“Huh?”
Lion El’Jonson’s question left Merlin a little confused.
Was she being possessive?
What did she mean by “taken a liking to the Emperor”…?
He wasn’t Horus.
How could he possibly have taken a liking to the Emperor?
Or perhaps the Emperor’s psychic glamour made him appear completely different to Merlin than he did to Lion El’Jonson?
“Answer me!”
“Merlin!
Are you planning to abandon me and go on the Great Crusade with that Emperor?!”
Lion seemed extremely dissatisfied with his silence and continued pressing him, pouting angrily.
“Lion El’Jonson, this is the first time I’ve ever met the Emperor.”
Merlin explained helplessly.
He had no choice.
Lion El’Jonson!
Wake up!
He’s your father!
Why are you even jealous of him…?
But then again, with the Emperor’s immense psychic power, his appearance might not be fixed at all.
That made Merlin wonder what the Emperor actually looked like in Lion El’Jonson’s eyes.
He was curious.
But he certainly wasn’t going to ask while Lion was angry.
For now, he could only try to calm the Lion, who seemed to bristle whenever the Emperor was mentioned.
“And as for me taking a liking to the Emperor, that’s even more impossible.
From the moment I arrived on Caliban, I’ve only ever stayed by your side.”
“Hmph.”
“That’s more like it.”
Even then, Lion’s expression still carried a trace of suspicion.
“Also!
You’re not allowed to tell the Emperor anything about my childhood!
Nothing!”
As she spoke, she raised a small fist threateningly, her face already beginning to redden.
“If you dare tell him anything, I’ll punch your head off!”
“Don’t be angry.
Don’t you trust my ability to keep secrets?”
Merlin smiled confidently.
“How could I possibly tell anyone about how you refused to wear clothes back then and kept peeing all over me?”
“How is that possible?!
That’s a lie!”
Lion El’Jonson roared, her face turning bright red.
The first part was true…
But the second half was definitely something Merlin had made up!
“You don’t remember because I kept it secret.”
Merlin looked smug.
“See?
That’s how good I am at keeping secrets.
I can hide them so well that even you don’t know about them.”
“Isn’t that better than you—ow!
I was wrong!
I was wrong!
Stop hitting me!”
“I’m joking!
It was just a joke!”
As Lion’s fists rained down on him—restrained, but still painful—Merlin immediately raised both hands in surrender.
“You…”
Lion wanted to say something, but after a moment she suddenly burst out laughing.
She had been angered into laughter.
“I really…
don’t know what to do with you.”
The Emperor’s emotional intelligence wasn’t even as good as a fully grown banana.
Not long ago, when Lion had been sulking over the Emperor’s arrival, that single sentence from Merlin had successfully made her laugh.
But judging by his current behavior, Merlin’s own emotional intelligence didn’t seem much better.
He looked…
Hmph.
Fine, she supposed.
He was a good man.
It was just unfortunate that he had such an irritating mouth.
More importantly, he was still far too weak.
He had no real ability to protect himself, so she had to keep him close and protect him at all times.
Even Lion herself sometimes wondered why she cared so much about this weak man who constantly irritated her.
Why was she unable to let him go?
Originally…
She had thought today would be the perfect opportunity.
Everything had finally been settled.
According to the plan she had made long ago, once Caliban was unified, she would tell Merlin how she felt, just like in those stories she had read.
But Merlin just had to keep saying things that annoyed her…
All the courage she had finally gathered was gone!
It was all his fault!
“I…
I have something I want to tell you…”
Lion’s voice grew quieter and quieter until it was almost a whisper.
“Hmm?”
Lion could feel her face growing hotter.
“It’s just…”
Once again, the words wouldn’t come out.
Could someone please teach the Lion how to confess?
Lion El’Jonson clenched her fists, her face completely flushed, and eventually managed to force out only one sentence.
“I…
I’m not telling you!”
There was nothing she could do.
The curse was too deeply rooted.
Even she, the future Warmaster of the Imperium of Man, couldn’t break it so easily.
“Not telling me what?”
“A secret!”
Yes.
This was her secret.
It…
it simply wasn’t time yet!
Although Lion herself had no idea when the right time would actually come.
After all, Merlin was still so weak.
Hmph.
All he knew how to do was rely on her protection.
That certainly wasn’t enough for her to confess to him!
At the very least…
At the very least, she should wait until he became a little stronger.
The wars among the stars would be far more dangerous than anything they had faced on Caliban.
Even after Merlin had undergone his partial enhancements, Lion still worried about him.
She hadn’t forgotten the terror she had felt when that mysterious shadow carried him away.
The fear.
The helplessness.
The pain she had felt deep in her heart.
Those feelings still haunted her.
Now wasn’t the time.
Merlin couldn’t protect himself.
And she couldn’t guarantee that she could always protect him either.
Maybe later.
Maybe someday in the future…
When she truly became the Warmaster, just as Merlin had foretold.
Then she would tell him everything.
Even if that took a long time, it didn’t matter.
They still had plenty of time.
Lion El’Jonson firmly believed that.
Or perhaps, in her mind, only the days spent with Merlin truly counted as days at all.
And most importantly—
He had promised.
Merlin had promised that he would always stay with her.
He had sworn an oath.
“Hmph.”
“Enough talking.”
Lion looked up at the endless stars and the magnificent voidships hanging in low orbit before lying back on the grass beside the lake.
She quietly enjoyed the rare peace.
She liked times like this.
Times when there was nothing she needed to do.
“I’m getting a little…
sleepy.”
Lion yawned.
Under the clear starry sky, she slowly closed her eyes.
“Mm.
Sleep.”
“I’ll watch over you.”
You?
With her eyes already closed, Lion couldn’t help scoffing inwardly.
It was like a kitten announcing that it would protect a lion.
Ridiculous.
Still…
She didn’t dislike it.
Her consciousness gradually grew heavier.
And in her dreams, she seemed to see many things.
It was a future after countless battles.
After she had faithfully fulfilled her duty time and time again.
On a brilliant world shining with light, countless soldiers, Space Marines, and workers cheered her name.
The other Primarchs offered their congratulations.
Sculptors carved her achievements into the monuments of the Imperium of Man.
Records preserved the absolute majesty of the moment she was appointed Warmaster.
Before the angelically beautiful Emperor of Mankind, Lion El’Jonson became Warmaster of the Imperium.
No one would ever dare call her a beast again.
No one would dismiss her words or treat her proposals with contempt.
At the end of the story…
She had finally become human.
Right.
Where was he?
Lion searched through the enormous crowd of cheering people.
Nothing.
Nothing.
She couldn’t find him anywhere.
He was gone…?
“I’m here!”
Just as Lion was about to give up, she heard his voice.
At the very end of the procession, she finally saw him.
Merlin stood there, waving at her.
“Did you forget?”
“I’ve always been here!”
Yes.
He had always been there.
And in the future, they would continue walking forward together.
Before everyone, Merlin held out an old golden ring to her.
And Lion heard the entire Imperium of Man whispering his name.
Hehe…
The corners of the Lion’s mouth curled into a faint smile.
It really helps the fic grow!