Clodine’s attempt to understand Ahazan.

At some point, she could no longer deny it, the starting point of that understanding had been steadily drifting farther away, inching back into a more distant past.

At first, she had simply wanted to find some kind of justification no matter how forced that would allow her to understand Ahazan’s actions. The man who had destroyed the Kingdom of Rotermann and continued to commit such senseless deeds.

But as time passed, things began to change.

Each time she saw the Ahazan of the present harmless toward her, carelessly gentle as he had been long ago, and devoted to a degree she could not even begin to understand she found herself wanting to understand even more of his past wrongdoings.

At this point, Clodine no longer even knew whether that desire to understand was for Ahazan’s sake… or her own.

‘It was all meaningless.’

She sniffed quietly as she passed judgment on everything she had tried to excuse and understand until now.

‘Just how much more do I have to understand you?’

She couldn’t forget the look in his eyes sharp and crumpled with irritation, like someone faced with a troublesome task they had no desire to resolve.

It felt as though that gaze would linger in her mind for a long time.

Clodine wrinkled her nose, and when that wasn’t enough, she bit down hard on her lower lip. Her lips, pressed so tightly they had turned pale, trembled faintly.

It was all an effort to hold back her tears.

She had always been fairly good at hiding her emotions but tears, both then and now, were something she had never been able to control.

‘Do you really think I’ll quietly bury it all just because you told me to?’

Not a chance.

A man who had abandoned his own fiancée who had known nothing but him like she was something to be handed over to another, betraying her without hesitation… and then dared to forget it all on his own and live comfortably as if nothing had happened?

If anything, it only made her more determined to never forget. To remind him of it, again and again, for the rest of his life just to make his heart uneasy.

That would only be fair.

To think he was this shameless of a man.

Clodine had never seen Ahazan that way.

At the very least, she had believed he carried some measure of guilt in his heart for failing to take responsibility for his fiancée.

Now, she had no choice but to admit it.

She had been wrong about him.

The man she once knew and the man he was now were almost like entirely different people.

“Your Majesty, there seems to be a crowd gathered ahead. Would it be better if we went another way?”

Lost in thought, Clodine had been walking straight ahead when Hiles stepped in front of her once more, blocking her path as he spoke.

Only then did she pause and lift her gaze.

Just as he said, a small group of people had gathered at the end of the path.

In the barren forest, where there was nothing but stones and trees, it was unclear what could have brought them together like that.

Looking more closely, there were four adults and among them, a small child.

At that moment, the child suddenly burst into tears.

“I want to go home, Mother… I want to see Jenis, and Pita… I want to swim in Lake Hilla…!”

“I’ve told you many times already this is our home now! If you keep throwing a tantrum, I’ll have no choice but to tell your father.”

“Why is this our home? I don’t want to live here…!”

“Elena!”

Among the adults was the child’s mother.

Dressed in worn clothes patched together from different scraps of fabric, the woman bent her knees to lower herself to the child’s eye level, trying to comfort her but the child was too busy crying to even look at her.

Even from a distance, just overhearing their conversation was enough for Clodine to understand what was troubling them.

For a moment, she pushed her thoughts about Ahazan to the back of her mind.

After a brief pause, as if making up her mind, she gently pushed Hiles aside and stepped toward the commotion.

“You mustn’t go—!”

“Y-Your Majesty…!”

Hiles and Merian’s urgent voices followed behind her, trying to stop her but Clodine continued forward with careful steps.

Perhaps they had noticed her approach, because all eyes except for the crying child’s turned toward her at once.

Clodine slowly inclined her head in greeting to the wary adults.

Then, at last, she looked at the child.

Just like the child’s mother, she bent down and lowered herself to meet her gaze.

The child, startled by the sudden presence of a stranger, stopped crying at once and stared at Clodine with wide, tear-filled eyes.

“W-Who are you?”

The child’s clumsy pronunciation, so typical of someone her age, sounded unexpectedly adorable.

Clodine’s tense expression softened instantly, like a knight lowering their guard, and she smiled.

“Someone who finds this place just as unfamiliar and frightening as you do.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, flowing like a quiet melody.

At once, the child’s wariness faded.

“Do you not like it here either, big sister? Do you want to go home too?”

“Elena! Do you even know who this person is—!”

Unlike the others, the woman who immediately recognized the finely dressed, beautiful stranger scolded her child.

