After that, they settled the remaining points of negotiation, bringing the talks to a close.
Ordinarily, the Euphoria Kingdom would have hosted a banquet for their guests from the Great Tiger Kingdom, but since relations were still delicate, they chose to postpone it. Jeanne didn’t want Lumiere and Shuukin to endure an uncomfortable evening.
In its place, the groups split by gender. Hakuya, Shuukin, and Kasen gathered in Hakuya’s room to share drinks, while Jeanne, Lumiere, and Elulu enjoyed a tea party in the gazebo of the flower garden. Naturally, both groups were accompanied by guards and attendants.
“It’s such a pretty garden. I’ve never seen anything like it in the Spirit Kingdom.” Elulu’s eyes sparkled as she admired the blossoms.
“You don’t have gardens there?” Jeanne asked, tilting her head.
“That’s right. Partly because we don’t build stone castles or large structures, but also because, in the Spirit Kingdom, we believe flowers belong in the wild. The idea of enclosing them in a garden feels unnatural to most of us... That’s why this is my first time seeing a garden with so many flowers.”
“Oh, I see... I should have been more considerate,” Jeanne said apologetically, but Elulu quickly shook her head.
“No, no, not at all! It’s just a difference in perspective between countries. Back when I lived in the Spirit Kingdom, I thought our way of thinking was the only natural one. But once I left and saw the wider world, I realized how narrow my view had been. Wildflowers are beautiful in their natural state, but these flowers, cultivated over generations to please the eye, are just as lovely. What people value and find beautiful varies from person to person, and from nation to nation.”
““Th-That makes a lot of sense...”” Jeanne and Lumiere said together, equally impressed.
For all her tomboyish curiosity, Elulu’s words carried the grace of a princess.
Then, as the three of them were chatting...
“Oh my, you sound like you’re having such a fun conversation.”
“““Huh?!”””
The trio turned towards the sudden voice. There stood Jeanne’s elder sister, Maria, smiling warmly with her daughter Stella in her arms.
While they were still caught off guard, Maria pulled up a chair and said, “I think I’ll join you.” She gently shifted her daughter so the little girl faced Jeanne. Stella was an adorable child, a miniature version of Maria.
“Look, Stella. It’s Auntie Jeanne.”
“Daa? Anjan?”
The toddler tilted her head in confusion.
“Urgh... Auntie...”
Jeanne stiffened, clearly rattled. She was still in her twenties, newly married and basking in that, so being called auntie struck her like a bolt. It would have been one thing if Stella had come up with it herself, but her sister introducing her that way was another matter entirely.
“Sister, don’t you think it’s cruel to suddenly call me ‘auntie’ like that?”
“Hee hee. But that’s what you are, isn’t it?”
“You know exactly what you’re doing, and that makes it worse!”
“Hee hee. If you want revenge, why not bring little Sei over?”
“He’s napping! And besides, you’d never let me get away with calling you auntie, would you?!”
“Hee hee hee hee.”
“See?! You’re not even denying it!”
Maria only smiled serenely, letting Jeanne’s flustered complaints roll off her.
For the record, little Sei was Jeanne and Hakuya’s firstborn child. His full name was Sein Euphoria. He had a darling face that took after Jeanne, with Hakuya’s black hair. Since Sein’s birth, Maria had made a habit of dropping by to play. She would lean over his crib, singing, “Big Sis Maria is heeere” while Jeanne gave her a cold look.
After watching the two sisters spar, Elulu leaned towards Lumiere and whispered, “Th-That’s Madam Maria, the former empress, isn’t it? She’s more frank and open than I expected.”
But Lumiere didn’t answer.
Finding that odd, Elulu turned and saw the pained expression on Lumiere’s face as she watched Maria. She looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment, yet still forced herself not to look away.
Maria noticed and offered her a gentle smile.
“It’s been too long, Lumiere.”
“Huh?! Oh... Yes. Good to see you too, Lady Maria.” Lumiere’s voice sounded tight, as though she had to force the words out.
“Have you been well?” Maria asked softly. “You haven’t fallen ill? Are you eating properly? You always had a tendency to overwork yourself, so I worry.”
“Um, uh...”
“Sister, you’re starting to sound like one of those nattering town ladies,” Jeanne interjected, stepping in when she could no longer watch Lumiere struggle under the barrage of questions.
Maria puffed out her cheeks.
“Well, I have been worried all this time. This girl is even harder on herself and on others than you are, Jeanne. She was always awkward with people, stubborn, not very good at navigating social situations. Without you there to understand her, I worried how she was getting along.”
Because Jeanne and Lumiere had been best friends, Maria had often interacted with Lumiere using her private persona, and she had come to know her personality well. In truth, Maria had treated her more like a sister than she had Trill—her actual sister, who was always shut away in the laboratory doing research.
“I... I have no right to your concern,” Lumiere said at last, as if steeling herself. “I pledged allegiance to the Great Tiger Empire alongside Krahe and played a part in the collapse of the Gran Chaos Empire. I betrayed my close friend Jeanne...and you, who had always been so kind to me. So...I don’t deserve it.”
