“Princess, please be careful. Be careful not to trip! You will trip if you do this! Oh my god!! That is dangerous!! Guards!! Guards! Hurry and put something soft underneath for cushioning! Hurry!”
“I won’t!”
Lucia grouchily looked at the maid behind her who looked like she was going to explode. She pulled back half of her body she had extended out. In her hand was a flower she had just picked. She said: “You are my mother’s friend so you do not need to call me ‘princess’. Can’t you just continue calling me ‘Lucia’……? Ah, you don’t have to do that, guards! Go back. I was just picking a flower.”
Lucia rubbed her belly that was still flat and then looked at the flower in her hand nostalgically. Her gaze was full of nostalgia and tenderness. She asked: “His highness gave me this sort of flower every year. Hehe, and these flowers would bloom. His highness used to be the one who used to pluck them for me…… Wait!!”
Lucia’s gaze fixated itself outside the window. She looked at the two walking over outside. One of them was dressed in blue and the other in green. She looked at the silhouette with her gaze brimming with surprise. She looked at the two silhouettes blankly. She looked in their direction with utter surprise. She watched their two silhouettes slowly come toward her direction……
Lucia looked blankly in their direction and murmured: “Your highness……”
“What?! His highness?! His… Ah!! Princess!! Do not be so impulsive!! Don’t run! Don’t run so fast! Don’t trip over! Don’t trip! Guards! Guards!!”
I caught Lucia who leapt at me and hugged her tightly. She leaned on my shoulder and wept silently. She hugged me tightly and didn’t speak for a long while. I hugged her tightly as well while I sincerely stroked her back. I rarely get to see Lucia. Lucia returned to the elven side after she got pregnant while I couldn’t come here. But I miss her now. I really miss her and really want to see her.
After a while, she bit my ear and softly asked: “Your highness… can you manage?”
“I’m fine. I’m fine. What about you? Lucia, are you well? I saw you run so quickly. Are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll surely be fine since I’m your wife after all!” Lucia hugged me tightly as she seriously and determinedly continued, “I’m fine, your highness. I’ll definitely be fine even if I’m not by your side, but… but… but… but I still hope that I get to see you… I want to see you more and be able to stay by your side forever……”
“I know. I know.”
I nodded. While still hugging her tightly, I kissed her neck and she responded by moaning sexily. She then took a small step back, cupped my face and gave me a serious kiss. Lucia’s kisses were still immature. However, that was Lucia’s love. It was her immature and yet serious love for me. This is the love my most beloved Lucia gave me.
I love Lucia. That will never change. Ever. The first person I thought of when I was stuck was Lucia. I want to let Lucia help me come up with an idea. She was now the last person I had to ask.
“Lucia. Lucia, I want to ask you about something.”
“Uhm, ask, your highness.”
Lucia then looked at me and thought to herself for a moment before continuing, “Your highness, I believe that you must have important business to go so far. I’m guessing that you want to do something dangerous and came to see me because you were worried about me, am I correct?”
I froze up and looked at her blankly. I then responded: “How did you know so much? Did you guess that?”
Lucia giggled and replied: “Yes. Your highness, I know you too well. You always like chasing danger. But this time, I believed that you would definitely come to ask for my opinion because you are my husband. You are our child’s father. I believe that you will surely come and ask me for my opinion when you want to do something now.”
I looked at Lucia, nodded and said: “You’re right, Lucia. That’s what I wanted to ask you……”
I told Lucia about it. Lucia looked at my eyes earnestly. She waited for me to finish without changing her expression. Once I was done speaking, she pinched the flower in her hand and went silent for a moment before giving a response: “Your highness, is it dangerous in the desert?”
“Uhm. It should be very dangerous.”
“Do you want to go then?”
“I don’t know……”
“No, I believe that you do know.” Lucia cut me off. She looked into my eyes and grumbled: “Your highness, you always immediately went and did what you wanted. You never got hung up on these sorts of questions. Your highness, I should be helpful to you, not chaining you down. If you want to go and do it, go and do it. Don’t worry about me here, your highness. We just need to love each other. I know you love me and I will love you always. I believe that we will surely be together after we separate. Your highness, go and do what you want to do!”
“But… but it’s dangerous……”
“You can definitely overcome it! I know that it must be dangerous, but it was dangerous when you faced the Earth Dragons too. I can’t be by your side this time, but I have faith in you and your abilities. Your highness, you are definitely not weak. You are actually incomparably strong! Your courage and heart is incomparably strong! That’s why you have us! You are not weak since power doesn’t pertain to just one’s abilities but also includes those around them!”
Lucia looked at me with an earnest look. She then took in a deep breath and went on: “Your highness, go and do what it is you want to do. Don’t stop because of us. I will definitely support you from behind. I want to see you become stronger and stronger. I want to watch you continue down your path! You must become a great king, not a child! Just as when we faced the Earth Dragons, I want you to resolve the matter!”
“Lucia……”
I looked at Lucia blankly. She looked at me with a serious look and said: “I’ll be fine! Your highness, you don’t have to worry about me! I will look after myself well! You must look after yourself too. I trust that her highness won’t get in your way too much either, right? You just need to express your thoughts and you will have everyone’s support! Please walk your own path, your highness! You are the next king!!”
I looked at her, nodded sincerely, hugged her and tenderly said: “I understand now. I’ll be sure to look after myself. I’ll definitely make it back alive. I won’t leave you all behind. I’ll be back for sure.”
“Uhm……” Lucia leaned onto my chest weakly and gripped my clothes tightly. She resolutely and at the same time, sadly said: “If you don’t come back…… I will raise our child and come to meet you after. You must know that if something were to befall you, I will definitely go find you. I definitely will……”
=====================
Current time at the temporary Valkyrie headquarters.
Alice silently poured him a cup of wine. After a moment of silence, she remarked: “Nier is pregnant.”
Castell nodded and replied: “I know. Virtually the entire palace is revolving around her now that she’s pregnant. It’s like a parade whenever she goes somewhere, so there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”
“That means that the purpose of his majesty’s existence is gone.”
Alice placed her cup of wine down and looked at Castell seriously. She indifferently elaborated: “He… can die now……”
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