"It was tolerable enough."
"Is that so? I was curious whether my inadequate son properly attended to the mage's convenience."
Though the Queen acted quite amiably unlike when they first met, conversely his mind was in a state of emergency.
What to do, what to do, what to do, what to do.
To be summoned to tea time with the Queen in the middle of the night when Yurik wasn't even there. How had it come to this?
He didn't even dare lift the teacup the Queen had personally poured for him.
Just a few minutes ago, the Queen's lady-in-waiting had visited him as he was holed up in the 3rd Prince's palace.
The lady-in-waiting who came without any companions delivered a secret message that the Queen urgently wished to meet him.
Flustered, he had tried to achieve some dignity by wearing Yurik's clothes that had been somehow altered to fit his body,
But his terrible fashion sense only made him look like a nouveau riche who had struck it rich.
Without Cellinne, all he could do was steal Yurik's gloves to wear and put on the veil Cellinne had recommended.
Since it was a solo meeting with the Queen, he thought he would need to pay attention to managing his expressions.
Perhaps if he covered even this face without a trace of fuzz, some dignity might emerge.
Having even brought along the grimoire Pnakotic, he had responded to the Queen's summons while putting on airs.
But actually sitting in the greenhouse, what airs could there be?
He could only think how fortunate it was that he had put on the veil.
Since the Queen was staring at him intently, he had to maintain outward indifference while screaming only inwardly.
What are you looking at! Stop looking! Stop looking, he said!
"There must be a reason for inviting me at such a late hour. Something more important than my convenience."
"How direct of you. I won't drag this out either. I'm curious about the reason the mage gave a prophecy before me and my son, the 3rd Prince."
"Is that all? Don't you humans have to make prophecies according to time and season?"
"Form doesn't matter. What's important is that the mage regarded me as someone standing in opposition to the 3rd Prince."
The Queen came out so brazenly that he momentarily thought the Queen was also on their side.
But Dardin and Yurik had told him the Queen was a clear antagonist,
And he understood that their coming here was because the Queen tried to assassinate Yurik and transfer the throne to her own child.
None of this should be wrong, right?
When he maintained silence, the Queen continued speaking in an elegant and composed posture.
"Actually, I know what hostility the 3rd Prince harbors toward me. I also understand why that child is particularly harsh to me. Mage, but there's one thing you must understand."
"What must I understand?"
"That I too want the path where that child can be happiest."
What was she saying? He blinked. He couldn't understand.
According to the Queen's words, couldn't she just transfer the throne to Yurik? Then wouldn't everyone be happy?
"Then you should grant everything Yurik wants."
"The current political situation isn't so easy. Unfortunately, the weight of power has been divided with me and that child as the main axes. Even if I submit obediently, surely someone who follows me will harbor resentment toward that child."
"You mean when Yurik becomes king, another rebellion led by your people might occur. So?"
"That's why we need a method everyone can accept. And that child is doing what we all know best."
The method everyone knew best.
Winning in this power struggle. Targeting the opponent's weakness to bite their throat and cut off their breath.
Thus seizing life.
Whether this meant physical death or withdrawal from the vortex of power wasn't important.
When one side won, it was natural law that the other side became the loser and paid the price.
But the Queen's words were particularly grating.
"You speak as if you know a method that Yurik, the human I cherish, doesn't know."
"That's correct, mage."
"And you're saying this won't harm Yurik."
"Precisely."
"I don't believe it."
At his blunt words, the Queen's expression visibly hardened.
But wasn't that unavoidable?
He had been watching Yurik for hundreds of millions of years. Of course, he hadn't been by his side for the entire period, but he was the one who had taught young Yurik, whose self-identity wasn't even properly formed, reading and language and helped him think.
So he could easily tell that the child wasn't making the Queen his enemy without any reason.
But the Queen, well. He wasn't sure, but there was no way to explain the fighting spirit she had shown him in the audience chamber.
If she truly cherished and loved Yurik, she should have been willing to lose gracefully.
Not sending assassins to him.
Wouldn't it be logical to dismantle her own forces and prepare to successfully transfer power to Yurik?
If he were the Queen, he would have done that. But the Queen's actual actions had many parts he couldn't understand, making it rather difficult.
Then, did the Queen completely hate Yurik?
Thinking about it, that didn't seem to be the case either.
The Queen had willingly opened the path to Asgard when Yurik requested it,
And this time too, she had let Yurik go to the wasteland.
Even knowing that if the prophecy came true, Yurik would receive the kingdom's citizens' support.
Looking at this, she didn't seem to hate him completely.
Having reached this point in his thoughts, seeing the Queen slightly biting her lower lip with downcast eyes, he felt slightly subtle.
Ugh. Though only on record, she was Yurik's adoptive mother.
Should he give in a little?
"...Of course, since Yurik is young, there would be times when his blood boils. In that respect, he would have lines he couldn't compromise on."
"I'm only worried that that child's recklessness might harm himself, mage."
Huh. This was a bit much.
"So you sent assassins to him because you were so worried?"
"I didn't lead that. As someone who only stays in the royal castle, I can't see through how my supporters might move."
She was backing out here?
He tried to discern the Queen's intentions while raising his eyebrows beneath the veil.
Whether the Queen knew this or not, she raised her head slightly and opened her mouth.
"But I promise you one thing. There's no one in Aquilonia who loves that child as much as I do."
"You love him?"
"Yes. I am loving him. With all my heart and body, sincerely."
He stared intently at the Queen's face.
The Queen's face as she said she was loving him with all her heart,
Was sparkling so brightly even in the dark greenhouse that he was speechless.
