CH 99

The honey-like break with Trixie lasted until the sun went down. Trixie was a strange person the more he saw her. How could she be so lovely? Even so, Leone thought he had a long way to go to follow Trixie. Leone thought of his opponent as much as she did, and couldn’t solve it with his skill. She persuaded the Emperor and even pacified him. She was a great person.

After she finished her dinner and sent her back to her room, Leone sat on his chair in his room and thought about it. He remembered the Emperor’s face. The years of suffering he gave, and the scarred memories Leone had. He wondered if the world could be trampled on like this just because the world was different, but he also understood that the Emperor wasn’t doing it with bad intentions. The rising anger subsided a little, but at the same time his heart felt tight. So who should Leone blame?

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

“Your highness, Your Majesty has come to visit.”

He came right after talking with Trixie. He was a little surprised. Leone got up. How would he do it? If it were yesterday, they would never have met. But Trixie tried. She also touched his heart. He had been obliged to listen to her wishes, as she had been telling Leone that she wished him to be happy, that he would not suffer from his wrath, since he had struggled so much.

“…Listen, tell him to come.”

“Yes.”

The servant opened the door wide. Standing between the open doors was a tall, straight-backed old man.

“Leone. Would it be okay if I went in?”

Even though he had already given permission, the old man asked for permission once more. Leone nodded, and the Emperor stepped out. Across the table, they sat facing each other as their only blood relatives. A shadow fell over the Emperor’s face. He was so pensive that even a patient about to die would be able to trust him.

“What do you want?”

“…Did you eat dinner?”

“Yes.”

It was a silly question. Leone frowned slightly. He couldn’t understand his intentions. Did he come to say something like ‘get your senses’ to Leone again with a face that looked like he was about to collapse? His anger had subsided thanks to Trixie, but Leone’s mind, unable to figure out what the Emperor was thinking right now, sharpened spontaneously.

“Did you come to ask about that?”

Besides, there were no more words. Leone asked in a slightly sour tone. The Emperor made a slightly surprised face for a moment, but then returned to a depressed expression. And he soon opened his mouth with a spleen face as if he was determined.

“Sorry, Leone.”

“…”

“Sorry. I am the Emperor of an empire who should have a broader view than anyone else. I didn’t know your world. No, I didn’t mean to know.”

“…yes.”

“I won’t be forgiven for this, but if you think you can ease your mind even a little, you can take my life.”

It was a rather embarrassing proposition. Leone’s mouth fell shut. Even in the midst of that, the Emperor continued to apologize with a sad face, as if he was in shock.

“Your family… The beings called, I will not be able to replace them. If you take my life, will your heart be relieved even a little bit?”

A sense of apology flowed from the Emperor’s every word. Leone noticed that feeling.

‘This is the truth.’

He never thought the day would come when the emperor would apologize so sincerely. The existence that had scratched his life deeply bowed his head.

“But don’t do it just now. If I die right now… you will rise to the throne. Even if you refuse the throne, even if I dethrone you. The Archduke will never leave you alone. You are in danger.”

“…”

“So, just give me some time. I will arrange a safety device so that you can live freely…”

A drop of tear fell on the Emperor’s wrinkled hand. The Emperor of the empire did not raise his head.

“…What are you going to do?”

Leone opened his mouth.

“If something like a safety device was possible, you should have done it a long time ago.”

It was ridiculous. Safety device? He was a human being who seemed to have a hard time even keeping his place. For a long time, the only thing he could do was stay alive. But now he wanted to come and fight the Archduke? In Leone’s opinion, this Emperor was foolish and complacent. He loved his family, couldn’t forget the Empress, and despite his affectionate nature, he was cold and uncalculating. It wouldn’t matter if he was just human but he was Emperor

Leone sighed.

“Your Majesty’s feelings are well understood. Keep your head up.”

The Emperor had no choice but to admit that he had let go of his hands all this time. It was also true that he was helpless after losing his loved one. Then, he was happy and obsessed with the fact that blood relatives existed, and he hurt the child by neglecting the reality, saying that he would make him the successor regardless of his will. The Emperor had only one choice in order to let go of his nephew. A shameful way to even speak out.

“Grandee… to. I need to give you a clear hand. By adopting his grandson or something. There is no other way.”

