7. Jealousy is my strength (6)
A heavy, suffocating silence fell.
The interior, which was monopolized by the two of them, was too spacious. It was a space where the antique furniture located here and there revealed a subtle authority, and even the sound of the teapot rattling gave a strange sense of impatience.
I couldn’t answer the old man’s question for a long time.
It was rude to have nothing to say even if your throat fell off right away.
The other party was not the kind of villager you see everywhere. He was the ‘Emperor’, the pinnacle of the empire and the nucleus of continental power. Few people dared to remain silent in front of him.
Why can’t I open my mouth anyway?
The cause was simple and clear. It was just because I had nothing to say.
‘A dragon hiding in a cradle, a rusty sword that cuts better than a famous sword’
The emperor was asking me the meaning of that cryptic phrase. However, no matter how much I look back, I have never uttered such words in front of others.
No, far from saying it, it was the first password I had ever heard in my life.
Then there was only one strong hypothesis.
In nine cases out of ten, it must have been the words of the man from the future. He must have had his own circumstances, but it would be nice if he shared such important information in advance.
It seems that his social skills were worn out as well as his emotions through the long war.
I opened my lips and closed them several times.
As I was breaking out in a cold sweat, I heard a faint snort.
The epicenter was obvious.
As if the emperor knew this, he moved slowly and sat down on a chair in the corner of the room.
A teapot was boiling on the table. And as soon as the emperor gently touched the cup, he poured warm tea into it.
It was an artifact.
I had never imagined the luxury of putting that level of enchantment on a teapot, but it was clear from the subtle magical energy that was rising.
Without saying a word, the emperor gestured to the other side of me.
“Sit down.”
“Hey, Your Majesty. How can you sit across from the master with the duty of being a servant? … .”
“Haven’t you already committed enough rudeness?”
I don’t know if it was a joke or pressure.
Of course, it wasn’t an unreasonable point.
For a servant to keep his mouth shut in front of his lord meant that he was hiding something.
The blue pupils staring at me while sipping tea were especially sympathetic. The old man’s dignified tone continued again.
“Sit down. Or will Jim have to say it three times for it to be heard?”
In the end, I had no choice but to get up after bowing briefly.
It was the name of the emperor. As a noble of the empire, there was no choice but to obey.
The old man unexpectedly showed no signs of blaming or doubting me.
All he did was offer tea and let out a low voice.
“I don’t have to deal with it too hard. Jim is also a human like you. Just a bit older.”
“However, the prestige of the imperial family rests on His Majesty’s shoulders… … .”
“Where are there people here who would doubt the prestige of the imperial family?”
Swallowing such a laugh, the emperor even threw a mischievous joke at me.
“Is it you? Who dares to question the majesty of the Empire?”
“Could it be possible?”
I forcibly raised the corners of my trembling lips and replied.
He was a person who could never be caught.
When it comes to the emperor of an empire, we usually imagine an authoritative absolute figure, but the old man sitting in front of me was showing a rather complicated aspect.
majesty? overflow.
When I first met him, I was in awe of it. As I looked at the blue pupils piercing through me, I ironically recalled my first meeting with the princess.
The feeling of the day I met the dragon’s eyes.
It was a gaze that pierced the depths of human beings to the extent that it revived itself. It was understandable why this person was called the pinnacle of the empire.
But on the other hand, I could feel that he was bothered by authority and manners.
There was no reason whatsoever. I didn’t know why, but I somehow understood the emperor.
So it was even more difficult to deal with.
It’s hard to guess his true intentions.
It’s also why I don’t like politicians.
I’d rather face the evil god’s family with only one sword.
As such, one of the two was hesitating, so the conversation had no choice but to be led by the other person.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“… … Yeah?”
Again, I was unable to respond appropriately to the emperor’s sudden question.
The emperor didn’t even show a hint of displeasure at my stupid questioning. I just sipped the fragrant tea.
“Everything… What is the imperial family’s secret wish? Why does the emperor who came out of nowhere keep talking about this subject, and doesn’t say anything even if he can’t come up with a proper answer?”
These were questions that were difficult to deny.
Instead of answering, I sipped tea, and the emperor burst out laughing.
“It was the same when the imperial family saw you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It means that it was difficult to determine his true identity.”
Then, the blue gaze that glanced at me landed heavily again.
First of all, I decided not to open my mouth recklessly.
It was clearly inferior in information. The fewer words the better.
“According to the research, he is only the second son of a viscount who has some talent for swords. But at some point, the growth was too fast. Even his personality and skills change from time to time.”
“Your Majesty, about that… … .”
“Not you.”
It was a firm conclusion that felt sober.
And since the words delve into the essence of the matter that no one would have guessed, I was speechless for a moment.
