Chapter 96: Side Story 1) Name
New Empire Calendar, Year 2, November 3.
On a day when the chill of winter was beginning to creep in, deep within the Imperial Palace, the laughter of a happy family blossomed like flowers in full bloom.
“Come on, Luise! Walk all the way over here. You can do it, just one step at a time!”
“If you feel like you’re going to fall, Mommy will catch you. So don’t be scared and give it a try, okay?”
A man and a woman, gathered cozily in a room filled with the warmth of the fireplace, cheered on the child with voices full of anticipation.
The baby wasn’t even old enough for a first birthday celebration yet.
Naturally, she couldn’t understand their words, but perhaps she could still grasp the sentiment behind them.
Encouraged by her parents, the child lifted herself up and took small, unsteady steps forward.
Though clumsy and wobbly, her direction was clear—straight toward her parents.
“Ababa!”
“Yes, Daddy’s right here. I’m not going anywhere, so take your time.”
“You’re almost there, sweetheart! Just a little more!”
With her mother watching closely from the side, the child stumbled, swayed, and yet slowly pressed forward.
A distance of only a few meters—short, but certainly not an easy challenge for a baby.
Despite the struggle, she managed to reach the end, completing her journey.
Then, beaming brightly, she looked up at her father before collapsing into his embrace.
“Uweh…”
“You did so well. Our daughter is amazing.”
“She must take after her father with that determination.”
“Oh, come on, that’s definitely from you, Camilla.”
As some might have already guessed, this child is my daughter.
My firstborn, who came into this world earlier this year.
With hair as red as a blooming rose, I named her Luise.
Just like her name, she was unbelievably adorable and beautiful.
She wasn’t even a year old, yet her striking features already hinted at a future beauty.
I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of stunning young woman she would grow into.
She had never been sick even once so far, and I could only hope she would stay healthy in the future as well.
After all, no matter how skilled a healer or doctor we had in the family, I never wanted to see my own flesh and blood suffer.
“Uwaaah!!”
“Oh dear, she’s fussing for food again.”
“She needs to eat well while she’s growing. Should I call the wet nurse?”
“No, as her mother, I should take care of her.”
With a gentle smile, Camilla loosened the upper part of her dress and guided the baby to nurse.
Despite going through pregnancy and childbirth, her breast remained beautifully firm and full.
More than enough to provide all the nutrients the baby needed.
Would that be an H? No, maybe even an I?
They had definitely grown bigger after pregnancy and childbirth.
Well, still not quite as much as our second empress, though.
“You’re surprisingly kind to your child, Camilla. You used to seem sharper before.”
“What are you saying? I’ve always been like this with family. I only acted tough in politics to seem strong.”
Seeing Camilla’s affectionate actions, the saintess chuckled softly, resting her head on my shoulder.
Sitting properly with perfect poise, her stomach was noticeably swollen.
Not from gaining weight—no, that responsibility mostly fell on me.
She had gotten pregnant a few months after Camilla.
Thanks to her divine nature, it had taken a bit longer for her to conceive.
“When this child is born, I’ll raise them just like you do. Even when I pump milk every day, I still have more than I know what to do with. I wonder if the baby will be able to drink it all.”
“Oh? But isn’t there already someone by your side who drinks it? And yet you say it’s too much to handle?”
“Well, even though I offer it every night, it’s still more than I can manage…”
“Ahem, let’s stop with the strange talk.”
Anyone listening might think I had some sort of odd fetish for stealing my children’s meals.
“More importantly, have you decided on a name for the baby? You’re due very soon.”
“A name…?”
The saintess shook her head weakly.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t seem to come up with anything. I don’t even have memories of being called by a name myself, so naming someone else is difficult for me.”
“There’s no need to apologize.”
“That’s why…”
She hesitated for a moment before speaking again in a shy voice.
“Your Majesty, could you name the baby for me?”
“For you?”
“Yes. I’d like you to give me a new identity—not as a saintess, but as an individual, as myself.”
With a face filled with regret, she recounted what had happened.
It was about a month before Luise was born.
The saintess had traveled alone to the former lands of the Theocracy.
Her purpose was none other than to search for her lost family.
She had been taken to the Holy See at the age of six, separated from her relatives.
Now, she sought to find them and reclaim her past.
“Thank you for letting me go, Your Majesty. I’ll see you again later.”
“Just don’t get hurt. There are more than a few people who would be devastated if something happened to you.”
“Hehe, don’t worry. I may not look it, but I once dug through the Holy City all by myself, you know?”
To maintain security, she traveled discreetly with only a small escort.
She couldn’t display any noble family crest, as that would reveal her identity as an empress.
However, she still rode in an elegant carriage, accompanied by elite soldiers from the Revolutionary Army.
