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As Emilia exited the backstage area and came into the crowd's view, she couldn't help but smile as she was greeted by a cacophony of cheers and whistles. 'They're as rowdy as ever, huh?'
Given how much the atmosphere resembled a concert, and the people below acted like crazed fans, it was really no wonder that some of her critics mocked her for being more of an idol than a leader.
Of course, Emilia didn't blame these 'children' for their behavior. In fact, knowing how much they liked her, she'd even dressed up in this custom piece designed by her mother's friend based on Noelle and Crystal's advice. Most notably, Sam wasn't allowed to get a single word in.
Although it didn't look anywhere as charming as her 'coronation' dress at first glance, the combination of purple flowers and frills really made the custom princess-line dress appear more regal than it already was on Emilia.
Compared to her usual carefree style, this was perhaps her most 'conservative' appearance in public, being almost completely covered aside from her heels, hands, and face.
She waved her hands to the cheering crowd, and waited for them to settle down a bit before tapping the mike with a smile. "It's good to see that everyone is as energetic and cheerful as ever, despite all the trials and tribulations we've had to face recently."
Most people understood that she was talking about the war, and they rushed to assure their princess that not only were they fine, but they would happily fight for her and the empire's sake whenever the need arose.
Emilia shook her head solemnly. "Although I'm happy to receive your feelings, I would rather everyone spend the rest of their lives without having to fight again. Of course, if someone tries to trample on your pride, you mustn't hesitate to take up arms."
She lectured them a little more on when they should and shouldn't get violent, and the aura of the crowd noticeably grew solemn as time passed.
Why was their princess talking like 'their' and 'her' decisions were two separate things?
Their bad premonition came true when, after her lecture, Emilia gave them a somewhat sad smile. "Let's not talk about war anymore. There is something I need to tell you, but before that… would you be willing to listen to a story from my childhood?"
Compared to her usual peppy and cheerful self, the way their princess was behaving today was really unusual, and made most of the crowd uneasy. But still, it wasn't like they could say no to her face, could they?
"Since I don't hear any nays, I'll take that as a yes." Emilia giggled. "Anyway, as some of you might know, my parents are quite overprotective, and just like my sisters, when I was little, they raised me as a very sheltered girl."
Only a few people were keen enough to notice her use of 'sisters' instead of the singular 'sister' that she was supposed to have, but they didn't have the time to ponder much on that thought as Emilia continued her story.
She weaved a tale of an extremely sheltered girl who not only didn't detest her 'imprisonment', but quite enjoyed it as she watched her older sister finally grow up and head out into the world to make a name for herself while taking care of her more innocent twin sister.
To the crowd, the news that there were 'two' of them was like a bombshell. And at first, they really thought that the 'other' Emilia must be quite similar to their princess, at least enough for her to be indistinguishable to most. Otherwise, there was no way no one would have discovered something amiss until now, right?
Unfortunately, that theory was dashed as Emilia continued with her tale.
"Although both of us were equally pampered and spoiled by our family, my sister Danny was far more innocent and gullible compared to myself, who had taken big sis as my idol and started learning about worldly affairs, despite not really being interested. And unfortunately… some people were quick to take advantage of that." She sighed.
The crimson-haired girl told them about how Amos supposedly manipulated and pretty much ruined Danielle, her 'twin', and how she had no choice but to come forward and replace her sister to not only protect her, but also to restore her honor and pride.
Emilia frowned. "My Danny has always been protected by us, so she's not very clever, but her heart is pure. Unfortunately, pure hearts like hers are far easier to stain and break, so as her closest kin, I took it upon myself to step in and destroy those who sought to ruin her." Then, she giggled. "Of course, it looks like I got carried away, and ended up doing much more than I ever thought."
As the crowd stirred, Emilia smiled. "But… I don't regret it. Getting to know all of you, my knights, my friends, my girlfriends… it has made my days brighter than I ever thought they would be."
Just as everyone was about to breathe a sigh of relief, however, she continued. "But… my innate nature has not changed. As you might have guessed… I… still don't like being under so much limelight."
Emilia could tell that some of her 'children' had already guessed what she wanted to say, based on their anguished and reluctant expressions. "Being your princess, your empress… it really makes me happy. But… sometimes I wonder, will I stop being a princess in your hearts if I'm no longer your empress?"
Usually, if the crimson-haired beauty was to direct a question at the crowd, people would be clamoring to answer her first. But this time, no one dared to let out a squeak.
If they said yes, that would be like slapping Emilia in the face. But if they said no… wasn't that just asking her to leave?
But the longer Emilia remained silent on the stage, the more restless the crowd grew. And in the end, one little boy finally couldn't contain himself and shook off his mother's hand before screaming.
"I will always love you, princess! I don't care about anything else!"
It was a trigger, and soon, many more joined in.
Emilia could tell that, compared to the innocent children who didn't understand what the future held, the adults were clearly reluctant to confess their thoughts. But that didn't mean their words were insincere.
If anything, it touched her more that they were willing to confess their love even though they knew it might mean losing her, just because they didn't want her to be hurt.
Of course, many still stubbornly didn't want to admit it. Until their princess explicitly told them she would be stepping down, they refused to believe it. But since their silence was completely drowned out by the confessions of the majority, in the end, their resistance amounted to nothing.
In the end, those who could show up early enough and fight for a spot in front of their princess were her most loyal admirers, after all. Even the most reluctant soon broke down and admitted their feelings.
"W-We love you, princess!"
"Please don't leave!"
Even though she knew it was inevitable, and she couldn't stay in this world forever, the guilt Emilia felt inevitably made tears well up in her eyes. "Thank you, t-thank you… for loving me so much."
Unfortunately, their sincere wishes this time… were bound to remain unfulfilled.
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