Sephine walked up to the Demon King, clutching a thick stack of documents in her arms.
She reached out and tugged at the corner of her clothes.
“Let’s end the meeting here. Can you come help me?”
Sephine was actually asking to adjourn the meeting halfway through?
The Demon King wondered if she had been swapped with an impostor.
“What’s wrong?” the Demon King whispered, leaning down toward Sephine.
The other officials held their breath, not daring to speak.
They were all very perceptive; although they hadn’t seen Sephine for a while, they still vividly remembered her former spirited appearance.
They had truly never seen Sephine looking so bedraggled.
“There are too many documents. I can’t organize them all by myself. Please.”
The Demon King straightened her back.
“Meeting adjourned!”
The Demon King helped Sephine carry all the documents Astrid had left behind back to the Inner Palace.
“Are all of these what he left?”
“Yes.”
Sephine began classifying the files one by one.
She had to at least continue the work Astrid hadn’t finished.
“Hey, let’s put the Academy matters aside for now. After what happened, they are clearly trying to warn you. For the next few days, wife, you stay put in the Inner Palace. I will personally investigate Astrid’s matter.”
“I want to investigate it myself. Besides, the Academy reforms must continue.”
“Are you still not satisfied after things have escalated this far?! Did you not hear what they were saying outside just now?!”
The Demon King had sensed Sephine’s presence long ago.
Sephine had been waiting outside the door for a while, only entering after almost everyone had finished speaking.
“…”
“If they dare to kill Astrid today, they will dare to kill you tomorrow!”
“I’m not afraid of death.”
“I am! Why can’t you think of me for a change? Why can’t you consider the child? I gave you a vacation, so you stay put! Guards!”
“Take the Empress to rest. Do not let her out without my orders!”
“Yes! Lady Empress, please come with us.”
Sephine did not argue.
She followed behind the knights with her head bowed as she left.
Denif Weer Sephalu collapsed into her chair.
She hadn’t expected this matter to spiral so out of control.
Originally, she thought the suggestions Sephine proposed would be the best and most appropriate.
But now it seemed that taking charge herself was what mattered most.
Losing her temper with Sephine just now was a last resort.
She knew better than anyone how stubborn Seilin could be.
She had used her Divine Blessing Power a few days ago, and her mind had been hazy lately.
Now that she had flared up, a migraine began to throb in her head.
Daphne had kept Ai’er’s words in her heart.
Unlike the other council members, Sephine could not use powerful magic, did not have a strong body, and lacked racial talents.
Pure-blooded Humans were already rare in this land; most active Humans were now mixed-bloods.
Sephine’s former village hadn’t even lasted half a day under the bandits’ invasion.
Sephine was like a piece of jade; if someone wanted her to break, she could shatter at any moment.
On her way to her quarters, Sephine encountered Aspha Koda coming toward her.
As they brushed past each other, Seilin whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Sephine didn’t stop, following the knights all the way back to the Inner Palace.
—
A knock sounded at the meeting room door.
The Demon King opened her eyes, already knowing who was outside.
“Enter.”
“Lord Demon King…”
Aspha Koda held a file in his hand and placed it on the conference table.
“This is information Astrid gave me privately before. Please have a look.”
“Leave it there.”
The Demon King stared at Aspha Koda, who seemed hesitant to leave.
His movements were fidgety, not at all like a minister should behave.
“Is there anything else?”
“That… Lord Sephine heard what I said earlier, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Please apologize to her for me. I just got heated in the moment.”
“Understood. You may leave.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Aspha Koda walked out of the room and let out a sigh of relief.
Originally, he hadn’t wanted to hand over this “inheritance” from Astrid to the Demon King.
It was obvious that Astrid knew he might die, yet he still chose to keep investigating.
Losing his dear friend was a devastating blow to Aspha.
He was already 48 years old, while Astrid was still a young man.
Despite the age gap, they had become best friends, which showed how deep their bond was.
But this young man had sacrificed his life for his ideals, finally leaving this world in a gruesome manner.
He simply could not accept it.
He was also technically an Old Noble, spared from death only because of his talent.
As an official of two reigns, only he knew what he had endured to keep the position of Finance Minister until now.
Aspha Koda already intended to resign, but before leaving, he wanted to do one thing he truly wanted to do.
This would be a gift to the deceased youth—both for Astrid and for the Aspha Koda of years past.
The Demon King opened the magically sealed letter.
Inside were Astrid’s Investigation Records.
This young man, so highly favored by Sephine, had found the final link in the chain of interests in only one day.
It read: “The investigation was yielding no results for the longest time, so I personally visited the Academy. I didn’t expect to discover a hidden space beneath the Academy; this is something only an Archmage could achieve. I wanted to enter but couldn’t find a way. In the end, I had to give up, but it doesn’t matter. I have scoured the books in the Imperial Palace Library and finally found a way in. I can finally complete the task Lord Sephine entrusted to me!”
That was the entirety of the letter’s content.
The Demon King used her hand to tear a rift in the air, peeled it open, and placed the letter inside.
“It is the honor of the Magic Kingdom to have such a loyal subject. This matter is far from over.”
This was not just an explanation for Sephine, but also an accounting for the loyal official who had died.
—
Inside the Inner Palace, Sephine sat on the bed with her legs pulled up and her head buried between her knees.
She hadn’t imagined that Astrid would die because of her.
If she hadn’t been lazy and had investigated it herself, would Astrid still be alive?
Unfortunately, it was too late for such thoughts.
A vibrant life had been extinguished because of her.
As long as one was still human, they would inevitably feel grief over such a thing.
Daphne pushed the door open and saw Sephine still sitting on the bed, wearing only a nightgown.
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble,” Sephine said.
Vi pulled Sephine into her arms.
“You’re so cold. Get under the covers.”
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
It was only now that Sephine truly realized what kind of person she was.
She had merely happened to be reborn into this world, carrying her meager knowledge.
She had been lucky enough to meet Vi and rely on her power to become the Grand Chancellor.
‘Do I really still have the right to sit in this position? Perhaps someone else is more capable and suited for it.’
Vi gently stroked Sephine’s head.
This petite adult had finally revealed her most vulnerable side.
“It’s okay. You still have me.”