Chapter 128 Interlude - A Certain Party In The Holy Empire
For some reason, my name is carved in the country's name, which feels like a silly game.
In this country, I'm called both "Holy Emperor" and "Saint."
Well, I mostly just look good and other people do the real work... But, of course, even looking good comes with some job.
Specifically, I go to social parties to help connect the old Bezelus Empire Nobles and the Nobles from my hometown, Ortria Kingdom.
"Ms. Yumie, I wanted to see you!"
"Ms. Monica, it's been a while! You look well."
At that party, I was quickly caught by Monica and hugged, with little time for greetings.
We have both been busy with our roles, so it has really been a long time.
Feeling happy, I hugged her back tightly, and Monica's face lit up with joy.
"I'm so glad to see your happy face, Ms. Yumie! Are you doing well? The weather is similar to Ortria, but the food culture is different, so I was worried about your health..."
"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying about me."
"I'm glad to hear that!"
I thumped my chest to show I'm healthy, and Monica smiled gently back at me.
Monica seems to have matured quite a bit in the meantime...
Originally, she was quite sexy in appearance, but she still had a sense of trying to act older than she is now, and she's completely grown up as a Noble.
I can't lose either, I thought honestly.
"What happened to Thea? She's always been attached to Ms. Yumie."
"Thea is currently studying to become my servant. Of course, I can't treat her too well just because she's my friend... and Thea said she wanted to do the same, so"
"Hehe, I can see her saying, 'If that helps Yumie... I'll do my best...!'"
"Haha, that's right!"
I couldn't help but laugh at Monica's exact imagination.
For a while, we enjoyed chatting together.
Meeting people is important, and I thought a long chat might not be good... but Monica is the daughter of a VIP from the Ortria Kingdom.
Many people came to greet her like it was a great chance, so maybe it was a good thing that we stayed together.
"Um... excuse me, Ms. Monica. I need to step out for a bit."
"Okay, take your time!"
I wanted to go to the bathroom, so I hinted that, and Monica quickly understood and kindly let me go.
Feeling grateful, I left the event and headed to the bathroom, but... it was so big that I got lost.
"Ugh, I'm still not used to living in this castle... I should have asked someone to help me..."
I somehow made it to the bathroom, but it felt like I found it by luck after going in circles, so I didn't know the way back.
Wandering, I was trying to remember the way back to the event when suddenly, I heard a voice.
"────"
"────"
"Great, now I can ask for directions home..."
Thinking that, I walked quickly toward the voice, but as I got closer, I noticed something strange.
What? I realized it was an argument.
No, it's just that something feels off...is this the sound of someone arguing?
"Why are you a lowly person here? This is a sacred place in the glorious Imperial Palace, where only the chosen Nobles may set foot!"
"I'm just here because I was called by the new Emperor...Her Majesty..."
"You're lying! Lady Yumie would never call someone like you!"
The location is a small courtyard in the Imperial Palace.
I've been here before, so I don't need to ask anyone to find my way.
When I popped my head in, I saw a noble-looking young lady questioning a boy about the same age as my elder brother.
I believe the young lady was Lady Ein, the daughter of the Count Lerato family, a distinguished family with a long history in the former Bezelus Empire.
The boy said someone was going to hang my painting in the palace!
So, I thought of introducing the soldier I saw at the army hospital who was good at painting.
It seems that boy thinks he broke in here without permission.
...It seems like my casual comment started all this, so I can't just ignore it.
"Please wait, Lady Ein,"
"Wha...!? Oh, this is Lady Yumie. I'm sorry for showing you something not nice,"
She laughed like she was trying to cover it up, and Lady Lerato came closer to me.
Then, she glared at the boy.
"How long are you going to stay there!? Hurry and leave Lady Yumie's presence..."
"No, it's okay. I called him here myself,"
Ignoring the shocked Ein, I stepped closer to the boy.
I sat down with him and tried to make him feel safe.
I smiled and gently hugged him.
"I'm sorry for making you scared because of my selfishness. I apologize,"
"Wha...!? N-no!! I am not worthy to hear that from you, Lady Yumie, who just became the new Saint...!! And you shouldn't be... touching me!!"
"But still, I'm really sorry,"
Once again, I make eye contact with the boy.
Perhaps the stimulation was a little too much for him, but he smiled at the reddened face and added the last thing he needed to say.
"And your drawing was very nice. Please have more confidence. Thank you."
"...!! I'm so sorry...!! "
It seems to be smaller than it was before I came, but I won't worry about that.
"Well then... Lady Ein"
"Wh, what is this...I'm not saying anything wrong!? That person is a combat slave, a lowly person who doesn't even have citizenship in this country! And..."
"Please calm down. I'm not blaming you."
Huh?
