Chapter 475

Chapter 475

Chapter 475

Regardless of the presence of the attendant, the expression of the man who poured the milk himself hadn't changed one bit since Emperor Keilusa had left. But just because his face remained the same, did it mean his thoughts did too?

Yuder opened his mouth quietly instead of telling him not to do it.

"Are you alright?"

"What's there to not be alright about?"

Kishiar, who skillfully poured the milk without spilling a drop, looked at the milk he had collected and responded.

"Didn't I tell you? The plan was just to introduce you and have dinner tonight. The Emperor has become familiar with your face and deemed you a valuable asset. That should be enough for now."

"..."

"The Emperor didn't leave in anger, so don't worry that I might be upset. Unless, of course, you are considering ending your attempts at treatment."

Of course not, right? Eyes filled with trust curled up gently with a smile.

Just as he had said, regardless of what Emperor Keilusa had uttered, Yuder had absolutely no intention of quietly giving up or retracting his attempt to treat him.

Yet the reason his heart felt slightly unsettled was because until just before the topic of treatment had come up, the two had looked at each other like the best of brothers. Even without exchanging affectionate words, one could easily guess how much they cared for each other through their gazes alone.

It was an aspect of Kishiar that Yuder had never known.

It was also an expression that Kishiar, whom he had known in his previous life, had never shown.

'More precisely, perhaps it's something I could never have seen,' Yuder thought as he swallowed the cold, sweet cream that wrapped around his tongue and set his spoon down.

"...Of course, I have no intention of backing down at this point. The Emperor seems to want a definitive solution, so I intend to provide one by the next time we meet."

"Good. And don't forget that I should have a place in that effort too."

After finishing dessert, Kishiar naturally stood up and led Yuder outside. His strides were unhesitant, as if it didn't matter that there was no one to guide them.

"Shouldn't we wait until the steward arrives?"

"It's fine. The carriage is probably still parked by the back door. We can just ride it back. They probably expect that I won't be returning anyway."

"..."

However, as they were heading towards the back door to escape, Kishiar suddenly stopped and shifted his gaze somewhere. The ease that had filled his face momentarily clouded, and a low murmur escaped his lips.

"I feel a familiar presence."

Sure enough, a procession led by a noblewoman and several maids soon appeared. Yuder was pondering this unexpected encounter when the noblewoman also seemed to notice them and stopped.

With her hair, which was almost silver, elegantly coiled up, she lifted the veil that had been half-covering her face and smiled.

"Oh my, Duke Peletta. I wasn't aware you would be here today. Has the Imperial ban on your entry been lifted already?"

"Your Highness, the Empress," Kishiar greeted with a reciprocating smile. Yuder too bent his knee in courtesy. The Empress signaled with her hand for them to rise.

"As you said, it hasn't been lifted yet. But I caused a small incident last night that startled His Majesty, and I received a letter as a result. So, I've come for a brief visit."

"Ah, if you're talking about last night then..."

The Empress slightly parted her lips as if she found a clue. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, glancing around.

"My goodness, I thought as much. I figured if anyone could do it, it would be you, Duke."

"What did you discuss with Her Majesty the Empress during the Harvest Festival party?"

"I briefly mentioned the situation after the retrieval of the Red Stone. I assured her that everything would work out."

Kishiar responded softly as they walked towards their carriage.

"It seems you worry about His Majesty's health even more than I do."

The distance from the Dawn Palace, where the Empress resided, to the Sun Palace was considerable. Yet she had walked that far without a carriage, merely to deliver flowers and not to see the Emperor. This likely corresponded with the reason both had arrived and departed the welcoming ceremony in separate carriages. Yuder sensed this even without an explanation.

"Besides, mentioning it in advance ensures that Her Majesty will scrutinize why we visited today and perhaps support us in future endeavors, don't you think?"

The inexplicably bitter feeling he had earlier vanished as if it had been a lie.

Yuder realized anew that the man beside him never made a careless move.

"I didn't realize you had that in mind in such a short span of time."

"Hmm. It was a nasty trick I could pull because I know His Majesty's weaknesses better than anyone else in this world."

Finally climbing into the revealed carriage, Kishiar whispered with a secretive smile.

"It's unthinkable from the outside, but the only person who could bring down His Majesty is Her Majesty herself. Just like the only person who could bring me down is standing right in front of me."

Yuder's perception of the Empress had always been vague, in both this life and his previous one. But the moment she had looked at him, seemingly to indirectly inquire about the Emperor, her gaze was clearer and stronger than anyone else's.

Emperor Keilusa’s Empress, Rosa Faria La Orr.

Even the name, long buried under layers of forgotten memories, became vivid at that moment.

"..."

"And so... considering we wrapped up this evening's dinner well..."

As his whisper grew softer, almost inaudible, only Kishiar remained in Yuder's field of vision.

The carriage had not yet left the palace grounds. This shouldn't be happening.

Yet, even as he thought this, Yuder leaned his head against the hand that caressed his cheek and closed his eyes. Moments later, their lips met, and a sweet scent filled the air.

It tasted like the ice cream and cinnamon cookies they had just eaten.

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