By Zephyria 
I decided I would no longer hide my feelings.
Since Poplar Kiadris didn’t seem to know who my partner was yet, I cleared my throat, intending to answer immediately if she asked. This woman was also a distinguished figure who frequented high society, so she ought to know about the matter between me and Ruben.
However, Poplar Kiadris asked something entirely different.
“Have you… thought about marriage?”
“Yes. Since I won’t be traveling around anymore.”
“…I see….”
Why was she acting so surprised about my marriage news?
Poplar quietly raised her teacup and took a sip. After setting the cup down, she covered the tip of her nose and lips with the fan she held. Lowering her gaze, she fanned herself a couple of times before placing the fan back on her lap.
During that time, her eyes and mine never met.
Her movements were as calm and serene as a lake on a clear day, just as she had taught me.
I was quite puzzled by the absence of the expected congratulations or questions about my intended spouse. After waiting for a moment for her to speak first, and finding her silent, I opened my mouth.
“Why?”
“Ah, no. I just misunderstood something on my own. In that case, I will teach you Fan Language first.”
“Yes. What did that mean just now?”
“…Just now?”
“Holding the fan to your nose and mouth like this, and fanning twice.”
“…It means I’ve shown myself in an embarrassing light…. I mean, no, no. Please forget it.”
“Yes.”
“……”
Only then did Poplar and I make eye contact.
The woman, who had been scrutinizing me, let out a soft sigh and continued calmly.
“In any case, if you wish to learn Fan Language, the first step is to choose a suitable fan. Any material is fine as long as it fits the size of your hand. However, when you hold the fan like this, do not let your hand cover all the ribs.”
“And the reason for that?”
“It is because there are times when the number of exposed ribs is counted to discern one’s inner thoughts. It’s a rather intricate method, but it was quite popular among the older generation, so it’s good to know.”
“Hmm.”
I decided to learn a secret language exchanged only among those who knew it. I nodded my head thoughtfully.
Poplar, after briefly checking the calendar, continued, “I heard from His Majesty that the lessons will be twice a week for a total of eight sessions. Would that be alright?”
“Yes.”
“Today is Thursday, so… are Tuesdays and Thursdays okay for you?”
“Yes. That sounds good.”
“And about homework?”
“I will do it.”
“…Then please prepare a fan by next Tuesday. I will see you then.”
“Yes. Thank you for today.”
“You’re welcome.”
The woman, pausing as she adjusted her skirt, indicated that I had her permission to leave by making a gesture that meant she would stand up if I did certain actions.
Not being able to leave without the permission of an elder is a common practice across worlds. I readily agreed and was told I could leave, but that wasn’t the case.
I spent another while learning how to nod and wave goodbye in the manner she instructed.
There were different protocols for greeting and seeing someone off. Sometimes one waved, sometimes one beckoned, sometimes one stood casually, and other times one stood askew, leaning on their right or left foot.
Would I ever command people with gestures or foot movements without a word? Even though it felt incredibly awkward, I learned because I was told to.
By the time the etiquette lesson was over, I was completely drained.
Mimicking the movements was easy. However, memorizing the meaning behind each one without being able to take notes, just by listening, was truly difficult. I would have to ask if I could take notes during the next lesson.
After seeing Poplar off according to proper etiquette, I sank onto the sofa, my body weak.
Come to think of it, what was the misunderstanding she mentioned earlier?
I shook my head after pondering for a long time. This too, I would eventually understand with time. With the great power I had been given, my heart had become much more lenient. I didn’t want to rush anything anymore.
The lesson had started at nine in the morning, and it was now well past noon.
Ruben was likely working hard to leave on time. Therefore, this was time I had to spend alone. I wondered what I should do and where I should go.
Within the palace, unauthorized individuals could not draw their swords, so I couldn’t train. Besides, my realm wasn’t one that could be improved by simply swinging a sword.
Should I go visit friends within the palace? No, they were all busy with work, and I didn’t want to disturb them unnecessarily.
Standing idly for a moment, I decided I had to do something and stepped out into the corridor. Then, I heard the sound of water droplets pattering. I stopped, listening to the sound of water filling the corridor.
It was raining.
I hadn’t known because the classroom, or rather, the reception room Ruben had provided for my lessons, had been quiet the entire time.
The sound of the rain, which I hadn’t heard in a long time, was pleasant to my ears.
