The Emperor Who Was Chapter 60 : Chapter 60

Chapter . 60

On the way to et Rhiannon, Sir Rolf asked worriedly.

“But is it alright to visit without informing her in advance?”

“Isn’t she soone who abruptly sends spies without a word even to , a Prince? She will more than understand.”

Upon arriving at the Empress's residence, Cecile Lauderdale greeted us in surprise.

“Welco, Prince Leontes. It is an honor to see you again.”

Cecile greeted

without a trace of resentnt and then greeted Sir Rolf politely as well.

“I have not forgotten Sir Rolf’s grace.”

“I am always grateful for the opportunity to serve a good person like the Prince.”

“It is all the fruit Sir Rolf achieved himself.”

Sincerity that was not there before could be glimpsed on Cecile’s face as she spoke. Adding depth absent in the arrogant and ambitious noble she used to be, as much as she was young and beautiful.

The two exchanged glances for a mont, but soon bowed slightly again and turned away with the most elegant posture. Looking from the side, like an impeccably neat pair in a dance.

However, it was the final movent of the dance.

If a relationship cannot co to fruition despite mutual affection because of the ones they serve, folding their feelings together here is the consideration they can offer each other.

“You must be the widely rumored Michelon.”

“It is an honor to et you.”

Cecile welcod Michelon gladly and offered her hand. Michelon kissed it elegantly too. It seed he was learning such things from Brother Alexander. To think his attitude toward won is more natural than mine.

“Her Majesty the Empress is not present. I will send a ssage, so please wait a mont.”

Cecile said Rhiannon had gone out for a walk. Cecile, who had been pushed out from the position of closest aide who never leaves the Empress's side but seed unbothered by that fact, guided us to the drawing room.

It was a very impressive room. Because I had seen it a lot sowhere.

Walls almost covered with mirrors, marble pillars, crystal chandeliers, red carpet on the marble floor, and a luxurious chair placed in the center. It was completely different from a noble lady's residence, which usually had a delicate, bright, and charming atmosphere.

‘She set up her own little audience chamber.’

Other chairs were placed in front of that chair, separated from it. Truly an ambitious Empress.

In the drawing room, instead of the golden dragon relief on the audience chamber wall, a huge portrait hung. It was a painting of the Emperor and Empress on their wedding day, showing the couple sitting side by side wearing crowns and wedding attire.

A painting with the exact sa composition hung in Maximilian’s residence. Of Imperial Father and Imperial Mother. Rhiannon had the painter who drew that picture draw the exact sa picture with only the models changed.

-Oh my, Her Majesty the Empress seems to be trying to imitate everything of the late Empress Erngarde.

People ridiculed her like that, but when Rhiannon really imitated everything, they were dumbfounded and shut their mouths. Like that, Rhiannon snatched every legacy her mother left behind, making those who did not know or were new mistake them as originally hers. It was the point Maximilian and Grimiati could not tolerate the most.

“Please sit here, Prince Leontes.”

The seat Cecile guided

to was directly facing the Empress in the portrait. Even without using clairvoyance magic, I could feel the eyes in the painting moving.

Rhiannon preferred traditional spying thods over magic. Although she could see comfortably using magic, she enjoyed watching with her naked eyes through the portrait herself. Before the regression, she taught

the sa.

-You must not leave it only to subordinates. You must put effort into important opponents yourself. How did I join hands with His Majesty the Emperor? How did I marry His Majesty the late Emperor? Do not just gape and admire like foolish and lazy people, but learn.

But even if I learned the Empress's thods half-forcibly, it was enough to pay back the Empress faction exactly. Since I would fight in my own way.

The eyes in the portrait disappeared, and a mont later, perhaps because she ran hurriedly dragging her skirt at the news of my arrival, the door burst open. What outing, she must have been hiding behind the portrait watching my reaction first—

“…It’s Desmond.”

Then Desmond, who had just entered leading the Lauderdale knights, frowned at my words and said.

“Why, Brother Leontes. Are you disappointed that I ca when you were waiting for Imperial Mother?”

“Of course I am disappointed. If I am not disappointed here, you would be proven wrong. As an older brother, I should do at least that much.”

Cecile and another maid preparing refreshnts, Sir Rolf and Michelon staring blankly at us brothers, and all the Lauderdale people entering behind Desmond paused. Silence fell. A feeling of forcibly holding back laughter because it was funny. Even Sir Edward.

“Please stop with the unfunny jokes.”

Desmond alone found it unfunny.

“Since my younger brother finds it unfunny, I should keep my mouth shut until Her Majesty the Empress cos.”

But Desmond imdiately approached my side and gestured with his chin to Michelon sitting next to .

“Move.”

Then Sir Edward, as well as all the Lauderdale knights, glared at Michelon, who was obediently standing up.

They hated Michelon imnsely. It was because even though he was a parvenu commoner like them, he received not even half the insults they did. Rather, he was praised as the protagonist of a beautiful story and was highly popular.

“Did you bring that guy all the way here, not content with the First Prince’s residence?”

Desmond said, glaring at Michelon.

“He is my foster brother; why do you persecute him? Since you hate him, a subject of Armatia, without reason, I should treat him even better.”

Saying so, I turned my head to Michelon and said.

“Sit.”

Michelon did not sit. Rather, he spoke with a detestably admirable face.

“No. Since Prince Desmond seems to want to sit by Prince Leontes’s side, I will move aside.”

