Side Story 1 – Hubert — Wishing for the Happiness of the Destiny I Let Go
—It happened in a conference room in the Sapphraine Holy Kingdom.
“I wonder how Her Highness Katia is faring in the Zaldein Empire about now?”
After the meeting ended, the minister sitting next to me murmured.
It was a very quiet voice, but the other senior officials around us seemed to have heard it, and passionate voices rose one after another.
“It’s been a month since she went to the Empire! Knowing Her Highness, she must have made a henchman or two by now, right?”
“No, Captain of the First Knight Order, Her Highness didn’t go to the Empire to make henchmen! She married into the Empire because the renowned Emperor of Zaldein strongly desired it!!”
“If it’s Her Highness Katia, she must have captured the Emperor’s heart within a month. After all, she managed to…”
The minister stopped abruptly, realizing that the most terrifying and evil Prime Minister he was about to mention was sitting right next to him.
Since everyone present looked at me awkwardly, I, Hubert Neuendorff, voiced what the senior officials were likely thinking.
“If it is Her Highness Katia, she has likely already captured Emperor Eckardt’s heart. After all, she captivated me—the most terrifying and evil man, rumored to have no heart—and made me throw everything away.”
“P-Prime Minister Neuendorff…”
“You don’t need to demean yourself like that…”
“Well… something good will happen eventually.”
Seeing the senior officials offer words that were no comfort at all, one after another, I sighed dramatically.
…Yes, no words can offer comfort.
After all, I let go of everything—my fiancée, who was my entire world.
I met my destiny when I was nine and she was six.
The situation when we met was so shocking that at first, I thought she left an impression because of the circumstances, but that was my misunderstanding.
Most likely, I was attracted to her from the very beginning.
However, since I had never been attracted to anyone before, it took me a very long time to realize my feelings.
Although I didn’t realize it, I wondered why I kept finding time to visit the royal palace and show my face to Princess Katia.
In spring, we admired the flowers blooming in the palace together; in summer, we enjoyed fishing by the lake; in autumn, we walked on fallen leaves; and in winter, we shut ourselves in a small room and read books with our knees touching.
I couldn’t believe my own actions, always trying to be with her like that. And then, checking any men who approached her, beating them down so thoroughly they would never approach her again.
Only in front of her did I always act unlike myself, so when I realized I loved her, everything fell into place.
“Ah, I see, I love Princess Katia. My word. I was this possessive. …Unconsciously eliminating all suitors around her and fencing her in.”
After realizing my feelings, I maneuvered very cleverly.
I laid the groundwork with the royal family and high-ranking nobles, instilling in everyone how beneficial it would be for the Kingdom if I became her husband.
Then, I proposed to her.
“I love you… just as you are.”
Kneeling before her in the palace garden, I pressed her hand against my forehead and confessed as if making a penitence.
“I cannot offer you anything more than myself, but with this body, I will protect you, love you, and stay by your side for a lifetime. So, please allow me to take away the First Princess of this country… allow yourself to cast aside your royal status and marry down to me.”
I offered the most valuable thing I had—myself—and desired her.
“My proud, beautiful, and courageous Princess. If you allow me to stay by your side for a lifetime, I can become as strong as needed, and I will protect you from anyone and anything.”
Staring at her without blinking, I spoke my vow with the earnestness of a prayer.
“I love you, my dearest.”
Unable to suppress the emotions overflowing from within, my voice trembled at the end, disgracefully.
It was a love I finally obtained after exposing everything and throwing everything away.
So, when the foolish Crown Prince spoke nonsense, I felt a murderous urge like never before.
“I will marry Katia to the Emperor of the Zaldein Empire!”
Suddenly summoned by the Crown Prince, I was declared something incomprehensible without preamble.
At that moment, my vision turned red, and murderous intent toward the Crown Prince welled up.
Taking my only one away from me?
If even one thing had gone wrong at that moment, I probably would have killed the Crown Prince.
What the Crown Prince said was that grave.
However, fortunately for the Crown Prince, the moment I processed his words and understood their meaning, I felt like an important puzzle piece had clicked into place.
Her hair that changed to pink at age six. Her eye color that didn’t change. The legend of the Witch passed down on the Dodory Continent. The strange dreams she keeps having.
Mere events that had no meaning until now began to connect meaningfully—through the proposal from the Zaldein Emperor.
As a result, —that day, I agreed to let go of my destiny.
“But… just between us, I didn’t think the Prime Minister would accept the dissolution of the engagement!”
After the meeting, at a drinking party where we had moved, a minister spoke deeply.
“The situation was hopeless, and rejecting Emperor Eckardt’s proposal would have dealt a huge blow to our country, but still, I thought the Prime Minister would reject the Empire’s demand.”
“…Did you think I would make a judgment that would harm the national interest?”
Although I tried to look cynical, saying I was underestimated, no member of the meeting was deceived, and everyone stared back at me silently.
As the silence continued, the Captain of the First Knight Order filled my glass to the brim with wine.
