Chapter 78

After seeing Tiara Roses and the others off, Ferres slowly stood up.

"Aquasteed, would you like to have a chat?"

"Ferres-sama...?"

It seemed they were moving from the living room, and Aquasteed thought that the desire to drink was just a pretext. However, Ferres casually peeked into the kitchen and returned with the wine and ham that Elliot had prepared.

---So, he really did want to drink.

Until recently, Ferres had been a ghost with unstable power. Indeed, the desire for alcohol and good food was understandable. Aquasteed nodded sincerely and followed Ferres.

"This country still has beautiful stars, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

The place Ferres moved to was the roof of the villa. Sitting on the gently sloping, reddish-brown roof, they carefully placed the plates to avoid falling. Aquasteed took the wine glass handed to him, and the two of them toasted to the night sky.

"---To your health. I never thought I'd be drinking with my own child like this."

"I never thought I'd be drinking with the first king either."

The night sky reflected in the glass of white wine. Staring at it, Aquasteed waited quietly for Ferres to start the conversation. Was it a request, a consultation, or perhaps an order?

What could he possibly want to talk about, after paying such a high price by dismissing Tiara Roses and Liliage?

Ferres must have sensed Aquasteed's tension. After finishing the wine in one gulp, Ferres laughed merrily.

"Don't be so on guard, Aquasteed. I'm not going to eat you or anything."

"..."

"Maybe it's just a casual chat?"

"Unlikely."

In response to Ferres's teasing, Aquasteed firmly denied the possibility.

"Really, if you're not a bit more charming, Tiara Roses might get tired of you."

"That's none of your business..."

"Haha, you're right. What I wanted to talk about is---your future."

Ferres's voice, which had been playful until now, became low and serious, resonating clearly in the clear night sky. Aquasteed was startled by his words and looked at Ferres with equally serious eyes. Their intersecting golden eyes were like stars.

---This doesn't sound like good news.

With that expectation, Aquasteed also finished his wine and listened to Ferres's words.

"It's time for the Star King to change."

"Change of the king?"

"Yes. ...The change of the king, between you and me."

Ferres's words felt as if they were seeping into his body with warmth. Although he had vaguely sensed it, he hadn't expected it to be stated so clearly and soon. Sweat appeared on Aquasteed's palm from the tension.

Seeing Aquasteed's reaction, Ferres reassured him.

"You can wield the power much better than I can."

"That's not true---"

"This enormous power, which I couldn't control, has become more familiar to humans over the long history of the Marine Forest. The blood in me is much thicker than what you have."

The royal blood had gradually thinned from the second-generation king, who was Ferres's biological child, and over 1,600 years had passed since the founding of the kingdom. Even if Aquasteed had inherited a lot of Ferres's blood, it wouldn't be uncontrollable.

"Ferres-sama, what will happen to me if I become the king?"

"---Straight to the point, aren't you?"

"Is it something I can run away from?"

Would he be removed from the concept of human and live forever? Or would he lose his human appearance like Liliage?

There were so many things he wanted to ask. Listening to Aquasteed, Ferres put his finger to his chin and pondered.

"To be honest, I don't know what will happen. ...But I predict that you and Tiara Roses will be able to control the power without any problems. However, you might lose your lifespan."

"Lose my lifespan..."

"Otherwise, the Star King would disappear."

If a new king appeared immediately, it would be fine, but Ferres said that was unlikely. Aquasteed had to agree; it had taken over 1,600 years for the second Aquasteed to appear in the Marine Forest.

---The Marine Forest, built together with the fairy kings.

The forest fairy king, the sea fairy king, the sky fairy king, and the Star King. These four had been protecting and supporting the Marine Forest since its founding. It couldn't be that the Star King would disappear during Aquasteed's reign. He wanted to continue supporting the fairy kings as a member of the royal family. However, there were concerns.

"I don't mind what happens to me. But if Tiara becomes unhappy---"

"Aquasteed."

As he was about to say more, Ferres's finger was thrust in front of Aquasteed's face. The finger then slid to his lips, and Aquasteed fell silent.

"You shouldn't say any more. You shouldn't negate her resolve. Tiara Roses is a strong person who has decided to be a member of the royal family."

"..."

Ferres was proud of Tiara Roses as a member of the royal family. At the same time, while he said it in a cool way, he thought that just as he needed Liliage, Aquasteed needed a woman by his side.

Aquasteed had never intended to deny Tiara Roses. Still, he wanted her to be happy, more than anyone else, as his beloved wife.

"I understand your feelings, Aquasteed. But your relationship with Tiara Roses isn't something that can be easily severed, right?"

"Of course."

Tiara Roses would support Aquasteed as the king and be by his side no matter what. It wasn't just a delusion; he truly believed it, and it was the reality.

Aquasteed took a deep breath to calm himself and looked at Ferres with a serious expression again.

"Surely, this isn't all you wanted to talk about?"

"Aquasteed, you're really too competent for your own good."

With a chuckle, Ferres started talking again.

