Chapitre 37: A moment

As Neonidas and Allea began their meal, the fragrance of elegant flowers enhanced the atmosphere. It was only natural for the princess's quarters to be adorned with such beautiful blooms; after all, despite everything, the empire was immensely wealthy. Still, it was worth noting that the empire was gradually losing its former glory, and in such a vast realm, even the smallest issue could echo far louder than expected.

There was a matter Neonidas was still uncertain about, and as he ate in silence, his thoughts drifted away from Allea to ponder it. Without a doubt, his presence had already begun to visibly alter the future. Yet, for Neonidas, the blurring of the future wasn't a problem—More precisely, it would not be after a certain period of time. Once he had strengthened himself enough, the future would inevitably change, and there was no way to resist it. But what truly puzzled him was another matter.

This world wasn't a replica of the novel written by his ex-lover. In fact, it seemed to be a more advanced or perfected version. There were fundamental differences—such as the empire's external and internal political dynamics. For instance, the likelihood of rebellions within the empire was increasing, and these potential uprisings didn't seem like mere skirmishes. After all, the Donnadan Empire was a multi-ethnic empire, and its vast territorial expansion had been because of the brilliance of its early leaders and the superior combat prowess of its native populace before it had even become a kingdom.

However, times seemed to be changing. During the empire's greatest conquests, the magical artifacts that could significantly enhance one's power either didn't exist or were exceedingly rare. With the advancement of magical technologies, the nature of warfare had evolved, and the empire's system was becoming outdated. These were the condensed thoughts running through Neonidas's mind, and he suspected that Allea was aware of this as well.

Indeed, Allea wished to implement a series of reforms and innovations within the empire, even to the point of fundamentally transforming all empire. That was why Neonidas, with his knowledge of the future, was an invaluable weapon for her. When a ruler seeks to introduce change, the biggest challenge is predicting how those changes will be received. For Allea, Neonidas was an unpolished gem.

Ultimately, while Allea may not have been truly in love with Neonidas, from her perspective, it wouldn't be fair to call her intentions unjust. She merely wanted to save an empire on the brink of decline. For example, if a ship is sinking, and the first mate sacrifices a few individuals to save the vessel and its passengers, what would become of that first mate? Most likely, they would be hailed as a hero.

This was Allea's goal, and Neonidas could very well be one of those sacrifices on her path to salvation or not. While this might seem tragic to Neonidas, to Allea, it was necessary. In short, she intended to use him. This might be seen as cruel, but in the grander scheme, if Allea succeeded, no one would care about Neonidas or what happened to him.

However, even though Neonidas had some idea of her intentions, he didn't plan to object. He would allow Allea to use him, even willingly. To Neonidas, if someone far more powerful than him wished to control him, the best option was to consent to that control on his own terms. After all, the most dangerous wild animal is the one underestimated by those around it.

For this reason, Neonidas would allow Allea to use him for a time, even volunteering for it. Under the guise of love, he would serve as her hunting dog. But when the day came, and he was strong enough, the dog would either bite its master to break free from bondage or devour master entirely.

"Will you bring your own army to the war?" Allea suddenly asked, snapping Neonidas out of his dark thoughts.

As previously mentioned, every duke in the Donnadan Empire wielded power akin to that of a king, and could easily maintain their own private army. However, imperial law dictated that a duke could command an army of no more than twenty thousand soldiers, and that only in extreme cases such as rebellions. Normally, they were limited to ten thousand troops. For wars, however, with the emperor's special approval, much larger armies could be raised.

"If His Majesty the Emperor permits it, my plan is to establish my own army. Of course, I won't be able to raise a very large one since my duchy is still dealing with certain economic issues. But I'm confident I will crush the Kingdom of Hindonpon," Neonidas said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin in accordance with noble etiquette.

"Don't worry, I'll allocate a sufficient number of soldiers from the imperial army as well," Allea replied. "Do you need additional funds for your duchy?"