“It’s alright. Let her speak freely.”

Clodine stopped her gently.

“That’s right. Until recently, I didn’t like being here either. I only wanted to return to the country I came from.”

As if to prove her words were true, Clodine wore an expression just as sorrowful as the crying child’s.

“That’s why I understand how much you want to return home.”

For an Empress of the Empire to truly understand the hearts of prisoners from a defeated nation—

That, in itself, was something deeply unusual.

In truth, it was only as she spoke those words aloud that Clodine herself realized…

that she was someone capable of feeling exactly that.

“…Mother said we can never go back to our homeland ever again…”

Watching the child speak with trembling lips, on the verge of bursting into tears again, Clodine shifted her gaze toward the mother seated beside her.

The woman wore an awkward, troubled expression but as their eyes met, the two were able to share their emotions without words.

Realizing that she might be the only one here who could offer even a fragment of hope, Clodine blinked gently at the mother, a silent reassurance.

Then she turned back to the child and shook her head firmly.

“That’s not true. From now on, we will become one with the Empire. This place and your homeland they will both belong to you. And that means… you will be able to return there one day.”

“Really? Then… can I see Jenis and Pita again? They’re still in my hometown…”

“Of course you can. Would you like to hear something even more wonderful?”

Lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, Clodine continued,

“You came here to protect Jenis and Pita. The reason they can live safely there… is because you are here.”

“…Does that mean I’m a hero who’s protecting them?”

“That’s exactly right. I thought you were just kind but you’re clever too.”

Clodine smiled in pleasant surprise and gently stroked the child’s small head.

On the surface, it might sound like a lie after all, the prisoners brought from a defeated nation were kept under the Empire’s supervision, ensuring that those left behind would not attempt another rebellion.

But in truth, the suffering borne by those taken away was far greater than that of those who remained.

And more importantly, the future of their homeland rested in their hands.

Clodine believed that Ahazan had not brought the upper-class citizens of the defeated nation into the Empire without reason.

In his grand vision of building a new Empire, these prisoners would surely become invaluable human resources.

“So, how about this? While you wait for the day you can return home, why not try to stay strong and brave?”

She gently wiped away the tears clinging to the child’s cheeks with her thumb.

The child seemed to think for a moment then nodded vigorously, breaking into a bright smile.

“To be honest… I’m not that scared of this place anymore.”

At the child’s sudden bravery clearly seeking praise every adult nearby, including Clodine, burst into laughter.

“That’s wonderful. Then I suppose you don’t need to cry anymore?”

Clodine said warmly, readily indulging the child’s small desire for reassurance.

But just then—

Grrr…

A soft but unmistakable sound came from Clodine’s stomach.

“…Ah…”

Startled, Clodine flushed a rare sight as the surroundings fell into sudden silence.

She looked around, her face burning.

“Big sister… are you hungry?”

Amid the awkward stillness, the child asked with wide, curious eyes.

Clodine, still blushing deeply, tried to brush it off but the child spoke again before she could.

“Do you want to come to our house? My mom makes really delicious potato bread and chicken soup!”

“Ah… well, that…”

Clodine glanced awkwardly at the child’s mother, intending to decline politely.

She assumed the woman, having noticed her discomfort, would gently redirect the child.

But unlike before, the young mother’s expression had softened.

With a warm smile, she spoke gently.

“Our home is nearby. It may be humble, but… if you don’t mind, we would be honored to have you.”

“Rihta’s potato bread is truly exceptional. Even the Empire couldn’t easily replicate its taste.”

“To say such things in front of Her Majesty the Empress how improper.”

“But it’s the truth, isn’t it? Even across the sea, on the Amon Continent, people were desperate to learn the baking techniques of the Allensha family.”

For some reason, the heaviness that had lingered among them began to ease.

Their voices, once restrained, now carried a warmth that reached her.

Feeling their genuine kindness, Clodine quietly set aside her lingering embarrassment and smiled softly.

Only Hiles and Merian still looked uneasy, their faces filled with worry.

Clodine glanced at them briefly, raising her brows as if to reassure them that everything was fine.

Then she turned back to the child’s mother.

“A skill spoken of so highly… I can’t help but be curious. If it wouldn’t be a burden, may I accept your hospitality?”

“Of course.”

“Yay!”

With the child bouncing in delight, Clodine and the others began walking together.

Unaware—

that somewhere not far away,

someone was watching them.