Anyone could see the depth of Dietrian’s emotions for her. His gaze, filled with love as he watched her sleep, was unmistakable.
And those feelings were surely deeper than even Enoch could imagine. Given such profound affection, it seemed right to assume that these feelings had started even before their wedding. This realization brought to mind:
‘The day before their wedding, His Majesty was so distracted…’
It wasn’t because he was reluctant to marry the saint’s daughter, but rather because he was overjoyed and excited about marrying the woman he held dear.
Enoch, struck by this significant realization, mentally exclaimed in triumph:
‘This is a miracle!’
His lord had fallen in love and immediately married her – it was as if it was a miracle bestowed by a dragon.
Enoch wanted to shower his lord with flowers to celebrate this fortune but didn’t dare disturb the beautiful scene before him.
He quickly decided to leave the tent quietly. Enoch tiptoed out, making no sound.
After a while, the surroundings fell into complete silence.
Inside the tent, only the crackling sound of the fire could be heard.
Unaware that Enoch had left, Dietrian continued to gaze at Leticia before finally releasing her hand.
He wanted to stay by her side until she woke up, but there was something he needed to do.
‘Everyone has learned that Her Highness is the saint’s daughter. At first, opinions were divided…’
Yulken’s words, which Dietrian initially dismissed in shock over Leticia’s private meeting with the wing, resonated with him now.
Everyone knew her identity, and some still doubted her goodwill.
The only one who could resolve this issue was Dietrian.
‘I need to change everyone’s minds before she wakes up.’
He was determined to convince the entire delegation.
As he had promised her, he would ensure that everyone cherished her.
He couldn’t allow her to feel hated or shunned any longer.
“Leticia, I’ll be back soon.”
He gently caressed her cheek one last time before rising to leave.
Just then, a faint light leaked from beneath her sleeve, undulating slowly over her hand like a living thing.
‘What is this?’
Puzzled, Dietrian carefully rolled up her sleeve, revealing the source of the light. His eyes widened in astonishment.
“Why is this bracelet…?”
The black jeweled bracelet that had helped him recognize her. The light was emanating from that very bracelet.
‘This isn’t an ordinary piece of jewelry, is it?’
Ordinary jewelry wouldn’t suddenly emit light.
‘Could this be the relic Yulken mentioned?’
The same relic that was said to have caused her injury.
‘There doesn’t seem to be any sharp edges, though.’
Inspecting it closely, Dietrian noticed a distinct change from when he last saw it. The jewel, which had been partially cracked, was now whole.
The stone, embedded with golden light, was incredibly luminous and beautiful. Far from being cracked, it gleamed with a polish.
Perhaps that’s why it seemed to captivate his gaze, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
His heart raced as if he were facing a priceless artifact.
Mesmerized by its light, Dietrian unknowingly touched the gem.
At that instant, as a warm sensation spread through his fingertips, the light from the bracelet briefly intensified before fading away.
“What was that just now?”
Blinking in bewilderment, Dietrian’s eyes suddenly widened.
Before him lay an object all too familiar.
A plain black wooden box with no markings.
It was the remains of Julios.
* * *
Throughout this time, Dietrian had been curious about the whereabouts of the remains.
On their wedding night, he inadvertently realized Leticia didn’t have the remains while tidying her clothes. But he hadn’t been overly worried. The remains were something he couldn’t have retrieved without her.
He didn’t regret leaving the remains in her room. At that time, it seemed the best decision. Taking it out himself would have been risky, as there was nowhere safe to hide them, and it could have led to a disastrous search by the imperial forces.
He decided to wait, inexplicably trusting that Leticia would handle it well. There were moments when he felt a strong conviction, almost like foreseeing the future, and he naturally felt reassured.
“The relic hid my brother’s remains.”
His intuition was correct.
With slightly trembling hands, Dietrian lifted the remains of Julios. The familiar texture of the black lacquered, rough wooden box felt bittersweet.
Now that the chaos of two days ago had subsided, he could finally appreciate the details he had missed. His brother, whom he always looked up to, had returned in such a small form. It was heartbreaking yet a relief.
Looking down at the engraved name, his heart swelled with emotion.
