And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 39

“Anne, is it almost time for Julius to arrive?”

Anne, standing ready nearby, smiled gently.

“It is. Today is the meeting for the wedding preparations, isn’t it?”

“Weddings are such a chore,” I sighed, feeling the tension leave my shoulders for a moment. “Honestly, I’d rather skip the whole thing and just start tomorrow as King and King Consort.”

With everything so busy, formality and ritual felt like nothing more than a nuisance.

“You must not! I’m looking forward to seeing you in your dress far too much for that.”

“Hehe, I see. Then I’ll do my best for your sake, Anne.”

“Yes, please do.”

The sound of Anne happily pouring tea echoed pleasantly through the quiet room.

“Sit down, Anne. Let’s take a break together.”

“Thank you very much.”

Anne took a seat with her usual modest reserve.

“Lady Luciana, do you have any news regarding Lady Sara?”

The hand I was using to bring the teacup to my lips paused.

Sara. Just hearing the name caused a small pang of pain.

She was executed for the crime of impersonating an Apostle of the Goddess. As a great criminal who had feigned the title of an Apostle from another world and led the nation astray, her life had ended in secret.

“I’d rather not talk about those who aren’t coming back.”

“Ah! That’s right. I didn’t mean Sara, I meant Elly!”

I blinked, then let out a soft smile.

“Oh, her. Yes, I know. Emilia has been quite enthusiastic about it.”

“Yes, exactly!!” Anne’s voice grew lively.

The official story is that Sara was executed. That is the public face of the matter. However, she is still alive. And very few know the truth.

I will never forget that day.

“Please, at least… at least, let her live.”

With a tear-stained face, Anne had knelt before me, her voice trembling. It was a sound closer to a scream than a prayer.

I had no intention of being lenient. To impersonate an Apostle for selfish gain, it was a blasphemy against the Goddess and a crime that shook the very order of this world. It wasn’t something I could overlook out of sentiment. Normally, it would be worth ten thousand deaths.

Yet, that was the first time Anne had ever “requested something” of me.

She was a girl who never begged. She was the one who always stood a step back to support me. And yet, there she was, her knees buckled, her voice choked, still desperately weaving words together.

…There was something that only Anne understood. Something that couldn’t be measured by logic. A reason so personal and earnest that it would break if put into words. That was what had driven her to such lengths.

If I were to uphold only what was “right,” I shouldn’t have nodded. As an Apostle, the judgment I should have made was already decided.

And yet, I nodded.

Not for Sara’s sake. Not because I had forgiven the crime. I did it for Anne. I simply couldn’t bring myself to trample upon the very first wish Anne had ever offered me.

Even if I were to be punished for twisting the path of justice.

So, Sara was declared executed in secret, but she was allowed to live under her original name, “Elly.” The condition was that she live in total anonymity. Those who knew her well, including the former Prime Minister, were sent to various distant temples, far apart from one another.

I traced the rim of my cup with a finger, lowering my eyes.

“Lady Emilia said, ‘If she can’t live in the light anyway, I’ll raise her as a shadow of the nation’… What do you think of that?”

Despite having lived as an orphan, Elly had been bold enough to deceive everyone into believing she was an Apostle from another world. And for a year, she had spared no effort in acquiring the skills she needed. Her behavior was hardly commendable, but the fact that she had deceived both herself and those around her to achieve her goals alone. Emilia found that fascinating. “A natural talent for the shadows,” she had laughed.

I hear that even now, she is learning etiquette and swordsmanship from Emilia, picking them up with terrifying speed. Perhaps Elly really is a descendant of an Apostle from another world. There’s no way to prove it, though.

“Emilia always did like children with grit. Their circumstances are similar to yours, so perhaps she feels a certain connection.”

“Hmph. Lady Emilia is completely stuck to Elly’s side lately.”

Seeing Anne pout, I let out a chuckle.

“Hehe, are you jealous? But you’re the one who introduced her to Emilia, weren’t you?”

