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“—who am I to judge?” Oliana stopped writing before finishing the line, her thoughts interrupted by a knock at her door. She set down her pen and flexed her hand for a brief respite. “Enter.”

“Pardon my intrusion, Empress.” It was one of her attendants, who stepped inside with a graceful bow.

“A messenger has arrived from the Imperium.” The words instantly darkened Oliana’s expression with unease. Official notices and envoys were common enough, but an unannounced visit from the Imperium was almost unheard of. If they had come without warning, it could only mean something urgent.

“From the capital itself? Did the messenger say anything?”

The attendant’s face twisted with unease. “They said… ‘Prince Shion has left home. We cannot contact Her Majesty either. We urgently request your cooperation.’ Those were their exact words.”

As Oliana processed the words, the blood drained from her face before boiling back with fury the next moment.

“W-What!? This is not merely an emergency—it is far worse! Summon the ministers at once! We must formulate a response plan and begin preparations immediately!”

Startled by the force of her command, the attendant spun on his heel and hurried out, barely managing a reply.

Oliana meanwhile ordered her maid to prepare her attire for an immediate audience with the imperial envoy, biting her lip in frustration.

“Honestly, what are those two even thinking!?”

◆◇◆◇

“ “Achoo!” ” Perched atop the saddle of a great dragon, two figures sneezed in unison.

“Ugh, spring may be here, but it’s still freezing. You should dress warmly, or you’ll catch a cold, Shion.” Behind the larger silhouette, a girl spoke, her voice clear and melodic like a chiming bell. She leaned forward, pulled off her muffler, and wrapped it around the neck of the tall boy holding the dragon’s reins.

“H-hey, what are you doing?! You’ll catch a cold instead!” the tall boy protested in fluster, no older than fifteen or sixteen. He wore a military uniform layered with a black coat and leather armor.

As he reached for the muffler, his hands were gently restrained from behind by the girl, who looked to be thirteen or fourteen. She wore a black gown lavishly adorned with lace and corsages, her long black hair framing a face of striking beauty.

“Just listen to me. Besides, I have never once caught a cold.” Her grip was light and gentle, but only Shion realized she had locked his joints, making it impossible to move even a finger.

Shion frowned in frustration. He too was striking in appearance, but what stood out most were the silver streak in his black hair and his heterochromatic eyes—one crimson, the other blue—glowing like enchanted gems.

“…Must you treat me like a child?” he sighed, pulling his hand back. The girl released her hold at last.

“I can’t just take your word for it. You’re barely grown, of course I’d worry myself sick over you.”
“That’s why I left on this journey—to train and become a full-fledged adult! So why are you following me?!”
“Oh, come on. It’s not such a big deal, is it?”
“It is a huge deal!”

For a boy in the throes of adolescence, the thought of living under the same roof as his mother—a breathtakingly beautiful young woman—had become unbearable. So he left home, leaving behind only a note. Yet the very person he was trying to escape had followed him anyway, making the entire effort pointless.

“Well, well. I may not look it, but I have quite a lot of connections. You won’t be lacking for anything on the road.”

“…Yeah, I know.” The boy muttered. But when those ‘connections’ turned out to be leaders and high officials of other empires or kingdoms, doubt always tugged at him. He had asked before, but her only answer was that they were ‘just old friends.’ Whenever he probed further, those ‘friends’ awkwardly brushed it off. After living with her for fifteen years, his mother remained as mysterious as ever.

“W-well, if you dislike me so much… do you perhaps hate me?” she asked softly, her voice tinged with sadness. The boy instinctively snapped back. “Of course not! If anything, I like you too—” He froze mid-sentence, realizing what he had just said, and slowly turned around. Behind him, the girl was smiling radiantly.

“Hehe. I like you too, Shion!” Her innocent smile left him momentarily dazed. Embarrassed, he quickly turned forward to hide his blush and hurried to change the subject.

“Come to think of it, if we keep going straight, we’ll reach the capital of the Graviol Empire, right?”

“That’s right. The new capital, Imperial City Keiskei—its name means ‘lily of the valley.’ I have friends there too, so we won’t need to worry about lodging.”

“I see,” he muttered, ready to leave it at that—until he frowned and glanced back at her.

“Wait… those ‘friends’ aren’t kings again, are they? I’m really getting tired of all the pomp and formality.”
“Oh no, not a king this time.” She denied it so casually that the boy exhaled in relief.
“Good. I’ve had enough of that. By the way, wasn’t Keiskei near the sea or something?”
“Not exactly the sea—more of a great river nearby. You’ll see large magic sailing ships passing through. I know an acquaintance who oversees things there. If you’d like, I can arrange a ride.”

Having never seen the sea, the boy shuddered as he tried to imagine its form.

“A ship, huh…” Imagining the vast, unseen sea, the boy shivered in anticipation. “That’d be nice. I’d like to see it.”

“Then let’s make a point to stop by once we arrive.”

The boy nodded firmly at her words, then turned his gaze to the distant horizon, his lips spreading in childlike joy.

“The world’s really big, isn’t it?”
“It is. And this journey has only just begun; there are many more wonders you will see.”

Her words sparked a wave of excitement within him, and his hand subconsciously tightened around the reins.

Then a playful thought struck him. Twisting at the waist, he suddenly reached back, grasped the girl’s slim waist—his hands nearly wrapping around it—and with ease pulled her forward into the seat before him.

“Kyaa! What’s gotten into you?!”
“If we stay close together, neither of us will catch a cold, right?”

He unwound one end of the scarf and draped it around her neck, tucking her snugly into the folds of his coat. Then he adjusted his seat and gripped the reins once more.

“Ugh… this is kind of embarrassing. But… thanks.”
“It’s fine. We’re in the same boat—fellow travelers on a journey. And it’s about time I, too, step out of your…”

Upon the back of the great dragon, the two figures, their silhouettes overlapping, chatted idly as they made their slow way down the road—dreaming of a world yet unseen.

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