The Emperor Who Was Chapter 53 : Chapter 53

Chapter . 53

"Prince Leontes! Michelon!"

"Sworn brothers united by God!"

"Praise! Praise the Prince!"

"Since the Prince saved a sinner in the sanctuary, it is surely the will of God Traneha!"

The priests quickly added their voices.

"Benevolent Prince Leontes!"

"It is truly a beautiful event!"

Many were shedding tears. Especially when the Prince helped the boy up and personally embraced him.

"I do not know who imprisoned this boy or who tried to kill him. However, this boy is an oppressed subject of Armatia, and from now on, I, the Prince, will protect him."

As Prince Leontes declared, the cheers grew louder.

"Do not forget today. My saving this boy here today is indeed the will of God. To uphold that will, I will enshrine Saint Marcella's relic for the first ti in this sanctuary that protected the boy who fled from a cruel fate."

"Prince Leontes!"

"God Traneha praises the Prince!"

The priests of the Great Temple, who had been panicked that the negotiations might fall through due to the sudden situation, jumped for joy.

However, the one who showed the most surprising reaction was Cardinal Orlanto.

"God Traneha looks down upon us—"

He began singing a hymn in a deep baritone, and as the Cardinal sang, not only the priests but everyone else sang along. After finishing the hymn, the Cardinal spoke.

"Since God Traneha has bestowed a blessing upon Prince Leontes, everyone here is a witness. Give thanks to God."

Saying that, the Cardinal lifted the Prince's hand and kissed the ring he wore. Everyone was surprised.

The Cardinal only kissed the Holy Emperor, not even the Emperor. The Holy Emperor receiving kisses on his ring, feet, and other parts was borrowed from the etiquette of nobles towards their monarch. Since the Holy Emperor also claid to be the monarch of the religious world.

However, even that Holy Emperor kissed saints. Although mostly on the relics they left behind, it ant he was that humble a servant of God.

Surely, did the Cardinal just acknowledge Prince Leontes as a saint?

Actually, although they say they don't, even cardinals kissed hands and feet well enough when they wanted to curry favor with a monarch. Maybe it wasn't sothing to attach great aning to.

However, a person who challenged the authority of the sanctuary even after fleeing there, the Prince who saved him, the Prince's decision to enshrine the holy relic in the Great Temple, and finally the Cardinal's kiss. It was truly a beautiful and natural flow.

"Ah, what a truly beautiful sight!"

"We must record this scene in history!"

"Indeed, it must remain long in people's mories!"

There were painters and bards in the crowd, but more than anything, the nobles who sponsored them wished for it.

Amidst cheers, the Prince, the Cardinal, and the boy held hands together. Truly, a scene worth preserving whether in painting, literature, or records.

***

"Recently, no beautiful noble lady has had a more sensational debut than this."

Nanette said laughing inside the carriage on the way back. As the Prince's darling, Nanette was hearing clearly the rumors inside the palace offered along with sweets by people trying to curry favor with .

"Thanks for the complint, cute little sister."

Michelon, who threw off his mask and now beca my milk brother and Nanette's older brother, grinned.

"Is this what you wanted? For , just living quietly deep in the mountains in a secluded countryside and saying the old master died and I ca down would have been much more to my taste."

"Sa for , Prince."

When I said that to Michelon, Sir Rolf also nodded.

"I like flashy things. not just flashy on the surface like being studded with gold and jewels, but stories flashy in content itself. Of course, that doesn't an I dislike gold and jewels. Since such things suit

so well."

Indeed, he was a dragon.

"So, the story you ca up with was the best."

Well, it was a story created based on my actual experience of fleeing to the sanctuary and being dragged away by enemies.

Since I couldn't say that, I gave the reason I chose that story.

"If there are people trying to dig into your origin, it's better to break through head-on."

Far from stopping people from digging into Michelon's origin, I even said before leaving the Great Temple that I would give rewards to those who provided information about him.

But even scamrs aiming for the prize money would hesitate. Because if there is soone who imprisoned a boy like Michelon for so long, their power must be imnse.

Furthermore, if that powerful person tried to kill the boy who might be their own flesh and blood, how would they deal with soone blabbering about knowing the truth about that boy.

"You threw the secret surrounding

into everyone's secret. If they stir it up, other people's secrets will be dragged out one after another, so they'll end up choking themselves. Amazing, Leontes, I'll change my opinion about you. I thought you didn't know fun, but once you set your mind to it, you're incredibly fun, hahahaha!"

When Michelon laughed, Nanette also giggled. A smile also appeared on Sir Rolf's face.

It was good seeing my people laugh.

"By the way, why did the Cardinal rub his lips on your ring? When a middle-aged man stiff like a log strode up to you and stuck close, I thought he was trying to assassinate you."

When Michelon asked, Sir Rolf also nodded.

"I also found it a bit strange. Since he isn't the type to do that."

"Cardinal Orlanto rose to that position from being the second son of a fallen noble family. He failed once to beco a cardinal, pushed aside by a cardinal who was the illegitimate son of the previous Holy Emperor. As a confidant of the current Holy Emperor, he is a figure actively stepping forward for the reform of the Traneha religion."

"But no matter if you are the discoverer of the holy relic, treating you like a saint without the Holy Emperor's approval? I heard your half-brother played a prank with a play to shove you into the Traneha religious order, did you join hands with him?"

Michelon asked back.

"It happened in the sanctuary of Traneha religion, and the protagonists were you and . Regardless of whether it remains in temple records, is painted in pictures, or talked about by people."

I said laughing. Nanette chid in from the side.

"If you look at stained glass or murals, pictures connect like a story. If they take this event as a subject, it will start with Michelon invading the sanctuary wearing a mask, followed by the Prince's appearance."

