Episode 89

Chapter 89. Do You Like It, My Lady?

“Whaaat? You asked Her Majesty to show you around the city?!”

Inside the guest suite prepared for visiting dignitaries at the Pentrian Empire’s palace, Karssen’s secretary, Moritz, was ready to scream and throw himself out a window.

“No wonder you told me to step out for a while. This was your plan from the beginning, wasn’t it?”

“What plan? I was just bored.”

A lie so obvious it was almost transparent.

Moritz let out a long sigh.

“Your Majesty, please… Can’t you just behave and go home quietly for once? Do you have any idea how awkward it is that we arrived even before the eve celebration?”

“It’s not like there’s no precedent for this.”

“Sure, there’s precedent.”

But that entirely depended on the situation.

In cases where diplomatic relations between two countries were relatively amicable, it could be overlooked.

And while things hadn’t been particularly tense lately—not since the drought talks settled down…

Considering all the preparations they’d made on their side…

“Just say you’re scouting the area for intel. That would honestly be more believable.”

“I mean, I could say that.”

“Could, not would. Noted.”

Tsk. Karssen clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.

“You know me too well.”

“It’s not like I want to.”

Moritz shot back, frowning.

“Seriously, why are you so obsessed—I mean, so insistent—about her? Since when have you shown this much interest in any woman?”

This was the same man who never batted an eye even when dozens of queen candidates were paraded before him.

“It’s not like you know her that well. And I’ve never seen you so interested in a woman before.”

Moritz added sincerely,

“Why not focus that attention on someone within the kingdom? Wouldn’t that be more productive?”

“What are you talking about?”

Karssen responded flatly.

The tone sent a chill down Moritz’s spine.

What’s with that “you’re the only one lost in your own thoughts” vibe?

“What do you mean, what? She’s the empress of—”

“It’s not like that,” Karssen cut in sharply.

“Then what is it?”

“Just curiosity.”

“Curiosity?”

“I want to figure it out.”

“Figure what out?”

Seriously, I don’t get it!

Moritz was thoroughly frustrated.

Then Karssen dropped a line that left him speechless.

“I want to know what I’m feeling.”

“…?”

“……”

“Whaaaaat?!”

The reaction was a few beats late.

“Damn, you’ve got lungs. My ears are ringing.”

“Are you serious?”

“When have I ever not been serious?”

Moritz swallowed hard.

That’s exactly what makes this so terrifying!

“Do you realize what kind of diplomatic mess this could cause?”

And that wasn’t the only issue weighing on Moritz’s mind.

“Your Majesty, as you know, the domestic situation still needs time to stabilize. We’re not exactly in the clear yet.”

“Moritz.”

Karssen’s tone turned cold.

“No one knows that better than I do.”

“……”

“I’m the one responsible for my kingdom. You don’t need to worry about it.”

There was an overwhelming weight behind those words.

Moritz pressed his lips together tightly.

It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Karssen switch tones like this.

Every time, it still makes my blood run cold.

But that—that was also why, even when he had complaints, Moritz ultimately chose to trust Karssen.

“Do I really seem that incompetent to you?”

Moritz slowly shook his head.

“Of course not.”

“Right?”

Karssen flashed his usual confident grin.

“Anyway, that’s beside the point. You always miss what actually matters.”

“That’s because—”

…Your Majesty, maybe you’re the one setting your priorities wrong?

Moritz swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Everything else was fine. He knew Karssen was capable—brilliant, even.

It was just that… sometimes…

He had this tendency to charge ahead like a runaway carriage.

“Well, I guess that’s part of what makes you… you.”

“That damned nickname again…”

“Careful now. You’ll want to be agreeable today.”

“Why do you always say ominous things like that?”

Karssen reached into his coat and pulled out a sheet of paper.

“This.”

“…!”

Moritz went pale. His red eyes trembled.

“W-Where did you get that?!”

“Your mother gave it to me.”

Granted, she’d only meant to show it to him. But when he asked to keep it, she’d handed it over with a smile.

Same difference.

Karssen had no intention of telling the full truth.

“You looked great here, don’t you think? Right, Momo?”

“Fine! I’ll do it! I’ll do whatever you say! Just hand that over!”

“Really?”

“…Really.”

Moritz waved a white flag in surrender.

Karssen smirked in triumph.

“Let’s see how well you behave today. Then I’ll decide.”

It was around noon.

I arrived at the bustling city center with Karen, Moritz, and Leonard in tow.

“Ohh. So this is the heart of the Empire?”

“Your High— I mean, young master! Please don’t wander off on your own!”

Moritz looked like he was ready to lose it chasing after Karssen.

A king casually strolling through the streets? Yeah, that wasn’t exactly something you see every day.

Of course, it’s not like we came out without any precautions.

