How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game – Chapter 265 – Villa (3)

Author: Dawn

We weren’t alone at the villa. Since it’s not a frequently used place, there are no permanent residents, as it’s not as important as Tenorio, the tomb of the emperors.

Of course, I heard it’s regularly maintained, but cleaning before the emperor’s visit was a given. People to cook were also needed.

Eight servants greeted us. Erendil nodded lightly towards the people bowing.

“Your Majesty, I am Juma, who has been managing the villa. It’s an honor to receive you here. Have you had your meal?”

“Not yet.”

“A meal is being prepared. Please, this way.”

An elderly man who seemed to have been managing the villa for quite a long time guided us outside.

It was where we had seen the waterfall from the sky. Next to the waterfall falling towards the void, a neat wooden table and comfortable-looking chairs were placed.

The scenery was more beautiful than when viewed from the sky. Light clouds seemed to flow beneath our feet along the edge of the island-like plateau.

Despite being at a high altitude, the temperature was just right. There was no need to adjust it separately with my winds.

It was just the right cool and warm comfort, you could say. Erendil leaned back in her chair, looking at the falling waterfall.

She nodded in admiration and then suddenly looked at me and continued speaking.

“Be at ease, I feel uncomfortable just looking at you.”

“I’m fine.”

“I said be at ease.”

“This posture is comfortable for me.”

Of course, it couldn’t be called comfortable. I was sitting in the chair with my back perfectly straight.

“How can that posture be comfortable for anyone?”

Erendil, who was saying that, narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“Come to think of it, you’re now telling lies to me. Are you doing this because you think I can’t tell?”

“Uh, well. Isn’t this not an important matter?”

“It’s an important matter to me who believed you only spoke the truth.”

Of course, Erendil’s reproach didn’t feel entirely sincere. It was a playful tone, as if she had caught me out.

Still, I couldn’t continue this verbal sparring with the emperor, so I changed the subject.

“I can’t do that in front of Your Majesty.”

“I said it’s fine.”

“There are others here, aren’t there?”

“What does that matter?”

“Unfavorable words might spread.”

In fact, just the fact that Erendil brought me instead of another Sword Master could cause talk.

It’s close to madness to gossip about the emperor, and the possibility is low, but since when did rumors spread with such calculations?

And personally, I didn’t want to do that either. Everyone knows that Erendil favors me, but openly being comfortable in front of her is a different matter.

Actions are directly related to psychology. This level of relationship between me and Erendil is appropriate for now. However, Erendil didn’t seem to think so. She frowned.

“I meant what does that matter.”

Erendil continued, seeming a bit angry.

“My father told me this: when you become emperor, you can do as you please. And he told me to do as I please. Because the emperor is not in a position to be mindful of others’ eyes.”

It wasn’t wrong. I listened silently. It wasn’t the atmosphere to open my mouth. I also felt a bit regretful.

“There were times when I thought, why does he act like that while watching my father, but there were also many things to learn. This is one of them. I think that saying is correct. Others should be mindful of me.”

“That’s right…”

“Not yet.”

Erendil cut off my words firmly. Her gaze looking at me was sharp. I knew I had done wrong, so I flinched and lowered my head.

“When I told you to be at ease, it was both my consideration and my order.”

“I’m sorry.”

Erendil looked at me silently. Still, I felt her soften slightly at my apology. It seemed like she had more to say, but she nodded.

“It’s fine if you understand.”

There’s nothing to say. I was in the wrong. Having served Erendil since a few years ago when she didn’t know anything, I had thought a bit too comfortably.

I fell into slight contemplation. Should I lean back comfortably even now, or should I remain stiff?

“Be at ease.”

“Yes.”

Erendil continued speaking, perhaps seeing me looking around nervously. I leaned back. I naturally crossed my legs too. Originally, it’s important to be brazen in these situations.

Erendil saw this and let out a small chuckle. The atmosphere softened even more.

“You do it well, so why did you act like that?”

“Your Majesty, refusal is also a virtue for subordinates.”

Erendil glanced at me with a glare.

“I’m joking.”

“I’m joking too.”

Erendil, who smiled slightly, turned her gaze back to the scenery. From my perspective, Erendil looked as if she was sitting with the sky as her background.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It seems like the most beautiful scene I’ve seen in my life.”

“I think so too. I liked this place when I came with my father too. But there’s one thing I regret.”

“What is it?”

“The wind.”

The wind, huh. The cool wind blowing now aren’t bad either.

“I still like the wind you make the best.”

“Is that so?”

I moved the winds. As always, cool but not cold, and warm. Erendil looked at me and smiled brightly.

“It’s nice.”

With the blue sky as a background, it was an objectively beautiful smile.

“Your Majesty.”

Soon, Juma brought out some simple food. Since they brought cooks from the imperial palace, the taste was close to supreme.

To be honest, I wanted to go brush my teeth right after the meal, but I couldn’t do that in front of Erendil. She’s the emperor after all. And I had just been scolded.

I suppressed my discomfort by drinking coffee. Patience is a virtue. Still, it was better than before. Because the Worst Condition had disappeared.

The discomfort felt when the body condition is at its worst and when it’s okay can’t be the same.

“…”

It was about 10 minutes after the coffee came out, Erendil, who was comfortably leaning back in the soft chair, fell asleep. She must have been tired.

Although not as much as Count Campbell, Erendil, who had the final decision-making power, was also buried in work.

