I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 311 [7K3] Red Rose, Black Raven
The Mirror Spring Manor under the name of Ailafia is located in "Sacred Spring Ridge" on the outskirts of the capital. It is a famous scenic spot in the empire and a traditional summer resort for the royal family and top nobles.

In terms of location, the manor is situated on a gentle slope overlooking Mirror Lake within the scenic area, offering a wide view and beautiful scenery.

Unlike most nobles who forbid commoners from entering their estates, Mirror Spring Manor, apart from strictly prohibiting trespassing on the main house, allows commoners to visit the rest of the area and buildings free of charge. Examples include the large fountain in front of the main house called 'Mirror Spring', and the pure white marble corridor built around this open-air fountain.

Outside the entrance to Mirror Spring Manor, known as the Gate of Dawn, there is a public library and an orphanage funded by Ailafia, which are bustling with people every day.

"..."

In the back seat of the black sedan, looking out the window at the laughing crowd, a strange light flashed in John's eyes, and his heart began to stir with unease.

In fact, ever since Yufaoken returned to the capital and entered Elena to receive his knighthood.

Throughout the entire process, he remained in a state of tension, both physically and mentally.

The tension reached its peak after receiving the invitation from Ellafia.

But he didn't expect that, in the face of this upcoming meeting, which was neither a trap nor a blessing, he would feel a sense of peace from the harmonious atmosphere that Jingquan Manor was currently displaying.

Of course, he also knew that these were most likely just Alafia's disguise.

After all, she was a Rose Witch who, after the empire's destruction, led it to a rapid resurgence in a way that no one could have predicted.

To treat the other person merely as a weak, kind, and innocent princess would be to deceive oneself.

"Squeak!"

As the car slowly came to a stop in front of the main house, an old butler who had been waiting in front of the house immediately stepped forward and opened the car door for John.

The other party first complimented John's appearance, then greeted him briefly before slowly pushing open the heavy door of the house and leading John inside.

Upon entering the main house, the first thing John saw was an area called the Hall of Glory.

The towering dome is flanked by marble statues of the emperors and thirteen heroes of the empire throughout history.

The ground is made of black and white checkerboard marble, symbolizing the law and order of the empire.

The building as a whole presents the architectural style of Imperial Neoclassicism, which is solemn and serious but not without beauty and style.

At the end of the corridor is the main house's reception room, with walls upholstered in light gold and decorated with exquisite plaster reliefs.

The huge arched windows ensure that the interior is filled with natural light during the day, and looking out the windows, you can see a Franco-style courtyard that is carefully maintained by the servants.

The overall style of the reception room is completely opposite to that of the Glory Corridor, and is a fusion of Rococo and Imperial styles.

As for the furniture, it consists of a set of exquisite gilded armchairs and sofas, surrounding a huge coffee table carved from a single piece of white jade.

To John's slight surprise, the First Princess Elafia, who had invited him to the meeting, was not waiting in the drawing room.

Instead, it was in the garden outside the window, standing quietly in front of a pink winter rose bud, gazing at it.

His expression was somewhat absent-minded, as if he was thinking about something.

However, unlike her elaborate attire at the previous banquet, Alafia was now wearing a simple white dress.

Although she had shed the splendor of the palace, her exquisite features and radiant, flowing golden hair, set against the backdrop of green leaves and flowers, gave her an air of inviolable purity.

Sunlight swept across the eaves of the long corridor and fell to the ground. The warm and bright autumn light dispelled the chill of late autumn and gently covered Ayrafia's fair skin, as if it were a filter automatically applied by heaven.

The entire garden seemed to transform into a vivid and exquisite painting at this moment, thanks to the presence of this figure.

"..."

John, who had just entered the garden, was quietly watching this scene.

The old butler who had led him there had silently disappeared without a trace, and the guards who had been patrolling the area also moved away from the garden at the command of the guards.

For a moment, the garden fell into an unprecedented tranquility.

"Brother John, you've come."

As if sensing the gaze from behind, Alafia slowly turned around and looked at John in front of her with a natural expression.

She naturally omitted her military rank in her speech, her voice soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue and dependence.

Her posture is like that of an elegant and languid cat, which unconsciously draws people in and makes them fall into this seemingly fragile gentleness.

However, John was not attracted by the Rose Witch's outward appearance. After bowing slightly to her, he went straight to the point:

"At Your Highness's invitation, John Maslow has come to keep the appointment. May I ask why you sent someone to invite me here? Is it related to the agreement you made at the last banquet?"

"Hmm, more or less."

When John asked her the question, Alafia gave only a vague answer.

Before John, who was frowning, could ask again, she smiled slightly and pointed to the patch of black roses blooming out of season not far away. Her tone was nostalgic, yet also carried a deeper meaning:
“John, I wonder if you remember, back in the orphanage, you once told me that these flowers were like my eyes, pure yet hiding some mystery that no one else could perceive.”

