Ch.219Chapter 219: Conversation

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“So, our princess, who hasn’t shown her face in the office as the year ends, what brings you here today?”

Iriana skillfully greeted Princess Lucius, who had entered the office while concealing her presence.

After revealing herself and standing there blankly, the princess was guided to a chair in the corner of the office, moved there through telekinesis, and seated. Then came the question about the purpose of her visit.

It was a question that might seem somewhat lacking in courtesy when addressed to the woman of the most noble status in the Empire.

If such a scene were to unfold in a public setting with many people present for official business…

Even for Iriana, who was set to inherit the position of the next head of the most noble family after the imperial family, it would likely cause gossip.

But except for the fact that this was the office of a public official who needed to handle official duties…

It was a closed setting with only two people, the speaker and the listener.

And as if anticipating her friend’s reaction, Lucius, showing no change in expression, said…

“Just… taking a break.”

The exhaustion-laden response was far removed from the dignity that should be displayed by someone of her status and position.

“Ughh…”

Following her answer about coming to rest, the princess let out a languid sigh and slumped her body onto the desk—how could one speak of imperial dignity in such a state?

Unlike when she first fully revealed herself in this office after hiding her presence…

When the blinds covered the windows and the lights were intentionally turned off, making Iriana’s office so dark despite the early morning, yet so brilliant that it seemed to brighten the serene darkness…

“Iriana… help me…”

The sight of Princess Lucius, slumped over the desk, sending what amounted to a plea for rescue(?) to her friend, was quite a spectacle even to Iriana.

This was because the princess displayed an exhaustion that was in no way inferior to Iriana’s own after spending days cooped up in the Imperial Knights headquarters battling paperwork.

Even from a distance, her pure golden hair, which clearly marked her as a member of the imperial family, was now disheveled.

Around her eyes, which held a deeper golden hue than her hair, dark circles had formed—one couldn’t deny her exhausted state.

Beyond exhaustion, it might even appear somewhat comical from an extreme perspective.

But of course, Iriana wasn’t one to burst into frivolous laughter at the sight of her friend.

She knew well that if she stood before a mirror to observe herself, she would be greeted by an appearance not much different from her friend slumped over the desk, though perhaps to a different degree.

Her friend’s appearance was evidence that, just like herself still battling paperwork…

The princess, who outranked her in position, had been working hard enough to be swept up in the wave of documents requiring her approval.

“You must have been working really hard? Last year, you still seemed to have some leeway.”

So she addressed Lucius, who clearly showed signs of hard work, with words mixed with comfort and admiration, intending to continue the conversation.

“This is all because your Imperial Knights keep requesting material and personnel support at all hours during this busy time of budget planning for next year, and I’ve been even busier approving every single one of them.”

In response to the princess’s reply, which revealed that comfort and admiration from one of the people responsible for making her busy offered no consolation…

Iriana first thought that she should help her friend, who was so exhausted that the term “haggard” was appropriate, regain her spirits.

“Have some of this.”

She offered a cup of coffee, still steaming with warmth, which she had prepared in anticipation of her friend’s visit at this time of year.

She didn’t hand over the cup with her hands.

Just like when she had offered the chair the princess was now sitting on…

*Float*

It was through telekinesis.

Iriana, counted among the Empire’s foremost telekinetics, could use her power on the battlefield to wield an invisible blade capable of cutting a massive magical beast in two—a power described, without exaggeration, as covering an entire fortress.

But in everyday life, it also served the excellent purpose of elegantly moving various objects with just a gesture, as demonstrated now.

Like the teacup that traced an elegant trajectory as if feathers were fluttering, without spilling a drop of its contents, now placed before Princess Lucius.

“Hmm…”

The princess, who had raised only her head and wore an expression full of discontent, seemed to soften slightly at the sight of the teacup before her.

“You think I don’t know you’re trying to improve my mood with this bribe so you can execute your budget more easily?”

But soon she hardened her expression again and rejected the coffee in the teacup her friend had offered.

Given how resolute her voice sounded when expressing this rejection…

Anyone else might have backed down at the princess’s response.

