But strangely enough, the fireflies gathered around the owl, as if they were shining a light on me.
“Where did you get hurt? Who did it?”
Caw, caw! As soon as I said that, a crow croaked in the tree. Then the owl turned its head and looked up at the tree. Was it the crow?
“You can’t climb up the tree because of your injury, so you’re down here?”
Although owls are not docile animals, this owl looked so gentle that I didn't hesitate to approach it.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing? What are you going to do if it bites you?”
Melanie followed me closely, nagging at me, her face red.
“What should I do? The material isn’t suitable for stopping the bleeding with my uniform sleeve...”
I was examining the owl's injured leg when I heard Melanie whining and turned around.
“Hey, I guess I should just throw this dress away. It’s covered in dirt and is too dirty.”
The sleeves of her dress happened to look thin and light.
“Melanie, is that dress expensive?”
“It was expensive, but it got so dirty that I’m just going to throw it away.”
“Really? Then can I open the sleeves and wear it?”
"... Yes?"
Melanie asked with a blank expression.
“Last time I saw it, a dress with one sleeve missing really suited you. I think it would look good if you redesigned it like that, too.”
“Your Majesty, since we’ve come to the point, there’s no style I can’t master.”
“Yeah, I think so. So let’s just open up the sleeves and wear it.”
As I grabbed her wrist,
“Oh my god. You’re going to use the fabric of my dress on that crazy motherfucker?!”
Melanie grabbed the back of her neck as she pointed at the owl with her hand.
“You said you were going to throw it away anyway.”
I gave her attendant a helpful look.
“Hedon, help me.”
“Yes? Oh, yes... Your Majesty, the Empress.”
Hedon hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her arms from behind. I took advantage of the gap and ripped off about 5cm of the sleeve of Melanie's dress.
“If you save money, charge me. I’ll buy you the same thing.”
I said, tearing the torn sleeve in half again.
“Huh, you think I don’t have any money? Yes.”
Melanie grumbled, but for the first time, I thought she was cute.
“Owl, I’m going to tie this to your injured leg right now. That way, the wound won’t split open, and the bleeding will stop. I’m not going to hurt you, so don’t be afraid, yes?”
I slowly approached the owl and reassured it. Oddly enough, the owl seemed to understand what I said and obediently lifted its injured leg toward me.
Bellos wailed. The crow shook its head. Wasn't the wound on its master's leg caused by the arrow shot by Empress Zelda, who had been chasing him for his life? That afternoon, when he had turned into a deer. Did the person who had been shot forget that fact? It wondered, but that wasn't it.
“Even though my companion hurt me, look at this. She showed her responsibility by fixing it like this.”
The crow nodded dryly at the words of its master, who had personally experienced 'giving medicine and giving sickness'. In fact, the wound on Bellos's leg would have completely healed by the end of the day. It wasn't that he didn't do it because he didn't know how to treat it, nor did he do it because he didn't have time. The wound was healing on its own with healing magic, so he didn't bother applying medicine or wrapping a bandage. That doesn't mean there was no pain at all, though. He found some herbs in the forest that were good for pain relief and ate them.
“In all my long life, this is the first time someone has helped me out by saying they feel sorry for me. Sob.”
It was always like that. People always wanted something from Bellos, and they would just ask for it, but no one actually cared for him. Bellos cried in the crow's arms.
“It’s truly touching.”
The wild beasts looked at the owl crying in the crow's arms, strangely. Bellos looked down at the cloth Zelda had tied around his leg and spoke as if making a promise.
“It is time to see her in your true form.”
Caw, caw! The crow greeted Bellos' words loudly. It spread one wing and patted its owl-like master's back as if encouraging him.
"Duke."
He leaned back in his chair again and raised a hand to interrupt Duke Kallios.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do you think I am asking you to supplement my royal knights?”
Duke Kallios shrugged. The Emperor’s flat tone of voice only made him more nervous.
