Chapter 13 : Something Better Than Sweets

“…Haa.”

Having revealed the truth, Crown Prince William let out a heavy sigh, his mood visibly s somber.

His bowed head and slumped shoulders betrayed his disappointment, clear to anyone watching.

“Uh, Your Highness… are you alright?” Erina asked, unable to ignore his state.

The Crown Prince lowered his head further, a sigh escaping as he spoke.

“How could I be alright? Ever since I heard a light had descended on this land, I couldn’t sleep properly, thrilled at the thought of seeing the Holy Sword.”

“Oh, yes, you wanted to draw it…” Erina replied.

“Even if I couldn’t draw it myself, I planned to personally anoint the one who did as the Hero,” he said. “I dreamed of standing closest to that Hero’s birth, watching the sword’s radiance illuminate humanity. Imagine it—a sword shining brighter than anything, banishing the world’s darkness in a glorious moment. To share in that moment—is that not the very essence of romance?”

“Uh, yes, romance…?” Erina echoed hesitantly.

“Yes, an ideal life demands at least one romance,” he continued. “For me, that was the Holy Sword. When I heard your husband might have claimed it, I felt a joy I’d never known. A Holy Sword falling before a soldier who’d achieved countless feats in battle—it’s the start of a heroic saga straight out of a fairy tale. How could I not be excited?”

“Well, my husband is an remarkable man, but…” Erina said.

“Yes, I wanted to witness that remarkable man wielding the Holy Sword,” he lamented. “But to find out it wasn’t the Holy Sword after all…”

Haa. A deep sigh of frustration escaped the Crown Prince.

As Erina watched him with unease, he summed up his feelings in a single phrase.

“…My world has collapsed.”

“…”

“I wanted to see it, the legendary Holy Sword…”

How much does this man love the Holy Sword?

I almost felt sorry for how intimidated I’d been at our first meeting.

As I grappled with these mixed feelings, Rona toddled toward the Crown Prince.

Holding out a cookie, she said, “Princey, here!”

His somber gaze shifted to Rona.

I worried he might snap in frustration, but instead, a gentle smile spread across his face.

“Heh, are you trying to cheer me up in your own way?” he asked.

“Cookies, yummy!” Rona chirped.

“I’m glad you enjoy the treats my personal chef made,” he said. “I’ll gratefully accept your kindness.”

He took the cookie Rona offered and ate it.

As color returned to his face, Rona giggled, plopping beside him to munch on her own cookies.

Her complete lack of wariness suggested she instinctively knew he meant her no harm.

Yes, at least he wasn’t someone who’d hurt Rona.

“Your Highness,” Erina said.

Despite this realization, her expression remained troubled, as Rona’s fate was still uncertain.

The Holy Sword aside, Rona was undeniably the Hero’s reincarnation.

Surely, a leader of humanity wouldn’t let such a child remain free.

“Are you… going to take Rona?” she asked cautiously.

“Take her…” he mused.

Perhaps because he hadn’t considered a Hero’s reincarnation before, Crown Prince William didn’t respond immediately, gazing at Rona thoughtfully.

How should he handle this young, immature girl with the Hero’s power?

“…What do you think?” he asked.

His question was completely unexpected.

Given his authority, we’d assumed he could take her by force, yet he was asking for our thoughts.

“Our thoughts…” Erina began.

“Speak honestly,” he urged. “What do you think of this girl, and what do you hope I’ll do with her?”

The respect in his serious tone was unmistakable.

Erina and I exchanged a glance, pondering our response for a moment.

Erina spoke first.

“I… can’t have children,” she said.

Stroking her stomach, she continued in a somber voice, sharing her story.

“When I married my husband, I believed having a child was the key to true happiness. But cruelly, an accident long ago stole that blessing from me. After learning that, I was depressed for a long time. We came to this village to heal from that pain.”

“That’s a harsh fate,” the Crown Prince said.

