Chapter 257

Chapter 257

“Your Majesty!”

As her legs gave out and she started to collapse, I quickly went to her side and supported her. Ferrent, who was kneeling in front of us, also tried to support the Emperor, but with a sword stuck in his thigh, he wobbled and ended up face-planting on the floor. Well, his body is sturdy, unlike the Emperor’s, so there’s no need to worry too much about Ferrent.

“Heh heh… It’s more tiring than I thought. Please support me for a moment.”

Perhaps she didn’t want to show weakness, as she asked for support, but she was so exhausted that she could barely stand and leaned on me as if I were holding her up.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Instead of just supporting her, I lifted her up entirely. It’s the classic princess carry, but since the Emperor is royalty like a princess, I figured it would be fine.

I carefully placed her on the throne, though I doubted anything would happen. The Emperor leaned back against the backrest, catching her breath for a moment.

Meanwhile, Isis quickly approached Ferrent and began treating his thigh. Although it wouldn’t be a full recovery without divine magic, it was still a blessing for Ferrent. After all, even if it was to break free from Glen’s control, she had stabbed him quite deeply.

If she had left the wound to be treated by people from the church who knew divine magic, she might have lost the use of her leg entirely. It was better to get treatment now, even if there were lingering effects. Ferrent knew this too, so he calmly accepted Isis’s treatment.

“Elysia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

While Isis was away for treatment, I stood by the Emperor’s side to protect her, keeping watch around us. The Emperor then gestured for me to come a little closer, as if she had something to say. Come to think of it, the Emperor had only ever gestured for me to leave or stay away, never to come closer.

Regardless, as it was the Emperor’s command, I moved closer and knelt slightly to match her eye level, listening intently.

“Elysia, do you know my name?”

It was a disrespectful thought towards the Emperor, but I looked at her as if to say, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Fortunately, she was still looking forward, so she didn’t see the look in my eyes….

“Your thoughts are clear even without Clairvoyance, so please try to hide your inner feelings. Of course, I won’t say anything since I find that aspect of you amusing.”

The Emperor, who could read my thoughts without even looking back, let alone using Clairvoyance. It was best to stay quiet, as acting out might reveal that I was indeed thinking that.

“Who in the Empire wouldn’t know Your Majesty’s name? Emperor Ariel Lauren.”

After all, the Empire itself is named the Lauren Empire, so it’s hard for any citizen of the Empire not to know.

“Heh heh… Yes. My name is Ariel Lauren. But do you know? In the Imperial family, there’s a separate middle name that members of the royal family use amongst themselves. Of course, in a royal family full of intrigue, there’s no such thing as calling each other by pet names, except between parents and children. Though I suppose it’s not for me to say, having already seized control of the Empire.”

This was the first time I had heard this. As the Emperor said, it was a name used only within the Imperial family, so it wouldn’t be known to outsiders. No one would point fingers at me for being ignorant for not knowing it.

Wait. Then, since Rizelia, the Duchess’s daughter, is a distant relative of the Imperial family, does she have a separate middle name? Since she’s not a direct descendant, she might not. It might be good to ask her next time I see her.

“Originally, I would have been called that too, but as you know, I lost my parents at a very young age, so I have no memory of it.”

The Emperor slowly turned her head to look at me, who had approached her side. Since I had knelt to match her eye level, our gazes naturally met. Her golden eyes were beautiful, but her black eyes, which seemed to draw you in, also suited her well. After all, with the Emperor’s beauty, what wouldn’t suit her?

“Ariel Cecilia Lauren. My full name, which no one knows anymore.”

She spoke the secret in a low voice, as enchanting as her eyes. A secret that no one knew, a secret that only the two of us now knew.

“I want to hear it from your voice.”

Since it’s a pet name used only among royalty, I wondered if it was appropriate for me, a mere count, to use it. However, since the Emperor herself said so, I wouldn’t be arrested for disrespect.

“Emperor Ariel Cecilia Lauren.”

