The Emperor Is My Brother's Best Friend
Ch. 98

It rained. 

Nobles dressed in black mourning clothes gathered at the cemetery where the bodies of the deceased nobles were buried.

They all mourned for the loss of Duke Proud.

"The commander-in-chief of the Imperial Knights died as a terrorist."

"He's so young too. Duke Proud is not married. Who will inherit the family?"

"According to rumors, he will be returning his family name and title to the Imperial Family."

Those who mourned Elliot are whispering.

Between them, Rose watched blankly as the coffin containing Elliot's body was placed into the ground. She didn't know what to feel anymore.

Someone walked up to her side.

"Lady Honeywell, about Duke Proud, my condolences."

"I know how much Lady Honeywell adored Duke Proud. The two of you were a well-matched couple, but he didn't even get to see your engagement ceremony."

"I'm sure Duke Proud will be worried about Lady Honeywell being left alone."

They talked about Elliot in front of Rose, eager to hear more insider news rather than sincerely attend the funeral for the deceased.

She couldn't hear what they were talking about; rather, she excused herself and left.

Anne, who was holding the umbrella for Rose, hurriedly followed her mistress as she walked away.

"Lady Rose, are you alright?"

"Anne, I want to be alone for a moment."

Anne shook her head. She wasn't willing to leave her mistress alone when she clearly went through something so tragic only recently.

Alas, with one look at Rose's stiff expression that appeared on the verge of collapse, she handed her the umbrella with a worried expression.

"Even in summer, it rains. My lady, please at least use this umbrella. I don't want you to catch a cold."

"It's okay, Anne. I'm wearing a hat. I'm avoiding the rain with this."

Rose pushed her hand away and turned around.

Anne watched as Rose walked away. Her steps were uneven and carried the appearance of a visible limp from her fall in the Imperial Palace's banquet hall that hadn't fully healed.

Rose walked for a while, and when she noticed that there was no one around, she abruptly came to a stop.

Elliot's death has been fully confirmed by today's funeral. He's dead. 

Rose wrapped her arms around herself and lowered her head.

Raindrops formed and dripped down the tip of the hat on her head.

Still, she seemed unaware.

Rose muttered as the rain drenched her head and shoulders.

"If Elliot had been alive in the first place, he would have been punished more severely. It must have been..."

Rose, who had been motionless and muttering, noticed that the rain that had been drenching her had stopped.

When she raised her head, a black umbrella came into view.

"Your Majesty."

Russell, holding an umbrella, placed it over Rose's head.

"Why are you here without an umbrella?"

Russell leaned forward, carefully ensuring not a single drop of rain fell on her, as Rose shook her head.

"Just... is Your Majesty here to attend Elliot's funeral?"

"Hmm. The emperor must come to the funeral of the one and only Proud family member of the Tristan Empire."

"I see."

Rose bowed her head again.

Russell, quietly watching Rose, blatantly added

"It's been over ten years, yes? The time when you began to like Elliot."

Rose hesitated. She didn't want to answer honestly. It felt wrong to confess now that he'd passed. Her response was reluctant when she finally chose to speak.

"Yes, it has been over ten years now, but... I don't like him. To be honest, I regret it! I hate myself so much for liking him in the past."

Rose spoke firmly. Her features displayed her exhaustion from the thought of all those years spent loving the wrong person.

Russell showed no particular reaction to her words.

Instead, he just asked more questions.

"Really? Do you really hate that Rose from back then? Do you regret the feelings you had during that time?"

Rose gritted her teeth.

She should have said yes, but her mouth wouldn't open.

In the end, tears welled up in Rose's eyes.

"Then what should I do? I have to blame myself for liking Elliot back then. I have to regret it."

Rose covered her mouth with both hands to keep from crying.

Her trembling voice slipped between her fingers.

"I have to think about that. I can't just say I can feel nothing about Elliot's death if not."

Elliot Proud was the man who pushed her to her death, but that was a past that no one else knew of.

Now that she was alive and well, all that remained of Rose were her memories of her past self, who had loved Elliot passionately.

She had experienced heartache while liking him, and she had learned what it was like to smile just by looking at him.

If she hadn't denied her feelings at that time, Rose might have been heartbroken over Elliot's death. She would have been suffocated by the devastation of losing him.

So Rose still resented him and had to hate her past self for liking him.

Russell hugged Rose, who was shaking up to her shoulders and unable to control her emotions.

"There's no need for that. The Rose back then was also Rose Honeywell. Let's cry over his death and let him go, alright? Let's let him go, along with the Rose who liked Elliot."

Rose looked up at Russell.

How can he say something like that?

If there was ever a time when Russell were to cry because he couldn't forget the girl he liked in the past, she thought she would be upset.

Rose stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Russell's waist.

"Just today... only for today will I cry for Elliot Proud. Otherwise, I would be so pitiful."

Russell's large hand patted Rose's back affectionately.

"Okay. Just cry today."

Rose closed her eyes in Russell's arms.

Memories from the past unfolded before her eyes.

The Rose who held an unrequited love for Elliot, the man who never gave her a second glance unless she was of use to him.

However, at that time, Rose had been happy despite her heartbreaking, unrequited love.

Now that his life has come to an end, it wouldn't be good for her to keep blaming him.

After today, she would completely forget about him.

Goodbye, Elliot Proud.

---

A week after Elliot's funeral, the founding festival was just around the corner.

Originally, the nominated Gloria of Tristan would have graced the first and last days of the founding festival, but as Rose's leg was not completely healed, that honor was given to another lady.

