“Oh God...” she sighed as she put her head on the table. It was unclear whether she was addressing Azer or the man she had just met.

When she woke up in the morning to find Yu Valarfin beside her, her spirits had plummeted. She was afraid that she had disturbed him, and if so, it would mean that she was a disturbing woman for him.

She didn't want to be an annoying woman, the idea of Yu Valarfin being annoyed by her was horrible. People had told her she was a beautiful woman, Yu Valarfin had no reason not to think the same.

“Oooofff!” She slammed her hand on the table and the ink box, glass and seal on the table shook. Her pen rolled and fell to the floor.

“Why did she leave? Am I not pretty enough? I'm not pretty enough...”

The shards of her broken heart stabbed into her chest and hurt her. Why hadn't she been considered beautiful? Why had she been seen as disturbing?

“Did he think I was masculine? I was also told that my face was hard. Is that it?”

If she hadn't been trying to make Yu like him, she would have dug her fingernails into her face. She didn't ask to have this face, it was passed down to her from her parents.

“Is he antipathizing me because of my brother? I had him killed... Why?”

Cornelia was already angry that her mother had died giving birth to such a disappointment as Cecilus. Add to that the thought of earning Yu's hatred because of him and she clenched her fists.

She wished she hadn't killed Cecilus so that she could have beaten him and taken out her anger. Of course, that was no longer possible now because she had killed him. So she would take out her anger by cutting wooden targets, maybe shoot arrows into the heads of some straw puppets.

After finding a sword, she started down the stairs of the tower she was in to go to the castle courtyard. Now that she was the Duchess of Vermia, she was using her father's ducal chamber. That's why her room was at the top of the tower and it was inconvenient to go down.

“He went out with Sivina.” She felt sympathy for the silver-haired female knight, but she couldn't help feeling jealous. “Does he like her? Does he think she's prettier than me?”

She was trying to find the difference from Sivina. Both could fight, both were strong. If there was a difference between them, it had to be their appearance.

If Yu got up from her and went out with Sivina, he thought Sivina was prettier, Cornelia believed it.

“I'm richer, why?”

If Yu wanted, she could make him Duke of Vermia. At the moment there was no male in the Vermilia Family to carry on the lineage and Cornelia could name a man of lower rank than herself Vermilia.

It was a method that had been used before to ensure the continuation of the family. So nobody could object to it.

“When he comes here, I'll ask him to be Yu Vermilia.”

Who would refuse such an offer? As Cornelia's husband, there was no one who wouldn't want to take that name, it was absurd to refuse such wealth.

“So I can have him.”

Her cells were heating up as the idea of having Yu came to her mind. Waking up with him in the morning, spending the whole day with him, ending the night with him; all these ideas made Cornelia insanely happy.

“For some reason, I suddenly lost my will,” she said, looking at the sword in her hand.

She would have swung her sword to vent her anger at Cecilus, but the idea of Yu being one of her family had made her so happy that she no longer felt angry.

“Oh... What am I going to do?”

“It may be a private meeting,” said a voice from downstairs.

Cornelia was embarrassed to be overheard, but she couldn't remember saying anything objectionable. She had to be normal and play the role of the Duchess of Vermia.

“Sir Link,” said the owner of the voice as he turned up the stairs and faced him.

He was a tall, thin man with blond hair, yellow eyes and a slightly feminine face. He was not a household name, but Cornelia had heard of him a few times.

“Duchess,” Link said. Bowing slightly, he greeted Cornelia and then gestured to the top floor of the tower. “If you're free, can we talk? We can leave it for later, if you like.”

As he said this, he was looking at Cornelia's sword. Cornelia nodded with her sword.

“We can talk now,” she said.

“Good, let's go somewhere private, please.”

She started climbing the stairs in the direction Link had pointed, going back the way she had come.

She wondered what he would say. They had never talked about anything but military matters and she thought he would talk about the same things.

He would talk about how to prepare for the enemy army coming against them, or how to control the people. That's what Cornelia thought was going to happen.

She went back into her room and sat down at her desk with the sword she was holding against the wall. After sitting down, she gestured for Link to sit in the chair opposite her.

“How are you?” Link started.

“I'm fine.” She felt like she was lying. “I think I'm okay.”

Waking up in the morning to find that Yu wasn't there made her feel worse, but then the thought of marrying him lifted her spirits inevitably.

She might even be embarrassed about it, but she believed that Yu could ask Link what she thought about it. They were friends, after all.

“The first day you wake up as a duchess, you have to feel better.”

“I wish I was better,” she said. Link must have known why she couldn't be better, so she didn't feel the need to explain.

She wondered what Link would say, but she also wanted to ask the question on her mind.

“What did you want to talk about?” she asked. She crossed her legs while Link sat up straight in front of her.

“A few things about the future,” Link replied. “About the Vermilia Family and the future of the kingdom.”

