Erdene stared at Arkan as if she was a little surprised.
Arkan, who had turned his head with a red face, glanced at her and said,
“What’s with that... expression?”
“I didn’t think you’d really say something like that.”
Arkan furrowed his brow in anger. Erdene still had a bewildered expression as if someone had hit the back of her head, then cleared her throat and looked away from his gaze.
Arkan, who was quivering his lips, said,
“Until now, I just thought I shouldn’t say... things like that to you.”
“What’s with that...?”
“There’s something like that. See you in the evening.”
And then, without even listening to Erdene’s words, he ran out of the bedroom.
Not long after he left, Sophia came in as if she was taking over, looked at Erdene sitting there blankly, and asked with a puzzled expression.
“Your Majesty, what happened? I saw His Majesty’s face turned bright red and he ran out.”
Erdene, who was about to answer, pursed her lips.
If this were normal, she would have chatted to Sophia without thinking much, but today for some reason her mouth wouldn’t open.
“Your Majesty?”
“It’s nothing, Sophia. Nothing happened.”
Sophia nodded indifferently. If Her Majesty the Queen said so, then so be it.
Erdene turned her head toward the window to hide her flushed cheeks.
Love, huh?
‘What do you mean by things I’ve always thought I shouldn’t do? What the heck! You’re such an absurd man. You’re going to stir up people like this and run away? You won’t leave me alone!’
The military system of the Hirschsten Empire was clearer and simpler than that of any other country on the continent.
The Imperial First Order of Knights, once led by Thelma, had the characteristic that only the most skilled elite soldiers of the Empire could join and did not accept applicants.
Only those who had outstanding abilities or distinguished themselves in each order and received approval from the commander-in-chief and knight commanders leading the troops could join.
Therefore, those who belonged to the First Order of Knights received the best treatment from knights to the lowest soldiers, and it was also the fastest way to be promoted as a military officer in Hirschsten, which valued military force.
Below that, the Second and Third Orders of Knights were divided according to the specialties of each soldier, and except for the First Order of Knights, there was no need to fight over the hierarchy between the knights.
Military officers with the status of Counts were managed separately, and there were those who were not treated as regular soldiers, such as those patrolling the capital or local administrative districts.
Until the time when the previous Emperors, Erdene and Tenek’s fathers, reigned as Emperors, one peculiarity was that there was no entourage to protect the Emperors.
No matter how different the culture or the country, there was an entourage to protect the head of state, but Hirschsten was not like that.
The fact that he became Emperor with such a great army under his feet was proof that he had the power to subdue them on his own.
Therefore, the Emperors of Hirschsten considered it shameful for generations to have soldiers stationed around him in case of a surprise attack or assassination.
“There were times like that.”
Thelma grumbled, hunching over her long sword.
Merton stood upright but did not refute her words.
“Not only does the Emperor of the Hirschsten Empire have a swarm of knights, but now he has knights around him to watch over him even when he is playing with the government.”
“Thelma, your voice is too loud.”
At Merton’s words, Thelma jumped up as if she had been waiting.
“What is this? Since when have we been guarding the Emperor’s villa?”
“I said, stop.”
But Thelma could not contain her anger.
It would have been less humiliating to patrol the alleys and do nothing.
After receiving Atelgadis’ report, Emperor Tenek summoned Thelma and Merton and promoted them to the Emperor’s close bodyguards on the spot.
It was an unconventional appointment without any discussion with anyone, but no one complained to Tenek.
Thelma insisted that Tenek was crazy, but Merton thought differently.
He had a relatively accurate understanding of Tenek’s intentions. He didn’t know who told him what, but he must have realized that they were digging up the sudden death of the late Emperor.
So he must have intended to keep them within his sight and prevent them from doing anything foolish. It was an idea that Tenek could have come up with.
“We are just called aides, we are just standing there like dogs.”
Thelma, who had been silent for a moment, grumbled again.
This time, Merton remained silent because her words were right.