No bandit would dare target such a well-guarded group.
Besides, with the war over, public safety had improved considerably.
Upon reaching the former Theocracy’s territory, she retraced her childhood memories to locate her hometown.
“Is this the place, Saint… ahem, madam?”
“Yes. I remember this mountain. It had such a unique shape that I used to play around here all the time as a child.”
“Then there should be a village or a settlement nearby…”
If this were the 21st century, the constant cycle of redevelopment and remodeling would have made the search nearly impossible.
But this was a medieval fantasy world.
Some technologies might be on par with the early modern era, but culturally and socially, this was still the equivalent of the 17th century.
There was no concept of urban renewal, and buildings often stood for centuries without change.
A mere decade or so wasn’t nearly enough time to alter the landscape of a rural village—especially with distinct geographical features like this.
“It’s this way! If we go around that rock, there should be a path leading in… Ah.”
“What’s wrong, madam? Why did you… Damn it.”
But just as her search was about to reach its conclusion, everything fell apart.
“Was there a fire? No… it looks like someone set it deliberately.”
“The bodies are all trapped within the ruins. Judging by their postures, they didn’t burn to death in their sleep.”
“Then someone killed them first… and burned the place down to destroy the evidence?”
There was no one left.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say… no one alive remained.
All that remained there were things that used to be people.
The destruction and death had occurred at least a decade ago.
All that was left were rotting wooden beams, crumbling stone walls worn down by wind and rain.
The old mill where she used to play as a child, the kind neighbor who always greeted her warmly, the village’s only shop… even the house that had once been her own.
Everything had long since burned down and crumbled.
Despite the years that had passed, she could still recognize it.
This was not the result of a natural disaster—it was clearly the work of human hands.
“Who would do something like this to a civilian village?”
“Who else? In a remote countryside like this, it’s not hard to guess.”
“…They’re insane. They kidnapped her and then slaughtered her entire family?”
The guards sighed in frustration, while the saintess let out a heart-wrenching cry.
“Aah… ah, ahhh… why…!”
Everything was gone.
The one thing that had given her the strength to endure her cruel life—the people she had always believed she would see again.
The only connection she had left to the world outside the Holy See… had already been erased long ago.
Overcome with grief and anger, the saintess sobbed until there were no more tears left to shed.
“Why… why did they have to go this far? Was it not enough to shatter my life, you wretched bastards?!”
She could guess the reason.
Most likely, it was to prevent any rumors from spreading about her birthplace or her family.
A puppet like her couldn’t be allowed to have outside connections.
But did they really have to go this far?
There was no one left to answer her questions.
Either they were long dead or buried beneath the ruins of the Holy See.
Hoping that someone might have escaped, she inquired in nearby villages.
But the only response she received was utter denial.
Her entire village had been labeled as demon worshippers.
No one had escaped. Not even a single ant had made it out alive.
The Holy See had been thorough—and utterly merciless.
“Madam, are you all right?”
“…Yes. Let’s go back. But before we leave… please bury them somewhere warm, where the sun can reach them.”
In the end, the saintess had no choice but to return home.
She had set out with hope and anticipation, only to come back with nothing but despair and sorrow.
“Now, the only family I have left is Your Majesty, Camilla… and you. Only the three of you truly know who I am.”
Tears welled in the saintess’s eyes as she clutched my hand tightly.
“I can’t remember anymore. I don’t recall what my parents looked like or how they used to call my name. I tried so hard not to forget, but now… I know nothing.”
“…You.”
“Your Majesty, please give me a name. A name not as a saintess, but as an ordinary person… as your wife.”
Everyone who had once known her past was dead.
The only people around her now were those who worshipped her as the Goddess’s representative or the Emperor’s subjects.
No one remained who had ever seen her as just herself.
That was why she pleaded with me.
To make her an ordinary person.
To see her not as a divinely chosen figure, but simply as a woman who loved a man.
“Alright.”
If she wanted it that desperately, it was only right that I grant her wish.
Traditionally, names were often derived from a person’s physical features.
In that case… her hair, as white as milk and as pure as a lily, seemed like the perfect inspiration.
“How about Lilia?”
“It’s a simple and fitting name.”
“If you don’t like it, I can change it.”
The saintess shook her head with a gentle smile.
“No, I love it. Lilia von Royten… it even sounds beautiful.”
With a radiant smile, she leaned in and kissed me softly.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting my sudden request.”
Even though we had been married for over a year—
That was more than enough to stir me.
“Oh my, you’ve stiffened up quite a bit.”
“With me being this far along in my pregnancy and Camilla still not fully recovered… should I take care of you with my mouth?”
“…Yeah.”
In the end, she did it with her mouth.
Twelve times.