Time quickly passed, and new buds sprouted on the bare branches, turning green.

Helene, who had been away from the castle since the welcome banquet under the pretext of ‘going on relief activities as a saint’, also returned to the White Lily Palace, and it seemed that imperial nobles were rushing to send her party invitations.

When I heard this news, I pondered a little.

‘Should I hold a banquet too?’

Thinking I might be able to catch one of the men gathered there.

I need to go out somewhere to find a candidate to love or not.

“Yes, raise your arms a bit more there. You tend to move reflexively too much. Try to think about curling your elbows inward more calmly.”

I also have a certain tendency.

That is, the tendency to fall in love at first sight.

If I don’t fall for someone at first glance, it might be difficult to love them.

‘But I shouldn’t love someone too deeply. I should love moderately.’

But does it even make sense to say “love moderately” in the first place?

It’s too difficult.

I sighed inwardly while adjusting Mereum’s posture.

The only time I felt good was when I was with Mereum.

He had an excellent learning ability, so even if I corrected his posture just a little, he never made the same mistake twice.

“Um, Your Majesty the Empress. How do you know all this…?”

The Imperial Knights stared at me like that for days. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Sir Giovanni, who had the shortest patience among them, slowly approached and asked a question.

“Hmm? What?”

“Argh! Don’t pretend you don’t know. Every time Your Majesty teaches something, that Mereum fellow improves. Can’t you teach us too?”

They seem curious about how I know about swordsmanship, but more than that, their desire to learn seems greater.

The other knights gathered on the other side of the training ground seemed to feel the same way.

“Sir Giovanni. You always finish poorly. You get caught because you don’t concentrate until the end.”

“Ugh.”

“That mindset shows in your feet. Every time you’re about to finish, your left foot is two steps ahead of your right. That’s where the gap appears.”

“Oh… Such piercing criticism, it’s been a while!”

Sir Waxon, the captain of the knights, was not as skilled as his character.

Right now, these people have no one to observe, learn from, and follow.

So their skills can only stay in place.

‘If I had been in my original body, I could have led them.’

It’s regrettable.

Still, I can at least correct their postures even now.

“Everyone, take your stance. Then I’ll look at each person one by one.”

“Oh, yes! Everyone, take your stance!!!”

When Sir Giovanni shouted loudly, the knights took their positions in unison.

I got up and moved among them, pointing out subtle angles and leg positions.

“Wow, when I do as you say, the movement really becomes smoother.”

“It’s amazing, Your Majesty.”

“How do you know all this? I thought you’d never even been near the training ground.”

The knights expressed their pure curiosity without any malice.

I glanced at Derek standing behind me and pulled out the excuse I had prepared in advance.

“I received a dagger at this recent welcome banquet.”

“Oh, that’s a famous story.”

“Yes. But even before that, I kept hearing a voice. It was a very mysterious voice that seemed to come from a distant place. They say a revelation came down in the desert country. If I were given the dagger, the spread of the death desert would stop.”

As time passed, the differences between the original Leonarda and the current me were becoming more and more apparent.

From small things like food preferences to big things like commanding the knights as I’m doing now.

Derek must be feeling a sense of discomfort by now.

“No way, is it God telling you?”

“Yes. It seems God also wants you to become stronger. When I look at you closely, I hear a voice from somewhere.”

“Ohhh! Then Your Majesty the Empress… Aren’t you also a saint?”

To the excited question, I just smiled while tucking my hair behind my ear.

‘Derek has been watching Leonarda since she was young. Clumsy excuses like saying I read it in a book won’t work. In fact, Leonarda never even went near the library.’

Moreover, this kind of knowledge was not easily obtainable.

‘But if I say God is telling me, there’s nothing they can say.’

It would still be suspicious, but it’s not like Derek can interrogate me. He’s not the type to spread rumors either.

He won’t be able to point his sword at me until he’s certain I’m not Leonarda.

‘Even if he knows the real Leonarda is already dead, he won’t be able to do anything out of his desire for this body to live on. That’s for sure.’

Derek’s only desire is one thing.

Just to love Leonarda.

His love never sought reciprocation in the first place, and was just as blind.

He’ll probably waver between twisted hatred for me and lifelong affection, slowly rotting from the inside…

‘It’s better if you just think Leonarda is alive.’

While I was like that for a while, heavy footsteps were heard from somewhere. At the same time, a holy power so cold it chilled my bones rushed towards this place.

