103 – Imperial Ethelmar (2)
The three days that the emperor had promised were spent relatively leisurely.
This was the principle we established.
After an intense battle, take as much rest as possible. I consciously took a recovery period to prevent my body and mind from wearing out.
Human exhaustion accumulates even in invisible places, so it was also important to rest well when resting.
In the meantime, Isha, Russell, and Dersian came to see me, and I also received a letter from Baron Isquente, who didn’t know how I knew about it.
Even though he wasn’t really a patient, he seemed very worried.
It seemed like the bond we had gathered so far was not in vain.
And now, before our eyes, we saw the main gate of the imperial palace.
A palace so large and luxurious that it makes you wonder if a place like this could exist in reality.
It was an appearance that made me realize once again that this was a romantic fantasy world.
The exterior, a combination of white and gold, looked like something out of a fairy tale, attracting attention.
“How did you come?”
“I am a saint of the Church of Hybras. “I heard that you would know if I told you in front of the front gate.”
“Please wait a moment. “I will contact you inside.”
The guard treated us with courtesy.
As it is a place where all kinds of high-ranking nobles come and go, not only was discipline strictly enforced, but moderation was evident in every movement.
They were very careful when inspecting our weapons.
Soon, a well-dressed butler came out of the imperial palace to greet me.
He was an old man, old enough to have grown white hair. Despite his old age, his posture was upright and his etiquette was flawless.
As expected, he was not an ordinary butler.
“It is an honor to meet you. “My name is Mark, and I am the chief chamberlain of the imperial palace.”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
“You are waiting inside. “I will guide you.”
There was no subject for the person waiting. But it may not be a simple mistake.
This probably means that the emperor wants to meet unnoticed.
Sirien, walking down the hallway, had an expression that seemed to be steeped in thought.
You might be thinking of the hallways of Reheim. Although the outward appearances of the Imperial Palace and Reheim were quite different, there were also some similarities.
As you prepare to return to your hometown, many thoughts will overlap.
“…… And if you go left from here, you will find Huwon (後園). Unlike the garden, it has a quiet and calm beauty, so it might be a good idea to stop by before you leave. On the right…… “
While visiting the emperor, the chamberlain introduced me to various parts of the palace, but I didn’t really pay much attention to it.
Anyway, it wasn’t a place I could wander around alone. My role right now was to protect Sirien, and I had no intention of doing anything more.
After Sirien ascends to the throne, I will also begin external activities…… It still felt like a distant story.
Like that, we entered the depths of the imperial palace.
Perhaps because the area was thoroughly divided, no one came in or out except for the occasional knight on patrol or maids on duty.
Chamberlain Mark knocked on the door twice in front of an ordinary-looking room.
“Your Majesty, we have brought you a guest.”
“Come on in.”
As soon as the door opened, what I felt was the strong smell of books.
A room where you can see dark brown bookshelves and antique leather covers instead of walls.
There was a unique scent from old paper.
Yes. This was the emperor’s study.
I don’t know where it begins.
In novels, powerful people always chose the study as a place to have quiet meetings.
That was the original mass-produced version. ‘Holy woman, reverse harems are impure!’ Was the same.
‘Well, that novel was a mixture of trash letters with clichés drawn from all over the place.’
The female protagonist of the original work. She did the same when she met Ellis.
The emperor was sitting in the center of the study and enjoying reading for a while.
Attitudes that sometimes seem like they are interested in us, and sometimes not.
Sirien said that the emperor would be quite anxious as there was a lot involved in this matter, but it didn’t seem like that at all.
Clearly, such a trivial attitude has meaning in politics.
It was also an area I didn’t want to touch at all.
The emperor quietly closed the book.
His hand pointed to the seat across from him.
“Sit down.”
There was no way not to follow the imperial sun’s orders.
Sirien and I sat in her chair and waited for the Emperor to speak.
“I heard a lot of stories. However, it may not be as accurate as what you hear from yourself. “Can I ask you to introduce yourself?”
“Yes. God of rest – Saint of Hybras. And…… The purest blood kin. Window of the West. Sirien Ilencia, the only direct descendant of the Ilencia family, meets the Sun of the Empire.”