“Yes, I felt like the unhappiest person in the world,” she agreed.

Her story continued, pouring out feelings she’d kept buried.

The Crown Prince listened silently, occasionally nodding in empathy.

“…And then we met Rona,” she said.

A warmth crept into her face.

Her eyes, fixed on the girl innocently eating cookies, shone with the same genuine love she’d once directed at me.

“Her true nature didn’t matter,” she said. “To us, who needed a child, her sudden arrival was a miracle, so precious. We didn’t want to lose her, so we raised her with all our hearts. Though we’re not bound by blood, I love her as much as I love my husband, and I want that love to continue forever.”

Her heartfelt words resonated deeply.

Unable to continue, her voice trembled, *choking with emotion.

But even without more words, I knew.

Her words were a desperate wish, not a plea that could sway someone with power over our fate.

“But… if this child is truly destined to save the world, keeping her with us would be too selfish, wouldn’t it?” she said.

Evil looms over the world, and our daughter holds the power to save humanity.

For us to claim a child with such an irreplaceable role would be an act of evil.

No matter how much we cherished Rona, Erina and I couldn’t be selfish enough to ignore that.

“When Rona showed her extraordinary side, I sensed she’d leave us one day,” Erina said. “That day is now, isn’t it?”

So, at the very least, she hoped Rona would go to someone who’d respect and raise her properly.

Believing the Crown Prince fit that role, I joined Erina, bowing respectfully.

“Please cherish her,” I said. “Our daughter, who saw us as her parents, even if only for a short time…”

With this, Rona would part from us.

Even as I steeled myself, the ache in my heart made my body tremble. I felt Erina’s limp hand grip mine tightly.

She wasn’t ready for this farewell, and it was painful and sorrowful.

But we had to accept it. With that thought, I squeezed her hand to encourage her.

It was the best we could do…

“…I’ve heard your story,” the Crown Prince said.

Having listened silently, he spoke slowly.

“You truly see this girl as your daughter.”

His hand gently stroked Rona’s head.

A tender gesture.

Rona didn’t resist, focused on her cookies, and a soft smile spread across his face.

With that expression, he continued.

“But from your story, it sounds like you assume I’ll take her,” he said. “Why are you so certain and already saying goodbye?”

“What?” I blinked.

“If I took her from you here, I’d be *forcibly separating a child from her parents,” he said. “As the future leader of the Empire, how could I shamelessly do such a thing?”

His words made our eyes widen in disbelief.

Erina, struggling to process them, spoke in a trembling voice.

“So… you’re saying you won’t take Rona?”

“I’d take her if I could, but I don’t believe I can force it,” he said. “After all, what you found isn’t a tool like the Holy Sword but a being with a personality.”

His gaze shifted to me, filled with gentle warmth, devoid of hostility.

“If I’d found a tool like the Holy Sword first, I might have claimed it or persuaded its wielder,” he said. “A tool has no will of its own, so the one who wields it controls everything.”

Yes, he’d always had that warmth in his eyes.

My wariness had mistaken it for hostility, but he’d consistently shown this attitude.

“But what landed here wasn’t a tool but a being with will,” he said. “A girl who can think, feel joy and sorrow, and learn… yet is still so ignorant that she doesn’t know what justice or evil is.”

Maintaining that attitude, he smiled softly at the tiny Hero beside him.

“To control such a girl would be to suppress her self—an inhumane act.”

His gaze held respect.

Not for a tool to be wielded at will, but for a person with her own identity.

“That’s wrong,” he said. “To act for humanity requires the most human of hearts, and such a heart must be awakened by free will, not oppression. For that, we must respect this girl’s free will.”

“…Huh?” Rona murmured, finally looking at the Crown Prince.

Her eyes held only innocent curiosity. She lacked the knowledge or experience to understand this conversation.

“And so, little Hero,” he said, addressing the pure, ignorant girl, “I ask you.”

“Would you rather stay with me or with your parents?”

