273. Living eternal life (2)
“Mom, what about food?”
“I have no appetite…”
The crevice in the open door.
When she saw her mother lying on the bed, coughing, Erica shut the door again without a word.
Ever since Yulia died, her mother has always been like that.
She couldn’t eat or sleep, and her body was weak.
She had to.
Erica knew in advance and was able to prepare, but her mother didn’t hear the whole story until after Yulia’s death.
“Oh.”
Erica’s frantic pace stopped.
In front of it was an old door.
It was a familiar visit.
Because of my habit, my footsteps naturally went to this place.
Erica seized her doorknob and turned it, putting her foot inside her.
It was dark inside.
It was a room that couldn’t be found to have changed from the past.
Just one. Except for the fact that the owner will no longer return to this room…
Erica rubbed her bedside table with a wry smile.
It was the place where Julia’s favorite book, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, was always placed.
The morning Schluss revived, he hurriedly came to his mansion holding a book in his arms.
He said he would return this book.
Yulia gave it to her, so she said it was hers, and she had to sweat hard to refuse it.
At that time, Schluss’ expression changed as if he realized something.
“That’s right. That’s right. I should have it. I should… I should take responsibility…”
“Schlus?”
“I’m sorry.”
Screaming incomprehensible and mysterious, Schluss took the book and left the mansion.
When he left, Schluss didn’t show a vain expression like he did when he entered, nor did he walk sluggishly.
As if he had made up his mind on something, he walked out of the mansion with confident and firm steps.
There was something pitiful about his back.
He didn’t know it then, but now he knows.
What kind of resolution did Schluss make?
“Wow. It doesn’t taste good.”
Crackle crackle.
She sat alone at the large table and ate her meat, but Erica spat it out.
I didn’t feel the taste.
Maybe her tongue is out of order?
“You should do better…”
I missed Yulia.
I don’t know if she is a reincarnated person who has lived through hundreds of years, but she just wanted to see her cute little brother once again.
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But now I can’t see Yulia.
She knew in her head that she liked him better, but she still couldn’t suppress her desire to see her just one more time.
“Haa…”
Her heart was empty as if it were empty.
She’s never been like this before.
She used to eat good food or read interesting papers to make her feel better, but now nothing seemed to work.
“I need Schluss…”
She had never felt as eager to see Schluss as now.
She just felt like it would be nice to have Schluss by her side.
Erica threw her plate away and fell on her table.
***
“Why did you suddenly start smoking…”
In her nightgown, Emilia came out onto her balcony, rubbing her eyes.
I thought it was too early in the morning for Emilia to wake up, but I must have woken her up.
I gave Emilia a smile and put out the cigarette by pressing it into the palm of her hand.
“It’s bad for your health. Why are you starting so late? Huh?”
“Your health can’t get worse. It’s Mine.”
“Huh… My breath stinks.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
Emilia came closer and sat down on my lap.
It was so cute seeing her face close and then frowning.
Smell was definitely a problem.
I need to cut down on smoking.
Do you brush your teeth often?
“Are you thinking of quitting?”
“Yes. I need to straighten it out.”
“There will be no cigarettes by the time the continent perishes? Why don’t you think about that time and quit smoking in advance?”
“I’ll make a bunch of cigarettes and pile them up. It’s okay.”
“Seeing······.”
Didn’t Schluss Heinkel of the parallel world also make a lot of wine?
I wondered if I would be able to make cigarettes similarly.
Then will I become a tobacco master who makes the finest cigarettes?
“Brother.”
“Yes.”
“I love you. I love you very much…”
Emilia rubbed her nose against the nape of my neck, sniffed, and then hugged her tightly.
Today, Emilia felt even smaller and weaker.
It felt like it would break if I touched it.
But now, that wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Me too… I love you.”
“Brother. You won’t forget me, will you?”
“Why did I forget you?”
“Even if I die…Even if a lot of time goes by…Even if I meet countless women…You’ll still remember me, right?”
“·······.”
It was making a scary noise.
Emilia will die someday.
It’s a matter of course, but it still felt like something in the distant future.