But Iriana, a veteran warrior(?) who had dealt with Lucius for more than just a day or two, paid no heed to her friend’s rejection.

“If you’re going to talk like that, maybe you should also fix your expression that’s about to lose itself to the aroma rising from the teacup?”

She calmly pointed out the inconsistency between Lucius’s words and actions.

“…You’re really annoying, even as a friend.”

At Iriana’s words, Lucius slightly pursed her lips in a formal protest, then her right hand grasped the handle of the teacup.

*Slurp*

She took a sip of the coffee as soon as she picked up the cup.

The moment she took that sip, the princess’s irritated expression softened and became warm.

“No matter how inconsiderate I might be, would I really offer a cup of coffee to a friend as a bribe?”

Seeing her friend’s expression soften, Iriana spoke with a peculiar voice that contained half exasperation and half satisfaction at her friend’s reaction to the coffee she had offered to help her regain her energy.

“…Hmm, a coffee that even the royal palace’s exclusive barista couldn’t produce has tremendous value even in a single cup, so it is indeed a bribe.”

The playful words from Lucius, who had quickly regained her energy with just one sip of coffee, were close to high praise despite their content.

“I am at a loss for words at your praise, Your Highness.”

Having received such high praise for the coffee she had served, Iriana bowed to Lucius with somewhat exaggerated speech and gestures full of playfulness.

“One more compliment and I’ll even give you the deep bow done while prostrating, which they say in the Eastern Golden Moon is offered to elders.”

Seeing her friend’s face, which had been furrowed with fatigue and exhaustion, now showing signs of a smile even as she waved her hands in protest but clearly didn’t dislike it…

Iriana sensed that her friend was now in a state where she could relieve the worries stemming from overwork through ordinary conversation.

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A member of the imperial family who could potentially ascend to the throne depending on circumstances.

And the heir to the Empire’s most prestigious family, who bows to no one except the imperial family.

What kind of conversations might pass between these two people of such noble status that just facing one of them might make one feel suffocated?

The protagonists of this topic are Iriana Ranos, the vice-commander of the Imperial Knights, and Princess Lucius, known to most of the public as the Empire’s third prince, Luca Bright Solarium.

The fact that these two share a remarkable friendship is so well-known that there isn’t an imperial citizen who doesn’t know about it.

Therefore, topics related to this are ones that gossipmongers could discuss for hours without noticing the time passing.

As many opinions circulate as there are people participating in the discussion.

Among the various opinions, two hold particularly high persuasiveness.

The “private meeting” faction, who assertively claim while emptying their wine glasses that the two, despite being well over 20 years old with no arranged marriages, must be having secret rendezvous because they’ve fallen for each other.

And opposing them, the “official meeting” faction, who refute that the two pillars supporting the Empire in both civil and military affairs wouldn’t meet for such private reasons.

After taking a sip of alcohol to calm the veins bulging in their necks, they assert that even if the two meet privately, they would be devoted to official matters for the peace of the Empire.

However, whether arguing for private or official reasons, those who claim different directions of intimacy between the two rarely reach a good conclusion when facing each other, unlike the two they discuss.

Why, you ask?

Because most of these discussions in taverns turn into verbal disputes as they try to assert the correctness of their opinions, which then escalate into fistfights, ultimately leading to them being taken away by imperial police officers who respond to reports from bystanders.

Usually, the aftermath involves them becoming friends after the fight, as the saying goes, “fighting brings people closer,” and they end up drinking together when they meet again.

What these people with opposing views don’t know is that the two individuals they discuss share a friendship deeper than romantic affection.

And that when they meet, they engage in very balanced conversations, discussing private matters while also addressing official topics.

Today is no exception.

The location is the vice-commander’s office at the Imperial Knights headquarters.

Though it’s a rather small space with only two people—the speaker and the listener—combined…

From the lips of Princess Lucius, who is sipping refreshments on the desk…

“So you’re suggesting that I recommend the beans for making this coffee as an item for intermediary trade when I visit Golden Moon as an envoy this time?”

She naturally brings up business talk while enjoying the coffee her friend has served, taking an emotional break.