Ein looks surprisingly.
I guess she thought she would get yelled at.
I took her hand and led her into the palace.
"Please follow me. I have something to show you."
I called to you and the young painter, and I moved through the building.
Soon I arrived at a big picture of myself, displayed along the road to the party.
"What do you think? Isn't it an amazing picture?"
To be honest, it was too pretty.
I do think I'm cute, but the picture showed not just a cute girl, but a beautiful goddess, like a divine being had come down.
Ein must have seen it at least once.
She looks completely speechless.
"Even if someone is a slave, they can still have great talents. This is something precious, no matter their status."
"Does Lady Yumie mean that nobles are better than slaves?"
"No, that's not it. I said 'seeds of talent.' A seed needs to be planted in the right spot, and someone must water it for it to grow."
So I took Ein's hand and looked straight into her eyes.
"Picking up seeds that others overlook and helping them grow is our important job as nobles, right? ...Don't worry, the beauty of the flowers you carefully raise isn't just theirs. You will also shine beautifully together."
Like this picture, I looked up at his drawing again.
Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed, but I don't think anyone will look down on me as lowly after seeing this.
Actually, it was a big hit at the party too.
"Would you like to join us in searching for the seeds of a flower that is one of a kind and is ours alone? I'm sure you can do it, Lady Ein."
"Lady...Yumie..."
Ein begins to shed tears.
Surprised by her reaction, which was much more intense than I had expected, she grabbed my hand tightly and said in a trembling voice.
"Thank you very much...Lady Yumie's words have been deeply engraved in my heart..."
"That's good. Oh, I have to get back soon, so I'll see you later, Lady Ein. See you later, too."
I waved to them and returned to the venue.
Then, Monica, who was waiting for me right by the entrance for some reason, handed me a glass with a drink in it.
"Ms. Yumie, you really are amazing. To not only save the boy who draws pictures but also change the mind of the young lady from the Lerato family in such a short time is not something anyone can do. Especially since the Lerato family has often been looked down upon in this country for only having history to brag about..."
I see, that young lady had such a story behind her.
In a new country, with new people showing up one after another, she might have felt scared that she would lose her position.
...But, I think.
"How long have you been watching, Ms. Monica?"
"I saw it when Ms. Yumie came into the courtyard. I was worried because Ms. Yumie was taking too long to come back."
"I'm sorry for making you worry..."
"It's okay, I saw something nice."
"Mmm..."
I felt a bit embarrassed thinking I had been seen from the start.
Monica smiled as I tried to distract myself by tilting my glass.
"Seeing that young lady reminds me of my past. I was proud and didn't really know much about the world."
"...Did you have a time like that, Ms. Monica?"
"But it was Ms. Yumie who changed me, so why are you saying that?"
'Eh?' I said, froze, but Monica laughed even more merrily.
Honestly, I don't remember a time when Monica was a proud and haughty person.
Because...
"Ms. Monica was kind to me from the beginning. When we first met, Ms. Monica was the one who talked to me, and I was really happy."
The first time I met Monica was on my birthday party.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about whether I, an illegitimate child, would be able to fit in well in a space filled with Nobles.
It was Monica who spoke to me.
"So to me, Ms. Monica is the ideal young lady, both now and in the past, and she is the one I look up to. I love her."
Hehe, I said with a smile, but Monica's expression quickly disappeared.
Huh, why?
While I was confused... Monica hugged me tightly.
"Ms. Monica?"
"Really, Ms. Yumie is unfair. If you say it like that, I will like you even more!"
It felt like Monica was never going to let go as she held me tighter.
Then she spoke with a bit of a pout.
"But you still sneak around when I look away. How many rivals do I have to deal with?"
"Sneak around!? Wait, what do you mean by rivals!?"
Monica had said before that she would marry me.
I haven't answered yet, and since Sigurt said the same thing, normally, it would be about him, but this feels a bit different.
"That's the problem! You charm 2 people and don't even realize it!"
"I didn't! I just said what I thought I should say!"
"What you said really hurt me, so of course it would be like this. Oh dear, at this rate, it feels like you could charm everyone in the world!"
That's impossible, right!?
I really wanted to shout that out.
But before I could, Monica put her finger on my mouth and smiled mischievously.
"Well...I, Sigurt, and everyone else...that's what I like about you, don't you think?"
After saying that, Monica immediately turns away and heads into the venue.
Then, she turned to face me, who was stunned, and said.
"Come on, let's go quickly. The host of the party doesn't want to keep the guests waiting."
"I know!"
Though I was feeling a little unconvinced, I followed Monica back to the venue this time.
Later on, whenever I saw the painter boy or Ein, they would look at me with passionate gazes... but at the time, I was still half-believing that such a future would come.
End of story
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