ERTHMB Chapter 92

The Warmest Courage

Helena tried to withdraw her arm, fidgeting. Of course, she was caught by Ian and pulled back to her original position. Helena’s eyes narrowed.

“In the old days, you had a condition where you had to break down a door once a day. Now it seems you’ve developed a condition where you have to confess once a day.”

“I didn’t say the target of my confession was you.”

“I didn’t say I was the one receiving it either.”

Instead of backing down, Ian gently shook her arm and coaxed her.

“Don’t be like that and just hold on to me. I’m not going to run away and have no intention of going anywhere, but from now on, you’re going to spend the most precious and valuable time with me, aren’t you?”

Helena swallowed the soft lump that formed in her throat and crossed her arms. He was truly a genteel highway robber. Covered in polite words, most things flowed according to his wishes.

Ian, now wearing a satisfied smile, casually asked.

“By the way, what did you talk about?”

When Helena looked up with a questioning gaze, he added the subject.

“With Count Borneu.”

“…You saw?”

“You two seemed to know each other.”

“I just have a passing acquaintance with Mr. Macburden.”

Mr. Macburden. Ian raised his eyebrows.

“Did you already exchange names?”

“…Like you, it wasn’t anything important.”

“Really making me more curious—”

“We’re on a date right now, aren’t we?”

Helena pulled her crossed arms and leaned against him. With eyes that hadn’t a speck of dust in them, she looked up at him and pushed him forward as if urging him on.

When you look at me like that… you know I can’t refuse.

Ian rarely let out a breath of defeat.

“Let’s go, my lady.”

****

The date was delightful. For the eyes, mouth, and mood.

When the two arrived at the bustling street, a clown’s performance was in full swing. Helena watched the witty banter and theatrical performance, then moved to shops decorated lavishly for the festival.

There, they ate sherbet topped with plump cherries and apple pie sprinkled with honey and cinnamon powder.

As the sun set, they wandered around aimlessly here and there. Together with Ian, Helena witnessed small, perfect moments.

The scene of pollen accumulated on tree branches dancing and scattering like snow flurries under the quiet sunlight.

The fact that the violin music played by an old man alone behind the deserted park was truly beautiful.

The scene of a young man who had helped a baby bird that had fallen to the ground back to its nest, falling on his bottom and laughing it off cheerfully.

As they embraced each scene, before they knew it, the sun had set and night had descended.

The sound of high heels echoed gently through the tranquil night air. In front of the red bridge, Ian extended his hand. Helena took his escort and stepped onto the curved stone bridge.

It was the red bridge said to grant wishes. This was because of the last words left by Queen Epoch, who had been thrown into the river after insisting on her purity to the end.

Instead of cursing the king who doubted her fidelity, she had fallen while praying for his prosperity. The country experienced its golden age thereafter, and the place where the queen fell became a place for making wishes.

Right at that spot, Helena stopped. What kind of love had the queen experienced that she prayed for the well-being of the man who had driven her to death until the very end?

With her gaze fixed on the quietly rippling water sounds, Helena parted her lips.

“Today… was really amazing.”

“Well, there probably weren’t many opportunities to see such raw performances in the strict grand ducal household.”

“…No. That’s not what I meant…”

As Helena trailed off, Ian gently rubbed her palm. The hand with calluses wasn’t as soft as it had been at first. But Ian found even that endearing because it was becoming like his own.

Helena still gazed only at the dark waves and said.

“The fact that time that always flows by ordinarily and unremarkably was someone’s perfect day. That’s what amazed me. In the past I didn’t know about, and for countless others spending the same time, it must have been days like this.”

“Couldn’t we also call today quite a perfect day?”

“…Maybe so.”

At that moment, a sharp whistling sound burst forth. Yellow streaks of light were rapidly cutting through the sky, shooting upward.

Whoosh— Bang!

Fireworks of various colors burst all at once. They spread wide like a peacock’s tail, then drooped their branches gracefully like willow leaves. Countless sparks brilliantly embroidered the night sky.

Against the backdrop of the night with streams of light pouring down, Helena finally looked up at Ian.

“I don’t breathe because of you.”

“…”

Ian’s expression crumbled slightly. Helena continued.

“I don’t live because of you either.”

“…I know.”

“Don’t misunderstand and listen to me. Living because of someone, that kind of thing—I’m tired of it now and can’t do it anymore. But, but…”

This time Helena gently rubbed Ian’s palm. It was warm enough to forget the coolness of the night air. Drawing strength from that warmth, Helena continued speaking.

“You are my courage to live.”

He was not some lingering attachment to life.