“I know the Duke of Kallios is very large, but this is the Imperial Palace. Even during the Continental Hunting Tournament, the majority of the Imperial Knights are required to guard the Imperial Palace. Does that task seem less important than the Duke’s knights guarding the Duke’s house?”
“That, that’s not what I meant.”
“If that wasn’t what you meant, then there would be no problem.”
“Yes... I will prepare it.”
Duke Kallios seemed to be backing down, but then he added something.
“Your Majesty, I know this may be presumptuous of you to ask, but I wish you would pay a little more attention to your concubines.”
“The Empress is already very caring.”
Linel nodded and answered.
“!”
At this, the ministers all tilted their heads. They looked bewildered, not knowing whether the Emperor was listening to Kallios or was intentionally teasing him.
“Yes. Marquis Astor. Didn’t you say you had something to say earlier?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I have something to report.”
Marquis Astor, Pesilini's father and the leader of the largest merchant group in the Lapion Empire, who has been trading with various countries, cautiously opened his mouth.
“I’m not sure, but this is what I heard from my subordinate who returned from dealing with the Principality of Aklatto last month...”
“Tell me.”
“The head of the household up there was saying something strange.”
“What a strange story.”
Linel focused on the story while looking at the serious expression on Marquis Astor's face.
“You may know of a place called ‘Tanya’, located further down the Southern Continent. It is also an island, like the Principality of Aklatto.”
“Isn’t that the land of pirates?”
“Yes, we are barbarians who make a living by piracy.”
“Why them.”
“There is information that they are targeting the Principality of Aklatto.”
“What? Why?”
Linel looked curious.
“They say Tanya Island is sinking. Could they be targeting the easiest place to make a new nest?”
“Even Aklatto Island is a wyvern habitat, so it’s not that easy.”
Linel's eyes narrowed. If Tanya's pirates were after wyverns... The expressions of the ministers, who had been listening to it indifferently at first, gradually became serious. Marquis Astor cautiously continued speaking while watching the ministers' expressions.
“If they take over the Duchy of Aklatto and take over Wyvern as well...”
“Next, they’ll aim for the continent.”
Linel muttered softly.
“Your Majesty, this is not yet confirmed.”
Duke Kallios and some of his ministers laughed at Marquis Astor's words, dismissing them as gossip.
“That’s right. I also thought that the head of the Aklatto family was just making a fuss to get some items, but I thought it would be better for Your Majesty to know.”
Marquis Astor finished his story, scratching his head.
“It was something I needed to know. Thank you, Marquis Astor.”
“No, Your Majesty.”
Linel smiled faintly at the sight of the Marquis, who looked very much like Pesilini.
“Raphael, we need to send the Information Guild to the Principality of Aklatto.”
He gave instructions to Raphael as he left the conference room and moved to his bedroom.
“Do you believe that story?”
Raphael also seemed not to believe Marquis Astor's story.
“It’s better to find out for sure.”
“That’s true.”
“Are things still not good between the Principality of Aklatto and Magic Tower?”
“I know that.”
“Hasn’t it been a while since the Magic Tower hasn’t trained a magician?”
Linel stopped for a moment as he reached the stairs to the bedroom floor and asked.
“Yes, I heard that he is no longer accepting disciples.”
“What a peculiar person.”
“Oh, by the way, the last disciple of the Magic Tower Lord Bellos is the wizard Big, Your Majesty.”
Raphael spoke to Linel, tapping the side of his head with his hand.
“...What? Didn’t you say that the wizard bastard who lost one of his arms in the Valley of Death was his last disciple?”
“Yes, that guy is the one who betrayed Magic Tower and left, so Magic Tower Lord does not recognize him as his disciple.”
"Yes?"
How could you think of raising another man's child as a Prince? That would be an act of deception not only of Linel but of the entire Lapion Empire. When I overheard their conversation in the blacksmith workshop, I thought Catherine's feelings for Count Ethan were genuine. But now that I think about it, it seems Catherine had intended to manipulate Count Ethan as she pleased from the beginning. Of course, she had some feelings for Count Ethan. However, it was not love, but obsession and close to possessiveness.
