Chapter : 84
Through a thorough investigation, the murder of Count Yurtina by Marquis Hetsen was revealed, and the subsequent relentless punishment began to cause a stir within the Clemens Empire.
“Didn’t Her Majesty the Empress annihilate another high-ranking noble family this time too?”
“How many times has it been already?”
The tone in which the citizens of the empire murmured was not one of fear or dread.
It was exhilaration, delight… and ecstasy.
Moments of suppressed anger at the way nobles had historically evaded punishment through trials were now met with sudden justice.
This revelation of judgment was more than enough to bring the commoners to rapture.
“As expected, Her Majesty…”
“Hey! Her Majesty? You mean His Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Well, yes, yes. It’s because of the Duke Euriel we trusted. He’s still the Emperor of this empire!”
“Who cares if we, the citizens of the Clemens Empire, don’t recognize Regis Euriel as Emperor?”
There were still many who praised Regis Euriel as a war hero.
But that was all.
If the one being compared was Casielope Clemens, the situation changed.
Everyone knew how long she had labored for the sake of Clemens.
Casielope Clemens was the true ruler of Clemens—betrayed by her fiancée, yet still its sovereign.
Regis Euriel, on the other hand, was an emperor in name only: one who had betrayed the throne and still could not punish the nobles.
“Can we just stand idly by?! Our true ruler is being humiliated and disgraced, and yet we do nothing?!”
“Exactly!”
The only true emperor of Clemens was Casielope Clemens.
A rebellion erupted, demanding her reinstatement to the throne.
Soon after, a prophecy began circulating from the Holy Nation of Arphedia:
―Regis Euriel will destroy the Clemens Empire.
“Helena.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
When no further words followed, Helena tilted her head in curiosity.
Casielope hesitated, speaking awkwardly before letting out a deep sigh.
“…This is a story about a young lady I know.”
It was a story about Her Majesty.
Helena nodded, willingly playing along as Casielope described it vaguely as “a young lady she knows.”
“This young lady has a deeply beloved lover. She also has a very close friend. The lover is about to face danger for her sake, but the young lady does not want this to happen.”
When Casielope made eye contact to indicate she was listening, she continued.
“The young lady intends to bear the danger herself, but her friend does not approve. So, the friend helps the lover take the risk instead.”
…The lover must be Duke Euriel.
And the friend… could that be Princess Icart?
Piecing together the puzzle, Helena set aside her quill from the paperwork she was preparing.
In other words, Duke Euriel is taking the risk in place of Her Majesty, while Princess Icart is actively supporting him.
Helena stared at Casielope.
‘It seems she has already reached a conclusion.’
Endangering a lover or hurting a friend’s feelings… when put this way, the latter seemed like the better choice.
“May I ask one question?”
“…Go ahead.”
“Does the young lady not care about her own safety at all?”
“…Apparently not.”
She did not concern herself with her own safety—a truly imperial answer.
By asking Helena instead of those directly involved, Casielope was clearly seeking judgment based on circumstances alone.
Helena wanted to tell Princess Icart that she agreed wholeheartedly but suppressed her feelings and answered carefully:
“Would it not be better to slightly hurt a friend’s feelings than to let the lover be harmed?”
“……”
“Even though the friend helps the young lady’s lover, it is ultimately to ensure the young lady’s safety. If the lover were seriously harmed, the young lady would be sad, and the friend would not continue helping blindly.”
“…Really?”
Noticing Casielope’s voice brighten slightly, Helena quickly added:
“The friend is more precious than the lover. They may oppose at first, but in the end, it will be the young lady’s friend who steps back.”
“…They will understand, right?”
“You cannot expect understanding. It is, plainly speaking, a choice between friend and lover.”
However—
Helena met Casielope’s unwavering gaze.
“There is no need to feel guilty. Even though someone is saving or substituting for another, all three have made choices for their own sake.”
Casielope let out a quiet laugh.
“Where on earth did I find you, Helena?”
“Where else? Didn’t Your Majesty find me, having been left behind in the succession race, stripped of the guild I led, and stumbling on the ground?”
“I am indeed lucky.”
“Now that’s what I should say. Who would have expected someone like me, who only ran a marquis’ family guild, to become the head of the Imperial business? My father is regretting it bitterly.”
Casielope chuckled softly, recalling the day she personally brought Helena.
The marquis’ expression had been priceless.
Muttering to herself,
Awakening from sleep, Casielope sat dazedly on the edge of the bed.
Lately, her dreams were remembered with vivid clarity.
It felt as if events had truly happened but she had somehow forgotten them.
Perhaps too absorbed in her dreams, she spent the entire morning lost in thought. When she saw Helena, she called out warmly:
“Helena.”
“…Yes? Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What is with that awkward smile?”
The answer came from Kasian, who tilted his head and replied matter-of-factly:
“It is only natural for Miss Blethin to be flustered. Your Majesty has not called her by her name before.”
“…Me?”
Turning from Kasian to look at Helena, she saw a small nod.
“…It is the first time Your Majesty has called me by name. I don’t remember exactly, but I may have been called by my name before, just not quite like this.”
“Called like this?”
Before Casielope could understand, Yulia spoke up:
“It was a very affectionate tone.”
More so than when addressing me.
A faint jealousy arose, but it was too soft to reach Casielope.
Oblivious to Yulia’s expression, Kasian continued to speak without realizing the impact:
“It sounded as if You Majesty were calling an old lover.”
At that, Yulia flinched violently.
Helena hoped Kasian would shut his mouth, but he was too slow to realize the situation.
“I’m a little jealous, Your Majesty. You seem to care more for Miss Blethin than for me or the guildmaster… ugh—!”
Kasian screamed in sharp pain underfoot.
He looked at Helena, who had stepped on his foot.
Helena motioned toward Yulia, and only then did Kasian realize the situation, his jaw dropping.
“Hahaha. What I meant was, it seems Your Majesty cares more for Miss Blethin than for me, so I felt jealous. That’s all.”
Unlike before, he emphasized “me” while talking about Yulia, smiling awkwardly.
Seeing that Yulia’s expression remained unchanged, he quickly moved away.
Yulia and then Helena followed.
Left alone, Casielope was the only one who did not understand the conversation.
“Helena… Miss Blethin.”
Of the two titles, the former stuck more naturally to her lips.
…Have I really only called Helena “Miss” all this time?
It seemed impossible. The boundaries between dream and reality blurred and merged.
From that moment on, Casielope could no longer distinguish between dreams and reality.
