I also knew well that things don’t always go how you want them to.
No, there’s no way I couldn’t know. In the first place, being reincarnated into this novel wasn’t even the slightest bit my intention.
But to think that,
“You may raise your head.”
It deviated to this extent.
The situation goes back just a few minutes.
“…Then I should start getting ready.”
“Where are you going?”
“Did you already forget?”
As I looked at Ashillya, who had stood up from her seat with that gaze, she smiled as if enjoying herself and stretched out her long, white fingers towards , answering,
“Don’t you also need to prepare? The atmosphere is slowly ripening.”
“… Ah.”
I let out a distant exclamation at her words as I realized the ti had co. Ashillya burst into laughter and moved her steps while waving her hand slightly.
She seed to be going to change clothes for the dance ti. After all, the clothes she wore now were beautiful but unsuitable for movent.
“See you in a bit.”
Watching Ashillya’s back as she left with those words, I turned my gaze back to the banquet hall and let out a long breath.
Dancing at a banquet in my fate, is that even a plausible story?
As I grabbed my head and reviewed the dances left in Felix’s mories in my mind, I soon raised my head at the presence I felt from behind.
“Are you Felix von Astria?”
“…Yes, I am, but.”
The man standing behind appeared to be a knight wearing splendid golden armor who didn’t seem ordinary at first glance.
High-level.
His well-poised attitude and lofty air of never lowering himself inford his aura, which subtly flowed from his body, that he was considerably skilled.
As I calmly observed his appearance, I couldn’t help but slightly furrow my brows and bite my lower lip at the pattern engraved on the knight’s chest.
A golden lion inside a shield. And two swords crossing in an X behind that shield. It was because I instantly realized what that pattern signified.
“Soone is looking for you. Please make so ti.”
He wasn’t asking.
He was commanding to follow him.
It would be an attitude that any noble would find unpleasant. Still, as one, I could instantly tell which organization he belonged to.
“The Imperial Knights…”
The knights directly under the Imperial Family, or more precisely, the Emperor.
A mber of that knight order was taking away. At the sa ti, I could think of two possibilities.
The Second Prince or the Emperor.
No, there was only one possibility.
There was no way the Second Prince, who didn’t even attend the banquet, let alone ascend to the position of Crown Prince, could use the Imperial Knights as his subordinates.
In other words, the person using the Imperial Knights to search for was clear.
When I reached that simple conclusion, my head started to feel dizzy.
It wasn’t the aftereffects of the wine coming up late, I was simply dizzy from the thought of eting soone I never expected.
At the sa ti, I also realized that I couldn’t refuse it.
“…I will obey the order.”
Since I couldn’t keep the Imperial Knight waiting for long, I stood up and answered with proper etiquette.
“Follow .”
The Imperial Knight nodded while looking at and took the lead in moving his steps.
There were roughly thirty minutes left until Ashillya returned, so I might have to hurry.
He ca to find when Ashillya was going to change clothes, which ant he wanted to keep the eting hidden from her.
Following behind the Imperial Knight, he guided to a place about two floors higher than where Ashillya had been.
I, who had been praying that my conclusion was wrong, felt my expectations shatter and steeled my heart internally.
Why would the Emperor want to et ?
The Emperor’s personality or description was not ntioned in the original novel, so I followed behind the knight with a slightly tense feeling.
Even if I tried to gauge his intentions, there was no basis for speculation, so it was frustrating.
In front of the room higher than Ashillya’s, two knights wearing the sa armor as the Imperial Knight I had been following guarded the door.
The knight who guided seed to have a higher rank than them. He lightly greeted them and approached the door, carefully knocking on it.
Knock, knock.
“…Your Majesty, I have brought the person you ntioned.”
In front of the Emperor, no one could assert their own na. At the sa ti, it would be ridiculous for anyone to push their power.
“He says to enter.”
A low and quiet voice answered the knight’s words. That voice probably didn’t belong to the Emperor.
