I gripped his hand tightly and opened my mouth spiritedly.

“Mother, Father. Please give me your son! I will definitely make him happy!”

When she boldly declared her aspirations, Carl covered his mouth and burst into quiet laughter.

This guy, I’m being serious right now.

After poking Carl’s cheek with my finger, I looked at the cemetery seriously again.

“So please leave Carl to me and rest in peace.”

How desperate must their hearts have been when they had to leave behind their young son.

Even I would have found it hard to just close my eyes. They probably couldn’t rest even after death, constantly worrying about their son.

But now I would be by Carl’s side, so I hoped the two of them could finally find peace.

“Carl is really a good person. When I was sad, when I was happy, when I was struggling, he was always by my side. Plus he has many things I could learn from, so I received a lot of help from him in various ways.”

I listed praises about Carl with a gentle smile.

“Since he’s someone who thinks of me more than I think of myself, I also try to cherish and take care of Carl more than Carl himself.”

With my sincere feelings added.

“I don’t think I’ll ever meet such a man again, so I don’t want to let him go.”

When I playfully wrinkled my nose, the corners of Carl’s mouth also curled up.

“When you two passed away…… I thought I could never be happy again. But after meeting Shailyn, I realized. That I’m also someone who deserves to be happy.”

His voice was low and solid. It was so clearly centered that just listening to it could make worries and concerns disappear.

“Shailyn and I have finished the work you both wanted to do.”

Carl spoke bluntly but gently.

“From now on, please only pray for our happiness. I also don’t think I’ll ever meet such a woman again, so I don’t want to let her go.”

Listening quietly, I smiled brightly like he had done earlier.

Carl gently embraced my shoulders and bowed his head lightly for a final farewell.

“Well then, I’ll come again next time.”

“See you next time. Then I’ll bring prettier flowers as a gift!”

I also greeted them cheerfully and came down the hill again with Carl.

As we returned to the carriage, I asked with a bit of worry.

“I wonder if your parents liked me?”

“Definitely.”

Carl answered with a confident tone. He suddenly bent down and kissed my cheek.

Smooch.

“Where else would they see someone as pretty and wonderful as you.”

I stared at him blankly, then soon turned my head with reddened ears.

“Ridiculous. Who told you to kiss me without permission.”

“If I get permission, can I do it as much as I want?”

At the cheeky question, I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his collar.

Our breath moistly passed between our softly interlocked lips.

Large hands wrapped around my waist and lifted me slightly. I stood on tiptoe and grabbed his broad shoulders.

After feeling each other’s warmth for a while, our lips slowly separated.

“Should I have gotten permission too?”

“……What permission does a master need from a bondservant.”

Carl, having been looking at me with deep eyes, smiled faintly and bumped our noses together.

“If you want it, I’m always good with it. It’s a bit cliché, but I’m yours.”

It was truly a satisfying statement. I never dreamed I had such possessiveness.

But I’m also his person even if it’s cliché, so it doesn’t matter, right?

“Anyway, I’m glad they liked me. I am pretty and wonderful after all.”

When I deliberately flipped my hair and acted conceited, Carl agreed with a serious expression.

“Plus you’re cute and smart.”

“……What, it’s a bit embarrassing when you respond seriously.”

“Why, it’s the truth.”

“Really.”

I looked at him with mild annoyance as he became increasingly smooth after we confirmed our feelings.

My heart felt fluffy from the affection Carl naturally poured out.

“You’re also handsome and cute.”

“I know.”

“Oh my, even that shamelessness is adorable?”

I pinched Carl’s cheek and this time gave him a light peck.

He picked me up and walked with big strides. I burst into clear laughter and put my arms around his neck.

Though it was midwinter, the sunlight shining down on us was warm.

***

Time passed quickly and the coronation day approached.

After finishing preparations for attendance, I headed to the imperial palace with my family.

As we entered the central hall where the coronation was being held, murmurs could be heard from all directions.

