episode_0111

Elia laughed. She couldn’t help it. To her, the current situation was pure delight.

Cecilia stared at her with a bewildered expression, as if she had misheard something.

“…What did you just say?”

“I said it’s unfortunate. Losing someone as capable as you is truly regrettable.”

“……”

“Why are you so flustered? Wasn’t it you who advised me to act this way in the first place?”

“I—I didn’t…”

A twisted sense of pleasure.

Elia was giving Cecilia a taste of her own medicine. Manipulating people, seducing them, and bending them to her will—it was a novel sensation, one even Elia hadn’t experienced before.

Though she was already accustomed to giving orders to countless individuals in previous iterations of the world, this situation felt uniquely different.

“Being a saintess might not have been as difficult as I thought.”

“What are you talking about?! Explain yourself—”

“A regent.”

“…What?”

“As soon as I become emperor, I will declare a regency. Countless people will scramble for the position, but sorting out the useful ones won’t be much trouble.”

“That’s—that’s absurd! A regency? Do you really think this empire can function properly with some hastily chosen figurehead—”

“It will. This empire is far sturdier than you think. And I intend to settle all matters requiring my approval immediately after ascending the throne. Of course, I won’t let it take too long.”

Elia smiled faintly as she watched Cecilia’s despairing expression and spoke softly.

“Don’t look so shocked. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

In truth, even in previous iterations, Elia had spent far more time fighting alongside her party on the battlefield than sitting idly in the imperial palace.

But unlike the regents of the past, who had been reluctantly appointed, this time, the regent would be nothing more than a puppet, utterly obedient to Elia’s will.

Someone competent, incorruptible—yet incapable of ever defying her.

“Do you really think the other two will stand by while you act so recklessly? Or have you forgotten? Christina and Luciella may not wield as much influence as the imperial family, but it’s still considerable.”

“Duke Grave is the most likely candidate for regent, no?”

“…What?”

“Persuading him will be easy. He’s a true patriot, after all. He knows better than anyone that I’m still lacking. He’ll manage the empire well enough without my constant oversight. The religious aspect might be a slight concern, but your father, Count Rastal, is also a reliable man.”

No matter how much influence Cecilia wielded as the saintess, it was ultimately limited to the religious sphere. The experience of having ruled the empire once before, along with the vast network and knowledge she had built over time, was something that couldn’t be matched in a short span.

“More importantly, I thought you came here to apologize. But since things aren’t going your way, you resort to threats?”

“Did you really expect saintly behavior from me? I’m simply acting accordingly.”

Cecilia rose from her seat, lightly brushing the dust off her knees.

“I came here intending to apologize, but it seems that won’t be necessary. I never imagined Elia, of all people, would go this far.”

“Surprised?”

“Yes. To be honest? I’m so terrified my legs are shaking.”

“Hahaha! That’s the most amusing thing I’ve heard in a while.”

Elia burst into laughter, but Cecilia continued without a change in expression.

“Before I go, let me ask you one thing. Why are you going to such lengths?”

“‘Why’?”

“I’m asking for your reason. A regency was inevitable at some point, but this is far too soon. Even if I provoked you, you’re not the type to act on mere words, are you?”

“……”

“You can prattle on about self-sacrifice or repaying debts, but in the end, it’s just unnecessary suffering. No one will appreciate it, and Eric won’t look at you any differently for it.”

“Do you truly believe that?”

“Well… maybe I was hoping for a little more. But I know better than anyone that I don’t deserve the same ordinary happiness others enjoy. Even this act of trying to look good for Eric—it’s become my true self before I knew it. I thought you, of all people, would understand that you don’t deserve happiness either.”

“Hmph…”

“Yet here I am, foolishly reaching out, desperate to get closer. But you? You’re not the emotional type.”

“Eric will never leave our side.”

“Are you overestimating things? Eric has no reason to cling to people like us. Once the misunderstanding about his madness is cleared, he’ll have no shortage of suitors.”

“How foolish. That’s not the issue. I didn’t want to say it aloud—it sounds arrogant—but this is an undeniable fact. As the closest candidates to being the hero and his allies, Eric will do everything in his power to make us stronger.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Whether you or I treat him coldly or devote ourselves to him body and soul, his attitude toward us won’t change. So, to protect him, this is the only way.”

“That’s no answer. I’m asking why someone as rational and logical as you would do something as foolish as I have.”

“…Is it not allowed?”

“Excuse me?”

“Must I always remain so lofty? Do you think anyone takes on this role willingly? Even I—!”

Elia bit her lip, cutting herself off.

“That was unbecoming. Forget it.”

“Elia…”

Only then did Cecilia realize. She had been under a grave misconception all this time.

Cecilia Rastal does not believe in the goddess.

She acknowledges the goddess’s existence and power, but she does not believe her worthy of worship.

She thought the title of saintess was nothing more than an empty honor, a fluke of her abundant divine energy.

Yet she had never revealed this to anyone.

As the daughter of a count, she knew exactly what kind of saintess the world expected—and playing the part was easy.

So easy that, before she knew it, the act had become her true self.

The self she had hidden to please others had vanished beyond retrieval.

And Elia must have shouldered pressures and duties many times heavier than hers. If that was the case—

“I must have misunderstood you. I’m sorry, Elia.”

Only now did Cecilia understand. She hadn’t broken Elia—she had unearthed the real Elia.

“I feel the same as you. It’s a painful path, and I know I’ll face choices far more agonizing than living as emperor. But hearing your words made me realize something. Even so… even as I am, I want this.”

“Now I see how you persuaded Chris.”

Elia Ferial and Cecilia Rastal are two of a kind. That’s why Cecilia understood everything at once—why Elia had called her here alone, why Christine wasn’t present.

“Chris is still so naive. She knows better than to keep leaving decisions to others, yet she does it anyway.”

“Determination alone won’t make everything work out.”

“And if she’s prepared for that?”

“Don’t you understand? Even if not as much as Eric, you’re still a precious comrade to me. If you were hurt—or worse—I’d be devastated.”

“‘Devastated’? What childish—”

Elia scoffed, but she knew better than anyone that the words were sincere.

The bond between them, forged through countless battles, was strange yet unbreakable.

Just as Eric trusted Cecilia’s resolve, they knew each other’s ugliest, most hidden truths—leaving no room for doubt.

“If you’re not prepared, then give up. I’m dirty enough for the both of us.”

“If such a petty reason could make me quit, you’d have done so long ago. Look at the mess you’ve made. You nearly dragged Eric and Chris into danger with you. And you expect me to stand by? At first, I only meant to reprimand you. But you wouldn’t change, would you? You’ve already found your life’s purpose.”

To Elia, the current Cecilia was nothing but a clear-eyed fanatic.

“So I’ve decided to go mad too. It’s the only way to balance the scales. And even you wouldn’t dare weigh the emperor of this empire so carelessly.”