“Ugh…”

For a moment, unable to breathe, I grabbed my throat and took a deep breath.

‘Ah, this is… not the holy power of just one or two people. Did the Crusade come as a group…?’

I was in good condition today. Damn it.

My vision suddenly blurred.

When I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again, what I saw were dozens of military boots.

“What is the Empress doing here right now?”

An icy voice that made the back of my neck chill.

Ah, it’s Enrique.

It had been a while since we met after the welcome banquet.

“Why is the Quan royal family in the Imperial Knights’ training ground?”

A hint of anger is felt in the monotonous voice.

I don’t know why, but Enrique came here already angry.

It doesn’t seem like he came looking for me, but he seems even angrier that I’m here.

‘Those standing behind… it’s the Crusade… right.’

White jackets with silver epaulettes. Men with blue capes draped over one shoulder.

The Holy Knight Order, Crusade.

Among them were faces I had seen on that very day, the day I died.

“Answer me, Empress.”

How can I answer when I can’t breathe?

I was irritated, but unless I wanted to spread rumors that I was a demon, I had to open my mouth.

I opened my burning throat and replied in a suppressed voice.

“I was looking after the knights, but.”

“You? What would you know?”

“That’s true.”

I don’t have the energy to fight today.

I was currently under pressure equivalent to blocking a huge comet with my bare body.

‘I don’t know why you came, but just go without picking unnecessary fights.’

I could feel my complexion turning pale by the second.

But Enrique, who was of no help whatsoever, just stared at me intently. He didn’t move.

“If you have nothing to say, I’ll be going now.”

Just as I, unable to bear it any longer, was about to move.

“Why did you do that to Helene?”

As expected, he brought up Helene.

It seemed that Helene, who had returned to the White Lily Palace, had been complaining.

“If the Empress had prepared so well, there was no need for the saint to go all the way to Ansel and suffer.”

“Is this how you thank the person who saved Your Majesty’s hometown?”

Ah, I don’t want to fight today.

I’ll only lose if I argue.

But why does he make me so angry?

“You have a very unique way of expressing gratitude, Your Majesty.”

“How did you know that such a thing would happen in Ansel?”

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me if I tell you, but I received a revelation. But now it seems it was unnecessary. I should have let it all wash away. So the saint could go later and comfort the poor people.”

Don’t be sarcastic. Don’t be sarcastic.

I thought that, but of course it was of no use.

‘He probably didn’t bring all those knights to interrogate me. He didn’t seem to know I was here either.’

Then why did Enrique come?

“I don’t know where you learned to mock like that.”

“Oh my, should I apologize for not being able to twist my tongue in my mouth like that woman? I never knew until today that this was a place for the Empress to act coquettish?”

The Imperial Knights who witnessed the bickering between me and Enrique froze on the spot. So much so that if you hit them with a hammer, they would make a ringing sound.

The expressions of the Holy Knight Order were very bad, and it was clear they were thinking things like ‘How dare you insult the saint’.

“Your Majesty. Just now, Her Majesty the Empress… said she received a revelation.”

At that moment, one knight from the Holy Knight Order quietly spoke up. At that, Enrique turned to look at me with a dubious gaze.

“Is it not a lie to get attention?”

“What good would it do me to get Your Majesty’s attention?”

“…These days, you remind me of someone. It’s very irritating.”

“The God who has come upon me also says Your Majesty is irritating.”

Ah, I feel like I can hear the sound of my precious lifespan being shaved off by the second.

I wish he would just tell me why he came here now.

It’s not noticeable yet, but soon it will be apparent that my breathing is becoming labored.

I didn’t want to show the sight of collapsing in front of Enrique.

“It’s rather fortunate that the Empress is here. As a sign of respect for the Valkyrie knights who have worked hard so far, I came personally.”

“Pardon?”

The Valkyrie knights asked anxiously. Then one of the Holy Knights stepped forward and shouted.

“How dare you question His Majesty!”

“…!”

Not being able to say anything in front of the Crusade.

This is still the position of the Valkyrie.

I took note of that with my own eyes.

Somehow, I felt like I knew what Enrique was going to say.

“I express gratitude for serving the country and the imperial family so far. However.”

Yes, create tension by pausing here once.

“From this moment, in this place, the Valkyrie will be disbanded.”

Ah, it’s rather fortunate!