Chapter 88
Depending on the enemy she should rightfully hate was far too sweet.
“I told you not to obsess over Aquafuran. You need to know who you are first.”
“But…”
“No buts. Whether you’re Aquafuran or not, it doesn’t matter. Even if you aren’t, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine.”
Siren quietly closed her mouth and mulled over Yasamin’s words.
Slowly, slowly.
As she chewed on the meaning of his words, she suddenly spoke.
“But we… don’t love each other.”
“So?”
“What if, someday, you come to love someone…? What happens then?”
This anxiety was something she couldn’t erase, no matter how hard she tried.
The thoughts swirling in her stomach had finally crawled up her throat and spilled out.
Yasamin looked at her as if she had said something absurd. That look alone brought her a sliver of relief—at least he didn’t seem ready to discard her just yet.
“I don’t understand emotions like love. That kind of thing is far too human.”
“Ah.”
“Besides… I can barely handle hatred as it is. I don’t think I’ll ever understand love. It won’t happen.”
His deep green eyes darkened.
Watching him, Siren felt a dull ache in her chest and tilted her head.
‘What is this? Why does my heart suddenly hurt?’
Was it Aquafuran that Yasamin hated?
That seemed likely, but asking wasn’t easy.
The fleeting expression on his face was just too heavy.
“Do you want to love?”
At his casual question, Siren quickly shook her head.
“I’m already more than grateful. Wanting anything beyond this would be greedy.”
“Why? It’s not wrong to want to love.”
“…Even if it’s not love with you?”
“……”
Yasamin fell silent, locking eyes with her.
For a long time. A very long time.
She didn’t know what he truly wanted to say.
“Let’s get up. We’ll be busy today.”
“All right.”
At last, he looked away—and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Come to think of it, they say living in the South is difficult, so how is it that this bedroom is filled with clothes and jewelry?
Siren, who had been sitting still as her lady-in-waiting, Larisa, adorned her, grew curious.
“Eltan. I heard you were the one who stocked my room with all these things.”
“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
“Where did you get all of them?”
She ended up accompanying Yasamin and Eltan to the conference room.
After finishing her preparations, she met Eltan in the hallway and asked what had been on her mind.
“Some are relics from ancient times… Some were looted. Some were taken through piracy, some acquired through bartering in foreign lands. Well, that’s how it is. We also purchased goods from various tribes and filled the room that way.”
It was obvious that Yasamin had given the order.
As Siren fiddled with the ruby earrings hanging from her ears, she realized how accustomed she had become to all of this.
“Welcome, Your Highness. And Your Grace.”
After completing the Diet ceremony, she was now officially addressed as ‘Your Grace.’ She had, in both name and reality, become the mistress of the South.
“Now, let’s begin discussing how we should divide Wilkeron.”
Eltan spread out a massive map, taking the lead in initiating the meeting.
“I believe the best way would be to split Wilkeron into four regions: east, west, north, and the central area leading into the desert. However… I would like to hear the opinions of the tribal leaders.”
There were only a few people present in the conference room.
On the side of the Kalik tribe, Bispar was there, along with individuals who appeared to be her family, as well as some rough-looking middle-aged men.
The Aquafuran tribe was composed mostly of women, and it seemed that the tribal leader was an elderly woman with snow-white hair.
Meanwhile, among the Nu tribe, the high priest Hies was present, along with other priests. The gender ratio among them appeared to be balanced.
“The central land leading into the desert will belong to the king, will it not? Including the capital where the royal palace is located.”
The one who spoke first was the leader of the Aquafuran tribe.
“The infected creatures have yet to be fully eradicated, and since His Majesty is the one ruling over the unified kingdom, it is only natural that this land should be his… But I wonder if we aren’t placing too much of a burden on him. Clearing out the infected in the desert will not be an easy task.”
“Isn’t it a little ridiculous to say that when I’m the only one capable of handling it?”
“Well, phrasing makes all the difference, does it not?”
The old woman spoke with a subtle yet smooth tone.
What was particularly notable was that, despite his grumbling, Yasamin’s response was rather mild.
“The Aquafuran tribe will remain in the South to serve the god who has returned. So it does not matter much which land we are given.”
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