Anastasia (as Denaris) was dashing all over the palace.

  She wasn’t simply being energetic.

  She had taken on far too many responsibilities.

  Preparing legal amendments for administrative reforms with Victorias, drafting the creation of a navy, and countless other tasks.

  Beyond national politics, she had also inherited the former Kairos and Valerius territories. The entire southeastern coastal region—from the kingdom’s shores all the way to the imperial border—had become her direct domain, and managing those lands kept her frantically busy.

  She was relying heavily on the capable female president of Tsukiyama, but somehow she was keeping everything afloat.

  On top of that, she was expanding her own territory of Ternova and pouring funds into shipbuilding technology.

  She had also summoned Yuria from Aelius territory and relocated her laboratory to the edge of the palace grounds.

  The goal was research into gunpowder and the development of cannon shells.

  She had already begun renovating public toilets in the capital and Ternova to collect urine.

  She crushed the leaves of a certain plant into a paste, mixed it with the urine, and extracted saltpeter.

  She was imitating a method once used in a certain region of her previous world.

  She had wondered whether it could be done without soil.

  Whether it was fortunate or not was debatable, but because the person named Denaris had been officially registered as Count Aelius’s adopted daughter, she remained a real, existing individual on paper.

  That was why Denaris now lived as Anastasia’s personal attendant, usually remaining in male disguise.

  Days filled with such routines passed in the blink of an eye.

  Before she knew it, Lunafrea’s due date was fast approaching.

  She was now in her own mansion in Aelius territory.

  One day, while praying for a safe delivery, Leda burst into Denaris’s study with a deathly pale face.

  “The professor is in danger!”

  Leda’s eyes were brimming with tears.

  It was the first time Denaris had ever seen her so shaken.

  Thinking It can’t be, Denaris told the lords she was going to check on her aunt’s condition and immediately left the capital for Aelius territory.

  Making it an official royal visit would have required endless procedures, so she had “left Anastasia behind” in the capital.

  That would have brought mountains of guards.

  To keep things simple, she gathered every available Moon Shadow member and headed for Aelius territory.

  Just in case, she apologized to Fiona and asked her to stay behind in the capital.

  On the way, a message arrived from Fedra: Lunafrea had drawn her last breath.

  Denaris was stunned.

  She had been so full of life. There was no way that fearless aunt of hers could die.

  She wanted to believe that.

  But when she reached her aunt’s mansion, it had been meticulously cleaned, and her aunt lay peacefully on the bed.

  Denaris rushed to her side and touched her cheek.

  The skin, even paler than usual, had lost all warmth.

  Denaris cried like a child.

  It was because of her aunt that she had been able to come this far.

  That was what she believed.

  She had wanted to repay so many kindnesses.

  “What happened?”

  Denaris asked the mansion staff.

  “I’ll explain.”

  In the corner of the room sat a woman wearing clothes very similar to her own.

  Her features strongly resembled her aunt’s.

  She wore a white long robe, a wide obi, and dark indigo hakama.

  “Could you be… my aunt’s older sister?”

  The woman nodded.

  “My name is Yuweliana. I am this child’s elder sister.”

  Denaris bowed and introduced herself with her two complicated names.

  Yuweliana spoke slowly.

  When the due date drew near, Lunafrea had contacted her asking for help with the birth, so she had brought a doctor from the village to the mansion.

  Labor pains began around midday the previous day. After a long ordeal, the first child was born at dusk.

  Because it was her first birth, it had been an extremely difficult delivery.

  Everyone had been celebrating when they noticed something was wrong with Lunafrea.

  There had been another child.

  The second delivery began, but suddenly there was massive bleeding.

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  The doctor said the placenta had probably detached before the second child could be born.

  Both mother and child were in danger, he explained.

  Lunafrea ordered them to cut open her abdomen and take the child out.

  Yuweliana protested that it would put her in danger too, but Lunafrea begged them to save the child.

  Yuweliana instructed the doctor to perform the incision.

  The child was safely delivered and began breathing on its own.

  But Lunafrea’s bleeding would not stop.

  The bed was soaked crimson with her blood.