“L-Lumiere...” Elulu muttered, unsure how to respond. Maria silently shook her head.
“If you claim responsibility for the collapse of the country, then I was the leading actress,” Maria said calmly. “The Gran Chaos Empire had grown too large, burdened with the feelings of too many people. It was no longer possible to rule in a way that pleased everyone. By then, only the unending charisma of a saint or a hero could have held it together.”
“Sister...” Jeanne’s expression changed to worry, but Maria continued.
“I grew tired of being upheld as the Empire’s saint and felt smothered beneath everyone’s expectations. I wanted to reduce the country to a size that could actually be managed. With Sir Souma of Friedonia as a reliable ally, and with Fuuga Haan’s rise in the Great Tiger Empire, I no longer needed to shoulder the world’s fate alone. That only made my desire to step back stronger. Even then, I knew there would be those who would abandon me.”
“You’re saying you anticipated our betrayal?” Lumiere asked quietly.
“No,” Maria said, shaking her head. “I never knew who it would be. It wouldn’t have been strange if Jeanne or even Sir Gunther had left me out of kindness, saying they wanted to ‘set me free from the burden of being empress.’ I didn’t know who...but I was certain many people would leave me.”
“...”
“Unlike Krahe, you didn’t retreat into delusions. You’ve continued to take responsibility for your choice. That’s why I can affirm it.”
When Maria smiled at her, Lumiere suddenly understood.
Though Maria spoke of people leaving, she had never once called it betrayal. That meant Maria did not see her as a traitor. Maria did not blame her at all.
The pain lingering in Lumiere’s heart came not from Maria’s judgment, but from her own self-loathing.
If Maria had blamed Lumiere, she could have begged for forgiveness. But with Maria instead affirming her choice, Lumiere was left to bear the weight in her chest alone. She would have to come to terms with herself.
It all depends on what I do from here, huh...
How her decision was judged would be determined by what she achieved from now on. If she wanted to stand tall, she had to keep moving forward. As Lumiere gathered her resolve, Maria, having passed Stella into Jeanne’s arms, leaned closer and gently cupped Lumiere’s cheeks in her palms.
“Hey now. Don’t make such a scary face.”
“W-Wud awe yew dewing?!”
Maria ignored Lumiere’s muffled protests and kneaded her cheeks with a teasing smile.
“Thinking ‘I have to try my hardest’ is a trap, you know? It narrows your vision, pushes you too far, and eventually leaves you stuck. Worst of all, it blinds you to the people around you who care. We’ve already seen a perfect example of that, haven’t we?”
“...”
“If you stay calm and look around, you’ll notice the eyes watching over you, the hands reaching out to help. Even if no one is close by, there will still be people thinking of you from afar. Jeanne and I are among them. As long as you remember that, you’ll never be alone.”
“Lady Maria...”
Lumiere placed her hands over Maria’s and closed her eyes. Images and voices came to her—Fuuga and Mutsumi walking ahead, seen from behind; Shuukin and her comrades who had built up the Great Tiger Kingdom with her; Jeanne and Maria, who still thought of her even after parting ways; and...
“Madam Lumiere!”
...the unwavering eyes and bright smile of the young colleague who admired her so deeply.
It’s true... I’ve never been alone at all.
Opening her eyes, Lumiere gave Maria a small, genuine smile.
“Thank you, Lady Maria. I think I can keep on trying...together with everyone else, of course.”
“Hee hee. That’s good to hear.”
Maria smiled warmly at her. Then, all of a sudden...
“By the way, just now, you had the softest, warmest look on your face, didn’t you?”
Her smile turned mischievous, and Lumiere’s eyes flew wide.
“Huh? Did I?”
“You diiid. Now, just who were you thinking of to make your face so gentle, I wonder?”
“Well, it wasn’t really anyone... I don’t think...”
“Sister. It seems Lumi’s finally found the man of her dreams.”
“Jeanne?!”
Lumiere nearly jumped out of her seat as Jeanne casually exposed her secret. At once, Maria’s eyes sparkled with intrigue.
“My, my, my! Now that’s something I have to hear more about!”
“N-No... Um... J-Jeanne! You should’ve kept your mouth shut!”
“Stella. You’d make me so happy if you called me Big Sister Jeanne.”
“Awoo? Bisisjan?”
“Hey! Quit ignoring me!”
Jeanne simply played with her niece Stella, brushing off Lumiere’s flustered protests. Not long ago, the conversation had been heavy and heartfelt, but now the gazebo echoed with laughter and lively chatter, like a cheerful tea party.
Amid the commotion, Elulu felt just a little left out.
Well, whatever. Lumiere looks like she’s finally blowing off some steam. Maybe that’s what coming home does for you. I wonder... Should I go back to the Spirit Kingdom sometime too? Of course, I’d bring Lord Shuukin with me... Nom!
With that thought, she bit into a piece of cake and smiled in bliss.