As I spent my days completing requests from the guild with Lou, working hard to master scalding sand, and baking cakes, the sun gradually became warmer and warmer, soft-colored flowers began to bloom, and the trees took on a dazzling new green. It was early summer.
An invitation arrived from Tabuchi along with a refreshing breeze. It read, “The new government will finally be inaugurated this weekend. It’s going to be under the umbrella of some big country, but it’ll have some autonomy. I want you to come to the signing ceremony and party.”
“I don’t get it. What does the big country get out of this?” Lou asked.
“Maybe the big country wants to take in a country’s worth of people, govern them according to their own will, and then have their help paid back with interest when the economy stabilizes? Or maybe the big country just wants to have a military alliance? Kind of like, ‘Come to our side if there’s a war! Give us soldiers!’” Numbers were power in this world, excluding irregulars like me.
“What country is it, even?”
“They’re keeping it quiet until the last minute because they don’t want a riot to break out. Also, Tabuchi got full powers in the referendum the other day. Marsche doesn’t have any iron ore right now, so maybe it’s somewhere like Dembre or Gunslair in the west of the continent.”
“Huh... So, do you want to go to the party?”
“No way. I’m the one who destroyed Marsche. I’m not interested anyway.” It didn’t have anything to do with me.
“Want to sneak away during the commotion this weekend and see how Miyu’s training has been going?”
“Yay! Sounds great!”
I’d informed Tabuchi of my upcoming absence through the guild and was busy making a snakeberry tart for Miyu when Sakaki came running into the kitchen with an unusual expression.
“Fio! Please! Come to the signing ceremony!”
“Huh? Why? It’s a milestone for the people of Marsche, not me.”
“What are you saying?! We only made it to this day thanks to you! Who was it that consulted with the Prime Minister, eradicated the bandits before they could form a clique, used incomprehensible magic to repeatedly transport ten carts worth of goods, and helped establish the guild?! It was you!”
“Sere, you’ve been working for free again?” asked Lou. “You’ve always been such a people-pleaser...”
“Only you, Tabuchi, and Yamada know that,” I explained to Sakaki. “Nobody would know who I was unless you told them. And I’m in hiding! There’s no way I can go anywhere high-profile. I can’t go to a signing ceremony, a party, or any of those other glamorous gatherings of world leaders!”
“This is bad... Fio, at least don’t leave Tohkun during the celebration days. We need you to pray for our new beginning to go smoothly!”
“Shouldn’t you ask the saint for that?”
“Are you trying to kill me?!”
“You’re the one who’s upset?!”
“S-Sere, I don’t get what’s going on, but let’s stay here for the next few days,” said Lou. “Sakaki looked like he was about to die for a second there.”
“What?!”
Is everyone going to just be freaking out until the signing ceremony is over?
We decided to hole up in the inn over the weekend instead of going to visit Miyu.
It was the day of the signing ceremony, and the town was alive, almost like there was some kind of festival going on.
The people may not have been proud to surrender to a larger country, but they were also tired of being in limbo. Most people were relieved to finally be able to build a new nation under a stable country. For now, they just wanted to become a country where everybody could work and not starve.
Cheers rose up from outside the window. It seemed the delegation had finally arrived.
Lou and I poked our faces out of the window. It reminded me of the Liberation Day parade from about two years prior. It had been funny seeing Sakaki’s face when I shot the magic needle at him.
The sound of the hooves of dozens of horses echoed from afar. Were they showing off their superior military power by arriving on horses? The leader of the group finally came into view, waving their battle flag.
“No way...”
The crest was in gold on a red background, depicting Asu—I had thought of it as an eagle before—and a lion facing each other.
I had fought under this emblem in the book. There was no way I could mistake it.
“It’s Galé...”
“Galé?!”
I instinctively clutched my plates over my clothes.
The Galé troops continued to run down the main street without dropping speed. The townspeople cheered at their disciplined movements.
A man at the back of the procession entered my view. He was on an especially large black horse, and he was wearing a black military uniform. It was clear to see that he was particularly important.
“The emperor himself came...” Lou glanced my way as if to check my reaction, but I wasn’t in any state to return his gaze.
No way... We’re so far apart. Is it even possible for us to meet eyes?
Ah...he locked onto me.
