Chapter 98 - 2.59

In total, the fight for attaining the control lasted three years. This included the time needed to remove all the obstacles for Zenith's ascension. It was a tough ride, having to tear down the foundation of the Empire down in order for there to be a leeway for them to take it. They didn't want to resort to war, because that would create unnecessary sacrifices and tragedies. 

With the full support of the Holy Land, the new Emperor Zenith Ahgren was crowned after the downfall of the previous Imperial family. The Empire's citizens rejoiced, as this man was someone who was elected by the Goddess herself, just like the Holy Land's Cardinal.

It was a well known thing that their current Emperor was once a commoner. He had climbed up into becoming the current Saintess' personal Knight. During his time under the Saintess, he had shown exemplary tendencies and care for the people. Thus, when he rose into his position, there were close to no oppositions. Most were supportive and even celebrated out of their own volition.

Xu Jiaqi and Zenith just came back from one of the major celebrations. They occupied the palace now. The people inside the building were all from their faction. Weeding out the pests took them quite the fair share of time, but since Xu Jiaqi had her System, it wasn't hard to locate the people trying to harm them. The hard thing was disposing of them and collecting the evidence for it.

Almost a decade had passed since Xu Jiaqi and Zenith first met. They entered a private room. Just like always, Xu Jiaqi sat down on the bed, while the 'Emperor' started lowering his body down and taking off her shoes. Nothing had changed between them. The Emperor was still like the loyal Knight he was. 

"...Look where you are now. When we first met, did I not tell you that you won't suffer when you follow me?Here is your reward, my Knight... or should I say, Emperor? That has a nice ring to it. Emperor Zenith." Xu Jiaqi giggled as she played with Zenith's crown. She took it off, feeling the weight of the ornament and set it aside.

"The only reward that I long for.. Is to be with you, Qiqi. I don't need all of this status. It's useless if you're not here." Zenith proclaimed with a resolute gaze.

Sighing, Xu Jiaqi looked at the man with complicated eyes. Not long after, she was going to leave.

What will happen if that time comes? How will Zenith fare with losing her? Obviously, not well.

In truth, there was nothing that prevented her from living in this world until she dies of old age. Her System permitted her to stay as long as she liked. If she didn't get killed or her life force didn't dissipate, it was possible to accompany the man until death separated them.

But the main problem that Xu Jiaqi was facing wasn't that. She felt like.. a reluctant feeling was actually forming inside her heart. Reluctance to part with the man. Reluctance when she imagined the man's devastated condition after she left.

Was it a good thing, or a bad thing? She was slowly learning to discover her emotions. How to act towards it. Genuine emotions, not the ones she acted for. She was experiencing these different sets of events, and it gave her knowledge.

Knowledge that she might or might not want.

"Zen... I hope that I didn't make a mistake in choosing to believe in you." Xu Jiaqi ambiguously said.

The Emperor's eyes shot up, sending a gaze filled with disbelief as he stared at the woman. Countless thoughts ran about inside his head. Was this Xu Jiaqi's way of telling him that she still didn't trust him? After all that he did, all that he tried to prove?

"Qiqi-"

"Ssh. You misunderstood. Why do you always think of the worst possible scenario? You should loosen up a bit. I trust you, but.. One day, if I say that everything might collapse.. I want you to make the correct decision. As someone I trust, shouldn't you be capable of doing that?" Xu Jiaqi tilted her head, fixing the misconception hurriedly.

"Everything... collapsing?" Zenith frowned. If there was something that he learned after spending a long time accompanying the lady, it was that she didn't joke around about serious matters. She was always up front on that subject.

"Mhm. I won't say anything. That's for you to figure out. I am just.. reminding you."

"Qiqi, you won't go, right?" Zenith asked with doubt. Somehow, Xu Jiaqi's eyes seemed to convey  that message. He desperately hoped that he was reading her wrong. After all, the lady was someone who was extremely hard to figure out. 

"...Only time will tell. Life is never static, it will keep on changing... whether the change is good or bad, all we can do is take it, and try to direct it towards the positive side. Try to minimize the chances of failure. Isn't that right? We have built everything up, but it would only take one mistake for it all to crumble down. Just like how we defeated the Quinnard legacy. We made use of a mistake, that bloomed into another, and finally toppled them down. I just don't want you to turn all of this into dust. I don't want you to waste our hard work." Xu Jiaqi trickled her finger down Zenith's face, to his neck, and to the button of his clothes.

Her fingers began to undo the buttons, and the man did not resist or flinch. The amount of time they had spent being intimate with each other after their first exchange was aplenty, and Zenith had become rather calm about it, although he was still jumpy about certain things.

"What am I saying? Even I don't know." Xu Jiaqi took off his upper clothes pulled the man and pushed him down to the bed, sitting on top of his toned body as she sweetly grinned, beginning to devour the man like she was a starved beast who had just found her meal. "Let's forget about all of it. Indulge in our time together."

One day, she ought to forget about him and move on to her next target. Thus, she had to make use of the time she had left to the max. Until she could no longer take it.. Until she departed from this world and jumps into another one.