LIGHTNOVELSTORY “Fortunately, this summons doesn’t mean I have to meet the Emperor formally.”
“You needn’t be too nervous. His Majesty simply wanted to see you before proceeding with the schedule.”
“Is that so?”
Of course, that didn’t mean I could relax. After all, this was still a society governed by a strict hierarchy, and the Emperor was indisputably at the pinnacle of it all.
How could I not be on edge when I was about to meet a top predator, where a single wrong word could cost even a high-ranking noble their life?
After a hurried wash and change of clothes, I followed the attendant’s lead toward the place where the Emperor awaited. The Sub-Palace was a bit removed from the main palace, but both the attendant and I moved quickly and arrived in no time.
“Your Majesty, Sir Wilhelm von Brandenburg has arrived.”
As soon as the attendant finished speaking, a deep, resonant voice echoed from beyond the large door.
“Let him in.”
Creeeak.
The door opened with a sound surprisingly small for its size, possibly due to well-oiled hinges. Following the etiquette I’d memorized, I bowed my head and stepped inside.
In this culture, there was no tradition of deep bows, so I waited with a slight bow until a command was issued.
“Raise your head.”
Upon the command, I looked up to find the Emperor gazing down at me.
Just one glance made it clear whose blood Maria carried. Though the lines of his face were quite pronounced, his silver hair, wall-eyed gaze, serious expression, and overall demeanor resembled Maria remarkably.
“When I heard the rumors, I thought you’d be a grizzled warrior covered in scars, but you look quite different from what I expected.”
“U-uh, I-I’m sorry…?”
“That’s enough. Just my personal impression.”
It appeared the Emperor was merely curious to see my face, as he lost interest soon after. Perhaps because he always had the Knights Order at his side, he seemed uninterested in my exploits.
After a short period of silence, he continued to scrutinize me with his chin resting on his hand. Not knowing what to do, I found myself darting my eyes around anxiously until he finally spoke up.
“So, you’re staying in the Sub-Palace.”
“Yes, thanks to Princess Maria, who graciously provided me with a room.”
“…Is that so?”
For some reason, the temperature in the room felt as if it had dropped a little.
“You’re staying in the innermost quarters of the Sub-Palace.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
It wasn’t just my imagination. The temperature had genuinely lowered. I could see the attendant’s breath fogging up in the air. The Emperor’s magic seemed to be reacting to his mood, chilling the atmosphere.
For whatever reason, I felt like I had touched a nerve with the Emperor.
“U-uh, Your Majesty?”
“…Do you know what that place signifies?”
“I-I’m afraid I’m not familiar, as it’s my first time in the imperial palace and even in the capital itself.”
Despite my response, the Emperor’s mood didn’t improve. He continued to glare at me.
“If you don’t know, I shall enlighten you myself. That place—”
“Princess Maria has arrived—uh, Your Highness, you can’t just barge in like that—!”
Bang.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Maria strode in with purpose.
She greeted the Emperor and then met his gaze directly.
“I’m back, Father.”
“…So you have returned.”
The exchange between father and daughter was eerily devoid of warmth. They looked at each other with voices stripped of emotion.
“Bill can leave now.”
“Bill?”
At Maria’s words, the Emperor raised an eyebrow and shot a glare at me. Not knowing how to react, I stood frozen as Maria spoke to me in an even stronger tone.
“Feel free to leave. After all, Father didn’t call you here for anything in particular.”
Although the Emperor’s gaze seemed to intensify, he said nothing more, and the attendant gestured for me to step outside, so I complied.
“There will be a banquet in the evening, so I’ll take my leave for now.”
“Uh, understood—cough, I understand.”
I suppressed the casual speech that almost slipped out. Even if we were on friendly terms, she was still a princess, and according to etiquette, I had to respond respectfully. If I had spoken casually in front of the Emperor, it would have been a serious blunder.
“Well then, I shall return first.”
Only after confirming that the Emperor nodded did I step outside.
Creeeak.
The door closed.
“Phew!”
I let out a sigh.
The Emperor, despite being an Emperor, had me on edge even for such a trivial meeting.
—
As soon as I returned to the Sub-Palace, I called for Matilda to ask for help. Of course, my family had packed various outfits for me when coming to the capital, but given the distance from Brandenburg, everything had probably gotten damaged along the way.
Normally, Alberto would assist me with these matters, but he had to undergo quite a few procedures to enter here, so it would take a bit of time. It was clear it would be several more days before he could help, so I couldn’t rely on him today.
“Matilda! The Princess is coming!”
