Chapter 2 (Part 5)

Leah fervently hoped that when that day came, it would be under peaceful circumstances. She swallowed the now lukewarm tea, trying to soothe her throat, before continuing.

“I know it must all be very confusing, especially since it didn’t start out so well, and you’ve never met anyone like me to explain things to you. So if you don’t mind…, there are some things I’d like to explain to you, if I may?”

I called you because I wanted to help you adapt to this world. I have no intention of harming you in any way. 

The words she added gradually seemed to calm Ria’s mind. The feeling of familiarity she sensed from Leah’s appearance might have originated from something she hadn’t realized. After pondering for a while, Ria nodded slightly.

“Well, then, shall I start by talking about the other things bestowed by God? Remember those who said they needed my power? The Emperor and the two Dukes. Naturally, they were the first ones I met when I came here. However, the power they needed was completely different from what I had in mind.”

“Was it not the power you possess?”

“Yes. My power, how should I put it? Rather than having healing abilities like you, it was closer to magic, so I speculated that it would be needed for attack or defense purposes in the founding of the Empire. But it wasn’t. It was then that I realized that God needed ‘me’ not my power.”

God needed her as herself, not her bestowed power. 

Why? 

As the tense thoughts rolled over Ria’s face, Leah spoke without hesitation.

“Ria, have you ever felt a strange sensation from the two Dukes?”

“From Rune and Eden? Not really…, oh.”

Ria, who had been picturing the two of them, shook her head and was about to deny it when a sudden thought occurred to her.

“Of course. Right?”

Ria affirmed with silence.

“When I met them, I felt like I understood why God needed me. My relationship with them was destined by the Gods. It meant many things, but the biggest one was that I was the only one who could stabilize them. Thanks to that, the powerful Empire could be established as the god desired.”

Finally, one of the questions that had been bothering Ria was answered. The naturalness she had felt with Rune and Eden had been predetermined by fate. However, along with a sense of relief, Ria also felt a vague sense of unease.

“So you’re married to all three of them? I heard that polygamy has been allowed since the founding of the Empire.”

The question slipped out unexpectedly, surprising even herself. While trying to mask her surprise, Leah, with one hand cupping her cheek, replied in a nonchalant tone.

“No, I am married to Serre. Oh, Serre is the nickname of the first Duke of Astina. But to elaborate, I was like that with the other two before we were married, because physical contact is the best way to calm them down, and s*x is the best way to do that.”

…… That was a bit of an unexpected answer. 

“It wasn’t bad. It would be more accurate to say it was good. Even after I chose Serre, my relationship with the others remained affectionate and didn’t deteriorate. While it was a relationship decreed by God, our time together, where we faced each other directly, was too precious and profound to simply attribute to fate.”

“Then…, shouldn’t you have married them all? Marriage isn’t the end of all relationships, but if it’s a fate ordained by God, you might have hoped for that as well.”

“Well, that’s not entirely wrong. At first, there was a proposal for all of us to be together, to have me marry them. Even when we were intimate, we vaguely thought of such an outcome. However, the Emperor and Duke of Carlisle found someone they genuinely loved.”

As Ria listened to the final words, her grip tightened slightly. She keenly felt the sensation of the dress wrinkling under her touch.

What did I want to confirm by asking repeatedly? And why was I swayed by such words?

Despite these thoughts, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Knowing it was impolite, she couldn’t help but ask such questions. Fortunately, Leah didn’t seem to mind much.

“It didn’t really matter. You know…a woman’s intuition can be quite terrifying. Even when we were in a relationship, I was somewhat aware of it. The intimacy I shared with Serre, the Duke of Astina, and the Emperor and Duke Carlisle was quite different. Unlike with Serre, I didn’t feel complete affection from the Emperor and Duke Carlisle. They were kind, but I couldn’t feel genuine love from them. I was convinced that it was because the relationship decreed by the god was based on a sense of naturalness.”

“…….”

“Most of all, I considered it somewhat fortunate that the legacies of the three powerful rulers wouldn’t be connected through bloodlines. If the powerful Imperial family and the two Dukes were linked by blood, it would have likely faced strong opposition from nobles and others due to their overwhelming power.”

She added that although it might not be apparent now, in the early days of the empire, there were many things to consider due to the instability of any new country. Leah added before effortlessly transforming the cooled tea into warm fresh tea with a gesture.

“It was the same during the founding period. People wouldn’t have looked favorably upon a woman deeply involved with the three most powerful leaders, especially not a woman who wasn’t considered part of the Empire. That’s why I kept my presence and power a secret, known only to the royal family and the two dukes.”

Leah shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she mentioned that she didn’t have black hair and hazel eyes then, as she does now

Ria found that nonchalance somewhat intriguing. She wondered if she’d ever been scared in a strange place. Leah must have been watching her carefully, because suddenly she burst out laughing.

“Ah, that reminds me of a funny old story. Have you ever heard the rumor that the first Emperor was promiscuous?”

“Y-yes? Yes.”

“Well, there’s actually a story behind that. Despite being cautious, there are always people who dig up secrets. Harth, the first Emperor, after punishing them all, fabricated a bigger scandal involving me to insert all the talk related to me. He thought that if rumors of his own debauchery spread enough to be recorded in history, my story would easily fit in.”

Leah burst into laughter once again. It was always a funny story to think about. The Emperor, the one who was so stern with others, was the one who was so quick to utter such outlandish ideas and act on them.

“Just because of his drive. When rumors spread about his promiscuity, people didn’t find it odd for a duchess like me to be approached by them. It’s all so absurd.”

Watching Leah suppress her laughter while wiping away a tear clinging to the corner of her eye, Ria stared blankly. Leah seemed so happy recalling memories and sharing stories. Somehow… Ria felt a twinge of envy.

“Oh, sorry. I suddenly started laughing at my own story. Ahem, mentioning secrets brought that memory back.”

“It’s… it’s okay.”

Ria hesitated for a moment before carefully asking, 

“If it’s not too intrusive, may I ask how things were between the first Emperor and the Duke of Carlisle after they got married?”

Leah blinked a couple of times at the unexpected question, then smiled and set her teacup down.

“Well, I stopped sleeping with them. After all, stabilizing them could be done through other means of contact. It’s just that those methods weren’t as effective as s*x.”

“…….”

“And as I mentioned earlier, they were kind towards me even after that. Since we only discussed our relationship with those who became Empress and Duchess, they didn’t say anything in particular. Rather, we have become such close friends that we could confide in each other.”

Leah paused for a moment, then asked a meaningful question.

“But Ria, it seems like that’s not really what you want to ask, isn’t it?”

The question was sharply probing. Feeling as if Leah could see through even her own unspoken thoughts, Ria stiffened.

“I quite liked it here, and that’s why I could accept everything happily. However, it might not have been easy for you to come to this world under circumstances different from mine, completely by your own will. It’s natural to feel confused by the sudden and unknown affection that came at such a time.”

Leah felt sorry for Ria. If such a tragedy hadn’t happened to the previous child, she would have come here differently, and then she wouldn’t have been so confused. 

Is that why? 

At that moment, she wanted to tell her about the fate that Ria might have changed, about the changed relationship. Leah opened her mouth, hoping to avoid being restricted.

“May I ask what it was like to sleep with the two dukes?”