You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 93: Epilogue – Lu

The traces of battle that had swept through the capital for half a year disappeared quickly.

The people of Ashatra, hardened by over a decade of civil war, returned to their daily lives with an almost practiced ease.

The royal palace, too, swiftly regained its former grandeur.

“Has it arrived?”

“Not yet, Your Majesty. You asked the same question ten minutes ago.”

Kazan had been waiting in the palace gardens since morning, his eyes fixed on the entrance.

Torthan, his loyal general, understood the anticipation—but even he found it a strange sight.

The king, restless.

Ever since he had received the news of her return, he had been unable to sleep.

He had spent the entire morning pacing the garden, his head snapping toward the gates at every sound.

‘Even a first love wouldn’t act like this.’

That was the objective assessment of Torthan, a man who had lost his wife long ago.

Seeing the king acting like a love-struck teenager, he felt the need to intervene.

“Your Majesty, perhaps you should wait inside. The palace staff is growing anxious as well—”

“She’s here.”

Before Torthan could finish, Kazan turned sharply and strode toward the palace entrance.

At least he wasn’t running. That was a relief.

Torthan smirked and followed at a leisurely pace.

“Good heavens, Your Majesty! You personally came to greet us?”

Miriam, already off the carriage, smiled in amusement.

Kazan, too focused to be embarrassed, immediately asked,

“Where is Elona?”

As if in answer, the carriage door began to open.

Kazan moved toward it, almost entranced.

Inside, after half a year apart, she was finally there.

Elona, just about to step out, met his gaze—and smiled, shyly.

“Kazan, I missed you…”

“Elona.”

Kazan didn’t even wait for her to step down from the carriage—he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Everyone in the palace, except for Miriam, gasped in shock, unsure of how to react.

When their lips finally parted, Elona, her face bright red, gently pushed him away.

“Wait, we’re too close…”

“Why?”

Kazan stared at her intently, as if nothing else in the world existed.

Elona let out an awkward smile.

“You might press against my belly.”

Only then did Kazan lower his gaze and finally take in the sight of her now fuller, rounder body.

Under the soft, flowing dress, her pregnant belly was unmistakable.

His crimson eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Seeing his reaction, Elona raised an eyebrow and asked, just in case—

“You didn’t forget, did you?”

“No, of course not. Not for a second.”

…Except for the moment when I saw your face again.

Clearing his throat, he awkwardly extended his hand to her.

He wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms and carry her straight back to the palace.

But that seemed… wrong.

He wasn’t sure exactly why, but something told him that carrying a pregnant woman like a sack of grain probably wasn’t the best idea.

“Thank you.”

With his support, Elona carefully stepped down from the carriage.

Even from the side, it was obvious that moving around had become difficult for her.

She had gained a little weight, but to him, she still looked delicate, fragile.

Watching her walk while carrying their child made his heart ache with concern.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, I’m healthy, so don’t worry. It’s just… heavy.”

She spoke cheerfully, but his expression remained uneasy.

Wanting to reassure him, she softly added—

“It’s okay, Kazan. In about two months, the baby will be born.”

“…Two months? You’ll have to stay like this until then?”

“Not exactly. I’ll get even bigger.”

“…….”

After that, Kazan noticeably fell silent.

Was he already strategizing solutions in his head?

Elona found even his worried silence endearing and let out a quiet chuckle.

‘Now, we’ll always be together.’

As his right hand firmly held her shoulder, she decided she would let him feel the baby soon.

She wanted to see the look on his face when he felt their child move for the first time.

She wanted to sit with him, discussing names, guessing the baby’s gender, dreaming about their child’s future together.

Because they would become parents together.

And they would walk the most joyful journey in the world—together.

*

The news that the slave princess of Parsion was carrying the king’s child spread throughout Ashatra.

At first, many reacted with displeasure.

How could a princess of Parsion dare to be bound to the great Sindar King?

But as more stories about her began to circulate, the public’s perception started to shift.

“That woman… they say she found Luka in the desert. That ancient city that had been buried in the sand for ages.”

“She survived in the desert for days without a single drop of water. Which god’s blessing could have allowed that? A Parsion woman, of all people…?”

“They say it was Lu’s divine protection. And that she even retrieved a legendary relic from the sands—one that constantly overflows with water.”

