By Zephyria Clink, clink.
The sound of cutlery clashing occasionally lingered. It was the only noise in the bright and splendid labyrinth.
Hugo mechanically sliced the steak in front of him. Pressing down on the meat with force, blood seeped out with a squelch. Usually, he wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but today, the plate was unusually full of blood, making him lose his appetite.
But this was one of the main dishes of the formal dinner served by the Emperor. Even if it were raw meat, it was a vassal’s duty to empty it cleanly in this place.
Hugo picked up the bright red meat, which seemed as if its pulse would throb at any moment, with a fork, carefully avoiding any blood droplets, and put it in his mouth. Forcing his jaw to move, it was edible enough, but he had been repeating this act for thirty minutes now.
The food hardly decreased, and he had emptied his wine glass, which he had drunk to rinse his mouth, for the third time.
Just then, a white-clad attendant approached, poured blood-red wine into Hugo’s glass, and quietly retreated.
“…….”
His blue eyes shifted to the right, following the sound, before returning to the plate. Unlike his eyes, his senses were extended in all directions. His five senses were counting every small movement in the strange space.
There were about thirty people inside. But most of them were buried in light and objects, making it difficult to recognize their presence unless they moved.
It wasn’t the first time Hugo had set foot in Aurasian, but the atmosphere, which was difficult to adapt to every time, remained the same.
Unlike audience chambers, the interior wasn’t a scene where the Emperor’s close aides or high-ranking nobles flaunted their power, claiming to be the Monarch’s wings on both sides. Rather, they suppressed their own existence and silently performed their duties so as not to disturb His Majesty.
Hugo occasionally gazed at the white-clad humans standing far away, speculating that they were either mute or blind.
He didn’t know if they were like that from birth or if it was acquired. What was certain was that they were selected to protect the secrets of the inner chamber.
They were like objects that had been modified to fit the background of this labyrinth. Their faces had no blood, and they didn’t feel like they had the warmth of the living. If corpses were to move alive, would they look like that? If people’s insides were scraped out and mummified to prevent decay, it would be roughly similar.
Hugo, who drank the shimmering wine again, decided to stop thinking around that point. Because the one who made the preceding assumptions possible was Emperor Laina Rogia in front of him. If he dug any deeper, it seemed like he would only make things harder for himself.
He tried to finish the remaining food on his plate, stabbing the flesh-like meat with a fork. Just then, a heavy voice that weighed down on his shoulders echoed through the inner chamber.
“Does it suit your palate?”
He reflexively stopped cutting. Hugo put down the knife, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and carefully raised his head.
“Yes, it suits me well.”
All sorts of delicacies were endlessly spread out on the long, antique table. A loose, light purple curtain crossed the table, starting from the candelabra in the center.
Beyond that, a sacred silhouette, concealing its form, sat on a splendid chair and stared straight ahead.
Hugo gazed at the hidden opponent’s eyes and gently relaxed his lips.
“Perhaps it’s because you used good ingredients, but the taste is excellent. I am deeply grateful for the grace of providing such precious food.”
He had expected it since the appointment time was set for noon, but the Emperor had treated the person who had issued the summons to a luxurious formal dinner. It wasn’t strange, given the return of the subjugation force and various other circumstances. However, it was unusual to prepare a meal in the inner chamber rather than a reception area.
As a result, Hugo couldn’t let his guard down from the moment the meal began. However, his skills as a Duke allowed him to remain a loyal vassal.
Only after he fearlessly drank from the chalice that might have been poisoned did the silhouette beyond the curtain play with a knife on the plate, as if satisfied.
As he casually raised his glass, suggesting another drink, Hugo naturally raised his glass as well. As he cleanly emptied his fourth glass, the Emperor opened his mouth.
“My chef’s skills are special. There isn’t an ingredient he hasn’t handled.”
“I have heard of the Imperial Palace chef’s skills. It is fortunate that outstanding individuals serve by Your Majesty’s side.”
