Ch.89I’m saying I want to get married!

# 1.

Reina.

The second daughter of the Babylonia Emperor, a woman born with an infinitely kind nature.

Because of this, from a young age, she dreamed of becoming a hero rather than the next emperor.

There was no problem with that.

Unlike the purely kind-hearted Reina, her older sister Lactea seemed born to be the empire’s emperor.

Since everyone tacitly treated Lactea as the heir apparent, Reina was able to enjoy a much freer and happier life.

But after the great war with the demon race, Reina’s life completely twisted.

The Emperor’s death immediately after the war,

The Empress’s subsequent passing,

And Lactea’s disappearance right before her coronation.

Reina, who had only wielded a sword for her dream of becoming a hero, thus became the emperor.

“…That was ten years ago.”

“I get it, so stop crying.”

“…Sniff, informal speech again…”

“…I understand, so please stop crying.”

“…I understand.”

Only after being consoled with formal speech did Reina’s tears finally stop.

“Do you happen to have a handkerchief?”

“Here.”

“Sniff… thank you.”

*Sniffle*

She accepted the handkerchief instead of using her damp nightgown sleeve and spoke again.

“Honestly, I wanted to run away. Unlike my sister who excelled in every aspect, I had no talent except for physical abilities.”

“Then why didn’t you run away?”

“…Black Wolf. I appreciate your uncharacteristic attempt at comfort, but don’t speak so lightly of it.”

Reina looked at Black Wolf with teary eyes and added with a hardened expression:

“I was the only remaining successor at that time. Had I not ascended to the throne, greater chaos would have befallen us due to corrupt nobles. It was an inevitable choice for the sake of my subjects.”

If it hadn’t been for her, the demonic hand of Eclipse would have covered the empire much faster.

They had managed to hold out until now because Reina became emperor.

“But I know. That choice was only a temporary measure, and I remain an ignorant and incompetent emperor… At this rate, we will soon be defeated by Eclipse.”

Reina slumped, self-deprecating.

Her words were true.

Though she had become emperor and put out the immediate fire, her incompetence allowed Eclipse to gradually eat away at the empire.

She lost power through political defeats, lost control as a result, allowing nobles to run wild, and she bore all the infamy herself.

The infamy turned into misunderstandings, and those misunderstandings made everyone hate her.

If Nahan hadn’t possessed her, she would have lost her life to the hero’s party as in the original story.

The current Babylonian Emperor, Reina Babylonia, was literally incompetent.

“Every moment has been frightening and still is. At every meal, I wonder if there’s poison, if someone I trusted will stab me in the back, if I’ll never open my eyes again after closing them to sleep… Every moment is so painful and terrifying.”

Reina sat leaning against the bed, pulling her legs together and wrapping her arms around them.

“And honestly…”

She slightly raised her lowered head and smiled faintly at Nahan.

“Black Wolf, you terrify me too.”

Her lips trembled.

“And yet… the fact that you are the only person I can trust and rely on makes me feel even more miserable and pathetic…”

The tears that had barely stopped now flowed freely.

“How long… will I remain an incompetent emperor?”

With those self-deprecating murmurs, Reina lowered her head between her knees.

Who would have known?

That she, called an unprecedented tyrant with formidable power, was actually a tearful woman who had dreamed of becoming a hero.

Reina sobbed for a long time.

Even that was only possible because Black Wolf, a top-class wanted criminal, stayed by her side, allowing her to fully show her true self and cry her heart out.

After crying for a while, Reina raised her head, rubbing her reddened eyes.

“…I’ve shown an unseemly display.”

“I’ll forget it.”

“I would appreciate that.”

Her heart felt somewhat relieved.

‘Even while I’m like this, the number of subjects suffering from my incompetence continues to grow.’

Reina extended her legs out of the bed, intending to stand up again.

*Rustle*

Her snow-white legs extended outward.

She tried to stand up with force, but couldn’t because her trembling wouldn’t stop.

“…I’m sorry, but just a moment—”

Just as she was about to say she needed a little more rest before getting up, Nahan, who had been silent, asked:

“If you’re so afraid, why are you trying to stand up again?”

His dark eyes shone with gravity.

“You’ve achieved enough that you could run away and disappear. Why do you remain bound to this place?”

To Black Wolf’s calm question, Reina answered without a moment’s hesitation:

“Taking care of my subjects. What could be more important for an emperor?”

“You mean the subjects who are busy cursing you while remaining ignorant?”

Reina knew.

Stupid emperor,

Incompetent emperor,

Unprecedented tyrant, and so on.

She knew that most of her subjects cursed her with words too awful to repeat.

Nevertheless, for the first time, Reina spoke to Black Wolf in an angry tone:

“Do not speak so carelessly. That too stems from my incompetence. The subjects under my rule are not at fault.”

Her golden eyes shone without the slightest retreat.

For the first time since meeting Black Wolf, Reina expressed her opinion without trembling.

Nahan crawled across the bed toward Reina and muttered softly:

“You’re foolish.”

“What?”