"That was the first time I received such a novel and fair evaluation, and it was from that moment that I began to like plants in the Rosaceae family."

"...I'm sorry, Your Highness, my memory has not yet returned. I have no recollection of this part of my life."

John responded calmly, his expression remaining unchanged:
"While I regret that I cannot empathize with you, I am deeply honored if my past self has ever made you feel nostalgic."

"Yes, I understand, I understand."

Alafia murmured to herself, a hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes, then sighed softly, her tone filled with understanding and a touch of sadness:
"I know that the changes in fate are an unchangeable fact, but... seeing the unfamiliar look in your eyes when you look at me now, I feel a little sad."

"And you probably can't understand this kind of emotion."

"After all, we're just two strangers who have little interaction right now, aren't we?"

Alafia walked dejectedly to the blooming black rose, then slowly lowered her head.

Her slender fingers unconsciously caressed a rose petal, the movement subtle and tender, before she began to recount her past to John:

"In my memory, it was probably eight years ago. At that time, because my father's coup was successful and he became the emperor of the empire, I was put on the position of the first princess of the empire."

"Because of his rebellious nature, he refused to learn the arduous court etiquette and even dared to wear men's clothing to protest against his father."

"At that time, my father was busy governing the country and had no time to deal with my little emotions. Therefore, on the advice of my grandmother, who was still alive at the time, I was sent to the orphanage founded by my aunt Anora as a trainee nun to learn etiquette and to learn to control my personality and temper under the guidance of my aunt Anora."

"That was when I first met you."

As if recalling certain scenes, Alafia paused slightly, then said with a sigh:
"To be honest, I was really shocked when I first saw you, because I had never seen anyone so thin before, almost unrecognizable as human."

"As a result, I had nightmares for several days in a row afterward, and because of this, I came to regard you as the son of the devil in my heart."

"When you were receiving medical treatment, I only dared to peek through the crack in the door."

"After discovering your unique black hair, I became certain of my judgment and guessed that once you recovered from your injuries, you would definitely devour Aunt Anora as soon as possible, and then summon the legendary hellfire to burn the entire orphanage to the ground."

"So at that time I planned to inform my father and at the same time, I planned to duel with you, this 'devil,' in order to end the impending disaster before Aunt Anora caused a great calamity."

"Of course, upon learning of this absurd claim, both Father and Aunt Anora found it somewhat laughable."

"Until Aunt Anora stopped my rash behavior and explained to me your origins and the source of the bloodline you inherited."

"It was then that I realized what a stupid thing I had done, that I had actually tried to harm a patient."

"So, under this feeling of guilt and self-blame, and with the doctor's treatment, your injuries slowly healed. I didn't dare to communicate with you like the other people in the orphanage did, but only dared to watch you silently from a distance."

"It wasn't until later, when I was peeping at you in the library under the pretense of organizing books, that you discovered me and subdued me as a thief. That was when we had our first real formal contact."

"After Aunt Anora came forward to clarify the misunderstanding and severely reprimanded me for my spying, I was also punished by being forbidden from eating dinner."

"That was the first time in my life that I had ever experienced hunger."

"But just as I was furious at Aunt Anora's ruthlessness, and saddened to tears by the fact that I, as the First Princess, had to suffer such treatment."

"Under the starlight, a black-haired boy whom I once regarded as the son of a demon knocked on my window, left me with an ordinary yet meaningful gift, and then silently left under the moonlight."

"What happened next was quite natural. After that night, a fake nun who was dazed and felt her heart racing stuck to the back of that taciturn and mysterious black-haired boy."

"The originally dull and tedious life of punishment gradually began to become vivid and interesting, and every peaceful and joyful scene was given rich and bright colors by the great power of fate."

"In early spring, amidst the blooming flowers, a girl secretly picks flowers to adorn herself because of her love of beauty, and a boy who silently takes all the blame upon himself afterward, and is punished by the headmaster to be kept in his private quarters."

"In the height of summer, cicadas chirped incessantly in the sweltering breeze, cats lazily took their afternoon naps, and inside the library, there were always noisy girls and quiet boys reading books."

"In the golden autumn, the scattered maple leaves were wet with fine autumn rain. The nervous girl mustered up her courage and presented the boy with the pastries she had baked herself, but she did not receive any praise. She spent an extremely long night in distress and disappointment."

"In the depths of winter, pure white snow blankets the earth. In a corner filled with laughter, a nun, bundled up like a penguin, uses her bright red hands to build two beautiful snowmen, smiling as she looks at the young man beside her who silently hands her gloves."

"..."

"This brief yet lengthy punishment officially came to an end with a satisfactory evaluation from the stern eldest princess."

