Chapter 9
Ever since the current emperor ascended the throne, Aileen always found herself wishing the path to the palace were a maze.
If she got lost for half a day, no one could blame her for arriving late.
Even now, on this long-awaited visit, that thought hadn’t changed.
She let out a small sigh to herself and offered the man in front of her a perfectly elegant bow.
“Aileen of House Revart greets the radiant sun of the Empire.”
As she lowered her head, a low chuckle followed almost immediately.
Aileen frowned slightly, still keeping her head bowed. That smug laugh—it hadn’t changed over the years. It always left an unpleasant feeling behind.
“You might as well lift your head. It’s not like you actually wanted to greet me.”
Somehow, even after all these years, he still spoke with that same irreverent tone. Hard to believe a man like this was the emperor.
Aileen lifted her head slowly, barely suppressing a sigh of dismay.
With golden hair brushed back like dusted sunlight and eyes as vivid as green forest leaves, his appearance was striking. His gaze—soft yet sharp—left a distinct impression.
He was Edys Kale Diert, emperor of the Diert Empire.
Even though she was the one who had sought out this meeting, being in his presence was still… uncomfortable.
His green eyes gleamed with mischief, as though he already knew everything. Aileen answered with an air of innocence.
“Whatever do you mean, Your Majesty? It is always an honor to stand before the most noble person in the Empire.”
“Oh dear. Should we stop this obvious wordplay?”
“…If that’s what Your Majesty wishes, then I suppose I must.”
There was no need for polite refusals. Aileen let her posture relax ever so slightly, as though reluctantly agreeing.
The emperor motioned to the seat across from him, and Aileen sat without hesitation, directly facing him.
“It’s… quite an atmospheric setting.”
“Of course. You’ve come to see me after so long—this much is the least I could do.”
While Edys smiled lazily, Aileen casually scanned the surroundings. A wide, open field. Rows of wooden swords stacked neatly to one side. Bundles of straw and all manner of training weapons.
This was no parlor for tea. Nor was it a place for a private conversation.
“Your Majesty, can we be honest here? You don’t like me very much, do you?”
“How could I not like you? I treasure you deeply.”
“If that were true…”
Edys cut her off with a sly grin.
“Wouldn’t I be welcoming you in the training yard precisely because I treasure you?”
If he weren’t the emperor—or if this were back in their academy days—Aileen would’ve challenged him to a duel on the spot. And she would’ve beaten him bloody, all by the book.
The dull weight she’d been carrying lately seemed to lighten a little, her usual sharpness returning without her even realizing it.
“I’ve never had a tea time in a training yard before.”
“Neither have I.”
“……”
“Well, go on then. I had them prepare all your favorite things.”
With a proud gesture toward the table, Edys revealed an assortment of rich, sweet desserts—the kind Aileen liked.
Aileen was surprised to see he still remembered her preferences. A faint flicker of something like old friendship passed through her.
But she quickly reminded herself of where she was and straightened her face before lifting her fork to the cake.
She had just taken a bite when Edys, sipping his tea, casually brought up the real topic.
“I was wondering when you’d come find me.”
“……”
“You took a little longer than I expected, but still—here you are.”
The air between them shifted immediately. Aileen set down her fork and sat up straight.
The relaxed atmosphere vanished from their expressions. Aileen spoke evenly.
“I believe Your Majesty is already aware of what happened to me.”
“I am.”
“I’ve come with a proposal.”
Edys arched a brow slightly, lips curling as if to say, go on.
“I’ll accept your offer. The one you made me years ago.”
His smile deepened.
“But I have one condition.”
“Name it.”
“I want to join the Khan Knights. I’m not interested in the other divisions, and my family… they’ve already worried enough.”
“That’s hardly even a condition. You make things easy—I like that. Very well. I accept.”
The answer came without a moment’s hesitation.
It was so easy, in fact, that Aileen let out a sigh she hadn’t meant to. But she quickly composed herself and continued.
“My father has made a decision about our house’s direction.”
“…You don’t mean—”
“He’s decided that House Revart will stand as Your Majesty’s sword.”
“…Is that true?!”
Edys’ green eyes lit up as he leaned slightly forward, clearly surprised and delighted.
Edys shifted forward in his seat, eyes widening as if he might leap up at any moment.
