Ch.84Chapter 84 – An Invitation from an Unexpected Place

The grand banquet at the imperial palace concluded with great success.

I, having acquired the new title of Count Severio, firmly established my presence in noble society by dancing with the First Imperial Princess.

After the banquet ended, I thought I could finally return to the dormitory and rest, but…

“His Imperial Majesty has summoned Count Severio. I do not know the reason.”

I received word that His Imperial Majesty had called for me.

Following the attendant who came to fetch me, I found myself in a place I had visited once before.

“I pay my respects to His Imperial Majesty, the Sun of the Empire. As commanded, I have brought Count Patos Severio.”

“Let him enter.”

With the Emperor’s permission to enter his office, the door opened automatically.

I passed through the open door and entered His Imperial Majesty’s office.

“Ah, Count Severio. Welcome.”

Upon entering, His Imperial Majesty was waiting for me with a steaming cup of tea.

“Please, take a seat. Your tea will be brought momentarily.”

“I gratefully accept without reservation.”

I didn’t refuse when His Imperial Majesty offered me tea.

When someone of lower status offers a favor, one should decline once or twice.

But when someone of higher status offers a favor, one must accept it.

That was the etiquette of nobility.

‘Sigh, in the past I could have just refused and been done with it… becoming a noble means having to be mindful of so many things.’

The thought of having to observe noble etiquette for the rest of my life gave me a bit of a headache.

However, perhaps because the tea His Imperial Majesty served was so excellent, my mind, which had been full of worries, began to clear somewhat.

“Well, by now you must be wondering why I have summoned you.”

“That is true, but…”

“It’s nothing serious. I simply had some personal curiosities, and there are also people who wish to meet you.”

His Imperial Majesty took a sip of tea and then proceeded to make some shocking statements.

Wait, what else could he possibly be curious about regarding me?

And people who want to meet me?

“What is it that you are curious about, Your Majesty?”

“Well, it’s a personal curiosity. I noticed you dancing and conversing with my daughter Karen at the banquet.”

The moment Princess Karen’s name left His Imperial Majesty’s lips, I felt as if time had stopped.

Wait, he was watching me and the Princess conversing from that distance?

The distance between where the imperial family was seated and the banquet hall must have been considerable, yet he could see that?

Your Imperial Majesty, you’re quite remarkable.

“The Princess requested a dance, and as a servant of the Empire, I naturally had to accept.”

“Do you know something? This is the first time Karen has ever invited a man to dance.”

I nearly spat out my tea upon hearing those words.

Wait a moment. Is it appropriate to casually drop such information like that?

“I found it quite fascinating. My daughter, who has never shown interest in men except those who could teach her something… showing interest in a man for the first time.”

His Imperial Majesty was looking at me, and there was something unsettling about his gaze.

“Speaking frankly as a father, what did you think of my daughter?”

“……”

How am I supposed to answer such a direct question, Your Imperial Majesty?

“Not speaking as a father with a daughter, but I can say that my eldest daughter is more virtuous and beautiful than any other woman in the Empire.”

“The Princess was indeed very beautiful.”

I can personally attest to this, having observed her up close.

In terms of beauty alone, Princess Karen was overwhelmingly more beautiful than women like Eterna, Mina, the Chancellor, Shannon, Elena, and Reina.

Perhaps it was because of her royal blood, but she seemed like she would be pretty even without makeup. Rather, the heavy makeup seemed to obscure Princess Karen’s beauty.

“Oh? You think so?”

His Imperial Majesty’s eyes began to shine when I highly praised Princess Karen’s beauty.

“Hmm. Nevertheless, Karen still has no partner. It’s truly lamentable.”

Then he brought up the fact that Princess Karen has no partner.

How old is Princess Karen anyway?

“She’s twenty-eight this year. Most nobles meet their partners and get engaged before twenty, then marry after graduating from the academy. However, Karen has been out of the academy for four years now, but still has no thoughts of marriage, which pains me as a father.”

Hmm, isn’t it because Princess Karen doesn’t want to get married?

But it would be inappropriate to ask that directly, so I should phrase it more tactfully.

“Perhaps Princess Karen has something she considers more important than marriage?”

“Even so, shouldn’t she at least be dating? In another country, she might have been forced into marriage, but not by me. I want my children to freely fall in love and marry.”

Well, doesn’t that mean she simply has no interest in marriage?

“Might it be that the Princess simply has no interest in marriage?”

“Sigh… if that’s what Karen wants, that would be fine, but the problem is that it’s causing my other children to hesitate in getting married.”

“Pardon?”

I was confused by His Imperial Majesty’s words.

Wait, just because the eldest daughter isn’t getting married, the other children can’t either?

“According to imperial regulations, if the eldest doesn’t marry, the rest cannot marry either. This is a rule to strictly maintain the hierarchy within the imperial family. So while my other children all have partners, they cannot marry because Karen doesn’t have one.”

“Couldn’t the Princess make a declaration of celibacy then?”

I asked His Imperial Majesty based on what I had read in a book on noble etiquette.

A declaration of celibacy.

This was when someone of marriageable age declared they would not marry because they had not found someone to their liking.

Once this declaration was made, they could not be forced into marriage for any reason except by their own will or divine revelation.

“Do you think I would be lamenting to you now if I didn’t know that? I would rather have her make a declaration of celibacy, but she says she will marry if she finds someone she likes. Yet she’s not even looking for someone to marry. Can you imagine how maddening this is for me?”

Oh my. It seems His Imperial Majesty has been accumulating frustrations regarding Princess Karen for quite some time.

“So I ask you this. If you’re willing, would you consider seriously courting my daughter?”

“Um… pardon?”

“You are the only man her age who has ever caught her interest in her entire life! So please, please court my daughter.”

His Imperial Majesty was practically begging me to date Princess Karen.

“Ah, no, Your Majesty. No matter how interested I might be, there’s no way the Princess would have romantic interest in me. And how could someone as inadequate as I dare to aspire to the Princess…”

“That’s why I’m asking. That child is about to make my hair fall out again!”

Wow. His hair is falling out again? Just how much worry is Princess Karen causing His Imperial Majesty?

“For that to be possible, wouldn’t the Princess need to show romantic interest in me?”

“Are you saying… that if Karen shows romantic interest in you, you would consider meeting her?”

“I would meet with her. Whether that meeting leads to something positive, I cannot say.”

I’m a complete novice at romance who has never dated in my previous life.

“Sigh… very well. I will summon Karen and discuss this matter with her separately.”

“I understand. By the way, weren’t there people who wanted to meet me?”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. Recently, a letter arrived from ‘Ironbeard,’ the ruler of the Grendillet Mountains, known as the King of Molten Iron.”

Ironbeard of the Grendillet Mountains?

Isn’t he the most cursed character in the Erasto Chronicle?

The very person who created the equipment enhancement system in Erasto Chronicle and destroyed countless players’ equipment, a god of destruction.

Perhaps the nickname “Sword Destroyer” suits him better than me.

“The content of Ironbeard’s letter was simple. He wants to meet the man known as the Sword Destroyer. And he personally wrote the letter and affixed the royal seal.”

I was shocked once again by His Imperial Majesty’s words.

The ‘Equipment Destroyer’ Ironbeard wants to meet me?

That ill-tempered, prideful old geezer?

What could he possibly want from me that he would personally write a letter to invite me?

Why?

“For what reason does he wish to meet me?”

“Well, about that…”