“Hahaha! Is that what you say?”
The Emperor, Leonidas Duke, laughed heartily, patting William on the back as he recounted his tales from the Academy.
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
William, the Emperor’s messenger, couldn’t dare lift his head despite the positive attitude of the Emperor.
He had stepped forward confidently but had not received permission from Cheon Ha-rang.
He pretended to be fine in front of her, but deep inside, his pride was scarred.
With an apologetic expression, William continued to bow deeply.
“What’s got you so gloomy? I’m not angry!”
But Duke only smiled, disregarding William’s failure.
In fact, Duke felt more cheerful than he had in a long time.
How many times had he seen somebody refuse his command?
Especially someone like her, who had never even been known until now.
Sure, she seemed like she might not be part of the Empire, but since this is the Empire, he was absolute, after all.
And how dare she openly refuse him?
It was amusing; truly refreshing.
Duke liked Cheon Ha-rang’s attitude.
“Absolutely! The woman who will become the Empress must have that kind of presence!”
Hahaha! As the Emperor laughed again, William broke into a cold sweat.
“…Your Majesty.”
“No need to look so gloomy.”
Duke, still smiling, faced the oddly darkened countenance of William.
William couldn’t even imagine the Emperor’s reaction to the news he was about to deliver, causing his mustache to tremble nervously.
After a moment’s hesitation, William gulped and nodded firmly, finally speaking up.
“It seems Cheon Ha-rang has a significant other…”
“…”
Duke’s smile froze in place.
With that response, William made a sound of despair as he struck the final blow that would shatter the Emperor’s stony demeanor.
“A man who looks a bit older than Cheon Ha-rang dressed similarly and walking arm-in-arm, looking quite familiar…”
After finishing his statement, William closed his eyes tightly and waited tensely for the Emperor’s reply.
An eternity seemed to pass.
“…Oh no.”
The Emperor’s previously friendly smile turned into a tight fist that began to tremble.
But that expression quickly faded, revealing a calm Duke.
“Even if she has a significant other…”
Duke regained his composure and smirked.
“There’s still a possibility.”
“Y-Yes?”
William tilted his head in confusion, stupefied.
Seeing William’s expression, Duke sighed heavily and spoke clearly, as if teaching.
“Think about it, William. Arnold has an excellent position, handsome looks, and outstanding abilities, doesn’t he?”
“…”
“It’s in a woman’s nature to seek a better man.”
Looking at Duke’s confident expression, William couldn’t help but think most impolitely against the Emperor.
‘…No matter how I see it, our Crown Prince is lacking.’
However, William could not voice this thought and simply lowered his head.
“That makes sense…”
“Haha!”
The Emperor, Duke, laughed as if the very walls of his office would burst.
*
…Who’s talking about me?
Suddenly feeling goosebumps, I shivered, causing the Nameless to tilt his head in confusion.
“Nothing at all.”
“Yes, Master.”
I waved my arms lightly, feeling immense regret over past events.
…In the end, I agreed.
After I took my leave, the remaining knights bowed repeatedly for several days, making it impossible for me to refuse.
Tsk, I really need to toughen my resolve.
I have a nature of being unable to refuse, so I accidentally agreed.
But, well.
Just because I agreed doesn’t mean I’d head straight to the Imperial Palace.
I heard it would take a bit of time to coordinate schedules, considering my counterpart was who they were.
It’s naturally the case that the lord of a territory or the king of a nation would have a lot on their plate.
…Though, there is an exception in the north, known as Camilla.
Anyway.
Thinking that I really need to go to the Imperial Palace in a few days made me feel quite overwhelmed.
…What should I even say when I get there?
No, can I even speak as comfortably as before?
It feels incredibly frustrating to use honorifics on someone who’s so much younger than me.
Besides, when you think about it, I’m not even a citizen of the Empire, am I?
Having lived alone my whole life, being affiliated with something feels strange.
“Umm…”
As I murmured and held my head in concentration, suddenly a thought struck me.
‘Do I even need to worry about it yet?’
I still had plenty of time, and if I was truly concerned, I could just act as I always have.
Hmm, right.
