Chapter 9
I know. I know I acted incredibly presumptuously just now.
It was absolutely crazy for a noble lady with no title to tell a Grand Duke to accept the greeting.
But I couldn’t just stand here doing nothing! And besides, the Grand Duke likes me now, so he wouldn’t kill me, right? That’s what I thought, but the moment I spoke, a wave of regret hit me like a storm.
Havel looked directly at me. I couldn’t read the emotions in his deep purple eyes.
The moment Rayon’s reproachful gaze fell on me, Havel’s hand moved.
“Rise.”
“Yes, Commander.”
As soon as Sir Kuer straightened his back, he tremblingly asked to be excused, and when the Grand Duke gave a small nod, he vanished from the place like the wind.
Only the sound of Sir Kuer’s retreating footsteps echoed between us when Havel opened his lips.
“Sir Rayon.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“I have something to discuss with Lady Ventus, so you may go first.”
Something to discuss? Don’t tell me he’s about to scold me for being presumptuous about Sir Kuer earlier.
Though I might have been wrong, if anything, I was just trying to resolve an awkward situation for everyone…
Honestly, I thought Havel would just let it go, but perhaps he was unyielding in these hierarchical relationships.
Rayon must have sensed my fear, as he forced a smile and spoke to Havel, who was radiating a dark aura.
“Commander, the Finance Minister urgently requested you to come right away, so perhaps you should go now…”
“You go first. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Cutting off Rayon’s words, Havel spoke in an even lower voice, and Rayon immediately backed off.
No, you should have tried twice! Why did you retreat so quickly!
Rayon subtly avoided my intense, resentful gaze.
Rayon, you damn jerk. I got into this mess trying to save you, and you abandon me like this?
He walked past me without a single glance, gracefully moving away from the area.
With Rayon gone, only Havel and I remained.
Havel looked at me with a stern face, then let out a short sigh.
“Serira.”
“Yes.”
Right, it’s better to get the scolding over with quickly.
I raised my gaze from the floor and was ready to humbly accept the situation I was in. My body tensed, anticipating Havel’s scolding.
Just as my face was stiff with tension.
“Did you get home safely yesterday?”
“…Pardon?”
At Havel’s words, all the tension drained from my body like air from a deflated balloon.
Havel took a step closer to me. His expression was much softer than before.
As he closed the distance, he reached out toward my shoulder.
Tap, tap.
Frowning slightly, he brushed off my shoulder and spoke in a whisper.
“There’s dust on you.”
Dust? Hilda had checked my attire so thoroughly this morning, did she miss a spot?
“Ah, I thought I checked… Thank you.”
“But your face looks tired.”
Havel, after brushing off the dust, looked at my face and furrowed his brows.
Of course, that’s because of you!
But was I the only one losing sleep over our strange situation?
Unlike me, Havel’s skin was absolutely radiant. But come to think of it, even when he marched for days without sleep on the subjugation grounds, his skin glowed. So I guess he’s just naturally like that?
As I watched his smooth skin with a mix of envy and resignation, Havel took a step back from me.
“Hm, is there something on my face?”
“No, no. It’s just so radiant, no, I mean, um… nothing.”
For a moment, my true feelings, unfiltered, blurted out.
Ugh, how embarrassing. Why have I kept doing this since yesterday?
As if crushing my hope that he hadn’t heard my sudden distracted thought, Havel’s lips curved upward.
“Radiant, you say? I’ve never heard that before, but it’s not bad, actually. Is it because it’s you?”
Because it’s me? Please, don’t say such romantic things, please.
My heart, which never adapted, thumped again.
I pretended not to hear his words and averted my gaze.
“Uh, I’m on my way to work right now….”
I’ll be late if I stay longer. Sir Chent had arbitrarily made a rule that if anyone was late to the spirit user’s office, which only had three people, they had to buy snacks for the day. The funny thing was that Sir Chent himself was the one who was late the most. But today, it was a close call for me.
As I shot him a pleading look telling him to move, Havel shifted his body, which had been blocking the way.
“Let’s go.”
Not “go,” but “let’s go”? Oh no, I know what this means.
Perhaps as an extension of yesterday’s strange atmosphere, Havel extended his hand to me, like a knight escorting a lady.
As I looked at Havel’s smiling face, I felt the weight of my dark circles dragging lower in real time.
But faced with his radiant smile, I couldn’t resist and gently placed my hand on his.
* * *
“Haa….”
“So, is the world ending? Is it about His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke?”
It was true, but I couldn’t say it was true, this tragic reality.
I shook my head at Sir Chent, but he didn’t look like he believed me. Well, he saw it with his own eyes.
Ultimately, Havel escorted me all the way to the office door. And by chance, he ran into Sir Chent, who had rushed over, trying to avoid being late.
Sir Chent looked at my hand placed on Havel’s, making a strange expression as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have. Then, meeting Havel’s cold gaze, he quickly darted into the office.