Just talking about it sent chills down my spine.
“Of course. I will never, never forget. He is the one who brought me back to life.”
“Rehabilitation? Me? What does that mean?”
“You never know. How much you changed my life.”
“How did you change it?”
“I don’t like to talk.”
“Eh? Why?”
“I just don’t feel like talking about it.”
“What is that?!”
Emilia will never know.
How much of a shock Emilia gave me.
If I saw Emilia now, I would never think of it as the Emilia Siegfried in my novel.
A ruthless, acting spy with no outward displays of emotion, she quickly became a different person.
It’s hard to see her as a character I created anymore.
Emilia showed me that this world doesn’t just flow according to my novels.
It brought me down from an all-knowing omnipotent being to an ignorant fool.
“I’ll have to leave soon.”
“Chii. I won’t get out of the way until you tell me.”
“Then should I hang it like this and wear it?”
“Kyaaah?!”
I picked up Emilia and stood up from her chair.
Emilia, who cradled me with her legs twisted, smiled and clung to me even as she screamed.
Her figure was so lovely.
It was even more lovely as I kept reminding myself that this moment would not last forever.
When there is a meeting, there is a parting.
It was the natural logic of the world.
The only difference I had from other people was that I repeated that meeting and parting countless times.
There was nothing particularly special about it.
“Tie. Still can’t tie it straight.”
“I know how to wear it perfectly, but I don’t do it on purpose.”
“Ayu, did you?”
After finishing all her preparations, Emilia handed me a tie.
To be honest, I still don’t know how to tie a tie.
I didn’t even want to learn.
I just wanted Emilia to be tied like this for the rest of my life.
“I’ll go.”
“Yes…”
“Why are you staring at me so vaguely? You’re not going anywhere.”
“I know. I know…. Goodbye.”
I was thinking of going with a light kiss.
But it took longer than expected and my mouth got wet.
Laughing, Emilia took out her handkerchief and wiped her mouth, and only then did she let go of Emilia.
It’s a farewell that will come someday…
I didn’t want to prepare that much.
So far, the concept of time is closer to that of humans than demons, so you can prepare slowly.
I’m not going to say that I’ll regret it because of a sudden breakup.
*
I headed straight for the imperial palace.
Because she received a call from an unusual aria.
Seeing as it wasn’t an emergency call, it didn’t seem that urgent.
“Your Majesty. What’s going on?”
“Ahhhhh…”
The place I was called was none other than Aria’s bedroom.
A bedroom that is neither an audience room nor an office.
It was my first time entering Arya’s bedroom, so I was a little nervous.
Soon after, Aria, dressed in thin clothes, pulled back the blanket, stood up and smiled at me.
“I’ve only slept for the past 24 hours. No matter how much I think about it, it seems like I haven’t been getting enough sleep.”
“Good job.”
While Arya was putting on her clothes, I was perplexed, not knowing where to look.
The pajamas were thinner than expected.
To the extent that all of the inner underwear can be seen through.
Arya, dressed in all her clothes, gracefully walked over and sat down in front of her table, knocking on her chair.
I sat down on the chair and faced Arya.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“It’s because Your Majesty is so beautiful.”
“You spit it out without hesitation. Goyan.”
“·······.”
Today’s aria felt something fresh.
Maybe it’s because her clothes and makeup aren’t flashy at all.
If the usual aria had a noble aura that could never be touched, now she felt like the pretty girl living next door to her.
“So may I ask why you called today?”
“It’s nothing else. I just called it because it felt like the time had come to redefine our relationship.”
“Re-establishing the relationship…?”
Reestablishment of relationship.
Then what will happen to our relationship?
Aria’s captivating smile caused her thoughts to wander in a strange way.
“I’m wondering if you should stop being my servant soon.”
“Why is that?”
“Are you seriously asking? You are now something that transcends human beings. You have all the elements of a demon, but you are such an ambiguous being that you cannot be called a demon. How could such a fellow be bound by a government post? Can you?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m not okay with Jim. I hate hearing that I am a puppet emperor of demons. That’s why it’s useless to hold on. You’re fired.”
