—to come up with a reason to kill.

Natalie didn’t know how to reply, and her mouth refused to budge.

In response, Rufus casually asked her a question as if nothing happened.

“Have you studied the family tree of the Kratos Royal Family?”

She furrowed her eyebrows yet nodded anyway. Ever since discussion of her engagement with the Kratos Royal Family began, she’d studied anything she could get her hands on in the Rave Empire. 

“Wonderful, you’re eager to learn. The royal family and the aristocratic families connected to it form a relationship chart of very important figures in national politics. Then, who is the mother of Geraldo and Faelis?”

“…Queen Isabella. She hailed from a duke family. Wasn’t she your cousin and childhood friend?”

“I see that the spies of the Rave Empire are pretty competent with their duties.”

“After giving birth to Princess Faelis, she passed away because of poor postpartum weight gain. …Around the same time, your younger sister, Princess Laura, also died of illness…”

A long time ago, the king lost both his wife and sister around the same time. Like most of Kratos’ princesses, his younger sister, Princess Laura, was physically weak and didn’t have long to live. Nevertheless, one could only imagine the pain he endured when his wife and sister died in quick succession.

Natalie shifted her tone slightly.

“…It is late, but I’d like to express my condolences.”

“It’s all right. It was a long time ago. So, what do you think actually happened?”

“What… actually happened? No way, were they resurrected with magic?”

What is he getting at?

In order to regain control, she mixed up whatever came to her mind with sarcasm, and Rufus laughed.

“No, they definitely are no longer with us. There’s no doubt about it—especially in regard to my wife, because I did it with my own hands.”

She stood up and kicked the chair over, her expression twitching.

“…Don’t tell me, the king is legally obligated to kill his wife in Kratos?”

“Of course not. Aren’t you referring to your own emperor? The Dragon Emperor has taken advantage of the Dragon Empress, using her as a shield, leading to her untimely demise every, single, time. But I guess there are similarities. After all, in terms of love and reason, Kratos and Rave reflect each other like a mirror, enabling them to perceive one another.”

“Stop making it sound so complex. Does Prince Geraldo know about this?”

“Are you concerned about my son? I’m glad. Also, he knows. He saw it with his own eyes.”

Along with a smile, a deep shadow shrouded his gaze.

“Geraldo is trying not to be like me.”

“—! …Well, obviously!? What father would kill a mother in front of his child!”

“It couldn’t be helped. She attempted to slay Our Goddess.”

Slay the Goddess.

Natalie’s emotions immediately cooled down. It was just too inconceivable of a notion.

Apparently, her older brother kept the Dragon God close to him, and Jill claimed that she could see it too. The Dragon God existed, and the same went for the Goddess.

For someone—for a mere human to dare to kill such a supreme being…

“Isabella used to say it herself—that she was a strong woman. Guess I was fooled.”

“…Regardless of the reason, attempting to kill the Goddess is just—…”

“Did she even think for a second of what would befall this kingdom if the Goddess were killed?”

If the Dragon God were killed, the dragons would no longer heed the Rave Empire.

Rufus smiled bitterly at Natalie who was unable to make a single refute.

“If she was weak, then she should’ve said so. I didn’t believe in Isabella’s strength, and I managed just fine. I told Geraldo to do the same, but he refused. ‘It’s wrong,’ he said. That child still doesn’t understand that even though we are the guardians of the Goddess, we are only substitutes for the Dragon Emperor.”

“…I-I don’t understand your story at all because it’s too abstract, but please stop imposing the role of substitute or something like that on your son. Especially if you’re doing your best to prevent that from happening.”

“Even though I was simply stating a fact?”

“Even if it’s a fact, it’ll only limit your own possibilities. I’m saying this to you too.”

Rufus rolled his eyes, while Natalie glared back bitterly.

“Please stop saying that to yourself, lest it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. …Keep telling yourself that you can become anything you want to be. I’m sure you didn’t want to be a substitute either?”

Repeatedly confirming that you’ve become something you do not want to become, it’s just self-harm.

Moreover, if he were to put the same curse on his son, it’d only haunt him later.

“—Or would you feel relieved if your son went through the same thing as you? I don’t believe that’s the case.”

She had no idea what the whole story was about, but she knew one thing for certain.

He absolutely didn’t want his son, who had the same role as him, to suffer.

