Chapter 52: At Least He Seems More Awake Than the Emperor
“So… you’re saying she’s really the Empress?”
Karsen’s secretary asked in disbelief after his audience with Helena.
They thought it was unlikely, but apparently the woman who crossed the border was the real Empress.
“What, did you think I was just spouting nonsense?”
“……”
“What’s with your face?”
“What about it?”
“You look awfully disrespectful.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. This is just how my face looks.”
“Just don’t screw up in front of a foreign dignitary.”
“Sire, perhaps you should start by buttoning up your front.”
“These things keep coming undone.”
Karsen fastened his buttons with a mildly annoyed expression.
“So, what was the Empress of the Empire thinking, sneaking into our country?”
“Exactly what you guessed.”
“She was actually planning to blow up the dam?”
The secretary’s eyes widened.
“With just the three of them? What is she, some kind of human weapon?”
“Maybe she is. She’s got guts, I’ll give her that.”
“What kind of nonsense was she spewing?”
“She seemed to know all about our operations. I don’t know how she figured it out.”
“At this point, it’s not hard to guess.”
Click. Moritz clicked his tongue.
“There have been several official protest letters from the Empire. We kept denying it, of course.”
“She said war would break out if things continued like this.”
“Well, if it comes to that, we’re not exactly backing down. So what did you do?”
“I agreed to give her what she wanted.”
“Good. Naturally, you refused—wait, what?”
“I said I agreed to give her what she wanted.”
The secretary stared at Karsen, eyes narrowing.
“You’re doing that face again.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Now your tone’s disrespectful too.”
“Do I look like someone who’s not thinking straight? How could you so casually hand over something that’s been in planning since the reign of the previous king?”
“No need to be so dramatic. We got access to the warm-water port too.”
“Well, even so—wait, what? The warm-water port?”
The secretary’s jaw dropped.
“How did she know that’s what we wanted?”
“Exactly. How did she know?”
Karsen shrugged.
The Kingdom of Kalus originated from nomadic tribes. Naturally, they had no apparent interest in seaports.
At least, on the surface.
Yet the Empress somehow pinpointed exactly what they desired.
Karsen chuckled.
“She really is a fascinating woman, don’t you think?”
“Fascinating? I find her terrifying.”
Moritz shivered like he’d gotten goosebumps.
“Could she be clairvoyant or something? Sneaking in at this precise time? It’s scary that someone like that is another country’s Empress.”
“…You think so?”
Karsen thought of Helena.
Ah, right…
That gaze.
There was something strangely captivating about it.
Even from the first time they met.
Even after returning to Kalus, he hadn’t been able to forget the look in her eyes.
“Are you really going to accept her offer just like that?”
“She seems more awake than that Emperor of hers, at least.”
At Karsen’s remark, the secretary’s jaw dropped again.
That’s not the point!
The secretary let out a long sigh.
“You really should reconsider. At the very least, you should put proper conditions on the deal.”
The secretary’s mind raced.
“I’ll arrange a meal soon. Bring it up then. Let’s gather the relevant department heads and properly—”
“But that’s not the important issue right now.”
Karsen cut him off.
“There’s something more important than this?”
“Yeah. Much more.”
The secretary tilted his head.
More important than negotiating with a foreign Empress?
What could it be?
Karsen’s face had turned serious.
And that seriousness infected the secretary too.
This must really be something.
Right, even if his behavior was questionable, Karsen was at least diligent in his work.
The secretary clenched his fists tightly.
Could it be… war?
He waited nervously for what Karsen would say next.
But the question Karsen threw out was completely unexpected.
“So why are you talking so stiffly to me, huh?”
“……?”
The green-haired secretary doubted his ears.
He waited to see if it was a joke, but Karsen showed no sign of continuing.
The secretary came to a conclusion.
‘He’s finally gone completely mad.’
He knew this day would come.
No, maybe he’d sensed it a long time ago, but had been denying it.
‘At this rate, I won’t live to see retirement.’
While the secretary massaged his now-numb neck, Karsen smirked and dropped the forbidden word.
“Momo.”
“I’ve told you before. Don’t call me that.”
The secretary said sternly, but Karsen didn’t give up.
“Momo.”
“Moritz.”
“Momo, Momo.”
“I said call me Moritz!”
“Back when you were little, ‘Momo’ was so cute. Now you just nag all day long.”
“Would you stop teasing me already, you damned king!”
🌙
A blue moon hung in the sky.
By the time the negotiations ended and I left the room, it was already quite late.
After my identity as the Empress of the Empire was confirmed, the treatment I received in the Kingdom of Kalus changed dramatically.
Instead of a dusty corner cell, I was given a spacious and clean guest room.
With the help of attendants, I bathed in luxurious scented oil and changed into a dress of blue fabric adorned with black lace.
Unlike the flamboyant dresses trending in the Empire, this one emphasized functionality.
Strangely, I liked that about it.
The maids seated me at the vanity and brushed through my long hair.
After neatly arranging it, they twisted it up slightly and secured it with a pearl pin.
When the preparation was done, someone knocked on the door.
“Your Majesty the Empress. May I come in?”
It was a familiar voice.
The green-haired secretary who stayed by Karsen’s side.
His voice.
“Come in.”
The door opened smoothly and the secretary stepped inside.
“I apologize for not properly introducing myself earlier. I am Moritz, Chief Secretary.”
He bowed his head respectfully.
A stark contrast to his uncouth king.
I returned the bow with a slight nod.
“Is the room to your liking?”
“Of course.”
Naturally, it was a luxury that couldn’t even be compared to a prison cell.
“I can only be grateful for the Kingdom of Kalus’s hospitality.”
“We deeply apologize for not recognizing Your Majesty earlier.”
“If anything, I should be the one to apologize.”
I’d crossed the border unannounced with a cart full of explosives.
I smiled and said,
“It was a situation bound for misunderstanding.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“So… what brings you here now?”
“We’ve prepared dinner.”
The mention of food made me realize how hungry I was.
Only now did I recall that I had barely eaten anything today.
The day had been so chaotic, I hadn’t even noticed my hunger.
“I’ll escort you. Please, this way.”
“Thank you.”
I followed Moritz out of the room.
The chilly air greeted me, along with a sky filled with stars.
A nation of highlands.
A night sky that felt within reach.
The Kingdom of Kalus truly felt like a country floating above the world.
“The starlight… is truly beautiful here.”
“This is nothing, actually.”
Moritz spoke with clear pride in his voice.
“When winter comes, you’ll see several times more stars than this.”
“Wow, you make it sound so enticing.”
Even now, there were so many stars. How many more could there possibly be?
Chatting briefly with Moritz, we soon arrived at the dining hall.
“Then I’ll take my leave. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
He remained courteous to the end as he departed.
When I entered the dining room, a prepared table caught my eye.
A white tablecloth covered the surface, and colorful flowers were beautifully arranged at the center.
And—two neatly placed sets of silverware…
‘Huh? Two?’
Why only two? There should be three.
I asked a passing servant,
“There seems to be a place setting missing?”
“Pardon? That can’t be, Your Majesty. We were instructed to prepare for two guests only.”
“There must be some mistake. There are three in my party.”
Come to think of it, where were Leonard and Cedric?
I’d heard they were also released.
As I looked around the room—
“There’s no mistake.”
A quiet voice spoke up.
A voice that carried a hint of amusement.
“This is a dinner for just you and me.”
—
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