Today, Rachel had come wearing a diamond choker instead of a purple sapphire one. Nathan was one of the few people who knew that the emperor had truly given her a necklace the same color as her eyes.
…And he was also the only person who knew that the emperor would be rejected, both now and in the future.
Nathan soon put those thoughts aside. He quietly raised his glass as the emperor wished and waited for the atmosphere to warm up a little.
That was when Lady Aisha Labelyn appeared.
“Your Majesty, would it be all right if I sat here too?”
“Lady Labelyn.”
The emperor looked troubled for a brief moment. Nathan noticed the emperor’s gaze dip down for a moment before returning.
And Lady Labelyn, who had been paying close attention to the emperor, seemed to notice it as well.
“Is this because of Rachel Ingrave?”
“…No. It’s just that this gathering is meant to strengthen friendly ties with the King of Borza. I might make an exception for Duke Labelyn, but it’s difficult to allow you, a mere lady of the family, to join us.”
“…That’s a lie.”
The emperor, who had paused for a moment, raised his eyes. Nathan simply lifted his glass without saying a word.
Aisha Labelyn, who had been praised as kind and gentle,
seemed to have sensed something, for she stubbornly held back tears as her eyes grew misty. The flustered emperor hesitated before reaching out to her.
“Lady Labelyn.”
“You’re being too cruel. I know very well that Your Majesty has looked after me and thought highly of me. But were you planning to turn your back on me just like that, in an instant? Besides, the young lady isn’t even wearing the necklace Your Majesty gave her today!”
“Lady Labelyn!”
The emperor’s shout briefly echoed through the banquet hall. Silence fell, but soon the music and conversations resumed as if nothing had happened.
The emperor glanced down for a moment, then firmly turned his head away.
“Leave, Lady Labelyn. I will not tolerate any more disrespect.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Leave.”
“…”
In the end, Aisha Labelyn turned around and ran out of the banquet hall. The emperor quietly pressed a hand to his forehead.
“I didn’t mean to make her cry…”
“…”
Nathan silently lowered his gaze. Ever since Aisha Labelyn had approached them, the nobles who had openly focused their attention on this table were whispering excitedly about what had just happened.
And, as always, their attention turned toward one place.
More and more nobles were gathering around Rachel. With his keen senses, Nathan eventually began to pick up the topic of their conversation.
‘Did you all see that? His Majesty just got angry with Lady Labelyn. It was because she mentioned that Baroness Easton wasn’t wearing the necklace His Majesty had bestowed upon her.’
‘Oh my goodness. Just a moment ago, it seemed he even refused Lady Labelyn’s request to join them. Hasn’t His Majesty rarely ever turned down her requests?’
‘Exactly. Perhaps that’s why Lady Labelyn ran out of the hall in tears.’
‘Come to think of it, Baroness, where is the jewelry His Majesty gave you?’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard that you wore it anywhere else.’
She smiled as if she had rehearsed it.
‘It’s a precious item, so I’ve kept it somewhere safe. It would be troublesome if it got even a scratch.’
‘Oh my, but shouldn’t you wear it at least once? It seems like the polite thing to do.’
‘You don’t dislike His Majesty’s thoughtful gift, do you? Surely that couldn’t be the case—’
Cutting her off, Rachel smiled sharply.
‘Of course not. How could that be? But listening to you, it almost sounds as though I’m wrong for keeping it somewhere safe. Are you saying I should have treated the jewel His Majesty gave me like an ordinary piece of jewelry?’
‘No, that’s not what I—’
‘Naturally, you wouldn’t mean that. Treating an item bestowed by His Majesty that way would be no different from insulting him. Surely you wouldn’t say something like that to me, would you, Madam?’
‘…’
‘And I’d appreciate it if you stopped asking me about the jewelry His Majesty bestowed upon me. Speaking carelessly about a royal gift could itself be considered disloyal.’
The nobles’ reactions were clear from the way they could only press their lips together at her formidable reply. Instead, they brought up another topic.
‘By the way, I heard that Duke Valencia stepped forward as your prospective fiancé. Could you tell us what happened?’
‘It was nothing much. As you all know, my family and I had a little conflict over my independence. The Duke simply stepped in for a moment because he couldn’t stand by and watch his benefactor get into trouble. As you all know, Duke Valencia later made it clear that he had no intention of pursuing a marriage proposal with me. He only used that as an excuse to protect me at the time.’
‘Hmm.’
‘Still, calling himself your prospective fiancé seems a little… Could it be that the Duke has feelings for you, Lady Easton?’
‘Of course not. If that were the case, would he have said he would withdraw the marriage proposal? It wasn’t even really a marriage proposal to begin with, but in any case, he said he would help me become independent safely. As my benefactor.’
‘Ah…’
“…”
It was a precarious situation, but she had handled it more skillfully than he had expected. He felt a little relieved, yet…
There was also a faintly bitter taste in his mouth. Just as he reached for the bottle of liquor, another hand darted out first and snatched it away.
It was the emperor.
“What are you thinking about so intently? You’re making the atmosphere downright grim. I even hesitated to speak to you after trying to get your attention for so long. Did you know that?”
“My apologies.”
Nathan bowed his head to the emperor and the King of Borza in turn. The King of Borza chuckled lightly and shook his head.
“No, it’s quite all right. As expected, a swordsman who has reached such heights gives off an extraordinary presence, even without meaning to.”
“…”
The drinking session, which had briefly quieted down, resumed. Nathan continued to sharpen his senses toward the hall below from time to time, but he did not forget why he was here.
When the gathering had warmed up enough,
“Your Majesty, King of Borza. There is something I’d like to ask you about, if you don’t mind.”
“Hmm? Go ahead.”
Nathan brought up the very reason he had obediently allowed the emperor to lead him to this table.
“I’ve been investigating the Archmage who supposedly lifted the barrier around the Imperial Palace. I’m curious about your personal impression of that person when you saw them. I’ve read the documents you provided, but if there’s anything that wasn’t recorded in the official reports, perhaps you could tell me about it as a casual anecdote over drinks.”
It was a conversation taking place over drinks. There should be no responsibility attached to it.
“…Well, that shouldn’t be difficult.”
After pausing briefly, the King of Borza began to describe his impressions from the time he had met the Archmage. Nathan listened intently.
It might have been nothing more than a needless worry, but an ominous feeling that came over him from time to time kept holding him back.
The emotions he had sensed in front of the barrier that had been lifted did not seem sane. Taking pleasure laced with malice just before launching an attack?
If a mad Archmage, rather than an ordinary one, was roaming around, nothing could be more disastrous.
Even a small clue might help reveal the identity of that mad Archmage.
She was exhausted.
Having barely escaped the clutches of persistent nobles by retreating to a lounge, Rachel sighed from behind the curtain.
Was it because this was the emperor’s first love story?
On top of that, Nathan Valencia had somehow gotten himself involved, even if only slightly, so the nobles’ reactions were practically out of control.
Of course, as someone who had been a major figure in high society before her Regression, she had handled everything calmly, never giving them even the slightest opening and answering with sound reasoning. But even that had its limits. And then, of all things, Aisha Labelyn had run out of the banquet hall…
‘Should I just leave?’
She felt she had stayed long enough.
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