When the name of her family was mentioned, Cornelia bowed her face and listened more attentively. As the last member of the House of Vermilia, she had a great responsibility.

He had to continue the family, consolidate the power of his household and, as his predecessors had done, maintain absolute control over the land of Vermilia.

“What do you think of the Zodyanists?”

When she received Link's question, she put her chin in her hands and waited for a while to think.

She had been brought up in the Azer faith like every other person in the Mora, but instead of normal people Cornelia was a noble. Religious nobles were rare, and when they were, they were usually women.

Cornelia was also a woman, but she was educated to masculine standards, so for most of her life she thought like a man, and valued Azer as a nobleman would, even if she doesn't do so now.

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Azer was her god, but that was all. She did not worship him or think about him during the day, except for the ceremonies she was officially obliged to attend.

In fact, for her, Azer was only a tool to prevent people who had never traveled more than ten kilometers from their village from rebelling. Until now, she had never seen the name Azer and Zodyanism used in any other way.

“They rule in God's name, and they make money and loyalty out of it.”

“These are things that everyone knows, I want to hear more private thoughts, personal things.”

Cornelia was reluctant to speak when it came to this. After all, the man in front of her was a Virgo Knight and a believer in Zodianism.

“I wasn't very happy that they left us,” she said. “But then of course you came.”

“Yes,” Link said. “It was 'us' who came, not them.”

She could not understand Link's purpose in emphasizing the word 'us' and singling out the Zodyanists. “Does he want a separate reward?”

Link kept talking while Cornelia tried to understand him.

“The Zodyanists are led by a group of self-interested traitors, they are not united among themselves and they don't care what the snake does as long as it doesn't touch them.”

Link spoke words that Cornelia and many other senior people with the freedom to think thought but did not speak.

Then he asked. “What about the royalty? What do you think of them?”

“If you're going to say we should join them-” Link held up his hand to stop Cornelia.

First he had mentioned that the Zodyanists were bad, and now he asked what he thought of the royalty. Anyone could see where this conversation was going.

Of course she could not accept such a thing. Yu was on the side of the Zodyanists and to do so would clearly be to betray him.

Link spoke before Cornelia got angry. “No, I'm not going to say that.”

Anyway, Cornelia wouldn't let him say such a thing, she would send him out of the room and immediately tell Yu about Link's thoughts.

“But I'm glad you don't think they're right.”

“I didn't say that,” she thought.

Yu Zao had valid arguments against religion. Her enemy, the King of Mora, was more trustworthy than any of the Zodianists Cornelia served.

“Neither of them will be good for the people of this country.” Link turned his head and looked out the window as if trying to find someone. “We have to do some of the work ourselves.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let us not depend on Zodia, nor on Yu Zao. Let us build our own kingdom here, today.”

At first she thought Link's words, spoken in a casual tone, were a joke. The words were clearly treason and any further dwelling on them could have led to their execution.

“What's the worst that can happen?”

When she saw a half-smile on Link's face, she thought he was joking. Yes, it couldn't be anything but a joke. So she laughed.

“I almost took it seriously.”

“I'm serious.”

“What?”

The half-smile disappeared from Link's face and his face took on the seriousness of a man going into battle.

“Your mother was royal, you have royal blood in your veins. You can claim the throne of Mora.”

“It means taking all the world as your enem-”

“Don't we have enough of anything?”

Cornelia shook her head.

They had no lords to back them, no army strong enough to protect their claims. Summer was coming and the harvest season was approaching, their soldiers needed to return to their fields.

They did not have enough money to feed them, nor did they know any way to get it.

“Yu made quite an impression on the people with the dragon he rode, no doubt about it. You are also a folk hero. These two names should be enough to win the support of some people.”

“This is not our main problem, it's ridiculous to even talk about it.”

“It's not,” Link snapped. “When we defeat Yu Zao's army, everything in their army will belong to us. All the prisoners, all the supplies, all the belongings... We'll be able to keep our army on the plain for a while.”

“Don't be ridiculous, please,” Cornelia shifted to a serious tone. “Such a thing is not possible.”

“Quite possible.” Link crossed his legs. “Both today and in the future will the Church of Andromeda help us, and Yu Zao is coming for us to destroy us. We are completely alone.”

“But even if we're alone, at least one side-”

“That side has already dismissed us.” Link's voice hardened. “One of the most important cities in the country has been occupied and the church doesn't care. I'm not going to be the faithful dog that brings back the bone they throw.”

Link's yellow eyes sparkled like they were on fire. She was now completely sure he was serious.

Link stood up and walked to the window and looked out of the tower at the Jade Lake. Link spoke disappointedly as Cornelia watched his back.

“A ruler must turn his face not to comforting landscapes, but to the life of his people.” He criticized the view from Cornelia's room. “From here you can't see how awful the city is.”

“I'm not the one who built this tower or put the window there.”

