“You two, please wait here.”
Finally, the servant opened the door to a room and said this.
Despite its bleak appearance, the interior was extremely splendid. If you were to think of all the fancy items that an Emperor would normally use, you would find them mostly in this reception room.
My mouth was dry from the tension. I tried to recall everything Laskan had told me about the Emperor so far.
A man who lost his wife at a young age and has lived without even an official government, a father who lost his beloved daughter in an instant and fell into despair, and a grandfather who lost his only granddaughter for a long time.
He would be the most unfortunate man in the world, except that his name has the name of an empire, 'Igrantia', attached to it.
We waited for a long time, but the Emperor never showed up.
I was so frozen that I started to lean back on the chair more and more awkwardly. It was because I was having trouble breathing properly due to the stuffy underwear I was wearing.
After about two hours, I began to wonder if the Emperor would really show up.
Unlike me, Laskan seemed to have expected this situation, as if he had been calm. He was reading a book that he had brought with him, without knowing when. He didn't know what other people were thinking.
His relaxed attitude and clean-cut face didn't make him look like someone who had proposed to me just a few hours ago. If he really had feelings for me, he wouldn't have acted like that.
I blurted out, feeling a little hurt.
“You did that on purpose earlier, right?”
"What?"
He looked straight up from his book and looked at me.
"You said you liked me. I know it was just a joke to ease the tension.”
“If that makes you feel better, then think that way.”
He lowered his head back to his book as if it wasn't worth responding further.
Contrary to his blunt attitude, the corners of his ears were slightly red. It was so funny that I almost laughed a little.
The more I get to know Laskan, the more I see his differences. At first, he was a polite but reserved knight, but as I got to know him, I could see his sloppy side, and sometimes, he even seemed cute because of his size.
Even when we were talking, he tried his best to avoid using words that I might not know. He was like an onion in a good way.
“Why hasn’t the Emperor come yet?”
“I asked the chamberlain a little while ago, and he said that Duke Kairak’s daughter is having an audience.”
“The daughter of the Duke of Kairak? Her name was Veronica, right?”
I clapped my hands in joy at remembering the name, though Laskan's expression became a little more serious.
“I guess Duke Kairak gave His Majesty a warning. Since His Majesty finally came to see me today.”
“Are they trying to keep it in check?”
“I don’t know how much she has melted the Emperor. His Majesty rarely appears at official functions. Most of the work is done by the Duke of Kairak and his wife according to the Emperor’s will.”
“Why is His Majesty like that...”
“The Emperor told my father that he could not bear to look a murderer in the face.”
“...”
“It’s not a good story to tell here, but the circumstances at the time were set up so that we were very disadvantaged. There was just a lack of conclusive evidence.”
I hesitated for a moment about whether I should ask this or not, then opened my mouth.
“If you really thought he was the real culprit, why are you still letting him off? Why aren’t you punishing him?”
When Laskan heard those words, his expression became a little mysterious.
“No one can destroy a family without any decisive evidence. Then, the other nobles will be anxious that they might be next. Loyalty and trust are not likely to grow in anxiety.”
His gaze shifted slightly upward from me. It seemed as if he was looking at the person standing behind me, not at me.
Laskan continued speaking slowly.
“A country that has lost so many supporters cannot last long.”
“That is precisely why I keep an eye on your shabby family, Duke.”
I was startled by the sudden voice and shrugged my shoulders.
It seemed like I was the only one in the room who was surprised. Laskan immediately bowed gracefully.
"Your Majesty."
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty? Your Majesty the Emperor?”
I was startled by those words and followed Laskan in a hurry, bowing down. I even forgot everything Isabella had taught me. Such as the etiquette for royalty and the different ways men and women greet each other.
The Emperor waved his hand as if in annoyance.
“The Duke should just go out and play.”
“I will wait at the door for you to call me.”
Laskan bowed gracefully once more and left the room.
It was an inevitable matter since he could not disobey the Emperor's orders, but I felt like crying and clinging to his trouser leg.
Take me, too. Don't leave me here alone.