  And then Lunafrea drew her last breath.

  “Look. These are her children. They are girls.”

  There, wrapped in hemp cloth and sleeping peacefully, were two tiny baby girls breathing softly.

  Tears welled up in Anastasia’s eyes.

  Yuweliana gently held her shoulders.

  Anastasia cried until she could cry no more.

  Yuweliana held her the entire time, stroking her hair.

  The next morning.

  While everyone was having a light breakfast, Yuweliana made a request.

  “It is a rather forward request, but I would like to hold this child’s funeral in the village. After that, I wish to raise her children in the village. Would you permit it?”

  Separating the twins and having them grow up without knowing each other felt a little painful, but she understood Yuweliana’s feelings.

  Quintus accepted the request.

  “I want to adopt that child.”

  When Anastasia said it, Quintus let out a strange cry.

  “Huh!? What are you saying? Think about your position!”

  Quintus scolded her.

  “I have thought about it. I can only take one royal consort. I may not even be able to have children. I want to repay my aunt. I will raise her properly.”

  “She’s not a cat or a dog… Haah… Fine, do as you like. Besides, there is no one here who can be a mother. But you intend to be both queen and mother at your age? Don’t come crying to me later…”

  Quintus was utterly exasperated.

  His granddaughter was only sixteen.

  “It will be fine. The village has wet nurses and excellent tutors. You can bring them along.”

  Yuweliana suggested.

  “Is that all right?”

  “Of course. But the women of the village are not as strong-willed as that child, though many are quite spirited. Please understand.”

  “I’ll work hard not to lose to them.”

  Quintus clutched his head.

  Afterward, they placed Lunafrea in the coffin.

  They picked moonflowers that Lunafrea had planted in the mansion and offered them, filling the coffin with the scent she loved.

  To prevent decay, they used magic to cool the body, loaded the coffin onto a carriage, and headed for the northern Moon Shrine.

  The Moon Shrine lay due north of the mansion.

  The path went from grasslands to woods, eventually becoming a deep forest.

  After a long uphill climb, a settlement appeared.

  It was a nostalgic sight.

  Wooden fences, tiled roofs—an old townscape that looked exactly like something from her previous world.

  Tears overflowed at the feeling that this was her true roots.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Yuweliana asked.

  Anastasia shook her head with a smile and said it was nothing.

  The Moon Shadow members had never imagined such a town existed and seemed shocked to learn that Lunafrea’s hometown was like this.

  The culture was completely different.

  In fact, it was very prosperous.

  The forest provided abundant blessings, and the clear spring water was drinkable as is.

  They occasionally received salt from Aelius when it ran short, but they could usually provide everything themselves.

  The villagers looked suspiciously at the outsiders, but accepted them once they learned they were Lunafrea’s companions.

  People passing by offered condolences for Lunafrea’s death.

  The people here wore clothes almost identical to hers, giving her a strange sense of familiarity.

  Some even carried swords.

  Everyone seemed interested in the clothing; Leda wanted some.

  At that moment Yuweliana said “Oh, right,” and took something from her sleeve. She took Anastasia’s hand and carefully placed it in her palm.

  “That child left these for you.”

  “This is…”

  They were the earrings and hair ornament Lunafrea had always worn.

  The hair ornament was an adorable design with eight thin purple glass petals and a ruby in the center.

  The earrings also featured rubies.

  “Thank you. One day I’ll give them to this child. I’ll tell her they were her mother’s.”

  Yuweliana nodded with a smile.

  She then pinned the ornament in Anastasia’s hair and put the earrings on her.

  “It’s like the professor has come home.”

  Leda said.

  “Those earrings have Livius’s magic in them. Now you’re officially part of the Moon Shadow too.”

  Anastasia’s eyes widened.

  “She meant for you to take over. Do a good job, okay?”

  Bernadia said.

  Anastasia nodded firmly.

  And then she cried again.

  “Are you going to be all right? Such a crybaby…”

  Leda laughed and gently patted Anastasia’s head.

  On the day Critias was to leave the capital for Trisha, Anastasia received a book.

