"So you don’t want any recognition for what you just did?"

Emilia looked at Mark with an expression of dismay she made no attempt to hide.

Both were back in the queen’s chamber. Mark sitting in the same chair across from the window where they had their first conversation barely an hour ago, and Emilia in hers on the other side of the table.

The difference was that this time the table had a cake on it.

Aria stood at Mark’s side, placing in front of him a plate with a generous slice along with a fork.

"That’s right," responded Mark, taking the fork and cutting off a piece of cake. "It would be best to say that everything that happened today was thanks to your subordinates and you."

He brought the piece of cake to his mouth and, as he expected, it was quite delicious, which made a smile appear on his face.

Emilia frowned.

"But why?" she asked, leaning slightly forward. "You and your group did all the work. Without you I’d still be locked in this room and the council would still be in power."

Mark chewed a couple more times before responding, but Rose beat him to it.

"Isn’t it obvious?" said Rose from across the room without looking up from the book she was reading in front of one of the shelves. "For starters, most of us are human and as if that weren’t enough, we’re marked with the essence of death."

Emilia turned her head toward her.

"If the people of your kingdom find out it was us who eliminated the council and took the castle," said Rose, closing the book and looking at Emilia, "all you’re going to accomplish is turning everything to shit."

"But—"

"The castes that supported the council are going to use that as an excuse to delegitimize you," continued Rose explaining. "They’ll say the queen betrayed the legitimate leaders of the kingdom, and that will only cause the people to divide just when you need to keep them united most."

"Still—"

"So the best option is to give you all the credit along with your subordinates," concluded Rose, taking another book from the shelf. "Let the story be that the queen, tired of years of oppression, finally rose up alongside her loyal subjects to stop a coup and a genocide plan. That gives you legitimacy, gives you popular support, and solidifies you in power without anyone being able to question you... It’s basic politics"

Rose opened the new book and went back to reading.

Emilia remained silent for a moment, thinking about Rose’s words.

"...While it’s true that the fact that you’re human could cause some initial unrest," said Emilia slowly, "ultimately the people of the kingdom would end up accepting you."

Rose raised an eyebrow without looking at her.

"Like it or not, you’re incredibly strong," continued Emilia, staring directly at Mark. "And nothing gives more stability to a kingdom than a powerful leader."

"That’s the point," said Rose firmly. "The powerful leader needs to be YOU, not us."

"..."

Mark, who had been eating cake in silence while listening to the conversation, finished his slice and extended the plate to Aria.

"I liked it. Another."

"Right away, Master!" said Aria, taking the plate and cutting another slice.

Mark looked at Emilia while waiting for his second serving.

"Don’t worry too much about it. I’m sure you’ll do well," he said in a relaxed but sincere tone. "Besides, now that everything is over, we’ll be leaving for a while."

Mark’s words fell on Emilia like a bucket of cold water.

"Huh?!" she said, straightening up in her chair abruptly. "You’re leaving?"

Mark nodded while cutting another piece of cake.

"Where?" asked Emilia with her eyes very wide.

"To the beast-man kingdom. There are some matters we need to attend to there," responded Mark putting the piece in his mouth.

"What kind of matters?" asked the queen, dismayed.

Mark chewed, swallowed, and set the fork on the plate.

"Hmm, I can’t give you all the details right now," he said, looking at her. "But among other things, one of them has to do with the surprise attack we suffered in the council hall."

Emilia fell silent and her expression changed from surprise at Mark’s departure to a more thoughtful one.

"That’s right..." she said, frowning slightly. "What was all that?"

"..."

"That monster seemed to know you, and even mentioned something about a ’true mistress of the world,’" continued Emilia, looking at Mark with curiosity. "Do you have any idea what it was referring to?"

Mark remained silent, looking at the plate in front of him for a few seconds, until finally a heavy sigh escaped him.

"I think it’s only fair that you know why I agreed to come here," he said, lifting his gaze toward Emilia. "But first I need you to promise me something."

"...What?"

"That you won’t get upset by what you’re about to hear."

Emilia looked at him for a couple of seconds, evaluating his expression, trying to decipher what could be so grave that a man who hadn’t shown a shred of fear throughout everything they’d experienced today would ask her for something like that.

"I promise."

"...The Demon Lord is still alive."

"..."

Emilia froze.

She didn’t blink.

She didn’t breathe.

She was completely motionless in her chair with her green eyes fixed on Mark’s, as if the words she had just heard were still traveling from her ears to her brain and hadn’t reached their destination yet.

"And that monster that attacked us in the council hall," continued Mark without taking his eyes away, "was one of her subordinates."

"..."

The silence that followed was so deep that Mark could hear the sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffs behind the palace through the window.

Emilia remained seated in her chair for a long time without saying a single word. Her hands rested on her knees, gripping tightly at the fabric of her white dress.

"So in the end... my parents die for nothing?", she finally murmured in a barely audible voice.

Mark didn’t know what to answer because there was nothing he could say to make those words hurt less.