Ch.7Charle Millote (1)

The Emperor didn’t seem particularly surprised by my answer.

“Hmm. Marquess Alteon’s insight seems almost prophetic… What exactly do you know?”

“I know that the Imperial family is looking after Irefi’s younger sister.”

“How forthright! Would you care to explain how you know this, despite having been asleep for nearly 400 years?”

“I’d prefer to keep my mouth shut if possible. I considered choosing my words carefully… but that would be pointless with Your Majesty.”

The Emperor’s expression grew intensely serious at my words. He leaned forward and asked in an interrogative tone.

“Why do you think that?”

“Let me ask you in return. What exactly do you see, Your Majesty?”

I knew my behavior bordered on rudeness, beyond mere boldness. But if my instinct was correct, the Emperor would not be angered.

“Heh heh…”

The Emperor merely let out a faint laugh. It seemed both hollow and somehow refreshing.

I shared the conclusion I had reached.

“Your Majesty, can you read minds, or possess some comparable ability?”

“Does the Marquess seriously believe such an absurd ability exists?”

I could answer this question with absolute certainty.

Bang!

“Your Majesty! In this world, beings like Irefi who defy the laws of providence actually exist!”

I pointed toward Irefi outside the greenhouse as I spoke. Her expression contorted as she unexpectedly became the target of our conversation.

I felt a little guilty about what wasn’t quite slander but close enough.

After hearing my answer, the Emperor eventually burst into uproarious laughter.

“Bwahahahahahaha!”

Irefi watched the Emperor laughing so hard he nearly rolled around, with a look of disbelief. She might think we were gossiping about her.

After finally regaining his composure, the Emperor gave me his answer.

“That’s correct. I can’t read minds, but I can see people’s malice, goodwill, and various other emotions.”

“That’s remarkable.”

I was genuinely impressed. It was a blessed ability for an emperor. Politically applied, it would serve as a high-performance detector of treacherous officials.

“Yes. Sometimes it’s so remarkable that I wish I didn’t have it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you know what it feels like to be the only one who knows that a famous loving couple in high society is cheating on each other? It makes me so itchy to tell someone that I can’t sleep.”

Apparently, the Emperor once wanted to dig a hole and shout into it, but the head chamberlain barely stopped him.

I finally understood what the Emperor had said to me on the day of our first audience.

“So that’s how you were certain I harbored no ill intentions toward you.”

“Indeed. If anything, you seem to have a favorable impression of me.”

“Ah, well…”

I couldn’t admit it was because he had given Irefi a hard time, even with a knife at my throat.

“I had a good first impression of you.”

“Well, I am quite the character.”

The Emperor responded with his own joke. Just to be sure, I asked him again.

“But you truly cannot read minds?”

“Absolutely not. If I could read minds, I would have made every effort to get rid of that ability.”

That was unexpected. Seeing my expression, the Emperor decided to elaborate.

“You see, the Empress and I are getting on in years, but we’re still quite vigorous in many ways and frequently engage in conjugal relations.”

“Pardon?”

He was openly sharing extremely private matters with someone he’d met only twice. I was beyond shocked at the Emperor’s openness.

The Emperor continued, seemingly unconcerned with my reaction.

“I swear I love the Empress passionately, but she wouldn’t know that. Even if she still desires me, we’ve both aged considerably, haven’t we? One might guard one’s body, but the heart is another matter.”

The Emperor looked at me as if seeking agreement, but I couldn’t possibly comment. It’s said one should never interfere in a couple’s relationship, especially between an Emperor and Empress.

My face froze like a statue, but the Emperor didn’t stop. His mouth was like a runaway train that had lost its brakes.

“If I were to read even a momentary thought of some young, handsome man’s name or face during our intimate moments, I might jump out of bed right then and there. That must never happen. Ignorance is bliss.”

I narrowed my eyes and managed to squeeze out a response.

“…It seems Your Majesty truly loves your partner.”

“She is my everything. If I have her in my world, I need nothing else—neither power nor wealth.”

The Emperor’s expression was resolute. The reason he hadn’t been hurt yet, despite his ability to read emotions, must be because their relationship was mutual.

It’s a beautiful narrative. But…

‘It’s because you’re like this that you’ll make that choice.’

Learning about the Emperor’s ability to read emotions and malice was new to me. This ability must be what earned him his reputation as a wise ruler.

But I already knew he would fall from grace in an instant.

Naturally, the Emperor was also a character in Eldchain. He was the last emperor of the Eld Empire, known as the “Chaotic Emperor.”

He was destined to become Irefi’s mortal enemy in the future. Because of him, Irefi would lose everything and become an avenger who would bring the Eld Empire to ruin. Ultimately, she would meet her death amid countless malicious intentions in a raid by the three main protagonists and various factions.

Truly a miserable and bitter ending.

‘I won’t let that happen.’

I still find Irefi frightening and disagreeable, but even after brief conversations with her, I can tell. Though somewhat overbearing and insensitive, she’s an attractive woman who is earnestly upright and sincere to the point of rigidity.

She certainly doesn’t deserve such an ending. My constant urge to smack the back of her head is a separate issue.

“Your Majesty. We’ve gone off topic, but I believe you already understand why I consider Irefi dangerous?”

“You’re referring to Marquess Justitia’s younger sister, Miren Justitia.”

