Ord Hyanmorik’s funeral was held more simply than the prescribed form of the Sierow royal family.

Eustar faithfully followed the contents written in the letter that Ord had personally written and sealed with his seal when he began to fall ill. Instead of being placed in a stone coffin and entering the mausoleum of the Hyanmorik royal family, his body was cremated and scattered.

The day his ashes were scattered was a bright, cloudless day after a very long time. A flock of white thrushes accompanied Ord’s final moments as they soared higher and higher with the wind.

Immediately after the funeral was completed, Eustar’s coronation ceremony was held.

Although Ord’s funeral and Eustar’s succession had been prepared for a long time and proceeded smoothly without the need to rush, Eustar rather thought it would have been better if he had been busier and more flustered.

Then he might have been able to forget the sadness of his brother’s departure a little faster.

“You don’t need to force yourself to chase away the sadness.”

On the night before the coronation, Laila said, holding Eustar’s head in her arms and stroking him.

Kissing his hair incessantly until it became soft from brushing, Laila gently caressed Eustar’s nape, shoulders, and chest as if to soothe him.

“Your sadness is yours, Eustar. You don’t need to be mindful of others.”

It wasn’t a grand statement, but Eustar felt once again saved by Laila’s words.

The coronation ceremony was held in a more magnificent and solemn atmosphere than the funeral.

There were people whispering about Countess Himierd’s absence, but Eustar didn’t mind as he already knew she had moved to the magicians’ residence.

Some people who followed Countess Himierd, such as Count Tommen, were the same.

“Pay your respects to Her Majesty the Queen.”

When the officiant in charge of the ceremony spoke, the nobles who stood up from their seats bowed in unison towards Laila, who had come forward.

While representatives of distinguished noble families, including Count Tommen, came forward to kiss the ring symbolizing the Queen of Sierow with respect and affection, Laila stood there feeling dazed as if in a dream.

“Don’t be nervous.”

She heard Eustar’s whisper from behind. Only then did Laila realize that her hands were shaking and clenched her fists tightly before releasing them.

Marquis Poet, who came forward last, kissed her ring and said with a gentle smile:

“I am immeasurably pleased to welcome the new Queen of Sierow. I will do my utmost to be loyal so as not to bring shame to Your noble Majesty.”

“…Thank you, Marquis Poet.”

Marquis Poet smiled once more before descending from the platform. Eustar whispered softly.

“Marquis Poet has requested the position of your close lady-in-waiting.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It will be fine. She is a prudent and thoughtful person.”

When Laila remained silent for a moment, Eustar quickly added.

“If you don’t like it, we can slowly choose someone else.”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just… I feel strange.”

“Strange how?”

Lost in thought, Laila said.

“When I think of myself until recently, it feels strange to receive greetings and words of blessing from so many people.”

At those words, Eustar smiled gently. Then he lightly pressed his lips to Laila’s temple.

“You’ll have to get used to it, as there will be more of this in the future. No matter what anyone says, you are now the Queen of the Kingdom of Sierow.”

The banquet that began after the coronation ceremony continued even after the feast. As if finally realizing that Sierow had been freed from the terror of the Sink, people freely got drunk, laughed, chatted, and danced.

Laila, who had drunk about three glasses of wine, left her seat when the banquet was in full swing. Whether it was strong alcohol or not, her forehead felt hot, and she kept feeling like laughing and then getting sleepy, which was quite unsettling.

“Kriss… no, Your Majesty the Queen, are you alright? I’ll bring you some cold water.”

Mel carefully sat Laila on the bed as if she were a baby when they arrived at the bedroom.

While Mel hurriedly went out to fetch water, Laila, who was absentmindedly holding her warm forehead, reached behind her back and undid the tightly fastened buttons one by one.

After taking off the dress, she felt somewhat better. Wearing only a thin and light slip, she leaned back on the sofa, and her vision spun.

The darkness in a corner of the room seemed to flicker. Laila stared at it with furrowed brows. The triangular darkness pooled in the angular corner where light didn’t reach moved slowly.

