The Emperor Who Was Chapter 30 : Chapter 30

Chapter . 30

“Ah, no, Your Highness the Prince, no.”

We, who were facing each other, quietly averted our gazes. It was awkward. A guy who had been an enemy subordinate like Goldmund would have been better; since this was the first ti I had soone who was truly my person.

“By the way, where did you go?”

“I went to et my brother.”

Sir Rolf’s face stiffened.

“Were the First Prince’s knights at that place?”

“They all ca to , apologized, and begged for forgiveness.”

“…That is a relief.”

However, Sir Rolf looked like he had a lot to say.

“If you have sothing you want to say, you may say it.”

“That… Your Highness, even if you forgive those called knights, they may actually harbor a grudge.”

It was sothing I had already experienced personally, but listening to the words of a knight who spoke courageously for my sake, a playful thought suddenly occurred to .

“Are you not a knight as well?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Sweat beads flowed down the knight’s face again.

“Looking at knights as a knight myself, there really are such knights, so I am telling you.”

“However, you are not such a knight.”

“Yes, that is correct!”

My knight, who answered loudly, quickly added more words.

“I am not saying that I am kinder than other knights, but I definitely wanted to tell you that there are bad knights.”

“Right, judging what kind of knight my knight is, is my job.”

“Yes, that is exactly right!”

Sir Rolf answered loudly again. He did not know

yet. Even so, he was a good person before being a knight, trying hard to carry out his first mission. He was what I needed right now.

Recruiting an enemy’s subordinate at once is good too. However, gradually building up the loyalty of ordinary good people is truly the way to beco a good monarch.

Above all, in this vortex of all these politics and conspiracies, it was what I really wanted to do.

He also asked about the matter with the First Prince.

“He was the sa as usual.”

“…Next ti, I will definitely escort you.”

However, the next day, his horse limped. It was the day I had decided to visit Duke Grimiati.

Sir Rolf was subrged in worry. He could not beco an escort knight visiting my enemy riding a limping horse. Because that would be damaging the Prince’s honor with his own hands. Yet, he did not wish to send

to the Duke alone either.

“If you postpone it for just one day, I will borrow a horse and co.”

But Michelon was waiting. Although priests were scrambling to schedule an audience, I was not yet wealthy enough like the other princes to buy a knight’s horse.

‘Wait, just because I have no money doesn’t an there is no way.’

I imdiately ordered tea.

And in front of a servant whose attitude had beco much more polite than before, I conversed with Sir Rolf.

“It is a pity that your horse suddenly went la.”

“I apologize. It is a blunder that cannot happen as an escort knight.”

“That is not so. This court is originally a place where conspiracies run rampant like a plague; it is not your fault.”

At my words, Sir Rolf, who knew what a knight was but did not yet know the court, blinked his eyes. However, the spy understood very well.

“I greet Your Highness the Prince.”

A short while later, ssengers bearing ssages gathered like a swarm of clouds.

-I heard that the horse of the escort knight led by Your Highness Prince Leontes beca la due to a wicked plot. Therefore, I willingly wish to offer even a small help…….

Such explicit contents were sent by wealthy priests trying to get on my good side.

-Since Your Highness Prince Leontes has co to lead a new escort knight, I wish to send a gift with all my heart, though it is ager, as a token of celebration…….

Detailed expressions from courtiers who did not want to offend the conspirators if it really was a conspiracy.

-I heard that Your Highness Prince Leontes’s escort knight handled his horse negligently. Therefore, I recomnd a trustworthy person as the Prince’s knight…….

The Empress’s faction, the First Prince’s faction, and the bastard brother’s faction brazenly ca forward, framing my escort knight while trying to plant their own people instead.

In any case, signs of devotion and respect dedicated to

gathered quickly.

“You go and choose a horse yourself.”

“Yes, I will choose one imdiately and serve you, Prince.”

“No, that matter is not that simple. You may choose as many horses as you wish, but refuse the horses you do not wish for. Every ti you do, those who offered the horses will want to speak with you.”

“What should I say to them?”

Sir Rolf’s eyes grew wide.

“It is enough to explain why you chose this horse.”

“Pardon? Just like choosing a horse at a horse market?”

“Exactly so.”

“However, what should I do if they ask

other things?”

“Tell them you do not know. And tell

later who they were and what they asked.”

“…Are you not going together, Your Highness?”

Sweat beads rose on Sir Rolf’s forehead again.

However, I could not possibly et everyone flocking to . Originally, to et a mber of the imperial family or a person in power, there are people one must go through in the middle, and they also filter people out. Without that process, there is that much less authority, and it is not safe either.

I needed that interdiate role more than an escort knight right now. Rather than an old and cunning courtier, soone who honestly said only what needed to be said regardless of how people probed him was more my taste.

“It is difficult to postpone this matter.”

As I made an excuse and got into the carriage alone, worry appeared on Sir Rolf’s face.

I felt a little sorry. Even though I was absolutely not leaving him behind because I found it comfortable to go alone and was not used to going with others.

***

“Welco, Your Highness Prince Leontes. Her Majesty the Empress’s ring suits you very well.”

Duke Grimiati welcod . It was my Portrait Ring now, but Mother and I resembled each other, and unless one looked closely at the ring, it was difficult to distinguish.

“Duke Grimiati.”

“Your Highness’s filial piety toward Her Majesty the Empress is deeply touching.”

It reached the Duke’s ears quickly. I nodded indifferently. Grimiati did not show at all whether he knew the history of this ring or not.

‘Either way, it is mine now.’