“Yes, but you can change that.” He turned around and looked at Cornelia's face. “Why don't you become a queen? You can make Yu your king too.”

Cornelia was speechless. The idea she had thought of before Link had arrived had been put forward by Link in one fell swoop.

“You want to do this, don't you?” Link smiled. “Don't you want to bring him to the greatest respectability he can achieve? Don't you think that would make him happy? Knowing Yu, it certainly would.”

‘To make Yu happy.’ Hearing that took her mind off everything they had just talked about.

“Since I love him, I should make him happy. People who love should make those they love happy.”

Her chest caught fire, her soul seemed to flutter and leave her body. Link was right; Cornelia had to make Yu happy.

“But Yu and Sivina...”

“It's okay for Yu to take two wives for the future of the dynasty if Sivina so wishes. Eastern kings do it all the time.”

“Y-yeah...”

Everything Link said was true. Yu was great, Cornelia wanted to make him happy. If Yu's best friend told her that she had to make him king to do that, it had to be true. She was going to do everything she could to make him king.

Link spoke with a satisfied and sly smile on his face. “So let's do it now, today.”

“Already? Preparations-”

“We're all set.” Link spread his hands excitedly. “No more Church of Andromeda, no more other cathedrals. We make the Virgo Cathedral the Virgo Church and it will rule as one religion.”

“How long have you been thinking about this?” Cornelia asked, but Link continued talking without answering.

“I know about Yurine. She can't make deals because she's an artificial fairy, which means she can live forever.”

A sword fairy would live forever in the same form until it made a deal. Sword fairies were so rare that many thought it was an urban legend.

“As the holy leader of the Church of Virgo, she will be the head of the religion forever, and this will provide great stability. And you and Yu will rule the kingdom together.”

Link was getting more and more excited, failing to adjust the tone of his voice, which had turned into huge waves. If she hadn't lost her mind, Cornelia might have been worried about what would be heard.

“We build a stable, secure kingdom. Yurine will support Yu's blood for the rest of her eternal life. Of course, states rise and fall, and there will be hard times for the people of Mora, but in the end...”

Link took a deep breath.

“Eventually, with this stability, Mora will be able to get back on track. Religion and the kingdom will work together in the end.” The smile on Link's face grew wider and wider. “First the whole Mora, and then the whole world, will become a peaceful, prosperous and safe society.”

“You're crazy.”

“It never hurts me to hear Cornelia el Vermia say that.”

He called her as El, which meant that he accepted Cornelia as queen. He also called Cornelia mad, but she admitted that she was mad as someone who was in love.

“If we give Yu time to think about it, he'll refuse. So we'll make it a fait accompli. Let's force him to give a speech. That way it will be better for Yu.”

“I understand, whatever's best for him.” Cornelia felt she was going crazy. She would make Yu happy. She would marry him. Have children.

“I am going to gather all the people. Today every bell in this city will ring.”

Having quickly convinced Cornelia, Link quickly left the room, leaving Cornelia alone with her thoughts.

He would question the rightness of what she was doing, but then quickly put those thoughts to rest. It would be good for the people and good for Yu.

But most of all, it was great for her. She would become a queen and make Yu her king. What could be more wonderful than that?

There was a subtle pain in her head and she felt his spirit fluctuating, the mana in her body was in constant motion. She attributed it to love and stood up after thinking about Yu for a long time.

“What does a girl do in this situation? I want to talk to someone - just a minute!” She quickened her steps as the thought came to her and she left her room and started to go downstairs. “Making Yu king means I have to marry him. If I'm going to marry him, I need a bridesmaid!”

And there was a girl Cornelia knew, a girl suitable to be a bridesmaid. She hurried down the stairs to a room several floors below her own.

“I'm going to ask Luna to be my maid of honor.”

When she arrived at Luna's room, she opened the door without knocking and walked in. It was small because it belonged to a servant, ornate because it concerned the reputation of the Vermilia family.

It was furnished with a small but good quality bed, furniture made without nails and different flowers because it was a girl's room.

“Luna!” she said excitedly, but her excitement vanished when she found her sitting on the window.

Her back was to Cornelia and her feet were hanging out of the window.

“Your Highness.” Luna turned to face her. Her blue eyes were wet. “Be happy.”

She put one last smile on her face, bitter and painful. Then she shifted her weight forward, her hips left her seat and she disappeared.

She didn't even give Cornelia a chance to think. Cornelia stared at the empty window for a while until she came to. When she came to, she screamed.

“LUNA!”

She ran quickly and looked down from the window. Even though she was downstairs from her room, they were still at the top of the tower, making everything below seem small.

But it was not difficult for Cornelia's eyes to see the floor painted red and the body of a blonde girl.

At that moment she heard the sound of bells. Link had done what he said he would and started ringing the bells to let people know that the new kingdom had been founded.

Cornelia turned her head at the sound of quick, hard footsteps and looked at the still open door of the room.

Two men holding black swords blocked the way.