People Aren't Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 16
“Wooaah!”
“What’s that?”
Ronowe and Beris, who had rushed ahead, plastered themselves against the window.
True to their curious and lively natures, the siblings’ eyes sparkled brightly with interest in the new sight before them.
Creeeak—
‘Why are they sitting like that?’
With a blank expression, I flung open the large window. Immediately, a mighty cheer reached my ears with vivid clarity. The children’s field of view also widened, allowing them to properly take in the place brimming with jubilation and fervor.
“What are you doing? Come along.”
I beckoned to the children behind me, and we all stepped out onto the balcony. I was astonished by the dense procession of people filling the spaces between buildings like a swarm of ants.
“It sounds like it’s coming from really far away….”
While I muttered to myself, Carlisle, standing behind the siblings, observed carefully and then spoke.
“It must be a festival!”
Beris followed up confidently. Even to his young eyes, the atmosphere of celebration and excitement was unmistakable.
‘If there truly were a festival, I—being of the imperial family—should have known about it.’
Unlike the serene children, suspicion began to sprout within me.
‘Yet I received no report whatsoever.’
Just what was going on? I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized the scene. Though Ronowe and Beris chattered noisily enough to drive me mad, I suppressed my irritation and watched the procession stretching far into the distance.
Flap—
At that moment, at the very front of the knights passing through the central square just beyond the capital’s entrance, rode a knight clad in black armor, draped in a blue cape.
‘Just by looking, that one’s clearly the Grand General.’
My past life as an emperor and my experience as a knight told me so. The one leading at the forefront, by both presence and position, must surely be the commander of the entire knightly order.
Wooooah—
‘This brings back memories.’
As the imperial standard fluttered vigorously, symbolizing the empire, the sight of the knightly order riding proudly toward the imperial palace, basking in the people’s reverence and affection, reminded me of the days in my past life when I conquered kingdom after kingdom, ringing victory bells in endless succession.
‘Back then, I truly felt on top of the world.’
Unconsciously, I chuckled softly. The applause celebrating their triumph and success showed no sign of ceasing, even after the knightly order had fully entered the palace.
‘Jeff will probably hold a banquet soon.’
My neck stiff from strain, I turned back to the room, indifferent to whether the children continued gawking or not.
Not long after, Jeff—upon hearing of the knights’ return—immediately arranged a formal audience to commend their efforts and receive their victory report.
[This is the timeline separator]Murmur… murmur…
Having been mingling with friends, I was suddenly summoned to an official gathering.
‘All the nobles are here. Doesn’t seem like a banquet, though.’
Having sat through such gatherings endlessly during my time as emperor, I felt not the slightest tension—only indifference. Since no one gave clear answers even when I asked, I simply waited calmly, cradling Poppy in my arms.
“Endless glory to the Falcon of Light!”
How long had I been bored out of my mind like this? Finally, with a grand proclamation from the steward, the doors of the Grand Hall swung open. The nobles parted as if by prior agreement, and two distinct silhouettes cast long shadows upon the crimson carpet embroidered with the royal crest.
Clank… clank—
The heavy clinking of armor added solemnity to the hushed atmosphere. I stared blankly at the knight who halted at a respectful distance.
‘What? Some knight?’
Seeing him kneel so deeply in formal respect stirred memories of my past life. I, too, had once received reports in exactly this manner as emperor.
“Your Majesty, as commanded, I have utterly crushed the rebels.”
Soon, the blue-caped knight at the front extended something toward the throne.
“Indeed, Grand General. I wish to inspect the spoils you have brought, up close.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
So that person was the Grand General. While I pondered how this situation had come to be, I was startled as my body suddenly lifted off the ground.
‘Just what in the world is going on?’
With so many eyes watching, I held back from causing a scene—even though I wanted nothing more than to demand an explanation.
“Grand General.”
Meanwhile, Jeff, his voice resonant with imperial authority, called out to the knight and patted his shoulder with one hand.
“I never once doubted that you would accomplish this.”
With a gentle smile, Jeff then addressed the assembled crowd in the hall.
“My general and I have urgent matters to discuss. Everyone may now withdraw.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Watching him promptly dismiss dozens of gathered nobles, I reached one clear conclusion.
‘So they’ve just returned from campaign.’
Jeff still held me tightly, and I peeked over at the knight while stroking Poppy in my arms.
‘There’s nothing left to conquer on this continent. Something’s odd.’
The claim of having suppressed a rebellion only deepened my growing list of unanswered questions.
“Now that everyone has gone, you may relax.”
Once even the sound of footsteps outside faded, Jeff suddenly wore the doting smile of a proud parent.
“!”
The one who reacted most unusually was the blue-caped knight standing opposite us.
“Well then—I won’t hold back!”
In an instant, everything changed. The knight’s demeanor and tone became bright and cheerful, and without warning, she pulled both me and Jeff into a tight embrace.
“Gaaaaah—!”
The crushing grip squeezed my body so thin it felt like I might burst, and I cried out involuntarily.
“Oh dear! I didn’t realize my own strength….”
The blue-caped knight quickly let go, flustered and apologetic.
‘I nearly suffocated to death. What is even happening now?’
A Grand General, a suppression campaign, a sudden formal assembly—and now the commander of the knights daring to hug the emperor with such familiarity?
‘…Huh?’
Utterly bewildered beyond the limits of my understanding, I watched as the blue-caped knight glanced around once—then smoothly removed her helmet.