After sending tea, a bouquet of flowers, and a letter expressing her apology to Lady Dawson, who had suddenly become Gloria of Tristan, Rose left her room.

Her destination was Wells' office.

Wells, who was working in his private office, looked surprised by Rose's visit.

"Rose, your leg isn't completely healed. Why are you walking around?"

"I have something to tell you."

"Then you should have called me through the butler. I can go to your room instead of having you walk here in pain."

"Don't mind me, brother. I thought it would be bad if I didn't move too much."

Rose sat on the couch in the office.

Wells also got up from his chair and took a seat on the couch so he could personally examine Rose's leg, which was recovering slowly.

Sealing Abaddon's soul and body had been successfully completed.

The mirror containing the body is kept by Russell himself.

Is it because Abaddon's soul is sealed inside Rose?

As before, before Abaddon's journey to consciousness, Rose was unable to properly recover from even a minor wound.

...No. If the wound heals quickly thanks to that monster's power, something will definitely happen later.

The doctor said Rose's leg is gradually getting better, so I shouldn't worry.

Wells, being distracted with his worries, hadn't heard Rose's voice as she spoke to him. Meeting her expectant gaze, he felt sheepish.

"I'm sorry, Rose. What did you say?"

"I want to meet Ilya."

"Ilya Titonsser? But---"

"I know what you're worried about. The reason Ilya tried to kill me was related to Abaddon's body. I want to talk to her and find out why she gave in to him."

Wells looked into Rose's eyes, gauging her resolution, before he nodded with a long sigh.

"Okay, I will ask your Majesty for permission."

"Thank you, brother."

"Oh, and Rose."

"Yes, brother?"

Rose waited for him to speak.

"Be careful then, sister."

"Alright, brother. I won't disturb you any longer."

Although the limp was much better than before, Rose's gait was still awkward.

Wells, who had been watching Rose leave the office, wiped his palm across his face as the door closed.

"I don't know what that child will do with her relationship with Your Majesty. Haa..."

Wells decided to leave the matter for the two to solve on their own, and he soon got up and went back to his desk to resume working.

---

Permission to visit Ilya was granted, and the visit was scheduled for three days from now.

It was agreed upon that before her meeting with Ilya, she would be meeting with the Emperor.

"His Majesty said he had something to say about this incident."

Wells added before leaving for work.

Rose nodded, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Thanks for letting me know, brother. If he isn't too busy, can I request a meeting today at the Imperial Palace?"

"Alright. I'll send the carriage in the afternoon."

Wells immediately got into the carriage and went to work at the Imperial Palace.

After returning to her room, Rose began to prepare for an afternoon outing with Anne when she found a box sitting in the corner of her desk.

"Ah! I forgot about this..."

Rose carefully opened the box.

Inside was an album she had received from an anonymous person on her birthday.

Rose, flipping through the album and looking at postcards depicting the sea, called Anne.

"Anne, did you hear from the postman who delivered this gift?"

Anne, who was organizing her clothes, raised her head.

"Yes. I was told it was a man. They said they couldn't see his face because he was covered in a cloak."

"By any chance, how tall was he?"

"Hmm... Well, about this tall?"

Anne raised her hand to make a guess.

She guessed a bit shorter than Wells.

"I see..."

"Shall I ask him again?"

"No, it's alright. I wanted to at least say thank you."

Rose headed to the terrace, holding the album.

She sat down at the table on the terrace and unfolded it again from the front.

Rose looked at it with a wistful expression and tapped the last page with her fingertip.

"Thank you for helping me on that day when I was lost. I want to meet you and say hello directly, but I'm afraid I can't."

---

A carriage arrived from the Imperial Palace.

Although it wasn't fancy, Rose dressed up with Anne's help, got into the carriage, and set off for the Imperial Palace.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, a knight who had been waiting approached her.

"Welcome, Lady Rose Honeywell. I will guide you to where His Majesty is."

"Thank you."

Rose followed the knight, thinking they would head to the office or reception room inside the Imperial Palace.

However, the knight led her outside.

They arrived in front of an arched entrance covered with leaves and flowers.

The guide did not proceed further and stepped aside.

"His Majesty is inside."

"Thank you."

Rose gave a nod of acknowledgment to the knight and proceeded on her own.

She entered at a leisurely pace and found herself in a garden.

Summer flowers were in full bloom, and at the end of Rose's gaze was a lake with a bridge spanning it.

A tall man stood on the bridge.

Even before seeing his face, the brilliantly shining silver hair identified him as Russell.

He turned his head as if he heard footsteps approaching and watched as Rose slowly approached the lakeside.

Russell descended from the bridge, and Rose greeted him with a curtsey.

"Greetings to the sun of Tristan."

"Welcome, Rose. How are your legs?"

"It's not completely healed, but I can walk without discomfort."

Russell extended his hand to Rose, to which she placed her hand on top of his.

With his assistance, she climbed onto the bridge and admired the lakeside view with him.

"It's truly beautiful."

"Hmm. This place has been tended to and cared for by our ancestors."

Rose, captivated by the lakeside scenery, realized that Russell hadn't invited her here just for the view.

"Your Majesty, may I ask why you summoned me?"

"Hmm. Well, it's about your significant contribution to sealing Abaddon, a fact known only to us. I want to express my gratitude as the Emperor. If Lady Rose Honeywell has any wishes, I will grant them, even if it requires the Emperor's power. Is there anything you desire?"

Rose made eye contact with Russell, pondering what she truly wanted from him.