Chapter 136: Our Night
by rosalie“Saintess, thank you so much.”
“Is this a dream, or is it real that you’ve come here?”
“Thanks to the holy power storage device you gave us, we’ve been living well.”
“To think you would visit Moirai. We’ve been waiting and waiting for this day.”
The nobles of Moirai surrounded me, offering their greetings.
“Thank you for the warm welcome. I’ve always wanted to come to Moirai someday.”
Once the round of greetings from the nobles ended, I spotted a man watching me from a distance, and I was utterly shocked.
“Doctor?”
And there was Rosetta, chatting with Rexton.
“Even Rosetta?”
It seemed Rosetta and Daniel had ridden in the servants’ carriage.
‘I even left Maya behind on purpose to prepare for the Cursed Land.’
I recalled the conversation I had with the doctor before departing for Moirai.
“Doctor, thank you for everything.”
“D-Duchess.”
I extended my hand to Daniel. He hesitated, his eyes darting nervously behind his glasses.
“Hurry.”
“Ah, yes.”
His hand, which finally clasped mine, was cold and rough, likely from overworking himself on experiments.
This is how he’s lived his life.
“Thanks to your help, I’ve made it this far. I feel bad for leaving after making so much use of you, but I can’t keep you tied here forever.”
“I-I can stay if you need me.”
“Oh, come on. You’ve finished the research on the storage devices, and you’ve even created the treatment with the Lonicera. I’d feel too guilty to keep you here.”
“You paid me properly, so it’s f-fine. Ah! But I haven’t fixed the portal device yet. At least let me stay until I fix that!”
“Hmm? You said it would take a year to fix it.”
He had told me just recently that repairing the portal device would take a year.
“I-It’s too long, isn’t it? If you need it, I won’t even charge you for the labor.”
“Doctor, you’re quite the joker.”
“…….”
Daniel furrowed his brow, as if feeling wronged, but he didn’t say anything further. Instead, he rummaged through his bag and pulled something out.
“This is a holy power enhancer.”
“A booster?”
It was the very same item Daniel had crafted for Rosetta in the original story! The one that doubled her holy power.
Daniel’s eyes widened in surprise again, and his face flushed as he turned slightly and mumbled.
“This way, I-I won’t be able to forget.”
“Pardon?”
“You… you’re so s-smart.”
With his face reddened and filled with compliments, I didn’t know how to respond. It was quite awkward.
I handed him a large pouch of gold coins.
“Thank you for the booster. This is a token of my gratitude for everything.”
“…Ah. You didn’t have to give this to me now.”
“I feel like I won’t get the chance if I don’t give it to you now. You never know what might happen. I might go far away.”
“I see.”
Daniel accepted the pouch with both hands.
Seeing his face turn even redder, I turned away after taking a final glance at him. That’s when he called out to me.
“D-Duchess.”
“Yes?”
When I turned back, Daniel straightened his posture and stood tall.
“Are you going somewhere far?”
“Yes, most likely.”
“I understand.”
I thought that was the end of it, but…
Even among the servants, Daniel kept sneaking glances at me, his face turning red every time our eyes met.
‘Does he… like me? No way.’
I let out a small laugh and took a sip of champagne.
After the banquet, the peace agreement ceremony began immediately in the royal palace’s grand hall. Numerous ministers of Moirai attended, and crowds gathered in the square outside the palace. Everyone held their breath, waiting to celebrate this historic moment.
“Please, both of you, sign the agreement.”
At Pope Melvin’s words, Xavier and Lucas each signed the agreement. After exchanging their respective copies, they took turns reading the agreement aloud for the people.
Lucas began the recitation, and his voice alone was enough to stir everyone’s hearts.
“First, Moirai and Brillante shall be recognized as equals on the international stage.”
“Second, Brillante shall cease all interference in the holy power and magic stone mines and shall promptly establish laws regarding the residency of Moirai citizens within the Empire.”
Xavier’s powerful voice made my heart race. When the two leaders jointly declared the final statement, I felt a shiver run through my entire body.
“With this, the war between Moirai and Brillante is officially concluded. We hereby declare the establishment of this peace agreement in the spring of the 550th year of the Imperial Calendar and the 650th year of the Moirai Calendar.”
As the peace agreement was finalized, people couldn’t contain their joy and rushed out into the streets and squares.
That night, Moirai transformed into a festival. People danced around massive bonfires, drank, and laughed. Even in the square in front of the royal palace, adults and children alike celebrated freedom and peace under the king’s permission. The nobles, too, were swept up in the peaceful atmosphere and joined in the festivities instead of returning to their homes.
Like the other nobles, I stepped out onto the royal palace terrace and looked down at the scene below.
‘This is nice. Everyone’s so happy. Someday, I’ll be able to feel like this too, right?’