Sir Chent seemed convinced that something significant had happened between Havel and me, and he couldn’t shake off his suspicion.
I tried to ignore Sir Chent’s narrowed eyes and dramatically looked around the office.
“Uh, by the way, Sir Tern is very late today. Does he have something going on at home?”
“Sir Tern’s attendant came earlier and said he couldn’t come in today because he was sick.”
Damn it, that’s right. That happened. My thoughts had been preoccupied with Havel so much that I’d forgotten.
Tap, tap.
Sir Chent tapped his fountain pen on the desk, his eyes like those of a keen detective.
I slapped the desk and stood up.
“Ah, it’s really nothing. It’s no big deal. He just, uh, wanted to know something trivial that happened during the subjugation.”
“Something trivial?”
Ah, he’s so persistent. They say wind spirits have free souls that don’t stay in one place for long, so why isn’t this person like a passing breeze?
“…Spirits, he seemed curious about spirits. Since he uses magic, after all. You know how mages are interested in spirit users.”
Sir Chent’s sharp gaze softened, seemingly convinced.
It was true that mages were very interested in spirit users. Unlike mages who wield power using their specific energy called mana, spirit users draw strength by contracting with nature, so mages had many questions about them, especially about the spirits contracted with spirit users.
The number of spirit users had decreased day by day, with only three left now, making them even rarer and more curious.
“Indeed, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke also uses magic. But he’s seen your abilities more than once or twice by now, so why is he suddenly curious?”
“That’s…”
Knock, knock.
Feeling awkward and unable to find an excuse, someone knocked on the office door. I called out brightly.
“Come in!”
The person who opened the door and entered was a chamberlain from the Imperial Household, the Emperor’s direct institution (a high-ranking attendant who directly serves the Emperor).
Wearing a uniform embroidered with a golden hawk, one of the Empire’s symbols, on his chest, he bowed to us and spoke.
“Lady Ventus, Sir Chent. His Majesty has summoned you to come to the main palace.”
* * *
The Imperial Palace, excluding the Empress’s Palace and separate palaces, was broadly divided into three palaces.
The western Viatus Palace, where the Treasury, the Council of Ministers, and the Spirit Mages’ offices were located.
The eastern Ordo Palace, where the Marshal’s Office managing the Empire’s military was located.
And the central Sun Palace in the north, where the Emperor resided and the Imperial Household operated.
As it turned out, I had visited the Sun Palace, where the Emperor resided, both yesterday and today.
It was my first time coming to the Sun Palace, specifically the Emperor’s office, since becoming a High Spirit User and receiving his congratulations in person.
My gaze was drawn to the large door with a golden hawk painted on it when the chamberlain announced our arrival inside.
Soon the hawk parted, and the door opened.
At the far end of the room, behind a gleaming polished wooden desk, the Emperor was leaning on one arm, looking towards us.
The Emperor’s voice rang over the bowed heads of me and Sir Chent.
“You may rise.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As Sir Chent and I rose, the Emperor, who had stood up, gestured us to the area with comfortable sofas.
“Come, sit over here. One more person is yet to arrive.”
As if the rumors that he disliked formalities were true, the Emperor looked at me and Sir Chent with a relaxed expression, not a commanding one.
As we carefully took our seats on the sofa at the Emperor’s invitation, the door immediately opened again. And upon seeing Havel enter the office, both Sir Chent and I, who had just sat down, immediately stood up again.
“There’s no need to get up. Havel isn’t one to fuss over such things. Havel, you sit here too.”
The Emperor chuckled and called Havel.
Why? Why does the Emperor suddenly remind me of a neighborhood uncle I’d seen in my past life?
Of course, their faces were completely different.
In fact, the Emperor was so good-looking despite being in his late forties which created a mature charm as if to prove he and Havel really were born of the same blood.
As Havel sat to the right of the Emperor’s seat, their resemblance became even more apparent.
But even with the same silver hair and purple eyes, their personalities reflected on their faces, and the atmosphere they exuded was entirely different.
If the sharp-featured Havel was the embodiment of an ice prince, distant and composed, the soft-featured Emperor had the easy warmth of a sunshine prince, welcoming and radiant.
Sitting across from Havel, I inadvertently turned my head and met his gaze. At his intense stare, I quickly lowered my head, wondering if anyone was watching us.
Fortunately, Havel’s gaze no longer made my head feel hot.
“Your Majesty, why have you suddenly called us? I left an important training session.”
I’m busy, so get to the point. Havel’s intent was clearly conveyed in his low voice.
I wasn’t the only one who caught the meaning, as the Emperor chuckled, emitting a joyful laugh.
“He’s such a busy and strict younger brother, busier than the Emperor himself, I tell you. The reason I called Havel and you all is none other than the delegation from the Kingdom of Blyos.”