“His Majesty owes her his life, doesn’t he? The Omar assassins had been lying in wait, prepared to ambush him, but she called him to the desert instead. Maybe she truly has some kind of power.”

As truth and embellishment intertwined, Elona’s story gradually grew into a legendary tale.

Her greatest feat—the rediscovery of the first royal capital, Luka—captivated the hearts of Ashatra’s people.

“We found it, Elona! Just as you said!”

“Beneath that quicksand pit, deep within the desert—there really was water flowing underground!”

Aslan, the High Priest, was overseeing the restoration of the ancient city of Luka.

He often visited the palace to update Elona on their progress.

She responded to his excited words with equal enthusiasm, cheering along with him.

“Yes! That’s exactly the water I fell into!”

“Calm down, Elona. Don’t overexert yourself….”

Elona was now nearing the final month of her pregnancy.

Each time Aslan visited, Kazan insisted on being present.

Sitting beside her protectively, he never left her side.

Aslan, watching Elona’s sparkling eyes and Kazan’s unwavering presence, couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

“If we follow the underground water flow, it will undoubtedly lead us to Luka. The location matches perfectly with the old maps.”

“Then… we’ll be able to excavate the city soon?”

“Yes, but it will take time. That region is notorious for violent sandstorms, so the work won’t be easy.”

“Ah….”

Elona sighed in disappointment, but Kazan, noticing her reaction, applied subtle pressure on Aslan.

“Then just bring in more workers and finish it faster.”

“Well, if Your Majesty permits, it’s certainly possible. Right now, we’ve only been using our temple’s followers for the excavation, which is why it’s progressing so slowly….”

“There’s no need for that. Discuss it with the Chancellor and push forward as quickly as possible.”

The position of Chancellor, which had been vacant, had been given to the Horta family in recognition of their aid during the rebellion.

Hearing the king’s firm command, Aslan smiled, clearly amused.

“How decisive. I never expected Your Majesty to be this enthusiastic about it.”

“Because the people’s attention is focused on Luka’s restoration.”

“That is true. And more than that, it’s something Elona deeply desires.”

Aslan’s sly remark made Elona glance nervously at Kazan.

Would he snap at Aslan and deny it, like he might have in the past?

But to her surprise, Kazan simply let out a soft chuckle, his eyes warm.

“Then hurry up and make progress. Elona keeps saying she wants to go back there.”

Elona was quietly moved by how much gentler his demeanor had become toward Aslan.

Kazan still didn’t know that she had seen their past.

It was her private hope that they would one day grow close again.

Aslan, too, seemed genuinely surprised by Kazan’s reaction.

For a moment, he simply stared at the king, as if in disbelief, before suddenly letting out a small laugh.

Kazan’s brow furrowed slightly.

“…What’s so funny?”

“Hah… it’s just incredible. I feel both amazed and grateful.”

“Grateful for what?”

“The two of you. You have both changed the fate of this kingdom.”

Elona and Kazan exchanged puzzled looks.

“Changed the fate of the kingdom?”

Finally, Aslan revealed the secret he had kept to himself for so long.

“Both Your Majesty and Elona… appeared in my prophetic dreams.”

Elona’s eyes widened.

“That’s right… you did say that before.”

Kazan frowned as he gruffly responded, “So what?”

Aslan let out a dramatic sigh, as if he had been waiting for this exact reaction.

“‘So what?’ Your Majesty, why do you never take my words seriously? Then again, ever since your coronation, you’ve gone out of your way to neglect our temple. You didn’t even celebrate Lu’s holy day last year—”

“Enough. We’ll do it properly this year, so just continue.”

Kazan cut him off, rubbing his temple.

“So both Elona and I were in your prophetic dream. That just means we were both fated to die. What does that have to do with the fate of this kingdom?”

“It had everything to do with it.”

Aslan nodded without hesitation and continued.

“In my vision, both of you were destined to die wandering the desert. Your Majesty lost your will to live after Elona’s death, and with your death, the Mileshatra dynasty came to an end. With the bloodline that connected Ashatra to the gods severed, this land was abandoned by the divine and destined to return to its original state— A desert, buried under endless sand.”

He smiled warmly as he turned to Elona.

“But Elona, in the end, your courage saved everything. Because you overcame your fear.”