“You mean that Empress Navier will be the queen of the Western Kingdom?”


  “Yes.”


  “Your Majesty……did you blackmail her?”


  “.……”


  “I apologize. I didn’t mean to suggest that you were a bad person. If not, then why would the Empress become queen?”


  “There seemed to be a reason, but she couldn’t say more because we had parted quickly.”


  Heinley momentarily fell into silent thought.

  “Perhaps Emperor Sovieshu is about to divorce her.”


  “Oh. Oh, my god.”


  McKenna’s eyes widened when he fully absorbed the fact that Navier and Heinley would be wed.

  “She surprisingly may be well-suited.”


  “Surprisingly?”


  “Empress Navier. She usually follows rules perfectly.”


  Whatever the circumstances were, it was unprecedented that an empress of a country proposed to the king of another one. McKenna didn’t know if he could describe it as a proposal, but……

  “Was it done with sincerity?”


  “Don’t joke about that, McKenna.”


  “What about you? Did you accept wholeheartedly?”


  “Of course.”


  Heinley looked at McKenna as if to say, ‘Don’t ask such an obvious question.’


  “Well, we were going to start a war, use Miss Rashta as a shield, and take the Empress hostage……but this is certainly better than the original plan. But it won’t be easy, Your Majesty.”


  “I know. There is so much to prepare.”


  A carefree smile flitted across Heinley’s face.

  “But I cannot make an empress a queen.”


  It was a joke, but it wasn’t easily understood. McKenna blinked in confusion, before his eyes widened in realization, and he leapt to his feet. Heinley was referring not to a Western Kingdom, but a Western Empire.

  “Your Majesty, you mean……!”


  “There’s a lot of hard work ahead of you, McKenna.”


  Normally McKenna would have complained in frustration, but he looked on at Heinley with deep happiness and admiration.

  The people of the Western Kingdom had a slight sense of inferiority to the Eastern Empire. Although each country’s strength and ability was roughly equal, the West was treated as a second tier country after their forces were defeated by the mage army. Foreign countries followed the Eastern Empire’s example, and while Western Kingdom was nowhere a weak country, it was treated as such. Discontent was bound to grow.

  Heinley smiled at McKenna and slapped his back jovially.

  “Come on, I was going to do it anyway. Don’t you remember our promise?”


  “I do……I—I am happy though.”


  Heinley teased McKenna for a little longer, and then pulled out a letter.

  “Deliver this to Empress Navier.”


  McKenna gave a grumbled sniffle.

  “Now that it’s turned out like this, more letters will be exchanged. My poor long-suffering wings.”


  However, McKenna still had a smile on his face.

  “I’m sorry. But from now on, we need to be careful, as the contents of the letters are things that should not be exchanged in a normal matter.”


  “You talk as if it already wasn’t.”


  In a flash, McKenna transformed. As his clothes fell to the ground, a beautiful blue-feathered bird flew upwards. Heinley tied the letter to the bird’s ankle, stroked his head, and opened the window.

  A corner of Heinley’s chest swelled with pride. The feeling had rested in him ever since he met Navier in Wirwol. While he was saddened that the Empress did not love him, he was happy enough to cover it all up. Meanwhile, McKenna, a staunch opponent of Heinley’s love for Navier, unexpectedly said that she was suited for him. There may have been a slight sense of sarcasm, but Heinley couldn’t help but smile.

  There was a knock on the door, and a secretary outside asked for permission to enter. Heinley rang the bell on the wall as a signal, and the secretary came inside.

  “Your Majesty. There is news from the spy in the Eastern Empire.”


  “What is it?”


  “The successor to the Troby family had tried to harm the Emperor’s baby, and was subsequently banished.”


  Heinley lifted his brows in surprise. Empress Navier came from the Troby family.

  “The Empress’ brother was banished?”


  “Yes. Emperor Sovieshu sent knights to confirm the departure.”


  Heinley jumped to his feet.

  “Where is he now?”


  “He no longer seems to have any involvement with Emperor Sovieshu, and the spy did not choose to follow him.”


  Of course, the spy did not know of Heinley’s unrequited love for Empress Navier, and so he had no good reason to track Koshar.

  “Find the Empress’ brother and bring him to me.”


  “Yes, Your Majesty. ”


  After the secretary left, Heinley sat down on a chair and crossed his legs. As McKenna said, Empress Navier was a strong follower of rules and convention, so something serious must have happened if she had come to Heinley.

  ‘Does Queen’s brother’s banishment have anything to do with this?’


  ***

  As soon as McKenna received his orders to deliver Heinley’s letter, he flew to the Eastern Empire without a day of rest. He had been back and forth several times, and was familiar with the route to the Empress’ bedroom.

  When McKenna approached the window, he spied a red cloth hanging from it. McKenna had a moment of foreboding, but then he smiled when he remembered that red was a symbol of good fortune in the Eastern Empire.

  ‘I thought she was cold. She has an unexpected charming side to her!’


  She must have hung the cloth symbolizing her marriage to Heinley.

  ‘Perhaps Empress Navier also has feelings when it comes to King Heinley as well.’


  McKenna swooped down towards the window, but then a stabbing pain to his side caused him to gasp.

  He fell down, down, down.