By Zephyria 
The Valentasia family’s mansion was quite luxurious, but… the Imperial Palace was definitely on another level of splendor. As if symbolizing dazzlingly high authority. There must be parts meant to be shown off externally.
As we entered the Main Palace, an elderly man who appeared to be the head butler approached with a polite attitude, as if he had been waiting, and lowered his voice while bowing.
“Your Highness, the Emperor is waiting for you.”
“…Waiting? I told him not to look for me today.”
“That is, he said there was something he urgently wanted to ask…. I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn’t listen. I am truly sorry.”
“Where is His Majesty now?”
“He said he would be waiting in the dining hall.”
The head butler spoke, being a little conscious of me, and Ardian openly sighed. I didn’t know what was going on, but it didn’t seem like good news for Ardian.
“I understand. You may step back now.”
“Yes, then. Have a good time.”
It seemed like the last words were directed at me.
“Sorry. Let’s go, Ray.”
After the head butler stepped back, Ardian guided me to the dining hall again. There was already someone sitting in the dining hall we went down to, and he looked a lot like Ardian. Except that he had a darker, more handsome face than Ardian’s gentle impression, they could have been doppelgangers. It was clear that he was the one called ‘His Majesty.’
“Little brother!”
As soon as he saw us, he jumped up from his seat, then glanced at me, who was standing next to Ardian. I couldn’t tell what kind of face Ardian was making because he was standing in front of me, but the atmosphere I felt was not positive.
“Your Majesty, I told you not to look for me today.”
“Ah… h-but there’s really important work to be done….”
The man, who had been timidly objecting, shrank back and was now sweating profusely. He was pale and looked like he was about to collapse any minute. Seeing that, Tom somehow came to mind. I wondered if he was as weak-hearted as Tom.
“I’ll help you today… so please leave.”
Ardian said, pointing outside with a very stiff voice. His words were clearly polite, but it sounded like he was telling him to get lost immediately. Nevertheless, the man’s face immediately brightened, and he nodded repeatedly before hurrying out of the dining hall as if someone would catch him. It was a situation that made me think a lot.
“Is that the newly enthroned Emperor?”
I asked, following Ardian, who was moving to a seat first. Before answering, Ardian sighed, then pulled out a chair for me to sit down and said.
“Yeah. He’s my eldest brother.”
“I see.”
“He’s the most incompetent and foolish of my brothers.”
That was quite a bold statement. I thought he could be arrested for treason if someone overheard, but Ardian didn’t seem to care at all. Soon, he sat down across from me, smiling as usual.
“Ray, eat quickly before it gets cold. I told them to make mostly what you like, so how is it? Is it okay?”
At his question, I looked around the table where the food prepared in advance was set. Some of the dishes that needed to be kept warm had lids on them, so I couldn’t see the contents in detail, but overall, I liked it.
There were also dishes that I used to enjoy in my previous life.
He might not have known everything and prepared it.
“Not bad.”
I calmly praised him, then first savored the appetizer placed in front of me. It was a small amount of salad placed in a pretty shape on a plate. It was drizzled with a sauce I was tasting for the first time, and it was quite stimulating to the appetite, an interesting sauce.
The quality of the food was considerable. As expected, the food eaten by a member of the Imperial Family was on a different level.
As I turned my attention to the next dish, Ardian, who had been staring at me as I ate, also started eating. Then Ardian opened the conversation first, creating an atmosphere where we naturally talked and ate.
“You’re going to the training camp this time, right?”
“I’m going.”
“I see. Well, it won’t be a situation where Fiends can attack like last time, so it’ll be safe. Corso is also nearby.”
“You’re saying something similar to Herman.”
“Really? That doesn’t make me feel too good.”
At his blatant hostility, I simply snorted quietly. Ardian, smiling sweetly, continued without missing a beat.
“Is there anywhere you want to look around?”
“Ah. I was thinking of looking around anyway.”
“Yeah, if there’s anywhere you want to go, I’ll guide you. Take your time looking around. But, can you sleep in my room today? Tomorrow’s the weekend anyway, so there’s no class.”
