Chapter 116. Why are you smiling so prettily? 2021.03.13.
I wasn’t the only one surprised. As if shaken, wide golden eyes looked at me.
“Enrique? If you see His Majesty, shouldn’t you greet him politely?”
At Countess Deverill’s scolding, Enrique immediately came to his senses and began to show respect to me.
“Meet Your Majesty the Emperor. I was surprised to see you suddenly, so I said hello late. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
“no. are you okay.”
“I didn’t know you had a prior agreement with your wife.”
Enrique’s gaze turned to Emily, who was next to me. It looked like he had something to say.
“I forgot that today is the day my brother meets his wife.”
When Emily answered with a grin, Countess Deverill quietly put down her teacup and stood up.
“I thought His Majesty and the two guys were stopping by together, but each had a different promise. Enrique. Will you go back?”
“yes. Then I’ll-”
“ma’am.”
Emily interrupted Enrique’s speech. His wife slightly frowned at the behavior that went against the etiquette.
“Emily.”
“I’ve come all the way here, but it’s too much to just send my brother back, ma’am.”
Then Emily looked at me as if asking for permission. I also had no reason to refuse because it was nice to meet Enrique after a long time.
“We’re not strangers, and we’ve been friends with Prince Enrique since we were young, so wouldn’t it be nice to spend time together, Countess?”
“If His Majesty says so, then this old man has no objection. Do as you please.”
Unexpectedly, Enrique was also added to have a tea time. As I sat down first, Countess Deverill spoke to Aidan, who was standing behind me.
“Nice to meet you too, Count Aserad.”
nod Instead of answering, Aidan just nodded.
‘Even Aidan is shy.’
Aside from me, I was at least comfortable with Oscar, but Aidan had a hard time dealing with people. Although he is my escort knight, he has the status of a count, so it was a bit strange to have him stand behind everyone else.
“Let’s have tea together, Aidan.”
“yes.”
After a while, the Deverills’ maids brought new tea and sweets. Inadvertently looking at the table, I flinched.
‘It’s a strawberry macaron…!’
I looked at the macarons with bright eyes. Look at that crispy-looking surface and delicious filling. It was one of the hardest snacks to eat because the nanny didn’t give me macaroons, saying that they weren’t particularly good for the body. As I licked the macaron with my eyes, I suddenly felt four pairs of eyes looking at me.
“greatness.”
I quickly regained my composure. I couldn’t act like a child whose eyes were shining with excitement over a mere snack. You have to act courageously. I smiled like an adult and asked how the countess was doing.
“I heard that you often have small illnesses, madam. I brought some herbs with the hope that you will always be healthy.”
“I’m just going to close it with His Majesty’s sergeant.”
“I will tell you to tell me through the butler.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After saying good-bye, I was immersed in self-confidence. Wouldn’t that be enough to praise Duke Donovan as being great? It was after Enrique and Emily also expressed their concerns about the countess’s health once. Countess Deverill called me.
“But Your Majesty.”
“Your wife.”
“How come you don’t eat sweets? These are cookies specially baked by the chef for Your Majesty. It will be heartbreaking if you leave it intact.”
“Ah.”
“Even if it doesn’t suit your taste, how about trying one with sincerity?”
“Then would you like to eat just one?”
Pretending not to be able to win at his wife’s recommendation, he grabbed a strawberry macaron. I took a bite of a macaron that was light pink and matched the color of my hair. Wrong.
‘Mmm, delicious!’
The sweet yet sour strawberry taste that spreads in your mouth was truly the best. The kkok was also moderately crispy and moderately chewy.
‘huh? Why is it so quiet?’
When I raised my head, everyone was looking at me with somewhat happy faces. It was the expression my father used to make when he saw me. Feeling awkward, I suggested snacks to others.
“Eat everyone. it is delicious.”
“Even if I don’t eat, I’m full. Eat a lot, Your Majesty.”
