Time could be thought of as a relative concept perceived by the observer.
Happy times always passed in a flash, whereas moments of anguish felt drawn out. A person’s emotional state affected how they perceived time.
By this standard, the black-haired man thought that he must have been happy in the last few years. He figured that it should have been the same for the black-haired, golden-eyed woman too, evident from her smiling face.
On the highest balcony of the majestic palace, the man and the woman, dressed to the nines, stood next to each other as they gazed upon the smiling crowd gathered on the bustling streets beneath.
“It’s been a while since we had such a lively national day celebration.”
“Indeed. Shall I compliment you?”
“Please do. You must be unaware of how stingy you are with compliments,” the man wearing a crown said with a bitter smile.
The woman shook her head in indignation and replied, “That’s not true. It’s just that a certain someone’s performance might have been so disappointing that I couldn’t bring myself to compliment him… such as his hundred failed challenges.”
“That isn’t fair! You said so yourself—there’s no way I could defeat you!” the young emperor exclaimed in embarrassment.
The woman burst into laughter upon hearing those words, looking more beautiful than the most vibrant of flowers. “It’s true that you didn’t stand a chance against me back then, but I think that a man ought to pick impossible fights.”
“Hahaha! I can’t agree with those words, but it’s thanks to that that we’re together now.” The man felt nostalgic and proud when he thought about that difficult year he had. “To be honest, I looked forward to our fights back then.”
“That goes without saying. You had the strongest Origin Level 1 transcendent as your sparring partner, and I even promised not to kill you. There’s no better deal than that. Your strength must have grown by leaps and bounds that year, right?”
“Hahaha! Well, that’s true, but there’s a different reason that I looked forward to our fights.”
“A different reason?”
“It’s because I could see you.”
The woman widened her eyes in astonishment, but she quickly averted her eyes and joked, “Oh? You must have enjoyed getting beaten down by me. What a weird fellow. Do you have some kind of weird interest?”
“That’s not it… There’s a question I have been wanting to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“…You heard the words I said right before I passed out in our last battle, didn’t you?”
“…” The woman’s body stiffened up. Fireworks exploded nonstop in the distance, illuminating both their faces. A long time later, she said, “What did you say back then? I don’t remember.”
Fireworks exploded nonstop, illuminating their faces.
“…Shall I say it again?”
“…” The woman’s body shuddered. She subconsciously glanced at the majestic palace behind her as her smile slowly faded, and the atmosphere around her turned cold. “Why don’t you say those words to Her Majesty instead? It isn’t apt for you to spend the night with another lady.”
“Fornica and I are in a political marriage. It’s only a means for me to take the throne.”
“How wonderful. You got both the throne and the beauty.”
“There’s nothing between us, I swear! I can even prove that… Fornica likes women.”
“???” The woman was so baffled that the cold atmosphere around her wavered. “How can such a thing possibly be…”
“It’s true! You have the means to investigate it if you doubt me.”
“…” The man’s earnest tone and expression shook the woman, leaving her at a loss.
The man took this chance to quickly add on, “What I wish to say has no conflict with the position I am in. My feelings for you are real, or else I would have never persevered that year…”