Side Story 8

“I, Calyx Benya Trishein, having become emperor of the Rastel Empire today, declare that I will correct the Trishein surname to its original name of Rastel, and restore the name Eric Curtis Rastel to my father, Eric Benya Trishein.”

When Calyx’s declaration, wearing the imperial crown, spread to the far reaches of the cathedral, a small commotion arose among the nobles.

His intention was clear—to erase the existence of the tyrant emperor, Liam Curtis Rastel, by reinstating his father.

But the atmosphere quickly became one of acceptance. Everyone knew he was the legitimate successor, and Liam Curtis Rastel’s tyranny had been so severe.

“I hereby declare that all wrongs committed by the deposed tyrant Liam will be corrected.”

After the commotion settled, Calyx expressed his will once more and spoke quietly.

“And as the first measure to announce this intention, I restore the Felicity family, which was unjustly exterminated. Also……”

He paused briefly, and his gaze turned to Reibella, who was standing at the front with the Vicheravali family.

He met her eyes and wore a faint smile. Then he declared emphatically.

“I announce that the head of that family will be succeeded by Uriah Felicity’s only bloodline, Reibella Vicheravali, and from this moment forward, Reibella Vicheravali shall be Reibella Felicity, and I declare her Duke Felicity.”

The moment his words ended, the air in the vast cathedral froze for an instant. Everyone’s gaze focused on one person.

Receiving their gazes, Reibella took a deep breath and smiled proudly.

As if waiting for that moment, applause erupted from nearby. Royan smiled brightly and congratulated her. Following him, the surrounding nobles lined up to offer their congratulations.

Amid the deafening congratulations and cheers, Reibella finally felt that she had once again risen as a Felicity.

The brilliant and noble Felicity. The divine tree of the empire that she had been so proud of.

It was a moment when she greatly anticipated the future that would continue and rewrite that history.

* * *

As the grand coronation ceremony that had been prepared over the course of a year ended, high-ranking nobles began to leave the cathedral following the emperor.

In particular, Vicheravali and Felicity, who had become the new emperor’s reliable right arms, had to follow the emperor immediately, but the problem was that Reibella couldn’t go with them.

The pope had detained her, saying he would bestow a blessing on her.

Thanks to this, she had the opportunity to look around the cathedral alone after receiving the blessing.

The grand cathedral was also the place where all the ill-fated connections had begun.

The place where everything became twisted when Calyx’s father, who had been the crown prince, was murdered by Liam.

At that time, what would have happened if he hadn’t staged a rebellion?

‘Your father is a daughter-obsessed fool who brags about his daughter even in front of His Highness the crown prince.’

Thinking about her mother’s words from the memory shown by the spirit, the crown prince her father had bragged to would have been Calyx’s father.

Then could we have met earlier?

She thought that perhaps they could have met without any problems and fallen in love.

“Would we have met too, Leon?”

Reibella asked Leon, who was tearing at flowers as if displeased with them. Leon tilted his head at Reibella’s words.

“I was imagining what it would have been like if our parents were alive. Calyx would definitely have fallen for me at first sight, so we would have been dating then too, but I was wondering about you, Leon.”

“Kyuu.”

“Yes, that means we would have met, right?”

Reibella giggled as she stroked Leon’s head.

Then suddenly a question arose.

“……What about Calyx?”

She had many reasons to love Calyx.

He was more handsome than anyone in the world, capable, and caring.

A person without a single flaw.

But what about Calyx?

Was he perhaps in love with her only because she was the only option given to him?

“Of course I would have fallen in love too.”

A gentle voice came to Reibella’s side as she tilted her head. It was Calyx.

Reibella smiled and asked him.

“Weren’t you supposed to have gone back first?”

“I slipped away. How could I leave without you?”

He added with a warm smile.

“Probably, before Rel realized her feelings for me, I would already be smitten with you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“If you don’t believe me, we can meet in the next life.”

“The next life?”

Calyx nodded.

“Just as you came looking for me this time, I’ll come find you in the next life. And I’ll confess first.”