Those whom Tenek trusted and entrusted with his guards were people personally selected by Atelgadis, and they were once close to Thelma and Merton as brothers, but now they had completely turned their backs on them.
Whenever she happened to run into them, Thelma would spit on the floor, and they treated the former elite knight commanders who had been reduced to worthless beings as if they were ghosts.
“The problem is...”
Merton turned his head at Thelma’s voice, which had suddenly lowered.
“I can’t tell Her Highness this. One or two of Tenek’s guards always follow me, Commander Merton. Surely you don’t know?”
Merton, who had been silent, spoke as he looked ahead.
“How could I not know?”
Thelma sighed.
“That’s true. Those idiots, if you’re going to follow me, do it quietly. I’m so nervous about everything that I want to blow their balls off. Enduring it is a job. I’ll just get more money out of them, I can’t.”
“Don’t touch them. There’s no point in making a fuss right now.”
“I know.”
Thelma pouts and kicks the tip of her sword with her foot, spinning it around.
The sword, which had been flying through the air, moves as if it were being sucked into Thelma’s hand. Thelma swung it, sheath included, making a loud noise and said.
“If you want to stick a tail, you have to stick it quietly like us. Isn’t that right? Atelgadis, that pig’s house is said to have a lot of money every day. They say the guys who brought bribes and stuff come and go without stopping for a moment.”
“If someone hears you talking, that quiet tail might be cut off without a sound.”
Merton quietly scolded her, and Thelma giggled frivolously.
“Who would listen to that? The Emperor over there? Or the mistress who’s whining like a kitten?”
“Thelma, please..."
At that moment, a sound came from a corner not far away.
Thelma and Merton tensed their bodies reflexively without saying a word.
The shadow cast over the floor drew closer to the two, and when it finally appeared, Thelma lowered her sword with a look of despair.
It was a woman.
Judging by her attire, she was a noblewoman, and judging by her expression, it was clear that she hadn’t gotten lost and wandered all the way here.
Merton recognized her face before Thelma did.
“Aren’t you the Empress’s maid?”
Then Thelma looked back and forth between Merton and the woman as if she had seen a ghost.
She gave a short bow to the two, then turned her gaze to Merton, who was standing behind Thelma.
“Dean Merton, the Empress is looking for you.”
Before Merton could respond, Thelma turned her head and looked at him.
“The Empress?”
“Yes. She said it was urgent, so please go quickly.”
Roelica was looking for Merton. Why?
Merton remembered her stern expression when she had flatly rejected his offer.
Many people in this golden castle did not know the true nature of Empress Roelica, but Merton did not.
She was holding a sharp, poisoned knife behind her gloomy and sad face.
Merton glanced at the closed door.
Thelma smiled and urged him to hurry up and go, but since Tenek had already grabbed one ankle, he could not just give up the other.
“I am guarding by order of His Majesty the Emperor. I cannot leave, so I will listen to your business first.”
The maid, who had been looking at him expressionlessly, said.
“The Empress said that she had obtained a rare sword and wanted to know if it was useful. She said that Master Merton had the most reliable eye in the empire, so she asked me to bring you.”
A rare sword. Merton thought.
Even before she had the child, she had been shut away in the Empress’s palace and never left home. Who would give her a sword as a gift, and for what purpose? It was clearly an excuse.
‘But if it was to the extent that she had to prepare an excuse like this, then it must be urgent.’
Merton said.
“Very well. Thelma, you will take my place. If anyone asks...”
“Don’t worry. I will tell them that you have a terrible stomachache that even a tiger would not be able to help.”
It was an excuse that was not very appealing... However, Merton knew Thelma’s temperament.
If someone were to ask where Merton had gone while saying such things, she would scare them away so much that they would never be able to open their mouths again.
“Let’s go.”
At Merton’s words, the maid took the lead without saying a word.
As he followed her, Merton's mind was racing and busy.
Although his goal was to win her over as an ally, as long as she was the Empress of Tenek, Merton had to stay one step ahead of Roelica no matter what.
