MARIALITE had half expected the interior of the palace to be just as dark as its exterior, but when she actually stepped foot inside, it was surprisingly quaint.
According to the reading she had done during her time training to be queen, the palace was said to be decorated with mounted heads of the demon kingdom’s massacred enemies and that the royal family drank from cups made from their foes’ skulls. However, the reality was in stark contrast to the picture that so many other nations had painted; even Marialite could tell that it had been constructed with minimality and practicality in mind. Unlike the palace she’d lived in for five years, there were no gold ornaments, precious jewels, or fur rugs decorating the corridors.
Rufus once said that decorating a castle with various lavish materials and adornments was the best way to show off the wealth of their country. Marialite wasn’t sure whether that was true, though—if the people ever found out that their excessive taxes were being spent on such things, she could just imagine the outrage.
One time, she did actually bring the tax issue up with Rufus—only to be told that she should discuss it with His Majesty the King. And, even when she did, nothing ever changed.
“You must be Marialite, the Jade Saint. I have to say, you are as beautiful as a violet blooming in a vast field,” Uranometria smiled from his throne, looking fondly upon the visiting foreign saint.
He was the one who blew up the carriage, as well as the one who hurled a shower of deadly icicles down on Raven. His reasons went no further than what he’d claimed a short while ago—to test them.
While he was the emperor, he was also Sirius’ father, and Marialite could sense he had a somewhat mischievous personality.
“Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty,” she curtsied. “However, what do you mean by the ‘Jade Saint’? No one’s ever called me that before…”
“Saints go by different titles depending on the energy of their powers. In your case, your power falls under ‘Jade’—and it’s a wonderful power, at that,” he clarified wisely.
“My powers…? Jade…?” Marialite echoed in a confused mumble. The Jade Saint had a beautiful ring to it, but she’d never heard that each saint’s powers consisted of different energies before.
“About that matter, Your Majesty…” Sirius began, facing Uranometria with a sharp gaze. “I didn’t bring Lady Marialite here to make use of her power.”
“I am aware of that,” he quickly countered. “Besides, if any of us did utilize her power for anything, I expect the fierce lighting of the heavens would strike down to punish us.”
He sighed before fixing his gaze on Marialite.
“You must be quite the oddball. Taking in a demon child and raising him is quite a feat. If you had sent him back to the palace right away, I expect you would have received a sizable reward for your goodwill. I’m sure you realized that, but even if you didn’t, wasn’t it a little uncomfortable to be living with a child whose background was completely unknown to you?”
“No, not at all. My house has a lot of empty rooms, and the kitchen’s big, too. Lord Sirius and I were plenty comfortable living there together. Even after he grew up, it’s not as though he took up a lot of space,” Marialite replied confidently.
“I didn’t mean it in that way, but…it appears that you both enjoyed yourselves, so I’ll leave it at that,” he said with a chuckle. “Marialite—you are very welcome in our land of Celaeno. And, if you so wish it, I will also allow you to become Sirius’ consort.”
Marialite’s breath hitched at how casually he declared it. When she stole a glance at Sirius, she could see the same open-mouthed shock on his face, too.
Uranometria tilted his head in confusion at their silent reaction. It was a childlike gesture, and certainly not a mannerism that one would expect from an emperor.
“What is it? I thought you would both rejoice. Particularly you, my son.”
“No, I’m extremely grateful for your kindness,” Sirius assured him swiftly. “I just assumed it would be much more difficult to seek your permission.”
“Have you forgotten, Sirius? Celaeno does not discriminate against humans. In fact, while they may be few, a small number live within our borders. Some marry demons and even bear children.”
“Those people are commoners, though. I thought there would be different rules when it came to royalty…” Sirius floundered.
“Investigate the matter later. It’s rare, but members of the imperial family have been known to fall in love with a human the way you have. Not to mention—she’s a Jade Saint, and you are so very indebted to her. I find it difficult to believe anyone would oppose your marriage,” he hummed. “At the very worst…you’ll have to deal with that fierce young lady who took a liking to you. She may try to bite your beloved.”
After adding that last part in a hushed murmur, Uranometria’s usual elegant smile graced his features once more. Sirius appeared to have heard exactly what he said, because he frowned in displeasure—but quickly shook it off and pretended he hadn’t heard as he bowed his head alongside Marialite.
When he did so, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her face. It was a look of sorrow and uncertainty.
“Now then, Sirius,” Uranometria continued. “Would you mind leaving us alone for a little while? I’d like to talk with Marialite about a certain matter.”
“I don’t mind, but…”
“Fear not. I won’t address her as a saint. I simply wish to converse as two regular individuals.”
“…All right. I’ll see you soon, Lady Marialite.”
Sirius’ shadow suddenly began to move of its own accord, peeling off the floor before coiling around his body. Once it enveloped him, the dark mass seemed to grow smaller and smaller, until eventually, he vanished completely.
“There we are,” Uranometria nodded in approval. “Marialite—there’s one question I’d like to ask. Would I be right to assume that you cannot yet see yourself in a romantic relationship with Sirius?”
“Is that how it looks to you, Your Majesty?”
“I only ask because when I mentioned you becoming his consort, you didn’t seem very happy at all. Having said that, nor do you seem like you harbor any ill feelings towards my son. Your face simply showed all the signs of being conflicted.”
Marialite let out a small, genuine chuckle.
“I’ve already failed to get married twice. Last time, I didn’t develop romantic feelings for my fiancé whatsoever, even after a few years,” she explained, nibbling at her bottom lip. “Of course, I love Sirius, but I just can’t tell whether that love could lead to romance or whether it’s purely platonic. At my age, it’s…a little sad that I still can’t make sense of my own feelings.”
“Hmmm. That boy is rather similar to me in regards to disposition. He may look as though he hasn’t a care in the world, but really, he’s always thinking about rather difficult matters,” he said with a far-off look in his eyes, as though he were watching over a small child. “You have the right to fall in love, but it isn’t compulsory. Even if you are to marry someone, there is no need to turn yourself inside out trying to fall in love with them. If you can’t find those feelings within you, there’s no need to blame yourself. If no romance ever blossoms between a couple, it doesn’t particularly matter. It’s a common enough situation when marrying for convenience or political reasons, no?”
“But I feel bad for Lord Sirius,” she admitted. “I welcomed his feelings with open arms, but…”
Sirius had professed his love for her very passionately. She couldn’t bear to reject him when he was trying so hard, and she genuinely wanted to embrace his feelings. However, it bothered her that coming to his home country signified her third attempt at marriage, and she couldn’t get that out of her head.
And if this was her third time trying, that just meant she was running head-first towards her third farewell.
In order to escape that fear of losing him, it was possible she was subconsciously forbidding herself from falling in love with Sirius, and instead latched onto that platonic, familial affection she felt for him.
“…Marialite,” Uranometria addressed her seriously. “Let me cast a spell on you.”
For once, a genuine look of fear crossed her eyes, but as soon as he said it, the emperor flicked his index finger into the air.
“Now, you should be able to believe in Sirius’ love.”