“……It seems they get along well?”

The pirate named Starlet, who had no surname but a star-like name, said as he lowered the telescope he was holding.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been since he last set foot on land, but as soon as he entered, there was a royal inspection, which was as good as telling him to watch.

Moreover, Starlet still didn’t know the face of the princess – or princess consort – who had come from Reden.

When she was part of the Reden royal family, she never left the palace, and by the time the woman became Queen of Aglante, he wasn’t on land.

But from what he had just seen, the royal newlyweds seemed to get along quite well.

It was obvious from the way they held hands the whole time, and while their eyes scanned the people, they kept whispering to each other.

Even without considering such characteristics, it was a fact that one naturally came to know when watching a man who kept melting softly.

Except for the side effect of feeling a bit queasy when watching, the King Consort was undoubtedly a man in love.

Starlet, who had twirled the telescope in the air once before grasping it, muttered.

“Well, that’s why he threatened me not to be seen.”

One day, the King Consort had somehow found out about the hideout he had prepared in Galicia and barged in.

Then the man grabbed him by the collar, threw him out of the tavern, and growled in a completely cracked voice.

“Leave Aglante tonight. And if you want to live, never come back.”

As he had no intention of doing something as crazy as crossing swords with the king of that country, Starlet obediently followed those words.

His pride wasn’t greatly hurt either. It was his life motto to keep such things only when necessary.

At the time, he had thought the man was driving them out with the purpose of clearing them out, so he was grateful not to have his neck cut off, but now he thought it might have been to prevent him from encountering the queen.

Wasn’t it quite well-known that he was the common lover of noble ladies from various kingdoms?

Indeed, if he had married such a beautiful woman, it would be natural to worry about being cast aside.

Beautiful women have high standards, and men are a species that’s difficult to satisfy their wives unless they’re exceptional.

What can satisfy a woman are soft and cute animals, shiny and expensive things, and then men.

Of course, if one’s face is shiny, they can skip the first two steps… but that’s not something that can be done commonly.

Moreover, even if the purpose was jealousy, it was still surprising that he wasn’t executed.

If he knew about the hidden ground base, why had he left him alone all this time?

Did he not want to get involved in a love affair?

Starlet, who briefly recalled three or four women who would look for him if he died, gestured to his subordinate who was keeping watch nearby.

“Come here, Dori. That person is the Queen of Aglante.”

But Dori, who had stayed in Aglante to monitor the situation while he was out at sea, replied indifferently.

“I thought you knew, boss.”

“How could I know the face of the Queen of Aglante… No, that’s not it, Dori, you already knew?”

“She did quite a bit of relief work until the king returned.”

“Then you should have told me in advance!”

If he had, he could have known the queen’s appearance much earlier than now.

However, the man with a dull appearance from the outside just shrugged his shoulders.

“I thought that was enough for your lover, boss.”

“Don’t you know the more beauty you receive, the better?”

And Starlet slowly looked over his subordinate.

After examining the beard he was growing in the name of pride, the furry chest, and the forehead that was starting to shine, he corrected himself.

“No, you probably wouldn’t know.”

Dori, seeming to be stung somewhere by those words, looked at himself once, then said in a slightly sulky voice.

“Still, restrain yourself this time, boss.”

“Well, I have no intention of approaching the new queen either.”

The King Consort of Aglante was not a man who could be called gentle even in jest.

Judging by his upturned eyes and haughty expression, he must be quite jealous – of course, even men with kind appearances weren’t without jealousy – if one got on his bad side, they might have bad luck for life.

Starlet, who had twirled the telescope in his hand once more, raised it to his eye again.

“I just want to see her face, that’s all.”

Not long after, Deos came to Aglante.

Ophelia had sent her a message as soon as Idren returned to the castle.

It was just a request to visit once when she had time, but Deos, who was staying in Tesendot, came right away upon hearing those words.

Ophelia greeted her in the reception room inside the castle, as she had done before.

“How do you do?”

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

Ophelia, who had greeted the person she felt sorry for no matter how many times they met, extended her hand to offer the seat in front of her.

Deos, who didn’t refuse the offered seat and sat down, said,

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Your face looks much better than before.”

Even though she knew it was a kind remark directed at her, Ophelia couldn’t help but flinch.

Because the loss they shared was closely tied to the reason her complexion had brightened.

Of course, Haslen’s death wasn’t because of Idren, but it was awkward to show her harmony with her husband in front of her former fiancé’s mother.

Seeing her embarrassment, Deos smoothed over the situation instead.

“This old woman is relieved.”

