Chapter 16
Regina knew exactly what kind of person her older sister was.
To Liliana, Aliche was endlessly gentle, just like a mother.
But to Regina, who had grown up with her…
Aliche had always been calm, logical, and quick-thinking. Ever since they were children, Regina had never been able to outsmart her.
That hadn’t changed even after they became adults.
At school, Aliche had always ranked first.
At work, she climbed the ranks through her own ability, not because of her family background.
That was why…
When Regina first learned about Aliche’s marriage from the newspaper…
It felt as if her heart had stopped.
“Sister, tell me honestly. This is a political marriage, isn’t it? What did the two of you agree to exchange?”
When Regina and Emilia bombarded her with questions…
Aliche calmly replied,
“This is the best choice for my career as well.”
Since both Regina and Emilia knew how ambitious Aliche was about her work…
They immediately realized she was lying.
Aliche was a member of the Coast Guard.
Becoming the Empress of the Empire would never help her career there.
“Forget work for a moment. Do you really think you’ll be able to adapt to living in the Empire?”
Regina had gone straight to the heart of the matter.
Trovancha was a small island nation.
There was no class system.
The Empire, on the other hand, had royalty, nobles, and commoners.
The two countries were completely different from the ground up.
Their cultures…
Their social systems…
Their rules…
Even the way people thought…
Everything was different.
On top of that…
The man Aliche wanted to marry was the Emperor.
A woman from a small island nation with no noble status becoming Empress…
No matter how much absolute power the Emperor possessed…
People inside and outside the Empire were bound to criticize it.
“I’ll make it work.”
Aliche quietly turned her head toward the end of the hallway.
She looked at Liliana’s room.
Regina narrowed her eyes.
“I’ll make it work. So don’t worry too much.”
The conversation ended there.
But from that day onward…
Regina couldn’t stop worrying.
Would Aliche really be alright living alone in the Empire?
Could she take care of Liliana by herself?
And…
Would Regina herself be able to stay behind in Trovancha after sending the two of them away?
“She definitely made some kind of deal with the Emperor. Whatever it is… she’s determined to keep it a secret.”
Sending Aliche alone to the Empire already made Regina anxious.
The thought of her caring for Lilianaāwho often got sickāin a distant foreign country only made her worry even more.
I can’t let just the two of them go.
I can’t watch my sister struggle alone in the Empire.
And I can’t bear living apart from Liliana.
Because of that…
Regina decided she would move to the Empire with Aliche.
She wanted to know how she could adapt there.
But the only person from the Empire she knew was Leopoldt.
Since he had come to see her for their date…
She decided this was the perfect opportunity to ask him seriously.
“I’ve decided to follow my sister and live in the Empire too. While I’m staying there… is there any job I could do?”
Leopoldt’s green eyes shook violently.
Regina found his reaction rather strange.
“I know my words surprised you. I understand. I’d be shocked too if I were you. Saying that even I want to move to the Empire…”
“W-Wait… just a moment, Miss Regina. I think… we should talk somewhere else first.”
Just from the faint presence outside…
Leopoldt realized Liliana was secretly listening.
But Regina had no idea.
After what had happened with Marius…
Liliana was undoubtedly still confused.
If she overheard this conversation too…
She would only become even more upset.
“Alright. Shall we go to my room?”
Regina led him into her room.
The room was decorated entirely in white.
It was neat and spotless.
Standing inside a room that reflected Regina’s tastes so perfectly…
Leopoldt didn’t know where to look.
In the end, he lowered his eyes to the floor.
Her request had completely caught him off guard.
Why is Miss Regina suddenly saying this?
Of course…
He would gladly welcome her if she came to the Empire.
Ever since returning became inevitable…
He had suffered greatly because he knew he wouldn’t be able to see her anymore.
“If you don’t mind me asking… is this because of Miss Aliche?”
“Yes. I can’t leave my sister alone in the Empire. I’m not as capable as my sister or Emilia, but I’m sure there’s something only I can do.”
“You wouldn’t need to work at all. You’re the younger sister of the future Empress. You could stay in the Empire whenever you wished.”
“If I stay there for a long time as family while depending on my sister, it’ll only become a burden for her. Besides… I should at least be able to support myself.”
“…”
Leopoldt carefully organized his thoughts.
Every noblewoman he had ever known…
Never worked.
Their duty was to care for their people through charity funded by the income from their lands.
Working itself wasn’t considered their responsibility.
But Regina was from Trovancha.
In Trovancha…
Working was considered important.
Even wealthy people normally had jobs.
That was why…
Even though the Verchio sisters had inherited an enormous fortune from their prestigious political family…
Every one of them had their own career.
Seeing Leopoldt hesitate…
Regina assumed she had put him in an awkward position.
She quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry. I must have asked something difficult. I think I should look into it myself. Please forget what I said today.”
“No. I think… it would be better if you first spent about a year adjusting to life in the Empire before making that decision. As you know, our countries are very different. There’s no need to decide everything immediately. What do you think?”
“You’re right. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Mr. Leo.”
Only then…
For the first time since entering her room…
Leopoldt looked directly at Regina.
He had never believed someone could fall in love at first sight.