Emily smiled and pushed the dessert plate in front of me. Suddenly, I was the only one eating dessert.
“I have one wife.”
“I hate sweets.”
“Eat the Enrique macarons.”
“I ate a lot earlier, so I’m not pulling.”
“…”
Thanks to everyone ignoring macarons, the dessert became entirely mine.
‘Can not help it. I can’t leave anything delicious like this, so I’ll have to eat all of it.’
I handed a macaron to Aidan, who was sitting indifferently, and chewed on the macaron eagerly. After taking a sip of tea, Mrs. Deverill asked me.
“Come to think of it, I heard that Your Majesty has been exchanging letters with Enrique for a long time. It must have been before he even appeared in public, so how did it come about?”
“Enrique is Oscar’s classmate in swordsmanship, so I’ve seen Jim since he was a baby.”
I suddenly remembered that time. Enrique came to see me sleeping while whispering with Oscar.
‘It was cute.’
There was also a memory of forgiving Enrique’s sins by stroking Enrique’s head, who only apologized over and over again.
“I remember the day my brother first met Your Majesty. How much my brother talked about his majesty at that time. All day ‘I saw Her Majesty for the first time today, and she is very lovely-.’” “
…Emily!”
“oh. My older brother must be ashamed.”
said Emily with a mischievous smile. Just as he said, Enrique’s cheeks turned red.
“Don’t get me wrong, Your Majesty. Emily is making fun of her.”
“huh. are you okay. Don’t do it, don’t do it!”
At that time, I was a baby, so apart from being an emperor, I was cute. Because babies are cute anyway. However, there was something strange about Enrique’s expression. Somehow disappointed…? I tilted my head.
“Why is that Enrique?”
“No nothing.”
Enrique avoided my gaze. Her cheeks were still flushed. I said worriedly, wondering where it hurts.
“Tell me if there is anything uncomfortable. got it?”
“Your Majesty.”
Seeing Enrique again making eye contact and smiling at me seemed okay. Suddenly, Countess Deverill changed the subject.
“I heard through rumors that the Javier family had arranged marriages with the imperial family a few years ago.”
It was the first time I had heard of it.
“is that so?”
I looked at Emily. I’ve never heard of marriage talks coming into my mind, so it must be Oscar. So, did Emily and Oscar almost get engaged?
“your majesty. You don’t think it’s me and Her Highness Oscar’s wedding talk, are you?”
“no?”
“I am not.”
Unless it’s Oscar’s wedding talk…
“Ew? Me and Enrique?!”
It was an amazing story that made me jump out. Dad, Gustaf, and even Oscar had never said that to me.
“Jim didn’t know. I hear it for the first time.”
“You just don’t know. His Majesty was only one year old then.”
Emily’s explanation made me wonder even more. Even though I have all the memories from a month after I was born, let alone a year old, I had never heard of such a story.
“It’s nothing to worry about, Your Majesty. It’s just an incident that happened on my father’s whim.”
“I see.”
So, I was more curious. I’ll have to ask my dad later. Now the tea is slowly cooling down and the macaron plate is starting to show the bottom. Enough of the small talk was shared, so it was time to get to the point.
“The reason Jim wanted to meet your wife today is because I have something to ask of you.”
“It’s a request, so I’ll listen even if you don’t listen, but I’ll listen as a formality.”
Mrs. Deverill was ready to do anything I asked of her. However, since I was someone who cared for Duke Javier, I didn’t know what the reaction would be, so I naturally became cautious.
“I put in a request to the guild to get something in the Northwest, but they said there was a Xavier territory on the way.”
“okay. Is that guild evil by any chance?”
I hadn’t even told him the name of the guild yet, but my wife accurately grasped the target and the situation. I nodded, and Mrs. Deverill gave a small smile.
“We take measures so that the guild can pass without any problems.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t even ask for a full-fledged request, but I was able to see through it in an instant, and the business was over in the blink of an eye.
