The sleeping wife's lips twitched, letting out a word.
"Really… good…?"
Only a few syllables came out, but Cledwyn understood what Neris was trying to say.
Her face was definitely much calmer. He didn't like the fact that she was crying, but her pallor had faded a lot. Just like someone who was truly asleep.
He smiled and whispered in her ear, as if he were afraid someone might hear.
"Of course."
He had never loved anyone this much in his life. Even the word 'love' felt inadequate, so he just wanted to stare at her blankly.
It didn't take long to get out of the Imperial Palace. But they must have spent quite a while inside. It was dawn when he returned to the mansion.
Talprin, who was packing his things, ready to leave the mansion in a hurry, whether Cledwyn returned or not, was annoyed to see his master's safe face. But Cledwyn didn't have time to appease his temperamental subordinate.
He simply went back to his bedroom, took Neris in his arms, and called her name.
Neris, Neris, he said.
Seeing her motionless at first, regret welled up in his heart. It wasn't about trusting that suspicious pillar of light. It was supposed to help, but what was this?
He was about to make a rational decision, thinking it would be better to take her and go to the Papal States.
"Hmm…"
Neris's face gradually softened. It started when he called her name for the fifth time.
So he tried to wake her up. He missed her eyes terribly. Without those eyes, sparkling with life as they looked at him, there was no point in living in this world.
Her state, which had been either limp like a corpse or screaming, had become much closer to her usual sleeping state around that time.
So he whispered to her the things he usually said.
She didn't know this, but he usually woke up a little earlier than her in the morning. And while she was asleep, he would gently tuck the blanket back over her and whisper various things in her ear.
That he loved her. That he wanted her to believe it. That he wanted to keep having mornings like this.
But today, he added something else. He said that he liked it when she slept in, but now it was a little scary and lonely, so he wanted her to wake up.
He was fearless, even when facing death, but Neris's pale face was terrifying. The thought that she might not wake up again was scarier than the news that the sky and the earth had flipped.
It was around that time. She started crying. And she started muttering things like sleep-talking.
"Un… pleas… ant…"
Cledwyn couldn't help but stiffen at that. Luckily, she added something else.
"Not… un… pleas… ant…"
Yes, it was good that she didn't find his confession unpleasant. Cledwyn decided to think of it that way.
"Be… lieve… it…"
She said that too. Yes, she believed it. Cledwyn decided to think of it that way too.
She muttered a few more words, like someone on the border between dreams and reality. Cledwyn whispered more words to her. Then Neris cried more tears and said more words.
Finally, her eyes slowly opened.
The dawn sun, the color of her hair, poured in through the gap in the curtains. Neris opened her brilliant eyes and looked at Cledwyn.
Her eyes, which usually sparkled with hundreds, thousands of shimmering colors, gazed at him, wet with tears.
Oh, God.
He embraced Neris, calling out a name he had never used before.
Neris asked him blankly.
"Why are you… making that face?"
"Why, you sleepyhead."
The area around Cledwyn's eyes was wet with heat. Neris felt it and chuckled.
She hugged him back and asked softly.
"Do you know that?"
"Know what?"
"That I love you too."
Yes, there were no other words to say.
Cledwyn froze, as if he had just received a death threat. She stroked his solid back and laughed.
The morning sunlight was lovely. Especially the sunlight that poured over him. His breath, his movements, his scent were lovely.
A loveliness that wouldn't diminish even when he grew old and wrinkled.
She finally looked straight at the happiness she had thought wasn't hers.
****
The earthquake the previous night left fear in the hearts of at least half of the Imperial Capital's residents.
But despite the violent shaking, the actual damage to the nobles' mansions was not that great. The news that there were some cracks in the walls near the Imperial Palace Investigation Team was quickly forgotten, and the nobles soon became engrossed in other trivial matters.
"You're ready to leave?"
"Yes, Your Highness. But you've just woken up, so wouldn't it be better to observe your condition for a few more days?"
Neris shook her head at Talprin's question. She was slightly pale from being sick all day yesterday, but she looked elegant and upright as she ate dinner.
"No, my body is fine. I feel like I've had a good night's sleep. Besides, if we're not here, our dear Imperial Highness might misunderstand if she finds out that you've been in contact with the new Duke of Elandria and her brother's mistress, whom you've personally appointed."
"You mean you should make sure they don't get caught if they're in contact with each other? I understand. It's already being implemented."
"Excellent."
Keamil had lost many of her subordinates last night, and she had missed Cledwyn and Neris, whom she had risked so many lives to kill.
Keamil, who was already in a difficult position because she was excluded from state affairs and her subordinates were leaving, must be feeling humiliated right now. It must have been a blow that would keep her from moving for a while, even with the position of direct imperial family and the capable Silver Moon as her dark force.