Until he met Regina.
Even now…
He still didn’t know why his heart had raced the first time he saw her knitting.
But one thing was certain.
He remembered every detail of that moment.
The warm spring breeze.
Her honey-blonde hair gently swaying.
Her long eyelashes.
The way she concentrated so seriously on her knitting.
And…
As they spent more time talking together…
His feelings only grew deeper.
Since he knew those feelings had a time limit…
He had been unsure whether he should simply leave them alone.
But after hearing Regina’s decision…
He realized he didn’t have to.
Selfishly…
The thought that Regina might leave her homeland and come to the Empire…
Filled his heart with overwhelming happiness.
A warm feeling spread through his entire body.
With a faint smile…
He quietly watched Regina as she sat lost in thought.
ā¦ ā¦ ā¦
“Hic! Hic!”
I had been so frightened…
That my hiccups still wouldn’t stop.
Even after squeezing Cookie’s soft cheeks…
And burying my face in his fluffy cotton belly…
My racing heart refused to calm down.
Second Sister is coming to the Empire too?
Then… she might fall in love with Leopoldt there and even marry him.
It would be a wonderful thing if Leopoldt and Second Sister got together.
But…
Since Great Sister was already engaged to Marius…
I couldn’t be completely happy.
If Second Sister got married in the Empire too…
She might never return to Trovancha.
Once people settled down somewhere…
It wasn’t easy to move again.
Huh?
What about Youngest Sister?
Wouldn’t she be left here all alone?
My six-year-old brain couldn’t fully understand everything.
But one thing…
I understood that I might end up separated from Youngest Sister too.
“No… I don’t want us to be separated…”
I wished my sisters wouldn’t get married at all.
I wished we could just keep living together like we always had.
I didn’t want to be separated from my family anymore.
Andrea leaving me…
Was already more than enough.
If we moved to the Empire…
I wouldn’t be able to climb olive trees or lemon trees anymore.
I’d have to leave all my friends behind too.
And…
“If we go to the Empire… I’ll be separated from Big Brother forever. I don’t want that.”
Just as tears started filling my eyes…
And my nose began to run…
“Hey, little one! You should’ve told us before leaving!”
A loud crash came from outside.
Then I heard Youngest Sister’s furious voice.
My tears instantly disappeared.
“G-Gasp!”
Shivering…
I hugged Cookie tightly.
“Cookie… please save your big sister. Youngest Sister is definitely going to spank me.”
For just a moment…
I honestly thought…
Following Great Sister to the Empire…
Didn’t sound like such a bad idea compared to getting scolded by Youngest Sister.
ā¦ ā¦ ā¦
Marius glanced at his longtime friend.
Back in the Empire…
Leopoldt was known as a cold and serious man.
Yet…
For the past several days…
He had done nothing but smile like a fool.
Not only that…
He looked so obviously happy that he even hummed to himself.
Max, Marius’s chief aide…
Was so disturbed by it that he had started avoiding Leopoldt altogether.
“Are you really that happy that Miss Regina wants to come with us?”
You haven’t even been on a proper date yet.
How can you already be this deeply in love?
Watching Leopoldt become a complete fool because of love…
Marius clicked his tongue.
He himself didn’t believe in love.
The reason he was marrying Aliche…
Wasn’t because he loved her.
Of course…
Aliche Verchio was beautiful and admirable.
But she was also the eldest daughter of the Verchio family.
To Marius…
The benefits of their political marriage were what truly mattered.
“Do your best with Regina Verchio. If the two of you get married, you’ll become the only noble capable of influencing Trovancha. You and I will become family once again.”
And…
The bloodline of House Valtrahen will mix with the supernatural blood that exists only in Trovancha.
If we’re lucky… your children might even inherit those powers.
Marius kept those thoughts to himself.
Saying something like that to a man blinded by love…
Would only upset him.
“None of that matters. Even if Miss Regina had nothing… it wouldn’t change anything.”
“I suppose that’s true. You’ve always been the type who sees nothing else once you fall in love.”
Leopoldt glanced at Marius strangely after hearing him mutter that.
“Leopoldt. You and I swore the Soul Oath. If war ever breaks out between the Empire and Trovancha… the Empire will lose both its Emperor and its Commander at the same time.”
They had no intention of announcing the Soul Oath publicly.
It could easily become a weakness for those seeking the throne.
Officially…
They would only announce that the Empire and Trovancha had signed a peace treaty.
“If both of us die and war breaks out afterward… the Empire will suffer a devastating blow. As you know, Trovancha may be small, but it’s a powerful nation.”
One out of every three people in Trovancha possessed supernatural abilities.
That was why…
Even though the Empire held overwhelming power through magic and divine abilities…
It couldn’t treat Trovancha carelessly.
Bitterness filled Marius’s eyes.
It wasn’t because he was entering a political marriage.
The real reason…
Lay much further in the past.
“That’s why… I truly hope things work out between you and Miss Regina.”
I’m cheering for your love.
He whispered those final words so quietly…
That only he himself could hear them.
Then Marius lightly patted Leopoldt’s shoulder before preparing to leave.
It was time to visit Aliche’s house…
And give her the engagement ring.
