The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go

“Felix.”

The knight, who had been standing like a wooden stone, opened his mouth at the slender voice that seemed to collapse at any moment.

“Yes, princess.”

A woman in a long, pure white dress that covered up to her feet slowly turned her head.

“I’ve never worn a white dress before.” The woman whispered.

The knight saw the woman’s eyelashes quivering as she spoke.

He didn’t know exactly how she felt.

And what kind of answer she wants.

“Yes, you look very beautiful.”

‘That was the only answer I could barely pick and choose.’ The knight thought.

“It’s like…”

‘It’s like a wedding dress’. The knight who was about to say those words stopped speaking.

It was because he saw the purple eyes of the woman looking at him.

“Felix.”

A stream of tears flowed down from her eyes drenching in despair.

“Can I do it?”

The knight knelt to her knees without speaking and wiped the woman’s tears with a handkerchief.

“…Of course.”

Nevertheless, the light did not return to her purple eyes.

“Don’t worry. I will always be by your side.”

The knight knew…

That his words are as empty as the eyes of the woman.

As he looked into her empty eyes, he thought.

It was not a wedding dress.

‘Ahh.’

For a moment, I got goosebumps.

The only person to wear a white gown was at a funeral.

The very person to the funeral.

Thinking of the empty color, the woman suddenly came to her senses and shook her head.

“Felix?”

“Ah, no.”

Trying to erase the horrifying sight before his eyes.

⚝

“What?”

Cedric bit his lip and scratched his cheek in embarrassment troubled at my reaction.

He seemed to know that I would be a little embarrassed to hear this news.

“What do you mean, sending the princess instead of the tribute…?”

“That’s what I want to say.” Cedric replied with a deep sigh.

“I have strongly advised them to reconsider, but it is reckless. How can they violate the rules of the empire that rules the world?”

“No, the Empire hasn’t paid much attention to Ackeleta’s tribute in the last 100 years. When there was a famine, we didn’t say much even if the tribute was less than usual.”

“I mean, it’s just a cause.”

Cedric smiled bitterly and shook his head.

‘Wow, but this is really…’

I’m so dumbfounded when I heard from Cedric, but what about Cedric who first heard the news as the person who received the tribute?

‘A tribute…’

According to Cedric, Ackeleta openly said that they would send the princess as a ‘tribute’.

It’s like taking Persephine as a hostage.

No, it’s closer to a thing…

‘I never thought things would turn out like this.’

Although it’s still quite different from the original story, I thought that Cedric and Persephine would meet someday.

At first, I even tried to arrange their meeting.

Even though Cedric hit the wall so hard that it failed.

“Ackeleta didn’t want to break off relations with the Empire even after they regained their territory. Rather, under the protection of the Empire, they were able to avoid attacks from neighboring countries.”

Cedric stared at me and smiled as I tapped on the table.

“As expected, do you think so too, Ciel? Ackeleta is too afraid of breaking off with us?”

“Um, well, that’s right.”

I answered, looking down at the brown mahogany table.

I was sorting out things on my mind.

When a new variable appeared, it was necessary to prepare for it.

‘I can’t believe that Ackeleta voluntarily sent Persephine, who was originally scheduled to be forcibly taken from Ackeleta.’

It may be a little better than the first meeting between the two in the original.

At least Cedric wasn’t forced to bring her in this time.

However, it would be difficult for Persephine to have a liking for the people of the Empire even in this situation.

So it was equally important to be careful not to deteriorate the relationship between Cedric and Persephine.

‘It would take some time to make them get close, but I wish I could do that much.’

Of course, it would be even better if the two became so close and got married.

“By the way, Your Majesty,”

“Yes?”

“It seems to me that Ackeleta wants to strengthen the relationship rather than fear that it will break.”

“That’s right. I think so.”

Cedric’s red eyes turned to the map spread out on the mahogany table.

The camellia-colored eyes looking down on the faded map were fixed on Ackeleta, the southern part of the Empire.

“It bothers me, but it’s hard to say no. If we refuse outright, it sounds like I’m overly ignoring the Princess of Ackeleta.”

“That’s true.”

“So it’s a little burdensome, but I accepted it for now.”

“Well, I see.”

I shrugged, staring at the map.

“Hmm…”

“Why, Ciel?”

“No, I just thought of something…”

I think it’s similar to the situation I learned in history class in my previous life.

‘Maybe it’s not very different from the fact that the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty took the king of Goryeo as his son-in-law.’

However, unlike the usual one-sided request from a great power, Ackeleta once refused the Deamant, but now they cried and said that they would send their princess away.

Wow, I didn’t expect to use the historical knowledge I learned more than 10 years ago here in this world.

‘But if that’s the case, this is 100%.’

They want to use Persephine and Cedric to continue the relationship with Ackeleta.