Knock knock.
“Kyre-nim, are you awake?”
‘Is it already morning?’
After happily going to sleep on a real bed for once, it was morning. My eyes opened due to the sound of Igis’ voice from outside.
‘Aramis….’
As I woke up, Aramis’ face came to mind. I could still vividly remember the nightmare I woke up from, a nightmare where Aramis was being dragged along by masked knights. Maybe because it was a dream, there was nothing I could do. I had clenched my fists in rage so many times over the course of the night that my hands were still numb.
‘Surely nothing happened.’
I shook off the uneasiness rising in my heart with difficulty, trusting Derval and my knights to protect her.
“Please come in.”
Slipping off the bed, I tidied my black hair. Because I hadn’t been able to get it cut ever since coming to this continent, it was so long it came up to my shoulders.
“I’m coming in.”
Creaaak.
As she spoke, Igis entered the room.
‘Hooh!’
She must have woken up early to get ready. As a princess, her usual dress was no ordinary drab garment either, but the one she was wearing now was a different beast entirely—it was a voluminous formal dress with silver and violet threads artistically embroidered atop a refreshing blue fabric that suited her golden hair and milky skin well.
‘Those gems must be genuine, right?’
The gold-embroidered hem of the dress was encrusted with dozens of small, clear gems. It was a jeweled dress that even the richest people in Korea could not easily obtain.
‘She’s beautiful.’
My honest admiration bubbled out.
Igis was called the most beautiful woman in the empire. She was young, so the elasticity of her firm skin was like a child’s. Such a woman was lowering her head in shyness under my gaze, a flush of faint pink spreading over the nape of her neck. At that sight, the vestiges of my bleariness vanished.
“Come in.”
‘Eh?’
As soon as Igis gave the word, ten maids bustled inside.
‘Are those all clothes???’
In each of the maids’ hands were male suits of various colors and designs.
“I didn’t know what you preferred, so I just prepared them all,” said Igis nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal.
“…..”
Prompted by my silence, she continued, “If none of them are to your liking, you can pick from the next set.”
‘There are more outside?!’
I wasn’t just ten suits—there was a line of maids waiting outside with even more clothes. There had to be at least twenty maids with suits standing outside.
‘Are you telling me these are all clothes for me?!’
Emotion surged wildly within me. Back in Korea, I could count my blessings if I was able to wear one or two suits in a year. And that was only during events on school breaks when I couldn’t wear my school uniform.
But Igis had prepared over twenty suits of clothes for me. If I could, I would have shown her my passionate gratitude with a big kiss on the cheek.
“Please pick for me,” I said.
“Pardon?”
“Please pick the clothing you think suits me best, Princess Igis. I will wear that one.”
“Alright…”
Igis blushed apple-red at my words.
I was just happy I got to do something I’d always wanted. One of my small dreams was to have my girlfriend pick clothes for me, like right now.
“How about this one?”
As if she had anticipated my words, Igis gestured right away to a black suit held by one of the maids.
‘The luster of the fabric is killer…’
The black suit gleamed with a shiny luster, like velvet fabric. I didn’t know what kind of fabric it was, but it looked cool enough to wear in the summer.
‘M-Mithril buttons? Wow!!’
I wasn’t like I was poor, but it wasn’t bad at all to have something like this, so I didn’t refuse.
‘Her discerning eye is impressive.’
I put on a white shirt that looked like a female blouse and the tuxedo-like suit on top. It made a perfect picture with some slim-fitting black pants.
“And please tie your hair with this. Then you will look even more handsome.”
Igis pushed a hair tie over to me with a bashful face. I was immediately intrigued by the golden hair tie shining as if it was made with gold thread.
‘Does she plan on making me some kind of ladykiller?’
I could envision my current appearance. This hair tie would all too perfectly suit my trimmed body lacking a single piece of fat. I would end up looking like some Italian with a smile as smooth as spaghetti.
“I shall engrave the Princess’ consideration deep into my heart.”
When I expressed my thanks with a slight dip of my head, Igis gave me a bright smile.