Neonidas realized Allea was trying to draw closer to him and, recalling the strategy he had devised earlier, responded, "Honestly, I don't want to burden you, Allea, but it's true that I lack adequate funds for a few short-term investments."

"It's not a problem. I want to help you. After all, you're going to be my future husband. Would ten thousand gold suffice?"

Neonidas paused for a moment upon hearing Allea's offer. Ten thousand gold was a significant sum. "Allea, I truly don't want to burden you, but this amount would be amazing for developing the duchy," he said, playing his role perfectly.

Allea nodded, taking a bite of her salad with her fork. "Don't worry. I'm not like other princesses who never step foot outside the palace. Giving you ten thousand gold with the money I've earned from my own assets won't trouble me," she said with her usual neutral expression.

Feeling as though he had stumbled upon a "sugar mommy," Neonidas gleefully cut a large piece of ribs and began eating. "I'm truly grateful. I'll pay you back when the time comes," he added, feigning a small, grateful smile.

As Allea sipped from her wineglass, her attention fell on the rings Neonidas wore. Since the day Neonidas had received the engagement ring, he had never taken it off. Allea, however, only wore her engagement ring when necessary—at balls or official meetings, for example. But today, for the first time, she was wearing it without any particular reason. It seemed that in the future the ring would start to visit her finger more often than before.

As the hours progressed, Allea began to loosen up, while Neonidas remained completely steady despite drinking more alcohol. This was because of his immunity to poisons. While some might argue alcohol isn't technically a poison, it is, in essence, a toxin, albeit a less potent one. This gave Neonidas a natural tolerance to alcohol.

As Allea grew more intoxicated—or at least seemed to—her conversation with Neonidas became increasingly intimate, and her tone softened, or at least she attempted to make it so. The original Neonidas would not have realised this if he were here now, but the current Neonidas, having read the novel written by his ex-girlfriend, knew that Allea would never really get drunk. Because Allea was immune to the poison. This was likely another one of her ploys—probably an attempt to make Neonidas fall hopelessly in love with herself again, thus gaining more control over him. But, of course, this wouldn't work on him.

After all, Neonidas had never truly loved Allea. The one who had fallen for her was the old Neonidas.

Allea, putting on an excellent act of being drunk, suddenly stood up and staggered toward Neonidas. Unable to maintain her balance, she stumbled and fell into him, but Neonidas quickly caught her gently by the waist.

"Your Excellency? Are you alright?" Neonidas asked with a concerned expression.

"Hmmm… Neo! … Why are you always… by my side? Aren't you angry with me? After all, I'll abandon you in the future…" Allea slurred, her voice laced with an exaggerated drunken accent.

"… Princess, shall I call a servant for you?"

Allea placed her fingers on Neonidas's shirt, gripping it tightly as she rested her head against his chest. "I... I'm sorry… Neo. I'm sorry for what I've created… I wish I had the chance to fix everything."

Neonidas calmly held the princess more firmly while leaning back slightly. "…It's okay, Allea… Even though my heart is still broken, I'm not angry with you… I'm only angry with myself, as always," he whispered.

Allea's act of being drunk momentarily froze at Neonidas's words, but since her face was hidden, he didn't notice. Regaining her composure, she resumed her act, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Still… I want to make it up to you… What can I do for you, Neo? To win you back..."

A sly smile spread across Neonidas's face as Allea pressed her face harder against his chest.

"…Would you do anything I ask? But I don't want to force you," Neonidas said, his voice tinged with a fragile tone.

Allea pulled her head back and looked directly into Neonidas's eyes. "I'll do anything you want… To earn your forgive—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Neonidas kissed her on the lips. It was a soft kiss, more like the gentle pressing of their lips together than anything passionate, but it was still a kiss. When Neonidas kissed her, he was momentarily stunned as he realized he had just kissed the sweetest and softest lips he had ever touched in his life. The strawberry-like taste of Allea's lips felt more delightful than the pleasure of a thousand strawberries combined. Even though Neonidas was acting, he found himself struggling not to lose control, if only for a moment.