Then, the Imperial Capital will be a sight to behold for a while.
If it had been the previous Neris, she might have felt a little bit of satisfaction thinking about Keamil's suffering. But now, she didn't wish for Keamil to be particularly miserable. In fact, she didn't really care if any of the people she had been entangled with in her previous life were miserable or not.
It didn't matter anymore.
Of course, they had tried to become obstacles for Neris in this life, just as they had in her previous life, as if they had a grudge against her. So she would eliminate the obstacles thoroughly.
'I don't want them to ruin my life.'
She wanted to forget everything they had made her believe about herself. Of course, it wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't happen overnight.
'Even if it's to avoid insulting the people by my side.'
It would definitely be possible, little by little.
Neris suddenly looked at the water in her clear glass and her reflection distorted in it. She thought it wasn't that bad.
Cledwyn, who was sitting right next to her, looking at her face, said, as if he were full even though he hadn't eaten a single bite,
"My wife is so smart."
"It feels strange to hear that from you."
What was he saying, someone who had taken over the North at a young age without even having to regress? Neris blushed and replied, embarrassed.
And as always when this kind of conversation came up, Cledwyn didn't blush at all, but retorted confidently.
"Why? If it weren't for you, who would have created this situation where the three most powerful people in the Imperial Capital are trying to backstab each other?"
Keamil would be quiet for a while to survive now that her sister was hostile towards her, but she would actually want to get rid of Megara as soon as possible if she had the chance. Because the reason her sister was hostile towards her was because of Megara.
And she had hastily made Nellusion a duke because she needed a useful pawn among the nobles, but Keamil would never truly trust Nellusion and give him power.
Megara had joined hands with Nellusion to overcome the limitations of her status. But she wouldn't want Nellusion to have more authority than her. So, she would use every trick in the book to secure her own position while pretending to persuade Abelus with Nellusion.
Nellusion was the same. He became a duke under a tacit alliance with Keamil, but he knew she would never be on his side. He would help Megara and receive help from her, but as soon as he saw an opportunity, he would take advantage of it and abandon her.
"It's gone well."
Neris said modestly.
"Making them all check each other and then taking them down one by one is good. You're expecting the final victor to be Nellusion Elandria because you've kept the previous Duke of Elandria alive?"
The man who was the Duke of Elandria, now the 'previous' Duke of Elandria, and Nellusion's father, was hiding in the countryside.
The Duke didn't know that the person who saved him was Neris's subordinate. And for now, he wanted to please his savior, so he obediently followed the instructions to stay hidden for a while.
"All three of them are smart and cunning, so I can't say for sure. It's more likely a countermeasure against the Imperial Family and the Elandria family."
The Imperial Family couldn't arbitrarily decide who would inherit the title of Grand Duke within a family. If the Duke decided to take action, it would be enough to become a weakness for the Imperial Family.
And since the original title holder was alive, trying to kill him and claiming the title inheritance was naturally a weakness for Nellusion.
"Don't you need the weakness of Abelus's mistress?"
"I don't need Megara, not when it's Nellusion or Keamil. She's not going to be the final victor."
Being the mistress of the Crown Prince as a Viscountess, someone who might become a Duchess someday, and being the mistress of the Crown Prince as someone who would never be able to set foot in society again if she was kicked out of the Imperial Palace, were different.
'There's no reason to sympathize.'
Neris, who was sparing her words, returned to the topic of the Duke.
"It won't be used anytime soon. If a viper doesn't want to be trampled to death, it will hide quietly until its fangs are sharpest."
There was really no reason for her to stay in the Imperial Capital anymore. Even Lady Mariah had offered to take over social affairs, seemingly quite shocked to see Neris collapse.
Good wine needs patience to mature, and it shouldn't be opened until it's ready.
"I'll give instructions to make sure the fight lasts a long time."
Talprin said proudly. Neris nodded in satisfaction.
As soon as Neris's right hand put down the knife, a glass was presented to her. It was a kindness that was truly unnecessary. She wasn't an invalid who couldn't move.
Neris, who disliked being bothered while eating, looked at Cledwyn's face, ready to scold him. When their eyes met, Cledwyn smiled brightly, as if he were happy just from that.
She couldn't get angry at that.
Neris, who ended up smiling, looked at him and thought about when she collapsed. She didn't remember it well, but according to Dora's testimony, who had held the awakened Neris and cried, many people had heard her rambling.
What Dora had recited in response to Neris's question about what she had heard could be explained away as seeing things.
'It's time to tell him.'
If she were to confide in someone about her past, it would be her husband first.
But now, as she was preparing to leave, it wasn't a good time to bring up a long and shocking story. She gave a clumsy smile and turned her attention to the food.
She would tell him everything when she got back. Every single thing.