He even pointed to the chair he had been sitting on with his hand.

Usually, one would feel ashad hearing such words, but there was no such virtue as sha among us brothers.

“You are not witless.”

Desmond said, sitting next to

leaving many other chairs alone. Yet he was not thankful either.

“Move faster next ti.”

“Of course, Prince.”

Michelon said. To , he chirped like a chick since babyhood asserting dragon pride, but to other princes, he catered to them slyly well.

Even now, although he had a nonchalant face on the outside, he was laughing inside about sothing so funny. I know just by looking at his face. But I don't know why he is laughing.

“Since you are my older brother, you should pay more attention to , your younger brother. Why suddenly make a foster brother?”

“When you had no interest in

either.”

“What nonsense is that? I always had a lot of interest in you, Brother. It was you who had no interest in .”

Desmond spouted crazy talk wildly.

“Is that ddling or interest?”

“If you accepted it well, it would be interest, but since you disliked it, it beca ddling.”

“Since you behave badly, how can I accept it well?”

“You always see

only as Imperial Mother’s son and not as your younger brother, so how am I supposed to behave well?”

“When you cannot get out from under Her Majesty the Empress’s skirt, what am I supposed to do? Why do you tornt , who ca to Her Majesty the Empress even now and is sitting in her drawing room? do you think I ca to et you?”

Saying so, I did not wait for Desmond’s response and turned my head to complain to Cecile and the other maid.

“I ca to see Her Majesty the Empress, but taking advantage of Her Majesty’s absence, Prince Desmond is acting like the master.”

“Forgive us, Prince Leontes.”

“We apologize, Prince.”

The two maids bowed smoothly. When Desmond bit his lip, Michelon spoke.

“Prince, isn’t he still your younger brother? Since you t like this, wouldn’t it be better to tell Prince Desmond your business as well?”

“How dare you interfere in the affairs of princes?”

Desmond snapped. Michelon apologized imdiately.

“I apologize, Prince Desmond. As per Your Highness's words, I also think the undeserved favor Prince Leontes bestows upon

should rightly go to Prince Desmond, so I ended up acting rashly.”

“Although you are presumptuous and foolish, you do not speak wrong words.”

Saying so, Desmond looked at

provocatively.

I looked at Michelon for a mont. That face brazenly not showing any inner laughter.

But it wasn't a wrong thought either. The Empress was a truly busy person, and instead of waiting until she returned, there was no harm in probing Desmond as much as possible. Since if it were the Empress, upon hearing I visited, she would either return imdiately or make

wait for hours; there would be no middle ground.

“Then let us go to your residence and talk.”

Saying so, I stood up imdiately.

“I received your hospitality well. Tell Her Majesty the Empress that I will visit again.”

If she is curious why I ca, she will call

as soon as she returns.

The other maid looked flustered, but Cecile bowed calmly.

“I will inform Her Majesty the Empress well. Farewell, Prince Leontes.”

Desmond seed surprised at first, but soon guided

to his residence and said cheerfully.

“That is a good idea. Whatever business Brother ca to Imperial Mother for, there is nothing you cannot discuss with .”

The residence he guided

to was not the one I used to stay in.

It was close to the Empress's residence, and although not as much as the original residence, it was still a considerably good residence.

“You asked to swap residences with , but in the end, you did not swap.”

“I did swap. But how can a Prince of Armatia live in such a place?”

Desmond answered brazenly.

“It was Her Majesty the Empress who made

live there continuously since birth.”

“Exactly so. It wasn't . Distinguish between

and Imperial Mother now. Wasn't I the very person who got you out of there by swapping residences?”

“You oppressed

together with Her Majesty the Empress until now and benefited from it. To act brazenly now?”

“I was born as Imperial Mother’s son and at the sa ti as your younger brother. Should I lant that fact like you? Rather than that, I just take all the benefits I can get.”

Greed flashed in the eyes of the guy one year younger than .

Eyes that know no lack since birth, but also know no satisfaction.

“Then let’s see if you are indeed my younger brother as well, or just Her Majesty the Empress’s son.”

At my words, Desmond smiled challengingly.

Then he ordered the attendant who ca out to greet us.

“Treat my brother’s entourage well.”

Then he tried to leave Sir Rolf and Michelon in the drawing room and take only

to his study.

“I will leave my knights in the drawing room as well.”

“This is your residence and you have more knights; is it the sa to leave my knights?”

I wasn't worried about being alone with him, but about leaving Sir Rolf and Michelon alone with the Lauderdale knights. If they get caught by Michelon who smiles on the outside, even if they are Lauderdale guys, their future becos pitiable. Especially Sir Edward, who has strong aggression and is glaring equally at Sir Rolf and Michelon even now.

“If you don’t trust , trust Maximilian at least. Let’s say sothing happens to you in my residence. Will Maximilian stay still? If it were Maximilian, the mont I do anything to you, no, even if I didn't, he would insist I did and attack . Do you think I am a fool who doesn't know even that?”

“No way. I pay respect to your infinite wisdom.”

“Honestly, if you dislike being alone with , I have no choice but to suspect if you plotted with Maximilian.”

The young guy frowning and talking back was cheeky.

In fact, it was comfortable for

to talk alone with him too. Since if I brought my people, he would bring his people too.

Desmond’s study, which only the two of us entered, was full of various books on monarchy, military strategy, and war studies. Our Nanette reads books evenly though.