“Everyone here loves Her Highness the Princess like a real daughter, a sister, a family member. Surely you don’t think we let go of Her Highness without our hearts aching even a little, Prime Minister?”
“…I suppose so.”
Although the degree may vary, when the decision was made to let her go, everyone here must have cursed their own powerlessness and despaired.
Because our Sapphraine Holy Kingdom revolved around Princess Katia.
“That is why we couldn’t make a choice that would make Her Highness unhappy. If we had said no to the marriage with the Emperor and chosen to protect Her Highness, she would have suffered.”
That is correct.
The fact that the Zaldein Empire is warlike and skilled in battle has reached even this far-away country.
So, if we had rejected the marriage with the Emperor, that country would definitely have attacked.
Since all the knights of our country are devoted to Princess Katia, not a single one would have spared their life, and they would have fought until the last man.
However, Princess Katia couldn’t possibly endure that situation.
“With all due respect, Her Highness cherished us knights like family. So, if knights were sacrificed for her sake, she wouldn’t have been able to bear it.”
It’s different from a knight getting hurt protecting what should be protected.
Princess Katia would have been hurt incurably, thinking she hurt the knights with her selfishness.
“That is why the Prime Minister took on the role of the villain, isn’t it?”
“Even going so far as to bring in a distant relative’s daughter you never cared about before.”
Since the senior officials piled on words as if they understood, I felt embarrassed that everything was seen through and looked down.
“…Was it that obvious?”
To my question, everyone in the place answered in unison.
“””More than anything!!”””
…Couldn’t at least one person show some kindness?
Unable to bear it, I kept looking down, and the knight captains voiced their regret.
“Princess Katia has always fought on the front lines. She was truly a warrior worth a thousand; as long as she was there, she decided the victory alone no matter the battlefield.”
“Of course, we knights never neglect our daily training, so we can win even without Her Highness. However, in that case, many casualties would be unavoidable. Knowing that, Her Highness always stood on the front lines.”
Since the Sapphraine Holy Kingdom is an island nation, we rarely start wars with other countries.
However, as if in exchange, while usually there are at most one or two labyrinths, our country has eight.
Since there are monsters in labyrinths, we must regularly patrol eight labyrinths, drive away monsters, and keep a watchful eye so monsters don’t come out.
As the top of the Knight Order, Princess Katia carried out that duty with all her might, always putting her body on the line. And yet…
“His Majesty the King and His Highness the Crown Prince never tried to acknowledge Princess Katia’s achievements! Because of that, the people couldn’t correctly understand the Princess’s great deeds!!”
Princess Katia was indifferent to her own achievements and didn’t realize at all that her deeds weren’t properly evaluated.
The people praised the Princess, but in reality, not even half of her great deeds were conveyed to the people, and the Princess didn’t receive the praise she deserved.
All of this is because the King and the Crown Prince didn’t evaluate the Princess correctly.
The King wasn’t interested in the Princess in the first place, and the Crown Prince, fearing his position would be threatened, crushed many of her achievements.
I lifted my face and spoke with a voice full of regret.
“Princess Katia was too good for this country. I knew that well enough, but out of my own greed, I tried to keep her in this country forever. But… when the marriage proposal came from the Emperor of the Zaldein Empire, I resigned myself that nothing could be done.”
“The Zaldein Empire is the number one country on the continent, after all.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Hearing my denial, the Captain of the First Knight Order smiled wryly.
Probably, understanding my true intention, he dared to pretend to misunderstand so my wound wouldn’t open further.
However, since we’ve talked this frankly, I’ll reveal everything.
“The reason I tried to keep her in this country was that I thought I could make her happier than anyone else. But the Emperor of the continent who believes in Witches desired her. Only coming this far did I finally understand.”
“…Understand what?”
“That Princess Katia’s destiny was not me. When I heard about the proposal from the Emperor, various things that happened until now came back to me, they connected perfectly, and I realized, ah, the Emperor is her destiny.”
The people here are the heavyweights of the Kingdom.
All of them have brilliant minds and work at the center of the country, so they are in a position to obtain a lot of information.
They shouldn’t have exactly the same information as me, but still, they looked like they understood something.
“…However, the Prime Minister’s flash of insight is just a flash of insight, and there is no solid basis, is there? You may have stepped back thinking it was for the Princess’s sake, but what will you do if Princess Katia doesn’t become happy in the Zaldein Empire?”
A foolish question.
“In that case, I will take her back no matter what, and I will make her happy.”
I wasn’t the one who could make Princess Katia the happiest. Realizing that, I stepped back.
However, if Emperor Eckardt, who should be able to make her the happiest, doesn’t do so, I will take over again.
“At that time, Katia… no matter what, I will beg for your love once again.”
I muttered softly in my mouth. In my mind, the image of Princess Katia, whom I had let go, floated.
My proud, beautiful, and courageous Princess. Even if your destiny wasn’t me, my destiny is you. Until now, and from now on. Always, and forever.
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