CHAPTER 10
Time?
Asking for her time meant he had something in mind for her to do.
Asilia didn’t know what he intended, but she nodded without hesitation.
Cretes immediately smiled brightly and took her hand.
He even interlaced their fingers tightly, causing Asilia to reveal a flicker of confusion.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“I’m a bit impatient by nature. I wanted to claim the price you promised first.”
Cretes gently tugged her hand.
“If you enter the building to the left of this garden, there’s a path that leads to the western tower.”
With those words, he matched her steps as they walked down the corridor.
It was a neglected area, rarely visited. There were even cobwebs clinging to the corners.
“…Where are we going?”
“There’s something I want to show you.”
They walked for some time.
After climbing a spiraling staircase to its peak, Cretes opened the door at the top.
“…!”
The capital of Moria sprawled beneath them.
The city seemed to embrace the palace at its center like loving arms, wrapped in its outer walls and lush green trees.
Above, the sky was an endless blue, painted with streaks of white cloud—it felt like her chest had opened up.
“Wow…”
Asilia couldn’t suppress her admiration.
She had never seen such a peaceful view from so high up.
Her eyes had only ever known blazing battlefields and dying men.
She had never known how beautiful the sky could be when unobstructed.
She had never known she could spend time just looking up at it.
“This is one of my favorite places. It’s quiet and good for solitude… The view at sunset is breathtaking.”
“…Is it alright for you to share a place like this with me?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? And besides…”
Cretes trailed off, then reached up and caressed her cheek.
“You looked troubled.”
“…”
“You don’t trust me much, so I know my words won’t help. And I’m not exactly good at cheering people up.”
Cretes watched her face as he spoke.
Someone who was trying to read her mood and comfort her.
Had she ever been treated like this before?
At least in her memory, Asilia could not recall such a thing.
In the end, she couldn’t respond and looked away. She didn’t know what one was supposed to say in a moment like this.
“…You’re surprisingly at ease with someone who’s said they want to kill you.”
After much thought, all she could do was fire back. But Cretes simply smiled, unfazed.
“How could I be at ease? I’m constantly on edge, wondering what you might do next.”
If only he wouldn’t speak…
As she remained silent, Cretes continued,
“You must be bored staying inside the palace all day.”
“…?”
“Even if I told you to go out and enjoy yourself, I doubt you’d move unless someone pushed you.”
He raised a hand and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
To Cretes, Asilia was like a bird trapped in a gilded cage called Revilla.
They may have taught her how to fly—but never how to walk.
She had been taught to obey, to carry out orders, to earn honor…
But never how to rest or play.
So he wanted to teach her.
That it was enough just to admire scenery like this. That life didn’t always have to be so harsh.
That there were other ways to live.
With her hair running through his fingers, he still wore a gentle smile as he said,
“If you wish, you may even go for an outing beyond the palace.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course. I do desire you, it’s true—but that doesn’t mean I want to keep you locked up. You wouldn’t want that, either.”
What was he really thinking?
Did he feel so certain she wouldn’t return to Revilla even if he let her go?
He’s not completely wrong.
She hadn’t managed to kill or even hurt him yet.
She hadn’t accomplished anything—of course she couldn’t leave Moria so easily.
If only a direct order had come through—it would’ve made acting easier.
Asilia bit down on the inside of her cheek and lowered her gaze. If she returned without doing anything, she would surely face “re-education.”
“Let’s see… Where would be good? Ah, to the east of the palace there’s a temple. If you ever go there, seek out Priest Lenoir. He’ll assist you.”
“…”
“And to the west, there’s a major merchant guild called Exafina. In this closed-off Moria, it’s the fastest place to hear news. If you’re curious about the outside world, go there and find a woman named Belle. She’ll help you.”
Cretes pointed out the buildings as he explained their locations.
He truly sounded like he had no issue with her wandering beyond the palace walls. Asilia tilted her head slightly.
“What if I get so cheerful I end up going even farther away?”
“If my lady says she wants to go for a walk, who would dare stop her?”
“…”
“If you go far enough to get lost, I’ll come looking. And if by mistake you somehow tried to leave Moria… well, I’d still come fetch you personally.”
Cretes exaggerated his tone and tapped her nose with a finger.
He looked like someone who didn’t expect her to leave soon—someone who wished she’d settle here for life.
“…I don’t understand you, Your Majesty.”
“…?”
“Are you perhaps seeing someone else through me?”
Everything he did—his every action toward her—was incomprehensible.
Proposing marriage the moment he saw her face. Everything up to this point.
It made no sense.
There was no reason for Cretes to love her, no connection between them.
If he wasn’t seeing someone else in her, how could he show her such affection?
He’d lived a long time, hadn’t he?
If no emperor had succeeded him since Moria’s founding, he must’ve lived over a thousand years.
Surely during that time there had been some woman who resembled her. He must be projecting that woman onto her.
“That’s not it.”
“…I don’t believe you.”
The words slipped out reflexively. But Cretes remained calm.
“I haven’t lied to you. Not once. And I truly don’t understand why you’d think I’m seeing someone else through you. Have I done something to make you feel that way?”
He whispered as he brushed her cheek.
It felt genuine—like he wanted her to understand his sincerity.
The way he spoke, softly but not too quiet, tickled something in her chest.
It made it hard to breathe.
It felt like his emotions were taking form and wrapping around her throat. She had never met anyone who could convey so much through just a word or a look.
“…I don’t have any reason to receive that kind of affection. So if you’re showing me these feelings, surely it must mean there was someone else I resemble—”
“Just as there’s no reason needed to receive love, there’s none needed to give it either.”
She couldn’t understand it.
He had different values, different standards.
Maybe she would never understand him as long as she lived.
As her eyes dimmed, Cretes spoke quietly.
“If my actions don’t make sense to you, just remember one thing.”
“…”
“The Emperor of Moria cherishes you more than you think.”
“…”
“And that feeling is unchanging.”
Asilia stared at him, unmoving, caught off guard by his unwavering words.
His eyes were completely honest. They held only her.
“What if that leads you to death? Would you still say the same?”
To that question, Cretes burst out laughing.
“If you are the one to kill me, I’ll gladly accept it.”
“…”
“But I can’t let myself die too easily… So, one condition.”
Asilia’s brow twitched slightly.
“Remember what you’ve yet to recall.”
“…?”
“Then I’ll let you kill me.”
