When I looked at Mu with sparkling eyes, the hamster hesitated and stepped back.

“Why, why are you looking at me with such awkward eyes?”

“When did I look at you with awkward eyes?”

“Right now.”

If, before I die, that is, before the life force of the World Tree in my body is completely extinguished.

If Mu recovers the power of the rotten World Tree that Generalba possesses?

“I’m just curious. Mu, what happens to that thing that grows inside Revenfell when you recover the power?”

“Of course, I have to recover it together. What I want is not to leave any traces of that rotten god’s power. So, I guess you won’t move until now. You have to move when it’s important.”

That’s it! If Mu recovers the power of the rotten World Tree before I die, Revenfell won’t change his appearance every night.

Then I won’t have to treat him every night, and I won’t lose my life force! In the end, it means I won’t die.

‘This is it!’

I smiled brightly and stroked the hamster’s head.

“Kid, you’re pretty. Pretty.”

“…Your mood is weird. Put your hand down.”

“Is it a problem to admire beauty? Kid, you’re pretty.”

“Put your hand down before you overdo it.”

Quick-witted.

With this, I might not die. I might survive.

The light of hope settled on the window frame.

After completing all preparations, I set out to the capital with Phoebe and Clint.

I thought about talking to Revenfell and coming out, but unfortunately, he was attending a national meeting, so I asked Sijongjang to convey my message instead.

As we rode the carriage and left the palace, my heart pounded.

“Empress. Is there anything you’d like to try?”

“Something I’d like to try?”

“Yes. Since it’s not a festival period now, you might not be able to experience various things. If there’s anything you wanted to try, I’d like to check it in advance!”

I pondered Phoebe’s suggestion, but nothing came to mind.

“Well… I don’t know.”

It was a natural answer. I had never tried anything before, and I had never even thought about wanting to try something.

I knew very well the emptiness that doesn’t materialize no matter how much you crave it.

Because I experienced it so many times when I was young.

I didn’t want to go through the helplessness of not being able to do anything again, so I decided to stop wanting something.

There was no future, no goal.

Just days when I was grateful to wake up in the morning.

“I feel like anything would be fine. Phoebe, what did you do and play when you went out when you were young?”

“Me? Um, I just stopped by the temple to pray, looked around pretty shops… that’s all.”

“Then I’ll do that too.”

I threw an excited glance outside the carriage. Phoebe’s sweet voice calling me ‘Empress…’ from the other side was heard, but I lightly ignored it.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Clock Tower Square. Clint, who was sitting with the coachman, opened the carriage door and escorted me.

“Clint. I’ll tell you in advance, but don’t call me ‘Empress’ outside.”
I didn’t want to unnecessarily complicate things. I didn’t want to create a fuss just because people recognized me as the empress.

“I understand. Empr…”

“Shh!”

“…Then, what should I call you?”

“Teriella. Just call me Teriella.”

Calling the empress’s name seemed awkward, so Clint scratched his head. But when I took a deep breath again and said, “Shh!” as if to indicate he couldn’t help it, he called me ‘Lady Teriella.’

“Lady Teriella, do you know the charm of going out?”

After making an appointment with the coachman and the butler for where to meet later, Phoebe stepped confidently towards me.

“What is it?”

“Eating delicious desserts right away!”

“…Desserts? You can make those even in the imperial patisserie.”

Why is that the charm of going out?

“No, Empress. Of course, the taste would be more excellent at the imperial patisserie, but there’s a different atmosphere there!”

“…Atmosphere?”

“Yes. The atmosphere of being with people. That space has its own taste. When you go there together once, memories accumulate. When you visit for the second time, the taste of memories adds up, creating an even more excellent taste.”

The taste given by the atmosphere. The taste enhanced by the accumulation of memories.

No matter how hard I try to imagine, I can’t predict it.

“Of course, there are people who don’t like that kind of atmosphere. By the way, I like it. I like accumulating memories like that.”

“By the way, my daughter also liked it very much. Maybe Empress will like it too.”

“If you two like it, then maybe I’ll like it too.”

“Then, let’s go, Lady… No. Lady Teriella. I’ll escort you.”

For the first time, I stepped my foot into the crowd as if being swept away. The villages I visited during the journey were not as large as the capital, so entering such a large crowd for the first time was a new experience.

‘My heart is trembling.’

Everyone was working hard in their respective places. Noble ladies who came out with their maids were also seen, and there were also knights who gathered together, tilting their beer mugs.