“She’s a more dangerous person than I thought...”
Count Ethan declined Catherine's offer, but it was something to watch. You never know when or how a person's heart, especially between a man and a woman, will change. If you rashly reveal today's events without any conclusive evidence, you might be accused of framing her, so you have to be careful.
“Where did you get hurt? Who did it?”
Caw, caw! As soon as I said that, a crow croaked in the tree. Then the owl turned its head and looked up at the tree. Was it the crow?
“You can’t climb up the tree because of your injury, so you’re down here?”
Although owls are not docile animals, this owl looked so gentle that I didn't hesitate to approach it.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing? What are you going to do if it bites you?”
Melanie followed me closely, nagging at me, her face red.
“What should I do? The material isn’t suitable for stopping the bleeding with my uniform sleeve...”
I was examining the owl's injured leg when I heard Melanie whining and turned around.
“Hey, I guess I should just throw this dress away. It’s covered in dirt and is too dirty.”
The sleeves of her dress happened to look thin and light.
“Melanie, is that dress expensive?”
“It was expensive, but it got so dirty that I’m just going to throw it away.”
“Really? Then can I open the sleeves and wear it?”
"... Yes?"
Melanie asked with a blank expression.
“Last time I saw it, a dress with one sleeve missing really suited you. I think it would look good if you redesigned it like that, too.”
“Your Majesty, since we’ve come to the point, there’s no style I can’t master.”
“Yeah, I think so. So let’s just open up the sleeves and wear it.”
As I grabbed her wrist,
“Oh my god. You’re going to use the fabric of my dress on that crazy motherfucker?!”
Melanie grabbed the back of her neck as she pointed at the owl with her hand.
“You said you were going to throw it away anyway.”
I gave her attendant a helpful look.
“Hedon, help me.”
“Yes? Oh, yes... Your Majesty, the Empress.”
Hedon hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her arms from behind. I took advantage of the gap and ripped off about 5cm of the sleeve of Melanie's dress.
“If you save money, charge me. I’ll buy you the same thing.”
I said, tearing the torn sleeve in half again.
“Huh, you think I don’t have any money? Yes.”
Melanie grumbled, but for the first time, I thought she was cute.
“Owl, I’m going to tie this to your injured leg right now. That way, the wound won’t split open, and the bleeding will stop. I’m not going to hurt you, so don’t be afraid, yes?”
I slowly approached the owl and reassured it. Oddly enough, the owl seemed to understand what I said and obediently lifted its injured leg toward me.
“It’s so gentle. I want to raise it.”
I smiled as I tied a cloth around its injured leg, thinking that the owl was cute as it stared at me with its eyes wide open. Then, all of a sudden, the owl started to turn its head 360 degrees. I couldn't tell if it was expressing gratitude or being angry, but it didn't seem to be in a bad mood because it didn't attack me.
“Oh, you owl! Hey, stop turning your neck. I’m scared to death. Why don’t you just stick your neck out and put it back in?”
Melanie wrapped her arms around me and shivered. I laughed at her ridiculousness. I even imagined an owl pulling its neck out and putting it back in, just like Melanie said.
“Get well soon. We should go now.”
I looked the owl in the eye and greeted it, then stood up.
“I know it’s an honor.”
Melanie is shaking her torn sleeve and seems to be angry at the owl, but then suddenly waves her hand. She really has an inscrutable personality.
“I have to hurry.”
I took out my pocket watch, checked the time, and quickened my pace.
“Your Majesty, you may leave me and go first.”
"What?"
“There’s no one waiting for me anyway, so I’ll take my time.”
Melanie said in a hoarse voice, kicking a small rock with her toe.
“Yes, then?”
“...Huh? No, that’s not it...”
Melanie bit her lip, her eyes wide with confusion, perhaps because it was different from what she had expected.
“Well, the person you are waiting for is His Majesty the Emperor, so I guess you don’t have time to waste.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“...”