House Revart, with its long and distinguished history, had long been known by the honorable title: The Empire’s Sword.
For generations, it had produced the Empire’s finest knights and stood at the forefront of its defense. But that alone wasn’t the reason House Revart had maintained such glory for so long.
Revart moved not for the emperor—but for the Empire.
Steadfastly centrist, House Revart often shifted its alignment depending on the emperor’s character, sometimes leaning toward the throne, sometimes remaining neutral.
With the unshakable trust of the people, Revart had earned the deep desire of every emperor to win its loyalty.
It was a noble house not allied with any noble faction, yet one that would never dare turn its blade against the crown.
That principle had kept even less favored emperors from persecuting or belittling them.
It was that kind of house. So it was only natural that Edys, a man who bore the weight of the title Emperor more seriously than anyone, was thrilled.
“Yes. But… this will likely deepen the rift between Your Majesty and the Marquess of Hessiden.”
“I don’t care. It’s not like I didn’t already know.”
Edys waved a hand dismissively. Perhaps things would get more annoying, but that was all.
Currently, the Marquess of Hessiden practically controlled the Diert Empire’s economy.
Though previously unremarkable, the Hessiden family had recently risen to prominence as a new powerhouse.
The former marquess had aggressively expanded their business ventures, and under the current marquess’s management, those ventures had bloomed. The shade from those many “flowers” now offered shelter to quite a number of nobles.
And with Revart now standing against them, it would certainly become more troublesome for Hessiden.
Still smiling brightly, Edys held out his hand.
“To have House Revart at my side—there’s no greater gain. Let’s work well together from now on, Sir Aileen.”
Aileen reached out and took his hand.
She had gotten what she came for, and Edys had earned what he desired most—Revart’s recognition of his fitness to rule.
In many ways, it was a win-win outcome.
Though Edys’s immediate agreement left her slightly uneasy, she suspected he had already known what she would propose today.
Aileen hadn’t been entirely unaware of that possibility either. Still, she’d been a little nervous.
Even though she’d confidently requested an audience, the proposal had been made long ago. She’d wondered if he might simply reject it without hesitation.
But thankfully, Edys still valued her. He still saw her worth.
Even though everyone knew Edys was open-minded when it came to talent, being publicly seen as close to House Revart would surely complicate things politically.
Still.
“I look forward to serving, Your Majesty.”
Pleased by her respectful tone, Edys withdrew his hand and leaned back in his chair. Aileen, too, leaned comfortably into her seat.
The tense air between them relaxed once more, as if nothing had happened.
“You know,” Edys said, tilting his head, “you really shocked me today. I thought I misheard you at first.”
He stole a glance at Aileen, casually prodding at a sensitive subject.
Aileen let out a bitter smile. She had expected this.
“Me too.”
“Were you two really that close? I mean, I assumed so at first—but lately, it was Carlisle who seemed the most desperate to see you.”
Edys recalled Carlisle’s most recent campaign and shook his head with genuine confusion.
Back in their academy days, Carlisle had always been the same—cold, curt, distant.
His stoic nature was consistent with everyone, which often made Edys glance more than once at the so-called arrogant commoner.
But over time, and thanks to his natural perceptiveness, Edys had come to read even the smallest shifts in Carlisle’s expression.
And what he saw then…
“Even though it was just another deployment, that guy really didn’t want to go. Just in case, I brought up your name. And his face changed. I knew then—he didn’t want to leave you.”
“…You must’ve seen it wrong.”
“You know I read that guy’s face better than anyone.”
Aileen said nothing.
She couldn’t deny it. Edys, who had known them both since their academy days, had a good read on Carlisle.
If even he could see it, then maybe—
For a fleeting moment, hope tried to surface.
But she quickly shut it down, firmly recalling the image of those two people—arms entwined, bonded together.
No, she told herself. No, there’s no way.
She shook her head and answered firmly.
“That’s not true. I think Your Majesty misunderstood, just this once. I’ve heard they’re already expecting a child.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s probably not about me at all. It could be because of the Marquess’s daughter.”
Her voice was laced with bitter resignation. Edys opened his mouth, then closed it again. No words came.
A cold breeze passed between them.
Brushing a wind-tossed strand of hair behind his ear, Edys spoke again—this time cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
“…And Carlisle? What do you plan to do about him? Let’s leave the Hessiden side out of it for now.”