“Now you can go home, brother.”
The situation was different from when he first saw the remains. Having safely escaped the empire, he could easily hide the remains in the desert if he chose to. But there was no need to go that far.
‘Because they can be kept in her bracelet.’
So, at last, he had truly reclaimed his brother.
‘Mother will be overjoyed.’
It wasn’t just about his brother’s return. His mother would also find great joy in it.
‘I must tell her.’
Although rare, there were times when Mano’s condition improved.
During those moments of clarity, Mano not only recognized people around him but could also communicate normally.
Dietrian resolved to share this news with Mano during such times.
His mother would surely come to cherish Leticia, the benefactor who had helped retrieve her son’s remains.
He also hoped Mano’s love would bring comfort to Leticia, who had suffered so much at the hands of her mother.
“Thank you, Leticia.”
It was a remarkable thing.
He had thought his love for her couldn’t grow deeper, but he was wrong.
His affection for her swelled with each passing moment, like a balloon continually inflating. He felt an imminent limit approaching.
‘Sooner or later, I won’t be able to keep these feelings to myself.’
One day, he would have to express his love to her.
‘What if I confess my feelings? How would she respond?’
Would she accept his heart?
Or…
Pushing these questions aside, Dietrian carefully carried the remains outside.
He had to show everyone.
What his wife had done, what kind of life she had lived.
Gathering the entire delegation, Dietrian began to speak.
“I have something to say about her to all of you.”
He calmly recounted everything he had seen and experienced.
He described how she had been found bloodied and unconscious at their first meeting. The dilapidated, unguarded south palace where she had been living.
“How could such things happen…”
As he continued, the delegation was engulfed in shock.
The shock was greater for those who had initially doubted Leticia. Despite having heard it once from Yulken, hearing it directly from Dietrian felt entirely different.
The detailed description of the situation, unknown to Yulken, added credibility to his words.
“Unbelievable…”
Someone, forgetting Dietrian was present, let out a curse in astonishment.
The cruelty of Josephina’s actions towards Leticia was beyond horrifying. Everyone knew she was despicable, but they hadn’t realized the extent of her depravity.
To mistreat her own daughter to such a degree. Why, why would she do that?
Josephina’s actions were arguably worse than murder. While death brings an end, her actions prolonged Leticia’s suffering, turning her entire life into a living hell.
“These are the remains of my older brother that she stole.”
Finally, after explaining everything, Dietrian presented Julios’ remains.
As he revealed Julios’ remains, a heavy silence descended upon the delegation.
Some present had received their knighthood from Julios and were visibly moved, seeing their first liege in such a state. The last bit of doubt vanished completely.
“Her Highness truly risked everything to retrieve Lord Julios’ remains.”
“She has been striving for our Principality all these years because of a promise made seven years ago.”
The delegation had no choice but to accept the truth.
Their new queen’s character and the extent of her sacrifices to help them became undeniable.
Tearful, Enoch blurted out, “I told you so many times! I heard Her Highness’ words clearly! She promised to protect us all! Why didn’t you believe me? Why did you doubt first?”
Banessa nodded vigorously, vindicated. His expression was grim, grinding his teeth several times as he listened to Dietrian’s explanation.
Martin looked lost, “What should we do now…”
Feeling guilt for doubting and even blaming Leticia, the remorse was profound.
“We must apologize to Her Highness as soon as she wakes up.”
Regret, anger towards Josephina, and sympathy for Leticia mixed on his face.
Others who had doubted her shared similar expressions, overwhelmed with remorse.
“At first, I couldn’t believe it. I thought, how could Josephina go to such lengths? She’s still her mother, after all. There’s a saying that even demons love their own.”
“Then, it must have been Josephina who killed our boys a year ago. Her Highness was blamed for all those crimes.”
“The false accusations against Her Highness weren’t limited to that. The rumors about her refusing the wedding, or trying to poison Enoch, were all part of the sins Josephina pinned on her.”
“Ah! Now I understand why Josephina did all this. To make us hate Her Highness.”
The unveiling of the buried truth brought a newfound understanding of Josephina’s motives.
Josephina had orchestrated all these events to make Leticia’s life a living hell.
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