“The air is nice, so come slowly. Then I’ll be off!”
I started running through the cypress forest at full speed. I could hear Melanie and Hedon exclaiming behind me.
“My goodness, Ma’am. Her Majesty the Empress is really fast.”
“...Was that in your past life? Hehe. Hedon, let’s take it easy.”
I smiled as I tied a cloth around its injured leg, thinking that the owl was cute as it stared at me with its eyes wide open. Then, all of a sudden, the owl started to turn its head 360 degrees. I couldn't tell if it was expressing gratitude or being angry, but it didn't seem to be in a bad mood because it didn't attack me.
“Oh, you owl! Hey, stop turning your neck. I’m scared to death. Why don’t you just stick your neck out and put it back in?”
Melanie wrapped her arms around me and shivered. I laughed at her ridiculousness. I even imagined an owl pulling its neck out and putting it back in, just like Melanie said.
“Get well soon. We should go now.”
I looked the owl in the eye and greeted it, then stood up.
“I know it’s an honor.”
Melanie is shaking her torn sleeve and seems to be angry at the owl, but then suddenly waves her hand. She really has an inscrutable personality.
“I have to hurry.”
I took out my pocket watch, checked the time, and quickened my pace.
“Your Majesty, you may leave me and go first.”
"What?"
“There’s no one waiting for me anyway, so I’ll take my time.”
Melanie said in a hoarse voice, kicking a small rock with her toe.
“Yes, then?”
“...Huh? No, that’s not it...”
Melanie bit her lip, her eyes wide with confusion, perhaps because it was different from what she had expected.
“Well, the person you are waiting for is His Majesty the Emperor, so I guess you don’t have time to waste.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“...”
“The air is nice, so come slowly. Then I’ll be off!”
I started running through the cypress forest at full speed. I could hear Melanie and Hedon exclaiming behind me.
“My goodness, Ma’am. Her Majesty the Empress is really fast.”
“...Was that in your past life? Hehe. Hedon, let’s take it easy.”
***
After Zelda disappeared, Bellos flew up to the cypress tree right behind him. He thrust his injured foot at the crow that had already perched on the branch.
“Kamiya, look at this. The companion tied it up herself. You watched it earlier, didn’t you?”
Caw, caw-.
“It’s touching. Really...”
“Kamiya, look at this. The companion tied it up herself. You watched it earlier, didn’t you?”
Caw, caw-.
“It’s touching. Really...”
Bellos wailed. The crow shook its head. Wasn't the wound on its master's leg caused by the arrow shot by Empress Zelda, who had been chasing him for his life? That afternoon, when he had turned into a deer. Did the person who had been shot forget that fact? It wondered, but that wasn't it.
“Even though my companion hurt me, look at this. She showed her responsibility by fixing it like this.”
The crow nodded dryly at the words of its master, who had personally experienced 'giving medicine and giving sickness'. In fact, the wound on Bellos's leg would have completely healed by the end of the day. It wasn't that he didn't do it because he didn't know how to treat it, nor did he do it because he didn't have time. The wound was healing on its own with healing magic, so he didn't bother applying medicine or wrapping a bandage. That doesn't mean there was no pain at all, though. He found some herbs in the forest that were good for pain relief and ate them.
“In all my long life, this is the first time someone has helped me out by saying they feel sorry for me. Sob.”
It was always like that. People always wanted something from Bellos, and they would just ask for it, but no one actually cared for him. Bellos cried in the crow's arms.
“It’s truly touching.”
The wild beasts looked at the owl crying in the crow's arms, strangely. Bellos looked down at the cloth Zelda had tied around his leg and spoke as if making a promise.
“It is time to see her in your true form.”
Caw, caw! The crow greeted Bellos' words loudly. It spread one wing and patted its owl-like master's back as if encouraging him.
***
Conference Hall.
“The royal knights will escort the guests at close range, but we also need knights to protect the entire party from a distance... How about your knights taking on that role?”
