Chapter 166. Doing My Best

“Have you been waiting long?”

Ionia bowed deeply in greeting.

Surprised by her textbook-like action, I hurriedly stood up from my seat and bowed back. A little deeper than she had bowed to me.

Why is she suddenly being so formal with me!

As soon as I was gripped by bewilderment, Ionia revealed the reason for her behavior in a businesslike tone.

“Please don’t be overly polite to me.”

“Yes?”

“From now on, you’ll need to get used to treating people as your subordinates.”

“Yes?”

…I said, but the second “Yes?” was quite different from the first. I understood the gist of what Ionia was saying.

Perhaps reading my subtly changed expression and nuance, Ionia adjusted her glasses with her index finger. Then she walked towards me as if about to start the main conversation.

We sat facing each other across the table.

“You will become Her Majesty the Empress soon.”

“……”

Her direct approach was just like her lord.

My heart fluttered.

Empress?

Of course, I knew it in my head, but when someone of the imperial chancellor’s stature rolled up their sleeves and pushed it forward in earnest, the feeling was different.

It felt like a future that was really right in front of me.

“You’ll need to study a lot.”

“Yes, I’m prepared for that.”

“I will teach you properly, squeezing time out of my busy schedule.”

“……”

Somehow, it seems like a more grueling future is unfolding than when we were rolling around in the Grodes Mountains.

She’s already busy enough, but she’s going out of her way to teach me ‘veeeery well’, which sounded like I should absorb everything properly like a sponge.

Sob sob.

I’m not good at studying, but I decided to somehow overcome it with the power of love. Becoming Johann’s partner was a thorny path more difficult than I had thought.

“The social circles won’t be easy either.”

“I suppose not.”

“I’ll assign you an etiquette teacher for this part.”

“Yes.”

I nodded obediently.

It seems like there won’t be any free time.

It looked like I would spend my days being educated by various people day and night.

And well, my prediction was spot on. I just didn’t know it would continue for several years with such a grueling, tight schedule.

After that, Ionia went into more detail.

The main content was about how I should conduct myself from now on, and what I should be careful about so as not to burden Johann.

Especially when the talk turned to the nobles and key ministers, I perked up my ears even more.

Ionia dipped her quill in ink and kindly wrote down on paper the families opposing my becoming empress, those who were neutral, and those in favor.

Wow.

Why are there so many noble families?

Just thinking about memorizing all this made my head hurt already.

But the list of those in favor was longer than I expected. I tilted my head in question.

Isn’t it usually the opposite? Where are the nobles who are happy about a commoner becoming empress?

“Ionia, but…”

“We plan to hold the imperial wedding as soon as possible.”

“……!”

My question got swallowed back.

I looked at Ionia with wide eyes.

Having surprised me, Ionia looked at me with an indifferent face.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Well, yes, but…”

Marriage!

Marriaaage!

My heart suddenly started racing.

I couldn’t quite imagine married life with Johann.

Would it be a busy but happy life? Would Johann respect me, sometimes tease me, and often be by my side with a beautiful smile?

As I continued my vague imagination, Ionia’s voice broke through.

“Once you become empress, you must fulfill your duties.”

“Of course.”

I answered as if it was obvious.

I might be lacking at first, but I intended to do my best.

I didn’t want people to say Johann had taken an inadequate person as his empress. I didn’t want to burden him.

My one unintentional mistake here was that I didn’t accurately grasp the ‘empress’s duties’ that Ionia was referring to.

Ionia nodded approvingly at my unhesitating answer.

“Good. You’re a trustworthy future empress.”

“Calling me that already is…”

“The future of the empire rests on Your Majesty.”

“That’s a bit much…”

It felt somewhat burdensome.

But since it wasn’t wrong, I changed my mindset, clenched my fist, and said energetically,

“Well, alright. I’ll do my best!”

* * *

She said she would do her best.

Those were the words Ionia relayed.

Johann came out of the bathroom, tying the belt of his robe. His gaze, standing blankly in the bedroom, rested on a closed door.

He had become emperor at a young age without even a proper coronation ceremony amidst the chaos of fighting the undead. Since he had rebuilt the collapsed imperial palace as it was, strictly speaking, there was no previous owner of this room, but at the same time, since it was rebuilt exactly the same, it was also inheriting his father’s room.

And beyond the door he was looking at now was where his mother had been.

“……”

Johann moved his steps, overcome by a strange emotion.

