Chapter 172: Side Story 28 

For reasons unknown, the Queen made a point to visit Cornelly once a day, without fail. At first, Alexa thought it was a sign of deep affection for Cornelly, but by the fourth visit, she realized that wasn’t the whole story. Yes, there was genuine affection, but the Queen had another purpose.

She hesitantly held out a small box of tea leaves.

“This is… a token of my heart.”

Meeting her hopeful gaze, Alexa carefully opened the box. A sweet fragrance of tea instantly filled the room.

“…Thank you.”

“Ahem.”

She must have something she wants to say.

Noticing this, Alexa offered her a seat.

“Please brew this tea for us.”

“Yes, Miss Alexa.”

Once the maid holding the box stepped out, Alexa and the Queen sat facing each other. Alexa patiently waited, giving the Queen a chance to collect herself. Her hand swept across her chest as she took a deep breath, but the motion betrayed her anxiousness.

Somehow, Alexa had a sense of what the Queen was about to say.

The maid soon returned with the brewed tea. Alexa took a slow sip.

“It’s truly lovely.”

She smiled as warmly as she could. It was a small effort to help the Queen feel at ease. After all, Alexa could sense what it had taken for the Queen to come here. Those four days of silent visits, the look of fear on her face as she handed over the box of tea.

“Cornelly is recovering well, Your Highness. I believe she’ll be discharged soon.”

“…That’s a relief. Truly.”

The Queen, fidgeting with her teacup, drank the still-warm tea in one go. Then she inhaled deeply.

“…How is Jeremiah doing?”

As expected.

Her true concern was Jeremiah. Like all parents, the Queen was earnestly worried for her child. She had once used Jeremiah as a shield, hiding behind him. It had been she who pushed him toward the Emperor and toward Thersion.

Jeremiah had resented her. He had abandoned her.

But… was that really all there was?

“…Jeremiah is doing well. He’ll soon be able to go out again.”

Whether intentionally or not, Jeremiah had never spoken of the Queen. Neither Alexa, nor Terrun, nor Ysildus had tried to bring it up. They were all waiting for him to speak first.

“I see. I’m glad. When I heard he’d attempted suicide… I was so shocked.”

The Queen bit her lip, gnawing on it anxiously.

“The Emperor promised me that so long as I stayed quiet, he wouldn’t touch Jeremiah. But then he died… and I didn’t know what to do.”

“That must’ve been difficult for you.”

Her hands were trembling. It seemed she was about to tell a story Jeremiah himself had never heard. Her face grew increasingly pale.

“I was never a good mother. I was weak, powerless. I had nothing, so I couldn’t protect Jeremiah… I just did whatever the Emperor told me to.”

“…”

“When Jeremiah was sent to Thersion… the Emperor said he would kill him if he didn’t go.”

The words burst out of her without pause. She had turned deathly pale. No doubt she had imagined Jeremiah dying over and over again.

Alexa clenched her jaw.

Jeremiah probably didn’t know any of this. The Emperor had threatened them both, Jeremiah and the Queen. It was because she pushed him away that Jeremiah had been able to leave her behind so resolutely. He believed she had abandoned him for her own safety.

That she had discarded her child to save herself.

But that wasn’t the truth.

“The Emperor promised he’d protect Jeremiah. He said that once Jeremiah completed his duty at Thersion, he’d make him Emperor. And I… I thought that was the only way to save him.”

Tears rolled down the Queen’s cheeks.

“Then I heard rumors that he’d defected in Thersion. And honestly, I felt relieved. It meant he wouldn’t have to live like a puppet anymore. I thought… maybe now he could be free.”

“Your Highness…”

It was heartbreaking.

In the end, both Jeremiah and the Queen had been pawns in the Emperor’s game. Even their emotions had been manipulated. The Emperor had driven a wedge between them, taking each as hostage against the other. The only thing he hadn’t accounted for was this: Thersion had chosen Jeremiah.

Jeremiah had naturally blended in among the wolves there and they became true friends. Alexa could see that with her own eyes.

Even if they bickered constantly, there was a bond between them that couldn’t be broken. Even Ysildus was fairly kind in his own way.

Jeremiah had abandoned the Queen to free himself from the guilt. He had chosen himself. Alexa didn’t know just how difficult that decision had been. Perhaps no one did.

“I’m useless to him. I still am. I’m not asking for anything… I just wanted to make sure he was okay.”

The Queen hastily wiped her tears, bringing her monologue to a close.

“I swear I had no ulterior motives. I… I’d rather go on living as someone already dead. It’s better that way. Even for Jeremiah. As long as he’s doing well… that’s enough.”

Alexa’s expression softened with pity.

All she could offer was a listening ear. No matter who she was, even Alexa had no right to step between Jeremiah and his mother. After a pause, she finally spoke.

“…There’s going to be a banquet soon, in Jeremiah’s honor. Preparations for the coronation are underway… and it seems they’re planning to choose an Empress beforehand.”

“An Empress…!”

“If someone suitable appears for Jeremiah, I suppose that’s what will happen. But… I don’t think Jeremiah is looking forward to it. For now, he’s just working with Ysildus on preparations… I don’t really understand politics, but it seems the Empire has a lot of needs.”

She’d overheard something about needing to ‘clean up’, that there were parasites gnawing at the Empire from within. Alexa didn’t know what exactly they were planning, but decided it was best to pretend not to. That’s what they wanted, after all.

Even Terrun was banding together with them to shut her out, and though it annoyed her, it was also a little cute.

“Also…”

Alexa pondered a moment, thinking of something about Jeremiah…

“Jeremiah really cherishes his friends. He likes Thersion a lot too. He’s very close with Ysildus and Terrun. He even used to dance with Terrun.”

Alexa was struggling to keep the conversation going.

“Hmm. And he had a good time in Thersion. They went on outings, shared meals… studied together, trained together…”

Come to think of it, there were so many memories. They were Jeremiah’s, but they were also Alexa’s. It had felt like being Alice in Wonderland, and it was Jeremiah who had helped her find balance again. A smile touched her lips at the memory.

“It’s Ysillia.”

She recalled the sight of Ysildus boldly dancing in a dress. With his already mature physique, he had looked nearly like a grown woman. Though to be clear, he hadn’t dressed in drag and hadn’t worn a wig or anything. Now that she thought about it, he’d even promised to wear a dress at the wedding.

Chuckling, Alexa shared the memory.

“Terrun’s taller than Jeremiah. But since he wore a dress, he had to take the female role… so Jeremiah ended up clinging to him, being dragged around.”

The Queen listened in a daze. Truthfully, she couldn’t fully grasp the stories Alexa was telling. Why had Terrun worn a dress? Why were Terrun and Jeremiah dance partners? Did Jeremiah have… a preference she hadn’t known about…?

No!

She shook her head. They were choosing an Empress, after all. The Queen banished the absurd suspicions.

Unaware of her thoughts, Alexa continued excitedly.

“And there was even a Strongest Wolf competition!”

What now?

The Queen listened, her expression unreadable. She didn’t quite understand what Alexa was going on about, but there was only one thing that truly mattered: Jeremiah had lived well in Thersion. Surrounded by good friends.

That alone was enough.

* * * 

“It’s been a while since I came to the Capital.”

Carlisle gently stroked the horse’s mane.

For Luna’s sake, they had chosen to travel by horseback. It had caused a slight delay, but that didn’t matter as they’d arrived safely in the Capital.

Carlisle, Essellia, Luna, Dephensores… and even Tenail.

Extraordinary and exceptional beings had returned to the heart of the Empire. It was the beginning of a new storm.