“Huh?” Rona tilted her head.

“For the record, if you come with me, I’ll give you the best treatment possible,” he said. “I could gift you piles of cookies every day, far better than what you’re eating now.”

“Oohhh~” Rona gasped, clearly tempted by his offer.

My heart raced with anxiety, but he continued.

“But for that, you’d have to prepare for many things,” he said. “You’d be taught a sense of duty every day, sometimes flatter powerful people, and help those in trouble regardless of your will. And…”

His gaze shifted to Erina and me, his words carrying weight.

“Most importantly, if you come with me, you’d have to live apart from your parents. As someone responsible for the Empire, I’d have to demand much from you.”

“…”

“So, what do you choose?” he asked. “Are you ready to endure all this for the rewards of staying with me?”

Rona silently looked between the Crown Prince and us.

Her hesitation showed she was conflicted by his words.

Watching her, Erina and I were gripped by dread.

If Rona chose to leave of her own will, we’d have no choice but to let her go.

If it was her decision, made freely without coercion…

“Cookies, yummy,” Rona said.

My heart sank at her words.

“But…” she continued, toddling to Erina and me, grabbing our hands with hers.

With a radiant smile, she shouted, “Mommy and Papa are yummier!”

Despite the tangible benefits of a lavish life in the Imperial court.

Her love for Erina and me was sincere enough to forsake it.

“…I see,” Crown Prince William said, a satisfied smile spreading as he spoke softly.

“If that’s your choice, I must respect it. That’s what it means to be human.”

Yes, he was a leader.

More human than anyone, hoping the one who’d save him would be human too.

As the sunset faded, we stood at the village’s exit, bidding farewell to the Crown Prince and his soldiers as they prepared to leave.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Erina asked, worried he might change his mind.

But the Crown Prince brushed off her concern casually.

“Didn’t I say? If what landed here is a being with personality, her will must be respected,” he said. “Besides, you can’t force a child who doesn’t yet understand the world to save it. What this girl needs now isn’t a sense of duty but parental love.”

“Your Highness…” I said.

“But don’t relax just yet,” he warned. “My uncle’s soldiers have already threatened you, and that news will likely spread to the Empire’s powerful and minor factions alike.”

Yes, only Crown Prince William had granted his permission.

Even a young girl with the Hero’s destiny would attract those seeking to exploit her or impose their causes.

Becoming Rona’s parents meant preparing for that. His next words echoed that concern.

“I’ll likely be summoned to meetings about the Hero repeatedly,” he said. “The Council of Elders will nag me endlessly for entrusting the Hero’s reincarnation to outsiders instead of the Imperial family. Some may even challenge my authority over this.”

“If it’s that serious…” I began.

“But even so, I won’t regret my choice,” he said. “A savior of humanity must be the most human, and that requires parental love.”

With that, he extended his hand to Erina and me.

“Can you raise this girl to be a fine adult… a being more human than anyone?”

With his words, Erina and I steeled our resolve and clasped his hand.

“We’ll try,” I said.

“We won’t disappoint you,” Erina added.

A commitment to meet the expectations of a true leader who respected us and cared for Rona.

Seemingly satisfied, the Crown Prince released our hands, stepped onto his departing carriage, and waved.

“I’ll return to the Imperial capital now,” he said. “Though we won’t be together, I’ll send messengers occasionally with news to keep you cautious. Until we meet again, stay healthy!”

“Princey bye-bye~” Rona called, waving from our side.

We stood there, watching the carriage procession fade into the distance, honoring the man who’d given us this chance with the utmost courtesy.

“…Alright, then,” Erina said.

She turned as their figures vanished completely.

Holding Rona’s hand firmly, she looked at me with a relieved voice.

“Shall we head back?”

“…Yeah,” I replied.

I stepped forward quietly.

“Let’s go home. To our home.”

Where my wife and daughter awaited.

A simple, warm life that felt enough just as it was.