Side Story 1
The weather was pleasant, the economy thriving, and the land blessed with an unprecedented abundance of crops. It was a time of peace and prosperity. And yet,
“Fine, Artius, do whatever you want!”
A delicate voice, filled with indignation, echoed through the dining hall.
“P-Philia, but…”
Slam! Before Artius could stop her, Philemon, tears welling up in her eyes, stormed out of the dining hall. Elonia, a forkful of meat halfway to her mouth, glanced nervously at Artius, who sat frozen, staring blankly at the empty doorway, as if time had stopped.
“I’m done!”
She quickly shoved the meat into her mouth and scurried away.
Slam! The sound of the closing door finally snapped Artius back to reality. He looked around the now empty dining hall, the circular table deserted. He ran a hand through his hair, his voice filled with self-reproach.
“Why did I do that…?”
“Indeed, why did you do that?”
Aaron, who had been hiding in a corner, emerged, adding fuel to the fire. But Artius, his mood already foul, didn’t even react to Aaron’s teasing. Aaron, seeing his expression, realized,
‘This is bad.’
This wasn’t going to be easy.
To understand why Artius and Philemon, the supposedly perfect couple, were fighting, we have to go back a month.
A month ago,
“Elonia~ Elonia, are you there?”
Philemon entered the Crown Princess’s Palace, looking for Elonia. But Elonia’s office, where she practically lived, was occupied only by Sarah and Garnethia, who quickly stood up and bowed.
“Your Majesty.”
“Sarah, Garnethia, where’s Elonia?”
“Her Highness is sparring with His Majesty.”
Sarah glanced at Philemon nervously. As expected, Philemon was shocked.
“Oh, that child…! She has important duties, and yet…”
“W-we tried to stop her, but…!”
“You know how stubborn she is.”
Sarah, placing a reassuring hand on Garnethia’s trembling shoulder, smiled wryly. They had tried to stop her, but they had failed. Philemon, who knew Elonia’s stubbornness better than anyone, having been the source of it, sighed and redirected her frustration.
“And Artius as well. He should know better.”
“His Majesty always loses to Her Highness in sparring. Do you think he’ll win this time?”
Both Philemon and Garnethia suppressed their laughter at Sarah’s words. Artius, despite being the Emperor, was the weakest in the Imperial family when it came to physical combat. Philemon’s anger subsided slightly, and she smiled faintly.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome. May I accompany you?”
“Of course.”
Sarah and Philemon left the office, heading towards the training grounds, where Elonia and Artius usually sparred.
As expected, Elonia was in the back garden of the Crown Princess’s Palace.
“Elonia.”
“Mom?”
“Philia!”
They were wiping their sweat with towels, their sparring session apparently just finished. Seeing their cheerful smiles, Philemon’s anger melted away. She opened her arms.
“Come here, my dear.”
“Hehe.”
Elonia rushed towards her and hugged her tightly. She was nineteen now, but in Philemon’s presence, she reverted to her nine-year-old self.
Artius, seeing Elonia monopolizing Philemon’s embrace, spoke hesitantly,
“Philia…”
“Hmm?”
Philemon raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on her face. Artius, flustered by the onlookers, hesitated, and both Elonia and Philemon burst into laughter.
“Ahaha! Dad is sulking! Right, Mom?”
“That’s right. I wonder who she inherited her stubbornness from~”
“Ugh.”
Artius’s face turned bright red at their teasing. Unable to bear it any longer, he marched towards them, his ears also turning red, and pulled them both into a tight embrace. Elonia and Philemon, trapped in his arms, giggled and struggled playfully.
“Dad, I can’t breathe!”
“Artius, I can’t breathe either!”
“You should have included me earlier.”
“Oh?”
Artius pouted, and Elonia almost cringed, but seeing Philemon’s amusement, she decided to let it slide.
Philemon, released from Artius’s embrace, placed her hands on his shoulders, her voice gentle but firm.
“Artius.”
“Y-yes?”
“Didn’t we agree to limit Elonia’s sparring sessions for now?”
Philemon smiled sweetly.
It had only been two years since her return, but it had been long enough for Artius and Elonia to learn one thing. Philemon was terrifying when she smiled like that.
Elonia, her heart pounding, quietly slipped away and hid behind Sarah. Artius glared at her, but it was too late. Sarah, chuckling softly, shielded Elonia, and Philemon’s target was now locked onto Artius.
