90 - Episode 16: The Intruder Under the Moonlight, Part 1 ~What She Wanted, What She Wants~
The moon quietly illuminates the night.
Gazing at the moon floating vaguely in the sky, Lumilia let out a quiet sigh.
Perhaps it was because she had fallen into a deep sleep as if losing consciousness during the day. She was unusually wide awake. When she woke up, it was already early evening. She had a light meal brought to her bedroom, and while she went out to the courtyard to digest it, she found herself with nothing to do.
Sitting at the tea party table in the courtyard, Lumilia looked back on that day.
That day too──── yes, the day of that ritual, it was a quiet night just like this.
Four years ago, the Rite of Requiem was held in the basement of the royal castle. The ritual to soothe Albestein's Rough Spirit is performed by having a royal who has become a fairy connect to the Great Sealed Tree left behind by the Great Fairy Cathedra. A direct descendant who has received the protection of that Great Fairy tunes it using that secret art. Through this, the magical power Albestein had accumulated for its revival is scattered across the land, maintaining the seal.
As a side effect, the scattered magical power causes the earth to rise along the Dragon Veins, creating new magic stone veins within the country.
However, four years ago, Lumilia failed to achieve this.
For some reason, the magical power that should have scattered is still swirling at the altar in the basement of the royal castle, yet it has not been able to break the seal. It is unknown to what extent the Great Fairy Cathedra had anticipated this, but according to the views of the court mages, the seal does not seem to collapse from just one or two failures.
Even so, it was not a situation where she could feel at ease.
After all, the domestic industry relied on the excavation of magic stones. If that were to disappear, the economy would begin to tilt. And once an economy tilts, it worsens as if rolling downhill, and the blame turns toward the royal family, causing their centripetal force to decline.
The result of that was the rise of the Prime Minister's faction.
They began moving to prop up Duke Fritz von Lebrun as a figurehead and make him Lumilia's royal consort. Even putting aside the fact that they were relatives, there were certainly parts of him she found physiologically repulsive.
But more than that, she could not see a future where that thing became her royal consort. Fritz, a thoroughgoing aristocrat, had no interest in politics despite his status. He was the type who didn't care about anything as long as he could live his days as royalty. He believed without a doubt that no matter what happened to the country, he alone would not lose his status or position.
He is quiet for now, but in the Kingdom of Albestein, where the Leonesta Empire, the hegemon of the continent, is a neighboring country, that is extremely precarious. Of course, the Prime Minister likely understands this. That is why he chose Fritz as the figurehead and desired a child with Lumilia. If he could make him a puppet and push him into the inner palace, he wouldn't complain.
However, Lumilia desired to perform the ritual through her own power. Even if she eventually had to consider a political marriage, that was precisely why she wanted to be cautious.
And────.
"So this is where you were, Lumilia-sama."
While she was lost in thought, a voice came from behind, and she immediately knew who it was.
"Shannon... Yes, I just couldn't sleep for a bit."
It was Shannon.
Turning around quietly, there was 'he' illuminated by the moonlight.
How beautiful...
Suddenly, such a confession of her heart swirled in her mouth. It was thanks to her meager self-control that she did not let it out.
"Lumilia-sama?"
"Ah, um, well... how did the discussions go?"
Perhaps wondering why she had stopped moving as if captivated, Shannon tilted their head, and Lumilia hurriedly changed the subject.
"There is no problem. We will begin reorganizing the units starting tomorrow, and we will march toward the royal capital in four days. We will merge with the nobles who gather along the way, and the decisive battle will be in the royal capital."
"I see... So sudden... no, I am likely the one who is slow."
A complaint about the speed of events almost escaped her lips, but Lumilia reflected on herself.
That's right. It's not that those around her are fast. She is the one who is slow. Four years since the ritual failure. Even if there was the death of her father the King and the rise of the Prime Minister's faction, all Lumilia had managed to do in the meantime was propose consultations to those around her.
The content of the consultations was her own succession to the throne and the use of internal reserves to subsidize the domestic industry that would likely decline.