“Oh my, it’s Count Sharofe and the Diart ducal family!”

“The count sealed the demon, you know. It’s really amazing when I think about it again!”

“They’re heroes who saved the country, really.”

I walked pretending not to hear the compliments that stuck in my ears.

But I couldn’t help my cheeks flushing faintly.

After the Grand Assembly, the crown prince, Tower Master, Carl, and I were revered as almost national heroes.

Especially me, having directly stabbed a sword into Rudvalt’s heart.

Of course, objectively speaking it was true, but it was a bit burdensome that people’s eyes sparkled whenever they saw me.

I had also used up all of Solaris’s holy power to seal the demon, so I no longer had any power.

Even though I revealed this fact, the praise grew even greater as people said I was someone having met a god.

“Um, Count. If it’s not rude, could I shake hands just once……”

“Ah, yes. Of course you can.”

I readily took the hand that a young lady with a youthful face shyly extended. Then the young lady’s ears burned red.

How cute.

Though it was uncomfortable to have attention focused on me wherever I went, it was quietly enjoyable when girls approached me cutely like this.

When one person broke the ice, other people also gathered their courage to approach me.

Just as I was about to shake hands with a young lord mixed in among the girls—

“That’s enough now.”

Carl, having appeared at some point, intervened with only the corners of his mouth pulled up in a smile.

“If this continues, my lover might get a bit tired.”

“Yes, yes? Ah, yes, yes.”

The young lord facing him up close somehow felt intimidated and slowly backed away.

The people who had surrounded me also returned to their places. Strangely, everyone seemed a bit afraid of Carl.

To my eyes, he’s just a black puppy.

Carl stood reliably by my side like a dog protecting its master.

Shortly after, the empress entered and the full-scale coronation ceremony was held.

The empress, wearing a red velvet dress with gorgeous gold embroidery, stepped onto the platform.

“Thank you all for attending this occasion today. I want to introduce to you the new sun who will lead our Hersen Empire forward.”

As soon as her words ended, the attendant guarding the entrance shouted.

“His Highness Crown Prince Linus is entering!”

The thick stone doors slowly opened, and the crown prince appeared between them.

He wore a white uniform with gold embroidery and draped a red cloak over the epaulettes on his shoulders.

The cloak fluttering in rhythm with his confident stride across the carpet was both elegant and dignified.

When the crown prince stood below the platform, the empress slowly lifted the crown that an attendant offered.

“This crown, passed down through generations, contains not only the glory of the Hersen Empire, but also your trust, the people’s devotion, and the nation’s future.”

The empress’s voice resonated magnificently. Everyone listened attentively, focused on the mother and son.

“Today, at this place, Crown Prince Linus will become the owner of the crown and open a new era for Hersen.”

The crown prince knelt on one knee before her. Then the empress placed the crown over his beautiful golden hair with a reddish tint.

“May you rule the people with wise insight and compassionate heart, and achieve the empire’s peace and prosperity with unyielding courage and steadfast sense of responsibility.”

Finally, a new emperor was born.

The crown prince, rising with a faint smile, stepped onto the platform and looked around the audience before opening his mouth.

“Today I have become the glorious emperor of Hersen. I will think of the crown placed on my head not as my own authority, but as the hopeful future that everyone desires.”

When I first met him, the crown prince had seemed like a yellow sprout, but he had somehow grown into a charismatic emperor and declared:

“In the path of Hersen that I will create going forward, there will be only justice and goodwill!”

Clap clap clap!

Everyone sent him a shower of applause with one heart.

I smiled with relief at the thought that there would be no need to worry about the country for the next few decades, when I accidentally made eye contact with the tower master in the crowd.

We smiled brightly at the same time, nodded to each other, and turned our heads.

The chandelier light sparkled more brilliantly than ever.

***

After the coronation ended, Carl moved to the Diart residence with us.

Because I had invited him to a family dinner.

Just as Carl had introduced his parents to me, I also wanted to introduce my family to him, though it felt a bit awkward.