episode_0128

Would you believe that there’s a fresh 18-year-old youth who, in less than half a year after catching the Emperor’s eye, has been promoted to honorary knight and even granted a barony?

It would be a lie to say there haven’t been miraculous promotion cases in the nearly thousand-year history of the Empire.

After all, in a thousand years, people who will be remembered in history often appear.

The problem is whether I can compare myself to those people.

The truth is, I’m far from being on par with those who have left achievements worthy of being recorded in history books.

“Why such a gloomy face? Perhaps you’re not pleased with my reign?”

As I was looking at the audience applauding with increasingly sour expressions, His Majesty, his face full of joy, nudged my arm and whispered quietly.

He knows the reason perfectly well, yet he deliberately asks, which is quite malicious.

But that malicious person happens to be the Emperor.

“It’s not that I’m not pleased… but rather, I feel it’s too much for me.”

There’s nothing I can do, so I trembled and indirectly answered that it was.

“Too much, you say…”

His Majesty narrowed his eyes, trailing off his words.

After falling into thought for a moment, His Majesty smiled and said.

“It might not be as much as you think.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, it’s not good to underestimate yourself… If you find it burdensome, then work even harder than you are now. You have to work as much as you receive, don’t you think?”

“Is it perhaps, not possible to refuse…?”

“If so, then next time you might even be promoted to viscount in one go, would that be alright?”

“Excuse me? Th-that’s…”

At the terrible words, I unknowingly raised my voice.

I hastily covered my mouth with my hand, fearing that my voice might be mixed into the microphone.

“Hehe~ Why are you so surprised? Shouldn’t you be at least a marquis before our Elizabeth turns nineteen?”

“Ah…”

“Judging by the fact that you’re not denying it, even with that dark expression, it seems you’re somewhat prepared. Feel free to go wild.”

Even conservatively speaking, I’d be promoted every 8 months, or if I’m really unlucky, every 4 months. That thought made me gasp for air.

It would be a lie to say I hadn’t prepared myself, knowing this would happen, but considering the justification and the eyes of those around me, I thought it would take at least 5 years.

But at most 2 years?

In many ways, the burden on my shoulders was too heavy.

“Still, wouldn’t it be better to adjust the speed to some extent?”

“Are you trying to make our Elizabeth an old maid? You wouldn’t be thinking of making her a flawed spinster who can’t get married even in her twenties, would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t…”

“Then shouldn’t we quickly raise you to a level where an engagement is possible before she comes of age?”

“Ugh…”

Becoming a marquis at nineteen with a parachute, without any achievements,

Or accumulating achievements that no one around can criticize, even if I become a marquis.

Either way, it’s certain that a difficult life awaits.

“I believe you will admirably meet my expectations.”

“I understand…”

I wanted to sigh, even if just a little.

But I couldn’t do something crazy like sighing in front of everyone and next to His Imperial Majesty, so I forced a smile and looked at the empty air.

_

Even after making me a baron, His Imperial Majesty’s exhortation continued for a few more minutes.

However, what was truly terrible for me was that the process of taking me down from the platform was omitted.

Thanks to that, I became the Emperor’s cherished screen, watching His Majesty’s speech from the seat of honor among the seats of honor.

While everyone in the audience was listening to the Emperor’s speech, they were also sending me glances that seemed to say, ‘Just who is that guy that the Emperor is so fond of?’, so I felt my insides slowly twisting in real-time.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s nothing…”

When my face turned pale, almost blue, from that terrible pain, His Majesty’s speech finally ended, and I barely managed to get down from the platform.

If I had been up there for even a few more minutes, I would have definitely fainted, vomited, or peed my pants, one of the three.

“Hoo…”

“So, how did it feel to look at the audience from the platform?”

“I was so nervous that I thought I was going to die. Standing in front of people just doesn’t suit me.”

“Hehe~ Everyone is like that at first. Even when I first stood before the people, my head went completely blank, and my hands and feet trembled.”

This was a bit unexpected.

Tension and His Imperial Majesty were too far apart, practically on opposite sides of the Earth.

“I can’t believe you had such a past, considering how skilled you are now.”

“No one is skilled from the beginning. You, who are having such a hard time now, will soon become like that as well.”

“Ahaha…”

I awkwardly laughed and gently rubbed my chest, which felt bloated.

He must be thinking of keeping me by his side until I get used to this.

In that case, it was certain that I would be called up onto the platform a few more times in the future.

“Your Majesty.”

“William.”

As I completely descended from the platform and headed towards the VIP seats, the Imperial Chamberlain and Elizabeth, who had been waiting between the platform and the VIP seats, discovered us and approached.

“Hmph… It seems we must part ways for a moment. I shall see you later in the audience chamber.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Chamberlain seemed to have appeared faster than expected, as His Majesty smacked my back lightly, wearing a reluctant expression, and headed to the audience chamber with the Chamberlain.

“You’ve worked hard.”

As I lowered my head slightly, watching the retreating figure of His Imperial Majesty, Elizabeth, who had approached my side, casually intertwined her left arm with mine, naturally linking arms.

“It must have been your first time in such a place, but you were calmer than I thought?”

“No, even now, my insides are twisted and I feel like I’m going to die…”

“Just looking at your face, it looks like that’s the case. Your forehead is soaked with sweat.”

