By Zephyria I had a late lunch with the Imperial Knights.
The knights were friendly and amiable, but my heart wasn’t in it, so I merely nodded awkwardly a few times. After the boisterous meal, they said they had to return to work, so I let them go without protest.
After the knights left, a few more individuals cautiously approached to offer their greetings first. At such banquets, it is not considered improper for those of lower status to greet those of higher status first. I, too, responded with thanks, in accordance with etiquette, but I found it awkward and perplexing to meet people’s gazes.
When would Ruben arrive?
As a way to signal that I could not entertain any more guests, I plucked the flowers from the vase on the table and laid them down, then sat alone with a teacup before me. The music filling the hall was still elegant and sweet. The melody, singing of love and summer, blended beautifully with the brass instruments’ ornate tones.
I was waiting for Ruben, watching the figures twirling and dancing.
Someone approached with light, airy steps and pulled out the chair opposite me, then sat down.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Mikael!”
“…Jenny.”
“And thank you. Thanks to you, I won another bet.”
“Huh? What bet?”
I was anxious and thirsty, unsure of what Jenny would say to start the conversation. I took a sip of tea. Jenny, who waited until I had fully swallowed the tea, smiled brightly and teased me.
“I bet on ten days.”
“…”
“For reference, Benjamin abstained, Damian bet on three days, Marianne on seven, and Ivan bet on twenty.”
That Ivan.
I had no desire to discuss intimate matters with my friends. Even if Jenny hadn’t been a young woman, it would have been the same. To hide my embarrassed blush, I covered my chin with one hand. I hastily changed the subject.
“Did you have lunch?”
“Lunch? I’m coming to eat dinner now. Can you tell I’ve gained weight?”
“…No? You look the same.”
“Mmm. I thought you’d say that. I think I’ve gained 2kg in the last ten days. The food here is good, but the snacks are truly amazing. I see you haven’t tried the desserts yet. Shall I order some now?”
“…No, that’s fine. I’m okay.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Right now… I don’t think I can swallow anything.”
“Ah.”
Jenny kept smiling brightly. Just like on the wedding day, her face seemed to bloom with flowers. Her laughter felt like she was teasing me, so I cleared my throat a few times and mumbled my replies, but Jenny seemed utterly delighted.
“Still, thanks to you, we all got to take a breather. You worked hard.”
“…We?”
“Yes, we of the Sierran Administration. We were squeezed dry until the wedding day, but for the past few days, Mikael, you’ve made our top decision-maker disappear. We’ve pushed all our work aside, and since coming to work, we’ve just eaten, drunk, and gone home. There really hasn’t been a happier event.”
“…”
“The main hall is a bit far, so we usually get food delivered to the office, but I heard Mikael was out, so I came to see you. I have something I want to say.”
“…Something you want to say?”
“Yes. You’re going on your honeymoon now, Mikael.”
“…Perhaps?”
Jenny pulled her chair closer.
“I’m going with you.”
“…What?”
On my honeymoon? …With Jenny? Why?
I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even respond, so Jenny continued her explanation calmly.
“We call it a honeymoon, but in the Sierran Empire, whether one gets married or does anything else, the Emperor rarely leaves the capital. In Sierran’s thousand-year history, only two Emperors have left the capital for more than three months after ascending the throne. One was for a military campaign, and the other was to visit hot springs for an incurable illness.”
“Hmm.”
“But now, Your Majesty is embarking on a great mission to personally uphold the will of the gods and purify the land by planting the Sacred Tree, aren’t you?”
“…That’s right?”
“Then, naturally, aides and escort knights must follow, mustn’t they?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps it was because I had just begun to discover the joy of being with him, but I felt a pang of regret. I wished I could just go with Ruben in my arms and be gone. But Ruben was the Emperor, and in this land, even ordinary nobles usually brought retinues with them. I meekly nodded in agreement.
Jenny, looking at my face, continued with a casual smile.
“However, our Emperor declared that this land purification ritual must be treated with sanctity, so he will travel with only the minimum verified personnel.”
“…Is that allowed?”
“What can we do when it’s the will of the gods? Everyone saw the god Saras personally bless the wedding of the two Emperors, didn’t they? One Administrator, three Wizards, two attendants, and two knights. It’s best to have exactly ten people, including the two Emperors. And I was chosen.”
“How?”