“The nobles will begin their greetings from 3 pm onwards. If you have time, it would be good to go there on a carriage with me.”
“Thank you very much for your concern.”
Even though allowing me to stay in her palace might invite gossip, Igis allowed it with firm resolve. If word got out that I was staying here, noble girls with nothing better to do would probably prattle up a storm. On that point, this place wasn’t at all different from 21st century Korea.
“Hydranne, Vedka. Both of you are to attend to Kyre-nim’s every need.”
“Your wish is my command.”
“Then, I will see you soon.” With that, Igis lifted the hem of her dress in a curtsey and left the room.
‘Are they taking all the clothes? They won’t be disposed of, right?’
After Igis’ departure, the maids followed like a line of ducklings. Watching all those obviously expensive clothes disappear made me feel a surge of regret.
‘It’s finally time for the fateful meeting.’
I was invited via imperial mandate, but I didn’t think the emperor remembered me. I was merely a baronet, a title you could barely consider noble. The former commander, Count Yaix, went under the table to appoint me the provisional lordship of Nerman, but I didn’t even have the formal right to be a lord.
Therefore, I absolutely had to meet the emperor once.
Because in order to upgrade my title, the emperor’s sanction was vital.
* * *
“Salute!”
As soon as I alighted from the carriage, an energetic salute greeted me.
‘Tsk tsk. Not me, you blockheads.’
The Imperial Knights only saw my foot coming down from the Princess’ carriage and mistakenly fired off a salute that was exclusively for the imperial family. When they realized the recipient of their salute was me and not the Princess, the faces of the Imperial Knights twisted.
I put out my hand.
“Please watch your step.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Igis descend, holding my hand.
“S-Salute!”
Upon seeing Igis, the Imperial Knights were forced to give another salute. They were turned into fools in front of the Hall of Honor where the Emperor was holding the banquet. Even though they were wearing freshly laundered and ironed crimson colored magic cloaks, all their dignity disappeared with a single mistake.
‘Where else would I have a chance to ride a carriage inside an imperial palace? Huhu.’
Anyone who wasn’t a member of the imperial family had to go by foot within the inner castle. Thankfully, the Hall of Honor wasn’t far from the inner castle entrance, but nobles would suffer embarrassment if it happened to be a rainy day.
‘The security is airtight.’
Only nobles and knights were invited to the Emperor’s birthday bash. It felt as if every Imperial Knight and Soldier was stationed here, because the entirety of the inner castle was a wash of crimson cloaks.
‘I wonder how many people there are?’
Igis was imperial royalty, so her arrival time was neither too soon nor too late. However, I was sure that the other nobles had gathered early in the Hall of Honor in order to not draw attention by being late.
* * *
‘Isn’t this the legendary red carpet?’
Before us was a red carpet, the kind that was always laid out in Film Festival X or whatever. I walked across the red carpet that only royalty could use, heading towards the entrance of the Hall of Honor, a magnificent building with dozens of pillars several meters in diameter. After slowly ascending the stairs, we reached the door to the Hall of Honor.
‘They poured a truckload of money into this.’
Within the inner castle, the Hall of Honor was the second biggest palace next to the residence of the Emperor. Since it was used for important events of the empire like war victory celebrations or the empire’s founding celebration, I had only heard about it in Knight Academy. It was obvious to the eye how much money Bajran had poured into the Hall of Honor. An enormous sculpted mural depicted a war between realistic dragons, human soldiers, monsters like orcs on the palace exterior. The murals I’d seen in Europe couldn’t hold a candle to the grandeur of this place.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Palace Butler.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
‘If they’re the Palace Butler, they must be at least a count in rank.’
Just like how regular noble houses had butlers, the imperial palace also had a butler, one that was even a noble on the level of a count.
‘What overflowing dignity.’
The Palace Butler was an important position taking responsibility for the inner workings of the Imperial Palace. One would often bump into bad-tempered royalty, so it was a difficult profession where you had to constantly maintain a smile. However, I heard that the Palace Butler was treated as the most important count among the counts. They were the invisible hand of the imperial family assisting the Emperor in every occasion.