“That’s right.”

“But we’re protecting that child well at the palace. She receives security comparable to the Empress.”

“You’re doing well. However, please remember that no matter what happens, the golden chain—Eldchain—must be used on her younger sister.”

“Of course. I’m well aware of the source of Marquess Justitia’s loyalty.”

‘No, you will sacrifice Miren Justitia for the Empress.’

I deliberately avoided comparing the value of the Empress and Miren Justitia. For now, a warning was sufficient.

“Since you can read emotions anyway, I’ll speak frankly. Your Majesty, if an event occurs that could be considered a turning point of fate, please trust me then.”

“Hmm!”

The Emperor probably couldn’t guess what I was talking about. But with his ability, he would be certain that I was speaking for his and the empire’s benefit.

“In return, I will, without fail, gift you a happy ending.”

“…”

After that, my private conversation with the Emperor ended only after the sun had set.

After we left the glass greenhouse, Irefi didn’t ask a single question about our conversation, though she must have been curious.

Whether it’s her moral integrity or loyalty, I don’t know, but she is indeed upright. This must be why I can’t truly hate her despite our adversarial relationship.

“What was I thinking…”

“Were you plotting treason?”

Irefi’s sword made a metallic sound as it revealed its silver-white flesh. I exclaimed in horror.

“Are you insane?! Put that monstrous thing away right now!”

It’s because of your sister!

Just hearing that savage metallic sound makes my waist and left limbs ache.

“Oh, what a shame.”

Irefi merely sighed as she closed her scabbard.

‘She really doesn’t understand others’ feelings!’

During our private conversation in the greenhouse, the Emperor’s final request concerned Irefi’s well-being.

[May I entrust Marquess Justitia to you? I would like to see her smile with genuine joy, just once.]

Apparently, since the calamity that befell her younger sister Miren Justitia, Irefi has never felt true joy deep in her heart. The Emperor found this deeply regrettable.

He would become Irefi’s betrayer and mortal enemy, but that was still a future event.

A future event that could be prevented.

I vowed to preserve their current relationship no matter what. With this determination, I returned to the Founding Noble’s mansion.

◇

She showed a puzzled reaction as we arrived at the mansion.

“There’s an unfamiliar carriage. Did Nepy invite someone?”

“I thought you had invited them.”

The conclusion was that there was an uninvited guest in the mansion. However, I didn’t find it strange.

“I told the staff they could use the mansion as they pleased. It must be an acquaintance of theirs.”

“Even so, would they do that without hesitation? They should have some sense…”

‘You’re the one without sense, Captain Irefi.’

I recalled the incident at the capital’s checkpoint.

Irefi patting the guard’s shoulder and asking if he felt awkward was the very definition of shamelessness.

“Well, as the owners, we shouldn’t mind. Let’s go in.”

“Am I an owner too?”

“Huh? Ah…”

Now that I think about it, something feels strange. But somehow it felt awkward to correct myself. Perhaps because we’ve lived together for well over a month, the concept of ownership had become vague.

Besides, strictly speaking, this is Netionphis’s mansion, not Nepy Alteon’s. If anything, I wanted to deny ownership whenever I thought of it as the mansion of the villain Netionphis.

‘I want to shed this body, let alone worry about this mansion.’

So I could easily say:

“Sure, half of it is yours.”

In my previous life, I lived in a single-room studio. Even half of this mansion would be more than enough.

“Do you take me for a pauper?”

As expected, Irefi’s attitude was prickly. She seemed to have taken my words as some kind of provocation. Or perhaps even this grand mansion wasn’t satisfactory enough…

“Ah, you’re back!”

As we entered the mansion, one of the servants rushed toward us. Their flustered attitude suggested they had witnessed something inappropriate.

“A guest just arrived for the Marquess, and they were so insistent that we had no choice but to let them in. I’m truly sorry!”

“Oh, it’s fine. No big deal.”

Both the servant and Irefi were dumbfounded by my casual response.

Though naturally kind, Irefi was still a noble. It was only natural for her to be culturally shocked seeing me not even reprimanding a servant who had made a mistake.

“Ahem. So which Marquess has a visitor, and who is the guest? There are two Marquesses here, after all.”

Irefi asked. She seemed willing to overlook the servant’s mistake for my sake.

“I apologize! The guest is for Marquess Justitia, and they said you would know them as Charle from the Millote Count family.”

“Charle Millote?”

Irefi repeated. Charle Millote was someone I didn’t know either.

Irefi’s hands trembled, and forgetting her dignity, she leaped over the railing and headed toward the reception room. I was curious about who could make Irefi react this way.

By the time I hurriedly followed, Irefi was already flinging open the door to the reception room.

“Charle Millote.”

“Elfi?”

A strange female figure rose from within the reception room. The woman rushed toward Irefi, dragging her jewel-like sparkling dress.

“It’s been so long, Elfi!”

The unfamiliar woman—Charle Millote—threw herself into Irefi’s arms and sniffled. After savoring their reunion, Charle peered over Irefi’s shoulder at me.

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you. You must be Marquess Alteon, who boldly blocked Elfi’s path to marriage?”

It was a greeting full of malice. I asked again, wondering if I had misheard.

“What… did you say…?”

Charle Millote. That day, I encountered for the first time a natural enemy of a different kind than Irefi.