Chapter 35
Without realizing it, I clutched As tightly in my arms, and Hisha, noticing my unease, gradually began to slow down.
“Hisha?”
I looked down in confusion and saw the roof and garden of the house I had lived in for the past five years shrinking below us.
“…Let’s just go straight to the capital.”
All the beautiful memories I had built up over time had been tainted by Millen’s vile actions in our final moments there.
Even if I went back to pack, I’d only be reminded of today’s horrific events. I had no desire to go down and collect anything.
There was nothing important there anyway.
Hisha nodded energetically and began to speed up again.
That was about the time As opened his eyes.
“…Einra.”
Through the sound of the wind brushing past my ears, I faintly heard his soft voice.
Startled, I quickly looked down. As was staring up at me with dazed eyes.
‘If you give birth to three children for me, I’ll let little As from Einra go unharmed.’
The moment I met those innocent, unguarded eyes, Millen’s vile words suddenly flashed through my mind.
I bit my lip hard.
A heavy guilt began to bloom quietly in my chest.
…If it weren’t for me, As would’ve never had to endure that kind of threat.
Perhaps sensing the turmoil inside me, As gave a faint smile and reached out his hand toward me.
“Why are you making that face?”
“…What kind of face?”
“A face that looks like you’re about to cry.”
With a soft whisper, his small fingers gently brushed the corner of my eye.
I blinked slowly and turned my gaze away.
“…Are you feeling okay?”
Maybe he realized I was trying to change the subject, because he quietly withdrew his hand.
“I’m fine. It was a poison I’ve developed a resistance to.”
A resistance?
I frowned, confused by this unfamiliar explanation.
As if trying to reassure me, As calmly continued.
“Earlier, I only lost consciousness because I was trapped in a small, suffocating space for a long time. I’m really okay.”
“…How is that supposed to be okay?”
The sorrow welled up again, and I felt like I might cry.
Seeing me like that, he gave me a troubled smile and gently cupped my cheek with his small hand.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Yeah. You were just trying to comfort me.
But you didn’t even realize that those words are what hurt the most.
“You always say you’re okay even when it’s obvious you’re not.”
I murmured, grasping the hand that was holding my cheek.
“…I hate that.”
Now that I think about it, he’s always said he was fine even when he wasn’t.
‘I’m fine. It’s a poison I’ve developed resistance to.’
Just like now.
That’s not something to be okay about.
At my murmuring, his brow furrowed in confusion, like he didn’t understand what I meant.
“But I really am okay.”
“…”
“My body’s fine, my mind is clear. Everything’s alright.”
I frowned deeply.
“But you were hurt.”
“…Huh?”
“You were poisoned. That’s being hurt. You were trapped in a sealed space long enough to lose consciousness. That had to be painful.”
As blinked blankly, then smiled like he had just heard something adorable.
“Like I said earlier, I didn’t feel pain because I had resistance to the poison. And inside the sack, since my body’s still young, I passed out quickly, so it wasn’t that—”
“As.”
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I glared at him sharply.
“Didn’t it hurt before you built up resistance? Wasn’t it painful when you couldn’t breathe and passed out?”
Even then, As still looked confused, like he didn’t understand why I was so upset.
“I didn’t mean to upset you…”
His small hand carefully reached up and gently smoothed the space between my brows.
“But Einra looks upset.”
I must have made you sad.
He murmured quietly, a little gloomily.
His eyes lowered in sorrow. If he had bunny ears, they would’ve drooped.
‘Does he really think that pitiful expression won’t work on me?’
Of course it worked.
“…Alright. You don’t have to make that face anymore.”
When I sighed softly and said that, As looked even more dejected.
“But… Einra’s still not smiling…”
His teary eyes looked as if they were about to spill over.
In the end, I had no choice but to surrender.
“See? Look, I’m smiling now, aren’t I?”
When I smiled down at him, a smile finally bloomed on As’s face as well.
“Einra’s smile really suits you best.”
His voice drifted toward me, carried by the gentle breeze brushing my cheeks.
* * *
After hearing the full story, As looked dazed for a moment before suddenly bursting into giggles.
It wasn’t the kind of story you laugh at, so I tilted my head, puzzled.
Then As said in a voice tinged with amusement:
“I didn’t know Einra could be that scary.”
“Hmm, really…?”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
It seemed Harnen hadn’t told him about what I was like in my school days…
‘Well, it’s not like those are memories worth retelling in detail to Akes.’
It was probably better if he didn’t know.
While I was firmly deciding not to bring it up ever again, Hisha arrived at the imperial palace in the center of Herade, the capital.
The place where As and I landed was the Semelite Garden, a part of the palace only accessible to the emperor and his close attendants.
“…The imperial palace.”
As muttered, frowning as if displeased.
I gave a nervous laugh.
“Well, it’s been five years since I was here. We should at least say hello.”
“You’re right, Einra.”
As sighed, slowly brushing back his hair.
“…You’re right.”
But his tightly pressed lips clearly showed his reluctance.
That sulky look was so cute, I nearly burst out laughing, but I cleared my throat instead.
“Let’s just say hello and leave quickly.”
As I said that, I habitually reached for his small hand. He gently squeezed mine and quietly asked:
“…And after that?”
“Hmm?”
“After we leave… what will we do?”
It was such an unexpected question, I tilted my head but answered as if it were obvious:
“Go home, of course.”
“…”
Home… As softly repeated the word.
His white cheeks flushed slightly.
He gripped my hand a little tighter.
“That ‘home’—you don’t mean the Countdom of Haila again, do you?”
A cheerful voice rang out from somewhere nearby.
It was a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in a long time, and it hadn’t changed at all.
I turned to see a woman striding confidently toward us.
Her long navy hair swayed with each step. Her sharp pink eyes looked drowsy, and her flawless white skin and exquisite features were breathtaking.
Rohineas Diesir de Elberk.
The emperor of the Elberk Empire, whom I was facing for the first time in five years.
A fake smile appeared on As’s face as he looked at her.
He respectfully bowed and greeted her.
“Akes de Serenia, head of House Serenia, greets Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yes, Duke Serenia. You’ve… changed quite a bit.”
The emperor, who had approached us, looked him up and down.
Her pink eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’ve gotten smaller.”
“…”
“And much cuter.”
The emperor smirked mischievously, clearly entertained.
I pressed my fingers to my brow, her unchanged behavior from five years ago giving me a headache.
It could’ve easily been taken as an insult, but As smiled politely as if it didn’t bother him at all.
“Is that so.”
“Yes. Though still not as cute as our Einra.”
Her teasing gaze shifted to me.
Here we go again.
I sighed and tried to smile calmly like As, bowing to greet the emperor.
“Einra, blessed by the King of Water, greets Your Majesty the Emper—”
Or I would have, if the emperor hadn’t suddenly dashed forward and cupped my cheeks in both hands.
“—Hm?”
“Ahhh, our precious Einra…”
With a face full of delight, the emperor kneaded my cheeks like a toy.
She inspected me thoroughly as if she were checking for defects.
“Even after five years, how are you still this adorable?”
“…Excuse me,”
“You really are so heartless. I sent you so many letters, yet not one reply?”
The emperor’s sharp eyes drooped pitifully.