Through the open window at the end of the corridor, the scent of water that brushed against my nose was wonderfully fresh. The trees, heavy with spring rain, swayed their branches budding with new leaves.
All the trees and grass planted outside the Crystal Palace were the same as those I had seen in the Second Prince’s Palace. Remembering that it hadn’t been the same during the new year festival a few years ago, I realized it must have been filled with Ruben’s intentions.
Thinking about what he might have been thinking while watching this front yard after my funeral made me feel dizzy.
I still didn’t know how Ruben had lived when I wasn’t around.
It was because I had returned directly to the capital instead of wasting time on irrelevant matters. Ruben and my friends had told me little by little about what had happened during the two years I was gone. However, while they could easily speak of the joy of reunion, they avoided mentioning the pain of loss.
I would have done the same. What was the point of recounting all the sorrow and hardship I had endured?
It would get better with time and familiarity. While thinking that, my heart still felt heavy. I wanted to know.
But who should I ask about this?
As with Gano Paquin, gods were merely powerful beings who had reached a certain realm. They couldn’t know everything in the world. I was the same.
Should I ask my companions? No, no. My companions were too close to me. The sorrow I couldn’t ask Ruben about, I couldn’t ask my companions either. Even Benjamin Claudian, who I thought would have been a little sad and disappointed, had apparently run around looking for his friends in tears. I worried it would be like scratching at the healed wounds of children.
As I pondered, a face suddenly came to mind.
Wilton Roberts. The throwing knife technique professor and an agent belonging to the Nobility Yearbook department, a gaunt man who always wore black. I recalled his pale face and checked the time again.
It was two in the afternoon.
Coincidentally, today was Thursday. Wilton Roberts was famously known for only teaching Academy classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
It hadn’t been ten years since I graduated. Professors at the Academy held their positions for more than ten or twenty years as it was an honorary role. Since he was still young and vigorous, I thought it wouldn’t be difficult to visit him.
He had once asked me if I was interested in the intelligence department. He was a suitable person to ask for an objective summary of past events.
I decided to buy a small gift and wait for Professor Wilton Roberts’s dismissal time. I remembered that his Thursday class ended an hour earlier than his Wednesday class, so I figured I could return to the Imperial Palace before dinner.
Thinking this, my motivation surged.
Let’s go, I quickened my pace towards the entrance and encountered a servant.
When I stopped, the servant also stopped after a polite bow. His posture and demeanor were perfectly in line with the bowing etiquette Lady Kiadris had just taught me. Did everyone else in the palace, besides me, live like this?
It looked different now that I knew. I returned the bow, and the servant smiled faintly.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“…Yes. I am planning to go out for a while. If I happen to be late, could you please convey my regards to the Second Prince… Ah, no. To His Majesty the Emperor. Tell him I will be back before dinner, so he needn’t worry.”
“Excuse me, but may I ask your destination?”
“The Academy. I plan to visit a professor at Shierun Academy.”
Throughout our conversation, the servant did not look me directly in the eye. Instead, his gaze drifted from my fingertips to my feet. Servants who met with royalty and frequented the Imperial Palace were naturally nobles of a certain rank, yet his demeanor was so excessively humble that it was almost embarrassing.
Instead of answering immediately, the servant asked in a gentle voice, “Do you perhaps need a carriage?”
“No… I’m fine.”
“If the Imperial carriage is too much, we can also provide a regular carriage without any insignia.”
“No, no. It’s just that it would be faster to go for a short trip.”
“Yes, I understand. I will relay your message to His Majesty the Emperor as is. Please have a safe trip.”
“Thank you.”
The servant bowed deeply once more and stood there waiting.
I made the gesture I had just learned from Lady Kiadris, and the servant returned to his path with the precise posture of a wind-up toy. For some reason, a chill ran down my spine. Saying “You may go now” verbally wouldn’t have been bad, but learning this in advance proved beneficial in many ways.
He seemed to recognize me, but why did he omit my title and greeting? I decided I would ask Lady Kiadris about this later. I made a mental note to remember it well.
“…Hmm.”
Feeling inexplicably proud, my steps became lighter.
I thought about boasting about this to Ruben when I met him for dinner, but then felt awkward and stopped. It was my fault for lacking manners until now; it wasn’t something to brag about at this point.