106 – Friends?

“Now, sit here, daughter.”

“Yes, Father.”

“And you all, won’t you take a seat?

Before the delicious food gets cold, that is.”

“We will join you, if you permit it, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm, you are certainly a daughter of the Charlotte family, yes? Be comfortable, do sit.”

A long table stretched out, draped with a beautiful

red tablecloth, trimmed with flowing lace.

Upon it, dishes gleamed, each boasting

a vibrant hue and exquisite form, seemingly breathing with life.

And illuminating it all,

a brilliant chandelier caught the eye.

*Scrape—*

*Scrape—*

The sound of chairs dragging across the floor as

people settled into them, one by one.

“Well, um…it is not polite to talk with

a mouth full of food, so…”

“….”

“What are you waiting for? Have a seat.”

“..My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“Apologies for what? Ha ha ha.”

At the head of the long, red table,

sat a man with hair the color of embers, firmly planted in the honored seat.

With that one word from the man, the banquet commenced.

*

Clink, clatter─

The silverware shifted to and fro.

Forks and knives, seemingly forged of pure silver,

performed their own individual dances,

and the bite of meat, neither tough nor stringy,

boasted a tender, heavenly flavor.

Neither overpowering nor bland,

a perfectly balanced seasoning blanketed each dish,

and a medley of vegetables and fruits further

stimulated the appetite.

“And how is it? To your liking, perhaps?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Charlotte and I answered in unison.

Perhaps no one would dare to say that the Imperial capital’s cuisine tasted bad before the Emperor,

but these dishes truly were delicious, no empty flattery.

It made me question whether what I had eaten until now

could even be called food.

“Good, I am glad you enjoy it so,

our cooks will be pleased.”

Unlike the Emperor, who smiled as he spoke,

I could not return the gesture.

The Princess had said,

that her Royal Father had invited me to the banquet.

That my being here was not merely her kindness,

but the Emperor’s command.

Of course, the Emperor, the master of this nation,

with mountains of work piled high,

and who did not do even the smallest thing

that did not suit his fancy.

He would not summon me for a frivolous matter.

‘..Is there some story to tell me specifically in such a place, with the Princess accompanying?’

If it weren’t so, there’d be no reason to have the Princess

bring me here in the first place.

I figured there must be some important matter to discuss separately.

“….”

“Well? Does it suit your palates somewhat?”

“Yes, Father. Today, in particular, the food tastes even

more delicious, it seems.”

“I concur, Your Majesty. Food so delectable is

not easily found, even in the Duke’s household.”

“Is that so? Haha, I specifically asked them to put some extra effort in, and it seems

it had some effect after all.”

‘….’

No wonder each and every dish held an extraordinary

flavor, I thought.

If it were the Emperor’s request, any chef would have no choice

but to give it their all.

‘… perhaps a little regrettable…’

“Jenison.”

Just as I was offering a silent, small appreciation

for the nameless chefs who had put their heart and soul into

cooking these dishes, unaware of the situation,

I heard the Emperor’s voice at my ear.

Along with the sound of a knife and fork being laid down.

“..Your Majesty?”

“Haha, why must you be so stiff?”

“….”

He wiped the sauce from his lips, then

spoke with a hearty laugh.

The plate before him was already empty.

Even though his plate had held a steak of a size that seemed

too much for one person to manage.

“A moment ago, there was an empty seat, so such an attitude was

necessary, but is this not a private occasion? Do not feel burdened.”

“..I am grateful for your grace.”

I slightly lowered my head and continued the conversation,

agreeing with his words,

but my demeanor did not change in the slightest.

Even if the Emperor’s permission has been granted,

there remains a difference in status, after all.

We are not on terms where I can casually act as I please.

“However, I am but a commoner, and Your Imperial Majesty is the Empire’s sun.

I beg your understanding that I cannot presume to treat you casually.”

It seemed my firm tone, declaring that this was as far as I would allow things to go,

reached him, for

he merely clicked his tongue once,

showing no particular dissatisfaction.

“…Very well, have it your way.

The important matter isn’t about that, anyway.”

“…?”

The important matter,

presumably the reason he summoned me all the way here.

The reason he had to go to the trouble of using a princess,

to invite me to this evening’s dinner.

I quietly waited, anticipating the words that would fall from his lips,

“Father, what important matter is this?”

“…?”

From beside me, she posed the question

as if truly ignorant.