But Laskan angrily closed the door and left. When I was left alone with the Emperor in the large room, I felt like I was out of breath.
I was at a loss as to whether or not I should straighten my bent back. After bowing my head for a while, I heard the sound of the Emperor going to the couch and sitting down.
“Yes, you are the granddaughter of the man the world was talking about.”
It was an indifferent voice. It didn't contain any anticipation or emotion.
It was only then that I realized that the Emperor did not believe anything about me, much less the contents of the newspaper.
My lips trembled involuntarily. How could I dare move my mouth so carelessly?
I was a rat in the gutter, and this man was the highest-ranking man in the empire. No matter how plausible the appearance, the true nature of the situation could not be hidden.
"...Your Majesty."
“You said you lost your memory, but you still dare to call me grandpa.”
The Emperor's cold laughter poured down on my shivering head.
“It seems like the Duke is in a hurry. Now, he’s just trying to pick up some random woman and shove her in front of me...”
“...”
“Hey, lift your head.”
I straightened my back, which had been bent at the Emperor's words. I rolled my eyes ambiguously, not knowing where to look, but ended up making direct eye contact with the Emperor.
He was a cool-looking old man. He looked a bit younger than I had thought, and his facial features, which had been outstanding when he was young, were still straight.
However, the sharp and nervous expression on his eyes and lips suggested his age. Grayish black-brown hair and green eyes. It was a part that made it possible to know where the Princess's appearance, known to the world, came from.
People in the world sneered at him and called him a beast without claws, but to me, he was just a man who was so tired that he just wanted to rest.
I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice that the sharp words that had been continuing had suddenly stopped and that the Emperor was making an overly surprised expression. His face was pale as if he had been strangled.
“...Demetria?”
The Emperor absentmindedly called someone's name. Only then did I come to my senses.
Demetria. I also knew that name from Isabella. The deceased daughter of the Emperor. The mother of the Crown Princess Anastasia, and the name of the previous Crown Princess.
As I opened my eyes wide and looked at the Emperor, a tear fell from his dry eye.
"Hmm."
The Emperor gritted his teeth as if he was enduring something, then spat out what he had said.
“...So, what kind of wealth and honor did the Duke promise you?”
I was speechless and just made a stupid face. What should I say in a situation like this?
I was so embarrassed that I almost squeezed the hem of my dress. Cesare, Laskan, and Isabella had only taught me the etiquette of a nobleman—even that was now all wrong—but they had not taught me the right answers to the Emperor's questions.
The Emperor, who had been watching me struggle, finally opened his mouth again.
“Since my daughter died and my granddaughter went missing, countless women have come and gone from this room.”
“...”
“Some, like you, lost their memories and truly believed that they were the Princess, but most of them even dyed their hair to deceive others.”
“...”
“My desperation made me their prey.”
The Emperor's eyes were cold as he spoke. It was hard to believe that he was the same man who had been shedding tears just a moment ago.
The Emperor's gaze, which had been gazing into space, turned back to me.
“Ever since Anastasia declared herself brown-haired and green-eyed, no blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman has ever come near me.”
There was a tremor in the Emperor's voice.
“Most people believed my word. They would never have thought that I would lie when the safety of my only granddaughter was at stake.”
“...”
“But the Duke knows the Princess’s childhood. Now, you comes and believes him, a man of murderous blood?”
“...”
“If I had seen the corpse with my own eyes, it wouldn’t have been this desperate.”
"Your Majesty..."
The Emperor's trembling hand touched his forehead. He stamped his feet, not knowing what to do as tears flowed down from his eyes.
To me, the Emperor was like a god, just as all the people of the empire believed.
People prayed morning and evening for the Emperor's well-being and prayed that he would send rain, a cool breeze, or a shower of money.
Although some occasionally swore harshly, public opinion toward the Emperor was generally not bad.
The nobles volunteered for military service when a great crisis arose in the country, and even the emperor stood in the middle of the battlefield during times of chaos. They were our guardian deities and, at the same time, our idols.
All I could do in response to the human side of the Emperor was to bow my head as politely as possible.
