Translator: Kimmy

⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽‌༓‌☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅‌

“Did you see the person outside? An Eastern person was playing a guitar.”

“That’s an instrument called higipa not a guitar. I just heard.”

“Woah. When?”

“I heard some noise from the room beside us.”

Eva pursed her lips and listened carefully.

She could hear mumbling sounds blocked by the wall between them, but she couldn’t comprehend it.

“I don’t hear anything…..”

“I have quite good hearing. Karl would be able to hear that too.”

“Are all knights like that?”

Brigitta thought as she pushed in another bite of the pork and vegetable stir-fry.

Well, it would be normal for berserkers who had extraordinary physical abilities and for Rumilesas who were just basically a different species, but the other knights?

Eva was already sitting up straight with a pencil in one hand.

Brigitta decided to spare her words.

It was because she realized the things happening around Eva nowadays could plant a wrong impression of knights.

Even Karlos accused Brigitta of bluffing things about knights after reading her novel.

“Hm….Let’s just say Karl and I have a generally better physical ability.”

“So, is Karl something similar to a swordmaster?”

Eva’s eyes sparkled.

Brigitta smiled bitterly.

Brigitta could still not defeat Karlos.

So Brigitta didn’t consider swordmasters to be special anymore.

If the Emperor was a sword master, she would at least have a chance of winning.

But Karlos was too strong.

“No, and he won’t be in the future too.”

*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*

While Brigitta was unintentionally giving Eva the misunderstanding that Karlos was weaker than Bri, the Emperor was about to meet the elder he didn’t meet for a long time.

He was wearing a gentler face than usual and greeted the person entering the Sun Palace dining hall with warmth.

“Duke Aragon.”

“The light of the Empire and son of Lesa, it’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

One of the two Dukes of the Empire folded his wrinkled eyes and smiled.

Duke Aragon was a nice-looking elderly gentleman who had grace in everything he did.

But Karlos frowned slightly at his smile.

If the Foreign Affairs Minister or the Public Order Minister saw that, they would be trembling in fear; and if the Chancellor was here, he would have explained that his face was an awkward face, not an angry face.

But Duke Aragon was one of the few people that didn’t need such explanations.

“I’m glad to see you so well. So, are you seeing anyone nowadays?”

“……..You say that every time you see me.”

Pedro De Aragon.

He was the Chancellor during the reign of the previous Emperor Josef, so he was Glenn’s predecessor.

The noblest of nobles. The white gentleman.

He has been maintaining these titles for 30 strong years.

His lands were located in the southern part of the Empire and it was the region that harvested the most wheat during the Harvest festival.

“It’s just a personal wish of this old man. I want to see grandchildren now that I’m old.”

“Don’t you already have a handful of grandchildren? I heard you had another one not long ago.”

“Haha, but Your Majesty’s children are different to me.”

Duke Aragon was, consistently for 5 years every time he came to the capital for the Harvest festival, scolding Karlos indirectly.

He was one of the few people that Glenn and Karlos–even Maximilien–respected as an honorable elderly.

So Karlos could not say anything to his scoldings and could only frown a little.

“I am busy right now.”

“An Emperor is busy when he wishes to be busy, but he can also be free as long as he wants if he wishes to be free.”

Duke Aragon must have noticed that Karlos was uncomfortable, but he leisurely poured more wine into his glass.

“I thought you would wed at least before 30.”

“…….”

“Hahaha, but it’s already been 2 years. Ah, it would be 3 counting this year.”

“……..I am still young.”

The Emperor cowardly defied a little.

*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*

Excluding the Chancellor, Duke Aragon was the only one who could talk to the Emperor about his marriage.

Duke Aragon was planning to scold him, even more, this year.

It was because, though he didn’t know what trouble Duke Gardelli caused this time, the Palace officers begged him to convince the Emperor to marry.

Even without their pleas, Duke Aragon was worried about the Emperor who had no intention to marry…

To him, Karlos was still more of a prince than an Emperor.

Karlos’ nature was easy-going, so even though he was raised in the detached palace his whole childhood, his personality was still well-rounded, though some parts were still not taken care of properly.

The small beast he locked in the detached palace was scarred during those years when he was too busy to look after Karlos.

It was just that Karlos was not aware of his scars.

Duke Aragon had mixed feelings from the guilt that still haunted him.

What wrong could that child possibly have done?

Duke Aragon took another sip after recalling the past.

“I’ve already heard from my successor that you do not want a marriage without love.”

Karlos coughed.

He dabbed around his mouth with a napkin and frowned a little more.

Now, his face resembled the doorway to hell, but Duke Aragon just smiled.

“Why is Glenn ratting me out like……”

“Your Majesty.”

Karlos’s lips closed shut like a clam again.

“I won’t say that an Emperor does not marry for love again. But don’t you think you should at least meet someone to develop such feelings? I’m scolding you because you always decline.”

“……..How would I develop a liking for the ladies who go pale or faint when they see me? Also, they are all too young. I am not a shameless person. Do you think it’s sane to match a 16-year-old girl with me, a 32-year-old man?”

Whenever the portraits and the personal information of the recommended ladies were sent to him, he wanted to choke whoever recommended the ladies.

Even though it was a custom for nobles to marry at such a young age to bear children, Karlos did not want to practice that custom.

He was not a teenage boy anymore, so he wanted to break open the skulls of those who recommended girls half his age to be his wife and observe what their head was filled with.

Plus, whatever he did with a young lady seemed like he was threatening them.

Karlos never wanted to be involved in anything like that.

That was such a cruel thing for a young girl to be involved in too. Also, it would be too embarrassing for both parties.

“Most women marry in their late teenage years or their early 20s. So, if age is an issue, you could marry divorced noblewomen.”

“……..Duke, why are you so persistent today.”

“Last year, there were only a few requests to get you a fiance, but this year, there was a line of people asking me to wed you with anyone possible as soon as I got out of the gate. Let me ask you instead, what is with everyone?”

The old Duke scoffed.

It was peaceful in some way.

Since the biggest concern of the Empire was the Emperor’s relationship status.

Was it thanks to the efficient ministers or was it thanks to the Emperor?

He thought about the times he had to literally run around to deal with Emperor Josef’s problems and laughed.

“About that…..Max made big trouble this time.”

Karlos scratched his head.

To think about it, it was somehow his fault.

What if he didn’t send Max to Cartul? Would things be better if he filed a complaint instead?

After meeting the very person who sent him that conceited letter, the Emperor was feeling more sorry than he already was.

Duke Aragon’s white eyebrows moved up.

“Is it a problem you can’t handle?”

“Not really. Just a little noisy.”

If Sabina heard it, she would have thrown the table saying his problem was nothing compared to hers.

Karlos sighed.

Maximilien was not this wild before, but now that he is in love with Brigitta, his scale of causing trouble was getting bigger.

*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*

Glenn never stood up when he was working even if the Emperor walked in, but after seeing who walked in, he stood up right away.

“Sir.”

“Haha, sit down. You must be busy right now.”

“If you’ll allow me.”

Duke Aragon looked at Glenn with content.

He liked his young successor a lot.

During the period of turmoil after the war when most of the members of the Imperial office were switched out.

He was going to leave office too with the excuse of his old age, but it was Glenn Holtzman who tried to stop him from leaving till the very end.

‘Youth and competence cannot overcome experience.’

Hearing that, Duke Aragon could leave with no regrets.

⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽‌༓‌☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅

TL/N: the ‘gate’ is the transportation portal people use. Duke Aragon comes to the capital every Harvest festival using the gate.