“Princess Elliope!”

“May eternal glory be upon you, the bride and groom!”

The only way into the Imperial Palace, where the royal family resided in the capital of the Empire, was a street known as the Grand Avenue.

As they walked up the Grand Avenue, an unexpected crowd was waiting for them.

“Long live the hero of the Empire!”

“Long live Viscount Kallian Elsen, who repelled the invasion of Seor!”

“Viscount! Over here! Please look this way!”

“Princess! Please bless us!”

The crowd made the air hot. People were throwing flowers and paper decorations in such numbers that more and more time was lost as the flowers had to be cleared from the wheels of the carriages.

Meanwhile, more and more bouquets piled up in front of the wheels. Small fireworks exploded in the air, scattering white and red petals. The whole scene resembled a parade.

Elliope whispered with a slightly stunned expression.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

“Is it?”

They, who once didn’t even know she existed.

Though they might have considered her an embarrassment and compared her to Leanne, the people who came out to cheer her brought bitter smiles rather than joy, just as they had since her arrival in the capital.

“Step back!”

There were more people than expected. Fortunately, the Imperial Guard blocked and controlled the crowd.

“…Anyway, it’s a relief to have the extra protection of the Imperial Guard.” Elliope’s expression became worried again. Seeing this, Kallian scratched her palm again. Then a sweet voice poured out, as if to comfort her.

“As we ride along this road, it reminds me of the wedding day.”

“The wedding day?”

Emma, unaware of the situation, widened her eyes in innocent curiosity. After a moment’s hesitation, Emma asked cautiously,

“Now that you mention it, madam, what happened then?”

“Well…”

“By the time I tried to follow you, you were already gone, so I couldn’t hear the details.”

Elliope opened her mouth to speak, but then bit her lower lip slightly.

It was embarrassing for Elliope to speak honestly about what had happened that night, their ‘first night’, which wasn’t really a first night, although Emma already knew about their active married life.

Kallian, watching her expression, spoke slowly and teasingly.

“We were driving down a crowded street like this even then.”

“Kallian.”

As she spoke, Elliope gently covered Kallian’s mouth. Emma’s eyes widened even more.

“We went straight to the knights’ quarters.”

“I see.”

Trying to suppress the urge to cover her flushed ears, Kallian slowly kissed the palm of the hand that covered his mouth. When Elliope felt it, she quickly pulled her hand away, almost startled. The affection Kallian showed through his palm once again stirred her thoughts. As she remembered their first night, the space between her legs became slightly moist. She was confused as to when she had become so open about such things.

She pulled her fingertips away, avoiding the immediate stimulation.

“….”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment.

While Emma coughed and turned her head, Elliope quickly reached out and took Kallian’s hand. She was worried that he might have interpreted her earlier actions as displeasure.

As she gently stroked Kallian’s large hand, Kallian, who had been watching her reaction, intertwined his fingers with hers.

Immediately, warmth filled the space between their fingers. Elliope allowed Kallian to play with her hand as she rested her forehead on his shoulder.

“Are you all right now?”

“Are you all right now?”

Kallian asked, and Elliope remembered that she had felt dizzy a few moments ago. But now that they had entered the palace, the dizziness had disappeared. A fleeting thought crossed her mind that it might be due to the warmth of the man she was leaning against.

“Yes. I’m not so dizzy now.”

“It was indeed a good idea to call for the doctor.”

“If you lie down and rest, you’ll recover completely. It might be difficult for now though…”

If they went in now, they would probably be summoned by the Emperor first. Just the thought of exchanging pleasantries made her feel exhausted, but there was no way around it.

‘Anyway, Kallian’s… his family’s reinstatement is at stake here.’

She didn’t want to make the slightest mistake. As if it didn’t matter, Kallian slid his fingers between hers and placed his lips on the top of her head. As she felt the warmth he gave her, her inner turmoil seemed to ease. Elliope let out a deep sigh.

* * *

“Welcome, Your Highness, the Crown Princess.” 

To Elliope’s surprise, it was not the Emperor who greeted her upon her arrival at the Imperial Palace. 

“This is the first time I have formally greeted you. Duke Belphir, Duke Claudio.” 

Duke Belphir, a trusted noble from a family of loyal ministers, and Duke Claudio, the Emperor’s only cousin who had been granted the title of Duke, stood before Elliope and Kallian. 

Behind them, Imperial servants and officials stood in neat rows. The great hall of the Imperial Palace, with its towering columns, buzzed with activity as people stood on either side of the red carpet, ready to welcome them.

