Chapter 351

It felt like I had a long dream.

It wasn’t a delusion.

The moment I regained consciousness and realized I was in a different place, I knew that a significant amount of time had passed.

“Where am I…?”

An unfamiliar ceiling.

But somehow familiar.

It smelled like a hospital.

Well, it was only natural that I would be taken to a hospital if I was seriously injured enough to lose consciousness.

I forced myself to sit up in bed.

But,

“Ugh.”

A wave of pain washed over me, and I winced.

It seemed like I hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Well, it was understandable.

It was the attack the treacherous prince had launched at the princess, intending to kill her in one blow.

It was a miracle that I had survived after taking the blow for her.

I chuckled as I recalled the scene.

“Was I out of my mind?”

I couldn’t believe what I had done.

My priority had always been myself.

That was why I had been fighting so hard.

Of course, it wasn’t like I had never risked my life for someone else.

But that was only when I was involved with special people.

The princess wasn’t one of those people.

In fact, she was dangerous.

Our relationship could turn sour at any moment.

And yet, I had thrown myself in front of her to save her.

“Ha, seriously.”

I shook my head with a wry smile.

It would have been fine if it had been a calculated move based on cold logic.

If I had done it because I knew that the princess’s death would ruin everything I had built.

But that wasn’t the case.

The moment I saw the princess facing death, my mind went blank.

It wasn’t logic that had moved me, but emotion.

My emotions had taken over and decided that I had to save her.

Looking back, it wasn’t the right decision.

First of all, I could have died.

And even though the princess was an important figure in this civil war, I was in a position to directly target the treacherous prince.

I could have ended the civil war by killing him, even if the princess had died.

The war hero who avenged the princess and ended the civil war?

What better ending could there be for me?

More importantly, I could have killed two of the worst monsters that would lead this continent to ruin in one fell swoop.

But,

In the end, I had chosen to save the princess.

No, it wasn’t even a choice. It was an impulse.

“…Damn feelings.”

They say that even hateful feelings are feelings, and that accumulated feelings are powerful. I think that’s what happened to me.

From our daily lives at the academy to assignments, practicums, events, the ball, and various incidents, I had been entangled with the princess countless times.

It was impossible for me to not develop feelings for her.

And even though I knew her true nature, she was always kind, considerate, and cheerful on the surface.

And for some reason, she had been even more affectionate towards me.

Even though I had tried to be cold and distant, her actions had moved me in the end.

I had to accept what had happened.

Anyway, the important thing was,

“At least we’re alive.”

Both the princess and I were alive.

The outcome was good, no matter what.

“…It would be nice if she felt indebted to me, though.”

The princess, whose life I had saved.

Any normal person would be eternally grateful.

But the princess wasn’t a normal person.

Her thought process was completely different from that of a normal person.

So I wasn’t expecting anything.

It would be best to just be content with the fact that both of us were alive.

Anyway,

This was a hospital, but where exactly was I?

I looked around.

*Click*

The door suddenly opened.

A nurse walked in.

She looked at me, her eyes widening in surprise.

Wait a minute.

This scene felt familiar.

“H-He’s awake! The patient in room 502 is awake!”

* * *

“…That’s what happened.”

A familiar face was sitting next to me.

Regina, my fiancée.

She had explained everything to me.

That she had killed the treacherous prince, and that the princess’s faction had won the civil war.

That Duke Henatus, who had been at Nertan Castle, had surrendered.

That the princess and her army had returned to the Imperial City in triumph.

That I had been taken to a hospital in Amar because my injuries were serious.

That she had stayed behind to take care of me.

That a week had already passed.

And that I had finally regained consciousness today.

I had a rough understanding of what had happened.

“I see.”

I nodded.

And then I added, “Thank you.”

It wasn’t her duty to stay here and take care of me just because she was my fiancée.

Especially at a time like this.

The war wasn’t over just because they had won the civil war.

Another war was about to begin.

A war for power.

They would be scheming and plotting behind the scenes to gain as much power as possible.

So Regina shouldn’t have been here.

She was the face of the Erenbert family, and the face of the north.

She should have been at the Imperial City, making a strong impression on the people and securing more power for the Erenbert family and the north.

But she had stayed behind in the south because of me.

I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

“Don’t mention it. It’s only natural.”

She replied nonchalantly.

It was a typical Regina response, but it warmed my heart.

They say that you become more sentimental when you’re sick, and it seemed to be true.