He grasped the doorknob of a door he had never opened before. The cold sensation transmitted in detail through his skin.

Johann stayed still for a moment, and only after a long while did he turn the doorknob.

Click.

The door that had never been opened since it was made moved. He thought it would make an old creaking sound, but surprisingly, it opened smoothly.

Johann raised an eyebrow and took a step.

Passing through the passage connecting the emperor and empress’s rooms, he opened another door. This would be the bedroom Seraphina would use from now on.

“As expected of Ionia.”

He thought there would be dust accumulated.

It was cleaned spotlessly as if waiting for an owner. The curtains, carpet, bedding. Everything had been replaced with new ones.

However, perhaps because it had never been imbued with human warmth, a strange chill flowed.

Johann seriously considered whether his bedroom would soon become like this. In his heart, he felt like he would visit Seraphina’s room every day without missing a single day.

Would Seraphina dislike that?

The progress that they had only reached so far was kissing—a secret he couldn’t tell anyone.

How his heart had sunk when he saw her startled reaction after lightly placing his hand on her waist.

Johann felt he couldn’t bear it if she looked at him strangely, or was afraid of him, or felt distance from him.

Maybe it was because he had finally achieved his love after suffering alone for so long.

Anyway, recalling her sensitive reaction that day, he doubted whether Seraphina really understood what she meant when she said she would do her best.

Well.

That would become clear when they officially became husband and wife.

<I’ve looked over the list of candidate families you put forward.>

Johann recalled the conversation he had with Ionia before departing for the Grodes Mountains.

<There were no young ladies to Marseus’s liking.>

<Is there someone you have in mind?>

At the time, Ionia didn’t bother hiding her irritation.

Since he had failed to keep his promise to return within six months, Johann’s position was very precarious. In contrast, Ionia’s voice had grown quite loud.

<Ahem.>

Johann couldn’t give a proper answer and just let out a small cough. It meant there was someone he had in mind.

As expected of the emperor’s left arm.

Ionia read that meaning perfectly. At the same time, she made a radical proposal.

<Then have a national marriage with that person.>

<What?>

<Or choose from this list.>

As she said this, Ionia tapped the list with her index finger.

Johann silently looked at her for a while. Does she know who it is and is saying this? As soon as the question arose, Ionia fired back like a storm.

<If you don’t know, you’re a fool. With how obvious you’ve been, did you think I wouldn’t know? I’m not Jesuf.>

Setting aside the mysteriously defeated Jesuf, Johann blankly opened his mouth. The meaning of Ionia’s words was slowly being inputted into his brain.

<How much do you like her to go combing through the continent? In over 15 years of serving Your Majesty, I’ve never seen you like this.>

<…Since when did you know?>

<I’ve known about your pathetic one-sided love for years, so don’t be embarrassed.>

<……>

On this day, Johann was completely swept up by Ionia.

Of course, in a good way.

As if she had been holding back a lot, Ionia spoke bluntly.

<I’ll help you connect with Seraphina.>

<Really?>

<But there’s a condition.>

<Anything.>

Johann quickly took the hand she offered.

Ionia put forward a single condition in a voice sharp as a knife.

<Once you have the imperial wedding, you must produce an heir as soon as possible.>

<What?>

<I’ll give you one year.>

<……>

Johann froze like a stone.

As if his soul had departed to another world, he muttered blankly.

<An heir… One year…>

That was already a few months ago.

Johann had safely returned from the Grodes Mountains, and with the subjugation force defeating the bone dragon, the continent had overcome another crisis.

Now it was time to fulfill his promise with Ionia.

Voices expressing concern about the current imperial family’s lack of an heir had been around for a long time. And the ministers worried about the future of the empire were now at the end of their patience.

Johann quietly looked at the bed Seraphina would use. Imagining the history that would unfold on that bed with a complicated expression, Johann swallowed dryly, feeling his throat go dry.

“This is maddening.”

He tore his gaze from the bed and looked out the window.

The black night sky densely studded with stars came into view. Even this vast and beautiful night curtain held no meaning for him now.

The whole world was Seraphina.

Her face floated around on the black canvas background. Even the constellations looked like her. Connecting that star and that star would make Seraphina’s eyes, there was her straight nose, there were her luscious lips…

He just had to wait a little longer.

But he couldn’t stand it.

He felt like he would go crazy wanting to get married quickly.