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“There are many reasons…,” said Cili, blurring her words. What should she say, she thought for a moment. Meanwhile, Chris, who had brought my clothes from Istrum, answered with a frown on his face as if he was listening to us.

“Your highness. Wouldn’t it be unfair if the rich people pay the taxes and the benefits are received by the poor people who don’t pay a single penny?”

Trash.

I stared at Chris with his words. His culture of expressing people as disposable was questionable. If Cili hadn’t said anything, I might have been disappointed with her for the first time.

“Chris!” But she called his name with a warning tone. Chris put down my sable coat and looked directly at Cili.

“No matter how much you give to poor people and when you pour water into the poison that has fallen. Nothing will be left. Perhaps even with all your fortune, they’ll act like they haven’t eaten a piece of cheese and run like a maw.”

“… … .”

“And ungrateful things that don’t even know how to thank you. I find the world’s funniest literature depicting the real poor as ‘good people.’ It’s rare to find people so greedy and ungrateful as those humans.”

Greedy and ungrateful.

Those words pierced my heart. It was as if he was referring to me, who made a lot of money by gambling with Cili’s work.

Yes, I’m here to tell her. I have something to explain to her. I didn’t come here to soothe her or take care of her. Then I looked straight at her.

“Everyone leave.” In fact, Chris was the only person to be chased out because the only people in Cili’s office were me, her, and Chris.

“I have something to say.”

I had to apologize because that’s what I came here for.

Seventh page. Support You

“I… That’s not what I meant.”

Eden looked very desperate.

“They said you couldn’t bring Lichtatline’s head that I giggled that you were going to die. I said no man would bet on you, and I wanted to support you. That’s it. I never made your work or your life as entertainment. Above all… .”

As time went on, he became more and more talkative as his emotions grew. I was still looking at his face while thinking, ‘Oh, he should stop talking.’ He’s beautiful. That blonde hair and blue eyes. There are many blondes in the world, but I have never seen such shiny blondes, and there are many blue eyes also, but I have never seen such jewel-like blue eyes like a purple sky. When I first saw him, I thought it was beautiful to see his lemon-colored hair and cherry-colored lips that looked so sweet, but when he turned 13, he seemed to have a more charming beauty like ripening fruit.

“Thank you.” I was able to say thank you with a sincere smile.

At my gratitude, he looked at me embarrassingly. He was looking at my face as if trying to determine if I was serious or not. I wore my face happily.

I was sincerely grateful. Many people supported me in my life, but it was the first time I had been publicly endorsed, risking so much of what he had. Even though it was something completely different, I was thinking of myself when I was thirteen at that moment.

When I first killed a person, my father was also there. I sincerely hoped that my father would save me. I didn’t want to kill anyone. No, to be precise, I knew I would kill someone one day, but at least I hoped it was in self-defense. No, of course, I thought it would.

When I was thirteen, it was a beautiful day. The sky was high, and there was not a single cloud. People seemed to be enjoying their blessed day. And as the head of the Royal Academy, I had to hold the sword. My opponent wielding my sword was a slave gladiator. He was an amphitheater hero, wielding a rusty sword against the beast and other slave gladiators all year long; he defeated them all. And the match with me was a prize for him. If he won the match against me, he would become a free man. How excited he was. I can’t even imagine. He must have been in a situation where he had to beat the thirteen-year-old girl, but how inflated was he with sweet expectations and high hopes.

I went to see my father for the first time that morning. All I had to do was go straight to the stadium from school, but that morning I left the school and headed to Istrum. I couldn’t stand it. That I kill people, that everyone sees it as entertainment. My friends at school were whispering that I would be a murderer, and I had lost my self-esteem. I hoped my father would help me, and I thought it might help me just by looking at his face. I’ve never asked for that kind of help, but then I did. I thought my father would tell me to stop when he saw my face and that he would take responsibility.

My father, who greeted me during breakfast, seemed to recognize my condition as soon as he saw my face. And while looking at my father’s troubled face, I knew the answer. It was to fight. That there was no way, he can save me.

My father and I stared still at each other until the birds chirped at me. Both of us didn’t say anything. I couldn’t speak while saying that you can save me or saying that you can’t keep me. In the end, I turned my back on him, and my father did not hold me back. So I went back to school as if I had never been there and headed to the arena that afternoon. If my father had been on my side at that time, what would have changed in my life? I do not know. Even if he sided with me, it might not have changed that I had beheaded that poor slave gladiator in the end. However, the fact that my father looked at me quietly at that time, and that he did not say anything, and that I had to stand in front of such a father was a difficult and painful memory for me.

If Eden was my fiance back then, even though he wasn’t born, and if he was born earlier and was a few years older than me, would he tell me to quit?

Maybe he would. Even if the result was the same, if at that moment someone would tell me to quit and stood by me once, I might…

“Really?”

When I woke up to Eden’s voice, I saw him standing next to me. He grabbed my hem a little and looked at me cautiously.

“Yes?”

“… … .”

“Really?”

Eden was worried about me. His eyes were filled with only concern for me. Has anyone ever cared so much for me? I don’t think even my father ever cared that much for me.

Worrying was not valid. I am strong, and I have no reason to worry about anyone. Even more so if it’s Eden Grosslan, a thirteen-year-old – always on the edge of politics and to whom I had to endorse. Any person would have thought of such things. I must have passed it on thinking, ‘I’m not the one to worry about.’ In fact, I must have thought that I was right. But he wasn’t.

“Cili? Are you alright? Cili?” Eden was startled and was shaking the hem of my clothes a little bit stronger. I looked at my young fiancé, who couldn’t even shake my body and was holding onto the hem of my robe.

“You’re tall.”

The first time we met was two years ago. I held him back then out of the stable. But now I see that he is about the same height as me. I  had to look down for a long time back then.

“Huh?… Yes, I grew up.” Eden, who was bewildered by my absurd remarks, delayed his reply by a beat. He looked worried that I might have had a head injury. I smiled and grabbed his hand that was holding my robe; then, I let it go. With my hand’s strength, he also let go of my robe’s hem.

“These days, Rosemary is making me some flower tea. At first, I thought it was weird, but it tasted a bit like it. Would you like to drink it together?” He grinned brightly when I asked.

“It’s good, the flower tea.”

The sudden tea time, however, was perfect. As usual, there was no conversation, but it was peaceful, and we laughed a little. When Eden had to go back, the tea time went by peacefully.

“I’ll go.” Eden, who got on the horse, had a relaxed face as if he had finished his homework. A sable coat was well suited to his slender body, and his white face was already blushing. I want to present him flowers. I thought so for a moment. Eden was so beautiful, like a girl with a flower.

When I returned to the office after seeing him off, Chris shook his head and said, “Ouch.” He seemed to have entered my office just in time for Eden to go.

“Surprised, how surprising, really.”

“Oh, I was astonished.”

Beside him, Leon stroked his neck and shook his body. His face was filled with a smile of surprise. I guess it was fun. The people of the Knights Templar, male and female, tend to take things in the world for fun.

“Uh, ugh… .”

It may be for us, but it might not be the case for the person who had been brought to us.

Hessint Fjord wept and nearly vomited. But now that he was vomiting, he was enduring it for being criticized for his actions. In fact, he vomited once when he was brought in and was humiliated by Chris, shuddering, and since then, he had been crying like a child.

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