“Uh, hmm.”
No matter how illiterate you are, some things can be said and things that cannot be said.
From the alchemist's point of view, he would have felt like he had been insulted by the science he sold.
Sure enough, not only me but Brigitte was also looking down at the teacup with cold eyes.
Rubens and Icalys were also sweating profusely.
Desmond II is good at managing facial expressions.
He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly for a long time to see if it worked.
In the end, he smiled embarrassedly and said,
“Hahaha, Rosie... It feels good to think about my condition. But since the lavender doesn’t seem to be in blooming season yet, you don’t have to waste your time wandering around the garden.”
"Oh! Well, it would have bloomed in the greenhouse though, right? I’ll pick it for you.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
"Yes."
Fortunately, Desmond II gave it to her because he was his most favored daughter.
If it had been Brigitte or me who had told the nonsense, he would have been very angry.
Rubens stepped forward to change the topic. There was a story that was perfect to share with the family.
“Oh, that’s right! Now that I think about it, it’s Rosie’s birthday soon!”
"Oh, my goodness. You remembered me, Brother Rubens. Finally next week, I’m turning sixteen.”
“Then I guess you’ll finally choose to be a direct knight. Isn’t it a day when all the subjects treated it with contempt? It’s nothing short of an auspicious event for the empire!”
“My brother too... It’s a ritual that all members of the royal family do.”
Rosenith was uncharacteristically humble, befitting someone who had recently asked Desmond II to throw a grand birthday banquet.
Next, she made a worried expression and looked at Desmond II. She said,
“Father, actually, I’m a little worried about the choice between direct knights.”
"Hmm? Are you worried?”
“To my shame, I have no talent for alchemy or magic. I’m not confident that I can properly ‘imprint’ a homunculus.”
“Nothing to worry about, Rosie. Just because you are of imperial blood, you are born with enough control to have a homunculus.”
“Still, it is an excellent and special home gate. It requires more talent. What if the engraving fails? I can’t sleep at night these days.”
“Well, even if it’s okay.”
The moment Desmond II showed pity, Rosenit's pink ruby eyes shone as if he had discovered an opportunity.
She lamented, covering her mouth with a pitiful gesture.
“Ah, if It were Eve, she wouldn’t have to worry about this..."
The intention behind dragging me in, who had been sitting still, was obvious.
The 7th Princess is a mischievous woman who goes against the traditions of the imperial family by not having a knight under her direct command for over a year.
If mentioned at this point, it was a tempting target to bite.
Sure enough, the once friendly atmosphere at the table turned into cold tea.
‘It’s coming. Thank you very much, Rosie.'
The eyes of everyone sitting around the table shifted to me.
It was a look I had been sick of in my past life, but it was still stinging and cold.
Desmond II chanted in a low voice.
“Yes, Eve’s talent is great. With the current Eve, I don’t know if it would be possible for her to have three knights under her control.”
“Oh my, really? As expected, Eve is amazing!”
“Whoa... What would you do if you had such great potential? She actually has no intention of hiring a direct engineer.”
In the end, Desmond II let out a long sigh.
He pressed his temples as if the headache was going away again.
“Eve, it would be nice if you followed the imperial tradition and hired a knight under your direct command. I feel really frustrated every time I think about it. You inherited the talent for alchemy and are letting it rot away. Tsk tsk. The direct knight system is a tradition of our Hadelamid imperial family that has been maintained for half a thousand years, and you are the only royal family in history that refuses it. Don’t be unusual and have no intention of obeying as a member of the imperial family?”
“Father.”
“Whoa, no, it’s done. Let's stop. What are you going to do after hearing the answer?”
Desmond II saw my sincerity in bringing him tea leaves and wanted to move on without admonishing me further.
He emptied the tea in one go and grumbled disapprovingly.
“You’re going to say no again anyway. Anyway, you seem like a stubborn girl who takes after your mother.”
“No, Father.”
"What?"
Words of negativity were unexpected. Surprised, Desmond II looked directly at me.
“No?”
I expressed my feelings to Rosenit in my heart.
'Rosie, I will make good use of the opportunity you gave me.'
