“You’re skinnier than you were when I took your last measurement, Lord Liteitia. I think you went through a lot.”
Veronay, the Imperial tailor who took care of my wedding attire, approached me with concern.
She stuck to my figure, as Veronay had been in charge of my wardrobe for the second and third time since the first results briefing.
“If you don’t eat more…”
Meyer, who was watching me on the other side, grunted and clicked his tongue.
I replied while raising my arm so that Veronay could open the pin at my waist.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of food. I’m still eating enough.”
Stocking up on calories for energy even if I didn’t have an appetite had been a habit since my expedition days.
Recently, I ate more carefully because my head wouldn’t work if I ran out of glucose.
Meyer said, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.
“Tell me if there are people who talk about your decision and bother you.”
“What are you going to say?”
“I have to deal with them properly.”
“Even if my title is Tyrant, I don’t want to use it before I ascend to the throne.”
I listened to Meyer’s words in one ear and out the other. Meyer sighed as if I were frustrated, but I couldn’t listen to Meyer.
Meyer sighed and cried.
“Anyway, you tend to buy work… Wait a minute, the skirt is not good enough. Let’s try to catch it more abundantly.”
“Yes. This much?”
“Hm… A little longer. Hold the waistline up by a finger.”
Veronay followed Meyer’s orders to the letter.
In the meantime, I glanced through the list of documents Mary held.
After finishing the pin in her mouth, Veronay urged the newcomer next to her.
“Rookie, hour pin.”
“… What? Yes!”
At that moment, the new tailor was bewildered and hurriedly handed a pin. Veronay opened her eyes in a triangular shape and polished the newcomer.
“Get a hold of yourself.”
I kept standing as if I couldn’t believe it every time Meyer said a word, and I ended up hearing one word.
Indeed. How could “that” Black Knight be so sensitive about a centimeter in skirt length? It would be hard to believe it even with both eyes.
Of course, Veronay and the other tailor, who were well aware of Meyer’s tiresome nature due to past performance reports, just silently followed Meyer’s orders.
And so, after the last gab of dresses, one of the most important ones, I sat down side by side with Meyer and sighed.
“I’m glad you and I are both silver and gray.”
“Why?”
“Otherwise, I would have had a bunch of gray hairs that would have stood out like a sore thumb.”
Meyer chuckled at my flattery and poured tea into my teacup.
“Hair covered with mana doesn’t fade anyway.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
The moment I shrugged my shoulders and reached out to the teacup, an administrator rushed to find me.
“Lord Liteitia. We’ve found overlapping territories.”
“Oh, my.”
It was a matter I had no choice but to attend.
I took my hand off the teacup and laughed bitterly.
“I don’t have time for a cup of tea.”
“Let’s drink as much as we want after everything is over. Then let’s make it your favorite drink, not tea.”
Meyer also swallowed a note of regret as much as he understood the situation.
How did my Meyer become so considerate?
Proudly, I stroked Meyer’s cheek and whispered.
“I look forward to our joint drink.”
“I’ll try my best.”
Meyer nodded passionately.
If he’s willing to work so hard in person, he must bring some pretty nice drinks. One more reason to expect a wedding. I clucked my tongue.
The hectic schedule continued after that.
After so much time, the long-awaited title ceremony and my wedding day were just around the corner.
***
Grand banquet hall of the Imperial Palace.
The expeditions and the famous nobility gathered.
At the time of the title ceremony, to avoid confusion, the members of the expeditions who were to receive their own titles were informed in advance.
They had been active at the time of the last battle of this Holy Demon War, and they had actively closed the dungeon…
The faces of the expedition members receiving titles were greatly anticipated. Those who would not receive titles would also receive appropriate rewards and examples, so they could not feel bad. A joyful atmosphere filled the banquet hall with everyone happy.
The Black Knights also all entered the banquet hall with their uniforms on.
This day had finally come, hadn’t it? I thought it would never come.
I sighed as I recalled the two weeks of hard work. Even that was a blessing that it was not me who would be giving down the titles. Anasta asked anxiously.
“Vice Commander, are you alive?
“Sure. I’m here because I’m alive.”
“Can you make it to the wedding? Do you want me to use healing magic?”
“Amazingly, August has already used it once.”
I replied with a vague smile.