“Despite being terribly incompetent, you’re altruistic and good. Your heart truly cares for your subjects, but you lack both the means and the power to realize it. Your words remain just that—words.”

“That’s something I—!!”

Just as Reina raised her head sharply, struck at her core—

*Thump*

Nahan embraced her and whispered in her ear:

“But you are a sage ruler.”

Even without proper imperial education, she ascended the throne for her subjects.

She worked to fill her deficiencies and never gave up even when circumstances were unfavorable.

Despite living in constant fear of death from Eclipse who threatened her and the sudden appearance of Black Wolf, she never broke down.

And all of this was for the subjects who were busy cursing her.

“…What did you just say…?”

As Reina looked up with teary eyes, Nahan answered again with a smile:

“You’ve worked hard. Thanks to Your Majesty holding Eclipse back until now, I’ve been given a chance to do something.”

“…I.”

Reina’s lips, about to say something, curled inward and closed tightly.

“I understand your hardened heart. There’s no need to speak of it.”

Reina nodded in his embrace.

“From now on, I will help Your Majesty, so don’t suffer alone and tell me anything.”

Reina nodded again, wiped her tears, and raised her head.

“What is my… sniff… what plans have I set up… waaah…”

*Plop*

“Fortunately, we have some time today.”

“Huh?”

Nahan covered Reina’s face with his large hand, gently wiping her tears, and added:

“Please rest comfortably for a while.”

Reina remained in his embrace.

The warmth of another person, something she hadn’t felt since her hazy childhood memories decades ago.

“Thank… sniff… thank youuu…”

“Yes, well.”

Reina cried like that for a long time.

# 2.

How much time had passed?

When the light blue evening had turned into complete darkness and stars had risen.

Finally, Reina stopped crying and, rubbing her swollen eyes, asked:

“So, what should I do?”

To her serious question, Nahan—

“Puhah!”

Burst into laughter involuntarily.

“What!? Why are you laughing!?”

“Kuhup…!!”

“Don’t hold back, answer me!! That’s an order!!”

“It’s just…!!”

If Lactea was a beautiful woman with relaxed eye corners who looked composed, Reina was a beautiful woman with sharp eyes who looked strong.

But having cried for hours, her usual dignity and force were nowhere to be found.

“You look like a Doberman stung by a bee.”

“What!? What kind of disrespectful remark is that!?”

“Shh. Aren’t you relying too much on the barrier?”

“You’re the barrier, aren’t you!!”

“Anyway.”

Nahan subdued the rampaging Reina with a single finger and continued calmly:

“You asked what you should do, right?”

“That’s right.”

Reina nodded obediently.

Faced with her gaze that strangely reminded him of the orphanage children, Nahan unconsciously changed his attitude and spoke more casually:

“First, you need to stay alive.”

“Ha! Don’t worry about that!”

Her expression immediately became confident.

“I just recently surpassed S-rank and reached SS-rank!”

“Isn’t it SS-class?”

“I see you know your stuff!”

Nahan sighed and asked:

“Do you remember that guy from earlier?”

“Which guy?”

“The one who tore off his arm to escape when I was holding him.”

Reina’s expression hardened again.

“…I remember. Never in my life have I felt such a terrible aura… or was it mana? Anyway, such a terrible energy was the first—”

“That guy will come to kill Your Majesty.”

“Eh.”

An awkward silence fell.

“Wasn’t he your subordinate?”

“He was, but temporarily isn’t. He turned his back on us, saying he would kill Your Majesty.”

“…Puhah.”

Reina burst into laughter, straightened her back proudly, and opened her mouth:

“What should I do?”

Upon closer inspection, tears had already welled up in her eyes.

“That m-m-monster, obviously similar to a hero, no, even stronger than a hero.”

“Please calm down.”

Nahan immediately shared his plan:

“I will stay by Your Majesty’s side until I can persuade that guy. Whether in official or unofficial settings, always together.”

“But you are…!!”

“I know. Currently, I’m a top-class wanted criminal. If Your Majesty is seen with me, it could trigger a major rebellion.”

Infamous emperor

+

Leader of the empire’s worst and strongest criminal organization

=

Rebellion.

“You say that knowing all this..!!”

As Reina raged with round eyes and suppressed voice—

“Of course I’ll use a disguised identity.”

“Disguised identity?”

Nahan nodded.

“I have a suitable one I used before. Using that identity, I can stay by Your Majesty’s side as a guard knight.”

“…Indeed, such a method might work.”

“Before that, Your Majesty is already covered with various infamies anyway. Let’s add one more while we’re at it.”

Reina tilted her head at Nahan’s calm words and asked:

“What infamy?”

“Well, we now have to share even your bedchamber. So to move around together more comfortably, let’s spread a rumor that Your Majesty has fallen into debauchery—”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“I said no.”

“…Pardon?”

Wondering why she suddenly reacted this way, Nahan looked at Reina, who cried out with teary eyes:

“I want to get married too!”

# 3.

Several days later.

“Have you heard the news? They say the emperor has fallen into debauchery…”

“My, now even debauchery?”

“How… how immoral…”

A rumor began to circulate throughout the empire.