CH 49

An amazing sight.

So I saw the Emperor. But—.

It wasn’t just the Emperor. The room was filled with hundreds of birdcages, and there were several types of birds in each cage. The sound of birds chirping pierced my ears. 

“What is this—”

“Be quiet.”

Sylvester pulled my arm. I swallowed my dry saliva to try to calm down my surprise. The birds screamed and raised their voices. My head was aching. I’m about to lose my mind. 

“You’re here.”

I heard a voice right behind me. Hiik!  As soon as I turned my head, I saw a huge man. It was the Emperor. 

“I’m seeing—Your Majesty the Emperor.” 

I greeted him with the utmost respect. But I couldn’t hear the words to raise my head. But I couldn’t hear the words to raise my head. 

“Stand up.”

Sylvester raised me like that. As I raised my head, I noticed the Emperor smiling as if he was having fun. What? Why is he laughing when I greet him?

It was so unpleasant that I narrowed my forehead without realizing it. Then the Emperor’s lips twisted even more. 

“You are just sitting down like your wife.”

The Emperor spoke to Sylvester. What is it? Anyway, isn’t it too much to put me and Sylvester on the same line?

I glared at the Emperor. The Emperor stared at me like that, then smiled again and pointed to the sofa.

“Sit. Don’t you have a lot to talk about?” 

He sat down on the sofa. Sylvester also lightly sat opposite him, and I sat next to him awkwardly. Then he glanced at the Emperor.

The Emperor was a handsome middle-aged man. Well, he’s the father of that handsome Callian, so his beauty is bound to be considerable.

The platinum blonde hair that fell to his shoulders gave it a somewhat sacred feeling, his dark green eyes looked deep inside her, and his high nose and thick chin looked strong as if it contained a will to balance everything. 

‘It’s scary.’

I was a little scared, so I gently pulled my chin. 

“I heard you were looking for us.”

Sylvester started talking. 

“Anyway, isn’t it too much to ask us to come tomorrow right away? We all have schedules.” 

“Ha?”The Emperor snorted. “You thought I wouldn’t know that you’ve been waiting for my call?”

“Well. Isn’t that overly self-conscious?” 

“That stuttering mouth is still there.”

That’s right. In fact, Sylvester is the mouth of disaster. I wanted to say it, but I held it in. I thought it wasn’t a conversation I was going to join. 

“You’re trying to put a statue of me in school.”

At the Emperor’s words, Sylvester nodded and opened his mouth. 

“It’s my wife’s idea.”

“What?”

Did he just toss it to me like this? Sylvester, you? 

“Oh, my.”

The Emperor looked at me with sparkling eyes as if he was interested. So I was forced to face the Emperor. 

“You made that plan?”

Since I started talking to the Emperor, I thought I should show off. I nodded my head. 

“Yes. It was my idea to build a school.” 

“Oho?”

The Emperor raised his eyebrows. 

“Ophelia Ryzen. You’re famous in many ways. I’ve heard your name many times.” 

“Thank you.”

“There’s nothing to be thankful for. I heard that you’re an evil witch who commits numerous evil acts.” 

“….”

I think you’re picking me up and letting me go. I thought I shouldn’t stop him. I got my act together. 

“You don’t believe all of those rumors, do you? Your Majesty, I believe you have a question.” I said, looking straight into the eyes of the Emperor. The Emperor burst out laughing as if he was full of energy. 

“You really did have something like that sitting next to you.” 

He muttered, then crossed his legs and folded his arms. 

“Why did you change all of a sudden?” The Emperor stared at me. “Yeah. It was when you saved a child from the slum. Since then, I’ve heard a lot that you’ve changed. Although all of these birds told me.” 

Tweet, tweet, tweet. 

I heard the cries of birds all at once. My ears hurt more than anything. No, the main palace was made so quiet and this place was made into a marketplace. I don’t know what the Emperor thinks. 

As Sylvester said, it seemed like he’s a crazy guy. 

“However, this time at school, there’s a stone statue of me. What are you thinking?” 

What should I say? My head feels dizzy. I shouldn’t say anything against the will of the Emperor here. Does that mean I know what he means? Again, I wasn’t. 