Elizabeth, looking at me as if I were cute, discovered beads of sweat dripping from my forehead, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and patted my forehead to wipe away the sweat.

The location where she took out the handkerchief was a bit strange, but there might be secret pockets inside the princess’s dress that I don’t know about, so I pretended not to notice and accepted the handkerchief, which had a subtle fragrance similar to tangerines.

“……”

Damn it…

Why does it have to be a sour fruit fragrance of all things?

I firmly want to believe that it’s a citrus-based perfume, but my head, which has latched onto a strange direction, keeps conjuring up wild imaginations.

“Why is your face suddenly turning red?”

“I guess it’s because the tension is easing.”

“Hmm…”

Elizabeth looked at me with suspicious eyes.

And she made a humming sound, staring at me intently as if to tell me to be honest, but I desperately ignored it and looked straight ahead.

“More importantly, shouldn’t we be heading to the audience chamber soon?”

“Hah, I’ll let you off the hook just this once.”

“……”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes as if she was doing me a favor, and looked ahead.

Phew… It was fortunate that there were schedules remaining.

If something like this had happened when we were alone, she would have grilled me until she got an answer that satisfied her.

It couldn’t be more terrifying.

“Hoo…”

While exhaling a breath mixed with relief, I cursed the boundless imagination unique to teenagers and took a step forward, matching Elizabeth’s pace.

_

The power of the title ‘young baron favored by the Emperor’ could be felt very quickly, as could be understood from the aura emanating from the name.

“Duke Howard has the same surname as Count Hume, is there perhaps a relationship between you?”

“Count Hume is my father, I am the second son and the fourth child.”

“Ah! So you are Count Hume’s child, your faces are exactly alike.”

“Count Hume’s children are extraordinary.”

“I’ve heard that you interact with demi-humans and have acquaintances among witches and wizards. What kind of work is Duke Howard doing now?”

“I operate a small atelier that makes clothes.”

The VIPs who, just a few hours ago, were looking at me as if to say, ‘Who is this unheard-of nobody and why is he here?’ were now beginning to take an interest not only in Elizabeth but also in me.

Each of the people asking questions was a grand duke, prince, or archduke from somewhere, people who would normally be unlikely to even be in the same place as a landless baron, let alone be interested in him, but the weight given by ‘the Emperor’s backing’ made such trivial matters nothing.

“Perhaps the reason you became close with Princess Victoria is…?”

“I believe it’s largely because I made the dress that Her Imperial Highness wore for the founding anniversary.”

“Indeed…”

“The princess’s dress…”

Since my portfolio wasn’t bad either, my reputation seemed to be rising every moment.

It’s said that people look different depending on their background and status, but seeing it change like this in just a few hours made me feel complicated.

“Do you perhaps have a business card?”

Among the whispering dignitaries who were awkwardly smiling, the grand duke of a neighboring kingdom came forward and requested a business card.

“I do have one, but…”

“Is there some kind of problem?”

I trailed off the end of my words as if I were troubled and patted my neck.

It’s not that I don’t have a business card.

I’m someone who runs a business, it would be a big problem if I didn’t have one.

But there was something I hesitated to hand over a business card today.

“Since I didn’t expect this kind of thing to happen today, the business card says Honorary Knight instead of Baron.”

The business card hasn’t been updated.

If this were a digital format, I could modify it with a few clicks, but the problem is that I have to make new physical business cards.

It’s only been changed today, so it’s not a big problem, but I would have given one before becoming a baron, but psychologically, it feels a little different to give one after becoming a baron.

“In that case, it’s even better, please give me one.”

But unlike my thoughts, the grand duke in front of me burst into laughter and slightly extended his hand to me as if asking for a business card.

“Are you sure it’s alright even though it hasn’t been updated?”

“Of course, isn’t it like a token of knowing you before you became famous? If you become even more famous, my discernment will increase, so it’s actually a benefit to me.”

“Ah…”

I’m always impressed by the meaning that truly high-ranking people give to things.

I would have been bothered to receive an old business card, but this person is looking for a chance to show off that ‘I knew this guy since he was a nobody.’

“Then here you are.”

There’s no reason not to give it to him if the other party wants it, so I took out a business card case from my inner pocket and handed it to the grand duke.

“Thank you, I will contact you if there is ever a need to commission you.”

“Yes, please contact me at your convenience anytime.”

They’re not people who run businesses, and there’s no custom of exchanging business cards among nobles, so I received the grand duke’s pat on the shoulder instead of a business card.

“Then can you give me one as well?”

“Give one to me too.”

“To me as well.”

“I would like to request one as well.”

“Oh…”

As the grand duke stepped back with a pleasant smile, other people who had been watching followed suit and approached, requesting business cards one after another.

I felt secretly pleased with the fairly positive and enthusiastic response.

“Yes, of course.”

I smiled and put my hand into my pocket, taking out a bunch of business cards.

And while handing out business cards to the people who wanted them, I made eye contact and examined their faces, firmly engraving the future customer candidates in my head.

Even if just one of these people comes to me as a customer, it’ll be a huge hit.

I suffered a lot because of His Imperial Majesty, but the additional rewards that followed were felt so sweet.