Elliope stood tall and accepted their greetings with quiet grace. After years as a Grand Princess, she had long since mastered the art of maintaining an etiquette-laden demeanour. 

But in truth, as the Emperor’s daughter, born to a consort of lesser rank, she had never been considered a true princess by the ministers and attendants. Those who remembered her could probably recall the shy figure she once was – head bowed, unable to meet their gaze as she boarded the carriage for the north. 

‘It is probably no different now.’

But when they stood before the princess, they were struck by the quiet dignity and grace she exuded. She was impeccably dressed, her posture impeccable, her shoulders square and her back straight. Light swept over her elegant features, casting a soft glow across her high forehead before settling on her long lashes. Beneath them, her pale green eyes – lighter than the Emperor’s, yet unmistakably of his essence – held a quiet, unwavering sparkle. 

The ministers, prepared to scrutinise and judge her, were instead taken aback. There was something undeniably regal about her presence, something they had not expected. And before they realised it, their admiration overcame their doubts and they instinctively bowed their heads in respect. 

Finally, a simple thought crossed their minds: 

‘Imperial blood is Imperial blood.’

Without realising it, Elliope glanced back at Duke Belphir. 

‘Princess Leanne.’

The thought came as she vaguely remembered something – when Princess Leanne had invited Kallian to the capital, Duke Belphir had mentioned his daughter. 

“The only daughter of the distinguished Belphir family, a young debutante, still unmarried. If you didn’t like her, perhaps the daughter of the Marquis of Taisel…”

Was this how they had tried to lure Kallian south? Though in the end such methods had little effect on him. 

Duke Belphir, calm and collected, met Elliope’s gaze before speaking.

“Since the Emperor is resting and unable to stand, we have come in his place. He originally wanted to come personally, but the doctor strongly advised against it, saying it would not be good for his health.”

“Ah.”

Elliope showed a slight expression of surprise, but quickly composed herself. She hadn’t known that the Emperor’s condition had deteriorated to such an extent. Duke Belphir showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

“I wanted to inform you earlier, but his condition deteriorated so quickly that even we didn’t expect it.”

“…”

“When he heard that Your Highness was coming, he managed to regain some strength, but he still has difficulty moving.”

“I see.”

“As someone who assists the Emperor, I also offer my deepest apologies to Your Highness.”

As he said this, Duke Belphir wore a look of genuine regret.

She felt no grief for the bedridden Emperor, but she put on the mask of a dutiful daughter and quietly lowered her eyes. It was in her and Kallian’s best interest to feign grief rather than appear indifferent. A daughter who appeared to care for her father would always be looked upon more favourably than one who did not. 

With her gaze lowered, her long lashes casting faint shadows across her cheeks and her bangs falling softly across her forehead, she presented a picture of subdued sorrow. To those watching, she seemed both sad and strikingly beautiful.

Admiring her once more, Duke Belphir spoke up.

“As for the affairs of the Empire… for the time being, Duke Claudio is handling them on behalf of the Emperor.”

Duke Claudio was a man who bore little resemblance to the Emperor, and he appeared to be a timid man approaching his later years. Elliope vaguely remembered being introduced to him long ago, when she was busy memorising the royal family tree and the genealogy of the Empire.

‘Didn’t he say he had no other children?’

When he saw Elliope and Kallian, he immediately showed a noticeable expression of relief. It was clear from his gaze that he felt some unease about the position of Acting Emperor that had been bestowed upon him.

Duke Belphir and the other nobles cautiously suggested,

“Your Highness, we understand that you must be tired from your journey…”

“His Majesty would like to see you.”

“If you don’t mind, perhaps you could visit His Majesty in his chambers.”

Upon hearing those words and making her way to the Emperor’s chamber, Elliope was met with a sight that left her momentarily stunned. The once imposing ruler had withered into a frail, unrecognisable figure. His small, shrunken form lay motionless on the bed, a stark contrast to the man she had once feared and worshipped. 

She had spent much of her life in fear of him, but now, seeing him like this, she felt only shock-shock at how time had reduced him to this state. 

The Emperor, oblivious to the emotions stirring within her, slowly raised a trembling hand from beneath the blankets. The thick blankets that enveloped him only served to accentuate his frailty, his body appearing even smaller under their weight.

“Ell, iope.”

“…”

“My daughter.”

A cold, cadaverous chill came from the hand that rested on her crown. Quietly, Elliope raised her eyes to meet the Emperor’s.