Chapter 360 (1/2)

‘Are you happy there, Daddy? Are you having a good time with Mom, who you missed all the time? Then, I won’t be sad anymore. Although I can’t let you go in a happy mood as you wished, although I miss you so much, I won’t cry.

So, please don’t worry about me and stay happy with Mom there. Until the day we meet again, I will live happily ever after.’

I was walking with a heavy heart when I suddenly noticed a red light shining across the hallway.

A red glow was pouring into the mansion through the open balcony with the approach of sunset.

“Is your mind working?” He walked silently the whole time and stopped in front of the balcony.

Did he feel the same way? While walking silently all along, he stood on the balcony.

Standing at the balcony side by side with him, I watched the evening sun slowly setting with the red sky getting dark with the sunset’s glow, the shadow of the mansion looked black against the sunset, and the gloomy and subdued air peculiar to the sunset.

When I was silent with a subdued mood, he suddenly interlocked his fingers with mine gently. I looked up at him, turning my head, feeling the warmth of his palm. I could see his lips moving gently, which turned red in the sunset.

“Tia.”

“Yes, Rube.”

“To be honest with you, when I saw the box in the secret place a little while ago, I felt a bit embarrassed.”

“Really? Why? ”

“From the day I discovered the identity of the box, I was always afraid that I would see it again.”

“Ah…”

Oh, that’s why he was making such an uncomfortable expression. Was he afraid that I might use the immunity right to leave the imperial family?

“But when I see that again after a long time, it reminds me of old memories. I had a lot of thoughts on my mind during that short moment.”

“Really? What kind of thought?”

“When I first found the box, we were on good terms, as you know. But a lot of things have happened since then. We hated and feared each other, we were on a parallel line for a long time, we were hurt numerous times because of our uncontrollable emotions, and I couldn’t sleep at night, trying to soothe my wounded heart…Although I can tell you like this because it’s now a thing of the past, it was really a hard time for both of us at that time, right?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Thank you, Tia, for living with me like this after overcoming so many difficulties and so much fear. Without you, I wouldn’t have lived a life as a man, even though I was the emperor. Thank you so much for giving me the gift of a decent life as a human.”

As the wind suddenly blew over, his blue hair fluttered gently. I whispered to myself as I looked at it, which turned dark by the spreading twilight, ‘Same to me. If you had not been considerate enough to accept and care for me who was trying to avoid you because of my painful memories, I would have remained the abandoned concubine Aristia instead of becoming the beloved empress Aristia.’

I seemed to conjure up the images of the two children standing together in the dark garden. The silver-haired girl with a bright smile and the boy with blue hair who would have looked at her smile with mixed feelings. I don’t remember exactly what happened at that time, but I would have certainly felt bitter about it a long time ago, but it was now a good old memory.

Come to think of it, I once saw him standing right on this spot in the garden.

Suddenly, I remembered my conversation with Sir League a long time ago, but I shrugged it off with a light smile. What’s the point of getting the answer now? He and I went through ups and downs through many years and finally stood here on the same spot. We got out of the painful past that tormented us so much and looked at the same place, holding hands together like this.

When I looked up at him, tightening my grip on his hand, he stopped looking straight and slowly turned to me. His blue eyes shining brightly in the darkness reflected me.

“Tia, you…”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Can you stay with me forever?”

“… Yes, Rube, I will.”

“Always?”