When the Ruford Empire was completely stabilized, the soldiers who made great contributions in the battle against Paveluc were rewarded handsomely. The list of awards had already been confirmed, but it was only recently that all payments were completed.
Firstly were Alphord, Derek and the elite soldiers who infiltrated Lunen to save Elena, and they all received an increase in position and salary. In addition, all those who died during the war were buried in the Ruford Empire’s Patriot Cemetery in honor of their deaths.
Zenard solidified his position as Carlisle’s right-hand man, however, it was Kuhn that had the most dramatic rise in status. He served well as Carlisle’s subordinate, but he was always looked down on by the fact that he was a humble slave and assassin. Carlisle formally bestowed upon Kuhn the title of baron along with a few territories, freeing him from the stigma. Although the title Kuhn owned was relatively low, the land he owned was equal to that of any other territory, and it was likely that his rank would continue to go up. The nobles would react if Carlisle rewarded Kuhn too high of a title at once, so the Emperor remained prescient. Kuhn, who had always been hidden in the shadows, had now proudly established himself as a nobleman.
Finally, Carlisle confirmed that all compensation was completed.
“I took care of it according to your will. Do you approve?”
Elena, who was sitting beside him, smiled and nodded.
“Yes, I’m very pleased.”
“I’m glad. I was a little surprised that you wanted to give Kuhn a title.”
Carlisle would have considered it even if Elena didn’t ask about it, but he never expected her to bring it up in the first place. Elena looked at the report confirming that Kuhn was made baron, and replied in a quiet voice.
“…I didn’t want to interfere between the two if possible, but I wanted to relieve their burdens.”
Elena did not know everything that happened between Kuhn and Mirabelle. While Mirabelle still seemed to like Kuhn, neither of which seemed to be willing to make a move. That was why Elena wanted to break down the barriers between the two. If they wanted to be with each other, they could approach each other with a lighter heart. Of course, it was up to them to decide what kind of ending they would have.
Carlisle looked at Elena questioningly.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s someone else’s love story. Do you want to know what it’s about?”
Carlisle answered with a single shake of the head.
“No. I’m already busy with my love life.”
At the same time, Carlisle reached out from his seat and pulled Elena towards him. It was hard to believe that she had recently given birth to a child, given the slimness of her waist. She smiled, knowing that she couldn’t stop Carlisle.
“You haven’t even finished your work yet.”
“I don’t have anything urgent left to do. And with Crow, we don’t even have enough time to be alone anymore. We should enjoy our time together like this.”
Elena insisted on caring for Crow for herself and never intended to leave him entirely in the hands of anyone else, so she didn’t see Carlisle as often as she liked. She embraced her husband’s shoulder with a small smile, understanding that their time together had been dwindling recently. He was the man who made her realize that she was loved at any unexpected moment. Now that she was by his side…she was so happy.
The couple luxuriated in each other’s quiet presence, when they were interrupted by a child’s cries and the sound of urgent footsteps.
“Waaaah!”
It did not go unnoticed to Carlisle’s and Elena’s sensitive ears. Carlisle let Elena go, and Mary’s voice rang from outside the office door.
“Your Majesty, the Prince is looking for you—”
Before she could finish, Elena quickly opened the door and went outside. This wasn’t the first time Crow cried for his mother’s presence. She held the crying child in her arms and spoke in a friendly voice.
“Why are you crying, Crow?”
“Waah, uh, uh.”
Crow stared up at Elena’s face with tear-filled eyes, then soon gave a wet smile. His red and blue eyes shone mysteriously. Mary bowed her head in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t interrupt your break.”
“Not at all. I told you to bring Crow anytime he wants me. I’ll put him to bed now, so you can return to work.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Mary bowed back out of the office. Carlisle came up from behind her and took Crow from her arms.
“You’re still a little one, and you’re already causing trouble.”
“He can’t help it. He’s still a little child.”
Carlisle held Crow up in the air.
“That’s why I tolerate you. When you’re a little bigger, it’ll be foul to hog your mother like this.”
Crow waved his arms happily at him..
“Papa, Papa—”
It was as if he recognized Carlisle as his father, and Carlisle’s eyes brightened as he looked at his child. Elena smiled, seeing father and son with the same look on their faces. It was now a familiar scene of their family.
***
One night.
Carlisle had told Elena to meet outside the Imperial Palace, and the appointment time was quite late. Elena was puzzled by the request, but she put Crow to bed, then headed out of the Imperial Palace with her guards.
When she arrived at the meeting place the servant told her, she found Carlisle waiting for her. His figure, astride on a horse and glowing in the faint moonlight, was as majestic as ever. Elena approached with a glimmer of a smile.
“Why did you ask to meet at this late hour?”
Carlisle cast Elena a warm glance, and spoke in a soft voice that he reserved for only her.
“Meet? I’ve been wanting to get some fresh air with you for a long time. You’ve been taking care of Crow lately, and hadn’t the chance to leave the palace lately.”
Carlisle made a gesture, and a servant nearby pulled an immaculate white horse towards Elena. It was a magnificent creature.
“You used to love riding horses. Shall we go together?”
“Of course.”
