chapter_0238

237 – If the Heart Does Not Change

237 – If the Heart Does Not Change

Daniel Steiner’s eyes waver upon hearing Selvia’s confession.

He couldn’t grasp how to accept the words of an Emperor of a nation, saying, “I love you.”

Daniel wasn’t a fool.

He was perceptive enough to know that Selvia harbored feelings for him.

It was impossible not to notice.

They had met numerous times, and on several occasions, he had even saved Selvia from danger.

Ordinarily, it was natural to feel affection for someone who had saved you.

However, he hadn’t anticipated that it would transform into feelings of love.

After a moment of silence, Daniel swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.

“…Your Majesty. Are you aware of the implications of what you just said?”

Selvia nods slightly.

It was genuine.

Taken aback, Daniel paused for a moment before speaking.

“This is a truly impulsive statement. It is highly likely that Your Majesty is currently confused and unable to make sound judgments. Therefore…”

Daniel stopped mid-sentence.

The shouts of soldiers could be heard in the distance, carried by the wind.

─ Secure Her Imperial Majesty’s safety! Move quickly! Second squad, begin searching warehouses and storage facilities! Third squad, search the outdoor gardens with me!

─ Understood!

─ Third squad! If you hear me, follow me! Quickly!

It seemed the Imperial Guard soldiers in charge of the search had already reached this area.

“Your Majesty.”

Daniel took out a handkerchief from his pocket.

“The Imperial Guard will be here soon. Although they are discreet, rumors may still spread. Wouldn’t it be best to wipe away your tears?”

He was suggesting she maintain her dignity, as being seen crying by the soldiers could lead to unwanted gossip.

It was a reasonable point, but somehow, it didn’t sit well with her.

Selvia, calming herself with a deep breath, reached out to take the handkerchief.

However, her hand stopped just as she was about to grasp it.

After a moment of hesitation, Selvia eventually withdrew her hand and looked up.

A sulky expression clouded her blue eyes as she gazed up at Daniel.

“Will you wipe them for me?”

“…Me, personally?”

“Yes. That’s an order.”

Daniel couldn’t understand why Selvia was acting this way, but he did as he was told.

“Excuse me.”

Daniel bowed his head and gently cupped Selvia’s cheek with the hand holding the handkerchief.

He then began to meticulously wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

As if pleased by this, Selvia accepted Daniel’s touch with a slightly relaxed expression.

Selvia’s spoiled behavior seemed far removed from that of an Emperor.

Seeing Selvia, who always acted maturely, display such a vulnerable side was both fascinating and, in a way, endearing.

However, the words Selvia uttered just as he finished wiping away her tears were anything but cute.

“So, what’s your answer?”

Daniel, who was about to withdraw his hand, froze in place.

“Don’t try to gloss over it. I was being sincere.”

She was demanding a definite answer to her confession, which she had bravely voiced.

Daniel understood Selvia’s position all too well.

Treating someone’s sincerity as a joke and brushing it off was akin to a sin.

Therefore, Daniel decided to approach Selvia’s sincerity with equal seriousness.

“Your Majesty. We are currently at war. This is not an appropriate time to discuss love. Even if I were to give you a definite answer now, what would change?”

Was he indirectly saying he disliked her?

Just as Selvia, thinking she couldn’t help it if Daniel disliked her, gave a bitter smile, he spoke again.

“However, things will be different once the war is over.”

Doubt flickered across Selvia’s face, which had been clouded with disappointment.

“If the feelings that Your Imperial Majesty harbors remain unchanged even after the war…”

A faint smile appeared on Daniel’s lips as he looked down at Selvia.

“Then I, too, shall take Your Imperial Majesty’s feelings seriously.”

He was saying that if her feelings remained unchanged even after the war, he would reciprocate.

Daniel believed that the feelings Selvia possessed were merely temporary.

Emotions were inherently unstable and could change at any time depending on the circumstances.

However, Daniel was unaware that the feelings Selvia harbored were far older than he thought.

Her confession of love was by no means impulsive.

Therefore, from Selvia’s perspective, Daniel’s words were not much different from saying, “Let’s get married after the war.”

“…Really?”

Selvia, her eyes wide with surprise, asked like a young girl.

When Daniel nodded to confirm, Selvia parted her lips slightly.