Finally, the servant opened the door to a room and said this.
Despite its bleak appearance, the interior was extremely splendid. If you were to think of all the fancy items that an Emperor would normally use, you would find them mostly in this reception room.
My mouth was dry from the tension. I tried to recall everything Laskan had told me about the Emperor so far.
A man who lost his wife at a young age and has lived without even an official government, a father who lost his beloved daughter in an instant and fell into despair, and a grandfather who lost his only granddaughter for a long time.
He would be the most unfortunate man in the world, except that his name has the name of an empire, 'Igrantia', attached to it.
***
We waited for a long time, but the Emperor never showed up.
I was so frozen that I started to lean back on the chair more and more awkwardly. It was because I was having trouble breathing properly due to the stuffy underwear I was wearing.
After about two hours, I began to wonder if the Emperor would really show up.
Unlike me, Laskan seemed to have expected this situation, as if he had been calm. He was reading a book that he had brought with him, without knowing when. He didn't know what other people were thinking.
His relaxed attitude and clean-cut face didn't make him look like someone who had proposed to me just a few hours ago. If he really had feelings for me, he wouldn't have acted like that.
I blurted out, feeling a little hurt.
“You did that on purpose earlier, right?”
"What?"
He looked straight up from his book and looked at me.
"You said you liked me. I know it was just a joke to ease the tension.”
“If that makes you feel better, then think that way.”
He lowered his head back to his book as if it wasn't worth responding further.
Contrary to his blunt attitude, the corners of his ears were slightly red. It was so funny that I almost laughed a little.
The more I get to know Laskan, the more I see his differences. At first, he was a polite but reserved knight, but as I got to know him, I could see his sloppy side, and sometimes, he even seemed cute because of his size.
Even when we were talking, he tried his best to avoid using words that I might not know. He was like an onion in a good way.
“Why hasn’t the Emperor come yet?”
“I asked the chamberlain a little while ago, and he said that Duke Kairak’s daughter is having an audience.”
“The daughter of the Duke of Kairak? Her name was Veronica, right?”
I clapped my hands in joy at remembering the name, though Laskan's expression became a little more serious.
“I guess Duke Kairak gave His Majesty a warning. Since His Majesty finally came to see me today.”
“Are they trying to keep it in check?”
“I don’t know how much she has melted the Emperor. His Majesty rarely appears at official functions. Most of the work is done by the Duke of Kairak and his wife according to the Emperor’s will.”
“Why is His Majesty like that...”
“The Emperor told my father that he could not bear to look a murderer in the face.”
“...”
“It’s not a good story to tell here, but the circumstances at the time were set up so that we were very disadvantaged. There was just a lack of conclusive evidence.”
I hesitated for a moment about whether I should ask this or not, then opened my mouth.
“If you really thought he was the real culprit, why are you still letting him off? Why aren’t you punishing him?”
When Laskan heard those words, his expression became a little mysterious.
“No one can destroy a family without any decisive evidence. Then, the other nobles will be anxious that they might be next. Loyalty and trust are not likely to grow in anxiety.”
His gaze shifted slightly upward from me. It seemed as if he was looking at the person standing behind me, not at me.
Laskan continued speaking slowly.
“A country that has lost so many supporters cannot last long.”
“That is precisely why I keep an eye on your shabby family, Duke.”
I was startled by the sudden voice and shrugged my shoulders.
It seemed like I was the only one in the room who was surprised. Laskan immediately bowed gracefully.
"Your Majesty."
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty? Your Majesty the Emperor?”
I was startled by those words and followed Laskan in a hurry, bowing down. I even forgot everything Isabella had taught me. Such as the etiquette for royalty and the different ways men and women greet each other.
The Emperor waved his hand as if in annoyance.
“The Duke should just go out and play.”
“I will wait at the door for you to call me.”
Laskan bowed gracefully once more and left the room.
It was an inevitable matter since he could not disobey the Emperor's orders, but I felt like crying and clinging to his trouser leg.
Take me, too. Don't leave me here alone.