Arkan, who had turned his head with a red face, glanced at her and said,
“What’s with that... expression?”
“I didn’t think you’d really say something like that.”
Arkan furrowed his brow in anger. Erdene still had a bewildered expression as if someone had hit the back of her head, then cleared her throat and looked away from his gaze.
Arkan, who was quivering his lips, said,
“Until now, I just thought I shouldn’t say... things like that to you.”
“What’s with that...?”
“There’s something like that. See you in the evening.”
And then, without even listening to Erdene’s words, he ran out of the bedroom.
Not long after he left, Sophia came in as if she was taking over, looked at Erdene sitting there blankly, and asked with a puzzled expression.
“Your Majesty, what happened? I saw His Majesty’s face turned bright red and he ran out.”
Erdene, who was about to answer, pursed her lips.
If this were normal, she would have chatted to Sophia without thinking much, but today for some reason her mouth wouldn’t open.
“Your Majesty?”
“It’s nothing, Sophia. Nothing happened.”
Sophia nodded indifferently. If Her Majesty the Queen said so, then so be it.
Erdene turned her head toward the window to hide her flushed cheeks.
Love, huh?
‘What do you mean by things I’ve always thought I shouldn’t do? What the heck! You’re such an absurd man. You’re going to stir up people like this and run away? You won’t leave me alone!’
***
The military system of the Hirschsten Empire was clearer and simpler than that of any other country on the continent.
The Imperial First Order of Knights, once led by Thelma, had the characteristic that only the most skilled elite soldiers of the Empire could join and did not accept applicants.
Only those who had outstanding abilities or distinguished themselves in each order and received approval from the commander-in-chief and knight commanders leading the troops could join.
Therefore, those who belonged to the First Order of Knights received the best treatment from knights to the lowest soldiers, and it was also the fastest way to be promoted as a military officer in Hirschsten, which valued military force.
Below that, the Second and Third Orders of Knights were divided according to the specialties of each soldier, and except for the First Order of Knights, there was no need to fight over the hierarchy between the knights.
Military officers with the status of Counts were managed separately, and there were those who were not treated as regular soldiers, such as those patrolling the capital or local administrative districts.
Until the time when the previous Emperors, Erdene and Tenek’s fathers, reigned as Emperors, one peculiarity was that there was no entourage to protect the Emperors.
No matter how different the culture or the country, there was an entourage to protect the head of state, but Hirschsten was not like that.
The fact that he became Emperor with such a great army under his feet was proof that he had the power to subdue them on his own.
Therefore, the Emperors of Hirschsten considered it shameful for generations to have soldiers stationed around him in case of a surprise attack or assassination.
“There were times like that.”
Thelma grumbled, hunching over her long sword.
Merton stood upright but did not refute her words.
“Not only does the Emperor of the Hirschsten Empire have a swarm of knights, but now he has knights around him to watch over him even when he is playing with the government.”
“Thelma, your voice is too loud.”
At Merton’s words, Thelma jumped up as if she had been waiting.
“What is this? Since when have we been guarding the Emperor’s villa?”
“I said, stop.”
But Thelma could not contain her anger.
It would have been less humiliating to patrol the alleys and do nothing.
After receiving Atelgadis’ report, Emperor Tenek summoned Thelma and Merton and promoted them to the Emperor’s close bodyguards on the spot.
It was an unconventional appointment without any discussion with anyone, but no one complained to Tenek.
Thelma insisted that Tenek was crazy, but Merton thought differently.
He had a relatively accurate understanding of Tenek’s intentions. He didn’t know who told him what, but he must have realized that they were digging up the sudden death of the late Emperor.
So he must have intended to keep them within his sight and prevent them from doing anything foolish. It was an idea that Tenek could have come up with.
“We are just called aides, we are just standing there like dogs.”
Thelma, who had been silent for a moment, grumbled again.
This time, Merton remained silent because her words were right.
