Chapter 20
20. Visiting Cecil’s Village and Paying Respects at the Grave
I was also preparing for my birthday tea party, but the day to visit the village where Cecil had lived was approaching.
I gathered the things I needed to bring and packed them into my bag.
As a way of mourning Cecil’s death, I decided to have a black dress made and take it with me. Perhaps it seemed odd for a newlywed like me to wear black, but Cecil had been someone precious who protected Alex-sama. More than that, he was a person whose memory I held entirely from my childhood dreams.
It would be strange not to show my support.
When I had a black outfit made for Alex-sama as well and gave it to him, he seemed to understand the meaning and expressed his deep gratitude.
On the day of departure, we took a carriage to the train station and then boarded a train that had a special carriage for His Majesty the Emperor. The private compartment was spacious, with large, bright windows.
The sunlight still had the warmth of summer, but the wind was gradually turning autumnal.
Autumn would soon arrive.
We spent a full day on the train, stayed overnight at a town inn, then traveled another day to reach a town near Cecil’s village, where we rested at an inn. On the morning of the third day, after breakfast, we took a half-day carriage ride and finally arrived at Cecil’s village.
This time, we were not alone; the local lord accompanied us.
Alex-sama had come to inspect the village for the purpose of building a factory.
The villagers were surprised by our arrival, but since we had visited once before, there were no issues in how they received us.
The lord led us to a vacant lot at the edge of the village where the factory was planned to be built.
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, this is where the factory you requested will be constructed.”
“How long do you think it will take to complete?”
“I think it will take about six months. Then, after setting up the equipment and hiring staff, it may take a year before the factory is fully operational.”
Alex-sama nodded at the lord’s explanation.
“Make sure the dormitory facilities are properly prepared. Both the male and female dormitories should be comfortable for the workers.”
“Understood.”
The lord bowed deeply and showed us the planned sites for the factory and dormitories, along with the blueprints, when I couldn’t help but speak up.
“The male and female dormitories cannot be built next to each other. To ensure both men and women can live safely, the dormitories should be separated, surrounded by fences, and well-guarded.”
This was something I could not compromise on.
While it was difficult to predict the future once the factory buildings were completed and equipped, I knew well that male and female dormitories being too close was a bad idea.
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Changing the plan to build the dormitories on opposite sides of the factory solved the problem.
“You noticed that quickly, Lacy.”
“At school, the dormitories were also separated by gender. Women wouldn’t want to become victims, and men wouldn’t want to be suspected of anything. I thought it best to make sure both could live safely and comfortably.”
When I explained my reasoning to Alex-sama, he murmured, “I never noticed because I’ve never lived in a dorm.”
After inspecting the planned factory and dormitory sites, Alex-sama and I visited Cecil’s parents’ dining hall. The dining hall was closed during the afternoon, but Cecil’s parents immediately came out when they saw us.
“I read about your wedding in the newspaper. Congratulations, Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“To think that the Emperor, who was once so small, is now married—it fills my heart.”
Seeing Cecil’s aging parents, rather than the parents I had repeatedly seen in my dreams, made my chest ache. Ordinary people do not have much savings, so they work as long as they can, gradually spend their modest savings, and, when it becomes unavoidable, rely on their children or grandchildren.
Cecil’s parents had lost their only daughter, so they had no one to rely on.
“I want to repay you in some way.”
“We haven’t done anything.”
“Cecil just adored the Emperor.”
Alex-sama made the offer, and Cecil’s parents politely refused.
However, Alex-sama did not back down.
“In about six months, a factory and dormitories will be built at the edge of the village. Would it trouble you if I asked you to manage the dining hall in the dormitories?”
“Is that possible?”
“Could we really be entrusted with such an important role?”
Running a small, unprofitable village dining hall was far less lucrative than the dormitory dining hall. By working there, Cecil’s parents could save for their old age.
“I would like to ask you to do it.”
“It is an honor.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Even if we gave them money as a gift, it could be stolen and only put them in danger. It was better, as Alex-sama thought, to let them earn a good income and save their own money, which I fully agreed with.
After parting from Cecil’s parents, Alex-sama and I visited Cecil’s grave. Flowers were prepared, and Alex-sama laid flowers at the grave.
“Cecil, thanks to you, I survived. I survived, grew up, and met the person I love. Thank you so much. I will never forget you. I loved you dearly.”
Cecil, now part of Alex-sama’s past.
Seeing him like that, I could not help but hold back tears. Cecil likely did not regret dying while protecting Alex-sama.
“Cecil, thank you for protecting someone so precious to me. I do not know if your feelings live on in me. But I will live happily with Alex-sama. I swear to change this country into the society you wished for. Rest in peace.”
When I spoke these words aloud, Alex-sama took my hand.
I held his hand in return.
His warm, large hand enveloped mine.
On Alex-sama’s left hand ring finger was a ring resembling a purple sapphire, and the same shone on my left hand ring finger.
After finishing the visit to the grave, we returned to the village center and saw the stalls set up.
I recognized them immediately.
“Alex-sama, it’s the summer festival!”
“That’s right, the summer festival. How nostalgic.”
I dashed toward the stalls with Alex-sama, followed by our guards.
Surrounded by guards, we walked among the stalls together.
There were skewered meat stalls and candy-coated fruit stalls.
Both were places that Cecil and Garnet-kun had visited.
“Your Majesties, I must advise that the food sold here may not be safe.”
“That’s true. We are not here to cause trouble; we are just looking at things nostalgically.”
Though we wanted to try the skewered meat and candied fruit, we were the Emperor and Empress. We could not eat anything whose safety was uncertain.
“Let’s return before the sun sets.”
“So that the moon doesn’t chase us?”
“The moon is watching over us.”
Tracing the memories of Cecil and Garnet-kun, Alex-sama and I returned by carriage.
Back in the nearby town, we went to the inn, had dinner, bathed, and rested together in the same bed.
Wrapped in Alex-sama’s strong arms, I fell asleep peacefully.
Two days by train from the town near Cecil’s village, Alex-sama and I returned to the Imperial Palace in the capital.