‘Hecate?’
The revealed identity left me utterly dumbfounded.
“Forgive me, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Hecate—once one of my most trusted aides in my past life, and my most cherished retainer.
‘W-wait a moment!’
Known also as the “Golden-Maned Blue Lioness,” she now gazed at me with tender eyes and gently ruffled my hair—leaving me feeling as if I’d just been struck on the head with a hammer.
‘Hecate being Grand General is shocking enough—but Empress, too?’
In my days as emperor, the two of them had been fierce rivals, with no trace of romance between them.
Both possessed exceptional swordsmanship and constantly dueled whenever they had the chance—I’d seen it all with my own eyes, so I knew for certain.
‘And yet… they got maaarried?’
Imagining those two, once so hostile, now laughing joyfully together in white wedding attire, radiating pink romantic energy—it created a jarring sense of unreality.
“My dear, I knew of your existence, but I had no choice but to leave for the battlefield for the sake of our homeland.”
As I struggled to recover from yet another shock, Hecate explained why she’d been absent from my side.
“You were born there, on that battlefield.”
A solemn aura emanated from Hecate as she recounted her past like a penitent confession, her expression heavy with sorrow.
“Not once was I able to properly hold your tiny hand—that regret has haunted me ever since.”
She, first and foremost the empire’s defender, the supreme knight leading the knightly order, had risked everything and marched into danger—unable to abandon her weighty duty—and now her expression grew increasingly pitiful.
“Empress…”
Jeff, watching her with a pained look, stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Hecate’s shoulders to comfort her.
“I returned from the brink of death. What kept me standing through it all was you, Your Majesty—and Darling.”
Hecate, clearly holding back deep emotion, closed her eyes briefly before opening them again—her lips parting with solemn gravity.
‘For a knight as capable as Hecate to have spent three full years on the battlefield, the war must have been massive.’
Listening quietly and piecing together the situation, I found myself sinking into even greater confusion.
‘Yet the empire remained strangely calm. Perhaps the people simply trust our military might too deeply.’
Something felt off. Like a thread cut too hastily—leaving the whole picture feeling incomplete and unsatisfying.
‘Perhaps today marks the beginning of a new chapter in history.’
Deep in thought about the empire’s future, I was jarred as the somber mood gently lifted.
“You must have endured so much guarding this place alone. These past three years must have been truly long and hard for you.”
“Not at all. Because I always believed… you would return.”
Jeff had spoken these words because Hecate, smiling softly, had just placed her hand over his where it rested on her shoulder.
‘I really can’t watch this.’
Immediately after, their sickeningly sweet eye contact nearly choked me.
‘Weren’t you two always cursing each other to hell back when you were young?’
Jeff and Hecate had been more than rivals—they’d been sworn enemies. When and how had these two formed such a bond? It was utterly baffling.
“Lilith, from now on, you shall continue to serve the Empress.”
“How could there be any doubt? I shall repay your trust with unwavering loyalty.”
After savoring their reunion for a while, Jeff quietly entrusted Hecate to the green-caped knight who had been waiting patiently nearby.
‘Huh?’
Surely it wasn’t *that* Lilith I knew. Suspicious of the familiar name, I followed Jeff’s gaze.
‘What? It really is the Serpent!’
The only being to have willingly abandoned the land crafted by God—eccentric, enigmatic. “The Serpent” was another name for Lilith.
‘I thought she’d vanished eons ago and was long dead.’
I stared, astonished, at her unchanged appearance.
Of course, to any third party, Lilith looked like an ordinary human—indistinguishable. But to me, who had seen her in the dawn of humanity, her eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and voice remained exactly as I remembered.
There was no doubt in my mind: the knight now serving Hecate was the very Lilith I once knew.
‘How on earth did things get so tangled?’
Still dazed, I was suddenly pulled into Hecate’s embrace.
“Your Highness the Crown Princess appears in excellent health—what a relief.”
“It rained so terribly back then—I was so worried. Thankfully, you’ve grown up strong and healthy.”
I couldn’t tell whether Lilith genuinely didn’t recognize me—or was just pretending not to. Either way, she kept nagging at my thoughts.
“Who’s out there?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
In the midst of all this, Jeff apparently decided I’d had enough of the scene and summoned a maid to take me back to my chambers.
‘Lilith… just what is that serpent scheming?’
The moment the maid took a few steps carrying me, I immediately demanded to be put down.
“I’ll walk on my own. Put me down.”
“As you wish.”
The obedient maid soon asked politely,
“Shall I read you a fairy tale once we return to your room?”
“No.”
I stomped off, muttering under my breath.
‘The Serpent never aids anyone without reason.’
Watching Jeff, Hecate, and Lilith huddle together in deep discussion, countless thoughts swirled through my mind.
‘First, I need to find out why that serpent is here.’
Glancing sideways at Lilith from time to time, I made my resolve.
‘The Serpent always appears where calamity brews.’
Wink—
Just then, unluckily, our eyes met—and Lilith casually winked one eye at me, sending a clear signal. Her expression and gesture were so unnervingly smooth that goosebumps prickled my skin.
She acted toward me with the same familiar cheerfulness as always. Worse still, she practically radiated an aura as if rose petals were swirling around her—utterly unbearable.
‘I don’t want to acknowledge her.’
Back in the old days, she’d always been exactly like this whenever we crossed paths. Glaring at the ever-smug Lilith, I tugged Poppy’s cheeks from both sides in frustration.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)