A calm voice flowed from my mouth.
“Father. I thought about it carefully, but I think I was short-thinking so far. By going against the system to protect my own beliefs, I brought a lot of trouble to my Father. So I did a lot of reflection last night.”
"Huh? What?"
Come on.
I got up on my own without the help of an attendant.
I delicately grabbed the hem of my dress and bent my knees to show respect. And I politely asked.
“Now I also want to have a direct knight, Father''
''...!''
The eyes of everyone in the Emerald Hall grew so big that they almost seemed to pop out.
Cedella was no exception, and she almost overflowed Brigitte's teacup.
Desmond II looked suspicious as to whether what he had just heard was an auditory hallucination.
The expressions of Brigitte, Rosenit, Rubens, and Icalys were not much different.
It was only after a while that the shaky voice of Desmond II was heard.
"Uh... Eve you... Uh, um, so... Are you going to bring in a direct knight?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Really? Is it true?”
“Yes, Father. I said I wanted to hire a knight under my direct control.”
Desmond II's grey-blue eyes twinkled.
After being mesmerized for a while, he took a gulp of hot tea and looked at me again.
"Eve! You’ve finally grown up!”
“I’m sorry for causing you concern, Father.”
"Yes. I wish you had changed your mind now. Raise your head and sit down. Come on, let’s sit down and talk.”
“Thank you, Father.”
“This is a ramp. There are no slopes!”
Desmond II was almost jumping up and down with joy.
Of course, the feelings of the royal brothers and sisters were different.
In particular, Rosenit, who had criticized me, was the most embarrassed.
'Things seem to be going strangely?'
Desmond II leaned forward and asked me various questions.
“When are you going to perform the ceremony?”
“If you allow it, I would like to take the abbreviated exam today. For me, engraving is not a ritual that requires much preparation anyway.”
“But wouldn’t you be disappointed if it was too brief?”
"No. Next week is Rosie's selection ceremony. I did my best to focus attention on Rosie. I think it is right to hold the ceremony quietly.”
“It’s great to think of your younger sister.”
In response to Desmond II's interpretation, I adjusted my expression to become cold and continued speaking.
“It may be presumptuous to say this, but I was not only thinking about Rosie. Rosie is a Princess who receives the love of her subjects. Gain the favor of your subjects by promoting Rosie. Attracting people has a great effect in creating public sentiment favorable to the imperial family. It will have a positive impact on your reign, whether small or large. That's why, for this reason, this Lodge selection ceremony deserves to be widely promoted as an imperial event. I thought it was important to avoid distracting attention due to me suddenly joining in.”
“Oh, even something like that? Eve, now I see that you not only have a kind heart, but you also have political insight.”
“That’s too much praise, Father.”
Desmond II's expression was extremely satisfied.
It was the face of his smart, dutiful daughter.
“Yes, yes. It's great. But the fact that you're going to hold a selection ceremony today means that you have already decided on the homunculus that will be your knight?”
"Yes. I have a homunculus in mind.”
“Hoo... !”
An exclamation full of interest came from Desmond II's mouth. The Emerald Hall was filled with curiosity.
“Who was that? Hurry up and tell me. That’s right, Eve.”
The moment has finally come to say ‘his’ name.
I became nervous without realizing it and had to take a deep breath.
I made direct eye contact with Desmond II and opened my mouth.
“I want Michaelis Agnito.”
"Huh? Who?”
Desmond II seemed unaware.
'Alas, Michael has not yet set foot in the imperial palace.'
There was no way anyone would know his name, as he had been locked in a corner of the camp all this time.
Even though it was not my favorite word, I used the nickname I used to call Michael at that time.
“Um, so... The monster of the public prison.’
After finishing my remarks, I looked around the table.
Their faces were even more perplexed than when I announced that I would bring in a knight under my direct command.
King Desmond II's face hardened as he saw me for the first time today.
The tightly closed lips were intimidating.
In times like this, the first person to step forward was, of course, Rubens, who was good at setting the mood.
He did not hesitate to criticize me, even pointing a finger at me.
“Eve, what on earth are you thinking!”
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