Her heart was pounding wildly, and it felt as if tinnitus was ringing in her ears.

With her mind going blank, Selvia grabbed Daniel’s arm as if possessed.

“Your Majesty?”

Before a flustered Daniel could pull away, Selvia stood on her tiptoes.

Their faces drew closer, and their lips met.

“…!”

“…”

The kiss, exchanged under the moonlight, lasted for a few seconds before breaking off.

Selvia, who had lowered herself back down, looked up at Daniel with a dazed expression before belatedly regaining her senses.

“Ah…”

Her face flushed, Selvia quickly averted her gaze.

“I’m sorry. This was definitely…”

She was overwhelmed with embarrassment, not even knowing why she had done it.

Selvia, raising her hand to cover her mouth, half-closed her eyes.

“Impulsive. Yes. So, please forget what just happened…”

As if she could erase a kiss with the Emperor from her memory, even if she asked.

Daniel was just as shocked, so an awkward silence fell between them.

After a long while, Daniel, finally regaining his senses, opened his mouth blankly.

“…Your Majesty.”

“I’m sorry. Don’t say anything right now.”

Daniel did as she asked.

In fact, it was a good thing, as he didn’t know what to say either.

Just as a strange atmosphere was lingering between the two, the sound of soldiers’ footsteps could be heard.

If they continued to stand there awkwardly, the soldiers would find it strange.

To break the tension, Daniel cleared his throat.

“If you need more time to think alone, I will dismiss the soldiers.”

Selvia, giving a faint smile at Daniel’s consideration, shook her head.

“It’s alright. You said it yourself, didn’t you? That the current me exists because of unwanted memories as well. Then the same must be true for me.”

Selvia took a deep breath and looked straight ahead.

“I am not a substitute for the Princess.”

Daniel had told her.

That he served not the dead Princess, but the Emperor before his eyes.

That it would be no different for others.

Therefore, she would no longer dwell on the memories of the dead.

“No matter what anyone says, I am the rightful Emperor of this Empire.”

Daniel, watching Selvia regain her confidence, chuckled softly.

“Of course. Your Imperial Majesty.”

*

As people live their lives, they create large and small despairs in their hearts.

Life is never easy, and people experience adversity regardless of their will.

The greater the adversity, the more people are uniformly frustrated.

Even the Emperor of the Empire could not escape this inevitable cycle of fate.

“It’s alright. I’m really alright, you know? Head Court Lady? Why are you crying? No. I’m the one who should be sorry. So hurry up and go home. Everyone, stop worrying! I’m not hurt anywhere.”

However, adversity could be overcome as much as one set their mind to it.

Selvia, who was currently surrounded by Imperial Guard officers and Inner Court personnel, chatting amicably, was proof of that.

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, but also felt a strange chill down his spine.

‘It’s safe to say that almost no one knows about Selvia’s past right now. But…’

The moment this shocking fact became a rumor and began to spread throughout the Empire, the Empire would be in an uncontrollable situation.

In a time of war, when they were barely managing to hold off the Republic and the Allied Nations, even a civil war could lead to their downfall.

Of course, the evidence to prove that ‘Selvia is not of the Emperor’s bloodline’ was in the Imperial Archives of the Imperial Palace.

It was enshrined in a place that no one dared to approach, and it was even possible to destroy it if desired.

In other words, it was possible to permanently eliminate the evidence from this world.

Therefore, a civil war would not break out based on mere rumors alone.

‘But if the person spreading the rumors is an Imperial Prince…’

The possibility of the Empire’s situation spiraling into catastrophe was not entirely nonexistent.

Daniel sighed and turned his head towards the old city.

The Imperial Prince was currently trapped inside the cathedral, waiting for Daniel Steiner.

‘Arno. He must have known the impact of the information he possessed, so that’s why he so confidently proposed a deal back then.’

Arno, laughing maniacally in front of the corpse of his attendant, came to mind.

‘I’m sorry, but…’

Daniel frowned.

‘I have no intention of making a deal with you.’

He would make sure that Arno paid the price for inflicting despair on Selvia.

Author’s Note

I’m really sorry for being late… Something suddenly came up this morning, so I was late… ㅠㅠ

Anyway, thank you for reading today!

Then I’ll see you again tomorrow!