The Duke Grimiati family was originally a Grand Duke family. They only lost the title of Grand Duke when the family lost in the battle for imperial succession and had not yet reclaid it. As such, there was a lot of talk about the current Duke accepting the position of ambassador to Roncer when Mother got married.

-Would you not be worried about being absorbed like several other principalities?

-I am concerned that you might have lost your pride.

-He is a noble person; it is truly regrettable.

There were many voices mocking the Duke at the ti.

However, the Duke perford the duties of ambassador without hesitation and showed off his skill in tightrope walking between Roncer and Armatia. Looking at the practical benefits he gained while leading the negotiations between the two countries, it could only be said to be advantageous for the principality.

“For Your Highness to personally co to my mansion, I am truly happy beyond asure.”

Although it might not be as much as the palace of the principality, Grimiati’s mansion, which had been passed down for generations in the capital of Armatia, was luxurious as befitting a mansion of a Grand Duke family. Not that I would ever call him a Grand Duke, though.

He had a residence in the Imperial Palace as well, but the place where mages resided was his mansion. There were only one or two mages at the Imperial Palace residence, but it was certain that the Duke’s mages, who would also be in the principality, were more nurous. Back before my regression, his sches were so clever that Desmond and Rhiannon ground their teeth, saying they could not even figure out how many mages he had.

“Your complexion is pale. Would you like to stay for the night and rest well?”

Why is everyone like this?

My complexion has always been like this, and I have only beco a bit paler recently because of Lasilex. Above all, to spend the night at the Duke’s mansion; I might undergo magic circle transportation while asleep and wake up in the Grimiati Principality, which the Duke spoke of tirelessly, the next morning. Deep sleep is important for my complexion to improve.

“It is fine. I would like to tour the Duke’s mansion; will you guide ?”

The Duke scrutinized

for a mont but agreed obediently.

“It is an honor, Prince Leontes.”

His mansion was effectively a palace.

The wealth of the Imperial Palace overwhelms one because it is magnificent and huge, but the feeling of being delicate or exquisite is much lesser. Because it has to accommodate countless courtiers.

However, Grimiati’s mansion, no matter how big, is smaller than the Imperial Palace, but the wealth they had achieved so far was piled up in layers in that small space. Densely and condensed.

For instance, Mother’s portrait was enshrined in a niche, and a glass chandelier was placed above it, scattering colorful light onto Mother’s portrait. Before it, a small and elegant inlaid table was placed, and fresh flowers were fully arranged in an exquisite porcelain vase.

Even that wall was lined with pearls in a row over satin, looking like a large and luxurious fra containing Mother’s portrait. As if there was a fra outside a fra, and the entire wall where the painting hung beca a fra.

‘A person who was the Empress herself.’

Mother was the tallest woman in the Armatia court, and she matched the tall Father Emperor as if they were a painting. When looking at the portrait where Mother stood side by side with the Father Emperor, only admiration ca out. Mother’s innate dignity and noble atmosphere could absolutely not be matched by Rhiannon, who was praised as the most lovely beauty in high society.

Although it is strange that Rhiannon, who is much shorter and more petite than Mother, gave birth to Alexander, who is taller than Maximilian, and Desmond, who is smaller than Maximilian but beca taller than

after coming of age.

I inadvertently cast my gaze in the direction Mother’s white and fine hand was pointing. Following where that hand pointed, I faced a statue of Mother.

That statue was sothing I was seeing for the first ti in my life. It was not just a marble statue or a bronze statue.

“Originally, ancient statues of gods were gilded and decorated with jewels; there is a claim that the statues remaining now are naked statues whose decorations were all stripped off by theft.”

Duke Grimiati explained nonchalantly, but I was speechless.

Mother’s hair was plated with platinum. Silvery pearls were embedded in her eyes, and rubies were embedded in her lips. She was actually wearing attire woven with gold thread and embedded with jewels, and was wearing not only a crown but also a real necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings.

‘A parure of my deceased mother.’

A parure was the latest fashionable style. A set of jewelry where the type and shape of jewels were unified so that the overall atmosphere from the crown on the head to the rings on the hands would be harmonious.

A style that did not exist during Mother’s lifeti.

“How is it, Prince? What are your thoughts on seeing Her Majesty the beautiful Empress?”

The Duke asked. While staring piercingly at my shocked face.

“Mother is not an existence for you to decorate as you please.”

I retorted sharply.

“I am rely serving my Goddess with my best. If you are overwheld by the beauty of the Goddess, it is a pity, but it is not my fault.”

The Duke, who pointed that out coldly, nodded as if he understood very well.

“Are you afraid that because the Mother Empress is so beautiful, you will not be able to find a woman as beautiful as her?”

This guy was rotten to the core in his very way of thinking.

“That is a thought worthy of her son. I understand.”

“Where are the mages?”

I did not want to mix words any further, so I got to the main point.

Then he frowned.

“You, who are her son, have co for the first ti to the ho of a person who has known her since she was young and has served her continuously ever since. Yet you an to say you have nothing you are curious about regarding her, and nothing to ask?”

There was no reason to be driven as an unfilial son by such a guy.

“I am sad and depressed that the Mother Empress has passed away.”

As a forr Emperor, I granted the rcy of explaining so he could understand.

“Therefore, I should ask good people about precious mories of her; should I hear them from a villain who tornted her child while claiming to adore her? If I were to be deceived by you, how angry would Mother in heaven be? Did you not already receive the punishnt of angering the Mother Empress and lose to ? Do not anger the Mother Empress any further.”