episode_0148

Morning, a few days after December began.

“Hmm…”

Even though he didn’t have any news to report to the Emperor, Frederick, who had abruptly visited the Imperial Palace early in the morning, waited for his turn in the waiting room next to the audience chamber, constantly touching his neck with a more rigid expression than usual.

A place he once visited more often than his own home.

And people he once met more often than his own wife.

It wasn’t a moment to be nervous, but the reason he couldn’t stay still, fidgeting with his collar and neck, was because he was wearing different clothes than usual for some reason, and because of the unfamiliar feeling on his neck.

“Ahem.”

Frederick, looking at the thin, long cloth around his neck, cleared his throat lightly and gently picked up the cloth.

A navy-blue cloth made by folding silk several times.

‘Was the name tie…?’

Frederick repeats the name his son told him while introducing it, staring blankly at the still unfamiliar cloth.

Tie.

Clothing that decorates the neck instead of a cravat.

Yesterday evening, his son, with sparkling eyes, came to him with it as a gift, so he wore it out of courtesy, but the tie was not as pleasing to Frederick as he had expected.

A stronger sense of pressure than expected.

The stuffiness felt because of it.

However, these parts were inevitable inconveniences for clothes that wrap around the neck, so he could tolerate them.

In the first place, there were many clothes that were more uncomfortable than a tie, and he wore them without much complaint, so this level of discomfort was difficult for Frederick to even call uncomfortable.

What really made Frederick uncomfortable was none other than the shape of the tie itself.

The shape, which reminded him of hangings or lassos often used by elves living in the northern grasslands, evoked displeasure.

“I should ask him to change the shape a little next time…”

Muttering quietly, Frederick took his hand off the tie, neatly straightened his collar, and crossed his arms.

And he glared sharply at the door of the audience chamber, which had not opened for 30 minutes, lightly shaking his leg.

‘It should be opening soon…’

Since there was only one person who came to have an audience with the Emperor first, he thought he would be able to enter soon, but as the audience was taking longer than expected, Frederick was starting to feel bored.

“Tsk…”

Clicking his tongue, Frederick regretted in his mind that he should have scheduled a time and visited, and he slightly raised his head to look at the ceiling.

“Count Hume, enter the audience chamber.”

“Understood.”

It was about 10 more minutes before Frederick was able to enter the audience chamber.

Lightly straightening his clothes, Frederick followed the imperial attendant into the audience chamber, bowed his head slightly, walked to the center of the audience chamber, and knelt down on one knee.

“Frederick William Howard, Count Hume, greets His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.”

“Yes, now get up and speak comfortably.”

“Yes.”

A perfunctory greeting.

The Emperor waved it off casually, then rested his chin on his left hand and watched Frederick get up with a sly smile.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in the audience chamber. You’re usually busy and don’t even pretend to hear me when I call you. What wind has brought you here today?”

“The establishment of the Witch Management Bureau under the Magic Department is in its final stages, so I came to report on it.”

“Are there any special circumstances?”

“No, everything is proceeding as planned.”

“Hmm?”

The Emperor, frowning and tilting his head slightly, looked at Frederick with eyes full of doubt.

“You ignore my words to the death, and you bothered to come all the way here for such a thing?”

“I came because I thought Your Majesty’s patience would be running out soon. If I don’t show my face for too long, you get sulky, don’t you?”

“Frederick, how many years have we known each other? Do you think that lie will work? You didn’t come because of me, but because you have something to say.”

“Actually, I came to show off a gift I received from my son.”

“Huh…”

The Emperor lets out a hollow laugh at the answer that feels so brazen it’s almost shameless.

“Is your way of showing up in the audience chamber after so long to humiliate me? You damned bastard.”

“Some people are so obsessed with men that they don’t care about their parents, while others take care of them so meticulously. I’m so jealous.”

“Haha~”

Frederick wore a pleasant smile at the sight of the Emperor and Empress openly expressing their jealousy and grumbling.

The Emperor and Prince Consort considered punching Frederick, who had an annoyingly relaxed and happy smile, but they turned their heads slightly with unpleasant expressions because they felt like they would truly be defeated if they did.

“So, what gift did you receive from William that made you drag your heavy ass all the way here to show off?”

“This.”

At the Emperor’s question, who wanted to quickly move on to the main point and change the subject, Frederick pointed to the cloth around his neck.

“Hmm~ so that was a gift… I thought you and Helen had developed a new bad taste, but I guess not.”

“Yes? What do you mean by bad taste…”

At the Emperor’s difficult-to-understand words, the Prince Consort’s and Frederick’s gazes turned to the Emperor.

