A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 67

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

67.
“Are you… concerned for me right now?”
His pupils dilated.
“Is that not allowed?”
“The one who will be sacrificed is the 3rd Empress. The ones who will be wounded are Benjamin Prince and the Princesses. The one who will be betrayed is Rosalian and…”
He drew in a breath, then turned his gaze away for a moment instead of speaking.
“Isn’t it you?”
“…”
“I wanted to end this war without anyone getting hurt, but in the end, I failed. And I stood by and allowed it to happen.”
“…”
A thick, suffocating silence settled over the space where words had ceased. It was cold and still.
“You and I are fundamentally different in this way. If we can take an easy path by killing one person, we choose to kill them.”
“Leonard.”
I called his name while clenching my fingertips.
Yet Leonard avoided my gaze, looking toward some distant point.
The dim light of the lamp cast a faint shadow across his profile.
“I never thought no one would be hurt. I simply hoped fewer people would suffer. And isn’t it true that the 3rd Empress and you both believed her decision would result in the least harm? You are no different from me.”
“…”
“And why do you exclude yourself from those who will be wounded? You were the one who had to help the 3rd Empress stake her life.”
When the 3rd Empress had sought to kill Count Pixis, she could not have been unaware that she would have to bear the blame that would come from her people.
Anyone ignorant of the truth might have thought Leonard was actually pleased by it.
After all, the two of them had never been on good terms.
But the 3rd Empress killed her father for her child’s sake. And she did so knowing her own death would follow.
No matter how much of an enemy he was… helping her could never have sat well with him.
That is precisely why Rosalian could no longer blame Leonard.
‘No, none of that matters anyway.’
Regardless of what anyone said, I simply wanted to stand beside Leonard. We were on the same side, after all.
I stepped closer to Leonard and took his hand.
“Leonard, you cannot be remembered as a good person by everyone. So just do your best with what you can do.”
“…”
“When we return, take me with you. After all, the Imperial Palace will only truly settle once I, who disappeared, return—”
But I could not continue. He pulled my arm and embraced me.
In the oppressively quiet air, I felt his breath trembling as it touched my shoulder.
My heart pounded as though it might burst, and warmth spread from where we touched.
Ah, what should I do.
This shouldn’t be happening.
One person has died, and because of it, many grieve the future that will unfold.
Yet I was feeling relief and happiness in this moment. I cannot even imagine how much they would despise me for it.
And yet, part of me wanted to escape from that reality. I felt an indescribable emotion wash over me like waves all at once.
From the moment I arrived until now, I had been tense every single moment, but I could not let it show. Last night, as the Sixth Prince’s Wife, I had to lead this struggle.
Was my decision to come to Blake truly the right one? Should I, a foreigner, even be involved in a war like this?
I continued to wrestle with doubt and deliberation, while part of me wondered if I should simply abandon everything—the original story and all—and return home.
In every such moment… Leonard Blake came to mind.
Whether that fleeting instant was negative or positive, I could not forget him.
“….”
“Don’t worry about me.”
Then, Leonard Blake whispered softly against my ear.
“Don’t concern yourself with someone like me. I am a man who cannot bring you happiness.”
“…What?”
Bewildered by his cryptic words, I slowly drew away from his chest.
“What do you mean by that?”
“…Cedric Myers willingly abandoned his title temporarily and came to your side. But I cannot do the same.”
His voice was low and gentle, yet carried an undeniable weight.
“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”
“I’m speaking of this situation. Even when you fell to Silverstone Territory, I could not immediately come to you.”
“Of course not—you’re a Prince. Do you think I’m a child?”
As I countered with a tone of bewilderment, Leonard Blake’s lips parted slightly.
“You weren’t… displeased?”
“I did what I had to do. Then you should have done what you had to do as well. Abandoning your duties to rescue your wife is not something a man destined to become Emperor should do.”
“….”
A brief silence fell between us.
When he lifted his gaze, the emotion burning in his eyes was unmistakable.
