‘What the hell is he doing here?’
The attendant was far from pleased.
The emperor was never exactly a diligent or hardworking ruler. That much could be tolerated to an extent.
But now he was like a ticking ti bomb—ready to explode at any second.
And it was Remus Olor who had provoked the emperor to this unstable state. Nothing good could co from him showing up now.
“I will inform His Majesty of your visit at a later ti.”
The attendant masked his irritation and once again tried to persuade Remus to leave.
But Remus ignored him. As he brushed past, his shoulder ramd hard into the attendant, making him stumble. Just as the attendant was about to stop him, Remus pushed open the door.
“Ugh!”
A grimace twisted the attendant’s face before he could stop himself.
The mont the door opened, the stench of alcohol, bordering on foul, flooded out. The windows, covered in heavy curtains, had long lost their ability to ventilate.
But Remus stepped inside as if he noticed none of it. In truth, there was no emotion on his face at all.
Then he shut the door behind him.
“W-Wait...!”
The attendant’s urgent voice slipped through the crack just before the door closed—but it was cut off with a hollow click.
Empty liquor bottles littered the path to the center of the room. Remus walked without care, stepping around—or over—them. Occasionally, when a burst of irritation surged, he’d kick a bottle aside.
One struck the wall and shattered with a sharp crack.
As he stepped on the shards, a crunching sound echoed beneath his feet.
“....”
Remus stopped in front of the couch. Lying there was Emperor Subiteo.
He looked a ss. His beard, long overdue for trimming, was ragged. His clothes were stained from spilled liquor.
A limp hand clutched an empty bottle.
Remus stared at the sight silently, then glanced around and grabbed a handled bucket from the nearby table.
It was filled with water—ant for chilling drinks with ice, most likely.
Without warning, Remus dumped the contents on the emperor’s face.
“...Kuhh!”
Emperor Subiteo thrashed his limbs and sat up, startled.
Soaked and dazed, he blinked around with bleary eyes.
“Your Majesty.”
At Remus’s call, the emperor slowly turned his head.
“Pull yourself together.”
Tossing the bucket roughly aside, Remus leaned against the armrest of the couch, which was at least relatively clean.
“...You!”
Now recognizing him, the emperor shouted in rage.
“How dare you show your face here!”
“You think I wanted to co here?”
“Do you have any idea how much suffering I’ve endured because of your brat?!”
The emperor staggered to his feet and grabbed Remus by the collar, shouting furiously.
“And why is that all my fault?”
Remus pushed the emperor off and retorted.
Wiping away the spittle that had landed on his face, he wore an expression of disgust and irritation. He clearly found this situation just as unpleasant.
“I won’t say I’m completely innocent.”
Remus admitted his mistake. He had lost his composure during the Rite of Honor.
But he believed he had paid the price for that. His social standing among the nobility was irreparably damaged.
Then there was the matter of the compensation demanded by Voreoti and Urmariti.
Paying that massive sum had bled his family dry. And even so, he hadn’t finished paying it all.
Not that there were any ways left to gather the money. Everyone was keeping their heads down in fear of Voreoti, who had recently made it clear he was done playing nice.
“It’s my fault for listening to my foolish wife.”
Remus shifted all the bla onto Lota.
“Cut Erbanu off imdiately!”
The emperor slamd his fist onto the table.
Lota, who had spoken of the Swan Necklace, was a problem—but what truly enraged the emperor was Varia, the Duchess of Voreoti.
All the incriminating evidence now surfacing ca from the Treasury.
When the palace launched an investigation, they discovered Varia had once been a Treasury official.
The emperor seethed with betrayal.
How dare a public servant, once sustained by the empire’s coffers, commit such treason against her nation and the imperial family?
His clenched fist trembled on his knee.
“...We can’t abandon Erbanu.”
Remus spoke up, watching the emperor silently.
The emperor’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Don’t tell ... you actually love her?”
His tone dripped with sarcasm. The emperor knew Remus’s tastes well. It was why he had believed Remus’s words during the Rite of Honor.
Remus was a degenerate who beca aroused only by minors.
“Of course not.”
As expected, Remus imdiately denied any affection for his wife.
“I still need Erbanu around. Her older sister is the Duchess of Voreoti.”
“I think she’s already turned her back on her family.”