At first, she thought it was an illusion, but it wasn’t. The shadow that had been lying long on the floor suddenly stood up and then became the figure of an elegant man. It was Badin.

“I thought you might come.”

Laila burst into a short laugh and said, bowing her head.

“I had a feeling. Were you watching me at the coronation ceremony too?”

“I was watching.”

Badin answered with an expressionless face, then leaned against the wall at an angle, crossing his arms like a human.

“You’ve become queen.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s funny. A woman with black hair and red eyes becoming queen and receiving bows from people.”

“It’s not funny.”

Badin answered calmly, tapping his forearm with his fingertips thoughtfully, then said:

“Should I congratulate you?”

Laila burst into laughter.

“That’s up to you to decide. Is there any need to ask for my opinion?”

Badin fell silent again. He looked as if he was about to make a very important decision in life.

Laila looked at him intently with a slightly clearer mind. As she had thought several times before, it didn’t feel real that he was a demon.

Why was that? Even when the Deceptor had transformed into Eustar’s appearance, she immediately thought he was a being other than human.

“Will you really not regret it?”

Laila looked at Badin. He continued:

“You’ve thrown away your last chance to live as an ordinary human by your own hand. I wonder if you needed to do that for the foolish descendant of Hyanmorik.”

Laila’s eyes blinked a couple of times. Her gaze was very serious. It was hard to believe she was a human who had lived just over twenty years. Her eyes seemed to transcend many aspects of life.

“Do you regret loving Lilith?”

As Badin’s eyes moved towards Laila, she spoke again.

“Do you regret loving Lilith, deceiving her out of love, and having to suffer in the void as punishment for your lies during that distant time?”

Badin, who had been holding his breath as if at a loss for words, answered indifferently.

“I don’t regret it. As I said, too much time has passed to regret and hate. Among the feelings that have worn away during that time, there might be a feeling of regret. But I’ve never thought for a moment that it would have been better not to love her.”

“Yes. Just as you did, I feel the same. If even a demon who lives for eternity doesn’t regret a fatal choice made out of love, would it be a problem for a human who lives but a moment to make a different choice once? Even if I regret it, wouldn’t I be able to overcome it again?”

Badin didn’t immediately respond to Laila’s words. Was he becoming weaker too, when he hadn’t been like that before? Come to think of it, his body seemed to look a bit whiter.

After a while, Badin straightened up, uncrossing his arms. The jacket that hung long like a swallow’s tail below his waistline was classic yet stylish.

He was the very image of the dazzling demon from stories, the one who makes innocent ladies fall in love and then instantly grasps their pitiful souls in his hands.

Although he was the one who had his soul taken, not the one who took it. Laila thought.

Badin spoke:

“Even if your choice has brought a different result than I thought, you must keep your promise to me. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

Laila answered.

“And I’m sure Eustar hasn’t forgotten either.”

Badin snorted faintly at Laila’s words but didn’t deny them. She suddenly felt the urge to ask what had become of the Deceptor in the end.

It was thanks to Badin that she had been able to corner him. If he hadn’t told her about the secret of the library and what had happened between the Deceptor and ‘Hyanmorik,’ she would never have been able to save Eustar.

But Laila chose not to ask. She didn’t even want to utter his name out loud now.

He would no longer be able to interfere in Eustar’s life. That fact alone was important.

“No matter how, you helped me and Eustar several times.”

Laila nodded obediently.

“So I will keep my promise to you until the end. Even if not right away.”

Then Badin grinned, narrowing his brows.

“Well, it could be as soon as tomorrow.”

Laila’s face turned bright red as if set on fire. The moment she was about to retort angrily, Badin’s figure had disappeared somewhere. Instead, Mel’s confused voice was heard from behind.

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I should have helped you take off the dress…”

Mel, who had hurriedly approached, placed a glass of water in Laila’s hand.

“It’s cold water, please drink. Is your stomach alright?”

“I’m fine, Mel.”

After taking a sip of water, her thirst intensified. Laila, who had moistened her tongue and throat that felt like they were filled with sand in one go, exhaled shortly and said:

“Could you go and see if His Majesty is still in the banquet hall?”