“The royal knights will escort the guests at close range, but we also need knights to protect the entire party from a distance... How about your knights taking on that role?”
He looked at each of the ministers of the concubine family one by one and spoke. They were all trembling at the Emperor's words. Although they could not say it out loud, they were all thinking the same thing in their hearts.
'Your Majesty does not even treat the concubines as concubines, so why do you want help from the concubine family?'
“I think it would be good if Duke Kallios, who has the largest number of private soldiers, could provide half of the knights to be supplemented.”
Linel asked Duke Kallios, Catherine's father, indirectly.
“Half is impossible, Your Majesty.”
“Why? Oh, the expenses for your knights will be covered by the imperial family.”
“It’s not a matter of cost.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Linel raised one eyebrow and leaned toward Duke Kallios.
“If many knights are missing at once, the Duke’s security will be lax.”
“I think it would be good if Duke Kallios, who has the largest number of private soldiers, could provide half of the knights to be supplemented.”
Linel asked Duke Kallios, Catherine's father, indirectly.
“Half is impossible, Your Majesty.”
“Why? Oh, the expenses for your knights will be covered by the imperial family.”
“It’s not a matter of cost.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Linel raised one eyebrow and leaned toward Duke Kallios.
“If many knights are missing at once, the Duke’s security will be lax.”
"Duke."
He leaned back in his chair again and raised a hand to interrupt Duke Kallios.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do you think I am asking you to supplement my royal knights?”
Duke Kallios shrugged. The Emperor’s flat tone of voice only made him more nervous.
“I know the Duke of Kallios is very large, but this is the Imperial Palace. Even during the Continental Hunting Tournament, the majority of the Imperial Knights are required to guard the Imperial Palace. Does that task seem less important than the Duke’s knights guarding the Duke’s house?”
“That, that’s not what I meant.”
“If that wasn’t what you meant, then there would be no problem.”
“Yes... I will prepare it.”
Duke Kallios seemed to be backing down, but then he added something.
“Your Majesty, I know this may be presumptuous of you to ask, but I wish you would pay a little more attention to your concubines.”
“The Empress is already very caring.”
Linel nodded and answered.
“!”
At this, the ministers all tilted their heads. They looked bewildered, not knowing whether the Emperor was listening to Kallios or was intentionally teasing him.
“Yes. Marquis Astor. Didn’t you say you had something to say earlier?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I have something to report.”
Marquis Astor, Pesilini's father and the leader of the largest merchant group in the Lapion Empire, who has been trading with various countries, cautiously opened his mouth.
“I’m not sure, but this is what I heard from my subordinate who returned from dealing with the Principality of Aklatto last month...”
“Tell me.”
“The head of the household up there was saying something strange.”
“What a strange story.”
Linel focused on the story while looking at the serious expression on Marquis Astor's face.
“You may know of a place called ‘Tanya’, located further down the Southern Continent. It is also an island, like the Principality of Aklatto.”
“Isn’t that the land of pirates?”
“Yes, we are barbarians who make a living by piracy.”
“Why them.”
“There is information that they are targeting the Principality of Aklatto.”
“What? Why?”
Linel looked curious.
“They say Tanya Island is sinking. Could they be targeting the easiest place to make a new nest?”
“Even Aklatto Island is a wyvern habitat, so it’s not that easy.”
Linel's eyes narrowed. If Tanya's pirates were after wyverns... The expressions of the ministers, who had been listening to it indifferently at first, gradually became serious. Marquis Astor cautiously continued speaking while watching the ministers' expressions.
“If they take over the Duchy of Aklatto and take over Wyvern as well...”
“Next, they’ll aim for the continent.”
Linel muttered softly.
“Your Majesty, this is not yet confirmed.”
Duke Kallios and some of his ministers laughed at Marquis Astor's words, dismissing them as gossip.
“That’s right. I also thought that the head of the Aklatto family was just making a fuss to get some items, but I thought it would be better for Your Majesty to know.”
Marquis Astor finished his story, scratching his head.
“It was something I needed to know. Thank you, Marquis Astor.”