I didn’t wake her up unnecessarily. If the chair had been uncomfortable, I might have considered suggesting that she go inside to sleep, but…

The chair was not uncomfortable at all. It was top-class, feeling as if it supported the body even when leaning back.

Moreover, if I woke Erendil up, she probably wouldn’t try to sleep again. She would want to spend this rare vacation productively.

Thinking of Erendil’s feelings, it might be right to wake her up, but considering her physical strength, I thought it would be better to let her sleep.

Instead, I quietly called Juma, who was waiting far away, and got a blanket. I could maintain her body temperature with winds, but it feels different somehow.

‘Hmm.’

After covering Erendil with the blanket, I started to seriously contemplate. It was because of brushing my teeth. How long would Erendil sleep?

It seemed like I could quickly go and come back, but if she woke up while I was gone, it would be a bit awkward.

Or not. Couldn’t I just say I went to the restroom for a moment? I nodded. Let’s do it as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, Erendil hadn’t woken up by the time I came back from brushing my teeth. I waited for Erendil to wake up, looking at the scenery.

I wasn’t just looking at the scenery. While looking at the vast sky and the waterfall that seemed to fall into the void, I thought about the sword.

There wasn’t anything that could be called progress. Inspiration doesn’t come when you want it to. I was used to this.

Rather than trying to come up with something new, I just thought about the sword so far and looked for potential for development.

‘Originally, the more urgent, the more you need to take a roundabout way.’

I imagined both the inner world and the outside simultaneously, drawing the moon in the clear sky or imagining cutting the waterfall with moonlight.

The regret of not being able to wield the sword directly was great, but I couldn’t be the madman swinging a sword in front of the sleeping emperor.

I didn’t keep track of time during the mental training. I didn’t deliberately pay attention to it. But I should have.

When I came to my senses at Erendil’s stirring, it was already past 4 PM and heading towards 5 PM.

Erendil, who had stirred, opened her eyes, saw the sun setting on one side of the sky, and raised her upper body as if startled.

“W-what is this…”

“Did you sleep well?”

“What time is it now?”

“It’s almost 5 o’clock.”

Erendil looked at the setting sun as if dumbfounded. Her expression of feeling wronged as if she had lost the world seemed cute.

“D-did I sleep for 8 hours?”

“Yes.”

“You should have woken me up!”

Erendil shouted and then opened her eyes wide. She seemed surprised at her own shouting.

“You seemed very tired, so…”

“Still, you should have woken me up.”

Erendil said with a deep sigh. It was a tone as if she was complaining. To be honest, I didn’t know it would be 5 o’clock either.

The scenery created for the emperor of the continent, even though it was mental training, the density of concentration was the best in recent times.

“I’m sorry. I was also engrossed in thinking about the sword…”

“No, it’s my fault for falling asleep. I didn’t think I would sleep this much even after sleeping yesterday.”

Erendil spoke with a slightly lowered voice, her face slightly reddening as if she felt embarrassed belatedly.

“It seems you had accumulated that much fatigue.”

“I guess so.”

Erendil leaned back in her chair again as if giving up. Then she looked at the setting sun with a blank expression.

“It was beautiful earlier, but now looking at it irritates me. Human feelings seem so fickle, don’t they?”

To my eyes, it was still a beautiful scenery, but I wasn’t foolish enough to say that out loud. I just stood silently beside her.

“Let’s go inside. We should have dinner in the villa.”

“Yes.”

***

After dinner, we went outside again. It was Juma’s suggestion rather than Erendil’s. He said there was a place we must see at night.

Following the stream of water where the waterfall fell, there was a small lake. The moonlight reflecting off it gave the impression of a silver color.

It was similar to the lake I saw when I went to the east to catch Arachne long ago. Was it Moon Well? Of course, that place was better.

Nevertheless, Erendil sincerely admired it.

“A moonlit lake, I didn’t see this when I came with my father…”

I thought she might have been sleeping at that time, as she was probably young then. Erendil sat in front of the lake and tapped the surface of the water.

Waves spread across the moon floating on the lake at Erendil’s touch.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Her face seeking agreement seemed to be saying to quickly agree. Of course, I couldn’t say that the east was better than this.

I nodded and said yes.

Juma placed simple but elegant refreshments along with wine on the table prepared next to the lake and then withdrew.

It was with the advice that it would be better to take a walk around the lake. Erendil answered that she would certainly do so.

“If you’re tired, you don’t have to force yourself.”

Juma’s words were just advice, not something that had to be done. It was already late now. Even though she had slept a lot earlier, there would still be fatigue left.

I spoke hoping for a chance, but Erendil firmly shook her head.

“I can’t do that. I’ll play as much as I slept during the day.”

“Your Majesty’s health is the priority.”

“I’m not so weak as to collapse from this much. I’ve already made up my mind to sleep late.”

I felt a bit of regret. I was thinking of swinging my sword here instead of at the Moon Well in the east.

I hadn’t even drawn my sword all day today. Of course, I wasn’t naive enough to show such feelings.

I drank wine while exchanging trivial conversation with Erendil. We drank moderately. Erendil wasn’t particularly fond of alcohol either.

Rather than talk about work, it was conversation about subordinates.

It was talk like how Count Campbell is fine overall but lacks humanity, or how Grand Duchess Lyurik should find a partner soon.

“I have a worry these days.”

Suddenly, Erendil opened her mouth.

“What kind of worry?”