The King of Kratos. The hedonist Southern King. The substitute for the Dragon emperor. The Guardian of the Goddess. Despite wearing various titles, he hadn’t yet abandoned his title of father.

She looked down at the floor. She felt so incredibly angry, she was about to cry.

“…You’re just like Uncle Georg. You’re sacrificing yourself in order to protect something.”

“—Ah, that fake emperor who was slaughtered by the Dragon Emperor?”

A surprisingly tender voice entered her ears, and she couldn’t help but look up.

“He must’ve been happy.”

Engulfed in darkness, Rufus’ expression couldn’t be seen, and yet she could tell that he was smiling.

“He must’ve entrusted it to the Dragon Emperor and passed away. For reason to direct his mistakes. I’m sure that’s what he wanted. The Dragon Emperor has that kind of strength. Even though he doesn’t understand a single thing about love, he still managed to resolve everything… Oh, I see. I guess I live in an era in which a true Dragon Emperor exists. …How I despise it—I refuse to admit it.”

I still have no idea what it is he is going on about.

Nevertheless, the envy that seeped through his voice gave her a sense of foreboding.

“Hey, what are you—”

However, that question was drowned out by the sound of an explosion and an earthquake. A book fell with a thud from the bookshelf behind Natalie while she was staggering. Natalie shrieked and crouched down while holding her head.

Somehow, not a single book hit her. She was enveloped in something soft. Something golden and magical. She looked up at the king in surprise, but Rufus didn’t bat an eye.

“Was that the Sacred Relic of the Dragon Princess? I failed to acquire the Dragon Princess, it seems. True to your words, a substitute can’t beat the real thing. Even more so considering that my son is a substitute apprentice.”

He seemed sad. Rufus looked down at Natalie, whose hands were still against on the floor—

—and smiled.

“Why don’t we make a bet? Let’s see if I can kill you.”

Her eyes widened.

Paying no heed to the intermittent shaking and explosions, Rufus walked to the sofa next to the window. Then, he slid his arms into the sleeves of his discarded coat and grabbed the spear propped against the sofa.

“A shame. I had wanted to show my respect to you by using the Holy Spear of the Goddess, or at least the Sword of Protection.”

The spun tip of the spear vividly reflected the light from the window. Natalie reflexively closed her eyes due to the intense light.

—The next time she opened her eyes, Rufus was right in front of her, standing in the middle of the darkness.

“I should’ve done this from the beginning. If the Dragon Emperor had proceeded with the right plan, you wouldn’t have had to die. I over thought this too much. I’m unable to laugh at Geraldo anymore.”

“…Didn’t you intend to have Prince Geraldo kill me?”

The times on the clock, still lying on the floor, indicated that the appointed time was still a few minutes away.

“That’s right. However, I’ve been disrespectful to the younger sister of the Dragon Emperor, who has been striving to become the crown princess of Kratos, so let’s at least show some sincerity.”

With that said, Rufus picked up a book from those the scattered across the floor. It was bound with strings.

“For this to end up here, it must be the work of fate.”

“…What is that book?”

“It’s not a book, it’s my wife’s diary. It records her feelings from just before she decided to kill the Goddess to the year before her death. Although it was sealed with magic, it was nothing more than a simple little trick.”

Rufus gave the cover of the diary a loving caress, and the string glowed, unraveled, and disappeared.

“It’s been our secret code since we were children. If it were to fall into my hands, it’d be unraveled right away. …Or maybe, she thought I had forgotten.”

The diary floated up and settled on the writing desk, bound by a string once again. All that remained in Rufus’ hand was a folded piece of paper.

“My wife fell into despair because of this. It doesn’t really say much. It’s the authentic family tree of the Kratos Royal Family; from my grandfather to my father to me—from generation to generation.”

“…I’m guessing there was a break in lineage, like with the Rave Royal Family?”

“On the contrary, the Dragon God’s curse continues unabated on the Kratos Royal Family. The curse called reason.”

She’d never heard of such a thing, but Rufus didn’t allow any doubts to arise.

“Let’s make a bet. Will you die or live—live and become the next queen of Kratos, as you have decided to do?”

Rufus stepped into the light that came from the window and unfolded the paper.

“If you win, I’ll go and kill the Dragon Emperor for my son.”

Then, in front of Natalie, he released said paper.

---

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***T/N: Awwww daddy makin me beg

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