‘As expected, Countess Deverill dominates the social world.’
It is said that he does not come out well because he is confined to the mansion, but he was also a socialite in name and reality. Even if you only listen to the beginning of the words, you can find a clue and see the end.
“Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since these guys’ fathers went missing.”
Cool. I was drinking tea at the words that came in the middle of the day, and I heard a sare. As I coughed in succession, Aidan, who was next to me, handed me a handkerchief. I took it and covered my mouth.
“Are you okay, Your Majesty?”
“yes yes. Jim is fine, ma’am.”
“Anyway… I plan to frequently call these confused children to this mansion because their father has suddenly disappeared. If you don’t mind, why don’t His Majesty stop by often to comfort you?”
I laughed awkwardly.
‘I’m the kidnapper…’
He nodded his head again and again, promising not to be caught.
“I enjoy having a chat with you, so Jim is good.”
When I turned my head, Enrique was looking at me with a light smile.
‘Ugh. Why are you smiling so prettily?’
My conscience was pricked.
***
The Countess Deverill warned, her eyes fixed on Mabel’s vanishing carriage.
“Emily. Today will be the last time I will tune in to your impudent request.”
“Don’t be so, ma’am. Aren’t you happy that your brother and His Majesty are doing well? You care about Enrique in your own way.”
“well. I’m not sure. In the end, what matters is His Majesty’s heart. Caring for Enrique is the second problem.”
“Your Majesty is still young, so there will be many opportunities in the future.”
“A wild thing.”
“It’s better than being docile.”
“It would be nice to mix Enrique and you half.”
“That might be more dangerous, ma’am. Neither might have survived the succession race.”
“It happened. what can i say to you Let’s go in.”
As Countess Deverill entered the mansion with a cold wind blowing, Emily, who smiled desperately, followed suit.
***
On the way back to the Imperial City. Aidan and Mabel got into the carriage alone. Mabel’s gaze was fixed on Aidan.
“Aidan.”
“yes.”
“What are you thinking?”
I still didn’t know much about Aidan, but there was a habit that seemed to be a characteristic that I found out after being together for a long time. For example, like now, suddenly sticking to silence with a heavy atmosphere. At such times, Aidan was always deep in thought.
“I cannot tell you.”
“uh?”
Mabel was taken aback by Aidan’s unexpected answer.
“I didn’t mean to ask you to tell me. I was just curious.”
“It is better not to know.”
Aidan couldn’t speak. How can I say He says he doesn’t like Enrique, who can talk about marriage even if he’s rejected because he’s from a clear background. On the other hand, I ridiculed myself for feeling superior to my situation where I could continue to be by your side. It was too lowly to show pure Mabel.
***
The first hideout and headquarters of the Evil Guild. In the backyard, a wagon was prepared to move the big beast. Today was the day of the long-awaited migration project of red probers. I said goodbye to the probers in the cage.
“Provers. You should have a good time going there. I bought the land there so no one will come in.”
[Thank you, God’s human being.]
“It’s a mountain, but it might be frustrating because the range is set.”
[That’s fine.]
[Thank you, thank you!]
The baby prober flapped its wings and flew up to my eye level. Seeing him looking more energetic than before made me happy.
“Casey. Be careful on the way, do you remember the conversation I had with you before?”
“Of course, ma’am. I will keep that in mind.”
“Then go now!”
I waved my hand and saw off the procession disguised as the top. As soon as Casey climbed into the carriage, they set off. hee hee hee-! It was then. The carriage stopped before it even got far. The adult red prober called me. As I removed the cloth that covered us, I could see two pairs of eyes staring at me.
“Any problem?”
[There’s something I didn’t say. god man. I didn’t believe you.]
“Huh?”
[I believe now. That’s why I say it.]
Red Prover’s words continued.
[The humans who killed their own people and dug up the ground were wearing white clothes. And they used the power of God.]
The power of God?
“…Divine power?”