  It contained the communication magic formula Critias had created. She already possessed the central device for the network and wore it.

  It was the same item Lunafrea had owned, capable of intercepting all communications using that magic.

  Anastasia handed it to Leda.

  Because she had been the person her aunt cherished most.

  Leda thanked her and put it on her ear.

  It was a simple gold plate rolled into a cylinder that clipped onto the ear, with tiny magic sigils engraved on it.

  Since it was already late, they decided to spend the next night with Lunafrea and hold the funeral the following evening.

  Anastasia sat on the veranda of Yuweliana’s house, holding the tiny daughter and gazing at the moon.

  The baby began to fuss.

  Hearing it, the wet nurse came and gave her milk.

  Her name was Yurika.

  Yurika also had a baby boy born this year.

  His name was Yuzuki—a nostalgic-sounding name.

  She was apparently the daughter of Yuweliana’s older sister, making her Anastasia’s cousin.

  “Thank you.”

  “It’s fine. I’m looking forward to it too—going outside the village. Leave the fighting to me. My magic is only average, but my sword skills are second to none, even against men.”

  She really was a tomboy, Anastasia thought.

  That night was the night of the Waiting Moon.

  Basti was sniffing the baby’s cheek.

  The following evening, the funeral for Lunafrea was held in the square at the foot of the Moon Shrine.

  Many people attended and offered flowers to the deceased.

  So that the scent of moonflowers would always be with her, Anastasia searched for and picked one, placing it inside the coffin.

  Tears overflowed; everything became blurred.

  The shrine maiden Yuweliana offered prayers, and Quintus set fire to the stacked firewood.

  As the flames enveloped the coffin, Yuweliana continued praying so that Lunafrea’s soul would not lose its way.

  Anastasia had intended to mourn for some time after that day.

  But she was not allowed to.

  A message arrived from Fedra, who had remained in the capital.

  An imperial army of roughly one hundred thousand was advancing toward the Achelos Plains near the southeastern border.

  The kingdom immediately entered battle readiness and dispatched seventy thousand troops to the front.

  Anastasia ordered Yuria and Felix’s three-hundred-man guard unit to follow with the prototype cannons she was developing.

  Furious that her mourning had been interrupted, she declared she would go as well and began preparing.

  “Calm down.”

  Quintus scolded her.

  “They chose this timing precisely because they heard of your aunt’s death. Their goal is to erase last year’s defeat and restore their honor.”

  “Restore their honor?”

  Quintus asked.

  “Yes. Critias goaded them into starting a war over Trisha and the former Valerius lands, they lost, and then I cleaned up the internal mess. The emperor must be furious.”

  “Even so, you don’t have to go yourself.”

  “I’m a mage too! With my aunt gone, I have to work twice as hard!”

  While they were arguing, Yuweliana appeared carrying something.

  “If you’re going out, take these. They are the battle garments once worn by the chieftain of Haran. And this.”

  What Yurika brought was a naginata.

  Quintus clutched his head and sighed, as if to say What is it with the women in this family?

  “Crush those ridiculous invaders.”

  Yurika looked eager to fight.

  “You’re coming too?”

  “No, I have a child this time, so I’ll support from the rear. I can still draw a bow, though.”

  Anastasia felt relieved.

  “I’m sorry, but please look after this child.”

  “Leave it to me. A mother’s strength is unmatched.”

  Anastasia nodded.

  What Yuweliana had brought was essentially a kendogi.

  A long robe woven from thick indigo-dyed hemp thread, hakama with six pleats, a leather torso protector that included tassets, and a waist section made thin enough for a belt.

  She put on the torso protector, tied an indigo-and-white checkered obi at the right side, and let the ends hang.

  She fastened greaves inside the hakama and added gauntlets.

  Over everything she wore a scarlet haori.

  She tucked a sword at her waist and gripped the naginata.

  The Moon Shadow members received proper weapons and were dressed in similar battle attire.

  It was hardly the outfit of a queen, but she moved up her schedule, took the Moon Shadow members along with Yurika’s son and daughter, and headed for the Achelos Plains.

  Thank you so much for reading! ??

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