Whether my heart would stop or not.

The time spent waiting while risking my life was quite thrilling.

After savoring that thrilling sensation while waiting—

“…It’s been lifted.”

My heart did not stop.

In other words, the curse had truly been lifted.

Hearing my murmur full of relief, Edbert opened his mouth.

“Of course it was lifted. Because it was none other than I who lifted it. More importantly, what was that earlier about the Emperor synthesizing chimeras from monsters in the underground of the imperial palace?”

“Yes, it’s exactly as you heard.”

After nodding, I explained to him.

“Forbidden experiments using monsters are taking place. And not just anywhere, but in the heart of the empire.”

“If I understand correctly, isn’t that dangerous?”

“It is dangerous. That’s why the Emperor handed me a confidentiality contract to carry out this dangerous act in secret. I was cursed with death as the price for signing the contract to peek at the secret.”

“Did you see and confirm it with your own eyes?”

“Yes. It’s a fact that has been confirmed as clearly as possible.”

Edbert’s expression hardened seriously.

He stood up and said to me.

“Wait a moment. I’ll call Martin. It seems he should know about this too.”

Edbert, who left saying he would call the commander, returned sooner than expected.

It seemed the commander had been lingering nearby without needing to go far.

I first informed the commander, whom I met again, of the fact that the curse had been lifted.

Then, I continued speaking to him as he rejoiced.

The truth that I had been hiding and unable to tell until now because of that curse.

Naturally, the commander asked me back with a shocked face.

“In the underground of the imperial palace? Are you sure? That bastard did such a crazy thing…? But why?”

“It seemed he was trying to find a way to awaken the abilities of non-awakened people using chimeras.”

“…”

“It may sound like nonsense, but it’s true. Moreover, it seemed he had actually achieved some results.”

I had clearly seen it before my second death.

The sight of knights who were non-awakened forcibly awakening and using abilities.

Although all those knights were in a somewhat strange state, they clearly used abilities.

The commander rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.

“What in the world…? Forced awakening, rearing monsters in the underground of the imperial palace for such nonsense…?”

Muttering as if he couldn’t understand at all, he immediately looked at me and said.

“He’s really not in his right mind. We must pull him down from the throne.”

“…Will you really do that?”

The commander had already revealed to me before setting out on this monster subjugation.

That he intended to pull down Ernant.

But I still couldn’t agree with his opinion.

Of course, it wasn’t for the sake of that damned Emperor who had killed me twice.

“Much blood will flow in the empire. It’s already overwhelming just to stop the rifts and monsters, let alone if a civil war breaks out.”

“Yes, much blood will flow. But are you going to leave a growing abscess on the body just because you’re afraid to see blood?”

The commander, who had always listened to my words, seemed unwilling to back down easily this time and continued speaking firmly.

“The longer we leave it, the greater sacrifices will arise. Sometimes courage is needed to cut the flesh and squeeze out the pus, knowing blood will flow.”

The commander seemed to have already decided that the festering abscess of the empire, the Emperor, must be removed.

Of course, it was somewhat right.

Sometimes small sacrifices were necessary to prevent great sacrifices.

However—

“A civil war is not something that can be expressed simply as ‘blood flowing from squeezing an abscess’.”

I said so, still unable to agree.

Then I continued to speak.

“People will die. And in great numbers. And those who die will never return to the arms of their loved ones.”

As the commander remained silent, I continued speaking.

“Someone’s family, friend, lover will disappear forever. Won’t countless orphans be created? Children who have lost parents, widows who have lost husbands, invalids who have lost limbs, vagrants who have lost hope will cover the streets.”

“…”

“Yes, of course, as you said, sacrifices may be unavoidable in some situations, but I don’t think that’s the case now, at least.”

The commander, who had been stroking his chin as if in thought, asked in a quiet voice.

“Then when?”

“Let’s try persuading him one more time. We should make a final effort. But if he still doesn’t change his mind—”

I took a breath and then spoke the following words with difficulty.

“Then we’ll have no choice but to put a knife to the festering wound.”

Yes, as it was a matter of many people’s lives, we had to make an effort until the very end.

But if the Emperor continued his madness despite those efforts, then there was no choice.

Other than staining hands and swords with blood.

Edbert, who had been listening to my words, chimed in to agree with me.

“I think it’s better to follow Yulia’s opinion too. Civil war should not occur even in peaceful times, but now we are already threatened by monsters and rifts as enemies. If possible, let’s try to resolve this without bloodshed.”

After hearing Edbert’s words as well, the commander fell into deep thought.

He just rubbed his chin with his eyes lowered as if in contemplation, without giving any answer.

The longer his contemplation time grew, the deeper my worry became.

Such a long deliberation meant that he wanted to remove his insane brother from power that much.

So I was very worried, but fortunately no extreme answer came from the commander’s mouth.

“Alright, I see. We should try persuasion one last time.”

I let out a deep sigh of relief.

“First, let’s send a letter to the imperial palace to arrange a meeting. Then we’ll try to persuade him in a safe state without weapons or soldiers.”

“What if they refuse?”

“They won’t refuse. Because… just as we want to persuade the Emperor, he also wants to persuade me.”

He had wanted to persuade me all along.

He wanted me to acknowledge that his actions were right, that they were worthwhile.

So he will surely respond if we ask to meet.

“Alright. Then let’s send a letter.”

Afterwards, the commander told me to rest comfortably and left his seat.

It was three days later when I heard news of Ernant.

They said a reply had come to the letter we sent him.

Of course, the result was as expected, and we soon set out for the north to meet him.

On the way north after leaving Greetplus.

We traveled all day but couldn’t reach a village, so we prepared to camp in a field.

We took out sleeping bags, lit a fire, and boiled a stew with various ingredients thrown in.

When I received the well-cooked evening stew from the commander, I called out to him casually.

“Commander.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while but didn’t have the chance. My menstruation has stopped.”

“Ah, I see… Wait, what did you say?”

He dropped the bowl he was scooping his stew with.

The wooden bowl fell with a thud and rolled on the grass.

I picked it up and informed him again.

“My period hasn’t started.”

“…”

“I might be tired, but I’m not sure. I’ve always been regular even when exhausted. There might be another reason.”

Even after hearing all I said, the commander remained frozen like a statue for a while.

Then, as if finally coming to his senses, he opened his mouth hesitantly towards me.

“Are you saying you’re pregnant? With our child?”

“I can only say there’s a possibility, I can’t say for certain that I’m—”

“Yulia!”

Before I could finish speaking, he jumped up from his seat and approached me.

Then he grabbed my waist and lifted me up.

As if I wasn’t heavy at all, he spun me around in the air once like dancing before putting me down.

When I looked at his face after being set on the ground, joy was in full bloom.

I smiled slightly at the commander and asked.

“We’d need to confirm with an item or ability to be sure, are you already happy?”

“Of course I’m happy. How could I not be? It’s the happiest news I’ve ever heard in my life.”

He hugged me and whispered, kissing my forehead.

“I’ve never felt life wasn’t boring since I was born. I couldn’t find value in anything, including the throne, and since I couldn’t feel value, I couldn’t feel emotions either. I just lived day by day thinking it didn’t matter what happened, and that terrible boredom eventually became painful.”

Feeling sorry for him, I gently stroked his cheek.

He softly kissed the back of my hand and whispered.

“But not anymore. You have filled my life with things worth protecting at the risk of my life.”

As the cool night breeze brushed past our ears, we kissed.

Like the long summer passing and autumn approaching, our fate was also changing slowly but surely.