She chuckled at his words, which sounded as if he was certain there would be a next life, then Reibella blinked as she realized that she herself was living a second life.

Then she whispered subtly.

“You must keep that promise.”

As she burst into laughter, Calyx also smiled pleasantly.

But his eyes were serious. They conveyed a persistence suggesting that his words were not a lie, that he would definitely make it happen.

It would be really nice if they could meet in the next life, as he said.

“How does it feel to become the head of the Felicity family?”

“Well.”

It was once the expected path.

She had grown up without doubting the future of working hard for the family after being born into the Felicity family, and becoming the head of that great family.

But after the unfortunate incident occurred and she lost everything, it became a dream she could never have again.

She had lived without thinking about it. Believing that the memories of Felicity could never be reopened, she had lived turning away from them, keeping them deeply hidden in her heart.

But after everything ended, the opportunity came again.

‘How would you like to become Duke Felicity, Rel.’

That opportunity began from her father’s lips and became a certainty in front of the retainer she had longed for all this time.

One year from then, she had never doubted for a day that a day like today would come.

“Even though I knew all along, I strangely feel a bit sad.”

She was proud of Felicity.

It was an honor to be able to raise that great family with her own hands.

But on the other hand, she also felt sad about having a different surname from her current family.

“How did the Duke and young duke react?”

“Royan is disappointed. On the other hand, Dad’s reaction was unexpected.”

‘From the moment we decided to accept the Grand Duke as family, I had already anticipated this.’

‘But Rel, no matter who you marry, you’re still my daughter.’

Reibella giggled as she recalled Cassius’s words.

“Why?”

“Dad said he had been preparing his heart for my surname to change since long ago, knowing I would marry you, Calyx.”

“I see.”

Calyx nodded quietly in acknowledgment, then carefully asked.

“What about you, Rel?”

“Me?”

“Have you thought about becoming a Rastel?”

This wasn’t an issue she hadn’t considered either. She had always been thinking about it.

She knew that Calyx wanted to be with her always.

However…

“I don’t think it’s time yet.”

Time had just begun to flow again in the Reliccarve territory.

As the ruler of that place, she had countless things to do from now on. In this situation, what would happen if she were absent?

“Having just become Duke Felicity, I have too many things to do.”

“I see.”

“……I’m sorry.”

Calyx smiled at Reibella’s sincere apology.

“Don’t apologize. I understand your feelings.”

“Aren’t you upset?”

“Even if we don’t get married right away, we’re still lovers, aren’t we?”

Calyx continued, holding her hand with the matching ring.

“Of course, even if we do get married, I’ll do my best to ensure that Rel can still be called Duke Felicity.”

“That sounds tempting.”

“I am tempting you. Separate from waiting, I want you to feel like being with me anytime.”

Calyx cupped Reibella’s face with a seductive smile.

“I believe that we can be together someday. So I can wait.”

At his serious voice, Reibella quietly caught her breath and parted her lips.

“I’m in the process of refining the territory’s system. I don’t want it to collapse again just because one lord is missing.”

The future of the Felicity family wouldn’t always be bright. In the distant future, the family could face threats from other problems.

She didn’t want the territory to become ruins and people to be sacrificed to political games every time.

So she was organizing the system so that the territory could function well even without a lord.

“If I set up the system well, it should be fine at least until we become husband and wife and one of our children grows up.”

“……Rel.”

“So, please wait just a little longer, Calyx.”

Reibella smiled and pressed her lips to his.

Calyx accepted her lips sweetly with a pleasant smile.

In the middle of their sweet kiss, the bells of the grand cathedral rang.

The beautifully spreading bell sounds seemed to bless the two, saying that they would surely be happy now and in the future.

Cassius, Royan, and Calyx.

As long as she was with these three people she loved, she would always be happy.

The world she lived in was determined to be a healing story with a happy ending, where God decreed that they “lived happily ever after.”

― End of Side Stories / ” Became a Tragic Extra in a Healing Story