But Laskan angrily closed the door and left. When I was left alone with the Emperor in the large room, I felt like I was out of breath.
I was at a loss as to whether or not I should straighten my bent back. After bowing my head for a while, I heard the sound of the Emperor going to the couch and sitting down.
“Yes, you are the granddaughter of the man the world was talking about.”
It was an indifferent voice. It didn't contain any anticipation or emotion.
It was only then that I realized that the Emperor did not believe anything about me, much less the contents of the newspaper.
My lips trembled involuntarily. How could I dare move my mouth so carelessly?
I was a rat in the gutter, and this man was the highest-ranking man in the empire. No matter how plausible the appearance, the true nature of the situation could not be hidden.
"...Your Majesty."
“You said you lost your memory, but you still dare to call me grandpa.”
The Emperor's cold laughter poured down on my shivering head.
“It seems like the Duke is in a hurry. Now, he’s just trying to pick up some random woman and shove her in front of me...”
“...”
“Hey, lift your head.”
I straightened my back, which had been bent at the Emperor's words. I rolled my eyes ambiguously, not knowing where to look, but ended up making direct eye contact with the Emperor.
He was a cool-looking old man. He looked a bit younger than I had thought, and his facial features, which had been outstanding when he was young, were still straight.
However, the sharp and nervous expression on his eyes and lips suggested his age. Grayish black-brown hair and green eyes. It was a part that made it possible to know where the Princess's appearance, known to the world, came from.
People in the world sneered at him and called him a beast without claws, but to me, he was just a man who was so tired that he just wanted to rest.
I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice that the sharp words that had been continuing had suddenly stopped and that the Emperor was making an overly surprised expression. His face was pale as if he had been strangled.
“...Demetria?”
The Emperor absentmindedly called someone's name. Only then did I come to my senses.
Demetria. I also knew that name from Isabella. The deceased daughter of the Emperor. The mother of the Crown Princess Anastasia, and the name of the previous Crown Princess.
As I opened my eyes wide and looked at the Emperor, a tear fell from his dry eye.
"Hmm."
The Emperor gritted his teeth as if he was enduring something, then spat out what he had said.
“...So, what kind of wealth and honor did the Duke promise you?”
I was speechless and just made a stupid face. What should I say in a situation like this?
I was so embarrassed that I almost squeezed the hem of my dress. Cesare, Laskan, and Isabella had only taught me the etiquette of a nobleman—even that was now all wrong—but they had not taught me the right answers to the Emperor's questions.
The Emperor, who had been watching me struggle, finally opened his mouth again.
“Since my daughter died and my granddaughter went missing, countless women have come and gone from this room.”
“...”
“Some, like you, lost their memories and truly believed that they were the Princess, but most of them even dyed their hair to deceive others.”
“...”
“My desperation made me their prey.”
The Emperor's eyes were cold as he spoke. It was hard to believe that he was the same man who had been shedding tears just a moment ago.
The Emperor's gaze, which had been gazing into space, turned back to me.
“Ever since Anastasia declared herself brown-haired and green-eyed, no blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman has ever come near me.”
There was a tremor in the Emperor's voice.
“Most people believed my word. They would never have thought that I would lie when the safety of my only granddaughter was at stake.”
“...”
“But the Duke knows the Princess’s childhood. Now, you comes and believes him, a man of murderous blood?”
“...”
“If I had seen the corpse with my own eyes, it wouldn’t have been this desperate.”
"Your Majesty..."
The Emperor's trembling hand touched his forehead. He stamped his feet, not knowing what to do as tears flowed down from his eyes.
To me, the Emperor was like a god, just as all the people of the empire believed.
People prayed morning and evening for the Emperor's well-being and prayed that he would send rain, a cool breeze, or a shower of money.
Although some occasionally swore harshly, public opinion toward the Emperor was generally not bad.
The nobles volunteered for military service when a great crisis arose in the country, and even the emperor stood in the middle of the battlefield during times of chaos. They were our guardian deities and, at the same time, our idols.
All I could do in response to the human side of the Emperor was to bow my head as politely as possible.
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