Chapter 44 - A Beautiful World
Chapter 44 - A Beautiful World
"I'm home."
Leaving behind the turbulent days at Sanctuary Sola, I finally returned to my mansion in the Capital, my 72 billion-worth sanctuary.
As soon as I opened the front door, I was greeted by Nataliya, who had just returned from her business in the North.
She ran up to me in her travel clothes and grabbed my shoulders tightly.
"Edric! Are you safe? I heard there was a terrorist attack at the sanctuary, and I wanted to go down there immediately!"
"I'm fine, Nataliya. Thanks to the Church people, I was safe."
"No, you never know. I have to examine you."
Nataliya didn't even listen to my answer and began to inspect every corner of my body.
She lifted my arms and peeked under my collar, checking like a beast to see if there were any wounds or scars left by the Dead King's poison.
"... Thank goodness. You didn't even get a scratch."
"The Church people helped this time."
"This time? Does that mean you could get hurt next time?"
"No... that is..."
Now that I thought about it, that was exactly what it sounded like. Since I had committed sins in the past, Nataliya's worry weighed on my heart.
Even I thought it was pushing it too far when I ended up with a hole in my side while trying to protect the Princess.
Still, Nataliya let out a sigh of relief that I had returned safely, and her tension eased. I, too, felt my tension melt away.
Then, Nataliya stared at me for a moment and asked with a sharp gaze.
"Right, your body is fine. Is there anything else you need to report to me?"
"Report?"
"Yes, for example... any new 'connections' that might have blossomed there..."
"Ah..."
At Nataliya's words, I gulped.
The moment I heard her, I remembered my kiss with Azelia.
What do I do... What do I do!
Nataliya said that Northern women have broad minds, but no one knew if that was the truth.
Like Schrödinger's cat, a woman's heart was something you couldn't know until you opened the box.
I took a deep breath and said honestly.
"Nataliya, actually... I kissed Azelia. She confessed, and I accepted it."
Nataliya was silent for a moment at my words.
I broke into a cold sweat in the silent living room, but soon, a soft smile spread across her lips.
She gently stroked my hair.
"Well done, Edric. Thank you for telling me honestly."
"...... You're not angry?"
"If it's Azelia, I can trust her. She's a child who would give her life for you. I'm just happy that there's one more person by your side I can trust. I look forward to the day when the three of us, no, even more family members, live together in this mansion."
Nataliya's gaze was sincere.
Only then did I realize that the things she had said in the past weren't just bravado, but that she was truly embracing me.
Truly, the hearts of Northern women were as vast as Nataliya's chest.
Meanwhile, Prince Leopold returned to the Imperial Palace with a look of pride and happiness dozens of times greater than usual.
Princess Camilla, who came out to welcome him, asked hurriedly.
"Oppa, I was really worried because I heard there was a terrorist attack. Is His Holiness the Pope safe?"
Although she couldn't participate due to personal matters, Princess Camilla was more devout than anyone else.
She had been anxious at the news that the Pope had been attacked and prayed for everyone's safety.
Contrary to her worries, the Prince smiled happily and said.
"Haha, don't worry. There were dangerous moments, but thanks to Edric protecting His Holiness the Pope, everything ended safely. His Holiness was very pleased with Edric and even bestowed the 'Golden Light' upon him."
"The Golden Light!?"
"Yes, come to think of it, you've always wanted to receive the Golden Light, Camilla. You should try talking to Edric about it later."
"Yes... Oppa."
Camilla felt a sense of awe rather than jealousy that Edric had received the Golden Light, which she had never received.
What kind of performance had he shown to receive the Golden Light from the Pope?
She thought she would definitely have to ask him when she had the chance.
Then, Camilla looked at the Prince.
The Prince continued to smile brightly.
It was the first time Camilla had seen her usually cold-headed Oppa wearing such a 'foolish,' happy smile.
"Oppa, did something really good happen? Your expression looks so... happy."
"Hmm... do I look like that?"
"Yes, you look truly happy."
The Prince's expression had brightened after he had come to his senses.
