Seeing the flames burning, I finally understood what had happened.

Martin must have also experienced hallucinations here.

Afterwards, he likely used his ability to start a fire in order to dispel those hallucinations.

As he said, it was a somewhat extreme method, but it seemed to be just as effective.

Seeing that we had both returned to reality.

“If there’s nothing more to do, may I take my leave now?”

I nodded without hesitation to Martin’s question.

The hallucinations were gone.

The palace was burning.

There was no need to stay any longer.

We originally came here to eliminate Ernant, but it didn’t seem necessary for us to take action ourselves.

He probably wouldn’t survive in these flames anyway.

“……”

Before Martin carried me outside, I quietly looked towards the main palace.

Ernant was likely in the main palace.

Looking closer, the path there had long since been consumed by flames.

It meant we could neither go to kill him nor save him.

I silently buried my face in Martin’s chest, and Martin carried me out just like that.

As expected, Ernant did not make it out of the palace alive.

It was the moment when our long and bitter connection was finally severed.

Whether good or bad, all connections have an end.

Even for couples who promised lifelong love, the blade of death eventually comes to sever that seemingly eternal bond.

So while all connections have an end, not everyone deals with that end in the same way.

Some quickly accept and overcome separation, returning to their daily lives.

Others cling desperately to connections long ended, unable to let go.

I knew well how such lingering attachments could sicken the heart.

So I erased the bitter connection with Ernant from my mind.

I let go of all resentment and sorrow towards him, wiping it clean.

He was already dead. With his death, we met our eternal parting.

Standing before his grave, I offered a final prayer for his soul’s peace, then promptly returned to my busy life.

I had to assist my husband without even a moment to catch my breath.

With the sudden burning of the palace and the Emperor’s death, groups appeared revealing their greed for the now vacant throne.

So we went to them directly and taught them through force.

Who the true Emperor descended from the previous Emperor’s bloodline was, whose position they dared to covet.

Rebellions and purges continued in succession. The Empire suffered through a fever for some time because of this.

As that fever slowly healed and the Empire gradually regained its original peace, our child was born.

A radiant and beautiful daughter.

We named her “Katarina,” this child who may one day succeed Martin as Emperor of the Empire.

Hoping she would be a caring older sister to future siblings, and a respected leader to the people.

By the time Katarina started babbling, Martin had finally made all enemies kneel and became the Emperor acknowledged by the entire Empire.

And now, after overcoming obstacle after obstacle to reach this point.

We had only one task left.

To hold the official royal wedding.

Unlike the small wedding we held before, this wedding was truly a royal affair.

Its purpose was to announce to all the people that the Empire’s rulers had changed.

Through this ceremony, we needed to proclaim that Martin had become the new Emperor, and I the new Empress.

So that no citizen of the Empire would be unaware of us.

Because of this important purpose, we prepared a grand ceremony despite the turbulent circumstances.

I wore a splendid dress befitting the name of Empress, and placed a tiara on my head that only the Empress could wear.

After these preparations, I finally appeared in the great temple where all the nobles of the Empire had gathered.

There were truly many people gathered, but they didn’t catch my eye.

Despite my head feeling heavy from the tiara, I kept my head held high and gazed only straight ahead.

At the very front of the venue with the altar, the man who was the Emperor of the Empire and my husband was already there waiting for me.

I took careful steps towards him, one at a time.

Though the dress and shoes made it difficult to walk, what did it matter?

To be joined with him, I had crossed between life and death countless times until now.

For me, slightly uncomfortable shoes and a dress were no obstacle at all, and before long I was standing beside Martin.

What followed afterwards was not much different from what might happen at any ordinary wedding.

We vowed our love and kissed.

Because we believed in each other’s love without a shred of doubt, that kiss was deep and long.

No other incidents or accidents occurred.

There was nothing like a stranger suddenly bursting into the venue shouting “I object to this marriage!” as in scripts written by dramatists who love sensational stories.

It was a wedding that proceeded smoothly without any sensational events or accidents.

Even so, I had no complaints at all.

We had already been through so many things.

Having lived through so many threats, we understood the preciousness of an ordinary, peaceful life better than others.

Ordinariness is lovely and peacefulness is beautiful.

Hoping our married life would continue to be so lovely and beautiful, we concluded the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we returned straight to the bedchamber.

The palace attendants who had been serving us until then tactfully withdrew, and we were finally left alone.

After washing each other’s bodies clean in the bathroom, we naturally headed to the bed together.

Laying me gently on the bed as if handling a doll made of sand, Martin then said:

“I’m glad I became Emperor. I’m honored to be able to embrace such a beautiful Empress every night.”

I giggled at his playful words.

“Ah yes. It’s the Emperor’s exclusive privilege. To be able to embrace the Empress.”

“It’s a perfect reward that makes even the hardships endured to ascend the throne feel rapturous.”

He whispered happy words in my ear, then lowered his head to press his lips to my neck.

The ticklish sensation was vividly felt on my skin.

As always, that sensation was so intense that it utterly consumed me in an instant.

My toes curled, my hair stood on end, and my most intimate parts heated up in anticipation of the stimulation they would soon feel.

Lowering my gaze to look, it seemed he was in a similar state.

Seeing how impressively large and firm he had already become.

“Haa……”

Martin exhaled hotly and pressed his body against mine urgently.

His excitement was clearly conveyed through his heated flesh.

Instead of immediately letting him into my body, I gently embraced his neck.

And whispered:

“We endured so much hardship for this moment of happiness, didn’t we.”

I meant that I was just as happy, but it seems my husband took it a bit regretfully.

He stroked my hair and apologized.

“I’m sorry for making you suffer until now. There won’t be any more hardships from now on. Things have stabilized somewhat—”

“No. I wasn’t trying to complain.”

I shook my head, cutting off Martin’s apology.

Then I cupped his cheeks in my hands, making him look at me.

“Your Majesty just said that even the hardships feel rapturous because it’s so good now. I feel the same way.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I know love isn’t magic. I know it doesn’t solve all the painful problems in this world like in a fairy tale.”

I continued whispering while looking at him:

“But even so, the reason many people regard that emotion as noble is because it gives them the strength to overcome pain. Your Majesty has given me that strength.”

Just because we came to care for and love each other didn’t mean only happy things would fill our future.

I had already learned that reality doesn’t always end happily ever after like in fairy tales.

Perhaps an even more painful and difficult future than the days we’ve experienced so far was waiting for us.

We would have to work hard to close rifts in the future too, and additionally keep in check the political adversaries targeting us.

But even so, I believed.

Because I had met a precious person who could make even pain feel like happiness, although those problems wouldn’t disappear, we would be able to overcome them.

Afterwards, we kissed.

It was an even deeper and more intense kiss than the one we shared in front of people.