“It looks like a dog collar, so I thought you had developed an interest in that kind of thing.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Haa…”

The Prince Consort and Frederick, who had heard the Emperor’s nonsense, simultaneously rubbed their foreheads and looked at the Emperor with pitiful eyes.

“Tell me honestly, didn’t you guys think so too?”

“We didn’t.”

“Please maintain your dignity, Your Majesty.”

“Aing tsk tsk, making a fuss over nothing, how can wives like it if men are so old-fashioned?”

“……”

The Emperor’s grumbling, lightly thrown at the men who were blaming him and making him look like a strange person.

Frederick and the Prince Consort, who heard it, looked at each other, nodded lightly, and said with light smiles.

“Your Majesty, did you perhaps always think of me as an old-fashioned and boring man?”

“It seems Your Majesty is not satisfied with His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.”

“What?”

The Emperor’s eyes widened and he showed signs of embarrassment at the sight of the two men suddenly joining forces to tear him apart.

Neither the Prince Consort nor Frederick were people who would miss such an opening, so the two people, sensing the Emperor’s wavering, immediately put on gloomy expressions and moved their lips.

“I am truly sad. I have always loved Your Majesty the most, but I never knew Your Majesty would dislike me… Well, I am more than 10 years older than Your Majesty, so I guess there are times when I seem like a boring old man.”

“Indeed, it seems difficult to beat the passage of time. After more than 20 years, there comes a time when even Your Majesty, who loved His Highness so much, feels ennui.”

“That’s true, but what can we do? It’s my fault for not satisfying Your Majesty.”

“We should have worked harder…”

“Hoo…”

“……”

The Emperor, who was finally annoyed by the two men’s well-matched teasing, narrowed his eyes, stuck out his lips, and crossed his arms.

Then, he lightly glared at the Prince Consort and left a final warning in a low voice.

“Prince Consort, if you tease me like that, I will have no choice but to make an Elizabeth’s younger sibling to prove it.”

“… I’m sorry.”

The Prince Consort quickly lowered his tail and shut his mouth at the Emperor’s threat, which no longer had any restrictions.

Frederick, who was watching the scene with a beaming smile, hastily removed his smile when the Prince Consort backed down in one move and lowered his head to avoid the Emperor’s eyes.

“These petty things.”

The Emperor, lightly snapping at Frederick, who was like that, leaned back on the throne with a sullen expression.

Then, the Emperor looked at Frederick and tapped his neck with his finger, saying.

“Let’s stop with the useless stories here. So, what’s the name of that dog collar you wanted to show off to me?”

“It’s not a dog collar, it’s clothing called a tie.”

“The name is straightforward… Did William personally make that tie? Or is it going to be sold at the atelier soon?”

“I don’t know the exact schedule, but he said it will be sold soon.”

“That’s a relief. I secretly liked the design, so I wanted to give one to the Prince Consort.”

“You don’t have to do that. I will give one to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort as a gift.”

“To the Prince Consort? Why?”

“Isn’t His Royal Highness the Prince Consort’s birthday in a few days? He says he is preparing a gift for that.”

“Hehe~ I see, very good.”

The Emperor clapped his hands lightly with a satisfied smile at the words that he would offer one on his own.

“Are you that happy? It’s not a very special piece of clothing, so you might be disappointed if you expect too much.”

“Haha, do I look like someone who has grand expectations for clothes?? I just like being able to see the Prince Consort wearing a collar, and in front of everyone.”

“……”

“It would also be secretly fun to grab the tie and pull it lightly. I wonder what kind of expression the Prince Consort will make then?”

“No, I’m not curious.”

“Would you have the same reaction even if you did that to Helen?”

“I have no desire to treat my wife roughly…”

“Aing, how boring…”

The Emperor pouted when Frederick drew a firm line and shook his head.

“You don’t even take my jokes properly, and if you’re just going to show off your gift, go back quickly.”

And the Emperor, waving his hand and issuing an expulsion order in a sulky voice, signaled the attendant standing behind him to send Frederick back.

“Then I will be on my way.”

“Yes, I’ll be expecting the tie, so be sure to deliver it on the Prince Consort’s birthday without forgetting.”

“Yes.”

Frederick, who stood up from his seat with a smile, bowed deeply to the Emperor and the Prince Consort.

Then, turning his body around, Frederick left the audience chamber with the guidance of the attendant standing at the entrance to the audience chamber.

“Hehe…”

The Emperor’s reaction was a bit strange, but quite positive.

Frederick thought that William would be very happy if he told him this, and loosened his tie slightly as he walked out of the Imperial Palace.