While I was busy adjusting my attire, a maid ran in to report that Maria was returning.
“Excuse me, would it be alright for me to go greet her?”
“Not a problem. After all, you’re receiving help from me, and you’re the one serving Princess Maria.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Before leaving, she instructed the maids.
“Help this gentleman with his clothing—”
“No need for that.”
I casually checked my reflection in the mirror to see if there were any discrepancies and then stood up. Although my preparations weren’t completely finished, I had just to put on my outer coat, which could easily wait until later.
“Besides, Maria will likely take some time to get ready, so I can handle it then.”
“However…”
Matilda was hesitant due to her perfectionist tendencies, but she couldn’t argue against the fact that Maria would take time to prepare.
As I headed down to the first floor, I saw Maria entering, handing her clothes to the maids.
“Phew…”
“How did your conversation with the Emperor go?”
“Ah, um…”
For some reason, she turned her head away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“I was able to get permission regarding your stay here.”
That statement surprised me instead.
“No, wait, did you let me stay here without even asking the Emperor’s permission?”
She nodded.
Wow, she’s gotten really bold in my absence. She used to double-check everything multiple times back in the day.
Well, since the Emperor seemed to have approved, it didn’t appear to be a big issue.
Though the Emperor’s reaction had been a bit intense.
Oh well, good is good, I suppose.
“More importantly, I heard there’s a banquet tonight. Can you tell me what exactly that entails?”
Since Maria had insisted I join her, I planned to express my gratitude for allowing me to stay at the Sub-Palace without any fuss, but I realized I had no knowledge about the banquet.
At my question, Maria and Matilda looked at me with expressions that seemed to say, “You don’t even know that?” Of course, Maria quickly adjusted her expression.
“Around this time of year, the nobility from various regions gather to hold a coming-of-age ceremony under the Emperor’s watchful eye. With nobles converging from all over, parties and banquets are nearly a daily occurrence.”
Matilda explained on Maria’s behalf.
“Still, for a princess to participate, the host must be quite important.”
She nodded in agreement to my observation.
“It’s a banquet hosted by His Highness Prince Yom, the eldest son of the Margrave of Wurttemberg.”
“Oh, that guy.”
My brow furrowed at the mention. Maria noticed my reaction and asked.
“…Are you two acquainted?”
“If you could call it that, yes.”
He wasn’t a complete stranger to me. Given that he belonged to a major noble house in the southern region, it was impossible not to have crossed paths.
However, I wouldn’t say our relationship was particularly friendly.
The man had a strong noble demeanor, be it for better or worse. As a noble, he certainly cared about the people he led, but at the same time, he took it for granted to reap benefits from them.
He wasn’t a bad person, per se. He didn’t indiscriminately take the lives of the common folk or seize property through illegal means, so he seemed to adhere to a certain moral code.
However, his mindset—expecting others to endure hardships and sacrifices for his benefit—did not sit well with me.
“Is the relationship between you two that bad? If it’s enough to cause friction, you could just skip the banquet.”
“It’s not that serious. We’re merely acquaintances; there’s really nothing to assess about how good or bad our relationship is.”
And I was sure he harbored similar feelings about me.
“…It’s just that seeing each other can be a bit tiring. That’s about it.”
That evening, we headed to the Margrave of Wurttemberg’s mansion in the capital. The grand residence welcomed us with vibrant lights spilling from within.
The guards blocked our carriage and asked for identification.
“Excuse me, could you please provide your name and title?”
“Wilhelm, House Hoenbern.”
The guard, standing behind his companions, searched through the documentation with zeal. However, since my name wasn’t on the list, he turned back to me, looking puzzled.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see your name on the guest list.”
“Well, I wasn’t invited, so…”
I turned to Maria, who responded in a voice so cold that it would clearly put anyone in a foul mood.
“Maria. Hofburg.”
Gasp.
I could hear the sound of someone swallowing hard.
In this realm, while there may be many who don’t know Hoenbern, it was impossible to find a noble who wasn’t familiar with Hofburg. I reached out through the carriage window, giving the guard’s helmet a light tap while pointing to the heraldry on the front.
“From now on, take a good look at the coat of arms attached to the front of the carriage before asking questions, my dear guard.”
“I-I’m so sorry!”
Immediately, the path cleared, and the carriage began to move again.
Sigh.
I could hear Maria let out a sigh. I couldn’t quite discern her thoughts, but I definitely shared her sentiments.
That the guards of a margrave hosting a banquet in the capital wouldn’t even recognize the imperial crest was astonishing.
I could already foresee how chaotic this banquet was likely to turn out.