At first, it was okay.
Of course, the kids didn’t chat with the Emperor like they were best buddies.
But thankfully, there was no hostility among them.
The grilled fish, lightly salted, tasted quite good. I thought it would be better not to have to deal with the bones, but hey, isn’t that what gathering here to eat together is all about? The atmosphere is part of the whole dining experience.
“Oh, right.”
Jayden said.
“Sylvia, I’d like to use that ‘Big Brother privilege’ from now on.”
“…”
Everyone’s gaze suddenly concentrated on me.
Even the Emperor’s gaze was on me.
“Oh, then I want to use it too.”
Bella raised her hand to speak.
“…”
I clamped my mouth shut.
Well, it was my idea in the first place, so I guess I had no choice.
“If you go silent like that, it defeats the purpose of our deal, doesn’t it?”
Lucas teased.
“If we made a deal, it’s only fair to keep the terms. Otherwise, your partner might refuse your next proposal.”
“I know, I know,”
I just couldn’t shake off the awkwardness of trying to switch back to formal speech after dropping it for a moment.
I’d been using formal speech my whole life in this world, but switching back after such a short break was surprisingly difficult.
“…From now on, I shall refer to you as ‘Big Brother’ for two days.”
“Great, great. That’s wonderful, little sibling.”
Jayden said with an incredibly proud expression and took a mouthful of fish.
“…”
And Bella was staring intently at me.
I took a deep breath and spoke as if I was about to spew,
“I look forward to your guidance over the week, Sister. But we likely won’t be around to use it for the full week.”
“Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine. In the end, we’ll be using it all vacation long, right? I’ll let that slide. There’s no need for you to feel awkward calling me Sister.”
“…”
Alice and Lucas stared at me closely.
“You two should make your deal before talking.”
“What if I say, ‘If you don’t call me Sister right now, I might pass the imperial throne to you’?”
“Sister, don’t give in to threats like that!”
I mean, seriously, can’t she just endure the simple act of calling someone Sister without becoming the next Emperor of the Empire?
“If I become the next Emperor, I’ll pass all the powers to Claire.”
“…Sister?”
“…”
The Emperor seemed to chuckle a bit.
“It’s a bit absurd to see you two passing around the power without wanting to hold onto it for yourselves.”
Lucas said.
“Because I don’t need it.”
“I think you’d do quite well as Emperor, though?”
“…That’s impossible, Big Brother.”
“I’ll give you back that Sister title, so how about letting me have the Emperor’s seat?”
“That won’t do, Sister.”
When I frowned and said that, Bella burst out laughing.
“Hmm, I suppose I can’t trust you with power. I’ll find another way to make you call me Sister.”
Wait, why was she suddenly fired up?
Claire shot a glare at Alice, and Alice shrugged.
While we leisurely chatted and ate,
“Everyone.”
A servant had approached us and spoke politely.
“The dishes are ready, may I guide you to the hall?”
At that, we got up, shaking off our bottoms.
*
The meal continued like a small banquet.
We sat at a large table and tasted the ‘Lord of the Lake’, made from dishes. Saying it like this makes it sound like we’re cannibals, which feels a bit awkward, but it seems that the name is really referring to that fish.
Maybe soon, I ought to call some biologists or such to properly name it.
“Whoa, this is really good.”
Lucas exclaimed.
It was indeed delicious.
There was zero muddy smell one would expect from freshwater fish, and the sweetness of the sauce beautifully complemented the perfectly grilled flesh. The way it flakes was definitely fishy, but the texture felt closer to meat. I have no idea how it tasted so great.
“After the meal, a light drink is prepared. Please enjoy.”
Since we are such high-profile people, or maybe that’s just the service here, I couldn’t tell, but the servants kept a close eye on us throughout the meal.
Well, even if it was just military service, it wouldn’t be surprising. There’s quite a big wall between officers who are nobles and regular soldiers composed of commoners, and on the battlefield, while officers slice their steaks, common soldiers often eat hard, stale bread.
The Empire has a lot of land and plenty of food available, but… generally, the food isn’t that tasty. During missions, I tended to take care of my own meals rather than survive on rations.
Once we finished eating in this relaxed manner, music played from a gramophone in the dining room.
Of course, the sound quality was notably inferior to that of a live performance; however, it felt a bit awkward to call musicians to play in such a place. Personally, I found the crackling sound of the music somewhat charming.
By the way, the LP I knew seemed a bit different; it looked like each plate had only one song, about five minutes long, on it.
So, someone was standing beside the records, swapping each song out as it ended.
…Well, at least they didn’t seem to mind.
“…Nice.”
Bella said.
We were holding our drinks. I, Claire, and Alice were sipping mineral water with fruit juice, while Bella had real champagne.
She wasn’t drunk per se, but her face was slightly flushed. Maybe she was feeling a bit tipsy?
Given how many drinks she’d already had, I guess that was understandable.
“Why? Are you uncomfortable with someone my age being mixed in among you?”
Seeing her whining like that suggested she indeed might be a little tipsy.
I turned my gaze to Lucas and Jayden, who were making faces like they didn’t want to be here while arm-wrestling with Damien as if judging him.
Did it have to come to this?
“There are no other women here besides us.”
“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why I’m here. Hah.”
Bella sighed dramatically as she turned her gaze, suddenly locking eyes with the Emperor.
“…”
Seeing that, Alice, Claire, and I quickly exchanged our glances.
We had to be ready to intervene if anything happened.
Bella poked my shoulder.
She was giggling like she had thought of something amusing.
“Hey, is that charming gentleman over there someone you know?”
“…”
I looked up at Bella with a slightly bewildered expression.
I was trying to gauge whether she was genuinely drunk or just joking around, but it was starting to seem like the latter. My heart raced a bit as I glanced at Alice and Claire before responding to Bella.
“Shall I introduce you?”
“Oh my, would you?”
Bella smiled brightly.
I nodded and led Bella to the Emperor.
The Emperor stood by the window, quietly gazing outside while holding a cup.
As I approached, confirming that Bella was following me, he turned his gaze back to me.
There was a hint of questioning in his eyes.
Did he think that our relationship had completely come apart?
I debated how to approach things and then greeted him politely, just like I was taught in the royal court.
The Emperor appeared to ponder how to handle the situation momentarily, but then he politely returned the courtly etiquette greeting.
“What brings such a beautiful lady here?”
“Well…”
I glanced subtly at Bella and then back to the Emperor.
“…This lady here wishes to greet you, sir.”
At my words, Bella stepped forward and curtsied elegantly. Despite wearing form-fitting pants, her movement resembled that of someone who had been trained in grace.
“I am Bella Fanggriffon. Fortuitously, I have inherited the noble lineage of this Empire.”
Although it sounded quite sarcastic, the Emperor didn’t flinch or scowl.
“Is that so? It’s an honor that a distinguished individual would speak with me.”
As if they were total strangers from the very beginning, those two began conversing.
It was hard to tell whether they were trying to rekindle their relationship or if Bella was merely being sarcastic. From what Bella said, it seemed closer to sarcasm, but…
As a brief silence fell, music from the record player filled the air.
“Charming gentleman, would you care to share a dance with me?”
Bella said while extending her hand. She lifted her hands up, inviting him to dance like a lady requesting a dance.
It was almost as if she were trying to reenact something she hadn’t enjoyed in her childhood.
“…”
The Emperor glanced down at her hand, then slowly moved his hand to grasp it as if to support her.
“…It’s an honor.”
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