“Ugh……”
Thanks to that passionate man who didn’t know the difference between a soldier and a civilian, I ended up catching a cold.
Masera, who had rushed to bring me medicine, looked worried.
“But… why are you sick? It’s not like you did any obstacle course training.”
There was no malice or mockery in his tone. He was genuinely asking because he didn’t know why I was the only one who had caught a cold.
“Please don’t forget that your partner is a civilian.”
“I apologize. I will never overdo it again.”
He fed me the medicine, looking remorseful.
“However, it seems I will need a little more time to figure out where the line is for ‘not overdoing it.’”
He, who had become a bewitching man overnight, gave me a languid, smiling look.
He’s not repenting at all!
But I didn’t have the strength to scold him, so I just clenched my fist.
“And, I’m also hurting.”
He pointed to his cheek, which was marked with a heart-shaped red mark.
“People are teasing me, so my heart hurts too.”
Is he a fox instead of a cat?
I flicked my finger, signaling him to come closer.
And after lightly kissing him on the cheek as a reward, I whispered softly.
“You say you don’t like it with your mouth, but your body is honest, yet you’re still acting spoiled.”
“I never said I didn’t like it.”
He rubbed his reddened ears and smiled.
“I am willing to accept whatever you do.”
It was hard to tell if it was sarcasm, like ‘Just try it,’ or if he meant it sincerely.
* * *
It was evening before I finally recovered, and I went out to the city, leaning on him.
I had heard the news that people were gathering in the square to celebrate the independence, and I felt like I absolutely had to attend.
With the sea route open, a lot of supplies had come in, and everyone had been working hard to restore the ruined city, so they needed some time to relax.
Of course, to prevent the misunderstanding that he was an abused husband, I had put a bandage on Masera’s cheek.
“Oh, General! I heard you were too sick to come! That you had a stomachache from overeating and were stuck in the bathroom?”
One of my subordinates, who was carrying a child on his shoulders, waved at us.
“Who on earth is spreading such terrible rumors… I’m still a Princess, you know?”
I retorted, bristling.
My subordinates, who were in charge of distributing the application forms, had already assimilated with the people and were helping with various tasks.
They helped with the city restoration during the day and put on talent shows for the elders.
They were doing things on their own without being told, which made me feel like I had successfully reformed them.
I was about to applaud them when I smelled the aroma of grilling lobster, a local specialty.
“That smells delicious.”
As soon as I discovered that all kinds of food were prepared like a night market around the bustling fountain, I felt energized.
“Do you have the strength to eat?”
At Masera’s question, I nodded confidently.
The reason I like festivals is because there is a lot of food.
‘And when I see everyone smiling happily, it makes me feel good too.’
I saw children blowing bubbles and giggling.
Beyond the floating bubbles, I could see people’s smiles.
Everyone who had overcome difficult times was dancing, singing, eating delicious food, and spending precious time with their loved ones.
I felt proud that I had helped people regain their smiles.
At that moment, one of the local elders and a leader of the resistance approached us and greeted us.
“I apologize for the late greeting. My name is Margaret Hildred.”
She continued, her face full of apology.
“I should have personally attended to you yesterday, but I happened to be away… I’m sorry. I’ll arrange for a gourmet meal right away…”
“No, it’s okay. You’re busy in many ways, aren’t you? Please just think of me as a friend who came to visit.”
Hildred’s eyes widened, and then she smiled and bowed politely.
“Then I won’t impose. I hope you both have a comfortable and enjoyable time. Please let me know if you need anything.”
The others also took off their hats to show respect or simply offered words of gratitude, as if not wanting to disturb our time.
“Wow.”
Sitting at an outdoor table, I clapped enthusiastically in front of the mouthwatering lobster and all kinds of seafood dishes.
“Come to think of it, the Organization leader said you eat better than me.”
A fierce glint began to appear in Masera’s eyes.
Seriously, he’s jealous of that too?
“Actually, I’ve been pretending to be demure.”
I felt a slight flutter as I looked at him speaking with determination.
He had been hiding his enormous appetite? Why does that feel so cool…?
It was around the time we were about to start devouring the mountain of food.
“Who authorized the use of support supplies to hold a festival? Do you want to be arrested for embezzlement?!”
As always, someone appears to ruin the mood when things are at their best.
He was a nobleman who had fled as soon as the war broke out. He hadn’t sided with the Defeated Empire, but he was still just as despicable.
The local elders protested, but he arrogantly raised his nose.
“In a situation where the country is in ruins, independence is nonsense. If you want to receive aid from the Lumantis Empire, you’ll have to listen to me.”