However, the Imperial Knight who brought silently nodded his head and stepped aside from the front of the door. At the sa ti, the two Imperial Knights guarding the door quietly opened it in a secretive manner.
Surprisingly, the quite large door opened silently without a sound.
“Please enter.”
“…I understand.”
Answering the Imperial Knight’s words, I swallowed my dry saliva and quietly moved my steps.
In my mind, I searched through Felix’s mories, recalling the etiquette I should show to the Emperor.
Perhaps because the door opened too quietly, I could only move my steps quietly, feeling intimidated. As I entered the door, I felt like a transparent barrier was cast behind .
Magic.
Instinctively realizing that magic blocked sound and appearance, I tried not to be conscious of it and moved further into the room.
Inside the room, I saw the back of a person sitting on a lavish chair overlooking the banquet hall and an elderly figure standing next to him, looking at .
Sensing that the person sitting on the chair was the Emperor, I knelt on one knee a few steps away from him and bowed my head.
Absolutely, I must not be the first to speak.
That was the imperial law.
As I knelt and prostrated myself, the person next to the Emperor looked at , then turned his gaze and spoke to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, Felix von Astria has arrived.”
“…I am aware of that.”
As the Emperor’s deep and heavy voice resounded in the room, I bowed my head even deeper and spoke.
“The supre and solemn Sun of the Empire. The great one who has blessed the Empire’s brilliant and glorious future, it is my family’s honor to et you. The second son of the von Astria Earl family, Felix, has co here upon Your Majesty’s order.”
A quiet silence flowed in the room after a long greeting per imperial etiquette.
I wondered if I had done sothing wrong. Still, according to my mory, this etiquette was correct, so I could only silently feel the cold sweat running down my back.
I heard the sound of sothing brushing. Belatedly realizing that it was the sound of the chair rotating, I bowed my head as if burying it in the ground, and the Emperor’s voice followed.
“You may raise your head.”
Even at the Emperor’s command, I didn’t raise my head.
“It is an imasurable honor, Your Majesty.”
Because it was etiquette to refuse once.
I had a headache wondering what kind of etiquette was so complicated.
Still, my body was surprisingly familiar with it and displaying the etiquette.
Sighing inwardly with relief at that fact, the Emperor’s voice was heard again.
“I allow it. Raise your head.”
“Your grace is imasurable.”
Expressing gratitude even at the simple command to raise my head, I raised my head and could et the blue eyes looking at .
Even though his hair had surely turned completely white from the ravages of ti, it shone dazzlingly white like Ashillya’s, and his blue eyes still proclaid his vigor.
Wrinkles gradually ford on his skin, but the beauty flowing from his face revealed where Ashillya’s looks ca from.
A handso middle-aged man who must have captivated the hearts of countless young ladies in his youth was looking down at with a solemn posture.
“Greetings, Felix von Astria.”
“…”
I remain silent.
“Do you know why I have sought you out?”
“I apologize, but I have no idea.”
As if to show that he didn’t obtain the position of the Empire’s Emperor through a ga of tag, I felt an unknown intangible aura from him with every word and action. I bowed my head and answered.
The Emperor nodded as if it were natural and continued his words.
“I do not like beating around the bush. So, I will ask bluntly.”
“…”
The Emperor of the Empire does not seek permission from anyone. Knowing that fact, I don’t answer the Emperor’s words and deeply bow my head as if to say I will heed his words.
“You, Felix von Astria,”
“…”
“What is your relationship with Princess Ashillya?”
“…”
I almost reflexively asked, “What?” Clenching my teeth to swallow the escaping reaction, I raised my head, and the unchangingly upright blue eyes stared down at .
“No, to our Crown Princess Ashillya.”
“…”
“With what intention did you approach her?”
I couldn’t help but swallow my dry saliva when I heard those words.
If I answer wrong, I’m dead.
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