Chapter 210
Freesia rested her aching head against Izar’s shoulder.
An awkward silence hung between them.
For a while, it was usually Izar who broke the silence between them, but this time, it was Freesia who spoke first.
“…About the baby’s name.”
“Hmm?”
“If it’s a boy, you can choose the name.”
Freesia looked up at Izar and whispered. She could see the shadows lift from his golden eyes, which seemed to shine for the first time in ages.
“You don’t mind not choosing the name yourself?”
“No.”
That day long ago, when she had mustered the courage to hold him back as he was about to leave for a monster hunt. She had asked him to name their first child, but in the end, neither of them could decide, and the child returned to the arms of the gods.
Their first child.
The first son who would never return to this world…
Izar’s right hand cupped her cheek, but Freesia didn’t resist. She closed her eyes and whispered softly,
“But if it’s a girl, I’ll name her Nova.”
Just as he had once rescued her from the lake and brought light to her dark life… she wanted to give the baby a name that meant ‘new star’.
Even if this story ended in resentment and hatred, Izar would remain her eternal star.
***
The messenger from the imperial palace hurried to prepare for his return.
He had delivered his message to Duke Arcturus, and now, with news to report back to the palace, he had a long journey ahead.
Before departing, however, he knelt before Freesia to bid her farewell.
“I was told Your Highness has a letter to send to His Highness, the Imperial Prince?”
“That’s correct. Along with a piece the painter has completed.”
Freesia handed him a sealed scroll tied with a red ribbon and secured with wax. While preparing the portrait to hang in the duke’s hall, the painter had also skillfully created a small sketch of Freesia’s face.
The messenger hesitated for a moment, his eyes silently asking, ‘And what about one for His Majesty the Emperor?’ But Freesia feigned ignorance and maintained her indifferent demeanor.
“This is for His Highness the Imperial Prince… my cousin.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After some hesitation, Freesia had finally written a letter to her cousin for the first time.
The Emperor would never give her a shred of affection until the day he died. He had used his granddaughter as a tool for his frustrations, and Freesia had no qualms about using his prestige in return.
But her cousin…
‘How should I have treated him before we parted?’
Riegel had written to her before, but Freesia had only ever reluctantly replied once or twice.
At first, she thought she kept her distance out of feelings of inferiority because he was the chosen one. But now, after much thought, she believed she understood her emotions.
Amid her manipulated memories and Izar’s deceptions, she had been afraid to trust her cousin’s kindness as genuine.
〈And surely, your happiness is the most important part of that, little sister.〉
〈So if you ever face difficulties, let me know. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.〉
…Who knows? Perhaps this so-called ‘special person’ that God had sought to save would actually keep his word.
‘There’s nothing to lose, anyway.’
After the messenger departed, Freesia opened the drawer where she kept some hidden documents.
Among them was the sketch she should have sent earlier with the messenger, but she didn’t bother to call him back.
Instead, she tossed the sketch into the warm flames of the fireplace like trash, then turned to face a visibly tense maid in the corner of the room.
“Thea.”
“Y-Yes, Madam!”
“Do you remember what I told you before? About giving you a gift in about nine months.”
“Uh… uh…?”
Thea stammered at the unexpected question but soon remembered. That time, even when the Elder Madam had threatened her, the lady had told her to tell her everything without hesitation.
〈With that much money, you could start anew. Enough that you wouldn’t have to work as a maid anymore.〉
Freesia gave a faint, bitter smile as she saw the spark of hope in Thea’s eyes.
Thinking of Izar made her heart ache. The resentment and hatred lingered, but they were no longer the only emotions that pained her.
She no longer wanted to lie to herself by pretending to hate this baby.
In truth, she couldn’t bring herself to neglect the child to the point of its demise.
“It’s time to give you the reward I promised. Once you complete this final errand.”
But the planned farewell would proceed as scheduled.
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