“Once more.”

When I called the Emperor’s name, she closed her eyes and smiled faintly, as if savoring the chirping of birds greeting the morning. But there was a hint of something missing in her smile.

“Emperor Cecilia.”

“Once more.”

Just in case, I tried shortening it without permission, but she didn’t seem angry. Instead, her smile seemed to deepen compared to before. However, she seemed unsatisfied and asked again.

“…Cecilia.”

“It sounds pleasant.”

Even though it’s a middle name… No, it’s a name used only by royalty, so she should be more than just a little angry, but the Emperor had a look of lingering emotion.

“The only thing I can give you is my name. If you call me by this name, I will see you as an equal, not as a subordinate.”

“You said it’s a name used only by royalty, so is it really okay for me to utter it?”

“You’ve already called me without a title, and now you’re backing out? Tsk. Shouldn’t a man have some spirit?”

I wanted to say, ‘What use is a man’s spirit when I’m completely in a woman’s body now?’ but doing so would feel like denying my past self, so I quietly closed my mouth.

“Anyway, you’ll be discreet enough not to be noticed by others. Well, if necessary, I can grant you royal status. Just say the word anytime.”

Royal status for someone with not a drop of Imperial blood? I wondered if the Emperor was going too far, but the thought that she could actually do it made me fearful.

But why would I need to claim royal status? She was probably just joking.

“Ah, do you happen to know? Pet names are often used between people in other relationships, not just between parents and children.”

Seeing Isis return after finishing her treatment, the Emperor waved me back and quietly said.

Indeed. My other friends also call me by the pet name ‘El.’ The Emperor often said she considered me a friend, but now it seems she truly considers me a close friend. This incident showed how much the Emperor trusted me.

“Anyway, even without Clairvoyance, I can clearly see your quirky thoughts. That aspect is also part of you, but it’s still annoying.”

*

I learned the details of the incident through Ferrent, who had been directly infected. The incident began when an Imperial Knight, passing by, arrested a madman wielding a weapon in the city. The assailant was already infected by Glen, and the Imperial Knight was also infected while apprehending him.

Naturally, the infection spread throughout the entire Imperial Knights, and as soon as Glen realized he had taken control of all the Imperial Knights, he immediately put his plan into action. To prevent outside help, he destroyed the teleportation gate and killed the mages who could have interfered. While combat mages could resist, mages focused on research couldn’t even put up a fight.

In addition, he simultaneously carried out terrorist attacks against high-ranking nobles, just as he had attacked Rizelia. Fortunately, I arrived in time and was able to save Rizelia safely, but there were still nobles who lost their lives in this incident.

However, the Emperor, on the other hand, was pleased that this incident provided an opportunity to purge the high-ranking nobles who were a burden to the Empire and were only eating away at it, making it difficult to do so otherwise.

In the case of the Imperial Knights, even though they were infected by Glen and committed these acts, their inability to resist and their passive surrender was a grave offense, as they were supposed to protect the capital and the Imperial family. Fortunately, the Emperor was not so foolish as to dismiss talented individuals over this incident, so it was resolved with a moderate reorganization of the Imperial Knights.

Among them, the person who benefited the most, excluding me, was Ferrent.

“A limping Sword Master? What use is half a person?”

Although she spoke harshly, the Emperor kept him by her side, saying it would be inconvenient for him to move and that he could provide security. In essence, he had been promoted to the Emperor’s closest confidant.

The fortunate thing was that this commotion did not spread widely within the capital. Since Glen’s target was the Emperor, not the entire capital, most citizens were unaware that such an incident had even occurred.

Yes. Compared to the urgency of the situation, the damage was not extreme. In fact, considering that one of the Four Heavenly Kings was eliminated, it could be seen as more gain than loss.

One way or another, everything was resolved well…

I slightly lifted the blanket I was covered with and looked to the side. The Emperor’s face, peacefully asleep, came into view.

…How did I end up sharing a blanket with the Emperor?