Leone didn’t say anything. It was none of his business. No matter what happened to humans, no matter what happened to the emperor, even if the Archduke took the throne, this was not the world Leone wanted to come to in the first place.

‘But, does it really matter?’

How cruel was the disposition of the Archduke, as he had heard from his Adler. In the end, if the Emperor loses, and such a person rises to the throne and devours the empire. Could Trixie, who has to live in that empire, be happy?

The smiling faces of the humans he saw at the festival in Stude passed through his mind. The throne was also a seat for Leone’s safety, but he also came to the idea that he could also be a seat for his happiness.

“So, if you wait a little longer-”

“It’s done.”

“What?”

“I have something to protect here.”

“…”

“If the throne goes to him, nothing can be saved or won. Until it’s all over. I will be here.”

Leone knew that to win this disembodied battle, he had to consolidate his place now. And only if he wins this fight will Trixie be safe.

All he wanted to give her anyway was this world. No matter what the Emperor said, Leone only chose the option for Trixie.

“If you’re going to protect…”

The Emperor stopped rhyming the question and closed his mouth again. He thought he was not qualified to ask the question.

“Come on, let’s go to sleep. I understand what Your Majesty is talking about.”

“…I’m sorry, Leone. I know this is a very late apology, but I hope you feel a little more at ease.”

The Emperor bowed his head once more and turned around. A look of sorrowful guilt filled his back. The Emperor was really stupid… He didn’t fall down a bit.

Leone thought that his heart, which became more and more complicated day by day, was very heavy. Did all humans live with these various emotions and thoughts? The Emperor, Adler, Trixie… Well, it’s heavy. But it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Certainly, warm and shining moments were springing up between the pain. And thanks to those moments, the pain used to fade one by one.

* * *

“I recognized it as you said, but there is no movement on the other side.”

Adler sat down at his desk and said with a serious face. Leone and she sat across from him and sighed. The situation was very serious. The welcome ceremony was approaching moment by moment, and everything went very smoothly. So, Leone came to Adler and robbed him. The reason was that it couldn’t be this quiet.

“Like that, they invaded on a large scale and left it. No movement.”

“At least my informants have no news of it.”

“Knight. Require more manpower.”

“Yes? You’d be hard pressed to find someone as good as my informants…”

Adler made a puzzled face at Leone’s command. She was also a bit perplexed. If it were the informants under Adler who hid Leone from the Archduke for five years, it would be difficult to replace anyone brought in.

“It is not meant to be replaced. Increase it. Like the Archduke.”

“Let’s follow the word… what?”

“Not faith or ability. It’s a matter of quantity. The Archduke has too many ears and too many feet. It is difficult to follow.”

It was not wrong. But wasn’t it impossible to arrange up to that many manpower?

“Money is irrelevant, so I can manage the entire information guild. I’ll bring the person in charge. That would be better than saving one or two people separately.”

‘Hmm.’

He only said the right thing in every case, so there was no way to refute. Adler was speechless and only nodded.

“Yes. Verbena is the most obvious. If you give them money, they will solve it without betraying you. However… The Guildmaster in Verbena is so bargaining and taking up time by raising the price. It will take quite a while even to see the face in person.”

She didn’t know that Verbena’s guild leader was selfish enough to say that.

“Hmm. I’m in a hurry… Is there any other place? No skill at all.”

“The problem of skill is also a problem, but it is because there are many cases where people just jump out after receiving money. It can be disposed of, but that’s a nuisance. Don’t we need to take care of certain things?”

The two men were in serious trouble. surely. In a world full of scams, there’s no better guild than Verbena. Besides, it seemed to be connected to Count Burkett as well, so if they coaxed it well, they might be able to get some information about the Archduke as well. It also takes a long time… to be solved. In the past, she was a person who commissioned Verbena in Stud and had a blast. And Verbena was a group that never forgives eating and running. 

However, in order to use this workaround, she had to tell Leone and Adler that she tried to run away. How to say?

“One mine— sell it. With that money, I think he will come.”

Leone said something nonsense, so she was taken aback and opened her mouth abruptly.

“Why are you selling it! I… I can solve it!”

“Yes?”

“…Trixie?”

The curious eyes of the two men focused on her.

Ah. This body’s habit of being poor…