It was proper, if one were to call it that, but that was all. If it were an era where the royal family had power, it might have been different, but since that power had dimmed, and furthermore, since her father, who was a relatively strong king, had passed away, it was inevitable that those around her would run rampant.
If Lumilia had not failed the ritual, they might have listened to her a bit more, but by then, they had likely already given up on her. Her requests were never granted, and the alternative proposal that emerged was marriage to Fritz. Her succession to the throne would be recognized once that was accomplished.
Most likely, the blueprint for that had been drawn at the stage of the ritual failure. They had placed their hopes not in Lumilia, but in the next generation.
Unable to see through this and clinging stubbornly to making up for her mistake, Lumilia fell into a complete fog. Even amidst that, the Prime Minister's faction steadily solidified their surroundings, and by the time three years had passed, Lumilia's allies were only the royalists in the provinces and her closest aides.
And she rejected that, leaving the capital and drifting to Radock.
But.
"Shannon. Is it really alright to leave things as they are?"
"As they are, meaning?"
If things continue like this, it will certainly lead to the decisive battle at the royal capital.
Lumilia herself does not understand fighting, but many of the royalists who would become her allies are from the provinces, meaning they serve as bastions against neighboring countries, so there are many strong forces. Since Albestein is a country that, by its very nature, exists because of the royal family, as long as Lumilia, the figurehead, is there, it is sufficient as a justification.
But.
"I failed the ritual four years ago. That was the beginning of everything."
Even if she were to achieve victory, nothing would have changed.
"Shannon. I wonder if it's really okay for me to be like this...?"
Because she had ended her flight and regained her composure, she was now crushed.
By her own helplessness, and by the──── fear of the ritual that would likely come again.
●
Meanwhile, at that time.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my, goodness, goodness, goodness...!!"
Guided by a yuri sensor, some idiot was hiding their presence inside a hedge and getting worked up.
●
Facing their master, who wore an expression like a mix of crying and laughing, Shannon remained unable to move.
They knew. They understood.
The last royal of the Kingdom of Albestein. Beyond all those titles was simply a fifteen-year-old girl. If Shannon, who was the same age, asked themselves if they could shoulder the same heavy responsibility as her, the answer was no.
If Shannon had been a commoner girl and not a noble. If they had been reckless precisely because they were ignorant, without any barriers or experience, they surely would have encouraged her to an irresponsible degree.
But Shannon knows. They understand.
The heavy responsibility and fate of the royal family──── precisely because they had always been by her side.
They must not touch her heart with simple words or easy feelings. If they were to speak irresponsibly to encourage her, it would only corner her further.
However, if.
If it were not simple.
If it were not easy.
If it were not irresponsible.
If they could devote and accept all of it────.
"Lumilia-sama, I..."
So, while hesitating, Shannon reached out to Lumilia and touched her shoulder.
●
Meanwhile, at that time.
Chu! Chu! Chu!!
Some yuri pig (noise) who should not exist in such a serious moment was extremely excited.
Go for it! Now's the time! Hug her! To the ends of the galaxy!!
However, this yuri pig (noise).
Is quite noisy.
●
At the heat touching her shoulder, Lumilia came back to her senses.
"I'm sorry, Shannon. Leave me alone for a bit."
Turning her back as if shaking off Shannon's hand, she quietly announced it.
"Lumilia-sama. I..."
"It's fine. Leave me, alone."
"...Yes."
Was it bewilderment? Was it disappointment? Lumilia could not gauge it from the sound of Shannon's departing footsteps, and she quietly lowered her eyes.
It wasn't, it wasn't supposed to be like this...
Eventually, after the footsteps had completely vanished, she sank down as if collapsing from her knees.
She had no intention of complaining. No, she must not complain. Especially not in front of Shannon.
Even though it's my fault that Shannon became like that...
That day seven years ago. Lumilia had distorted Shannon's life.