“I don’t know who it is, but there is someone else who has shaken the game. You must have had a lot of trouble too… He must have been caught up in an incident out of the blue and passed the risk of dying countless times. Still, I did my best.”
It was the truth I had been hiding.
As they were pointed out one by one, before long, his mind went blank.
It was an unexpected development. Starting with the first question and answer, I couldn’t help feeling that I was being dragged by the old man in front of me.
It was only one word that was wrung out at best.
“… … Aren’t you suspicious?”
“Why is the luggage?”
It was a question that included more context, but the emperor did not bother to ask for further explanation.
It was just a brief reflection.
“Are you afraid that you might become the leader of the Dark Church? Gathering information no one knows, gaining trust… It’s classic, but it’s a great alien world. But have you come too far for that?”
It was a tone that did not leave even a hint of doubt.
This meant only one thing.
The Emperor has already finished judging me. Maybe, even before we had this place today.
“It would be nice if we could plant spies in the heart of the empire. However, there are too many plans that the Dark Church has sacrificed to achieve that. If you did, there’s no reason not to accept this stupid spy, and if you didn’t, you’re innocent… Either way, there is no harm in trusting you.”
“You came to a conclusion, a long time ago.”
Instead of answering, the emperor leaned his upper body against the back of the chair.
If those eyes looking at me seem lonely somewhere, is it an illusion?
“… … Your heart, I understand.”
It was nonsense again.
I drank the tea with a burning heart. Of course, that didn’t extinguish the lingering fire in her chest.
“So did I. Born into the royal family and enjoying many things, I had to give up many things… I just picked and chose the best move, and before I knew it, I ascended to the position of emperor.”
He referred to himself as “I” rather than “Jim.”
In other words, it meant that he was treating me as a human being, not as the emperor of an empire.
There was no reason for the emperor to deceive me. It was sincerity without hiding it, so there shouldn’t be any problem even if you understand.
“Actually, I still ask myself now and then. Could this have been for the best? I wonder if the burden of being the emperor is too heavy for me.”
It was too heavy a story to tell in the first meeting.
So I thought about what to say, and then let out a sigh.
The emperor was right.
He was counting on my heart. Otherwise, I didn’t have the guts to confide in such things.
because i did too
A letter from the future arrived, and my life changed. Didn’t you ask me several times after that?
why is it me
Why did it have to be me?
Even the emperor, who reigned as the absolute ruler of the empire, seemed not to be free from it.
“As the ruler of a country, I want to lighten the burden of a young knight with a bright future.”
The emperor said with a more serious expression than ever before.
“Call someone who knows about the imperial family’s secret wish. I hear you said you were loyal to the Empire?”
“Haona… … .”
“It may be difficult right now. It’s fine though.”
As if the business was over, the old man slowly got up.
“Call me whenever you are ready. Crows are everywhere.”
It meant trying to get in touch with ‘me’ from the future, not me.
Because it was more efficient.
It was not an incomprehensible decision. And it was a decision that made me feel even more comfortable.
At least one of my problems will go away.
Why though.
I couldn’t stand the question that inadvertently hit the uvula.
“… … I am.”
At that one word, the emperor’s model stood tall.
The heavily sunken blue pupil turned to the back again. It was a questioning look.
“Can I not listen?”
“what?”
“The secret wish of the imperial family.”
After a brief question and answer, the emperor smiled as if it was absurd.
“It is useless curiosity… Why do you want to carry such a heavy burden?”
“There were many times when I asked why it was me.”
The Emperor confessed his true feelings. So I also decided to confess my sincerity to him.
In fact, it was a promise that didn’t take long.
A conclusion reached at the end of grumbling against God and fate, crossing countless oblique lines.
“But now I would like to ask a slightly different question.”
“What question?”
“Why can’t I?”
At that one word, the emperor hesitated for the first time and could not give an answer.
Of course, the agitation didn’t last long. The emperor immediately turned his back with a bitter expression.
“See you next time.”
The sound of the emperor stepping forward rang in his eardrums.
silence.
I was lost in my thoughts in the stillness.
The imperial family’s secret wish?
It was a story I hadn’t heard anywhere. In fact, if it was necessary to solve the case, the man from the future would have already mentioned it.
But one memory comes to mind.
At a certain intersection, I once shouted to the man.
it’s my way
Before I knew it, my hand, which had been groping around my waist, was getting stronger.
Pak, do.
A trail of silver light embroiders the air. It was literally a thunderbolt, and there were very few unmanned people who could respond to it.
At least he wouldn’t be the emperor.
In the slow flow of time, the gaze of the emperor and mine met. There was a hint of surprise in the emperor’s wide-open eyes.
And again in the helplessly flowing time.
Kang, sparks flew with a sharp noise.