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54.

For quite some time after that, Wesley Morel spoke earnestly about dragons.
"Think about it—I can now see a dragon's distinctive eyes not just in paintings, but in reality. How beautiful and wondrous they must be! I've longed for this day so desperately. Roselita understands my heart, doesn't she? And when it unleashes its breath—"
Ever since childhood, when I'd gifted him a fairy tale book filled with dragons, he'd always been like this ‌whenever the subject arose. So I found myself naturally revising supply operation strategies for the Flare Dragon subjugation campaign in my mind.
His tirade against the Temple finally concluded after ‌‌he'd covered the Flare Dragon's historical facts, weaknesses, visually stunning features, the scale fragments left in the Temple, techniques, and so forth.
"Oh, of course Roselita ‌‌‌desperately wanted to see it too—don't misunderstand!"
After he'd said everything, Wesley suddenly straightened his posture as if coming to his senses, his ‌‌‌‌face flushing red.
That habit of his hasn't changed.
At ‌‌the thought that crossed my mind, I laughed softly without resistance, and Wesley laughed along with me.
"I don't approve of Prince Cassian, but I understand why people favor him. Unlike the utterly incompetent clergy, he truly ‌‌‌excels at what he does."
"Indeed."
I spoke matter-of-factly because it was the truth, yet he seemed somehow displeased.
"I'll become skilled too, Roselita."
"Pardon?"
"I've grown much stronger now—strong enough to protect you!"
Wesley Morel spoke with both fists clenched tightly.
"So watch over me too. During the time we were apart, I didn't just grow taller!"
Anyone could see he's grown more than just in height.
Just as I was about to make such a flippant remark, I met his earnest gaze and simply nodded instead.
Yes, if my younger brother—Wesley Morel was truly one year my junior—has grown, ‌‌‌then that's something to be proud of.
I chose to feel joy rather than bitterness at his growth.

*

For another four days, I recovered my strength while steadily preparing for the dragon subjugation campaign. ‌‌‌
"Roselita loves her work far too much—it's becoming a problem."
Though Cassian expressed some displeasure, I ignored it.
The longer the expedition stretched, the more supplies we'd need, and if military preparations and my duties didn't conclude on schedule, the timeline would only expand!
If that happened, the First Empress would certainly find ways ‌‌‌‌‌to hold the Winter Palace Administration accountable and strip away our budget—I couldn't allow that!!
Despite ‌‌‌such fierce determination, once nine o'clock arrived each night, Cassian would confiscate all my documents, leaving me no choice but to become a child of the new kingdom.
Instead, he would—
"There, isn't this acceptable?"
He'd sacrifice his own ‌‌sleep and arbitrarily complete ‌the work I was meant to do.
"Acceptable?!"
Every ‌‌day I'd smile like a cunning fox and voice my complaints toward Cassian, who'd ‌‌stolen my duties.
"You're robbing me of my precious allowance!"
"You don't even mean that." ‌‌‌
Cassian laughed it off casually and pulled me up, guiding me toward the table.
"I know all too well that my beloved aide isn't such a cold person, am I wrong?"
Truly, my superior's ability to interpret my heart grew keener with each passing day.
"Don't you understand that ‌‌I worry about ‌‌‌you, Your Majesty?"
Not selective interpretation—just plain cruel.
How could someone about to enter battle reduce their sleep?
As I stared at him with a sullen expression, Cassian sent word outside and attempted once more to silence me with breakfast.
"Did you think I'd fall for something like—"
"I know Roselita worries."
Cassian placed a spoon directly into my hand as he spoke.
"But I think there's something Roselita doesn't realize."
"What might ‌‌‌‌that be?"
At his quiet voice, I tempered my momentum and asked obediently.
"How much I worry about Roselita."
"...I'm not unaware."
"You seem unaware."
Only after confirming I was gripping the spoon firmly did he sit beside me, turning his ‌‌‌gaze toward me.
"If you truly understood, you couldn't do this. Reaching a state where fractures could occur at the slightest movement, fever spiking above forty degrees, inability to maintain body temperature—enduring all those side effects."
For a moment, anger tinged his voice.
Not directed at me, but raw fury with nowhere to go.
As if it had become his habit, Cassian brought his hand to my cheek and ‌forehead to check ‌‌‌‌my temperature as he spoke.
"You couldn't have made such a choice."
"...You know as well ‌‌‌‌as I do that it was the best option available."
"The best option?"
Cassian spoke as though it were absurd.
"Roselita suffering this much could ‌‌never be the best option."
He slowly withdrew the hand he'd placed against me.
"Even more so if it's to prevent the slightest possibility of me sustaining an injury."
His ‌violet eyes bore into me with an intensity ‌‌that ‌was both deep and penetrating.
For a moment, I wondered if he was angry with me, yet another part of me sensed something closer to disappointment.
In moments like these, I lamented that I lacked Cassian's meticulous nature.
Had I been more perceptive, I might have understood the depths of his heart far better.
Yet I was not so foolish as to remain ignorant of how to ‌‌soothe ‌‌‌him.
"From now on, ‌I shall consult with you first, Your Majesty."
And ‌‌‌‌that was the best I could offer. I could not promise outright refusal—this world had taught me too well that it was perpetually cruel to us.
Cassian held my gaze a moment longer, then ‌‌released a shallow sigh and washed his face with his hands before nodding.
"There's no helping it. I ‌‌‌‌suppose I must yield gracefully, taking pride in the fact that I treasure ‌you more dearly."
How had he arrived at such a conclusion?
Though the question lingered, I chose to concede defeat ‌‌to Cassian with quiet acceptance.

