Several years ago, the Principality of Genos became an empire.
After the knight of the Principality, Banessa, became a duke of the Holy Empire, he received a new castle and had a political marriage with Dana.
The Holy Empire first proposed to Genos, suggesting to King Dietrian that he become emperor.
Dana, as a Wing, followed Leticia, and Banessa, who had become a duke of the empire, still served Dietrian as his master.
Even if only in name, a Principality no longer suited Genos.
Thus, Genos became a full-fledged new empire of the continent, and Dietrian ascended to the throne.
Therefore, Dietrian’s daughter, Lehira, also deserved to be called a princess.
“Did the princess hide away from the people’s eyes again today?”
For some reason, the people of Genos called Lehira, who should have been addressed as a princess, a duchess.
“I must speak to Lehira directly. Lead the way.”
Julios, who had been inspecting the newly opened hospital, urgently followed behind Behemoth.
The sight of the silver wolf dashing across the ground as if flying and Julios in his white tunic embroidered with golden thread was quite striking.
In the bright sunlight, the two looked as if they had leapt out of a fairytale, exuding an aura of mystery.
As always, the women who admired Julios let out a sigh without realizing it as they gazed at his back.
“Perhaps Lord Julios becomes more handsome with each passing year.”
“Indeed, that seems to be the case.”
Julios was already well over thirty years old, but his physical appearance said otherwise.
Due to the seven years that had vanished, he appeared to be of a similar age to his younger brother Dietrian.
No, in fact, his naturally youthful looks made people around him comment that he seemed to be growing even younger.
The Gilead blessed by the dragon and the ninth Wing of Prophecy chosen by the goddess.
These qualities alone already drew people’s attention, but combined with his innocent appearance and kind nature, it was no surprise that everyone was interested in Julios’s marriage prospects.
Then, one day, during the empire’s festival, a daring person asked Julios if there was anyone he held dear in his heart.
As always, Julios smiled and shook his head. But this time, the questioner was unusually persistent.
“Your Highness, do you not have the desire to start a family? You must have children. Without children, one cannot truly mature. Only when you have someone as precious as your own life do you truly become an adult.”
“Does it have to be a biological child?”
Julios responded with a gentle smile to the increasingly overstepping questioner, perhaps emboldened by drink.
“I already have those as dear to me as children. Watching them grow is more than enough for me.”
He was referring to Lehira and Abel.
Those were his two nieces.
In truth, Julios cherished the two children as if they were his own.
They were the two children who had saved his life, whom he had in turn saved and given names to—a new life that he had bestowed upon them.
‘What dream did Lehira have this time?’
Though he loved both of them dearly, lately, one child had been on his mind more than usual.
Lehira.
His niece, who had inherited the power of Gilead just like him.
‘Was it about the empire again?’
Lehira had been dreaming about the empire for a long time. Whenever she had one of those dreams, her mood would sink for the entire day, to the point that even her parents, Leticia and Dietrian, couldn’t do anything about it.
‘Maybe today I’ll get to hear more details.’
For some reason, Lehira never once shared her dreams with those around her. Julios, even though he was also a Gilead, was no exception.
‘It doesn’t seem like a bad dream, but…’
Having experienced the worst kinds of dreams himself, he couldn’t help but worry. At first, he was concerned that a great calamity might befall Genos.
But after using every possible method to gently coax her, he was relieved to find that no disaster would come to Genos. Nor was it a bad omen for the royal family.
‘What kind of dream is it, then?’
Lehira, who always kept her lips sealed like a clam, had once spoken about her dream for the first and last time.
“It’s a good dream. Everyone liked it. Uncle, you were smiling too! But I hated it!”
After saying that, she threw herself into Julios’s arms and cried her heart out. That day had been truly perplexing. If only he knew what the dream was about, he could have comforted her. He even resented himself for smiling in the dream.
“Red hair, I hate it! I absolutely hate it!”
Julios slightly furrowed his brow as he recalled another clue from that day.
‘Is it because of Banessa, after all?’
There was another clue about Lehira’s dream.
For some unknown reason, Lehira had hated Banessa since she was very young.
The truth came out a few years ago, when Banessa, after his political marriage, came to visit Genos to pay his respects.
“Princess! No, Your Highness the Crown Princess, heh heh. I’ve been dying to see you. Did you know? I’m going to be a father soon. Will it be a daughter or a son? I’d be happy with either! I really hope you’ll become friends with my child—aaack!”
The moment the young Lehira saw Banessa again after a long time, she glared daggers at him. Completely oblivious, Banessa, still grinning, found his hair suddenly grabbed and yanked hard by Lehira.
