Ch.12Protagonist (1)

I finally half-gave up on quelling the controversy. Irefi Justitia likewise stopped either confirming or denying anything.

Meanwhile, Charle Millote was surrounded by many people. Those who felt awkward asking us directly went to Charle, who was close with Irefi. Unintentionally, Charle was burying Irefi’s reputation in real-time.

After finishing our eventful dance frenzy, we got some food. Irefi stuffed six pieces of cake down her throat and said in an exhausted voice:

“Since things have come to this, let’s just let them misunderstand.”

“Are you in your right mind?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing, but who cares? It’s not even true. Actually, it’s the perfect rumor for keeping an eye on Nepy.”

Irefi’s words were right—if we had been an ordinary couple. For an unmarried man and woman living together and constantly being around each other, it could become an irreversible, fatal scandal for her.

“Are you… really okay with this?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? Scandals don’t affect me at all.”

Irefi’s position was consistent. Finally, I scratched my head irritably.

“Ah, fine. I’m tired of it all now. I give up. Let them try living with a woman who tears people apart.”

“Does Nepy really want to die?”

“Since things have come to this, I might as well enjoy it. Irefi, you’d better shut Charle’s mouth first. At this rate, she’ll start making up things that never happened.”

“Sigh! I should do that. And you’ll see later.”

Her skillful way of giving me chills was truly characteristic of her. By now, I was even used to Irefi’s killing intent.

“But what’s that commotion?”

“What commotion?”

Irefi tilted her head as if she had no idea what I was talking about. I ignored her for a moment and listened carefully.

“…”

From the main gate of the duke’s manor, I could hear the voices of people who sounded both flustered and overwhelmed with honor. It was a small commotion that only I could hear with my good hearing.

Just as Irefi was about to press me for an answer, a majestic announcement filled the hall from outside. It came from the two people guarding the doors to the banquet hall.

The announcement left me incredibly flustered, while Irefi reacted as if it couldn’t possibly be true. Despite our predictions, the truth was quickly revealed.

“His Imperial Majesty, ruler of the Eld Empire and master of the Golden Chain, and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress have arrived!”

“Huh?”

At the unexpected guests, everyone’s eyes at the banquet widened. People attending a banquet generally know the guest list, and the names of VIPs like the Emperor and Empress weren’t on it.

With the unexpected appearance of the couple, the hall instantly fell silent. Only Duke Troph Feita, the host of the banquet, greeted them with composure.

“It’s a great honor to have Your Majesty personally grace us with your presence.”

“How could I miss a banquet held by one of the four ducal families, the successors of the ‘Four Heroes’?”

“Please visit us more often. I can only bow in gratitude that you remember our faded glory, hoho.”

There was something not quite right about Duke Feita’s laughter. But judging by the Emperor’s friendly attitude, it was probably just my imagination.

I turned my head to look at the Empress. She was the woman the Emperor loved so desperately and would become a turning point in the future. I was quite surprised by how ordinary the Empress looked.

‘I wondered what she’d be like since the Emperor loves her to death, but she’s unexpected. Are Charle’s green eyes from the Empress?’

While the Emperor had red hair and pink eyes, the Empress had light brown hair and eyes the color of subtle olive.

If that’s the case, the person who passed down Charle’s blonde hair must be the Empress’s affair partner. My gaze naturally turned toward Charle. I was curious about her reaction to meeting her birth mother.

Charle’s small hands were tightly clenched and trembling. The Empress didn’t even pretend to look at Charle and coldly headed toward the platform.

‘I guess her relationship with the Empress isn’t very good.’

Thinking about it normally, Charle was the Empress’s disgrace. Even in ordinary society, there are plenty of parents who don’t love their children. Let alone the relationship between an empress and an illegitimate child. It wouldn’t be strange if things were quite off.

“Irefi, Charle and the Empress…”

My question was cut off there because Irefi was muttering with a serious expression. It was clearly different from her usual attitude of worrying about the Emperor’s safety.

“This can’t be happening. Why is His Majesty here? He shouldn’t be here—where did the mistake happen?”

“Irefi?”

“Huh.”

She responded to my concerned call with a gasp. When our eyes met, she grabbed my hand and started dragging me. Her grip was so strong it was almost painful.

“W-wait, Irefi. What is it? Explain the situation.”

“Something is going wrong. His Majesty and the Empress cannot be here.”

“You seem unusually sensitive. Honestly, with the Emperor’s personality, this is exactly the kind of thing he’d do. Isn’t it the same as usual?”

“It’s not the same!”

Irefi shouted. Though not loud enough to attract everyone’s attention due to awareness of those around us, it was still loud enough for those nearby to hear. I stared at her in shock.

She soon realized her mistake and explained:

“Ahem, as you know, I’m the captain of the Nelfrugia Knights. That means I’m in charge of His Majesty’s security. Even the Emperor doesn’t enjoy complete freedom. We taste his food first, scout and control the places he visits. Even his relationships aren’t free from my intelligence network.”

“I… didn’t know that.”

I recalled my private conversation with the Emperor. The most the ruler of the empire had conceded to Irefi was a confidential talk in a glass greenhouse with an open view.

Though I had assumed the Emperor refused Irefi’s entry to the greenhouse, in reality, it was more like a consideration on Irefi’s part.

Also, the documents Irefi always processed were collections of the Emperor’s schedule and numerous pieces of information based on it. In a way, the Emperor’s life was under Irefi’s management.

“His Majesty wasn’t scheduled to come here today. I even instructed the vice-captain just in case. Unless there was a serious mistake, His Majesty’s presence here is impossible. And there aren’t even any knights accompanying him!”

“Hey, Irefi. Wouldn’t it be better to first ask the Nelfrugia people outside what’s going on?”