Fire.
The moment I saw myself reflected in those blazing flames, my heart grew cold. It was as though an indescribable emotion erupted within my chest.
Slowly, he drew closer to me. His fingertips brushed against my waist, and his warm breath grazed the nape of my neck.
“Ah….”
In that instant, the heat and breath from the wedding venue flooded back. The sensation of the kiss we had shared broke through the barriers of suppressed memory, spreading deep within my body and awakening.
A scorching heat that traced across my mouth as though it were his own, and an exquisite tremor that coursed down my spine.
Having known that intoxicating pleasure, I could not possibly mistake what was happening now.
“Charlotte.”
He called my name once more. His voice was low and fractured, burning with the intensity of someone barely restraining emotions that had been simmering for far too long.
As that timbre brushed against my ear, my heart raced violently.
Could I allow this in such a dire situation? Could my feelings truly be forgiven?
My mind sounded warnings repeatedly, but every impulse was quietly consumed by his fervent gaze and his breath.
At some point, his hand was caressing my cheek. Though the touch was feather-light, the place where it made contact burned with an intense heat.
I could not—would not—evade his hand. I leaned closer instead.
As he tilted forward slightly, I slowly closed my eyes. With each breath drawing nearer, even my last resistance melted away effortlessly.
A fierce temptation to surrender to this moment, quiet yet resolute, pierced through my heart.
But then….
At that moment.
A small magic circle materialized beside me, and something abruptly wedged itself between us.
“Hey! Hey hey hey!! Minion!”
A very familiar red mass.
“Kyaa-agh!?”
At Ignis’s sudden appearance, I inadvertently shoved Leonard Blake away with superhuman force.
“Ugh-!?”
The massive frame that seemed immovable crashed to the floor, and Ignis’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.
“What?”
“I-Ignis.”
“What were you two doing that Leonard fell over?”
“No, well, you see…”
My face burned so intensely I thought it might burst, and I hastily lowered my head as Leonard rose with a groan.
“…Who told you to teleport on a whim.”
His expression was nearly murderous, so Ignis let out a squeak and flew to perch on my shoulder.
“Hey! Did you get into a fight with my minion and fall over? You look pretty upset.”
“…”
“Never mind, get out!! I arrived here and couldn’t find my minion anywhere, so I came looking.”
“Ah… haha.”
As I laughed awkwardly, my gaze darting about, Leonard exhaled sharply.
“There was no need to come here. We’re heading to the Imperial Palace now.”
“Huh?”
Leonard Blake extended his hand to me, leaving Ignis to ask adorably from behind.
“Let’s return.”
“…”
So we were finally going back.
I found myself unconsciously surveying the room once more, and then beyond the enormous window, even the meadows of the Silverstone Territory.
My time here had been brief, yet vivid and unforgettable.
I had eagerly attempted to prevent war, only to find myself outmatched.
That was surely because I had underestimated Blake far too easily. I was certain I would never forget this, even after returning to Sincester.
‘A foolish flower in a greenhouse…’
Now that I thought about it, I still did not fully understand this Empire. I would have to work harder when I returned.
I placed my hand upon his and spoke quietly.
“Yes, let’s go back.”
* * *
The moment we returned to the Imperial Palace, Abigail and Dorothy burst into tears.
It was my first time seeing Abigail cry, and somehow it made my own eyes well up with tears.
Next, I contacted Sincester through a communication crystal.
The Pope and Aurora not only refrained from scolding me but thanked me for returning safely, which made my eyes redden with emotion.
What came after was the problem.
I had to announce my return to the imperial family and the nobility.
And the reason the 3rd Empress killed Count Pixis, along with her demand for Benjamin and the Princesses to go into exile.
Everything was hopelessly complicated.
However, as considerable time had passed and with the assistance of many—particularly because Leonard Blake had devised his strategies in advance—the problems unraveled far more smoothly than anticipated.
Yet… there remained one unforeseen complication.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————