Chapter 359

All eyes were suddenly on me, as if on cue.

Murmurs erupted from the crowd.

“Whoa, is that rumor true?”

“There’s no smoke without fire…”

“What? What’s going on?”

“Don’t you know? You can’t just climb those steps with anyone.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Only the new emperor’s spouse, or someone of equal standing, can ascend those steps.”

“Gasp? T-Then?”

“You know what it means.”

“T-They’re…?!”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous.”

“Father, Mother… Your unworthy son is spending this joyous day alone again.”

“Hey, who’s being a downer on such a happy day?”

“That’s right. It’s only natural for successful people to end up together. Let’s bless this perfect couple.”

The crowd was buzzing with excitement.

Even those next to me were shocked.

“S-S-S-Senior?!”

“W-What?! You! You have a wonderful fiancée, Professor Regina, and yet you’re flirting with the princess?!”

Annette and Camian were stunned.

…But I swear, this time, it wasn’t me!

It wasn’t my fault!

I’ve never flirted with the princess, you guys!

I wanted to shout at them, but I couldn’t, and it was driving me crazy.

No, that wasn’t important right now.

Think, think.

I had to think.

I racked my brains amidst the deafening noise.

‘First, let’s sort out my options.’

Decline or accept.

I should decline.

I had a fiancée.

This wasn’t the time to be creating a romantic atmosphere with the princess.

But,

‘I have a feeling there’s more to this.’

She had made this proposal in front of everyone.

There had to be a reason.

A reason other than the absurd possibility that she actually had feelings for me.

‘Could it be?’

My eyes widened as I realized something.

The last question I had asked her during our private meeting.

The important and serious question of whether she was willing to join forces with me.

She had tried to evade the question with a vague answer.

But what if this was her answer?

‘I have to accept.’

Rejecting this proposal meant rejecting a compromise.

It meant choosing the path of bloodshed.

I didn’t want that.

I didn’t like the way she had done this, but I would choose peace.

I had made my decision.

“I’m unworthy, but I accept your request, Your Highness.”

* * *

The princess and I stood before the Eternal Steps.

I felt like everyone was staring at me.

Well, it was probably just my rivals glaring at me.

I had caught a glimpse of their faces earlier, and they had looked furious.

I didn’t care.

They were just small fry.

The only person I had to focus on was the princess.

“Hehe, thank you for accepting.”

She whispered, her voice so low that only I could hear.

“I’ll thank you in a different way later.”

“Oh my, what could that be?”

She was pretending to be clueless.

I just smiled faintly.

She smiled back.

“Shall we go up?”

She offered me her hand.

I took it.

It was customary to ascend the steps together.

We started to climb the Eternal Steps, one step at a time.

We didn’t rush.

I had a feeling that she would have something to say to me while we climbed these hundred steps.

And as I had expected, she started to speak.

“Honestly, I never imagined that I would be climbing these steps with you, Senior.”

“Me neither.”

“Hehe, life is full of surprises.”

“I guess so.”

It felt strange to be alone with her in this important ceremony.

It felt unreal.

But the warmth of her hand in mine reminded me that it was real.

“Did you see everyone’s reaction?”

“Yes, I did.”

“We seem to make a good couple. Hehe, I’m happy.”

“It’s because you’re so beautiful, Your Highness.”

It sounded like flattery, but it wasn’t.

It was the truth.

She was a stunning beauty.

“Oh my, you’re so handsome and charming yourself, Senior.”

…What was she talking about?

I was decent-looking, but compared to her, I was just a pebble next to a gold nugget.

“Please refrain from teasing me on such a happy day.”

“Huh? I’m serious.”

“Sure.”

We had already climbed more than twenty steps.

Wasn’t it time to get to the point?

I decided to speak first.

“Have you made up your mind?”

“I’m sure you’re curious about that.”

She smiled mysteriously.

She continued, “Honestly, I’ve thought about it a lot.”

It was understandable.

It must have been a difficult decision for her.

I still couldn’t imagine her giving up her ambition for absolute power and choosing to compromise.

Even in this situation.

I had been prepared for her to make a reckless move.

But what had changed her mind?

I was curious.

I waited for her to continue.

“When I was young, I saw the throne, so high and distant, and I thought to myself, ‘I want to sit on that throne, no matter what. I want to see the world from up there.’”

It was the first time I had heard her inner thoughts.

But…

What was this?

Why did she suddenly seem so human?

Was I falling into a trap?

I bit my lip to suppress my wavering emotions.