“He is most skilled at cooking human flesh. Yes, what is in front of you is also one of his masterpieces.”
His blue eyes glanced down at the dishes in front of him. The lumps of protein, buried in the splendid plating, looked different than before.
“Young and fresh thigh meat. The texture is superb.”
At the Emperor’s gesture, a white-clad attendant approached and pushed a plate towards Hugo. The plate, now even closer, was piled high with copper-colored meat dishes. The juices were dripping, pooling in the grooves of the plate, and the aroma of butter mixed with the aged meat was fragrant.
Hugo, his pupils contracted, stiffly raised his head. The Emperor, resting his chin on the table, was staring intently at him.
“Eat.”
A strong pressure came with just one word. Hugo’s motionless fingers slowly picked up the cutting fork and knife.
Soon, the only sound in the inner chamber was the small noise of cutting thick thigh meat. It didn’t take long for the cross-section of the meat, harmonized with fat, to enter the Duke’s mouth.
“How is it?”
A subtle expectation was contained in the dignified voice. Hugo chewed without trying to taste it as much as possible. He held his breath and only repeated the chewing motion to tear the meat.
After a moment, his Adam’s apple rose and fell once, and he straightened his mouth before answering.
“I heard that beef produced in Gremore recently is being offered as tribute. I was worried that it might not suit your taste, as it is different from the breeds that were previously offered, but I am glad that it tastes good.”
A low laugh flowed beyond the barrier that could never be crossed.
“Haha, you don’t give me a chance to joke. You are too quick-witted.”
“I did not understand your deep intentions. Please forgive me.”
“Forgive? I like quick-witted people.”
The horror of chewing and swallowing something that had abandoned humanity was no different from eating human flesh. But fortunately, what went into his mouth was beef.
“Those I cherish are all like that.”
The Emperor said that and slowly reached out to a figure sitting near him. The figure approached its owner like a well-trained animal, suddenly bringing its head to his hand.
Then, it rubbed its face first, melting under the Monarch’s touch. It occasionally let out a frivolous laugh that didn’t fit the situation, which he had heard when the doors of Aurasian first opened.
Hugo quietly watched the Emperor stroking the figure. The figure’s hair, which couldn’t be hidden even by the light purple curtain, gradually stole the smile from his lips. Whenever a faint beige, or rather, golden color flickered, it was difficult to maintain his composure.
“I have replaced the attendants with young children. Isn’t it much better now that the palace is lively?”
“Yes, it is.”
As he tried to shake off his stray thoughts and gave any answer, the Emperor pushed the figure leaning towards him to the side and ordered.
“The Duke’s glass is empty. Come, you must give him a drink.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the figure rose from its seat. The figure received a wine bottle from a white-clad attendant and strode out of the opaque curtain.
As the opponent gradually approached, Hugo’s gaze also rose. The one who had come across the long table of about 8 meters was clearly wearing an attendant’s clothes, but their appearance and appearance were completely different from ordinary attendants. Instead of white, they were wrapped in high-quality ivory fabric, and their fingers were adorned with thick accessories.
‘A ring in the inner palace….’
Moreover, unlike the others, whose presence was faint, the attendant in front of him exuded an unhidden vitality.
He stopped to Hugo’s right and smiled with his eyes. No matter how much of the Emperor’s attendant he was, looking into the Duke’s eyes without permission was a violation of etiquette. However, neither Hugo nor the Emperor rebuked it.
Everyone in the inner chamber was just silently waiting for the young boy, who was starting to pour wine into the empty glass.
The boy’s eyes were sharp, but his impression was pure, and his physique was not small but slender. Creating a strange atmosphere, he was a beauty if you had to say so. Hugo felt like the moment he poured the blood-red liquid was like an eternity.
On the one hand, he also wished that the depth of the wine glass was a little deeper.
So that he could look closely at the boy’s eyes, which had not become completely golden, without it being strange.