"The imposter nun, having passed the test of ladylike conduct, was transformed back into the First Princess and, escorted by guards, reluctantly returned to the palace amidst lingering gazes."

"This unexpected experience became the deepest secret she kept buried in her heart, one she didn't want anyone to know."

Alafia continued recounting her experience of being sent to the orphanage for discipline, and at some point she looked up at John, her eyes slightly red, but her face still held that captivating smile:

"To be honest, the cookies that person gave me that night were very ordinary, and because of poor baking skills, they didn't actually taste very good."

"But for some reason, that taste is still unforgettable to me."

"Even after my father ended his punishment and sent people to bring me back to the palace, I still couldn't replicate the taste of that night no matter how many famous pastry chefs I sought out to bake according to the orphanage's recipes."

"At first, I didn't understand why."

"But as I've gotten older, I've gradually realized that what I really care about has never been the cookie itself, but the person who gave it to me." "It was his presence that gave that otherwise ordinary food a special meaning."

"This experience also became the root cause of how I was unconsciously attracted to, trapped, and even captured by him."

Alafia raised her eyes, her gaze fixed intently on John, who had inexplicably fallen silent. As if having made up her mind, she took a deep breath, then, her eyes red, asked John:
“John, I sent everyone away beforehand to make sure there’s no one else here besides you and me.”

"Therefore, I need you to answer my next question directly: about the agreement we made back then, have you really forgotten it all?"

Ailafia's voice trembled slightly, as if she had mustered a great deal of courage to utter those words.

"Promise?"

However, John, who had been feeling somewhat complicated while listening to the story of Alafia and her predecessor, immediately felt alarmed upon hearing this word.

The original complexity vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

"That's right, a promise! That... promise about the future."

At this point, a barely perceptible blush suddenly appeared on Alafia's face, but her eyes remained unwavering:
“Back then, you told me that once you joined the Imperial Army and established yourself through military merit, and once you had enough influence, then you would ask Father to cancel the political marriage that Father had secretly arranged between me and Duke Helios’s son.”

"You said that the true future of the empire should be created by the two of us together, not maintained through marriage!"

"!"

At that moment, Arafia's words exploded in John's mind like a bombshell.

engagement?

He never imagined that before he lost his memory, he had actually pledged his life to this future Rose Witch. Was this some kind of joke?!
John was completely bewildered, and felt an excruciating headache coming on from the romantic entanglements left behind by the original owner of the body.

However, Alafia had no idea of ​​the torment John was going through, as he was drenched in cold sweat.

Instead, she mistook John's silence for hesitation, her gaze hardening instantly. Without a word, she stepped closer to John, her faint fragrance wafting towards him.

“Now, you have proven your worth and talent to me, to Father, and to the entire empire, and through your efforts, I have also seen your determination.”

“I don’t know exactly when you lost your memory, or whether you have lost your memory at all, but I believe, I believe that John Maslow, whom I deeply trust and admire, will not let me down.”

"Therefore, when you were officially admitted to the Imperial First Military Academy, and even when you went to the Caster family to undergo the magic soldier modification experiment, I used all the power I could to pave the way for you, and secretly protected you with the army that you helped me establish."

"They even deceived my mother and grandfather along with my father, erasing all traces of your reformist background, just so that you could safely pass through this reform experiment as someone who could be developed by the conservatives."

“I even… tacitly approved of you mobilizing all the resources under my name and misappropriating the resources of the Caster family to help you build that huge ‘Star Orbit’ force field device. As a result, the Caster family discovered that a large number of resources had an unknown shortage. It was only because my grandmother doted on me that she took the money and used it for charity to help me get rid of the trouble.”

"The reason I did so much, even deceiving my most trusted family members, is because you once told me that this position, once completed, would radiate throughout the world and would be the cornerstone of the absolute safety of our 'home' in the future."

"So I need to know whether the promise you made to me back then still stands."

Even if you have truly lost your memory now, I still want to hear the answer to this promise from you!

Alafia's tone was firm, her eyes fixed on John before her. Her delicate hand, raised without her noticing, gently stroked John's thin face, her gaze filled with hope and longing. She murmured, as if answering a question to herself:
"You won't let me down, will you, John?"

"..."

However, John was thrown into unprecedented confusion by Alafia's intimacy and questioning, which clearly went beyond friendship.

Reason told him that this was most likely a facade put on by the Rose Witch.

After all, as the biggest villain in the sequel, this woman couldn't possibly be a love-struck fool who would do anything for love.

After all, how could a weak woman bound by emotions possibly become the queen who leads the empire to rise to power?
But at this moment, Alafia's words, expressions, and all the details, under his demonic eyes, told him with cruel and cold data that what the other party said was very likely the truth!