“I have experience in the Imperial Palace, I contributed to the romance of the two Emperors, and most importantly, I am acquainted with the King Consort. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in a Sierran national tour? They chose someone who would be the least bothersome.”
That’s right. If someone was going to be an Administrator, I preferred Jenny.
Of course, I had become quite close with the aides who were close to Ruben, but they sometimes seemed startled by me or Ruben, so I was cautious. The bold and friendly Jenny was certainly a good companion to travel with.
“So that’s how it happened…”
“How it happened?”
“We depart tomorrow.”
“…What?”
Did I hear that wrong?
Jenny continued to smile brightly.
“The original plan was for the two Emperors to have their wedding night, rest for a day, entertain people at banquets for a week, declare the continental purification, and then depart. But due to various reasons, we’ve had to skip all the intermediate stages.”
“…”
“Since the honeymoon period was scheduled, accommodations in each region were booked before the wedding, so we should be able to depart on time. That means tomorrow.”
“…”
“Also, while I’m going, I plan to visit my parents and bring them to the capital. Since it’s the home they’ve lived in their whole lives, there’s a lot to sort out, and I was worried about whether my parents, who are getting on in years and have never had mercenary contracts, could travel safely to the capital. I was going to take personal leave to go alone, but fortunately, the benevolent Emperor has considered my situation.”
“…”
“I’m telling you this on purpose. Because His Majesty is being so kind to me to curry favor with Mikael, I hope Mikael will also cherish the Emperor a little more, just as we cherish our friendship.”
“…I’ll take care of it, as I always do.”
“But you like it even more now that you’ve heard it, right?”
Jenny’s affectionate question finally made me laugh.
“Yes.”
Jenny said she hadn’t heard about the attendants or knights who would be accompanying them. Normally, they would have had an introduction session a day or two before departure and prepared together, but for now, everything had been postponed, and she had received her appointment letter from Ruben’s aide.
“But I do know one of the Wizards.”
“Marianne?”
“Yes, it’s because she’s involved with setting up the portal magic circle. Marianne was the first to receive the magic circle, wasn’t she?”
“Yes.”
Among the Wizards close to me, Marianne and Boulder would be helpful for portal installation. I couldn’t guess who the remaining one would be. If Marianne was coming, I wished Benjamin could come too, but he wasn’t part of the Imperial Knights yet, so he couldn’t go with us. I could already picture Benjamin pouting with unfairness, and a chuckle escaped me.
Jenny chattered on excitedly like a child before a picnic, mentioning that there were about three planned portal installation sites in each region that they would inspect and install with the Wizards, how many carriages would be used for travel, and what famous spots were near her house.
After chatting for a while, I looked up at a familiar presence.
Ruben entered the hall, as always, with a neat appearance and gait. Half of his long hair, which covered half of his broad back, was neatly brushed down, and the other half was tied up in a bun. The jewels dangling from either side of the deeply inserted hairpin sparkled by his ears.
He had seemed like a ripe persimmon just moments ago, but now he was like a brightly shining sugar cube.
Unlike usual, he wore his collar high and a scarf tied around his neck. Since it was summer, the jacket he wore over his shirt was made of thin fabric, and the sash wrapped tightly around his waist was faintly visible. His sharply pressed trousers were about a finger’s width above his insteps, making his entire outfit appear wrinkle-free.
However, it was for a different reason that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Ruben’s attire. While using many healing artifacts in a short period is not good for the body, he had only used two in ten days. Therefore, Ruben’s choice to wear a scarf in midsummer was entirely because he didn’t want to erase the marks I had left.
Just like me, now.
Ruben walked with light, airy steps. Unlike me, who had only awkwardly accepted the greetings, he now attended to and cared for the people who had gradually gathered around him. His inquiries and cheerful demeanor were as serene as if nothing had happened.
As Ruben stood beside me, Jenny, who had been sitting, stood up and bowed.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you. Grand Viscount, the Baron of Tennessee spoke very highly of you.”
“I am merely grateful for your kind regard. I will have a carriage prepared in front of the Crystal Palace by eleven o’clock tomorrow, as you commanded.”
“Thank you for confirming. We will do so.”
“Yes. Then, King Consort, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule.”
When had he been so polite?
I gestured for him to withdraw. Jenny bowed respectfully, took five steps backward, and only then walked forward. And Ruben, only after Jenny had completely moved away, sat down and looked at me.
It’s so strange.
What is there to be shy about now? My heart pounds so intensely, I can’t understand why.