“No, Your Majesty.”
Linel smiled faintly at the sight of the Marquis, who looked very much like Pesilini.
***
“Raphael, we need to send the Information Guild to the Principality of Aklatto.”
He gave instructions to Raphael as he left the conference room and moved to his bedroom.
“Do you believe that story?”
Raphael also seemed not to believe Marquis Astor's story.
“It’s better to find out for sure.”
“That’s true.”
“Are things still not good between the Principality of Aklatto and Magic Tower?”
“I know that.”
“Hasn’t it been a while since the Magic Tower hasn’t trained a magician?”
Linel stopped for a moment as he reached the stairs to the bedroom floor and asked.
“Yes, I heard that he is no longer accepting disciples.”
“What a peculiar person.”
“Oh, by the way, the last disciple of the Magic Tower Lord Bellos is the wizard Big, Your Majesty.”
Raphael spoke to Linel, tapping the side of his head with his hand.
“...What? Didn’t you say that the wizard bastard who lost one of his arms in the Valley of Death was his last disciple?”
“Yes, that guy is the one who betrayed Magic Tower and left, so Magic Tower Lord does not recognize him as his disciple.”
"Yes?"
***
When I arrived at the main palace bedroom, fortunately, Linel had not returned yet.
“It looks like the meeting is taking a long time.”
I hurried to the bathroom and came out after taking a bath. I sat down on the bed, covered with the blanket, as if I were someone who only stayed on the bed. I remembered Catherine's voice screaming at Count Ethan in the smokehouse.
“Just let me have a child...”
I hurried to the bathroom and came out after taking a bath. I sat down on the bed, covered with the blanket, as if I were someone who only stayed on the bed. I remembered Catherine's voice screaming at Count Ethan in the smokehouse.
“Just let me have a child...”
How could you think of raising another man's child as a Prince? That would be an act of deception not only of Linel but of the entire Lapion Empire. When I overheard their conversation in the blacksmith workshop, I thought Catherine's feelings for Count Ethan were genuine. But now that I think about it, it seems Catherine had intended to manipulate Count Ethan as she pleased from the beginning. Of course, she had some feelings for Count Ethan. However, it was not love, but obsession and close to possessiveness.
“She’s a more dangerous person than I thought...”
Count Ethan declined Catherine's offer, but it was something to watch. You never know when or how a person's heart, especially between a man and a woman, will change. If you rashly reveal today's events without any conclusive evidence, you might be accused of framing her, so you have to be careful.
That's why I told Melanie to be careful with her words in front of Catherine, but I don't really believe it. She says she always keeps her secrets, but judging from the expression on Hedon's face next to her, it seemed like it was just her own delusion. In any case, it was necessary to keep an eye on Catherine and Count Ethan. Once the hunting competition starts, the two of them will have to be apart, so that's a relief.
I exhaled deeply and patted my shoulder. Many things happened today. My body, which had been tense, finally felt relaxed, perhaps because I was less worried about the magic potion.
As soon as I yawned, I felt drowsy. However, instead of lying down on the bed, I sat upright and waited for Linel. I couldn't help but close my eyelids.
***
How long had I been sitting like this? I think I closed my eyes for a moment, but I must have dozed off while sitting up. My mind was clearer after a short nap. Linel had not yet returned to the bedroom. Instead, in front of my eyes...
“Master?”
“Huh... Ugh!”
Moiya was lying face down on top of my legs, covered with a blanket, looking up at me, his chin resting on both hands.
“You, how did you get here?!”
The troublemaker, who had obviously snuck out of Rosie's office, winked, splashing his short legs alternately.
“I came here because I missed you, Master~.”
“Master?”
“Huh... Ugh!”
Moiya was lying face down on top of my legs, covered with a blanket, looking up at me, his chin resting on both hands.
“You, how did you get here?!”
The troublemaker, who had obviously snuck out of Rosie's office, winked, splashing his short legs alternately.
“I came here because I missed you, Master~.”
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