Originally, Shannon was a girl selected from a noble house to be Lumilia's 'friend'. It could be said they were prepared as a future aide to the royal family. Therefore, they had known each other since before they were old enough to understand things, and she thought that would continue forever──── at least, she thought so until that day.
The trigger was seven years ago. It was just a little game. A game of house, which they called playing knights. Lumilia as the king, conferring a title upon Shannon──── a trivial game, like practicing for a ceremony that might happen someday. It wasn't that she was particularly obsessive, but since tree branches rolling around the garden didn't create the right atmosphere, the two of them sneaked into the treasury, dressed up with jewels that caught their eye──── and Lumilia's gaze fell upon that spear.
Though it was sinister, it looked like a passionate blue flame, and she thought it was perfect for Shannon. As a prop for a knight protecting herself (the royal family), it was the best.
Shannon, doing as Lumilia told, took hold of that spear──── the Magic Spear Bartholomew, and was cursed.
According to what she later heard from the royal physician, it was more that they had partially adapted rather than being cursed. But the details didn't matter, for Lumilia, the result was what was important. Namely, the fact that Shannon's gender became unstable.
Because of this, her path as a noble daughter was cut off.
After all, while being a woman, they became a man at night. What is most required of a noblewoman is blood for the next generation. Even if a brave soul appeared who sought Shannon despite such a handicap, the fact that they became a man at night──── ultimately, considering the possibility that any seed planted would disappear, the judgment that she could not produce the next generation was reasonable.
And since she could not connect the bloodline, she was branded as useless as a noble daughter.
Even so, Shannon did not hang their head. Rather.
They were so happy, saying that with this, they could stay by my side forever...
She doesn't know their true feelings. She knows that even now, they worry about whether they are a woman or a man. And toward such a Shannon, she.
To think that I feel happy about it
It wasn't that she rejoiced in that misfortune. But she unconsciously complied. Turning her eyes away from the essence, yet to show an excuse of bearing responsibility, Lumilia kept Shannon by her side.
As a result, it was a bad move.
There was a version of herself that relied on Shannon more and more day by day. As the years passed, there was a version of herself that became attracted to Shannon. And that day four years ago. After failing the ritual──── it became complete dependence.
She is aware. That any more would be wrong. As a royal, and as a woman, if she stepped any further into Shannon, she would not only break herself but drag Shannon down and break them too.
She has already broken half of their life. Therefore, she must not step any further, nor must she let them step further. That is why she turned her back as if shaking them off just now, yet the heat remaining on her shoulder asks her.
Is that really alright?
To that, Lumilia has no answer. No, a fifteen-year-old girl has no way of having one.
She doesn't know what to do with this feeling.
Nor its destination, nor anything.
●
"You seem to be quite troubled, Lumilia-sama."
While Lumilia was tying herself in knots in a way she couldn't tell if it was self-reflection or self-restraint, a voice called out from behind.
"You are..."
Turning around, there was a girl with silver hair and green eyes.
"Marianne Romanet. I am the one who helped Shannon-chan on their journey."
She performed a graceful curtsy and announced it while quietly bowing her head.
"I see."
Suddenly, she felt something catch her attention in that way of speaking.
Shannon-chan. They seem to have become quite close during a journey of about a week, but isn't it far too casual to use that with a knight of the Imperial Guard? Moreover, Shannon also has noble status. Even if the Romanets are rock-solid as political merchants of Leonesta, they are ultimately commoner merchants. For such a commoner, and moreover a daughter who is not even the successor, to use -chan toward Shannon is quite overfamiliar.
While thinking so, it was a fact that her subordinate had been helped. Lumilia put on the iron mask she had forged in the royal palace and gave her thanks.
"My knight was in your care, Marianne-sama. As their master, I shall thank you."
"Oh my, oh my, oh my."
But against this yuri pig, she was far too careless.
If she showed even a little bit of jealousy like that, there was no longer any hesitation or mercy────.
"Lumilia-sama. You don't have to be so guarded, I won't take Shannon-chan away from you."
"What!?"
She dove right in.
To be continued next week.