The kindness that time couldn’t wash away was still visible in the woman who was smoothing things over so she wouldn’t feel awkward.

Ophelia smiled a bit bitterly, recalling the man who had so perfectly resembled that gentleness.

“You say you’re old, but your age is still…”

“It’s a lot. Haven’t I seen all sorts of things in my life so far?”

But Your Highness has a bright future ahead.

“So move forward towards that future. Leave all the sorrows of the past to this old woman.”

Ophelia hesitated at words that were too much to hear from the other person. Deos smoothed things over again so she wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

“I started speaking because it’s customary to give congratulatory words when someone gets married, but I’m worried if it might have been rude.”

“How could it be rude, I couldn’t…”

Deos could never be rude to her.

Moreover, what froze her was a different part. Ophelia stuttered,

“But isn’t it a past you can’t forget either?”

But the idea that she would forget Haslen was nonsense.

However, Deos didn’t take back her words.

“That’s my share. Everyone has their own share.”

And Deos immediately asked,

“Do you love your husband?”

Surprised by the direct question, Ophelia blinked.

“How did you know?”

“There are things that show just by looking at one’s face.”

Yes, there were things that showed just by looking at the face.

Deos recalled what had always been evident on her living son’s face.

“Mother, I have no regrets.”

When she finally managed to visit her son imprisoned in the royal underground dungeon, he had said that to her.

“I’m just worried that you, Father, and the Princess will be very sad.”

It probably wouldn’t have been as painful even if her heart had been torn out alive and eaten.

Deos thought at that moment that it wouldn’t be strange if her breath stopped.

However, because her son’s face was bruised, because his pale green eyes were looking at her, Deos swallowed all that pain.

Her son, who would always be a child to her even though he had become a young man, had asked that day.

“Please tell her that you will bless all the paths the Princess takes. That you will watch over her steps well, as you did for me.”

I know that you cherish the Princess like your own child, Mother.

The added words were true.

However, it was also true that she had only one child.

Nevertheless, Deos nodded.

“I will.”

She promised her son, with whom she couldn’t even speak comfortably except when he was young, as he was to be mixed with royal blood.

“I will gladly do so.”

While saying so, Deos thought she wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.

She wasn’t the righteous and good person her son saw her as.

She had just made a just choice because she didn’t want to be an unworthy parent in front of her child.

In the end, her son was executed, and she left her homeland, swallowing her misery.

How could she not have felt resentment? How could she not have been in pain?

The Princess was innocent, but the royal family was guilty.

However, no resentment or pain lasts longer than love.

Her son had died, but the love he left behind remained.

Now it was time to return it to its original owner.

Deos, who had risen from her seat, approached the woman who was looking at her with trembling eyes.

When she was young, she feared nothing in the world. The whole world felt like her home, and she believed she could do anything as long as she had her family.

Now youth had departed, and she had lost most of what she had. But one thing remained certain.

Embracing the woman who still had traces of her childhood self, as she had done with her son, Deos said sincerely,

“I am truly glad that Your Highness has found love.”

“I have something to give you.”

Ophelia, who had been embracing the woman for a long time, held out a box she had prepared nearby.

It was a box containing a blue ring, just like in the past.

“Haslen gave it to me. When he promised to marry me…”

She thought it was all in the past, but thinking about it again, emotions welled up inside her. Ah. Ophelia covered her face with a sigh.

“He was a good person.”

“There are limits to what can be protected by goodness.”

Deos said that as if to comfort her, but Ophelia didn’t think Haslen didn’t know that.

“Yet he was good. He was truly brave…”

And Mahanas killed such a person.

When she thought about that, she really couldn’t forgive her own blood.

And when she recalled the crimes her blood had committed, there was naturally a part her thoughts reached.

Ophelia carefully asked the woman who was opening the box she had handed over.

“Don’t you hate me?”

In the past, when she had asked a similar question, Deos had said no.

But Ophelia thought that maybe she had earned the other’s consideration because she looked pitiful at that time.

If that was the case, Deos could be sufficiently honest now. Her resentment would be painful, but not unbearable.

However, Deos shook her head.

“How could I?”

The royal family was guilty, but the Princess was innocent.

Just because she was the woman her son loved didn’t mean she couldn’t love a man who wasn’t her son.

Moreover, Deos knew what her son would wish for the most.

“My son would wish for Your Highness to be well, no matter whose side you’re on.”

Isn’t that what love is?

The woman who had been staring at her with blue eyes that still had a youthful air said,

“There’s someone I want to introduce you to.”