The heart she showed was so blindly devoted that he felt rather uncomfortable.
What exactly was love between parent and child?
Was it parental love to come to love someone without sharing any memories or experiences?
...It was useless for him to worry about such things though.
While unable to love even one person among countless others, he was weighing the affection between Yurik and his adoptive mother.
Cynicism flowed out without him realizing it.
Hearing his laughter, the Queen slowly stood up.
At first he thought she intended to pour tea on him,
But surprisingly, she approached him and knelt down without caring about her status as Queen.
Delicate and soft white hands grasped his gloved hands.
"I won't say I'm innocent regarding that matter. But, mage, won't you give me a chance to atone?"
"Atone?"
"If that child was hurt, that too is due to my lack of virtue. So I want to repay my sins by helping that child."
"Atonement means you'll help Yurik?"
"That's right. Even if it's not what that child wants, I want to seek the mage's cooperation for atonement."
"Why me?"
"Because what that child relies on most now is you, mage. Isn't it because you extremely cherish the 3rd Prince that you're staying in the royal castle?"
That was more or less right.
Though he hadn't imagined the Queen would step forward saying she would atone herself, it was worth accepting.
When they were still wandering looking for the Leng Plateau. The moment when Valter or Dardin had mistaken him for an assassin.
They too were seasoned in dealing with assassins who came looking for Yurik.
Yurik must have faced countless killers.
If he accepted the Queen's request here,
Wouldn't Yurik be able to sleep more comfortably at night when he returned?
Wasn't that alone a great harvest?
He looked down at her and leaned back against the backrest as he answered.
"Fine."
"Then-"
"But bringing the child in your womb as Yurik's adopted son won't work. Doesn't Yurik dislike it? Even if Yurik has no intention of having descendants, there's no need to make your child his adopted son. As for bloodline issues, your child having inherited your bloodline is sufficient. Aren't you also maintaining the legitimate status of Queen?"
"...I'll consider it."
"One more thing. Can you guarantee the safety of the humans I cherish?"
"You mean the 3rd Prince's mercenaries. How could there be any question?"
"Yurik's body must not be harmed either."
"You seem to have forgotten, but I also extremely cherish that child, mage."
"Revealing to them that you sought my cooperation is also forbidden."
"That's what I want as well."
Would this be adequate?
At least when Dardin or Yurik found out later, they probably wouldn't jump up and down saying they'd been deceived.
Moreover... the Queen said she cherished Yurik.
The adoptive mother said she thought of and loved Yurik.
He had long thought Yurik needed such a person.
Someone who thought only of him, cherished him, and pitied him. A guardian who could give consistent, unwavering affection.
The Queen was currently Aquilonia's foremost person of power and the person most closely entangled with Yurik.
So couldn't she create the fence of a reliable family?
Not like him with mere words, but if he met someone who could become real family. If Yurik came to receive such human love deeply.
Couldn't he also change for the better in the future?
He gently helped her up as she was still kneeling.
"Even if the weather is warm, shouldn't you be more careful when carrying a child?"
"I was anxious that you might not understand my sincerity, mage."
"You also say you cherish Yurik, so did you think there was room for me to interfere further? Humans always make me into a heartless person."
"I have nothing to say about that."
"At this hour, in this place, to call me out just to ask me to help Yurik. Next time, let's meet in broad daylight."
"I'll do so. My thinking was short."
If he had known it would be like this, he didn't need to be so nervous.
After gathering the grimoire Pnakotic, he bid her farewell from beneath the veil.
"Don't make a fuss. Act like a Queen. If you want to meet later, I'll meet you anytime."
"Thank you, mage."
"I'll go first."
"Please forgive me for not escorting you. Then please go carefully."
Having obtained cooperation from him, the Queen's attitude became very warm.
She didn't bow her head to him, but held her skirt with one hand and slightly bent her knees.
Perhaps that was the maximum courtesy she could show as royalty.
He wasn't sure since he had rarely received respect from people with the title of royalty.
He left the greenhouse with a somehow light yet wistful feeling.
With this much, Yurik would probably settle down in the future too.
* * *
In the greenhouse that had become quiet again. The Queen stood alone where the mage had departed.
Until the teacup cooled and became cold, the Queen just remained still in that place.
"Soft."
An emotionless observation that flowed from her pink lips.
When the red-haired mage had just come to the royal castle, she had received reports about why he came and almost laughed without realizing it.
He came looking for people?
Moreover, despite joining the 3rd Prince's group last, just because they had taken good care of him without major problems?
To the Queen's eyes, it was no different from taking in a starving stray dog, feeding and raising it.
But that dog turned out to be a fierce wolf,
And now it was stirring up the royal castle looking for its masters.
If she were the Queen, no.
At least anyone with even a little thought wouldn't have acted that way.
Her faint suspicion was almost confirmed in the audience chamber.
The mage who was indifferent and showed no interest in anything was strangely showing affection for the humans surrounding him.
Though the mage packaged it as if it weren't affection,
That didn't change his emotions into something else.
It was a very strange thing.
Both loved the same target, but their ways of loving were worlds apart. And the results those ways would bring would be the same.
The Queen spoke without hardly turning her head.
"Go to His Majesty's bedroom. It's time to finish this."
As soon as she finished speaking, rustling sounds of grass could be heard from deep in the flower bed.
The Queen picked up the teacup that had been placed on the mage's side and tilted it as it was.
Watching the red liquid flow and thoroughly soak the spot, the Queen smiled faintly.
"Mage, I hope you'll be more careful when making promises in the future."
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