Who is the Fake Bride? (19)
âIâve already removed all the toxins from the medicine, so sheâll feel much better if she sleeps it out.â
The doctor reported to Kergel without wiping the sweat off her forehead. Kergel looked at Roelin lying on the bed with a stiff look on her face.
It was absolutely pitiful to see her sleeping with that blue face. How dared they use such medicine on this thin, soft person. He couldnât control his anger as he clenched his fist. But after taking a deep breath, Kergel soon managed to contain his wrath.
It was because he thought that he shouldnât be disturbing that poor womanâs sleep.
How frightening and terrifying everything must have been.
âSleep well and wake up later. Iâll make sure you wonât get sick ever again, Roelin.â
Roelinâs eyelids twitched slightly as if she had noticed that he was calling her name even in her sleep. He made a strange expression like he was about to cry before he bent down and kissed her eyelids.
Even Lucy and Silloa who were standing behind them had stopped their breath at such a careful kiss.
Kergel slowly withdrew his lips and straightened his back. Then, he spoke to Lucy and Silloa.
âTake good care of the Empress.â
âI will do my best, Your Majesty.â
Lucy responded with a bow while Silloa also bowed down with courtesy. He looked at them, nodded and began heading out of the bedroom.
Heinez and Bert, who had already been waiting in the hallway, approached Kergel as soon as he opened the door and came out.
âHow is the Empress doing?â
âThe doctor said that sheâll be all right when she wakes up soon.â
âIâm so glad, Your Majesty. Butâ¦â
Heinez breathed a sigh of relief before he soon looked at him with a complex expression. Kergel merely shook his hand and proceeded to move onwards.
âDonât do this right in front of the bedroom. Iâll talk to you in my office.â
To be honest, he had roughly guessed what Heinez was trying to say. So, it was rather expected how he would react to those words.
Kergel didnât want to make a scene in front of her bedroom while she was fast asleep inside.
Heinez sighed softly as if he had noticed Kergelâs intentions and followed him. Bert trailed after them as well while  he still remained to be unusually silent.
âWhere are they?â
ââ¦â¦at the Second Outer Palace. After Your Majesty left like that, there was a moment of disturbance when Princess Erita suddenly tried to walk away.â
There was no need to ask the people whom Kergel had talked about. So, Heinez was able to answer him instantly with a calm manner. Burt, who had kept his mouth shut until then, eventually crept in.
âAs expected, it was that Princess. The same goes for what happened two years ago. It was really crazy. She couldnât even hold back her anger and she turned red before fainting. On top of that, just by looking at it, she has gotten enough of her own temperâ¦â
âWell, Bert.â
Heinez interrupted Bert with a cough, as if he thought that he was going a tad too far. Kergel stopped walking towards the office and pointed his head to the garden instead.
âItâs frustrating to talk about this inside, so letâs just talk over there.â
âYes.â
Heinez bowed to his words in return. Then, the three of them gradually walked into the garden.
It had been a warm midday. It was such a day that the sound of birds could be heard to be friendly and peaceful. It was just unbelievable to say that something unimaginable had already swept everyone away.
âNow, say what you need to say.â
Kergel did not look back until he entered deep into the garden. Heinez looked a little embarrassed before he slowly opened his mouth.
âI think we need to check again on who is really in that ârevelationâ.â
âIâm sure youâve already confirmed that she is truly my companion through the companion ceremony anyway.â
âOf course, we had confirmed it at that time as well.â
It couldnât be forgotten that wolves had already welcomed the Emperorâs companion by presenting themselves in droves during the companion ceremony itself. However, once he found out that there was one more person who looked exactly the same as the person in the revelation, Heinez eventually judged that the reconfirmation process was definitely essential.
âMy partner is only her. Itâs not that other woman from Rakain.â
Kergel understood Heinezâs train of thoughts, but flatly responded. Then, Heinez frowned before he started to speak repeatedly in a persuasive tone.
âYour Majesty, you shouldnât be making such an emotional decision. In case the seal is broken, as well as in order to see the successor, wouldnât it be necessary to welcome a ârealâ companion then? If you happen to make the wrong choiceâ¦â¦â
âIn that case, the wolves will disappear from my battalion. Even if itâs not a matter of protecting the seal, there will be no one left to follow me.â
Kergel calmly said what Heinez was about to say. Then, he looked at him once again and continued.
âBut that doesnât mean Seroif will be all destroyed still.â
âYour Majesty! Thatâs not true at all. If the lineage of the Wolves, which had always been the foundation of this Empire, were to disappear, it would also be flawed as well.â
Heinez listened to Kergel before he spoke out in frustration. Nevertheless, Kergel merely looked at Heinez and smirked.
âThe foundation of the Empire is never the wolves, Heinez. The orthodoxy is not simply proven by that kind of blood.â
ââ¦â¦â
âSeroif is not a country led by wolves alone. Itâs not such a weak country. Rather, it was you who have led this country and all those brave Serofites as well. It wasnât the very few who merely inherited the blood of the wolves.â
What Kergel said wasnât just about Heinez or even Bert. Rather, it was what he truly wanted to say to himself.
He shook off his past that had blindly complied with the Revelation and started to welcome Roelin as his companion accordingly. He opened his mouth again with a more refreshed look this time.
âMy companion, my own choice.â
ââ¦â¦!â
âWhether sheâs the woman who Cainbert had chosen or not, it doesnât matter at all. Whatâs important is that sheâs my chosen companion.â
ââ¦â¦â