The white-haired, good-looking Palace Butler showed a kind-natured smile as he greeted Igis. Standing next to the Palace Butler were 20 or so servants wearing palace uniforms, giving a really high-class feel. I guess you could call it the difference between a Seoul rat and a country rat. They were on a different level compared to the servants back at Nerman.
“Please wait a short moment,” said the Palace Butler with a slight bow as he entered the smaller side door next to the main entrance to the Hall of Honor.
And then, the sonorous voice of the Palace Butler came from within.
“Igis von Bajran, the Second Princess, has arrived.”
‘Is it finally time to meet him?’
Creaaaak.
I had the strongest nerves in the world, but the thumping of my heart right now was unavoidable.
The enormous door slowly opened.
Shine!
“…..!!”
As the door opened, an incredible blast of light hit me right in the face. The sun was high in the sky, but the powerful sparkle blazing out from the Hall of Honor was unhindered by the brightness of day. Igis steadily moved into that light without any fear, and in the confusion of the moment, I followed her.
‘!!!’
As soon as I was inside, a cry of surprise burst out in my heart.
It was an astounding sight.
The inside of the legendary Hall of Honor was truly a feast for the eyes. From the center of the ceiling hung an enormous chandelier made from cut gems, dozens of white pillars holding up the great hall were lined up on both sides like solemn soldiers, and the floor was laid out entirely with black marble.
Inside, there was a sea of people wearing all sorts of fashions. It was more than just hundreds. The Hall of Honor, which I inadvertently entered next to Igis, was an enormous party venue that could fit an actual horde of people.
Just then, Igis held out her hand to me.
The red carpet continued in the Hall of Honor.
I took her hand.
And then, the train of her dress rustling behind her, Igis walked forward. At her confident steps, the nobles on both sides lowered their heads to show their respect to the Princess.
‘Her fortitude is impressive, I tell ya.’
Igis didn’t cower before what seemed to be not just hundreds, but a shocking thousand nobles. It made me think that this is why she was called a princess. She didn’t have special “queen” cells or anything, but it was only natural that a person who grew up eating steak and shitting on a bidet would be different from a person who grew up eating barley and squatting to poo in their thatched house.
‘The Emperor!’
As I walked next to Igis’ side, I saw a few central figures in the middle. A certain man was sitting in a golden chair encrusted with gems. His name was Havitron von Bajran, the master of the Great Bajran Empire.
‘He has a serious illness.’
He looked pained. The Emperor was only in his mid-fifties, but with his poor complexion and gaunt cheeks, he looked like a seriously ill patient.
Zing.
As I walked forward with Igis, the Imperial Knights standing imposingly behind the Emperor put strength into their eyes, clearly telling me not to come any closer to the Emperor without permission.
I let go of Igis’ hand.
“Daughter greets esteemed Father.”
“Igis, come quickly.”
The distance to the Emperor was just about 10 meters. Igis walked alone to the Emperor and gave an elegant greeting while holding the hem of her dress. The Emperor gazed at her attentively.
“Igis, come sit here,” said a woman with soft features sitting next to the Emperor.
“Yes, Mother.”
‘Empress Nermis.’
When I first enrolled into Knight Academy, I wasn’t well informed on the relationships within the imperial house. I thought that whoever gave birth to the crown prince would become the empress, but then I learned about the Imperial Family’s lineage. It wasn’t like Queen #1 and Queen #2—Empress Nermis was the lawful wife, and Queen Elmiane could be considered a royal consort.
And both women had two children each. Nermis, the empress whose influence was pushed back and buried because she was unable to give birth to a royal prince, greeted Igis with a face holding small wrinkles, a face that made me think Igis would look like that when she grew older.
‘Hooh, then that fierce hen of a woman is the Queen? You really can’t fool blood.’
A woman was watching the Emperor and Empress greeting Igis with displeasure. She was sitting on the Emperor’s right.
‘She’s a temptress.’
