Chapter Eighty-One: Thunderclap
I was speechless.
“Your parents died in the conflict between Meridiona and Centoria, right? While there, they saved the lives of many Meridionan people with their skills as a priestess and a doctor.”
“Ah…”
“The man who sits at the top of the political ladder there, Kuze Ikinoka, apparently owes a debt of gratitude to your parents.”
“I… That’s…”
The conversation had started with the topic of our marriage and derailed due to a revelation that made my world spin for a different reason. I still remembered the day I watched my parents disappear into the distance never to come back again.
He shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I personally don’t have anything against a union with Meridiona. But my relatives are all convinced that you, the Wagtail Priestess, should and will marry me. So basically, I’m the rope in a game of tug-of-war.”
“In other words… You constantly say that you wish to marry me because you wish to be considerate to them?”
“Pretty much.”
All of his actions suddenly made sense. His political marriage with Meridiona was already in the works, yet to keep up appearances, he had to display an intent to wed me. I nodded to myself. “If you truly wanted to marry me, my impression is that you are the sort of man who would go through more formal avenues and take things step by step. That clears up a lot of my doubts. In interacting with me, you were testing the emperor’s reaction, since he has the final say about my marriage, as well as gauging my attitude… Through this, you wanted to figure out whether I would end up a candidate for your wife.”
“You have most of it down, yeah. But some parts are a little different.” Lord Hiaki kneeled on one knee and reached for the wagtail lamp. The magical fire fluttered and curled around his fingertips, dodging his touch. “Like I thought…you won’t perch on me.”
With a wry smile, he waved his hand and chased the bird away. The movement originated a small breeze, and the wagtail flame flickered. For a moment, the room turned dark. By the time the light returned, he was right in front of me. “I think that being together with you wouldn’t be bad at all, Sai. I’m serious about that.”
I chewed my lip, looking down.
“What about you, Sai?” he asked. “Am I good enough to be your groom?” His hand touched mine.
I took a deep breath. “This is just my personal opinion, and I mean no offense by it,” I said carefully.
“Okay, go on.” He nodded.
“My parents died as civilians. If they had been members of the Order, they would have received wages, but they declined because if the Wagtail Priestess joined the military in an official capacity, we would become weapons of the state. My parents went along as civilians because they wanted to help those suffering, and…they died there.”
“So…that’s why you never officially joined the Order even when you did work for them.”
I nodded. “It is the last teaching they left me, and I must not go against it.”
He cast his eyes down. “In Meridiona, your parents are hailed as heroes. Even their king becomes emotional when your parents are brought up.”
“Glory will not bring them back to life.”
“…Sorry.”
“If the emperor ever commands me to marry someone, including you, or asks that I contribute to the military campaigns of Orient, I will gladly do as he says. If he wishes for the Wagtail Priestess to become a weapon, I will obey.” I placed a hand over my chest, over my heart. The emperor had saved me that day, and my life was his. “But if I have the freedom to choose…” I faltered. “If possible, I do not want to be the wife of a military officer. My mother defended her beliefs as the Wagtail Priestess to the end, and…I do not want to be the one who destroys that.”
“In other words, you won’t voluntarily agree to be my wife, is that right?” His tone was both subdued and gentle.
“If you truly intend to marry me, I shall leave the decision in the emperor’s hands. I will happily become your wife if that is his wish.”
“…But that would be going against your wishes. Are you sure?”
“As I just said, I wish to avoid marrying a military officer if possible,” I stressed. “But to me, fulfilling the emperor’s command is a much dearer wish than my own.”
That was what I truly, unreservedly thought. I was willing to become anything the emperor desired. Of course, I was only human, so I did feel uncertain at times, but… I clenched my hand. To me, the happiest thing in the world is the sight of his smile.
I bowed. “I was being impudent… My deepest apologies.”
After a pause, he said, “I see,” and his voice sounded like a sigh. But what he said next made me doubt my own ears: “Do you want to be the emperor’s spouse because you like him?”
“Wha…”
“Remember what I said earlier? I think he’s going to make you his empress. If you turn me down, that’s what’s going to happen. Are you okay with that?”
“That is…only your theory, my lord, and…”
“Okay, let me ask this then. If the emperor were to ask for your hand, what would you do?”
“Ah…” My mind was blank. “He would never…choose someone like me. At the end of the day, I am an outsider from Centoria, a woman with no background who is only marginally useful.”
“Ha ha. Well, even if you think that, what if he still chooses you? Will you resist him the way you resisted me?”
“I…”
I thought of all the times when the emperor jokingly mentioned that the seat of his empress was still vacant. I had assumed he had said everything in jest; that had to be the case. But in the unlikely scenario that…he truly comes to me and says that he wants me as his life partner, I…
My words came out in a stammer. “I-I am the Wagtail Priestess; I am not worthy… But if the emperor does… No, he could never…”
There was a hearty peal of laughter. Lord Hiaki, who had been staring at me intently, finally guffawed out loud as though he couldn’t bear it anymore.
I blinked. “Um…?”
“Oh, Sai, do you even know what your face looks like when you talk about the emperor?”
Numbly, I touched my cheek, but that didn’t reveal anything.
He laughed even harder. “Ahhh, I’m so jealous of the emperor right now.” His grin slowly transformed into a reckless smile.
Abruptly, he leaned forward and gathered me into his arms.
“Ah?!” I yelped. Why did he react like that? I stiffened in shock, wary, and he merely hugged me tighter.
“Don’t burden yourself by overthinking tedious stuff like that,” he whispered into my ear. “It makes my heart break when I look at girls like you.”
I recoiled. “Um, L-Lord Hiaki…!” I protested. No matter how hard I struggled, he wouldn’t budge. His skin felt scalding hot against mine as his body pressed into me. It was agonizing…and scary.
“Be mine,” he said in a low voice, leaning back to gaze into my eyes. “You don’t have to contribute anything to the army. Just hide your abilities however you want and become a mundane, peaceful housewife.”
His lips drew closer, closer… His hold was so tight that I couldn’t fight back.
No daggers enchanted with the emperor’s magic would materialize out of thin air and fly at him in such a place. My heart leaped into my throat.
But then.
A roar of thunder reverberated, rattling our eardrums as lightning pierced the heavens.