calyx’s hand holding the ring very well, which made it even better.

Meeting his eyes, Reibella smiled radiantly.

When she extended her hand, he carefully slipped the ring onto her ring finger. Reibella also put one on his ring finger.

Looking at them side by side with Calyx’s large, elongated hand, just the fact that they were wearing matching rings made her feel a sense of fullness in her heart.

“I’ll always wear it.”

“When we get back, I’ll put it on a necklace for you. You must always have it on your body.”

“I will.”

Looking at Calyx’s satisfied eyes, Reibella resolved that the next ring she would get made would definitely be red like his eye color.

Since Calyx had already paid the price, they continued walking toward their destination while lightly bickering about it.

Their hands remained intertwined.

As she turned her gaze while chatting, a portrait caught her eye.

A father and daughter with cherry blossom-like hair and spring bud-like eyes, and a mother with ash-gray hair and mysterious purple eyes.

It was a family portrait of three people smiling harmoniously together.