“·······.”
I was fired unexpectedly.
It made sense.
It must seem very ridiculous for a demon to act as a servant under a human.
There was a possibility that the Freya Empire would give people the perception that it was not an emperor, but a country ruled by demons.
“Your Majesty, if you fire me-“
“Yes. I know. All alliances will be shaken. Allies that you gathered in the first place with your flamboyant licking of the mouth.”
“Please say charisma…”
“But there is nothing to worry about. The Commonwealth of the Freya Empire will form an alliance with you personally instead of dismissing you.”
An alliance between a nation and an individual.
I hadn’t heard of it, but I could understand it.
That’s how powerful the magic was.
I need Arya, and Arya needs me too.
It was a mutually satisfying alliance.
“Ha! You smirking squirrel. Now I get it.”
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“That’s why you finally refused the title. You knew it would end like this.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You can quit at any time. But titles are different. They are attached to the name. Evidence that you are a mere human subject remains forever. That’s why you rejected it. It’s just Schluse Heinkel, To be an individual who does not work for anyone.”
That was an interesting interpretation.
The reason I did not accept the title was purely because the conditions at the time were not good, but somehow it proved my excellent insight.
I decided to keep the truth hidden forever.
“It’s an alliance. It’s an insight.”
“Are you willing to accept it?”
“Write. Well… That’s it. I’ll form a cooperative relationship called an alliance. Emperor of the Commonwealth of the Freya Empire, Aria Victor Friedrich von Freya.”
“·······?!”
Arya flinched and trembled as if in surprise.
“Yes, yes. You are no longer my servant… This is correct. No, that is correct. Yes. You bastard… No Schluss Heinkel. Then the details……”
Aria is broken.
She has no dignity whatsoever, and the way she stutters is so cute that she almost laughs.
Anyway, what did I expect when I heard that the relationship was being reestablished?
I felt as if I drank kimchi soup, so I felt embarrassed for no reason.
.
.
.
“Hmm.”
After Schluss Heinkel returned.
Reviewing her pact one more time, Arya put a satisfied smile on her face.
Schluss Heinkel was no longer a vassal holding the office of Regent.
It became an individual who entered into an alliance with the Freya Empire on an equal footing.
Of course, even so, the power he wielded within the Freya Empire didn’t seem to be that small.
He is allied with the three great families of magic, protected by Count Vermanstein and former Field Marshal Freus, and has a close relationship with the current army general, Schulzenburg, and the Duke of the Southern Colonies, and owns the best knights on the continent.
The only things that would change were the fact that from now on Schluss could not hire a detached corps from the imperial army at will, and that he could not come and go to the imperial palace as if he were at home.
“Ha ha.”
That was really the only thing that changed.
Nothing has changed radically.
I thought I could say it until I rhymed grandiosely, saying it was a re-establishment of the relationship.
I didn’t get a chance to speak until the end.
Arya patted her lips and let out a deep sigh.
“Reorganization is a piece of sh*t. It’s not the same…”
An emperor cannot dare to love a knight under his direct command.
It is even worse to love a subject.
But if it was an individual who was not subordinated to the state, then it would be fine.
I mustered up the courage to think so.
“No you crazy bastard. You don’t see me as a woman?”
The more I thought about it, the hotter it became.
Isn’t it a fairly blatant sign from the fact that he entered the bedroom in the first place and showed that embarrassing appearance?
But Schluss just sat calmly and dealt with Arya in a businesslike manner.
Because of that composure, this side also became more serious.
“Still, I was able to hear the rude words…”
The other thing that changed was that Schluss stopped using honorifics.
Now you are on an equal footing with the emperor who stood at the top of the continent…
I was startled by his rude yet confident voice and thought his body was shaking.
As Schlusus dared to look down on me, something felt strange and his body heated up.
“Hmm. Hmm. Okay. Slow down.”
There was no rush.
Now that we are on an equal footing, shouldn’t we build a relationship slowly?
Arya thought so as she smiled contentedly.