“You give me the strength to endure today and live tomorrow.”

He could never be mere attachment that prolongs a life one wants to discard.

“You are that kind of person. You are…”

My warmest courage.

****

The sound of humming wandered around the grand room. It was a sound rarely heard in the Emperor’s office.

The long desk empty without its owner, the cold chair covered in gold and red velvet. The table was often neglected because the color was not at all to the owner’s taste.

Still, the reason for not changing it was out of consideration for the original owner. Contrary to her initial warning that she would overturn everything, Heidi hadn’t touched any of Ian’s belongings.

“Such stuffy taste… I’m being generous, generous.”

Heidi tried to hang a special clock embedded with magic stones on the wall, then gave up. The magical device she had put away returned to the arms of Zimmer, the lady-in-waiting who followed her around.

Zimmer had already placed the wall clock on the table where numerous magical devices were lined up in rows. Then she pointed out something that caught her eye.

“But Your Highness, why do you always keep this communication device here?”

It was the only thing Heidi had added to Ian’s room. It was a private communication device connected only to Dion.

“Do you perhaps have some contact you’re waiting for?”

Zimmer’s expression was puzzled as she asked. Heidi’s attitude so far had been quite distant from waiting.

It was always Dion Cedrick who contacted first, and even that didn’t continue for long. Heidi would cut off conversations abruptly from her end.

Heidi replied with a constant smile.

“It’s fun.”

Whether Cedrick’s reactions were fun, or the situation of teasing him was fun. Either way, it was certain that he was a great source of amusement for Heidi, who was the Regent of Ravendeim and the Emperor’s younger sister.

While Zimmer thought of the pitiful aide, the outside became bustling. It seemed the Captain of the Guards had arrived.

“I shall enter, Your Highness.”

Whether it was urgent news, he reported immediately after a brief greeting.

“Movement of wildcats has been detected along the lower Euphras River. Given the considerable scale, there’s a strong possibility that Beelzebuth are mixed in.”

An anxious light appeared on Zimmer’s face as she stood politely. She moved toward the communication device and asked.

“Shall I contact him?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Heidi answered almost cutting off her words. Heidi also showed some signs of tension. However, she wasn’t afraid.

“If I can’t handle even this much, it would damage my dignity. I’d be embarrassed to face that person.”

“But…!”

“It’s a well-deserved vacation. I’m not such a heartless ruler as to interrupt it here.”

Heidi looked around at various other magical devices, lowering the tension that had invaded the room.

“Besides, things are probably still pressing on his end too. It seems Chetscher is just starting to wag his tail.”

A dagger magical device that charged mana to deliver greater power briefly glowed in her hands. Heidi put down the dagger and lightly tapped the table, meaning to clear everything away.

“The Instantia reconnaissance unit also discovered several nests on their way north. Make contact to assess the scale. Since we need to check supply routes, bring maps of the Euphras region and sea charts leading to Instantia too.”

“I receive your command, Your Highness.”

The Captain of the Guards bowed deeply and left the office. Heidi, gripping the edges of the table with both hands, lifted the corners of her mouth.

“While big brother is busy hunting tails, let’s prepare to strike the head.”

****

“Are the preparations going well?”

Gelda asked casually while chewing on jerky. Helena silently nodded her head. Then Gelda offered her a long strip of jerky and said.

“Sorry for deploying you right after the festival ends. Still, it’s better to strike once before the snow piles up, for later’s sake too.”

Helena shook her head, refusing the jerky, and replied.

“I’ve rested enough, so now I should work. My body is getting restless too.”

The day of subjugation was just around the corner. Deep winter was also approaching, so they needed to reduce the population as much as possible before the ground froze.

Helena had stopped by Gelda’s office for a final check. But there was something clearly different from before.

Helena’s gaze carefully swept over Gelda’s desk. The jade-colored ashtray that had always occupied a corner was nowhere to be seen.

Come to think of it, she recalled Gelda’s strange behavior she had witnessed over the past week or so. Gelda would habitually reach for a cigarette, then stop as if something were pulling her hand back in front of her mouth.

Then she would grumble and put it back, or there would be many cigarettes, not even half-smoked, discarded on the street.

Even this space now had a considerably fainter smell of smoke. If there was someone who could live without salt but not without cigarettes, Helena had thought it would be Gelda. She couldn’t help but be inwardly surprised.

“You haven’t been smoking lately.”

Gelda, who had been bringing the jerky Helena refused to her own mouth, hesitated. She pulled the stiffly dried piece of meat this way and that until it became pliable, then answered.

“Just, well. Got to live long.”