Chapter 360: Ten Years
For a moment, overwhelmed by the force of Felisiana’s words, the king was at a loss.
But before long, he opened his mouth.
“F-foolish…! I already knew as much from the fact that you came to me saying you wanted to be engaged to that count’s son, but to think you’ve been so thoroughly bewitched by him…! I said the same to Elizalina, but such things are nothing more than fleeting emotions!”
“…Fleeting emotions?”
“That’s right! Because of a fleeting emotion, you’re about to commit a foolish act that could affect your entire future, your duties as royalty, and even this country itself! Is that really—”
“Ten years.”
“…?”
The sudden mention of a span of about ten years.
What exactly it represented.
Unable to understand, the king faltered, and Felisiana continued.
“It’s been about ten years since I first began to feel this way about him… would you still call that a fleeting emotion, Father?”
“…!”
No matter how one tried to frame it as nothing more than a fleeting emotion,
It was impossible in the face of such an overwhelming span of time, spoken alongside her drawn sword.
And as the king met Felisiana’s hollow eyes once more, this time he truly fell silent.
“…”
After a brief exchange,
Felisiana sheathed the sword she had impulsively pressed to his throat, then turned her gaze away from the king, who could no longer speak.
“There’s no point in staying here any longer… let’s go, Violet.”
“Understood, Ojou-sama.”
“W-wait!!”
Though he had no words to follow, the king called out as the two turned their backs and moved to leave the throne room.
At that, Felisiana stopped for a moment and, with those hollow eyes, looked straight at him.
“This is a warning… stop trying to interfere with us… otherwise, you’ll come to regret it far more than the humiliation you’re feeling now.”
“Ghh…!”
Leaving those words behind, Felisiana and Violet began walking again.
“Wait…”
Just as the king tried to call out once more,
The moment they exited the throne room, the doors shut.
And so, his second attempt to stop them never reached their ears.
Then, as they walked through the corridors of the royal castle,
“What do you think His Majesty will do from here?”
When Violet asked, Felisiana, whose eyes had returned to normal at some point, replied.
“That conversation just now will undoubtedly be the one that shook Father more than anything we’ve said to him over these past few years… but he’ll probably try to reclaim the humiliation I gave him.”
“If that truly happens…”
“Yes… if it does, then this country will begin to move in a major way… and the era itself will change drastically.”
After a brief pause, Violet spoke.
“…After hearing your exchange with His Majesty just now, I feel even more strongly that it was a good thing you were able to meet Rodwell-sama.”
“That’s true… if I had never met Lux-kun, I might really have become someone who shouldn’t be allowed to stand by his side.”
But then she continued,
With a gentle expression, Felisiana pictured Lux in her mind.
“But I was able to meet him… kinder than anyone, more hardworking than anyone, the only boy I’ve ever wanted to love.”
“…Yes.”
At those words, Violet gave a small nod, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
And as the two shared a quiet yet unmistakable warmth, a strange but gentle feeling,
They left the royal castle and returned to the House of Count Rodwell.