When Luna woke up the next day, she found Nier had already gotten changed. Nier noticed Luna who was behind her wake up. She turned her head around. Her eyes were still red, but she had regained her calmness and resolve in her gaze. She looked at Luna, made a small bow and greeted her: "Good morning, Luna."

"Ah… good morning."

Luna looked at her blankly and asked: "Nier, you……"

"I've made up my mind, Luna. I love his majesty." Nier looked at Luna resolutely and calmly continued, "I understand now. I understand now. If this is love, then I love his majesty. Maybe it's because his majesty helped me. Maybe it's because his majesty is the only one who accompanies me. But whatever the case is, I love his majesty. And I don't intend to give up."

"So……"

Nier looked at Luna with determination and replied: "I want to protect him at his side just like you, Luna.

You are his majesty's personal servant, and I want to be his personal bodyguard. I don't hate my ident.i.ty as a Valkyrie. It's just that I want to be a Valkyrie that protects his majesty. I want to keep him safe from harm. In the past it was her majesty's job for me, but this time, it's my own wish."

Luna stared blankly at Nier who was standing before her with determination and sighed. Luna revealed a hopeless and envious smile, knowing that Nier couldn't be stopped. She said: "Nier, you really are cool, huh? You are so decisive and cool even in love. I truly envy you, Nier. It's so admirable for you to have that sort of courage. Come what may, we shall serve his majesty together from now. Please look after me."

Luna looked at Nier and opened her arms.

"Uhm."

Nier looked at Luna. It was the first time she reached her hand out. The two of them shook hands and then gave each other a gentle hug. What feelings were they feeling? Nier and Luna couldn't explain it. It was like a roommate type of friends.h.i.+p, as well as two who shared the same sad fate.

Nier left the room. The prince doesn't actually know that they can see his sleeping face every time they come out. But it didn't matter. The prince was sound asleep. Nier looked at the side of the prince's face. His expression was very calm. As a matter of fact, he had a smile on his face. Nier couldn't help but recall the feeling of when it went to her head and she kissed him. Her heartbeat sped up. The feeling of when she kissed him resurfaced on her lips. She couldn't help herself from walking up closer and coming closer to his face. She couldn't control her palpitating heart.

She gave him a peck.

"Lucia……"

The prince seemed to feel something. He frowned and then revealed a happy smile as he muttered a name.

Nier stood in place silently. Her heart which was palpitating felt like it took a hit again, as if the impulse and feeling just before was an unrealistic dream. She took in a deep breath like sucking melted ice which p.r.i.c.ks your skin and runs down your mouth with a tinge of blood mixed in.

"Is that you.., Lucia?"

Nier's line of sight s.h.i.+fted to the pendant the prince placed to the side. The lovely heart shape looked like it was mocking her with a smile. She took in a deep breath and then left the room. She needed to bid the empress farewell and head out today. If she couldn't become his majesty's wife then she wanted to be his bodyguard. She was fine with it as long as she could be by his side. She was fine with it even if it meant she would have to bodyguard Lucia in the future as well.

It was like protecting her majesty. Her majesty gave her the strength to live on while his majesty gave her the purpose to live on. She saw a bigger world at his majesty's side. She obtained determination from his side.

Inner court……

"Your majesty, Nier is at the door."

The empress nodded. The maid behind her got frightened and nearly broke her majesty's long black hair.

A moment later, Nier entered the inner court, knelt down on one knee reported in: "Your majesty, sword instructor of Valkyrie squad one, Nier Gilliante, reporting for duty."

"Nier, do you still remember what we discussed?"

"I do." Nier raised her head and continued, "But I have come to understand that I will not be his majesty's wife. I have already confessed to his majesty. His majesty rejected me, explaining that he is getting married."

"WHAT?!"

The empress aggressively stood up from her seat causing a few strands of hair to break and scaring the maid who dropped to both knees in the process. But the empress was in no mood to worry about her hair right now. She looked at Nier and exclaimed with shock: "What did you say?! He's getting married?! Why didn't I hear about it?! I'm his mother and yet I never heard anything about it!"

Nier looked at her majesty and calmly said: "His fiancée's name is Lucia. I think the matter is with the elves' side which is why his majesty did not mention it."

"d.a.m.n it! That b.i.t.c.h! That d.a.m.ned b.i.t.c.h! She still wants to get ahead of me?! He is my son! I'm the one who's going to decide his marriage. I don't care what she says, I won't accept that elf! My son must marry an appropriate human wife, not a b.i.t.c.h of an elf!"

The empress furiously ripped her sword out of its sheath, slammed her hand on the table hard and shouted: "Castell!"

"Present."

Castell came in, bowed and asked: "What has gotten you so mad, your majesty?"

"The elves. Why didn't I know about my son getting married?!"

"Please calm down, your majesty. His majesty does indeed have a fiancée named Lucia. But I never heard they were getting married. It must be a recent announcement."

Castell looked at the empress and asked: "Your majesty, do you want me to go and have a word with the elves?"

"Of course! How dare that woman pair my son up with a b.i.t.c.h of an elf! I absolutely won't accept it! I am the one who shall decide my son's marriage. I am his true mother! Go and talk to the elves. If they don't agree, then tell them to prepare for war!"

The empress furiously swung her hand and then quickly wrote a letter at the table, shoved it into an envelope and sealed it before finally handing it to Nier. She added: "Nier, I agree to you and my son. You are the only one I am satisfied with among all those by his side at current. Deliver this to the church and when you return, I'll let you and my son get married."

"Your majesty!"

Nier looked at the empress blankly. She couldn't believe her ears. The empress nodded and said: "I've always treated you as my daughter. I agree now. Also, call his adopted-sister Freya here."

"Roger!!"

Nier excitedly stood up and swiftly left the inner court. She gripped the letter in her hand tightly and carefully like she was holding her heart. Castell watched Nier's back as she vanished into the distance and asked: "Your majesty, is that really alright?"

"There's no alright or not alright. At least Nier is a virgin, and she's much better than others. I don't want to have my son marry someone he's never met before either. Nier is a good choice. Go prepare some medicinal herbs. I need Nier to get pregnant in the shortest time possible. She must get ahead of that elf! Oh, right. Go and find some poison for me right now, and then give it to me."

"Understood."

Glossary

*This has popped up a lot and I have a good guess as to why it's a common thought, and reinforces that being presumptuous is evidently real and popular. "Just Harem it up" is basically the thought, reason being "because what king doesn't have a harem?" For those who don't see everything I say, you may have missed it, but in this world, polygamy is abnormal and will have people raising their eyebrows, if not viewing you as a heretic. So the "kings have harems" logic from 2D worlds you're familiar with and the 3D world doesn't apply to this world that Troy is in.

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