The tips of the emperor’s eyebrows trembled slightly.
It was such a fleeting moment that even the Sword Master’s eyes could barely see.
Although it must have been completely unexpected, it felt like there was no significant change in his expression.
However, it was clearly embarrassing.
I don’t know if Sirien felt the emperor’s agitation, but the conversation continued.
“Amazing. Yes, silver hair and red eyes are not common appearances. When you were born, Jim also sent you many gifts. “Is the window that fell that day still in the office?”
“I am offended, Your Majesty. I believe that there are no spears among the gifts kept at this house. His Majesty thought I was a man and gave her clothes and a sword…… “As you can see, I am a woman.”
“Your father used to brag about his son, so I was indifferent. I still feel sorry for what happened back then. “You are the daughter of Ilencia that I know.”
In a short conversation, the authenticity was questioned and clarified.
Wrinkles increased on the emperor’s forehead. Perhaps some of the plans he had made are now being scrapped and new ones being built.
The emperor’s eyes turned to me, as if he was trying to catch his breath for a moment.
“Then what about you next to me?”
“My name is Razen Bertus, Your Majesty.”
“I heard that Count Bertus’ son died on the battlefield. “I’m sure there will be a lot of surprises for Jim today.”
The word that caught the emperor’s attention was the same as Baron Isquente.
Last direct descendant. As far as the emperor knew, there were two direct descendants of the Grand Duchy of Ilencia.
I had no choice but to ask back since the words contained Therion’s death.
“As far as I know, I heard that the Young master of Ilencia went to study in the south.”
“This is a lie made up by Count Roxen. “My brother died from his evil plan, and only Count Bertus and I managed to escape alive.”
“…… Jim is very old. “I can’t believe I missed the work of Ilencia so much, let alone anywhere else.”
The emperor washed his face dry.
He wiped his face once and sighed heavily.
“How much hardship must it have been?”
I’m not sure what conclusion he came to.
What was clear was that he decided not to ‘pretend to be indifferent’ anymore.
A sad feeling filled his old eyes. On the outside he seemed genuinely sad.
However, he did not intend to tell everything to the emperor and leave it to him.
If necessary, the emperor of the time checks and guards even his own children.
Even if I was truly sad, I couldn’t let down my guard.
Because it was unknown whether what he wanted from us would be the same as our purpose.
“Grand Duke Ilencia was also a long-time close friend of mine. It’s deplorable that the so-called emperor of a country couldn’t even properly look after his friend’s child. I am a child of Ilencia. “Is there anything you want from Jim?”
“I want to take revenge on my family’s traitor. Lest I wash blood with blood.”
“Your revenge is a legitimate right. Do you want to borrow Jim’s help?”
Sirien shook her head.
“Our revenge will be achieved solely through the power we have accumulated. “I am very sorry, but I would like to rely on your Majesty for revenge.”
“It’s the next step of revenge. “How far are you looking?”
“I had to wander outside the Grand Duchy for a long time. In the meantime, Count Roxen must have taken control and controlled the family. Even if it regains its place now, it is doubtful whether it will be possible to rebuild the glory of the past. “After washing off the blood, I try to get back what was stolen.”
After we were locked in that shabby cabin, Count Roxen would have become the de facto ruler of the family.
And rebellion was never something that could be achieved alone.
After a coup, the rights must naturally be distributed. The power of the Grand Duchy of Ilencia must have been torn apart and divided.
Sirien’s wish did not end with simply regaining the title of Grand Duke of Ilencia.
Her father. He wanted to inherit everything that Grand Duke Ilencia had.
If I have to shed blood in the process, I will never hesitate, and I will get it back even if it means killing all of my collateral blood relatives.
However, it was not as easy as it sounds.
No matter how powerful the Grand Duchy of Ilencia is, and even if the other party is a collateral family, legally they are completely different families.
If you keep seeing blood, of course there will be an uproar. It was clearly a matter in which the imperial family could intervene.
“Is a wind of blood blowing in the West? “You want Jim to be silent.”
“I am just impressed by your majesty’s insight.”