“I was too arrogant again.”

But unlike the voice, the words sounded somewhat relieved.

“But Elysian, I’m still scared. What if the enemy becomes stronger? If Hwangbi is stronger than all of us combined, and so… if I lose again.”

What will I do then?

Benjamin murmured in a voice lacking confidence. Elysian didn’t want to lift her head right now because she could imagine how red her face must be and how disheveled her hair might be. However, the desire to see Benjamin right now was greater than the embarrassment.

Elysian, whose head was raised enough to appear red even in the darkness, looked up. Her gaze, which didn’t shift from Elysian even for a moment, met directly with the green eyes coming straight at her.

‘Ah.’

Elysian’s breath stopped abruptly. It didn’t matter how red her face was or how tousled her hair was.

‘My heart… doesn’t seem to belong to me.’

She shivered violently. Every part where blood circulated seemed to have a new heartbeat. In fact, there was one part she couldn’t remember properly.

‘Everything else is vivid…’

Elysian’s gaze rapidly headed towards the past.

[Is this place for reconciliation? Or a joyful feast? We lost the Empress. His Highness has lost his mother. It’s a place of sorrow. We’ve gathered here to share our grief.]

After saying so, Elysian did not give a single glance to the nobles avoiding her gaze and walked towards the young Benjamin, who couldn’t cry despite losing his mother and looked helpless, instead of being sad.

[Cry.] […….] [Cry out loud. It’s okay to sob. This is where we bid farewell to the late Empress. But before that, His Highness is here to say goodbye to his mother. So cry.]

Unable to say anything, Benjamin, instead of crying, listened to Elysian’s words with vacant eyes.

[Cry a bit more. It’s okay. It’s a place to send off the Empress. However, before that, His Highness will probably say goodbye to his mother here. So cry.]

Instead of the speechless Benjamin, Elysian said with a sluggish look in her eyes.

[Have your last bit of mischief. You have to be strong alone for His Highness from now on.]

This meant that Benjamin should become the rein for himself. A sword from his own blood, and a shield from his own blood. There was no father who would become a sword for him or a mother who would become a shield for him, but a knight should bear a sword and shield. Elysian was telling Benjamin to become a knight for himself.
The last journey of the Empress, as she protected the side, within the carriage heading towards the Windsor Duchy, Urgen asked.

“[Your Highness, you made a remark. Do you know how those words will be interpreted?]”

At that time, Elysian didn’t know.

The possibility that her words, that is, I… so, Windsor’s pledge to become the power of the Crown Prince. This also meant that Urgen would maintain neutrality, become the leader of the neutral faction, and be an enemy to Greta in the future.

At that time, Elysian just wanted to say this to the young Crown Prince.

[I wish Your Highness… I wish I could have sent Her Majesty the Empress as a mother and family.]

The moment Urgen saw the sprout that would become the backbone from Elysian.

Anyway, at this moment, everything was now remembered.

Listening to the story of young Elysian, and the expression Benjamin made.

“Exactly… this expression.”

Elysian smiled faintly and reached out her hand. Then, silently, she gently stroked the cheek of the man who was silently biting his lower lip. Despite growing up so wonderfully, there was still a childish face.

“A face that didn’t know how to cry despite hearing that it’s okay to cry.”

The sight of young Benjamin sitting alone in the Crown Prince’s seat, wearing black clothes, was difficult for anyone to watch. As much as young Elysian might have unintentionally erased only that part, it was too miserable of an expression.

Young Elysian might have thought that erasing her memory was the last courtesy at that time, but now it wasn’t.

“Come here.”

With a swift movement, Elysian hugged Benjamin’s neck and pulled him towards her. Benjamin, with his large body, nestled his face near Elysian’s clavicle and embraced her like a large dog acting playful.

Elysian whispered.

“Don’t cry.”

“…….”

“You haven’t lost anyone.”

It was different from then, there was no need to feel the helplessness from back then.

Elysian pressed her chest, which was beating more dynamically than anyone else’s, firmly against Benjamin’s chest, sharing her heartbeat. The tremor that made Benjamin feel like he was fighting against himself had ceased without him realizing it.