“…Well, I did it hoping it would turn out that way, but still.”

Her reaction was so adorable I couldn’t help but smile.

“More importantly, if you don’t call her ‘Mother,’ Emilia is going to get angry.”

“Urk! I’m just not used to it yet. I get too shy.”

I have a feeling Emilia will be saying she wants Elly as a daughter too, soon enough. I can already see Anne acting huffy while looking secretly happy about it.

Now then, what shall we do?

A knock echoed through the quiet office.

“Come in,” I answered lightly.

Julius appeared from behind the door. A hint of fatigue was visible on his handsome face.

“Am I interrupting?”

“No, I was just waiting for you. Besides, Anne has an appointment, so she’ll be heading out soon.”

“Ah! That’s right.”

Anne quickly served Julius his tea, gave a bright smile, and left the room with a light step.

“Is your work finished, Julius?”

“Yes. I’ve reached a stopping point. Marcel has gone on break as well.”

“Did Marcel complain about becoming the Prime Minister?”

Julius shrugged with a wry smile.

“Haha, he doesn’t say it to me, but I hear that every time he sees Lord Rutherford, he begs him, ‘It’s not too late for you to take over.'”

“Hehe, is that so?”

I took a sip of tea. The aroma relaxed my mind. In that gentle atmosphere, Julius asked quietly:

“Lady Luciana… was it truly alright that it wasn’t Marcel? I have no intention of stepping down, of course.”

“What do you mean?”

“Regarding the King Consort. It’s rude to say it behind his back, but I suspected that Marcel held feelings for you.”

“Marcel? For me? No way!”

I laughed a little as I remembered. Scenes from our childhood flashed through my mind. A boy who was constantly dragged around by my selfishness, sighing with exasperation—that was Marcel. Feelings for me? Absolutely impossible.

“What made you think that?”

“He mentioned it once. That there was someone he had loved since they were small. That when they cried, he would give them a sweet, and they would smile so happily. Someone carrying a heavy destiny.”

Ah, I see.

“That wasn’t me.”

“It wasn’t you? But…”

“Whenever I was crying, my grandfather wasn’t the only one who would pick me up, and there were plenty of people who gave me sweets. There was no room for Marcel to wiggle in. Besides, I’m not the only one carrying a ‘heavy destiny.'”

Saying that, I stood up and walked to the window to look outside. The sun was dipping low, turning the courtyard to gold. I beckoned Julius over, and he approached with a curious look.

On a bench below the window, Anne and Marcel were sitting side-by-side, sharing sweets and laughing together.

“Ah! It was Anne?”

“Exactly. Marcel fell in love with Anne at first sight when they were little. He even convinced his father to let him come here as an apprentice just to be near her. He thinks he hasn’t been found out, but everyone knows.”

“I see. I completely misunderstood.”

Seeing Julius smile bashfully, I burst out laughing.

“So, you were being a little considerate of Marcel, then?”

“More than a little. I was so worried that I had snatched you away from him that I could hardly sleep.”

“My, hehe. You should have just asked me sooner.”

“Truly.”

Our laughter overlapped. Outside, a gentle breeze rustled the curtains. Julius suddenly turned serious.

“When I heard Marcel’s story, I thought the two of them were a perfect match. That’s why, when you asked for me as your King Consort whether it was for my ability or for political reasons I was happy. I was prepared to carry the guilt toward Marcel for the rest of my life.”

I smiled warmly at his words.

“My, I suppose I didn’t make myself clear. I chose you as my husband. That time I asked you to come to this country with me… if you had refused, Anne and I had already plotted several ways to bring you here by force. That’s how serious I was about having you.”

Julius caught his breath, then gave a sheepish laugh.

“May I be conceited enough to believe that Lady Luciana likes me?”

“Yes, of course. After all, I’ve long since been conceited enough to believe that you like me.”

Our laughter melted into the soft evening light.