Nodding to myself, I decided to put off my worrying for now and eat strawberries instead.
“Nameless!”
I threw myself onto my bed, waving my arms toward him, opening my mouth.
Soon a sigh escaped Nameless, and a strawberry was popped into my mouth for me to chew away.
…It’ll work out somehow!
I gave up on overthinking it.
And then.
Just a day later, William and the knights came looking for me, smiling.
“Time to move.”
“…Huh?”
Honestly, things never go smoothly.
*
“Wasn’t that something you said?”
“Hehe…”
With an awkward smile, I scratched my head and gazed out the window.
…Well, it’s comfortable.
Nameless, Bell, and I were currently riding in a carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.
The reason?
Of course, to meet with the Emperor who invited me…
As I turned my gaze outside, I noticed Bell slyly glancing at me, scouting for my reaction.
When our eyes met, she squeaked, “Eek!” and shuddered.
…Why is Bell here?
I pouted my lips, recalling past events.
William, no, right after I accepted the invitation to the Imperial Palace, was flailing about and immediately had a carriage prepared.
I naturally declined the offer, as it felt burdensome—
…Honestly, I could walk there faster.
The knights tried to persuade me, saying they’d get in trouble if I refused again, so no matter how skilled I was at refusing, I wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.
Thus, when I flatly rejected the knights’ requests, they insisted at least to allow one guide.
Of course, I once again said NO to them…
But how could they let someone go unaccompanied to visit the Emperor?
They suggested using Bell, who at least had some acquaintance with me.
With no solid reason to refuse, I could only nod my head, and thus began my journey with Bell…
…But wait, was this even according to Bell’s wishes?
I wasn’t so sure.
Anyway.
I puffed out my cheeks to express my displeasure.
Hmm, I’d prefer to go alone with Nameless…
What I thought would be a long-awaited date ended up disrupted by Bell’s intrusion.
“H-”
With a sigh, I shot a piercing glance at Bell.
“Eek…”
She looked so distressed by my glare that her eyes were moist, and her lips poked out in a pout.
“I-I didn’t want to come either…”
“…”
I honestly hadn’t expected her to bring tears, so I awkwardly looked away.
At my reaction, Nameless let out a small smile, and I stared vacantly out the window.
…By the way.
Why do we have to take a carriage when the Imperial Palace and the Academy are in the same capital?
If we think about it objectively, walking would be much faster.
Considering it’s not that far, there wouldn’t be a chance of getting lost, and frankly, given the sheer size of the building, it would be a problem if we did get lost.
Anyway.
Why do we have to take a carriage? As my curiosity swelled, I asked.
Bell withheld her answer, saying, “You’ll understand when you see the size of the palace.”
And I realized Bell’s words were spot on half an hour into the carriage ride.
“Definitely…”
Seeing the Imperial Palace up close made me instantly grasp why Bell insisted on taking a carriage— it was massive!
Seriously, could this even be called a palace?
It was practically the size of a town…
The grand building I would associate with a palace was still far ahead.
What stood before us now was an enormous wall enclosing that grand structure.
Something about its size struck me with an overwhelming feeling.
And I thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of being overwhelmed, grinning widely.
“…I feel sorry for Camilla.”
It’s undeniable; when it comes to size, not even high-ranking nobility could compare— this is what a true Emperor’s palace should embody!
…It’s easily at least three times bigger.
With a small sigh of admiration, I watched the gates open.
Beyond the vast walls, a nature scene so vast it resembled a forest began to unfold.
“…This is the garden.”
Wondering if maybe the palace believed bigger is better, even the garden was immense.
Hmm, that might be hard to manage.
Lost in somewhat pointless thoughts while gazing outside, I suddenly hear Bell make a triumphant huff.
“How is it?! Isn’t it amazing?!”
“…Yeah.”
She looked so smug, but she wasn’t wrong, so I nodded.
…But why is she so proud of the palace?
I became curious but chose not to ask.
Isn’t this classic Bell behavior?
Chalking it up as another one of her whims.
I turned my gaze away from her to lean out the window and feel the refreshing breeze.
Oh, look! A squirrel!
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