Artius, his eyes darting around nervously, finally confessed,
“…Elonia said she would die if she couldn’t spar, so I couldn’t refuse.”
“But her coming-of-age ceremony is just a month away. What if she gets injured?”
Elonia would be turning twenty next month, officially becoming an adult.
Philemon, wanting to celebrate her daughter’s coming-of-age perfectly, had been worried about Elonia getting injured during sparring. Artius had agreed.
Artius stammered, trying to defend himself,
“But Philia, she’s more likely to get injured if she spars with someone else.”
“Even so, why are you using real swords?”
Philemon, her gaze fixed on the sword at Artius’s waist, her gentle eyes now sharp and piercing, made him flinch. Elonia, afraid she would lose her sparring partner, quickly interjected,
“M-Mom, we’re both Sword Masters. I won’t get hurt.”
“Elonia.”
“And even if I do, it’s fine! Lucius can heal me without leaving any scars!”
She winked at Artius, who, understanding her silent message, supported her.
“That’s right, Philia. I would never hurt Elonia. I’m a Sword Master, I have control.”
Elonia nodded vigorously.
Philemon, looking at the two troublemakers, her expression filled with disapproval, finally gave in, unable to resist their pleading eyes.
“…Alright. I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Philia!”
“Mom, you’re the best!”
“But.”
Philemon, before the two could cling to her, warned them sternly,
“I’ll be very angry if you get injured, Elonia.”
“Yes, Mom! I’ll be careful!”
“And Artius, if you think Elonia is pushing herself too hard, stop the sparring session.”
“Of course.”
“Good. Then that’s all for today.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the two clung to her like koala bears, trying to appease her with their cheerful chatter.
“Mom, aren’t you hungry? I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
“By the way, some fine silk arrived recently. I think it would suit you perfectly. May I bring it to you later?”
Philemon, who had been trying to maintain a stern expression, burst into laughter. She had been angry at them for breaking their promise, but she couldn’t stay mad at them when they were trying so hard to appease her.
She placed a hand on each of their heads and smiled.
“Shall we go eat first?”
“Yes!”
Elonia, followed by Sarah, led the way.
Sarah, repeatedly stopping Elonia from running, sighed inwardly in relief.
‘Phew, we survived.’
Philemon’s anger was terrifying. She was the woman who had once grabbed Sarah’s hair during their fight.
‘I hope Her Highness can control herself for just one month.’
But Elonia was young and energetic. Asking her to refrain from physical activity was too much.
‘I hope nothing happens during the next month.’
Sarah sighed worriedly. But she was always a worrier, so the chances of her fears materializing were slim.
“So that’s what happened.”
“I thought things were going to get ugly. Mom is scary when she’s angry.”
“That’s true.”
That evening, Elonia and Lucius were chatting in the tea room. Lucius listened attentively, offering gentle responses, and Elonia, her anxiety easing slightly, was enjoying his company when,
“It’s getting late.”
Lucius, glancing at his watch, stood up. Elonia was surprised.
“It’s only 8 PM.”
“It’s late for us to be alone, Your Highness.”
Elonia was baffled. Lucius had been visiting her regularly for the past two years. The time of his visits varied. Sometimes he came for lunch, sometimes in the evening, like today. But he always left at 8 PM sharp.
“Do you have a curfew?”
“No, it’s my own decision…”
His answer made Elonia speechless. Lucius, preparing to leave, said,
“It was an honor spending time with you today, Your Highness. Then I’ll see you tomor—”
“Wait!”
Elonia, unable to bear it any longer, finally snapped.
“If you don’t have a curfew, why are you always in such a hurry to leave at 8 PM? Do you hate me?”
Lucius’s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly shook his head.
“O-of course not! But it’s late for us to be alone…”
His excuse only infuriated Elonia further.
“I’ll be an adult next month! It’s not a big deal if you stay a little longer!”
“But you’re not yet! What would people say?!”
“People? They’ll just think we’re getting along! We’re not strangers! We’re getting engaged next month!”
That was right.
Next month wasn’t just Elonia’s coming-of-age ceremony. It was also their engagement ceremony.
“But we’re not even dating yet!”
Lucius protested, his voice filled with indignation.
That was true. They were getting engaged, but they weren’t dating.
“You said you couldn’t date someone who wasn’t an adult!”
…Because of his own stubbornness!