It was mentioned once before, but Karlreya von Loengram was an individual blessed with incredible talent.
Not just smart, she showed exceptional aptitude across various fields like literature and magic.
However, unfortunately, it was precisely because of such talent and aptitude that Karlreya found herself unable to feel passion for much in life.
Of course, this didn’t mean she slacked off in her duties.
Before meeting Ragnar, she was a born workaholic notorious among the empire’s subjects.
So, it wasn’t that she couldn’t take things seriously—just that everything came too easily to her.
Tasks others found difficult or exhausting, she solved effortlessly.
Accomplishments that took others 10 to 20 years of effort, she could match in mere months.
At first, Karlreya thought herself incredibly blessed…
But as time passed, she realized this wasn’t a blessing—it was a curse.
A curse that made it impossible for her to truly find sincerity in her own life.
But then, after meeting one man, her life changed significantly.
Ragnar Terison.
The man who introduced the concept of “animation” to the culturally underdeveloped empire.
This guy had an astonishing knack for creating fantastical worlds and heart-pounding stories from nothing.
And when Karlreya watched Ragnar’s animations, she instantly realized something:
Even though she felt like she could catch up with anything given enough time…
She could never replicate what Ragnar created.
Even if she tried mimicking his methods, producing masterpieces that stirred people’s hearts the way his did seemed impossible.
It was hard to believe, but Ragnar’s animations transcended her understanding.
They were so polished it felt like he must’ve come from a world where animation had existed for at least 50 years.
Because of this, whenever Karlreya worked alongside Ragnar on animations, she experienced a sense of passion and fulfillment she’d never known before.
Starting with “Knight Shin Chronicle,” then “Life and Death Department,” and finally “Fate’s Sky,” they produced numerous works together.
In doing so, without realizing it, she began to harbor certain feelings for Ragnar.
“…”
Truthfully, even Karlreya herself couldn’t pinpoint exactly what these feelings were.
After all, no man had ever caught her eye, let alone interested her…
This was her first time feeling anything like this toward someone.
Still, being around Ragnar gave her a sense of ease.
When praised by him for doing good work, she inexplicably felt happy.
Spending time in the same space as him became more precious than anything else.
That’s why, when Ragnar asked her…
“Hey, Lady Karlreya. Could I ask you a favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
“Well, I’d like to base a character design on your face. Would you allow me to do that?”
“Huh?”
For a moment, Karlreya tilted her head, unsure what Ragnar meant.
But soon…
“Eh…?”
Her face turned bright red as she understood the implications.
After all, she knew very well what it meant when artists wanted to use a woman’s face as a model.
‘Could Director Ragnar actually…?’
Frankly, hearing such a request from Ragnar left her somewhat flustered.
Additionally, using a royal family member’s face in this manner would normally be strictly prohibited due to issues of dignity.
Yet, Karlreya couldn’t bring herself to refuse—and truthfully, she didn’t want to.
In some strange way, it made her feel proud.
Until now, Ragnar had always treated her in a formal, business-like manner.
But now, it felt like he was finally seeing her as a woman, which made her inexplicably happy.
Thus, she readily agreed to let Ragnar base the Hero King’s design on her face.
That night, Karlreya stayed awake, unable to sleep.
Though, to be honest, Ragnar hadn’t really given it much thought when he made the suggestion—it was just a casual attempt to grab audience attention.
And so, in the latest episode of “Fate’s Sky,” the Hero King based on Karlreya’s face debuted.
A few days later…
[Support for the Imperial Household rose by at least 30% after “Fate’s Sky” aired… Is this the effect of ‘sacred bloodlines’?]
[From Knight King to Hero King… Why did Baron Ragnar change the title of the empire’s founder?]
[A source within the Imperial Household testifies that His Majesty is considering officially changing the title since most citizens are more familiar with ‘Hero King.’]
[People making pilgrimages to the statue of the Hero King outside the palace… It turns out the statue bears an uncanny resemblance to Her Highness the Empress…]
[Descendants of the Hero King, the current Imperial Family. Is the resemblance between the Hero King and Her Highness due to ‘ancestral regression’?]
Reading the newspaper article in his hand, Ragnar could only gawk in disbelief.
What the hell is this?
The fact that the Hero King’s statue outside the palace looked exactly like Karlreya?
Does this make any sense?!
Is it really plausible that the face of a princess from thousands of years ago matches the current empress?
As Ragnar stared at the article in confusion, Karlreya casually explained.
“Oh, that? The Emperor secretly replaced the statue recently. The original one didn’t look anything like me.”
“…What?”
“He said, ‘When the tide rises, row the boat.’ If replacing just one statue can boost support for the imperial household, it’s a great deal.”
Karlreya smirked at Ragnar.
“Honestly, it’s not wrong. After all, the majority of citizens are basically pigs. Regardless of the truth, as long as they’re pleased, isn’t that enough?”
“…What did you say?”
Suddenly, Ragnar doubted his own ears.
Seriously, how could a princess use such words?
“Ah, sorry. Lately, I’ve been forced to use such terms so often that they’ve stuck. I shouldn’t…”
“…?”
Why would she have to use the term “pigs”?
Just as Ragnar was pondering this with question marks floating above his head…
“Ahh, Director! Lady Karlreya! There you are!”
Serika and the staff entered the conference room and cautiously addressed Karlreya.
“Lady Karlreya, could you possibly repeat that line again?”
“Umm… Again? Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing…”
Despite her awkward expression, the staff pleaded earnestly.
“Please! Hurry!”
“Hmm, fine. Since you’re so desperate…”
Karlreya cleared her throat and shot the staff a disdainful glare as she coldly spoke.
“You mongrels are truly disgusting. Wouldn’t it be better if you simply committed suicide right here?”
This was the line the Hero King had delivered in Episode 15 of “Fate’s Sky” to the spies Yuuri and Sein.
Upon hearing it, the staff erupted in joyous cheers.
“It’s perfect! Exactly like the Hero King in “Fate’s Sky”!
“I made a golden armor set specially for you, Lady Karlreya! Could you wear it and say ‘mongrel’ again?”
“Lady Karlreya! Me too! Please call me a pig or a mongrel!”
“…”
Watching the fantasy world inhabitants willingly calling themselves mongrels and pigs, Ragnar sighed and closed his eyes.
Having lived in modern democratic South Korea, he simply couldn’t understand this sentiment.
Caste system and feudalism: animals defeated.
Meanwhile, democracy.
Another victorious day.