I was not physically fatigued, but only mentally fatigued, which was not helped by August’s curative magic.
And the main culprit of my mental fatigue was these very gazes that were glancing down at me.
I thought I had gotten used to these kinds of gazes since I became the Vice Commander of the Black Knights… The Reserve Grand Duke and the Reserve Emperor had different dimensions of attention.
Meyer looked at me with concern.
“You can go and rest if you’re tired. If push comes to shove, we can even postpone the wedding.”
“That’s a terrible idea. I’ve been waiting for today.”
I shook my head in surprise.
It’s an opportunity to get it over with and be free, what postponing? If we postpone the wedding, we won’t just be left with the wedding!
Perhaps mistaking my reluctance as a rebuttal of my expectation of the wedding that much, Meyer coughed with a little joyous expression.
At that moment, the emperor entered the banquet hall with the sound of a trumpet announcing his arrival. The fur cloak that hung over his aged shoulders looked heavier than ever today.
No wonder, the emperor’s plan was to give Meyer the throne by now and enjoy his retirement from recreation and care.
Unexpected imperial education had prolonged his imperial term.
When he came down from the throne, he would be treated and respected by the emperor, so I wanted to give it to him as soon as possible anyway, and I wanted to rest.
But it was not Meyer, who was a Grand Duke, who took the throne, but me, a commoner…
And as a result, the emperor had no choice but to keep his seat.
The emperor sat on the throne, and the emperor’s representative solemnly cleared his throat.
The spokesman said when everyone was quiet.
“Thanks to the outstanding fighting spirit of the heroes of the turnaround, we have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the Empire for the first time in seventeen years. As was the case at the beginning of the empire, titles will be given by the heroes who defeated the Demon King according to the custom of our ancestors. Those who have been called up will now be. The Flame Mage, Axion Flama!”
While everyone was cheering with their fingers crossed, Axion rode out majestically with his chest wide open.
I, too, applauded enthusiastically as I congratulated those receiving their titles.
Axion and the other five who participated in the Demon King’s War received the title of Grand Duke.
Since Meyer had been a Grand Duke from the beginning, it made no sense for him to receive an additional Grand Duke’s title, and instead, he was provided with a territory with substantial plains and mines.
Of course, it was I who took care of the territory and the distribution of compensation.
‘Meyer’s is mine, after all. It was an emergency pocket of gold that I, as emperor, could legally operate.’
It was August, Sevi, and then Julieta’s turn.
From a distance, I could see Julieta’s parents, full of anticipation.
It should have been a futile expectation.
But I didn’t dare to tell them. They would soon find out in person.
“God’s Mace, Julieta Castrum!”
“… What?”
“Why is Julieta a Castrum? That girl is a Klawa! That’s outrageous! There’s something wrong!”
They couldn’t believe it and made a fuss. But it was a trivial attempt. They were soon taken away by the Imperial Guard.
In fact, they could have been kept out of the banquet hall from the start.
But, respecting Julieta’s wish that it would be better to see them in person than to hear their stories, I simply left it as it was.
Julieta looked back at Robur with a satisfied smile on her face. Robur also turned to her with a smile.
People who appeared to be members of Nova’s family were also present at the ceremony. As commoners, they were not eligible to attend the ceremony, but they were exceptionally attentive.
I could not find any resemblance to Nova’s sister, who he said looked like me, in any way.
Nova’s sister had broad shoulders and a thick frame, as was typical of Nova’s lineage, but she, too, must have demonstrated her ability if she held an ax.
‘What a bummer, what a bummer.’
The habit of bringing in good personnel at the first sign of trouble was about to be triggered again. I didn’t have to fight the demons anymore, so it was all over. I had abandoned my unfulfilled desire to.
Tragula and Robur, the elite and unit leaders of the Black Knights, were given the title of marquess.
I wondered if they considered a countship at most. They looked bewildered by the higher title than expected.
“Golden Falcon, Tragula Cornu. I give you the title of Marquis along with the region of Cornu.”
However, the Cornu region would have meant more to Tragula than the marquisate.
This was because the Cornu region included the Countdom of Nerus. Externally, it was supposed to be a name to intervene and care about the business of Countess Nerus.
Perhaps realizing this fact, a shaken emotion welled up in the light green eyes of Tragula, who was anointed by the emperor.
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