TOOCM 72

Chapter 72

Right.

She’d never coveted the throne, and if anyone deserved it, it was Kaiden.

But Isadal thought differently.

“So you’re running away,” he said, cutting to the core.

Reina bit her lip, his words striking true.

He seemed to know something through his revelation, but how much was unclear.

Revelations couldn’t be spoken of until fulfilled, yet he’d openly stated his intent to protect Jeffery.

That implied the revelation was at least partially realized—a significant one.

Judging by his demeanor, he wouldn’t speak freely in front of Kaiden.

Reina turned to Kaiden. “Can you step out for a moment?”

“Me?”

“I want to speak with Isadal alone.”

Kaiden sensed the gravity of the situation.

Isadal’s abrupt question about the throne and Reina’s serious response were both unfamiliar.

Is Reina aiming for the throne?

If so, it made no sense. To pursue the throne, she’d have stayed in the capital, not fled to the North.

She’d always wanted to escape the Emperor’s shadow, seeming content anywhere else.

“It won’t take long,” she pressed.

Reluctantly, he agreed. “I’ll be outside.”

Though uneasy about leaving her, Isadal was a frail man, and holy energy wasn’t suited for attack.

Besides, he’d seen Ritsi protect her before, so he stepped out, extending his aura to shield her.

Isadal, noting the thick aura on the floor, chuckled. “A loyal dragon. Fitting—there’s no safer place than under a dragon’s wing. He defied the Emperor’s envy and claimed the throne.”

Reina muttered, unsurprised, “…So you do know.”

She’d half-suspected since he mentioned running away, and his reference to her past life confirmed it.

“Are you a regressor like me?”

“Not quite. I remember. It’s a grace bestowed to serve you.”

“Did your god tell you I should be Emperor? Is that why you’re saying this?”

Her sharp question met his glassy gaze.

“Do you think distancing yourself from the Emperor will keep you safe?”

“…”

“You know he’s cunning and relentless. Unless you sever the tie, this cycle of torment will continue. By choosing the dragon, you’ve bound him to this fate too.”

“I didn’t come to the North to use Kaiden. You saw the future—surely the Emperor should be Kaiden, not me…”

“No. The Emperor must be you.”

Isadal’s firm interruption left her stunned.

She didn’t know how to respond.

Then he said, “Do you know what happened to the Empire after you died, giving everything?”

Her heart sank, dreading the answer.

In her past life, Kaiden had found her—a sinner deserving death—spared her, and protected her until the end.

He was already dying before her own death.

How did he end up like that? Did he survive?

She’d never considered his fate. Tense, she asked, “What happened?”

She regretted it instantly, not wanting to hear.

Anxiety gripped her, her heart shrinking as if facing something terrible.

Isadal, cold as if detached from the world, said, “The dragon didn’t last long. The Empire fell completely.”

The expected outcome drained her strength.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaiden stood guard outside, lost in thought.

Reina claimed not to know Isadal, yet he seemed familiar with her.

“Do you wish to become Emperor?”

His question had probed something even Kaiden didn’t know about her.

He hadn’t realized she might be after the throne.

What did Isadal know about her that he didn’t?

Kaiden wanted to ask—why she’d proposed to him, why she feared and fled her father, the Emperor.

No matter how much he investigated, her inner thoughts eluded him, and Isadal’s knowledge sparked petty jealousy.

Am I this small-minded?

He wanted to know everything about her.

The thought of another man understanding her better was unbearable.

Soon, Reina emerged, her face pale. Kaiden grabbed her. “Are you okay?”

She looked up with a sad expression and suddenly hugged him tightly.

“…Reina?”

“Just… stay like this for a bit.”

She clung to him, steadying her breath, as if confirming his presence with all her strength.

She wasn’t crying, but she seemed sorrowful.

Unable to discern why, he held her silently.

Their height difference made it feel like she was nestled into him.

Gently stroking her hair, he asked, “What happened in there?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

I just wanted to feel you’re alive.

Hiding her true thoughts, she hugged him tighter.

“The dragon didn’t last long.”

In her past life, Kaiden had died, rendering her blessings meaningless.

“Why did he ask if I wanted to be Emperor?”

“The path of one born under the star of a ruler is singular. You must become Emperor, or neither you nor the dragon will be safe.”

Reina was afraid. Isadal’s earnest words terrified her.

She’d never wanted the throne, just to escape the Emperor and repay Kaiden.

In her past life, Kaiden had become Emperor, so she’d never considered the throne hers.

What if my choice put Kaiden in danger again?

The thought tormented her.

If she hadn’t sought him out, hadn’t proposed, would he have been safe?

She feared her selfishness had endangered him.

Losing him was unthinkable—he’d become her everything.

For him, she’d make any decision, even if it meant driving a blade into her father.

No matter how perilous the path.

She had to do it.

“Kaiden.”

“Yeah.”

“Kaiden.”

Calling his name repeatedly, she steeled her courage.

He whispered softly, hugging her tightly, “I’m right here.”

As if he understood her fears.

His steady pressure calmed her.

He was by her side and likely always would be.

That fact alone made the future seem a little less daunting.