Elena’s mood lit up at Carlisle’s suggestion. As he said, most of her time had been occupied caring for Crow, and it would be great to feel the wind again. She mounted her horse, and Carlisle pointed to a direction.
“Let’s go this way. Wouldn’t it be fun to just run, and see who is faster?”
“Well, no matter how good you are, you can’t beat me.”
She added a confident grin to her reply.
“Well, it won’t be easy for you to beat me, either.”
“There should be some reward for winning. What should it be?”
“Whatever it is you wish, tell me.”
“Very well. Let’s agree to the condition of the winner.”
They exchanged playful glances with each other. Carlisle spoke first.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes!”
At a mutual signal, both Elena and Carlisle snapped their reins, and their horses shot forward at incredible speed.
Tatatatatag!
Elena smiled as a cool breeze whipped around her body. It was indescribably refreshing. This wasn’t the first time she rode a horse alongside Carlisle, but it was always a thrill to experience. Suddenly, a scene unfolded before her eyes.
“This is…”
From a certain point onward, thousands of candles lit up like red carpet along the path where they were running. It was a breathtaking sight. As a result, Elena naturally slowed down.
“What is this, Caril?”
Carlisle, who was galloping next to her, gradually stopped as well.
“How about a short walk?”
“Oh, yes.”
Elena nodded with a slightly curious look. Little did she imagine Carlisle prepared for such an event.
As Elena hurriedly got off her horse, she could see a beautiful lake situated next to an endless flower garden. It was a gorgeous location. As she looked around, she suddenly remembered something.
— I went to the place I promised to meet with His Highness, and it was all decorated with candles.
That was what Elena had said once before.
— It was a very beautiful place with a lake on one side and a garden on the other.
She soon remembered where she had said this. When Harry had asked if she had been proposed to at the wedding reception, she had quickly made up this story. Her eyes widened when she realized this was the same place she had fabricated.
Carlisle smiled softly and pointed towards the night sky with his finger.
“The weather is clear tonight, so you can see the stars.”
That reminded her of her other lie.
— From there I walked with His Highness and saw the stars floating in the sky…and then he gave me a ring.
Of course, a proposal was not complete without a token of love.
— He told me I was the only one for him, and he proposed. It’s embarrassing to talk about this.
Her face heated up as she recalled those words. She couldn’t believe that Carlisle remembered a lie so old. Her voice trembled faintly as she spoke.
“How did…how did you remember?”
“I never forget anything you say, no matter how small.”
Carlisle pointed to the lake sparkling beneath the moonlight.
“It took a while to build this man-made lake. There was no place in the Ruford Empire that you described.”
Of course. This place was a lie that she had made up on the spot.
Carlisle, who was walking slowly, stopped completely and took a small ring box out of his arms. The box opened with a small click, and inside nestled a woman’s ring designed in the same style and shape Elena had given Carlisle a long time ago. Her face turned red, and Carlisle spoke in an earnest-roughened voice.
“Will you stay by my side forever, as I do now?”
Elena’s heart pounded wildly in her ears, but she replied as casually as possible.
“This is not a proposal. We are already married and have our child Crow.”
“This is more important—not because it’s a proposal of marriage, but a proposal to spend our lifetime together.”
Carlisle smiled and continued in a low voice.
“Marriage and Crow have nothing to do with winning your heart. That doesn’t make you love me.”
Love was not a requirement for marriage, and having children did not naturally lead to a loving husband. Even though Carlisle already married Elena and they had a child, he was still trying to win her love.
“Caril, you really…”
The sweetness of Carlisle’s words threatened to overwhelm her. Never had she heard anything so touching in her life. She was so grateful for his love that she could burst into tears. Carlisle stroked the area around her reddened eyes and smiled.
“Don’t cry. I wanted to see you happy.”
“But…I’m so happy, how could I not cry?”
“Still, I’d like you to smile if possible, because I like your smiling face the most in the world.”
“Eu, really…”
A sob unintentionally came from her mouth, but she soon spread her lips into a smile. Happiness filled her entire body. Carlisle slowly slid the ring on her finger and gently pressed a kiss against it. Elena, unable to hold back anymore, jumped forward to hug him.
“I will stay with you until my final breath. If there is another life after this one, then I will love you too.”
For Elena, it was her second life. But if she was given another life, she would still love Carlisle without hesitation. In response, Carlisle smiled blissfully in her arms. She wished this moment would last forever. But it was also good that it stopped. She never doubted that the days ahead would be happier for them. At the thought, Elena delicately wiped her moistened eyes.
“Oh, it turns out we don’t know who won the race.”
“I’ll accept whatever you want, so simply say it.”
“Tch, there’s no such thing.”
With a small smile, Elena let go of her arm holding Carlisle, and briefly took a look around their beautiful surroundings. Tiny candles lit their path endlessly towards their future.
They didn’t have to go back yet, and the night was still long. Elena smiled.
“Shall we resume the race?
Carlisle nodded and returned a small smile.
“As you wish.”
The two agreed with each other and climbed back onto their horses. Both Elena and Carlisle rushed forward at the same time. They smiled at each as their hearts fluttered freely in the breeze. Despite the thick darkness of the night, the road ahead of them was bright. Like the happy future of Elena and Carlisle.