Looking at her friend who clearly wants to know the reason behind this suggestion…

“It’s a precious bean grown in the highlands of the western continent, but because it’s so expensive, the demand is still inconsistent except for wealthy people like me who have developed a taste for it. We need to attract more demand to bring in more beans from the western continent.

And the east has a more developed tea-drinking culture than the central region, so once coffee is introduced, it will become wildly popular.”

Iriana took a sip of her own coffee as she freely expressed her thoughts.

As the warmth of the coffee, carrying its aroma, flowed down her throat and filled every corner of her body…

“Though I made it myself, today’s coffee is really delicious.”

She didn’t forget to include her subjective evaluation of the coffee she had brewed.

It was quite a subjective assessment, even considering that she had brewed the coffee to her own taste.

However, anyone who had ever tasted the coffee or tea she brewed would likely agree with her self-praise(?) without much difficulty.

This was because…

“I firmly believe that if you hadn’t been born into the Ranos family, with this coffee-brewing skill, you would have become the imperial palace’s exclusive barista.”

Such an evaluation came from Princess Lucius, who possessed a refined palate and was among the top members of the fan club for Iriana’s coffee.

Iriana Ranos’s coffee-making skills were well-established.

Perhaps because of this sincere evaluation, though somewhat clichéd…

“Thank you.”

A grateful expression revealing a shyness she rarely showed emerged from Iriana’s lips.

“Still, I don’t think I’ll ever become the imperial palace’s exclusive barista.”

At her confident statement that followed, Lucius showed curiosity and asked…

“You mean you’d rather stick with sword-related professions through thick and thin?”

It was a natural question to ask.

Iriana’s lips curved slightly at her friend’s rare display of surprise.

“There’s a master who surpasses me by far in making not just coffee but all kinds of tea.”

Despite her curved lips, her words stemmed from a normal mindset—acknowledging that there was someone better than her, which was why she couldn’t become the barista.

However, even though Iriana’s words came from a normal mindset…

“…I feel like I would have heard about someone with such skills, so why don’t I know about them?”

It was not unreasonable for the princess to grow suspicious about the existence of a reclusive master who surpassed the proven expert before her, without having heard even a rumor.

A virtue among friends is to inform a curious friend before their expression changes to suspicion.

Of course, Iriana was well aware of this virtue.

But rather than satisfying her friend’s curiosity all at once, her characteristic playfulness activated—she preferred to partially satisfy curiosity while simultaneously amplifying other related curiosities.

“You’ve seen them a few times.”

“…??”

Iriana chose to drop a subtle hint and observe the other’s reaction rather than immediately revealing the answer.

The princess’s expression, showing she had no clue, was quite a sight to see.

However, as it seemed about to change to suspicion again due to the broad range of possibilities…

“You’ll find out in five days.”

This time, she gave a hint that would allow the other to easily infer who it might be.

“…No way?”

As her friend’s expression changed dramatically from curiosity to disbelief…

“Yes, that ‘no way’ is correct.”

After confirming it with certainty…

*Slurp*

She finished the coffee in her cup.

Though her friend’s expression still showed signs of half-belief and half-doubt even after hearing the answer…

Well, that too would naturally be resolved in five days.

As Iriana savored the rich aroma of coffee in her last sip…

It was natural for her to recall the image of her friend repeatedly praising with an incomparable expression after tasting the tea and coffee created by the master she had mentioned.

But at the same time…

“I’m envious, though.”

“Of what?”

“The master I mentioned doesn’t make coffee or tea for just anyone. Even I rarely get it.”

“…Why? Aren’t they family?”

“They say there’s only one person who truly appreciates the coffee and tea they brew, so I only get to drink it when I sneak in while they’re serving that person.”

“…Ah.”

It was also natural for a tiny bit of resentment to arise toward the master—her brother, Karl Ranos—who made coffee and tea frequently enough for her to occasionally taste.

Should she use her authority as vice-commander to order him to brew coffee instead of tea every day after he returns from the East?

Though her resentment was so slight that it arose in her mind only to disappear instantly…

After the lingering taste of the last coffee faded, the only thought in her mind was how to directly resolve this slight resentment toward her brother.