Those whom Tenek trusted and entrusted with his guards were people personally selected by Atelgadis, and they were once close to Thelma and Merton as brothers, but now they had completely turned their backs on them.
Whenever she happened to run into them, Thelma would spit on the floor, and they treated the former elite knight commanders who had been reduced to worthless beings as if they were ghosts.
“The problem is...”
Merton turned his head at Thelma’s voice, which had suddenly lowered.
“I can’t tell Her Highness this. One or two of Tenek’s guards always follow me, Commander Merton. Surely you don’t know?”
Merton, who had been silent, spoke as he looked ahead.
“How could I not know?”
Thelma sighed.
“That’s true. Those idiots, if you’re going to follow me, do it quietly. I’m so nervous about everything that I want to blow their balls off. Enduring it is a job. I’ll just get more money out of them, I can’t.”
“Don’t touch them. There’s no point in making a fuss right now.”
“I know.”
Thelma pouts and kicks the tip of her sword with her foot, spinning it around.
The sword, which had been flying through the air, moves as if it were being sucked into Thelma’s hand. Thelma swung it, sheath included, making a loud noise and said.
“If you want to stick a tail, you have to stick it quietly like us. Isn’t that right? Atelgadis, that pig’s house is said to have a lot of money every day. They say the guys who brought bribes and stuff come and go without stopping for a moment.”
“If someone hears you talking, that quiet tail might be cut off without a sound.”
Merton quietly scolded her, and Thelma giggled frivolously.
“Who would listen to that? The Emperor over there? Or the mistress who’s whining like a kitten?”
“Thelma, please..."
At that moment, a sound came from a corner not far away.
Thelma and Merton tensed their bodies reflexively without saying a word.
The shadow cast over the floor drew closer to the two, and when it finally appeared, Thelma lowered her sword with a look of despair.
It was a woman.
Judging by her attire, she was a noblewoman, and judging by her expression, it was clear that she hadn’t gotten lost and wandered all the way here.
Merton recognized her face before Thelma did.
“Aren’t you the Empress’s maid?”
Then Thelma looked back and forth between Merton and the woman as if she had seen a ghost.
She gave a short bow to the two, then turned her gaze to Merton, who was standing behind Thelma.
“Dean Merton, the Empress is looking for you.”
Before Merton could respond, Thelma turned her head and looked at him.
“The Empress?”
“Yes. She said it was urgent, so please go quickly.”
Roelica was looking for Merton. Why?
Merton remembered her stern expression when she had flatly rejected his offer.
Many people in this golden castle did not know the true nature of Empress Roelica, but Merton did not.
She was holding a sharp, poisoned knife behind her gloomy and sad face.
Merton glanced at the closed door.
Thelma smiled and urged him to hurry up and go, but since Tenek had already grabbed one ankle, he could not just give up the other.
“I am guarding by order of His Majesty the Emperor. I cannot leave, so I will listen to your business first.”
The maid, who had been looking at him expressionlessly, said.
“The Empress said that she had obtained a rare sword and wanted to know if it was useful. She said that Master Merton had the most reliable eye in the empire, so she asked me to bring you.”
A rare sword. Merton thought.
Even before she had the child, she had been shut away in the Empress’s palace and never left home. Who would give her a sword as a gift, and for what purpose? It was clearly an excuse.
‘But if it was to the extent that she had to prepare an excuse like this, then it must be urgent.’
Merton said.
“Very well. Thelma, you will take my place. If anyone asks...”
“Don’t worry. I will tell them that you have a terrible stomachache that even a tiger would not be able to help.”
It was an excuse that was not very appealing... However, Merton knew Thelma’s temperament.
If someone were to ask where Merton had gone while saying such things, she would scare them away so much that they would never be able to open their mouths again.
“Let’s go.”
At Merton’s words, the maid took the lead without saying a word.
As he followed her, Merton's mind was racing and busy.
Although his goal was to win her over as an ally, as long as she was the Empress of Tenek, Merton had to stay one step ahead of Roelica no matter what.
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