Kiana Pravel, it was she.

‘Didn’t the Princess know…?’

Naturally, I thought she would know,

since she was the one who had led me here.

The reason why I had to come here.

“Jennison, I’ll ask directly.”

“..Yes? Yes, Your Majesty, please speak.”

Ignoring the princess who was babbling beside me,

he slowly opened his mouth.

His red beard swayed, and

his eyes seemed to flash for a moment, but it must have been an illusion.

“Jennison, what do you think of my daughter?”

“..Pardon?”

“What? Father, what kind of…?”

“No, I grow weary of such roundabout talk.

Jennison, do you have any thoughts of becoming engaged to my daughter?”

So, this too,

this pronouncement echoing in my ears, must be a figment of my imagination.

It must be.

*

Jennison became as still as a mannequin…

Amidst the frantic flurry of changing clothes,

A hearty laughter echoed from another chamber.

“Ha ha, you truly did do that to me?”

“Your Majesty…how many times must I say, it was all—”

The voices of two middle-aged men

arose from behind the russet door.

The conversation from moments before having subsided,

they now engaged in light banter, as if they had never flown into a rage.

Like old friends who had known each other for ages.

“So, there was that time you scolded little me, do you remember how I—”

“Your Majesty, even so, pulling up the habit

of a devout nun seems a bit much, wouldn’t you say—”

“Come now, friend…when did I ever do such a thing? Ha ha ha…”

From childhood stories of the Emperor and the Pope,

to shared memories only they possessed,

the topics were boundless.

Having long sat at the pinnacle of their respective powers, managing it all,

they had scarcely found leisure time for such conversations.

“Ha ha…it is quite enjoyable to converse with you like this

after so long.”

“I concur, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm…perhaps I can confide in you.”

“What is it you wish to say, Your Majesty?

Is there some unspeakable worry, perhaps…?”

“Well, if it can be called a worry, then a worry it is.

It concerns the marriage of my daughter.”

The Pope, listening intently from the front, and even

Reindell, who was present in the chamber, both visibly perked up.

A marriage, the act of choosing a lifelong partner.

And none other than the marriage of a princess, at that.

This was by no means an ordinary matter.

“Heh…I hadn’t realized Her Highness was already

of age for marriage…”

“Well, the truth is, it is not yet, but…even so,

she is not all that young anymore.”

“….”

“These days, even the nobles marry at a younger age,

so why shouldn’t my daughter be able to?”

“May I inquire as to who the prospective partner is?”

“You know, don’t you? The one I even

met in person not so long ago… *chuckles*.”

“…?”

“Well, he’s certainly capable enough, and

isn’t he about to become nobility?”

For a moment, the Pope entertained the thought… could it be…?

But he quickly dismissed it.

Their statuses were mismatched, for one thing.

And the Princess Royal had no connection to him whatsoever.

Just mere academy classmates.

If we’re going by connections, our Saintess has

more contact with him than her.

‘*Even so… she seemed like she was

waiting for news of him…’*

“Anyway… I just wanted to ask what you

thought of him…”

“…Y-You mean…?”

“Yes, Jennison. We’ve received information that

you two seem to be close, so you must know him well, no?”

“….”

“Well, if his character’s decent enough… his abilities

are already proven… I’d say it’s worth considering.”

“Surely… the partner you mentioned earlier…?”

“Hm? Didn’t you hear? Jennison, that’s who.”

‘*…This is a problem.*’

He’d already found it strange that the Saintess, who usually paid no

attention to worldly matters, had recently been curious about his news.

To the point where he wondered if she had a

particular interest in him.

‘*It’s almost certain that the Saintess

has taken a liking to him…’*

Anyone else hearing this might laugh at how

outdated such thinking was, but,

unfortunately, most of the Order’s priests are

those who’ve dedicated their bodies to the divine.

Meaning they were like complete novices

when it comes to romance.

In other words, they were highly likely to interpret

even the smallest things as signs of affection.

Even if it were just a simple inquiry about well-being.

‘*Still, they are a Saint and Saintess chosen by the Goddess, so…*’

“I had hoped to be the one to unite them, truly…”

The Saintess, a representative of the Goddess,

and the Saint, chosen by the Goddess.

Who wouldn’t see them as a perfect pair?

“…It seems I must intervene here.”

“Speaking of which… regarding that child,

perhaps you could share what you know…”

“Worry not, I shall assist you with all sincerity.”