Chapter 9

Monster Emperor, Kergel (6)

“I’ll be seeing her at the welcoming dinner anyway. So, just tell her that I’ll see her then.”

Kergel waved his hand as he blatantly refused what Lucy had just said on the spot. But instead of stepping down, Lucy hesitated for a bit before stating something that was rather unseemly of her.

“Lucy, what’s wrong? Do you have anything left to say to me?”

“……I think it would be better for you to have a talk with the Royal Daughter yourself, Your Majesty.”

“……?”

Kergel, who was still listening to Lucy, slowly began to furrow his forehead. Lucy continued as he had looked at her with a gaze that seemed to be demanding of a more detailed explanation.

“I told the Princess to refrain herself from going outside the Separate Palace.”

“She didn’t like it—so, did she actually reject it?”

He sighed before interrupting her as he posed a question instead. Lucy then responded with a soft bow.

“Ha! She must have been mistaken that this is just like the Rakain Palace.”

Kergel’s face instantly turned cold.

“Somehow, the arrogant Royal Daughter has done something that is rather unexpected.”

He sprang up to his feet. He became angry at himself for having been interested in her just a little while ago.

She had responded calmly despite the urgent calls for her to step down from her own carriage. On top of that, she even soothed the representative of her own country’s delegation, who had protested with much anger.

Her impression was far beyond Kergel’s initial expectations. It was rather hard to believe in the Princess’s image, which he just heard about through the mouths of his servants.

And there was that case two years ago.

Wasn’t she the woman who had mocked and abhorred Seroif right in the face of the envoys who visited Rakain before?

So, that was the rash and arrogant woman who had almost broken up the relationship between these two countries.

However, the appearance of the Royal Daughter whom he had met in person today was very much different. It was up to the point where he wondered if the servants had actually deceived him.

So, he became rather intrigued without even realizing it himself. It was an interest that had been in a good sense.

Thus, it was fortunate for both himself and the Seroif Empire as well.

In any case, as long as Rakain’s Princess had been chosen as the ‘companion’ according to ‘the revelation’, marriage with her was just inevitable.

It would be better to live with a woman who was interesting in some way rather than living with such a dreadful woman instead.

Moreover, he could only see the future through her…

But his feelings were brutally shattered by Lucy’s words just at that moment.

‘Yes, it is. And maybe she was just fickle. Or, she merely wanted to make fun of me.’

Kergel smiled coldly before opening his mouth at Lucy.

“Okay. She’s the one who wants to talk to me, so I’ll hear her out.”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

A rushed call from Heinez could be heard right beyond his back. Nevertheless, Keegel just left the office without looking back at all.

His golden eyes sank cold—in utter disappointment.

*   *   *

After taking a bath, Roelin was dressed up once again. The head piece used was not that of an unusual decoration. But instead of wearing some comfortable clothes, she had donned a calm navy dress with pearl earrings and necklaces to complement it.

“Oh my…”

Nevertheless, Silloa, who had helped her get dressed, was unknowingly impressed as well. It seemed that she had even forgotten to be on the lookout for the Princess’s mood while tending to her carefully.

It was just then did the bedroom door creak open all of a sudden without any prior notice at all.

“Ah! Your Majesty!”

Silloa looked back in surprise and immediately bowed herself to show her respects.

It was none other than the Emperor himself, Kergel, who had entered without even a single knock.

“You asked to see me, or so I’ve heard.”

“……Your Majesty.”

Roelin was also startled, but she soon quelled her surprise before calmly rising from seat and greeted him. Then, Kergel simply ordered Silloa while his eyes were still fixed solely on Roelin.

“Get out—and don’t let anyone in here right until I leave. I have something to talk about with the Princess.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Silloa panicked as she barely answered him before leaving the bedroom then. As the door to the bedroom was closed, a moment of silence lingered for a while.

He looked at her wordlessly. Roelin was still gazing at Kergel as well. Kergel’s lips twitched slightly as he looked into the pair of blue eyes that were not avoiding his gaze at all.

“Let’s just have a seat for now. That way, we can have the conversation that you really want.”

Kergel was the first to approach the table and settle down. Roelin then moved belatedly and proceeded towards the seat that was opposite of him.

“Would you like some tea?”

She tidied up the hem of her dress and began to open her mouth slowly. Kergel crossed his legs while sitting slantwise and looked at Roelin before he shook his head instead.

“I don’t think that you and I are in such a leisurely relationship for tea.”

“……”