◇ ◇ ◇

Tiara Roses and Philine helped Liliage to the bed. The room prepared for Ferres and Liliage was uniformly decorated in a gentle young green color. The walls were made of wood, and vases held flowers from spring and summer.

"She's sleeping soundly."

"Lady Liliage just started her journey, so she must be quite tired."

"I'll prepare a water pitcher."

"Yes, please. Philine, you should rest after that."

"Yes."

Leaving the rest to Philine, Tiara Roses left the room. As she walked down the corridor to return to her room, she noticed a cute plate decorated with pressed flowers. It read "Library," and she remembered that Olivia had recommended it to her.

"There must be valuable materials in there..."

Although she had intended to rest, she couldn't help but be curious and decided to take a quick look at the library.

The room was about ten tatami mats in size, not very large. However, there were bookshelves lined up, and one wall was entirely covered with bookshelves. There was a wooden desk and chair next to the only window, with a small lamp on it, suggesting that Olivia had read there.

"Wow, I can't decide which one to read."

Picking up a book near the entrance, it turned out to be a history book about Lapis Lazuli. There were similar books next to it, neatly organized by genre and country.

"I wonder what else is here?"

As she slowly looked through the bookshelves, she found a lineup that was truly worthy of Olivia. Books on "Fairies," "World Maps," "Royal History," and more. Drawn to the intriguing spines, she noticed a book with nothing written on the spine.

"What's this...?"

Curious, she picked it up, but the cover was also blank. Tilting her head, she flipped through the pages and saw beautifully handwritten text.

"Hmm, 'List of Marin Forest Stills, Suburban Flower Fields, Main Street, Rumored Café'---This is about the game!"

Reading further, she found profiles of characters to be conquered, their likes and dislikes, personalities, and statuses. Moreover, it was detailed enough to include impressions from when they met in real life, in addition to the game settings.

"This is a guidebook made by Lady Olivia! Amazing!!"

She never expected to see a handwritten guidebook.

"It's interesting. There's a lot about Marin Forest that I didn't know. 'Origin Square'? Oh, I remember, there was one in Lapis Lazuli too."

The Origin Square referred to the square with the logo of "Lapis Lazuli Ring" in the game. It was usually the meeting place for dates and the location of important events. She was moved to find that there was one in Marin Forest as well. Although it wasn't Olivia, Tiara Roses vowed to make time for a pilgrimage to the holy sites.

As she read on, she became more and more engrossed, and Tiara Roses continued reading the guidebook.

"---Huh!"

Before she knew it, it was morning.

Blinking a few times, she glanced at the window. The sun was rising, and she realized it was already morning. Although it was still early to get up, it was definitely morning. She had been so engrossed in the book that she had stayed up all night.

"Aquasteed-sama!?"

She couldn't tell him that she had stayed up all night reading a book while he was worried about her cold. In a panic, she headed back to her room and suddenly realized that no one had come to look for her.

Tilting her head, Tiara Roses headed to the bedroom assigned to her. Worried that Aquasteed might be standing there with a fierce expression, she cautiously opened the door. However, no one was there. Touching the bed, she found the sheets undisturbed and cold.

"Aquasteed-sama didn't return to the room all night?"

---Did something happen?

Or had he passed out drunk and slept in the living room? Tiara Roses hurried downstairs, but the living room was empty, with no glasses and neatly arranged.

"...Aquasteed-sama?"

Driven by anxiety, Tiara Roses searched the villa for Aquasteed. However, he wasn't in any of the rooms. The only places she hadn't checked were the rooms where someone might be resting, and she couldn't just go through those. The only other place to look was outside. Although she doubted it, he might be enjoying the beautiful sunrise. Thinking this, Tiara Roses went out to the garden from the entrance.

"Wow, it's beautiful..."

The trees, illuminated by the morning sun, sparkled, creating a breathtaking view. Lost in the scenery, she heard her name called.

"! Aquasteed-sama?"

Turning in the direction of the voice, she saw no one. Was it a hallucination? But then, a voice came from above.

"Over here."

"Good morning, Tiara. It seems I talked with Ferres-sama all night... I'm sorry."

Looking up, she saw Aquasteed and Ferres sitting side by side on the roof. Seeing their sheepish smiles, she understood they had talked all night and lost track of time. But what had they talked about all night?

Aquasteed and Ferres came down from the roof and approached Tiara Roses.

"Let's go back to the room."

"It's still a bit early to get up. I'll go back to Liliage."

"Yes. Um, Aquasteed-sama, what did you---"

"We talked a lot. By the way, Tiara, why are you still in yesterday's dress?"

"Huh? Ah... this is..."

As she tried to ask what they had talked about, Aquasteed checked her outfit, interrupting her. Having stayed up all night reading, she hadn't changed. Aquasteed's smile, though gentle, clearly hid his anger. Beside him, Ferres was laughing merrily.

"Tiara, you need to explain what you were doing."

"...Yes."

Reluctantly, Tiara Roses nodded. If she told him she had stayed up all night reading, he would definitely be angry.

---But, it feels like I was dodged?

What had Aquasteed and Ferres talked about? The feeling that Aquasteed didn't want to tell her made Tiara Roses a bit uneasy.