"My little sister is smart indeed? So, you an he kissed it to insert himself into a scene in the series of sacred paintings? And as the concluding scene at that?"

"You entered the sanctuary ard and caused a fight. Whether dragging you out or persuading you, the temple priests had to take care of it themselves. But in the end, I resolved it and received cheers from the people. Ordinary priests just praised , but for the Cardinal, he couldn't just let a Prince frolic to his heart's content in his front yard and leave."

"Then he will really decorate the final scene of the story?"

"He could have appeared earlier. Making it three protagonists befitting the temple's dignity. To do that, he had to take action that would attract attention no less than what we did. But since you and I did most things, he didn't have much choice."

"Still, to grit his teeth and kiss the guy who blatantly stirred up his front yard, he has guts."

"The expression itself is problematic in the first place. According to historical records, kissing as proof of a vow in front of people happens during a vassal oath or marriage vow. But before that act beca proof of such vows, were contractors really the only ones who kissed each other? Distorting pure expression of affection into calculated expression of submission, bad influence was inevitable. If no one kissed from the beginning, no one would be kissed."

"Then why did religion accept such secular expression?"

"Are you saying the representative of God loves less than a monarch who loves enough to kiss the back of hands and feet? That's the logic."

Michelon shook his head from side to side. But I said, lost in thought.

"I thought he was a man stuffy with religious beliefs, moving quietly usually, but he has more political sense than he looks. When the Archbishop seed to cause trouble for the temple regarding the holy relic, he sanctioned him imdiately, and when he thought he offended

himself, he imdiately prostrated. Yet seeing the holy relic secured, he stepped forward to check in his own way. If he is soone who does even things he dislikes when necessary, he might be unexpectedly reasonable to talk to."

"...Take care of politics yourself."

Michelon shrugged and said.

"It's a relief you had even that shabby ring; what would you have done without even that? From now on, wear lots of rings with big gems."

"Okay."

At my concise answer, Michelon was silent for a mont, then asked again.

"By the way, did you really na

after your nanny?"

"Yeah. She was the person I missed most back then."

Whether naming him before the regression, or calling his na after the regression.

"...Looking at it now, it's not such a bad na."

"It's a good na."

"Yeah."

Nanette rested her head on my shoulder and started dozing off.

Sir Rolf, who was quiet, turned his head to look out the window with a gentle smile on his lips.

Like that, we all returned to the imperial palace confidently together.

***

Michelon achieved success quickly in the court. Since he had both a strong entrance and a mysterious identity.

A boy of outstanding appearance who ford a special connection with Prince Leontes, who was receiving the world's attention recently—who on earth is he? Whose child is he? It seems wicked parents abandoned their child, but maybe they kidnapped an enemy's baby for revenge and imprisoned him.

A story exciting just to think about, which anyone could write excitedly with their mouth.

He was so popular that Michelon was invited along with

to Maximilian's banquet.

"I want flashy clothes that suit . Ah, jewels too. I don't have simple tastes like you."

Michelon spoke arrogantly, but he seed excited. Indeed, anyone going to their first banquet couldn't help but be excited, even if it was a swamp of thorns.

"Brother Michelon is as diligent in grooming as a noble lady."

"Thinking that just dressing neatly is enough because the face is handso is an old-fashioned thought only Leontes would have. The handsor the face, the better one must dress to make having this face worthwhile!"

"You're cool, Brother!"

I worried Nanette might be tainted by strange thoughts, but fortunately, Michelon wasn't interested in pants with different colored legs, puffy codpieces, shoes pointed enough to curl at the ends, or powdered wigs. For a dragon just hatched from an egg, he did have a better eye for clothes than .

"You, if you go dressed like that, you reveal too honestly your desire to attend your brother's funeral rather than his banquet. Restrain yourself."

Talented Michelon, after becoming my milk brother and wardrobe officer, wanted to beco a knight.

"Knight? For that, just talk to the Chancellor. Brother Alexander will vouch for you too. Ah, no need for that, Sir Rolf and I can vouch."

I forgot I was a knight now too.

"I'll beco a real knight, not a knight in na only like that."

"What are you going to do after becoming a knight?"

"Well, do you want

to just play and eat by your side?"

"Yeah."

Originally, once Michelon hatched, I planned to find an excuse at an opportune ti to sohow leave the imperial palace and raise him secretly. Since I couldn't keep hiding a growing dragon with invisibility magic forever.

"Now that you've beco human, there's no worry about that, but attracting too much attention from surroundings isn't good either. Stay put until the fickle court's interest subsides."

"I attract attention even if I stay put anyway. If I stay like this, rumors will just circulate that I'm favored because of my looks and connections. I'd rather build up skills."

"Originally, having just one of looks or connections is enough to receive favor well, but since you have both, people won't find it strange even if they are jealous."

"Forget it, above all, I am a Guardian Dragon and your contractor."

"So I said I'll protect you until you grow—"

"When you teeter at the drop of a hat? It's better if I beco strong starting now and protect you."

"That ti it was because the magic was so strong I couldn't help it—"

"So when you use magic that makes you collapse again like that, I have to guard your back for the contract to persist, don't I!"

"You're exaggerating over just collapsing once. You worry about trivial things more than you look."

"...Shut up, and tell that knight of yours to teach

swordsmanship."

"Are you going to learn swordsmanship and beco a Sword Master?"

"Do you think I'd be satisfied with just that?"

It was regrettable that steam didn't co out like before when Michelon snorted.

"Then what do you intend to beco?"

Michelon hesitated for a mont before saying.

"I do have sothing in mind... but let

say this beforehand, dragons can't use magic."

"Nonsense. Dragon's roar, dragon's breath, dragon's fire, they're all magic. Why say such foolish things?"