Then Wardes muttered “I'm hungry, give me some soup,”
Although Fouquet made an ugly and unpleasant face, the soup was still carried to Wardes's mouth.
“Is 'hungry' all you can say? I hurriedly nursed you after seeing you fall, immediately treating you with my ‘Water’ spell. After that, using my illegal connections as a thief, I somehow got on the ship leaving to Albion, and escaped safely. Really, I shouldn’t have saved such an ungrateful person!”
Wardes pointed at the table.
“Can you bring that pendant to me?”
The pendant was a silver locket. Fouquet brought the pendant to Wardes. He took it and he put it on his neck.
“Is it very important to you?”
“Not exactly, but it calms me down.”
“She's a very beautiful woman.”
When Fouquet watched Wardes with a smile on her face, Wardes' cheeks became tingled with red.
“You saw it?”
“Yes, by impulse. You were holding to it tightly in your sleep, so it made me curious.”
“As expected from a thief.”
“So tell me, who is that person? Your significant other?”
Fouquet asked Wardes while bending herself forward. Wardes said in an unpleasant voice,
“She's my mother.”
“Your mother? Your looks deceived me, I didn't know you had a mother complex. Do you live with her?”
“Not anymore. Either way, it is none of your business.”
“After nursing you, that's the attitude you return?”
At that moment, the door opened with a clank. It was Cromwell, accompanied by Sheffield.
Seeing Wardes, he smiled thinly. That smile never changes. Just like a doll, Wardes thought.
They just experienced defeat. An unthinkable stumble at the first step of Albion's ambition. Yet the fact didn't seem to unnerve Cromwell. He was either a truly strong man or a carefree optimist. It was hard to tell.
“Looks like you regained consciousness, Viscount.”
“I beseech your forgiveness, Your Excellency. I failed you not once, but twice.”
“But it seemed your failure was immaterial.”
Sheffield, who was standing by Cromwell's side, nodded, then read the parchment scroll that seemed to be the report, and muttered,
“A sphere of light appeared in the sky and blew off our fleet.”
“In other words, the enemy used an unknown magic against us. This was a miscalculation and it's no one's fault. If there was anyone to blame… it was our leadership's fault for not properly analyzing the enemy’s war potential. A mere soldier like you should not be blamed for that. You should just focus on recovering your health.”
Cromwell offered his hand to Wardes. Wardes kissed it.
“I thank your Excellency’s kindness”
Wardes remembered Louise’s long, pinkish blond hair. Louise was in that flying machine. Such magic never…
Wardes saw through Louise’s talent. He wanted to have it in his own hands.
…The element that Founder Brimir used. The lost element, ‘Void’.
He shook his head. Cromwell said that ‘Void’ is an element controlling life. But how can it create such a light that would defeat an entire fleet?
Even if it is really powerful magic, it was hard to imagine Louise having control over it.
“Was the ‘Void’ the source of that light? But the ‘Void’ that your Excellency talked about and that light seems to be completely different.”
“No one can say that they have a full knowledge about what ‘Void’ is. ‘Void’ is a great mystery.”
Sheffield stepped in.
“It is wrapped up on the other side of an ancient, dark history.”
“History hides many interesting things. Once, I happened to come across a book that named one of the Founder’s shields as Saint Aegis. It has a fairly small amount of information regarding ‘Void’.”
Cromwell spoke as if reciting a poem.
“Founder created the sun, to shine upon the ground.”
“Indeed. There was no light within that small sun.”
“Mystery upon the mystery, I feel ill. Awakening is also bad.<!> Is it so, Viscount?”
“It is as you say.”
“It is said that Tristain’s army was led by Henrietta. For what reason has an inexperienced princess fought? That princess made use of the ‘Founder’s Prayer Book’. Maybe she sniffed out the sleeping secret of Royal Family.”
“What is the sleeping secret of the Royal Family?”
“The Royal Family of Albion, Royal Family of Tristain, and Royal Family of Gallia… were one branch in the beginning. And the Founder's secret was split between them. Isn’t that so, Miss Sheffield?”
Cromwell urged the woman at his side.
“It is as Your Excellency says. The treasure that was given to Albion’s royal family was the 'Ruby of the Wind'… However, where the Ruby of the Wind disappeared to is yet to be found. Since the investigation has not ended so far.”
Wardes watched the woman with a dubious feeling. Because her face was hidden by the deep robe, it was not possible to see her expression. Though one could think she was Cromwell's secretary… she didn’t give an impression of being just a secretary. No strong magic was sensed from her. However, because she was promoted here by Cromwell, she might have some special ability.
“Now, Henrietta, a worshiped ‘Holy Woman’, enthroned to a queen.” Cromwell muttered.
Sheffield said. “The ruler of the kingdom. The queen of the country will also get the Royal Families' secret.”
Cromwell smiled.
“Wales-san.”
Wales, who was revived by Cromwell, entered the room from the corridor.
“You called, Your Excellency?”
“I want to offer congratulations for your lover’s… the Holy Woman’s coronation. I want her to come to my castle of Londinium. However, the journey seems to be very tedious so keep her company to dispel the boredom.”
Wales muttered, “Certainly” in a monotone voice.
“Then, Wardes-san. Take care of yourself. I will leave it up to you to invite the ‘Holy Woman’ to the dinner party and ensure her safe arrival.”
Wardes bowed.
Cromwell and others left from the room. Fouquet muttered absent-mindedly.
“Disgusting man. Baiting one lover with their dead lover is not a way a noble should act.”
Fouquet added, though she herself hated nobles.
“That man is not a noble. Haven’t you heard? He was a mere bishop at first.”
Then Wardes snuffled loudly.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just cannot stay calm. If only the wound would be done healing… I could do my work instead of playing with corpses…”
After that, Wardes regrettably buried his face in his hands.
“Damn! I… Am I powerless? Hasn't the Holy Land slipped away again…”
Fouquet laughed with a smile, and placed her hand on Wardes's shoulder.
“You are a weak man… Yet, I knew that from the beginning.”
And then, Fouquet brought her face close to Wardes’s and placed her lips on his.
Slowly pulling her lips back, Fouquet muttered.
“Rest for now. I do not know what you are hiding… Yet once in a while you need to rest as well.”
In Tristain’s royal palace, Henrietta was waiting for her guest. Even though she was a queen, she never sat on the throne. She mostly did the king’s work.
After the coronation was finished and she became queen, the number of things to do in the domestic and foreign areas greatly increased. Some were demanding loans, some were asking it in a good nature, and Henrietta, from morning till night, was always meeting someone. And, because of the war, there are more guests than usual.
Because she was always straining to show her dignity, she became very tired. Even though Mazarini assisted, she had to come up with the answers herself. It was too late for Henrietta to revert back to being a princess.