“Ugh! Your Highness the Crown Princess, why are you doing this?!”
“Go away! I hate you! I really hate you! And don’t call me Crown Princess!”
Then, she began to cry so loudly that the entire palace echoed with her wails. Naturally, everyone present was in shock. The most shocked of all was, of course, Banessa.
“Princess… no, Your Highness…?”
Just a few months earlier, the princess, who had been like an angel, now suddenly hated him. The sight of the little angel looking at him as if he were some disgusting insect made Banessa feel as if the sky was falling.
“Go away! I hate you!”
In the end, Banessa left the palace in a daze. While consoling the shocked Banessa, Julios learned two things.
“Your Highness. What… what should I do now? Sniff, sniff. Sister strongly insisted that I secure a marriage promise with His Highness Abel during this visit…”
First, that Dana, the Empress of the Empire, had harbored ambitions of forming a marriage alliance with Leticia’s family.
“And I really want to be a father to a daughter… But what if my daughter hates me as much as the princess does?”
Second, that Banessa had long dreamed of being a doting father to a daughter.
“Why does the princess hate me so much? Is it because I look too intimidating? Should I have my slanted eyes stitched to soften them?”
Much to Banessa’s dismay, Julios could not offer any explanation either. After much effort, he managed to calm the giant knight, who was on the verge of tears, and sent him back to the empire.
A few months later, news came that Dana had given birth to a daughter. Julios worried about Lehira for a while.
He was concerned that after Banessa’s departure, Lehira might return to her previous strange behavior.
But contrary to his fears, Lehira grew rapidly, day by day.
Though she was born from the same parents, her personality was the complete opposite of her brother Abel.
Unlike Abel, who enjoyed reading and was quiet, Lehira was incredibly lively.
If Abel was like the moon in the night sky, Lehira was like the sun. She had an exceptional ability to lift the mood around her.
In addition to that, she was incredibly stubborn.
Especially when it came to dreams.
And anything related to Banessa.
That stubbornness even extended to how she wanted to be addressed.
“I don’t want to be called a princess. I’d rather just be called by my name.”
No one could even begin to guess why. What was it about the title of princess that she disliked so much?
The silver wolf in front of Julios came to a halt before a bush. Julios cleared his mind of the distracting thoughts and carefully asked,
“Is she here?”
The wolf nodded and then stepped back. After making sure no one else was around, Julios carefully entered the bush. He hesitated for a moment.
“…Lehira.”
Inside the bush, Lehira was sitting curled up on a small, flat patch of grass.
Seeing the tiny child looking so dejected made Julios let out a soft sigh.
“Lehira. It’s me.”
“…Uncle?”
“Yes.”
Julios smiled gently and sat down beside his niece. Lehira slowly lifted her head. Her large eyes were already brimming with tears.
“Uncle!”
“Oh dear.”
Lehira sniffled as she burrowed into Julios’s embrace. Gently, Julios patted her small back.
“Did you dream about the empire again?”
Lehira nodded slightly. Although she was usually stubborn about her dreams, to the point that not even her parents could get her to talk, there was one person she would open up to a little.
Julios.
Ever since she found out that Julios shared the same Gilead blood, she had begun to rely on him.
Dietrian, also a Gilead, had once grumbled to Leticia, feeling hurt that Lehira seemed closer to Julios than to him.
“You won’t tell me what the dream was about yet, will you?”
Julios asked cautiously as he stroked her small black head. Lehira hesitated, then shook her head vigorously. Julios chuckled softly.
“It’s okay. You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”
“…Uncle.”
“Hmm?”
“Does the dream of a Gilead… have to come true?”
Her trembling voice was full of desperation. Julios looked down at her for a moment. Lately, Lehira had been asking this question more often.
The dreams of a Gilead.
Did they always have to come true?
“That depends on the choice of the Gilead, I suppose.”
In truth, his own dream had been the same. He had seen his own death in his dream. But if he had chosen to ignore it—
If he had sent Dietrian to Josephina’s summons, if he had ignored Leticia when she was injured in the empire…
If, on that fateful day when he left the empire, he had avoided provoking Josephina and simply returned to the Principality…
His dream wouldn’t have come true.
But he had made his choice.
He had turned the dream into reality.
“A Gilead isn’t just someone who foretells the future. They have the power to make those visions a reality….”
“Turning visions into reality…”
Lehira’s voice was downcast as she repeated his words.
Julios didn’t press her. He waited patiently for her next words. He felt her tiny hand clutch his cloak tightly, and instinctively, he knew that his niece had made an important decision.
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