He wore clothes designed not to attract attention, and we’d also brought a special carriage used for identity concealment.

And one more thing—

We tweaked our appearances just a bit.

All thanks to Cedric.

I glanced down at the small bead sewn into my outfit.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a decorative trinket, but it held a special enchantment that could temporarily alter your appearance.

A recent invention by Cedric.

Sure, it was still in the trial phase and could only change things like hair or eye color for now—

But it was more than enough to mask one’s identity in public.

‘Still… sneaking out without telling Jerome is making me a little nervous…’

It’s fine. I left a letter just in case, so he won’t panic.

Shaking off my guilt, I turned my attention back to the crowd around us.

“There seem to be more people out than usual?”

“This time of year, the market’s in full swing,” Leonard replied.

Just as he said, the streets were lined with vendors.

Everything from accessory stalls to exotic trinkets rarely seen in the Empire.

Some stalls even had simple games set up for entertainment.

“Step right up! Come take a look!”

“Rare items you’ll only see today, folks!”

“Special event discounts! You’ll regret it if you don’t buy now!”

As I leisurely browsed, something unusual caught my eye at one of the stalls—a woven bracelet set with a round gemstone at the center.

“What’s this?”

“Oh ho! You’ve got a good eye, miss,” the vendor beamed. “That gemstone might look ordinary, but it holds a special power!”

He held up two bracelets.

One had a black stone, the other a white one.

“These two come as a pair. Look, if you bring them close together—”

Whoa.

The two stones began to glow faintly the moment they touched.

“They’ll light up when they’re near each other—no magic needed! A rare stone, this one. Might be hard to find another set like it.”

That’s… kinda tempting.

My ears perked up at the mention of it being a limited edition.

Then—

A low, even-toned voice tickled my ear.

“Do you like it, my lady?”

“……!”

My lady?

That unfamiliar term made the hair on my arms stand on end.

I turned my head—and saw Leonard looking directly at me.

“Shall I buy it for you?”

“A-ah, no. I was just curious, that’s all. We should catch up to the young master before we lose him.”

I fumbled for an excuse, hoping to hide my flustered expression.

We continued wandering from stall to stall after that.

“Here you go, beautiful lady! A little something extra, just for you!”

“Oh? Thank you?”

We passed by a food cart and got free skewers on the house.

“Oh my, oh my. A rose this lovely should belong to a lady just as lovely. Please, take it.”

I also received a full bouquet of roses.

At first, I thought—okay, this is kinda nice.

Maybe the people in this district are just really generous?

A rare corner of the world where humanity still has heart?

And then, we arrived at a restaurant.

The maids had recommended it earlier.

Apparently, it was the hottest spot in the Empire right now.

They served tea and light bites in the morning and afternoon, and by evening, they switched to alcohol and bar-style dishes.

The contrasting day-and-night concept had made the place incredibly popular.

Of course, the more image-conscious nobles avoided it. Its main clientele were wealthy commoners.

“I heard the wait’s usually over an hour. We’ll probably have to queue up,” I said.

We were about to put our name down and wait nearby when—

“Oh my! You’re in luck. A table just opened up! Please, come right in!”

“…?”

Something felt off.

What is this?

Why is everything going so well today?

There were eyes watching Helena’s little entourage…

“Ahem. Fortunately, everything seems to be going smoothly so far.”

“See? I told you it was a good idea to make a reservation in advance.”

“Of course, of course! If it weren’t for us, our delicate Empress would’ve had to wait endlessly outside!”

They were none other than Helena’s ladies-in-waiting.

Mary took a bite of her chicken skewer and said,

“Hehehe. Good. As long as nothing unexpected happens from here on out, everything will be perfect.”

Indeed, the string of surprise lucky events that had favored Helena so far was no coincidence.

“It really does seem like the King of Calus has an interest in Her Majesty, doesn’t it?”

“Ugh, of course he does. Why else would he show up in the Empire this early?”

“Even he couldn’t help but fall under Her Majesty’s spell.”

To charm even the king of a foreign country—our Empress is truly remarkable!

The maids whispered among themselves.

In truth, there was a reason they had been so eager to encourage Helena to go out today.

In the past, Leonard had left Helena alone and disappeared.

To think he made Her Majesty feel sorrow!

The maids had been furious.

And since their anger over that incident had never truly subsided, they had quietly been sharpening the blade of revenge.

“Sir Leonard really ought to feel a sense of crisis after today.”

“Exactly. He needs to understand just how popular Her Majesty is. If he’s not careful, she might be taken by someone else!”

And it wasn’t just the maids.

“Indeed. Our Captain needs to come to his senses.”

Even Conrad had joined forces with them in their little scheme.

And finally, there was one man watching them all with exasperation.

“What on earth is going on here…?”

It was Felix, dragged along against his will by Conrad.