Chapter 37

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Chapter 37

Sighing, I plopped over the desk and looked at my empty hand. I stayed like that for a long time, then I felt an unfamiliar presence in front of the door.

As soon as the door opened, I got up from my chair and saw the person who walked inside. I grew flustered immediately.

“Long time no see, Lily.”

“Ah, hello. It’s been a while.”

The man with purple hair, smiling as he did that day, was dressed more splendidly this time. How did this person know I was here? We looked at each other in silence, and then I pointed to the desk, wondering if I should let him sit there.

“…Please take a seat.”

“Thank you. Ah, I don’t need any tea. I don’t eat anything outside.”

The comfortable man soon replied as he smiled. I don’t know if it’s because he’s picky or if it’s because of other reasons, but I don’t think I have to worry about bringing out some tea that I couldn’t even properly make.

In fact, what bothered me was the strange signs that came in with the man when he came in. He looks like a nobleman, so he probably has some escort knights.

I didn’t feel comfortable observing him so blatantly, but I didn’t say anything.

I sat across from him and looked at his face, and I felt that his expression was brighter than before. Maybe the problem with his friend has been solved well.

By the way, who told him I was here?

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a stalker.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“‘Who told you I was here?’ It’s just… You have that look in your eyes.”

“Oh, no, no. It’s not like that. I’m just wondering who told you.”

“No one told me. I just heard that a library was being constructed all of a sudden, but then Lily’s name was written as the person in charge, so I came here just to check. Are you perhaps too busy for a short meeting with me?”

“No, I have nothing to do. I’m just sitting here.”

“I came here because I also had nothing to do, but you’re the same. Fufu.”

As soon as the man said this, I immediately felt that he’s hiding something again. He kept sidestepping the subject and he quickly changed the topic, but I know this man was lying.

And he found out the name of the person in charge here. How on earth did he find out?

I asked cautiously, as I looked at him in a good mood.

“I don’t know if I should ask you this, but… Do you work here in the palace?”

“Lily, really. Between us, you can always ask me anything. And yes, I do work in the palace.”

Why on earth is this man acting so buddy-buddy with me? Between us? I’ve only met you twice and I don’t even know your name. He’s got really thick skin, huh.

Strangely enough, however, as I saw him speaking cheekily without hesitation, I just smiled despondently rather than feeling terrible about it.

“I see.”

I nodded, answered briefly, hesitated a little, and then asked the man for his name.

“Well, may I know your name now? Between us.”

“Well, you haven’t even told me your name yet. I’m Kyren. Please feel free to call me by my name.”

“So it’s Kyren. Kyren… It’s the same name as His Majesty the Emperor.”

“That’s right.”

As soon as I heard his name, I tilted my head to the side and asked, but the man only smiled.

Kyren Pencer Demonik Ciel, the young emperor of the Ciel Empire who had set the continent on fire three years ago.

He was the very man who raised Ciel from the status of a kingdom and to an empire, simultaneously strengthening his authority as an emperor through the divine right of a ruler. This was so that no aristocrat could interfere with him.

Actually, I don’t know much about politics, but I knew that the moment Emperor Kyren had ascended to the throne, the power of the aristocrats in Ciel had weakened.

He was regarded as a ruthless devil and tyrant by those who lost their countries to the war of conquest, like me, but he was recognized in many ways by the people of Ciel.

“…Then, um, Lord Kyren?”

“I want you to call my name comfortably.”

“Sir Kyren?”

“Comfortably.”

“…Kyren?”

“Perfect. I’ll just call you Lily, too. That’s a lot better.”

He looks like a nobleman though.

Am I really allowed to do this? Still, maybe it wouldn’t matter since he’s the one who says it’s alright.

Looking at Kyren with a bright smile on his lips, I also smiled slightly.

It should be possible that there’s another person who has that name in this huge palace, right? That name isn’t exactly rare.

“How did it go with the friend you talked about last time?”

“That’s not why I’m… running away. I just came out to get some fresh air.”

Ah, you ran away again this time, didn’t you? You’re slacking off on your work, too. Maybe that’s why he’s avoiding the topic all the time.

I guess the conversation didn’t go well with his friend because he kept avoiding talking about it.

After hesitating, he sighed with a troubled face.

“The truth is… I don’t know if it’s because I ran away when he brought up religion, but my friend hasn’t said anything much for a little while. But it’s kind of weird for a person who ran away to talk about it first, right? So I just waited for my friend to bring it up again.”

“Then after you waited?”

“…He came to me without any notice the day before yesterday. Hiic.”

The delicate eyelids trembled little by little, and Kyren soon burst into tears. I reached into my pocket but then realized that I had already given my handkerchief to this man.

All I had now was another man’s handkerchief, which I had washed so I could give it back to Damien.

Looking at Kyren’s puffy eyes, I handed him the handkerchief that has purple flower embroidery. I’ll have to wash it again.

“Thank you. Lily, you’re really so kind…”

After receiving the handkerchief, Kyren blurted out these words. Then, he blinked a few times as he stared at the flowers embroidered on the handkerchief.

Is there something wrong with it?

“Is something the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing. It’s just that I haven’t returned the handkerchief you lent to me before.”

“You can return it to me any time later.”

Strictly speaking, I didn’t lend it for this long, he just took it with him.

Still, I just smiled. After wiping the tear stains running down his cheeks, he put his clasped hands on his knees and said with a sad look.

“He suddenly looked for me and… just told me, ‘I’ve already accepted the visit.’”

“Huh? But isn’t the household head you, Kyren? Can your friend do whatever he wants?”

“Actually, I’ve been avoiding my friends and delaying my work a little, so…”

It’s easy to understand again this time. This was due to how he said ‘a little’.

Did Kyren have people working below him? To be honest, after seeing him like this, I thought I might not know because it was better to just shut off my brain.

The household might have been taking care of him as though he was a child.

I nodded still, and he sighed, and continued.

“But… while I was away from my post, an allia… No, um, he let that person come. But it’s like my friend and those had formed an alliance and… Hiic.”

“…Please don’t cry.”

Kyren couldn’t finish his sentence and burst into tears, but in my perspective, I could already fill in the blanks.

It’s not like it’s only been once or twice that I’ve heard this man talk. But we weren’t exactly close enough for me to point that out, so I just let him say what he wanted to say.

“Really, Lily is very kind. The people around me always tell me to pull myself together, and that it’s no use crying.”

“No, I’m sure that if there’s anyone out there who’ll talk to you, Kyren, they’ll also say the same thing and tell you to cheer up.”

“I don’t talk to anybody else.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“That’s why only Lily is the one who tells me that.”

It makes sense, but it doesn’t. The purple eyes that were staring at me dazedly seemed to shine with a blue light for a moment.

Somehow, I felt a chill go down my spine and averted my gaze.

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