Eckart stepped toward the gate of the palace by twisting his body at a right angle. He briefly glanced at Ober, then turned his eyes toward the gate.
“I want to go back to the palace and relax. Please convey my gratitude to the top five cabinet members on my behalf.”
“…Sure, will do. Let me leave then.”
The emperor’s order was just routine in nature, but it was pretty much arrogant from Ober’s point of view. He turned, suppressing the urge to grab the emperor by the collar right away.
Only then did Eckart turn his eyes to watch Ober’s back sharply as he was disappearing gradually. There was a slight smile on his mouth, which then quickly disappeared.
A little later he went back to the road to the palace, with his cloak hanging over his shoulder and fluttering in the wind. Curtis silently followed him.
Meanwhile, Jed, who was standing far away from the emperor and Ober, frowned before the cabinet members gathered to welcome the emperor back.
“Let me ask you this because I’m so curious.”
He often shook his head as if he was displeased with something.
“Did the emperor seriously hurt his head when he fell from the waterfall?”
Everybody paid attention to his unexpected question.
“I understand he had some scratches on his forehead, but he had no major injuries. His primary physician also said there wasn’t anything unusual about his injury.”
Kloud replied to his question properly. Nonetheless, Jed made an expression as if he couldn’t understand.
While staying silent all along, Colin, whose eyes were swollen because of crying, quipped, “Why are you asking that question, Sir Jed?”
“Well, I smell a rat because he has done something very unusual, which he has never done before.”
“Suspicious? About what?”
“For example, His Majesty has never grabbed that disgusting brat’s wrist like that. As you know, he is obsessed with avoiding people he doesn’t like.”
“Jed. Watch your language!”
Mrs. Renault looked at Jed sternly, warning him sharply. Although most of the top officials didn’t hear him because they were at a distance, she didn’t want to see his son run into trouble by talking about the emperor’s character jokingly.
As she did to the previous empress Blair, Jed was the friend and servant of Eckart from the time she served as the chief chambermaid of the empress. As a result, she was extremely wary of her son acting frivolously as the emperor’s close aide.
It was Blair’s decision to have Jed stand beside the emperor and grow with him, but it was Mrs. Renault who decisively helped them maintain a good relationship until now.
“Maybe because the emperor was worried if Marquis Chester would harm Lady Marianne.”
Earl Renault, who was trying to read his wife’s mind at the moment, tried to change the topic with a joke. Basically he was averse to fighting with others.
“You bet! That’s why I’m saying he’s weird! In fact, I was terrified because His Majesty might break Foreign Minister Ober’s wrist. I initially thought something urgent happened because he cut off my words and ran to him. Never did I think the emperor would grab him to play with an eye fight. He went there because he was worried about Lady Marianne!” said Jed, unable to calm down.
Although Marquis Euclid was laughing at him, pointing out his cognitive problem, Jed didn’t refute and just focused on his own remarks.
“It is natural that His Majesty pays special attention to her safety.”
Beatrice, who was laughing while watching him seeing red, broke into the conversation.
Seeing eye to eye with her, Kloud said, wrapping his injured ribs with his arm, “As you know, the emperor emphasized the importance of Lady Marianne’s safety before she left. That’s why he was so uncomfortable with the crash at the falls as well as the wagon accident. You might not even imagine how angry he was at that time. I heard that he was going to behead the horseman right before his eyes with his own sword. Even the Grand Duke couldn’t stop him…”
“Wait a second. Did you say the emperor was going to behead the horseman in person?”
Jed cut off his words and asked back with an argumentative tone.
Kloud nodded at that.
“Yes, he did. I was surprised because he never acted like that before. If Lady Marianne had not intervened to stop him, the horseman would have been killed by him.”
“Huh… ”
Jed couldn’t hide shock and embarrassment at that.
“The emperor once told me he wished I could restore justice and be faced with a cool death. Then, did he try to behead the horseman even without any investigation just because her wagon was broken? Was it true?”
Restore justice and coolly executed?
While others were trying to understand what Jed said, he made a serious expression as if he had been betrayed by something.
“Please have the emperor’s primary physician check his condition again.”
As if he were staring at the emperor’s eyes at hand, Jed felt very disappointed and resentful.
“I don’t think the emperor is in his right mind.”
* * *
After the welcoming ceremony for the emperor was over, Ober returned to his mansion in the capital with his mother, Marquise Chester. On their way back, time passed quickly and it was already dark outside.
“Madam, Sir. Welcome back, ” Housemaid Annette greeted the two at the lobby.
The maids and attendants lining up nearby took their clothes and disappeared.
“How fortunate it is that you have come back safely, Mrs. Chester. I was worried all along after I heard about the news about you.”
“That’s nonsense! Anne, do you think I’ve come back safely?”
Mrs. Chester rebuked in an annoying voice. Her smooth fingers were pointing to the cloth wrapped around her neck.
Annette politely bowed without showing embarrassment at all.
“I’m sorry. I arranged for your primary physician here to wait on standby. Can I call him now right away?”
“Let’s have a meal first. I told you she didn’t even have lunch!”
Ober changed the topic with a sullen voice.
“Well, there is a gentleman waiting for you at the dining room right now.”
“At the dining room? Who?”
“He’s Baronet Yurt.”
At her remarks, Giyom, who was standing next to Ober, stiffened all of a sudden. The sword hung on his waist rattled and made a little clink. Ober looked at him with ridicule.
In the meantime, having heard Arnette’s mention of Artrum, Mrs. Chester remembered what had happened some time ago.
“I remember he told us he would come here at the end of this month. Wow, he really is a man of his word!”
“Isn’t the basis of the deal a promise? I can’t use him if he doesn’t know the basics.”
“You bet. But remember that he’s a trader who maintained business relations with us even when Sir Calvin was alive. It is a piece of cake for him to curry favor with you.”
“How wonderful! I don’t have to wait long to achieve my goal. I think he has prepared a very good menu for us. Shall we go and see him together?”
Although Mrs. Chester did not reply, she did not show any disapproval, either.
Annette quickly escorted them to the dining room.
“I’ll take it.”
Soon they arrived at the dining room.
“Oh, you’re finally here. I’m honored to see both of you. It’s been a long time!”
Yurt almost jumped out of the dining room as soon as the two entered and greeted him, chatting them up.
He was fat and frivolous. He behaved frivolously, so he didn’t look like aristocratic at all, even though he was wearing a gorgeous cravat in a luxurious suit.
“Long time no see! You left for Parse late last year in the fall, so it’s been over half a year already.”
Parse was the capital of the Faisal Empire. The Faisal Empire was one of the closest allies of Aslan, and its capital was not as far away, given that it would take just six months to make a round trip. After all, there was a reason for him to stay in the capital of that empire for such a long time, namely for a business deal.
Originally a commoner, he was awarded the title of baronet after the Lennox War and posed as a nobleman. Besides, under the Calvin’s protection, the previous marquis of Chester, he had a virtual monopoly of trading through lands. This was possible because Chester’s estate was the hub of transportation that was connected to almost all of Aslan’s roads.
Yurt said, “I was really frustrated because I wasn’t able to see you up to now. No matter how much good alcohol I buy, there are few who can genuinely recognize its value. By the way, I’ve stocked up on all the quality silk. If you look at it, you will be very satisfied.”
“Baloney! Faisal’s fine wines are already on the market in Aslan.”
“I know. But I’ve brought quite a few good wines, which you can try for the first time. Now, let me show you. Please sit down. I’ve prepared a delicious dinner that goes with an awesome drink. Hey, what are you doing there? Come on, bring the wine for them.”