*

By the time all preparations for the subjugation were complete, the Snow Kingdom Army and Imperial Army arrived at the ‌‌‌Base Camp near the summit with impeccable timing, having eliminated the remaining magical beasts.
"Thanks ‌‌‌to the ‌‌‌‌timely arrival of the ‌‌Saint, the ‌‌damage has not spread further. We are truly grateful!" ‌‌
At the Snowland King's words, several High Priests who had accompanied him visibly grimaced.
'How fortunate that I instructed the Administrative Officials to spread word to the Snowland King about the Saint's involvement.'
I ‌‌was glad I had learned the Snowland King's temperament in such detail from the ‌‌‌Second Concubine.

'My brother is absolutely vile and detestable! He absolutely loves seeing others fail! And he loves it even more if they're opponents he can compete with!'

After all, it wasn't even ten years ago that the Temple branded Snowland as a nation of ‌‌‌‌barbarians.
They harbored resentment over Snowland's refusal to grant permission for a Temple to be built in the Snow Kingdom Capital, citing the kingdom's adherence to indigenous faith.
So they believed that if they merely leaked information to Snowland, the High Priests would be more than willing to cause the kind of trouble that would make them grimace.
"The ‌‌‌‌sight of the barrier ‌‌being ‌‌restored was so magnificent that I found myself developing some faith in your deity as well."
Perfectly timed, as it were.
At the Snowland King's forward-looking remark, the High Priests' expressions grew even more sinister.
And Wesley, for his part—
"The timely restoration of the barrier is not my achievement alone, but owes much to Prince Cassian's excellent defense and the Imperial Army's support, as well as Advisor Roselita's guidance when we lost our way."
He redirected the credit toward Cassian and me, further twisting the priests' dispositions.
Seeing him smile while feigning innocence made it abundantly clear this was entirely intentional.
Caught in this three-way struggle between the Temple, Wesley, and the Snowland King, our Emperor naturally observed the situation with composed restraint.
'Though he seems to be enjoying it somewhat?'
After all, he harbored considerable animosity toward the Temple himself.
The First Empress might not know it, but one reason the Emperor refused to grant her ‌‌the Empress title was precisely this.
The close relationship between the Temple and the First Empress.
"To the extent that if His Majesty were to visit Snowland even once, we might consider permitting a Temple to be built in the Capital—roughly to that degree?"
Yet the Snowland King was someone who understood moderation down to the microgram, and he knew how to dangle an appropriate carrot before the Temple.
At his words, the ‌‌‌High Priests' gazes turned in unison toward the Snowland King, then shifted to Wesley.
Desire pooled thickly in their eyes.
The prospect of achieving what no one had managed since the Temple's founding—establishing a Temple stronghold in the Snow Kingdom ‌‌‌‌Capital.
Unbothered by their scrutiny, Wesley gazed at the Snowland King and smiled broadly.
"Surely visiting Snowland isn't such a difficult matter, Your Majesty. But might I ask one question?"
"Ha ha, by all means! This Snowland King will answer anything I'm ‌‌‌capable of—everything except what I don't know!"
"I understand Snowland has frequently conducted dragon subjugations throughout your long history. Do records of these remain?"
The eyes of a genuine dragon enthusiast gleamed with fervor.
Never forgetting his own interests regardless of circumstance—truly, what an ‌‌‌‌‌exemplary saint he's become!
While I felt a quiet sense of pride, the Snowland King packaged his response skillfully and opened his mouth.
"Ah, so that's why—a saint would naturally take interest in subjugating magical beasts! Indeed, we have quite a collection in our Royal Palace. Should Your Majesty desire it, I would be delighted to show you! Though I'm afraid they cannot be removed from the kingdom."
At the mention that removal was impossible, Wesley ‌‌‌showed slight disappointment but nodded as though he ‌would consider it ‌‌‌favorably.
"Excellent! Once this subjugation concludes, I shall announce far and wide that the Saint will be visiting Snowland! Of course, provided the Temple raises no objections."
At the Snowland King's words, the High Priests bristled at the emphasis placed on "Saint," but reluctantly nodded their assent.
Thus, with Wesley's saintly title matter resolved according to my intentions, we formally commenced the ‌‌‌‌dragon subjugation conference.
And the Snowland King, exactly as the Second Concubine had informed him—
"I am deeply grateful for your efforts in reaching this point ‌‌and maintaining the barrier, and for the cooperation between the Empire and the Temple. Therefore, I shall take ‌the vanguard in the Flare Dragon subjugation campaign—"
Quite cunningly—
"as the Snowland King himself."
He was attempting to seize the initiative.
But.
"Your Majesty, while I appreciate the gesture, how could we possibly place a nation's sovereign in the most perilous position?"
We had no intention of yielding that role either. ‌
The Adamant ore—that singular, incomparable mineral said to slumber within the Flare Dragon's lair.

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