I had been fine holding her hand, but now my feelings were being swayed by her words.

It was absurd.

She continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil, “It must have been a dream, a wish.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say, “You’ve achieved your dream.”

Because it was clear that the throne she had desired wasn’t this half-baked throne.

I just listened to her with a serious expression.

“But I realized something. Dreams don’t have to be singular. So I thought, ‘Why not live for a different dream?’”

This time, I couldn’t remain silent.

It felt like she was waiting for me to ask a question.

“What is that dream?”

“Hehe.”

She smiled brightly and looked me straight in the eye.

“I want to live a happy life.”

At that moment,

My expression faltered.

Live a happy life.

Those were the words I had said to her, with all my sincerity.

Become a wise ruler.

Then both of us can be happy.

And now she was saying that she wanted to live a happy life.

There was no other way to interpret her words.

She had accepted my proposal.

My heart started to race.

It was excitement.

Not a romantic kind of excitement.

I hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.

Compromise.

It was a good word.

Because it brought peace.

“I’m truly grateful for your wise decision.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome. I should thank you for enlightening me, Senior.”

I almost stumbled, overwhelmed with relief.

But at the same time, a sense of unease, born of experience, started to stir within me.

Was it real?

Could I really trust her?

The demonic princess?

I couldn’t help but be conflicted.

But…

If I couldn’t trust her, then compromise was impossible in the first place.

“Wait.”

“Huh?”

I suddenly stopped and turned to face her, bringing my face close to hers.

She froze, her eyes widening in surprise.

I knew.

She was a natural actress who could control her every breath.

She could deceive anyone with her acting.

She might be doing that right now.

If this was an act.

So I listened closely.

To her breathing.

I grabbed her wrist.

To feel her pulse.

And…

‘This is…’

I could feel it.

Her ragged breathing.

Her faint but rapid pulse.

‘…She’s not acting.’

I was convinced.

And the moment I was convinced, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

I realized that she was human after all.

“Excuse me.”

I bowed politely.

“You surprised me. Please warn me next time.”

She said, her face slightly flushed.

She didn’t seem offended.

She was smiling faintly.

“Alright.”

We continued to climb the steps.

I could sense the crowd buzzing behind us, probably because of what they had just witnessed.

…It must have looked like a romantic scene between lovers.

It was a misunderstanding, both for me and the princess.

It would probably blow over eventually, so it wasn’t a big deal.

We reached the top of the steps.

“Bring it to me.”

The imperial crown, the symbol of the emperor, was waiting for her at the foot of the black dragon sculpture.

Only the emperor could wear it.

I carefully handed her the golden crown.

She took it and placed it on her own head.

Honestly, it suited her perfectly.

As if it had been made for her.

I was certain.

She had been born to be an emperor.

I knelt on one knee.

She turned and looked down at the crowd gathered below.

Her voice, clear and distinct, echoed through the plaza.

“I, Oscar Peresia, as the new emperor of the empire, swear before all of you that I will not abuse my power for personal gain, and that I will use it to uphold justice, maintain order, and ensure the happiness of all who live in this empire.”

“Long live the new emperor!”

“Long live Emperor Oscar!”

“Long live the Hiyas Empire!”

“Long live! Long live! Long live!”

And so, Princess Oscar became the emperor.

* * *

‘A happy life.’

It was customary for the emperor to make grand promises during their coronation speech, but she didn’t have to mention “a happy life.”

I didn’t remember hearing those words in my past memories.

It meant one thing.

She had said it for me.

‘Has she really changed?’

I chuckled, a strange feeling welling up within me.

Milia approached me.

“Shall we proceed with the plan, Savior?”

The plan.

The Bloody Coronation.

We had prepared for the possibility of the empress slaughtering the lords at the coronation banquet, just like she had done in my past memories.

We couldn’t mobilize a large number of soldiers without attracting attention, so we had decided to have the Turtle Unit discreetly stand by in case of an emergency.

It had been the right decision.

Until yesterday.

But,

“No, I’m sorry, but forget about it. The plan is off.”

“Huh?”

“Something came up.”

Sincerity for sincerity.

I had decided to respond in kind.

It would be hypocritical of me to pretend to be sincere while preparing to stab her in the back.

I would trust the empress.

It was fine.

I had confirmed it.

She wasn’t lying to me.

There wouldn’t be a Bloody Coronation.

Not this time.

“Savior…”

“Enjoy the festivities. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

I grinned and walked towards the banquet hall.