The Fake Legend of Princess Mei Mei - Episode 0.1
It had been about two months since Hotaruki had last met with Tsukiran.
Watching him ride his horse without any attendants, Tsukiran narrowed her eyes.
“Ranran!”
Hotaruki, finding her lover waiting under the tree they had promised to meet at, called out happily.
“Hotaruki-sama. You’re safe.”
Tsukiran smiled, slipping off her headscarf.
“Have you lost some weight?”
As she touched the strong arms that had once held her, Tsukiran tilted her head. It seemed that his jawline had become sharper since the last time she saw him.
Hotaruki blinked in surprise and then gave a bitter smile.
“Well, just a little.”
Having been on the battlefield, it was no surprise that he had endured hardships. Tsukiran wasn’t the type to be unable to imagine such things, but seeing it again made her heart ache.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.”
She thanked the gods once more that he had returned unharmed, with no major injuries. Tsukiran had been worrying the whole time, praying for his safety.
“So, you… have gotten a little rounder, haven’t you?”
“Ah!”
Hotaruki lifted Tsukiran in his arms, trying to lighten the mood as she made a sad sound.
“No, that’s not true. You’re being cruel!”
“Is that so? I thought you looked a little smaller and thinner last time…”
“Stop!”
Tsukiran glared at Hotaruki, puffing out her cheeks, looking cute. Hotaruki smiled and laughed, before spinning around and collapsing onto the ground, still holding her.
“Ah!” Tsukiran screamed, then laughed happily.
The voices of the lovers enjoying their long-awaited meeting echoed cheerfully in the blue sky of early summer.
After laughing for a while, the two of them lay down on the grass side by side, looking up at the sky.
“—…I’m pregnant.”
As Hotaruki felt the weight of his beloved in his arms, savoring the happiness, Tsukiran whispered as she leaned her forehead against his left shoulder.
“Eh?” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
Turning around, he saw Tsukiran smiling, her cheeks flushed, with tears in her eyes.
“Is it true?”
“Yes.”
Her voice trembled slightly, but her answer was clear.
Hotaruki let out a sigh.
“I see… a child…”
Realizing there was confusion in his voice, Tsukiran raised her head to look at him.
“Ah, no. It’s not that I’m upset, I was just surprised.”
After answering, the reality of Tsukiran’s confession slowly began to sink in, and a soft smile appeared on Hotaruki’s face.
“—…a child?”
He whispered once more, as if confirming, and Tsukiran nodded.
A large hand reached down to gently touch Tsukiran’s belly. It was rounded enough that one could feel it clearly upon touch.
“So, my child is here.”
Hotaruki softly stroked the rounded belly, resting his cheek against it, and murmured. Tsukiran smiled.
“When will the baby be born?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but it should be before the end of the year.”
“I see. Before the end of the year.”
He nodded as if to firmly imprint it in his mind, feeling a slight worry—wondering if he would be able to be by her side then.
They had been at war for the past six months. The remnants of the small country they had destroyed a few years ago had gathered their forces and were launching attacks.
His small country had been skilled in military tactics, using night raids, ambushes, and the ruthless killing of women and children, which had created deep resentment toward them. Hotaruki understood this feeling, but back then, as a young boy who had not yet known the horrors of war, he had not had the power to advise his father or brother.
War, truly, is a horrible thing. It tramples others through violence. What a foolish act.
And yet, the cause of all the recent wars had come from their side. This endless chain of hatred and resentment was why he thought war itself was a foolish thing.
“Ranran.”
Feeling a deep sense of helplessness, Hotaruki called his lover’s name.
“If we’re having a child, we should ask for permission to marry soon.”
Tsukiran peered up at Hotaruki’s face.
“But…”
“I know. So, just wait a little longer for me.”
Hotaruki stood up, lifting Tsukiran with him. He firmly held her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“Soon—probably after the fall harvest—the war with the neighboring country will start. I’ll make sure to earn military merit and, this time, I’ll get approval for our marriage.”
Tsukiran’s father opposed their marriage. He wanted Tsukiran to marry Hotaruki’s brother. But if Hotaruki earned enough merit in the next war, he could make the king approve of their union.
“Just wait a little longer for me,” Hotaruki said. Tsukiran nodded.
“I’ll wait. But, please, don’t let our child grow up without a father.”
“Of course. I will return for you.”
They exchanged a kiss, solidifying their promise to each other.
“…Now, even though summer is near, don’t catch a cold. It would be bad if your father found us here.”
Hotaruki noticed that the sun had started to set. He helped Tsukiran stand, feeling reluctant to part after such a short meeting, though they had been apart for so long. Tsukiran nodded and allowed herself to be escorted to where her attendants were waiting.
A man who had been resting against a tree noticed them coming and stood up, bowing deeply. He was Tsukiran’s bodyguard and attendant during her outings.
Hotaruki gave the man a brief glare before helping Tsukiran onto her horse.
“I’ll write to you again.”
After confirming that Tsukiran was securely on the horse, he took her hand and whispered.
“I’ll write too.”
Tsukiran smiled brightly as she returned his grip. Her expression was truly happy.
“Sworl.”
Once they had parted, Hotaruki called out to the man who was about to take the reins. The man met his gaze with eyes of a strange color.
“Sworl… protect Ranran—your master—well.”
The man nodded without speaking or arguing, and then quietly bowed his head.
He was once connected to the small country Hotaruki had destroyed—that much was clear.
Hotaruki didn’t know how Tsukiran’s father had come to hire such a man or why he trusted him as her protector. He wouldn’t tell him even if he asked.
Watching the two of them slowly walk away, Hotaruki’s heart felt heavy, knowing that such a man was standing by Tsukiran’s side.