Just then, Gillain vanished from my line of sight—and suddenly reappeared right before my eyes.
He closed the distance between us with one step and cupped my cheeks in both hands. His thumbs traced the outline of my face, and he ran a finger down the faint scar on my cheek.
“What’s this scar?” His voice was deep, relaxed, and pleasant.
“I...made a mistake.”
His slender fingers ran through my shoulder-length hair. “And your hair?”
“I cut it myself. I wasn’t hurt.”
There was a commotion outside due to the emperor suddenly vanishing. I heard the clamor, but it felt like it was in another world entirely as I gazed at Gillain before me.
In the two years since I’d last seen Gillain, his cheeks had hollowed out slightly, and his silver hair was now swept back to the nape of his neck. His blue eyes looked more worn out than cold. Gillain was now about the same age as I had been before my reincarnation. The young working generation was always putting in hard hours; being the emperor was, in a way, like working a high-stress job. We had one more thing in common.
“You look so tired, Gillain. Are you okay? Getting enough sleep?” I gently touched the scar I had healed on his face before and cast a charm on it.
“Ah... It’s been so long since the last time I saw you worry for me... You’re right. I am tired. It may not seem like it, but I really hurried to get here.”
“You did?”
“I hurried to give you the perfect reception.” Gillain’s arms circled my back, closing the distance between us.
“Gillain?”
My face pressed against his chest, and I looked up.
“Sere, it’s been ten years. It’s time.”
Like falling snow, his lips drifted gently onto mine. It was our second kiss, after the one we shared on that snowy night. His coffee-like magic circulated through my body. I met his eyes. They were more sincere and serious than ever before, communicating an unmistakable warmth.
“You still want to marry me?” I asked.
“I’ve wanted you and you alone ever since I met you.”
That was the most direct proposal I’ve ever heard...
“One correction, though. I don’t just want to get engaged. I want to marry you and live with you. All I want for the rest of my life is to have you by my side.”
“Your whole life?”
“You don’t believe me? That’s okay. I won’t leave you, ever.” He squeezed me tight.
Does this feel so natural because I’ve gotten used to being surrounded by his magic?
“I was late. I don’t want to make you suffer like that ever again. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep my promise.”
I heard Gillain’s clumsy apology from above my head. He sounded as if he had shared that near-death moment with me. You don’t have anything to apologize for...
“You let Asu come to me,” I said. “I wouldn’t be here if not for that. You don’t have to apologize. Thank you, Gillain.” Just as Lou and Asu had taught me, I said thank you instead of sorry.
“Sere...” Gillain held me even closer.
Ka-chuk! The door burst open. I lifted my face from Gillain’s chest in shock to see Sakaki standing there in a military uniform.
“Your Imperial Majesty! I knew you’d be here... How impatient of you!”
“Quiet,” Gillain commanded. “You’re interrupting me.”
Gillain and Sakaki know each other...?
“Why are you in a Galé uniform?” I asked Sakaki.
Sakaki and Gillain exchanged glances, and Gillain nodded.
Sakaki sighed. “I’m from Galé, Lady Serephione. I infiltrated Marsche... Basically, I’m a spy.”
“I have spies in every country,” said Gillain, as if to brush it off.
Oh, so it’s an ironclad rule...
“In the beginning, I was simply a spy to find out what was going on in the Kingdom of Marsche. But then things hit a turning point, the kingdom was overthrown, and I happened to meet you, so my role kept on changing. Now, I’m the coordinator between Prime Minister Tabuchi and Galé, as well as the informant on your condition.”
What? Didn’t Sakaki rise to the rank of troop leader in Marsche’s army? And he was spying on the royal family for Tabuchi too, right? This is so messy... Doesn’t this mean he’s actually really good at what he does? Did he get recruited for successfully taking down the royal family? Or did he just get swept up in this?
“You knew I knew Gillain?”
“It was well-known that the emperor’s lady was in Judore. He didn’t hesitate to tell any women who tried to suck up to him that they couldn’t outdo his lady and that they shouldn’t be so conceited. I didn’t know it was you until after the incident with Princess Tomoe, however. I’m really glad that I didn’t leave any scars on your face. I could have been killed.”
“You were telling Gillain about what I was doing here?”
“Well... He ordered me to, yes.”
“So you stopped me this morning because...”