So what I’m going to say is, “I think Your Majesty knows better about that.”

There was only one way to express it. Perhaps my words were the answer, but the Emperor’s lips went up round. He looked away at Sylvester. 

“The Duke of Ryzen. Tell me. Are you trying to dedicate your loyalty to me?” 

Sylvester shrugs his shoulders up. 

“I am the leader of the aristocracy. Now, if I declare that I will be loyal to Your Majesty, what will I be?” 

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

“It means you’re holding hands with me, but you don’t want to reveal it.” 

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But if you put up a stone statue in the school, would it be exposed to the  world?”

Sylvester smiled as if he had been waiting for this. 

“So, Your Majesty should make some investment.”

“Investment?”

“Yes. I have to make a reason to tell the noble that Your Majesty invested in it and built the stone statue.” 

“Ha?”

The Emperor let out a shrill sound, as if he was thrilled. 

“If I refuse?”

“Then the statue will never happen. Isn’t it simple?”

“You’re so arrogant.” 

The Emperor narrowed his eyes and said. I felt like I was sitting on a thorn. How strong are both of them—? So scary. I swallowed only dry saliva and looked at the Emperor and Sylvester alternately.

The Emperor said. 

“You support me in the back and do your best as the head of the noble in the front—. What a cunning guy.” 

“Because I learned everything from Your Majesty.”

No, he told me to watch my mouth. But he’s playing more with his mouth. I slowly moved away from Sylvester’s side. Because I did not know when and how the Emperor would attack. 

“I really can’t stop you.”

Surprisingly, however, the Emperor burst into laughter. That’s also a big laugh. 

What is it? Are you a masochist? Do you like to be criticized? I didn’t understand a little, so I stared at them. 

“Anyway, I’d like to applaud you for taking the initiative. Thanks to you, we don’t have to fight for power.”

Sylvester, who frowned for a moment at the Emperor’s words, lowered his head toward me.

“Ophelia.”

“Yes?”

“Is that being sarcastic or not?” 

“….”

Ah. Sylvester was someone who couldn’t tell the difference. 

“I don’t think he’s being sarcastic.” 

“As expected, what I thought was right.” 

Sylvester looked at the Emperor with a proud look. 

“Thank you.”

“I also want to express my gratitude to your wife. Because you let me not use my strength for useless things.” 

Me?

I pointed at myself. Then the Emperor nodded. 

“I didn’t do anything. As an imperial citizen, it is natural to be loyal to Your Majesty.” 

“….”

Instead of answering, the Emperor stared at me. Then he opened his lips. 

“You had a close relationship with Margaret.”

Margaret. 

It is the name of the previous Empress. I didn’t know much about that, so I kept quiet.

“Margaret has a good eye for people.”

The Emperor raised himself up. Then he walked slowly towards the large cage and unlatched the latch. Flapping! The bird inside flew up and spun around the ceiling. 

“If I had known she was such a cute woman—.”

The Emperor looked at the flying bird and turned to me.

“I would have put it on Callian.”

—What?

“It’s a shame.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept my mouth shut. At this point, Sylvester intervened. 

“She’s my wife.”

He said as he wrapped his arms around my shoulder. The Emperor’s lips curled up. 

“But doesn’t your wife like Callian?” The Emperor looked at me and said, “Right?” 

Based on his fierce eyes, I thought I shouldn’t say no here.

“—Yes. Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

Uh, that’s why—.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

The Emperor smiled satisfactorily. On the contrary, Sylvester’s face was crumpled. 

“If you have any thoughts, I want you to tell me.”

The bird was still flying around the ceiling. The bird, boasting five-colored feathers, flew one more time and suddenly ran to me, flapping its wings! 

“Oh my!”

The bird landed on my thigh. 

W,  what is this?

I rolled my eyes in confusion.

“Because my children seem to like you, too.” The Emperor laughed loudly and said. 

Ah. 

In the Emperor’s eyes, I was a success. I was happy, so I smiled a lot.

So I didn’t even notice Sylvester was looking at me with displeased eyes.