“But Princess Cynthia…”
“The Royal Family has been dissolved, so what Princess? It’s obvious that she abandoned her succession rights because the restoration costs are high and there’s nothing to gain. They’re just sugarcoating it with the word ‘independence.’”
Why are you spouting such nonsense while I’m eating?
It seemed he thought now was his chance, with all the nobles and high-ranking officials who had sided with the Defeated Empire having fled.
“From now on, I, a nobleman from Lumantis, will take on the role of leader…”
Then, belatedly discovering Masera and me, he coughed, trying not to show his embarrassment.
I wiped my mouth and stood up from my seat.
“Who authorized that?”
“Isn’t this a situation where a ruler is needed? You stepped down irresponsibly.”
“Article 1 of the Constitution: The sole sovereignty of the state resides in the people.”
I moved closer to him and continued.
“All power and authority to govern are vested in the people. The representative must be chosen by the people, not recognized by bloodline or status privileges. That is the order of this country.”
“What are you talking about? This isn’t a republic.”
The nobleman snapped back.
Masera was also staring at me. He seemed to have been curious about it all along as well.
I shrugged and looked at the nobleman.
“Why are you playing nobleman in a place without a class system? You abandoned everything and ran away when things got tough, and now you’re trying to act like the master. Do you want to experience a revolution that badly? Should I prepare a guillotine and a silver platter for you?”
“There’s no class system…? Are you really planning to establish a republic? Do you think the Lumantis Empire, which is the foundation of this country, will stand still?”
“You call yourself a leader from the Empire, but your information is outdated. We already finished the amicable agreement a long time ago.”
“The Empire acknowledged it? That can’t be…”
I smiled brightly at the nobleman, who was pale with bewilderment.
“It’s already a globally recognized republic, so are you going to fight the world alone?”
The nobleman, at a loss for words, now looked around at the people.
Seeing Hildred and the people’s fierce gazes, he retreated with steps that clearly showed he was trying to escape.
“That despicable bastard, I heard you demanded the back rent that was owed all this time?”
“What face do you have to act like a nobleman now! How shameless!”
“Aaaagh!”
Eventually, he was caught by the people and started getting spanked on the buttocks.
I turned to Masera and winked.
Masera quietly gave me a thumbs up in response.
* * *
A few days ago, in the assembly hall of the Lumantis Empire.
The Emperor and Cynthia’s laughter shattered the solemn atmosphere of the hall.
“Ahahaha!”
“Puhahahaha!”
Unlike the two people who were bursting with laughter, the imperial family members and ministers gathered in the assembly hall had bewildered expressions.
“So, this is…”
“What just happened?”
Cynthia had renounced the throne.
In fact, even if the heir renounced the throne, they could just find the next heir, so it wasn’t exactly surprising.
The problem was that her method was not ordinary.
“As the last successor of the Bariesa Dynasty, I declare the establishment of the Mare de Veldetta Republic.”
“And, I declare the complete dissolution of the Bariesa Royal Family.”
As soon as Cynthia received the throne, she declared a change in the governing system and the dissolution of the Royal Family.
With this declaration, an independent republic was born.
This was definitely a first in the Empire’s thousands of years of history.
Cynthia, the person who had pulled off this incredible feat, gave a sunny smile.
“Isn’t this an opportunity to set the record for the shortest reign in history? I’ll be called the ‘One-Minute Queen.’”
At this point, it was in the realm of madness.
While everyone was making dumbfounded expressions, the Emperor, who was holding his stomach and laughing, raised one hand and opened his mouth.
“I have never, pu-ha, seen such an amusing person in my life. It’s truly a historical joke.”
In the midst of the chaos, only Prince Sylvar wore a faint smile.
The rest of the people did not understand how the Imperial Family could so easily allow such a momentous event.
For example, it was like the president of a subsidiary of a large corporation changing the owner and making it independent as soon as they received the operating rights.
But Cynthia had already proposed a deal that the Imperial Family was willing to accept.
‘In the first place, they were trying to give me the throne because they wanted the resources of Nox and Diem.’
She had already grasped the Emperor’s intentions.
The two regions boasted enormous reserves and production, enough to become major exporters of oil and timber in the future.
At a time when the war had just ended, it was much more profitable for the Empire to secure agreements that were advantageous for resource procurement than to deal with a small country that required a lot of reconstruction costs.
She used the Royal Family’s legacy to restore freedom to the people and gained a glory more brilliant than a crown.
But unlike Cynthia’s wish to remain the ‘One-Minute Queen,’ she was given the title ‘Sunlight.’
The world spread the story that ‘Among the descendants of the Snow Queen, who freezes everything with her coldness, a Sunlight appeared who burns everything with the madness of her clear eyes.’
In the end, the Royal Family’s prophecy that ‘The glory of the golden day will return to the true heir’ came true.