If she was old enough to have given birth to the Crown Prince, she had to be over forty years old, but Queen Elmiane’s face still looked like she was in her mid-thirties. Her slanted eyes gave her a fierce appearance, and she was rather decent looking. She was radiating a sexy aura that suited the word “temptress.”
“Quickly take your seat. The banquet was getting delayed because of you,” spat the jerkwad Crown Prince sitting next to the Queen as he glared at Igis with displeasure.
‘I have to take care of him one day….’
Just looking at the willful, arrogant mug of Crown Prince Poltviran made anger rise inside me. I really wanted to tell him to watch his step at night. Today, on the occasion of the Emperor’s birthday banquet, he was wearing a blue suit made with mithril and gold thread and jeweled buttons. I firmly believed he would quietly receive the retribution he was due one day.
“Begin.”
After Igis took the seat next to the Empress, the Emperor quietly said one word. His voice was so powerless that it was only loud enough for the people next to him to hear, but I thought I could hear the Emperor’s voice ringing out throughout the entire hall.
‘A sick lion is still a lion.’
Until the day he breathed his last, he would give off the feeling of a lion, a king that no regular animal would dare to defy. That aura ran throughout the hall.
‘Heh, even the little brat is acting dignified today.’
Razcion, who was sitting next to Igis, met my eye while puffing himself up with dignity. Then, he sent me a subtle greeting with his eyes, all while exuding an aura suiting the cub of a lion.
“We shall now begin the birthday celebration of the sovereign of the Great Bajran Empire and child of the gods, His Imperial Majesty Havitron von Bajran. All nobles, please raise your congratulatory glasses!”
With the Emperor’s permission, a noble I had never seen before raised a glass and informed the attendees that the party was beginning.
Clink. Clink.
At his opening words, the servants waiting next to the nobles brought out glasses of red wine on trays.
‘Ohh! So this is an imperial palace party!’
How could I possibly have the opportunity to attend this kind of event in Korea? It was like one of the foreign upper-class parties I occasionally saw on the internet or news. Holding a glass of wine, I had my first real taste of a truly luxurious atmosphere.
“We wish to relay Our sincere thanks to all the people who came in order to congratulate us on Our birthday.”
The Emperor tried to smile with great effort, but his short address was full of fatigue.
“…..”
Silence fell upon the Hall of Honor in an instant. It seemed no one had expected the Emperor’s speech to be this short.
“Long live His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!”
Just then, the noble who began the proceedings was quick to catch on and called out a toast.
“Long live His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!”
The nobles responded in kind. I also followed them and called out for the longevity of the Emperor.
‘Kya!’
And then, I tipped the wine glass in my hand into my mouth. The fiery taste of the grape wine burned as it flowed down my throat. Sweet but tart, it was really tasty.
‘Eh? I wasn’t supposed to one-shot it?’
When I opened my eyes after savoring the intense one-shot of wine, I saw nobles looking at me mockingly.
“…Haha. What delicious wine.”
I let out a hearty laugh as I praised the wine. However, the gazes of the nobles were frigid. They were all cold and frosty, as if they were in the company of someone they could not stand.
“That unlucky black hair…”
“He truly is miserable company.”
“They say he is someone who looks down on the nobility.”
“Even though he looks perfectly fine….”
A bunch of the nobles whispered amongst themselves. They definitely knew about me.
“Huhu.”
These people probably had an ancestor back in their family tree who grew up in the streets as servants or prostitutes, but they thought they were so much better than me and showered me with disdain. It was just as I expected.
“We shall proceed to the congratulatory ceremony for His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. The delegations from each kingdom, nobles of at least the count rank, and all nobles who received the invitation of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, please step forward,” shouted the noble in charge of the proceedings with mana.
As soon as he finished, many nobles walked towards the low dais upon which the Emperor and his family sat. Out of over a thousand nobles, around a hundred selected nobles walked towards the Emperor with their wives in tow.
And I, too, walked towards the Emperor, completely ignoring the gazes of all the nobles on my back.
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