Traveling with Xavier, laughing together, eating delicious food, not thinking about anything—just like that.
At the entrance to the terrace, I saw Xavier standing with Lucas. He seemed to be introducing Daniel to Lucas.
‘So he brought him here to create a portal. I misunderstood.’
Xavier was smiling brightly, clearly in a good mood. Was he that happy because the agreement went well?
“Looks good, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, Your Holiness.”
Melvin approached me with his hands behind his back. Like me, he gazed fondly at the people dancing in the square.
“You’ve done well.”
“I didn’t do much. It was you and Xavier who made this happen.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Ha. You’re not one to feign modesty, are you?”
“Of course not. These days, it’s all about self-promotion.”
“Pardon?”
Hahaha. Melvin laughed so loudly that the terrace seemed to shake. I laughed along with him before calling out.
“Pope.”
“Yes, Your Eminence?”
“I’m going to the Cursed Land at dawn tomorrow. Will you come with me?”
“Why me?”
“Well, when it comes down to it, I don’t actually know where the Cursed Land is.”
“Hahahaha.”
Melvin laughed so hard he clutched his stomach, even wiping away a tear with his finger.
“You manage to make me laugh in such a serious situation.”
“Tch, what can I do if I don’t know?”
But then, his tone grew serious as he asked,
“Xavier will oppose it.”
“Yes, I’m sure he will.”
“Before you received the saintess’s oracle, the goddess showed me a vision.”
“A vision?”
“In the dark cursed land, Xavier was covered in blood, crying out in anguish. He wasn’t alone—Rosetta was with him.”
“What?”
Startled, I turned to look in Xavier’s direction.
“So don’t think about going alone.”
“Your Holiness! That makes it even worse. It means something terrible will happen to Xavier.”
“No. I believe those two need to go there together.”
“…What?”
I glanced around the terrace. In one corner, Rosetta stood with Ethan and Wilhelm. Just then, I saw Xavier leaving Lucas and Daniel behind and walking toward me.
“Your Eminence, I’ll see you at the gates tomorrow morning.”
Melvin stepped aside and left.
“Yuria.”
“Xavier, come here.”
“What were you talking about so passionately?”
He squinted at me as he asked.
“What do you think? We were talking about you.”
“Hmph.”
“And you? You looked so cheerful talking to Lucas earlier. What was that about?”
“Oh, the raccoon decided to hire the doctor. What a relief.”
“Really? That’s great news.”
“The doctor didn’t seem to mind either.”
Xavier let out a sigh of relief, looking quite satisfied.
“Xavier, shall we talk about us now?”
“Us?”
“Let’s head to our room to talk.”
I gently tugged at his sleeve. His teal eyes widened as he looked at me, and I smiled softly.
“Are you trying to seduce me right now?”
“Yes. I’ll come to your bedroom in a moment.”
Releasing his sleeve slowly, I met his gaze before walking past him and heading inside.
For the first time in a while, I drew my own bath and soaked in the water. I put on a silk nightgown I had brought from the ducal residence. In the mirror, I saw myself smoothing the soft fabric over my body.
“You look pretty. I hope Xavier thinks so too.”
My heart pounded beneath the thin fabric. I felt like I could finally confess to him tonight.
I had even had half a glass of champagne earlier, so I had nothing to fear now.
Or so I thought.
The moment I knocked on his door, it opened almost instantly.
“Come in.”
Standing at the entrance was Xavier, his damp hair falling over his forehead, wearing a slightly sheer nightshirt. Through the loose fabric, I could glimpse his well-toned chest muscles.
Gulp.
“Xavier, were you waiting too eagerly?”
“Isn’t this what you wanted when you seduced me?”
Well, yes, but you’re being a bit too intense.
But I didn’t dislike the passion in his teal eyes.
He was everything I had hoped for, everything I had wanted.
I pushed the door open and placed one hand on his chest, gently stroking the back of his neck. As he stepped back, he moved closer to the bed.
“Correct.”
The scent of roses and the faint smell of burning candles filled the air, creating an oddly stimulating atmosphere.
“You’ve prepared thoroughly, haven’t you, darling?”
“What’s this boldness of yours?”
“It’s about to get bolder.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body against his, gently pushing him onto the bed.
“Yuria?”
Seeing his surprised expression despite his usual confidence made me chuckle softly.
“What, are you nervous?”
I pressed myself even closer to him, the thin fabric of my nightgown rustling as our skin touched.
“No. I’m just worried you might regret this.”
He took my right hand and kissed it. The soft, warm sensation made me catch my breath.
“Regret? How could I? I love you.”
“What?”
He seemed even more surprised than I had anticipated.
Smiling with my eyes, I intertwined my fingers with his using my left hand.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
I could feel his heart pounding fiercely where our bodies touched.
“I love you, Xavier.”