A King is Born on the Road

Hayer and Iris couldn’t say anything for a while at the news that the sacred tree was being revived.

The two people had a duty of cutting the sacred tree, and the breaths of the two went into that duty. But they never thought it would come back this easily.

Hayer, who had froze, found Iris gritting her teeth and inadvertently brought his hand to her chin.

“That hurts.”

Saying that, he returned his hand that was about to touch her chin.

Iris took a deep breath, relaxed her body, and said to Hayer.

“The fact that Lord Kernin’s exit from the maze and the news of the resurrection of the sacred tree came together means that the two things are not separate, right?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“How on earth?”

This was a great shock to both of them. Among them, Hayer, who considered cutting down the sacred trees as his job, was even more shocked. But he calmly opened his mouth.

“For now, I think I should guard the sacred tree of the mountain area. Reviving the sacred tree of the desert means that you don’t know when the sacred tree of the mountains will also be revived.”

“If you guard…?”

“I’m going to go south right now and completely remove it, down to the roots.”

Iris nodded.

Hayer immediately thought of his next job. At least, that’s what it looked like on the outside. From his appearance, Iris knew that she also had to find something to do.

Kernin’s emergence from the Traitor’s Labyrinth meant that he, too, fulfilled an important task as heir to the throne. If he even revived the sacred tree that had died there, the hearts of the citizens of Luwan were likely to be directed to him.

While Hayer headed south to remove the sacred tree to its roots, Iris headed to the palace.

───  ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅  ───

News of the sacred tree was delivered through the mouths of merchants passing through the oasis as well.

The news quickly spread throughout the capital. Madeleine, the daughter of Kernin Lepos, also heard the news.

She met with her half-brothers and their best friends today.

Originally, they would not even sit with her. However, after hearing that Madeleine was pregnant with Sid Lepos’s child, and hearing that she had even become Iris Lepos’s lady-in-waiting, she was invited to this meeting.

Since their father, Kernin Lepos, was the leader of the Royal Knights, they were free to visit any villa owned by the Royal Knights. It was their privilege, their pride.

“I was eleven. Do you remember?”

“Of course. I still live with the memory of picking the fruit of that tree.”

Despite calling her, they were only sharing their memories that Madeleine couldn’t know.

Madeleine, who had been listening for a while, said.

“I… I think I have to go now. The princess is preparing an important party, so I have to help.”

Then Kane Lepos, the eldest son of Kernin Lepos, said.

“Party? Is there a party we don’t know about?”

“Ah. Getting ready… the princess is throwing a party to celebrate her visit to the Traitor’s Labyrinth. She said she would send invitations soon, the princess.”

Madeleine slightly reflected on herself, thinking that she was putting ‘princess’ at the end of her words too much. However, to her, Iris was a person she admired and a lifesaver.

As she was about to leave, Saila, Kerrnin’s youngest daughter and the same age as Madeleine, spoke up.

“That’s good. Father is coming back soon. Will there be two main characters at the party?”

“That’s great.”

Kane responded as if he had been waiting. Madeleine only then realized why they invited her here.

Iris’s other lady-in-waiting, Agatha, had a large amount of hands. They were all over the place preparing for the party, so there was no way they didn’t know. When Kernin returned, they wanted to celebrate their father’s achievement together at the grand party Iris was preparing.

Madeleine’s eyes darted around awkwardly, not knowing how to refuse.

“I… uh… L-let me ask.”

Then Saila frowned and said,

“Is this something to ask? It’s a party to celebrate going to the Traitor’s Labyrinth anyway. Just let them know they’ve both been there. Who wants to pacify a main character?”

“It’s not that… that’s…”

“I know it is.”

Madeleine, who was intimidated by Saila’s cold eyes and tone, lowered her head. And on her way back to the east building, tears began to drip in the midst.

Originally, she didn’t shed so many tears, but after she became pregnant, tears have poured out on a regular basis.

Madeleine, who was entering the east building after bursting into tears, noticed Iris climbing the stairs with a hard expression.

“Pr-Prinncess.”

“…Madeleine?”

Originally, Iris was a person with a cold impression.

Madeleine always thought that the impression she had resembled Celios Lepos. She thought there would probably not be many men who would not be intimidated by approaching such a cold beauty.

Today, Iris had a cold look on her face that was twice as cold than usual. However, when she found Madeleine full of tears, her expression relaxed.

“Why are you crying? What happened?”

“Pregnancy… the child…”

“W-what about the child?”

This wasn’t it. Speaking of the child, Iris thought there was a problem with Madeleine’s body and hurried down the stairs.

Madeleine shook her head that it was not.

“Because I’m pregnant… I get choked up like I’m menstruating every day… I’m angry…”

“Ah…”

“That’s not the point…”

“Mhm, speak slowly. Where do you want to sit?”

Hearing Iris’s kind words after being among Kernin’s children brought more tears to her eyes.

Relying on Iris’s support, Madeleine sat on the sofa in the foyer on the first floor and cried for a long time.

After crying until she was exhausted, Madeleine said, recovering from her emotions.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry… May I ask why you cried?”

“Oh, I was going to tell you that.”

Madeleine hugged her chest, feeling like she was going to cry again. She was almost angry at herself for why she couldn’t overcome such mixed feelings.

Madeleine took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

“My father’s children are trying to change the main character of the princess’s party.”

“Change it, to Lord Kernin?”

“Yes! My father came out of the Traitor’s Labyrinth, so can’t we celebrate the party together anyway? Does that make sense? I don’t know, but my father saved the sacred tree. In the end, the party we worked hard on…”

Madeleine closed her mouth tightly because she didn’t want to say it was going to be taken away.

Even though he was her father, Madeleine was just like anyone else. She didn’t know much about politics inside the royal palace, but she instinctively knew who she was safe with.

Iris listened to Madeleine and was lost in thought.

Madeleine’s concerns were not excessive.

Iris knew that Kernin would emerge from the maze and be imprinted by the Luwans as a likely successor just like Sid Lepos, and perhaps even more, for saving the sacred tree.

Every fight needed a cause.

Iris knew that the weight was different when she had a cause and when Kernin Lepos had a cause.

He had strong force, and he even had the power to control the Royal Knights.

As soon as Kernin returns to the capital, he will try to inform the whole land of Luwan that he had been to the maze, and just in time, Iris will spend a lot of money and time throwing a party for Kernin.

Somehow, Kernin’s children gathered with Madeleine for the first time in a while, and she wondered what was going on.

It was to burden Madeleine, who couldn’t stand up to them, to deliver what was difficult for them to say to the host, Iris.

Just in time, Agatha also rushed to the east building, probably hearing this fact.

“Party! Nothing can be taken away, Iris! The party I prepared!”

Deep down, Iris was shaking, wondering if this was the right time to throw a party.

Agatha said firmly, as if she knew that.

“It’s not just a social event. It is to strengthen the position of Iris Lepos to the citizens of Luwan as well as the royal palace. But you can’t lose it like this.”

Iris nodded.

As she headed to the North Gate, she recalled the Knights of the Tejas, who were talking about Kernin’s ascension to the throne.

“Isn’t Kernin Lepos a cruel man? If he ascends the throne, he will kill all his political opponents.”

“With the exception of Iris Lepos, Her Majesty the Queen.”

That’s what Hayer said then.

“Lord Kernin must have an inferiority complex because he is not legitimate, so he will definitely try to take Her Majesty the Queen.”

Iris scoffed. She thought she had avoided a lion, but it looked like a dragon was opening its mouth.

She pondered how to turn the situation around.