Damn it, it was clearly the original owner of this body who caused all those romantic entanglements, so why am I the one who has to pay the price?
Also, what is that secret force that helped Ailafia establish, and that star orbital field that I've never even heard of?

These settings were never mentioned in the game!

The barrage of information made John feel dizzy, but he felt a hand stroking his face.

After a quick thought, he steeled himself and, under Alafia's incredulous gaze, gently removed her right hand, then slowly spoke:

“I do have amnesia, and not just a part of it, but a great many memories. This is not a lie. I asked the principal about this missing memory some time ago, but he was also at a loss.”

“I have not lied to you about this matter, nor do I have any reason to deceive you.”

"As for the agreement you mentioned, I am indeed a bit confused and at a loss."

"Therefore, Alafia, I think I may need some time to process these things."

"Feel sorry……"

“It’s alright, I understand your confusion, John.”

Upon hearing this answer, a hint of disappointment flashed in Alafia's eyes, but she did not press John further.

Instead, she replied understandingly, then took a small, obsidian-encrusted pocket watch from her bosom, handed it to John, and smiled as she spoke to him, who was looking at her with a puzzled expression:

"This is the 'key' you entrusted to someone to give me before you went to participate in the Commander-type Magic Soldier modification experiment. You said that the mechanism inside contained a secret that only you knew."

"Now, it's time to return it to its rightful owner, because I think, perhaps, this key can help you remember something."

But then, before John could examine the pocket watch closely, Ellafia changed the subject, her tone tinged with worry:
“But John, before you regain your memories, could you please have my people take over the ‘Star Orbital Position’ project?”

After a slight pause, seemingly realizing that her request might seem to have ulterior motives, Alafia quickly added:

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that the device is of utmost importance, and now you…”

“I’m worried there might be problems with track management, so…”

"..."

John held the pocket watch in his hand, which might contain a contingency plan left by the original owner of the body, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Then, looking at the princess before him, who perfectly blended "deep affection," "concern," and "political demands," he thought.

At that moment, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

What this emotion truly represents is something even he himself cannot discern.

However, given these successive shocks and his own premonition of what path this prince would take in the future, he felt that he still needed to carefully consider the matter of transferring the so-called authority over the star orbit position left behind by the original owner.

Moreover, he still doesn't know what this thing is.

However, directly questioning Alafia, the Rose Witch, would reveal that one has also forgotten about this matter.

This puts oneself in a passive position.

This is clearly an extremely foolish decision.

"Your Highness."

Thinking of this, John immediately took a deep breath and then chose the safest answer, one that best suited his current persona:

"The core authority of this project involves some classified information, but due to amnesia, I have forgotten some key intelligence, so the handover may not be able to be completed for the time being."

"Moreover, precisely because my memory is incomplete, I need to follow up personally so that while trying to revive my memory, I can also avoid being misled by past thinking and ultimately making a big mistake."

"Therefore, I hope you can give me some more time."

"After I have completely resolved these issues, I will give your request a serious consideration."

"..."

Alafia didn't answer, but after gazing at him for a moment, a fleeting, almost imperceptible disappointment flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by tenderness.
“Okay, John, I understand, there’s nothing we can do about it, but I will always… believe you, just like I always have, right?”

Alafia spoke softly, her azure eyes fixed on John before her, filled with trust and peace, and a reassuring smile graced her face:

"So I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes."

"...Thank you, Alafia."

Looking at the trusting gaze Alafia cast at him, John couldn't help but feel a little guilty, but when he thought about all the troubles he was entangled in, that guilt was quickly replaced by helplessness.

Afterwards, he chatted briefly with Princess Alafia about the past, inquired about the details, and, under her curious gaze, briefly recounted his experiences fighting in Walden and Faoken.

John, who had stayed at Mirror Spring Manor for a while, took the initiative to ask Alafia for leave on the grounds that he had to teach in the afternoon, and then left in a hurry under Alafia's regretful gaze.

As John walked away, the gentle smile on Alafia's face gradually faded inside Mirror Spring Manor.

After dismissing her successor, she then walked to the garden where she had spoken with John earlier and stopped in front of the rose bushes that had not yet bloomed.

Then, they fell silent.

"Snapped!"

As if sensing its owner's emotions, the rosebuds, which were originally just buds, suddenly bloomed.

One after another, bright red roses bloomed, filling the entire garden with their fragrant aroma in an instant, making people unconsciously intoxicated by this magnificent scene.

It was as if it wanted to comfort its owner's complicated emotions in this way.

Meanwhile, in the sky, a jet-black crow that had somehow landed on a distant rooftop silently watched everything with its deep black pupils.

Only after a long while did the lively light in its eyes slowly disappear. After emitting an ominous low growl, it flapped its wings and flew away. Under the cover of a scattered black feather, it vanished without a trace in an instant.

"Wow!"

……

(End of this chapter)