Sleep over. Now that I see it, that’s the main point.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.
“What are you going to do if I refuse?”
“I’ll use every means to stop you from leaving.”
I knew it. I was already well aware that his stubbornness and shamelessness were enough to make even me shake my head. As I was staring at him with cold eyes, Ardian smiled a little more deeply and met my gaze.
“Just kidding. But I’ll probably whine.”
So, he meant he would bother me until the word ‘okay’ came out of my mouth. That was hell in its own way. I sighed softly and resumed eating.
“The bed better be big.”
“It’s big enough for three adults to lie down comfortably.”
“Then that’s fine.”
Ardian, understanding that I was agreeing, smiled brightly with a happy face.
After that, I finished lunch to my satisfaction, and Ardian guided me around the inside of the Imperial Palace. There was so much to see, from a huge library, aquarium, botanical garden, to an art museum. It was so well done that life wouldn’t be boring even if you lived only inside the Imperial Palace.
I looked around at each one, listened to various explanations from Ardian, who was very knowledgeable, and before I knew it, the sun had set. I had been more immersed because there were many things I was encountering for the first time, which made me feel curious, so it was already this time.
I had a simple dinner with Ardian and then headed to the bathhouse to wash up. I had been with him all day, so I was quite tired and needed some time alone, and Ardian happened to leave, saying he would use another bathhouse, so I could be alone.
There was nothing better than soaking alone in a large bath with warm steam rising in fluffy clouds. I spent a long time in the bath, washed my hair neatly, and returned to Ardian’s room. He wasn’t back yet, or he wasn’t visible.
“Hoo.”
Sitting on the bed in a relaxed and good mood, I used the towel around my neck to dry my slightly damp hair. As I did, I quietly looked around Ardian’s unfamiliar room.
‘…It’s neat.’
The room was well-organized, and the scenery inside the room seemed to have not even a speck of dust accumulated. To put it negatively, it was a room that didn’t seem like someone was staying in it. It felt like someone who didn’t give affection, as if they could leave or change rooms at any moment.
But I didn’t think it was too strange.
It could be because of his neat personality.
It was then. Suddenly, I felt like someone was calling me, and I turned my head without realizing it. There was only a blank wall there. Nevertheless, it was a wall that bothered me strangely.
“…….”
Eventually, I got up from my seat and carefully reached out to the wall. Before I could figure out why it bothered me, a hand suddenly popped out from the side, grabbed my wrist, and made me drop it.
Surprised, I turned around abruptly.
Ardian was behind me before I knew it.
I swallowed hard, feeling nervous without realizing it. He stared silently at my hand with eyes that were somehow deeper than usual, then slowly shifted his gaze and turned to look at me. Soon, Ardian put on a gentle smile.
“No, Ray.”
“…….”
“There’s something very precious to me here.”
So, there was something behind this wall. He didn’t seem to be thinking of hiding that fact itself, but he didn’t seem to be planning to tell me exactly what that precious thing was.
It was meaningful, but there was no reason to pry into it recklessly, so I stepped back, and Ardian also let go of my wrist. I took a small breath and returned to the bed. Ardian, who had followed me closely, sat down next to me as if he had been waiting, and kissed me.
It was a sudden kiss, even though he had created a strangely tense atmosphere just a moment ago, but he never had a time that wasn’t sudden in the first place. So, I accepted the kiss as usual, but Ardian, who had parted his lips and was facing me, made a strange expression.
It was the kind of expression he made when he felt disappointed. Why? I couldn’t understand, so I stared at him quietly, trying to guess what he was thinking, and Ardian blurted out words that felt like a complaint.
“Hey, Ray. If someone else kissed you like this, would you just accept it?”
And I took that as a question.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it, so I don’t know.”
Come to think of it, would I feel just as good if I did it with someone else? As soon as the words came out, Ardian, who had noticed my thoughts like a ghost, hardened his expression and said in a firm tone.
“No. Don’t do it with anyone else, absolutely.”
“Whether I do it or not is up to me.”
I glared at his shameless behavior, and Ardian pouted slightly. Then, he leaned toward me, naturally making me lie down, and kissed me.