But... right now, he was shining like the sun, beyond just being bright.
Just looking at him, how should I put it?
It was a smile that made it seem like his happiness was contagious.
The Prince drank tea while looking out the window.
After enjoying the fragrant tea for a moment, he conveyed his feelings to his younger sister.
"Camilla, have you ever been in love?"
"Yes?... Love?"
Camilla's eyes wavered at the sudden question.
She recalled the moment she was slapped by Edric, and her heart that had been pounding every time she saw him since then.
"Why are you asking that? I am..."
"Love is truly wonderful. Your heart pounds, and the whole world looks much more beautiful than before. It's like the feeling of God's blessing filling the entire earth."
"God's... blessing..."
Camilla muttered quietly, placing her hand on her chest.
Camilla's heart became complicated at the Prince's words.
Her heart was pounding.
But... the whole world didn't look beautiful.
"I know what it's like to have a pounding heart. But... the whole world doesn't look beautiful. How can you feel that way, Oppa?"
At Camilla's words, Prince Leopold's eyebrows twitched.
He sensed that love was also budding in Camilla's heart.
Leopold smiled benevolently and said to his sister.
"That's because you haven't 'collided hearts' with the other person yet. It's because you don't know if it's love or not."
"What does it mean to... collide hearts? Oppa."
The Prince recalled the moment he held Sister Cale's hand and confessed.
Even now, if he closed his eyes, he could feel the emotion of that day vividly.
The slight trembling he felt from her palm, and the sound of her heart beating as if it were running wild.
All of that made his heart pound and made the world look beautiful.
"Feel the heartbeat of the person you like directly, and tell them your true feelings honestly."
"The... heartbeat?"
"Yes, when the other person's heartbeat resonates in your soul, you will finally understand the meaning of what I said."
At the Prince's words, Camilla imagined it.
How should she do it to feel the heartbeat directly?
At that moment, a scene from a novel she had seen came to mind.
It was clearly a scene where the female protagonist was held by the prince and was listening to his heart.
Camilla's face turned red as she imagined herself being held by Edric, and she asked the Prince.
"Really... if I do that, will I be able to tell if this is love or not?"
"Of course, absolutely. This Oppa can promise you that."
"Haa......"
"To have such a deep, thoughtful expression... Camilla, do you perhaps have someone in mind?"
"N-no! Oppa!"
At the Prince's mischievous question, Camilla hurriedly turned her head, hiding the truth.
But Leopold burst into a hearty laugh as if he already knew everything.
"No need to hide it. Whoever it is, I will support your choice. Though, it won't take an ordinary amount of guts for a man to handle my sister."
"...... Thank you, Oppa."
Listening to the Prince, Camilla quietly made a resolution.
Next time she met Edric, she would definitely check his heartbeat.
Thus, the Princess's interest began to turn toward Edric's heartbeat.
While the Capital and the Imperial Palace were being dyed with pink currents,
In an unknown, dark temple on the continent, purple candles were going out one by one.
"... It failed, as expected."
"It is the plan of beasts who left themselves to revenge. It would be a miracle if it succeeded."
There were priests there.
Unlike the priests of the Church who wore white, there were priests wearing black clothes.
Though invisible in the shadows, they muttered in low voices, their eyes flashing like snakes, slit and thin.
"But there was a harvest. It was proven that even the Church's 'Mirror of Truth' cannot distinguish the Dead King's tool."
"That is correct. With this, our hypothesis has been proven."
They all looked the same.
But the darkest one in the center smiled a fishy smile from within the shadows.
"The variable called 'Edric Noel,' who transmutes Holy Water of the Sun without even a Stigmata, is surprising."
"But a card whose identity has already been revealed is no longer a threat. If we had known in advance, we could have dealt with it in any number of ways."
"Opportunities are infinite. The resurrection of the Dead King and the fall of the Empire are not far off."
The priests began to hum a bizarre chant as they seeped into the darkness.
Cold and ominous laughter filled the basement, and the true darkness that had descended upon the Empire began to hold its breath again, waiting for the next opportunity.