The emperor sneered.
“There’s still a chance to dig in. The Varia I know—she can be rciless, yes, but she’s naturally a soft-hearted person.”
“...Abandon the North.”
He finally said it.
This was the real reason Remus had co to the palace.
“Provoking Voreoti any further is dangerous. At this rate, we’ll all—”
“How can I abandon it?!”
The emperor interrupted him with a roar. Thick veins bulged in his neck.
“Do you know how hard the empire has worked for this?!”
The Bellius Imperial Family, ruler of a vast empire, had never truly sat at the summit.
They had tried—expanding territory, commanding nobles, amassing wealth, building military power.
But the more they tried, the more defeat gnawed at them.
Voreoti had always stood atop that high mountain range, looking down on them all.
Those arrogant black eyes, viewing the world as trivial, crushed even the will of an eagle trying to soar.
“That’s why I must seize it...”
The emperor murmured.
“The thing not even my father could claim—has finally co within my reach!”
“You’re still...”
Remus grimaced.
“You’re still after the Fangs of the Beast?”
***
“Haaam...”
Varia covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned quietly, then stretched her arms up high.
“Tired, ma’am?”
The maid at her side looked at her with gentle concern.
“I’m fine.”
Varia brushed it off, blaming it on a busy schedule. But the maid didn’t believe that was the only reason.
“If you’re tired, why not rest for a while?”
“I’ll just finish this first.”
“Shall I bring you so tea?”
“That would be nice.”
The mont permission was granted, the maid rushed off to prepare it. Watching her, Varia felt a twinge of guilt.
“Maybe I was too focused?”
“If I may be honest...”
The maid, gathering her courage, spoke gently.
“If the master had seen you just now, he would have been terribly worried.”
“And if we translate that into Leo-speak?”
“In the young lady’s words... he would’ve carried you to the bedroom imdiately.”
Varia quickly reached up to her face at that.
The skin of her cheek felt oddly stiff.
‘This has beco a habit...’
She smiled faintly as she gently touched her face.
Back in her Treasury days, she’d worn a stern expression to avoid being underestimated, and it seed that habit had stuck.
‘Mom becos a different person when she works.’
Leonia had said sothing similar once.
She’d even thrown in so weird phrase—position reversal or sothing—but Varia still had no idea what that ant.
“Do I look weird when I focus?”
“Not at all.”
The maid answered firmly.
“You look very dignified and admirable.”
“There’s no one else here—you can be honest.”
“...You kind of resemble the master.”
With permission granted, the maid spoke frankly.
“When you’re focused, you seem a little stern. Of course, I know you’re not actually angry—but sotis, you really do look like the master.”
“R-Really...?”
Varia blinked in surprise—but felt genuinely pleased.
Before being her beloved husband, Ferio had always been soone she deeply respected.
So to be told she resembled him was a great complint.
“They say married couples grow alike, after all.”
Sensing her good mood, the maid went on more cheerfully.
“Though even if you resemble the master, you’re still several tis more beautiful and gentle. You’re like the sunshine of House Voreoti!”
“You really do have a silver tongue.”
“...!”
The maid flinched.
Footsteps approached steadily from behind.
“That thing you just said...”
A shadow fell over her pale face.
“Why don’t you say it one more ti?”
Ferio tilted his head slightly as he spoke.
The maid watched her life flash before her eyes—and decided to say farewell to her short existence.
“You think she’d actually say it again if you ask like that?”
Leonia, unable to watch any longer, stepped in.
“Ferio, Leo.”
Varia rose from her seat with a bright smile.
Ferio opened his arms as she ca over, and Leonia used the opportunity to help the poor maid escape.
“That maid from earlier—who is she?”
“She’s my personal maid. She was worried I’ve been overworking myself lately.”
“Quick-witted and loyal.”
Ferio nodded with approval. He’d liked what the maid had said. Maybe it was ti to give her a raise.
‘Though I bet she’ll go cry her eyes out thinking she’s about to be fired...’
Leonia made a ntal note to let Tra know about this later.
Otherwise, that poor maid might resign out of fear.
“Anyway, take it easy.”
Ferio repeated the maid’s earlier concern.
“Anyway, don’t overwork yourself...”
Leonia mimicked him with a mocking mumble—and promptly got her lips pinched.
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