A young girl no older than nine wandered in the deep, dense forest alone. Her eyes swam with unease, and she stumbled many times on the uneven terrain. She shuddered at every gust of wind and bird call. Her visible fear made it apparent that she was unaccustomed to forest life.
“……”
She peered past the breaks in the trees to the sky beyond. It was almost sunset. Needless to say, spending the night in a lightless forest wasn’t the wisest decision. The girl understood this perfectly well and instinctively feared the approaching darkness. Dread hastened her pace. She needed to either find the way out or hide somewhere until morning. Yet despite her best efforts, there was no hint of refuge among the trees.
“Ah…”
Her crimson eyes spotted something beyond the distant foliage, and she raced over without a second thought. The sun’s last rays cast shadows that seemed to pursue her from behind, but she arrived before they had the chance to swallow her up.
“A house…”
Indeed, there stood a single mansion. It obviously belonged to a high-ranking individual and looked nothing like the slipshod huts loggers built. Anyone could tell from a single glance this was a well-crafted residence and the perfect place to spend the night.
At the same time, the girl hesitated slightly. A stranger like her had no right to suddenly walk into a home uninvited. However, the truth was she’d run out of options. Her mind made up, she knocked on the door.
“P-pardon the intrusion…”
The door was unlocked and opened smoothly, so the girl cautiously entered. The interior was dark and gloomy.
Was the place abandoned? It would certainly be more convenient for her if that was the case.
Footsteps clacked.
“Eek!”
The girl’s yelp betrayed her presence.
“Ah, I’m sorry! I promise I’m not a thief or anything,” she squeaked, hurriedly looking to the left and the right.
A silhouette emerged from the dim light of near-dusk.
“……”
The girl gulped instinctively.
The figure belonged to a boy around her age. He was dressed richly and stood still as a statue. The girl came to the inevitable conclusion he was both the master of the house and a prominent individual.
More than any other quality, the boy’s eyes left her awestruck. Those light amber eyes. They were a bottomless abyss that might swallow her up if she stared too long.
“What is your business here?”
The boy’s question brought her back to reality.
“U-um, well, I got lost, and it’s almost dark. I was looking for a place to spend the night.”
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Even if she wasn’t allowed within the house itself, the girl would’ve been just as grateful to huddle outside the entrance. Would her desperate words reach this boy, though? Move his heart? She peered into his deep eyes, and time seemed to move at a tenth of its normal rate.
An oppressive silence reigned until the boy finally replied.
“Do as you please.”
The girl hardly had time to process this response before the boy, having apparently lost all interest, turned on his heel and left her, the intruder, behind.
“U-um…”
He didn’t even break stride when she called out from behind him.
“W-wait!”
The girl raced to his side and was met by a cold, empty stare. She was struck silent for a moment but held firm, compelled to meet this new challenge.
“I-I’m Ninym Ralei!”
Eager to prove she meant no harm, the girl hurriedly introduced herself. The boy then stopped and stared at her—at Ninym.
“I’m Wein,” he replied quietly. “Wein Salema Arbalest.”
The sight was, in a word, dazzling.
Parades filled the streets of Grantsrale, capital of the Earthworld Empire, day and night.
“Long live Empress Lowellmina!”
“Praise to our radiant ruler!”
“A new day has dawned on the Empire!”
As the people sang, danced, and drank, they all lauded one young woman, Second Imperial Princess Lowellmina of the Earthworld Empire. For several years following the death of the previous emperor, his children had fought each other for the right to succeed. In the end, it was Lowellmina who took the throne.
“Who would’ve thought Princess Lowellmina would actually become Empress?”
“No kidding. It was a shock for sure, but did you hear the princess’s—no, Her Majesty’s—speech?”
“Of course! ‘I did not become Empress by my power alone. This was only possible thanks to you, our nation’s people. My victory is yours as well.’ It brought a tear to my eye.”
“Her Majesty really does put us regular folk first. Her reign will return light to our land!”
No one had believed Lowellmina stood a chance at first. Even so, she’d slowly proved herself and, in the end, bested the Imperial Princes. Future historians would undoubtedly study this event in an effort to record it in scrupulous detail. However, no amount of research would ever capture such a complex rise to power.
That’s precisely why Lowellmina now enjoyed such tremendous popularity. People sang her praises in the capital and throughout the Empire.
Amid these festivities, Lowellmina herself…
“Bleh…”
…cradled her head in both hands while a mountain of paperwork loomed from atop the desk in her palace’s office.
“Why is there so much? Does everything honestly need my approval?”
“I understand how busy you are as Empress, but unfortunately, this was the best I could do,” replied Fyshe Blundell, the aide at her side. “After all, our internal affairs have not yet recovered from this recent turmoil, and the Empire is vast.”
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