“Indeed, you’re right. I can’t believe I made such a judgment error. I’ll be right back, so please stay nearby.”

“Sure.”

With my response, Irefi rushed outside urgently. Many people looked at her curiously, but their interest soon faded.

The crowd’s attention was focused solely on the Emperor and Empress on the platform, and Duke Troph Feita. The Emperor spoke first.

“Duke Feita, how long has it been since we last met like this?”

“Nearly half a year. I’m sorry I haven’t visited you more often.”

“Haha, not at all. You must be busy with public and private affairs.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Your Majesty, but… it’s been even longer since I’ve seen Her Majesty. Your continued good health is a blessing to the imperial family.”

The Empress responded casually to Duke Feita’s greeting.

“The Duke also looks as devoted as ever. It’s a shame that the eyepatch covers your handsome face.”

The Empress’s compliment was gentle. The Emperor playfully responded to her words.

“Empress, are you complimenting another man in front of me?”

“Hoho, isn’t my praise in our bedchamber enough? My husband is truly greedy.”

They were like newlyweds, overflowing with affection. The Emperor was passionately focused on the Empress’s eyes. The Empress blushed as if she found such devotion endearing.

“Since Your Majesty has come here, would you be willing to give a congratulatory speech?” Duke Feita suggested. The Emperor gladly accepted.

“That sounds good. I’m glad I brought this just in case.”

What the Emperor took out from his bosom was a round globe—a terrestrial globe. It was one of the sacred objects representing the Emperor’s authority, along with the royal scepter and sword.

As the Emperor held up the globe, it made a faint humming sound, and the sounds nearby began to amplify.

“As expected of Your Majesty. Your preparation is thorough. I never imagined you would bring a symbol of imperial authority.”

“Actually, I was somewhat expecting this, haha!”

Though the Emperor laughed slyly, I instinctively knew that his preparation wasn’t simply a thoughtless action. It was thanks to the information about social trends I had received from Irefi.

Apparently, the Feita ducal family had been discreetly at odds with the imperial family for some time. Even Irefi didn’t know the reason. She only vaguely guessed it was something from the previous generation.

Perhaps the Emperor was trying to highlight the restoration of their relationship by giving a congratulatory speech using the globe at Duke Feita’s banquet.

Only the Emperor and the Duke would know the truth.

Soon, the Emperor’s majestic speech, amplified by the globe, began.

“I am very pleased to be giving a congratulatory speech at Duke Feita’s manor, which has its roots in one of the ‘Four Heroes’.”

The Emperor was looking down at everyone from a high position decorated with jet-black obsidian. Beside him stood Duke Troph Feita, the Empress, and the Duke’s private soldiers.

“I am grateful that the current Eld Empire exists thanks to the first Duke Feita’s contributions…”

I stared blankly up at the Emperor, who was in the middle of his eloquent speech. The Emperor was naturally distributing his gaze while speaking, and by chance, our eyes met.

At that moment.

The Emperor smiled naturally, but I couldn’t do the same. My relaxed expression stiffened, and I felt a chill creeping up from my toes through my body.

‘What is this…?’

Without warning, my heart began to pound erratically. The whole world seemed to shake, and I thought an earthquake had occurred. If I hadn’t seen the calm crowd, I would never have realized it was just my own symptoms.

I could feel sweat running from my forehead down to my back, and my consciousness was becoming hazy.

I had experienced this sensation once before—when I first had an audience with the Emperor. I had attributed that feeling to an intuitive sense of the Emperor’s power.

‘I was wrong.’

Now I understand. These abnormal symptoms have nothing to do with the Emperor’s abilities. It didn’t take me long to reach the answer.

This wasn’t a symptom of anything—it was just an intense emotion like an active volcano about to erupt.

‘I feel angry and grief-stricken… but toward whom? Why on earth am I feeling these emotions?’

I looked at the Emperor with trembling eyes. My whole body felt weak and unsteady, making it difficult to focus. I was maintaining my balance with superhuman willpower.

And then the anomaly happened in an instant. All symptoms disappeared as if washed away, and my vision clearly captured only the platform.

It was an artistic platform where golden chain models were elegantly decorated, harmonizing red and gold colors.

‘Wait, red and gold? The platform was definitely decorated with obsidian.’

Now the Emperor was holding the royal scepter and sword, and five men and women were kneeling on one knee to show respect. Such people didn’t exist until just now.

I gazed desperately at the Emperor. I hoped he would give me an answer. As I looked up at the Emperor’s profile, maintaining silence and standing motionless, I was startled.

His flaming red hair remained the same, but the man was much younger, and his eyes held a deep navy color like the dawn sky. The current Emperor surely had pink eyes.

He was someone different who closely resembled the Emperor.

“Astelnerca Euglinas…”

Beyond my will, that name escaped my lips. I instinctively knew it was the name of the man who resembled the Emperor.

That wasn’t the only name I muttered.

“Lorian Feita…”

Lorian was a woman whose black hair, black eyes, and all-black attire suited her very well. She stood out as the only woman among the five people kneeling on one knee.

But why? Every time I looked at her, my chest felt heavy. As if I missed her dearly… as if I was sobbing because it was painful not being able to see her anymore, my eyes grew red.

When I came to my senses, I found myself reciting the names of three more people.

“Aselln Meoric.”

“Rusheon Estern.”

“Bartlant Chester.”

I already knew these people whose existence I wasn’t even aware of. It was a strange sensation—memories that were mine yet not mine.

Finally, I looked at the man at the very end. Like Lorian, he had pitch-black hair and ruby-like eyes. Unlike now, he seemed gentle-hearted, but his identity was clear.

“Netionpis…”

He was me.