“No, I’ll repay you for this.”

“Are you telling me to get injured and hospitalized so you can repay me?”

“No, of course not.”

“Phew.”

She chuckled and smiled faintly.

I smiled back.

The awkward atmosphere dissipated.

“Actually, your juniors also wanted to stay, but I told them to go back to the Imperial City.”

There were only two people she could be referring to when she said “your juniors.”

Camian and Annette.

Those guys were loyal.

I chuckled.

“I see. You did the right thing.”

They were also representing their families in this civil war.

They had to be at the Imperial City for their families’ sake.

We continued to chat.

But there was one thing I was hesitant to ask.

I knew that the answer would be unpleasant, even though it was obvious.

But in the end,

I asked, “Did the princess say anything?”

“No.”

As expected.

My sacrifice had been meaningless, except for the outcome…

Huh?

I suddenly realized something and my eyes widened in surprise.

I asked again, “Really nothing…?”

“Yes, really nothing.”

“…”

I blinked rapidly.

It was strange.

It was unlike the princess.

Normally, she would have at least expressed her gratitude for saving her life and wished me a speedy recovery, even if she didn’t mean it.

She was a master of acting.

But,

She hadn’t said anything at all?

It was strange.

‘Is it because the civil war is over and she doesn’t need me anymore?’

…No.

That couldn’t be it.

Even though the civil war was over and she was about to become the emperor, I wasn’t a nobody anymore. I was a war hero and the leader of a powerful faction.

Even the emperor couldn’t treat me carelessly.

Then why?

‘Could it be that she’s already planning to get rid of me?’

I couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Those who didn’t know the princess would think it was absurd.

But it was a perfectly normal suspicion for me.

Poison, assassination, execution, strangulation…

Anything was possible.

With her.

“What’s wrong?”

Regina asked, sensing my unease.

I lowered my voice.

“…Remember what I said?”

“What?”

“That the princess might reveal her true nature and go on a rampage after she becomes the emperor.”

“…”

Her face turned serious.

“Of course I remember.”

I could trust her.

I could rely on her.

That was why I could be honest with her.

“Something’s going to happen soon. We have to be prepared.”

“I have a question.”

She asked suddenly.

“What?”

“Do you really think the princess would do such a thing in this situation?”

I understood what she meant.

The Celtrine and Erenbert families had become too powerful. Even the princess couldn’t act recklessly anymore.

She was right.

That was why I had worked so hard to build up my influence.

But,

“Wouldn’t it be possible? If she killed me.”

“…”

Her face flickered with emotion.

It was unlike her.

It meant that I had become someone special to her.

“…That would be truly horrifying.”

Her words were filled with emotion, which was also unlike her.

I understood.

The princess was her junior, after all.

And she had seen us together.

She had seen our seemingly harmonious relationship.

Even someone as cold and logical as her couldn’t help but be affected by it.

“I understand. But we have to be ruthless.”

She nodded at my serious words.

“Let me confirm something. When is the coronation?”

The new emperor’s coronation.

Some people might think it was too soon to hold a coronation when the empire was in such a state of chaos, with many people dead and the country in ruins.

But that was a short-sighted view.

The more chaotic the situation, the more important it was to have a new emperor on the throne to stabilize the situation and restore order.

So the princess would definitely be crowned emperor soon.

“Two weeks from now.”

Regina replied.

As expected, it wasn’t far off.

“I see.”

I continued, my eyes thoughtful, “We have to reach the Imperial City before the coronation, no matter what.”

“But your body…”

“I’m fine. The princess might try something at the coronation. We have to be prepared.”

I still remembered it clearly.

The Bloody Coronation.

That horrific incident.

The incident where she had slaughtered the lords at the coronation banquet.

It was unlikely to happen again, but I couldn’t be sure.

I had to be there.

At the Imperial City.

“Try something…? What do you mean…?”

“I’ll explain later. Let’s pack our things.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“I’m fine.”

I got out of bed and stood up.

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun rises.”

* * *

The princess was sitting by the window, staring blankly at the sky.

Anyone who knew her would have been shocked.

She had never shown such a vulnerable expression before.

And,

“Sigh.”

She sighed heavily, her usual smile gone.

If Max had seen her, he would have been stunned.

“…What is this?”

She muttered to herself.

“It’s boring.”

She closed her eyes.

But her expression wasn’t peaceful.