Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Inside the Duke’s Mansion, a heavy silence hung over the four people seated in the Duke’s office. All four were staring intently at a single letter placed on the desk.
On the floor lay an envelope sealed with the royal family’s stamp.
“…What should we do?”
After a long silence, Kashmir finally spoke up.
There was no response to his hollow voice, as everyone was at a loss for an answer.
“The Emperor, that crazy bastard, really…”
Curses escaped from Aria’s mouth as she struggled to contain her frustration.
“Starting today, the daughter of the Kashmir Crisis is to be appointed as the swordsmanship master of Prince Serenon Solarit and the Emperor’s companion. She must attend the Imperial Palace twice a week.”
The letter, written in elegant penmanship, contained such ridiculous nonsense.
This absurd letter had arrived eight days after the hunting tournament. Just when the entire social circle was ablaze with rumors about me.
During that time, I had leisurely spent my days training and socializing with my family, maintaining a low profile to stir up even more curiosity about myself.
And the letter that turned the Duke’s household upside down arrived just when I was done with my training and watching Aria and Kal’s magical sword duel.
“So, you’re saying the royal family sent an official letter to the Duke’s house?”
“Yes.”
“And it’s regarding me?”
“Exactly.”
Arriving in the office called by Caesar, I put together the situation with a sense of unease.
Aria and Kal, who had followed me, fixed an annoyed gaze on the letter.
“What kind of official letter from the royal family could it be?”
I stroked my chin slowly, pondering.
I initially thought it might be a letter from Diego, as we exchanged correspondence nearly every day. Between the risks of rumors and our busy schedules, we couldn’t meet often. But it seemed this was the Emperor’s official order directed straight at the Duke’s house, singling me out.
“Have I done something wrong?”
I scratched my head while looking at the golden seal adorned with a roaring dragon.
“I did feel like the Emperor’s gaze was unusual during the hunting tournament…”
I recalled the wild glint in his eyes as he watched me snag first place in the tournament.
Knowing the original story, I realized just how obsessed the current Emperor Helios I was with excitement, and it sent chills down my spine.
Thud.
“Don’t worry. There’s no way you did anything wrong, but even if you did, I can cover for you.”
Caesar, watching me with concern, placed his hand on my head. I awkwardly accepted the gentle pat and nodded slightly.
Thud.
Caesar skillfully used a letter opener to slice open the letter.
It was a bit shocking to see him carelessly toss the royal envelope onto the floor.
His large hand unfolded the letter, and his crimson eyes scrolled over the text.
Gradually, Caesar’s expression stiffened immensely.
“…Father?”
I called out to him cautiously, noticing his unexpected rigidity.
Even when I called, and even when Aria threw candy at his head, Caesar didn’t react until some time passed.
“This bastard… has he lost his mind?”
“Huh?”
That was a level of swearing Caesar would never normally utter.
His reaction to the Emperor’s letter was rather disrespectful; had someone seen it, he might have been charged with royal contempt. My eyes widened in shock.
“What’s it about?”
Kal, who had been leaning his head loosely against my shoulder, narrowed his brows at Caesar’s response.
“Don’t tell me it says to become the Crown Prince’s consort or something equally outrageous?”
Aria, resting her head on my knees, asked with a tone that suggested she found the mere thought appalling.
“If that had been the case, I would have declared war against the royal family.”
Caesar vehemently denied, his face contorted at the mention of being a ‘Crown Prince consort.’
“Then what is it?”
I tilted my head, and with a troubled look, Caesar gestured between the letter and me.
“First… it’s better for you to see this yourself. Come here.”
Dumbfounded, I approached him at the desk. Kal and Aria followed closely behind me.
[To the lovely darling of the Crisis family, from a friend of your father…]
Just the names at the top and bottom revealed everyone’s madness: Helios was surely the only one capable of such a display.
Without any sense of humor, I began reading the short letter with bewilderment.
My impression of the letter was as follows.
“Helios Solarit, he’s completely nuts.”
He was even crazier than I had imagined.
“Is this guy crazy?”
“He sure is.”
Aria and Kal chimed in alternately. You could tell they were family just from their similar impressions.
We spent a while staring silently at the letter.
“So, the Emperor right now is ordering my sister to be the 2nd Prince’s caretaker and a friend?”
Aria’s sharp comment broke the strange silence.
I thought about telling her not to engage in such conduct with the Emperor but decided to hold my tongue. Honestly, I felt like I’d blurt out something outrageous myself if I opened my mouth.
“I knew he was a crazy guy, but… he really is completely nuts. Does he think Shushu is his servant or something?”
Kal muttered in a voice tinged with annoyance. He appeared as if he might storm the palace at any moment, and I gently patted his shoulder to calm him, trying to sort out the complicated thoughts racing in my mind.
“Can the Emperor just arbitrarily appoint the prince’s swordsmanship master like this?”
“Of course not. The Emperor is simply acting irrationally.”
Caesar’s curt words contained a heavy disdain toward the Emperor.
“Indeed… the Emperor has clearly gone too far.”
It was utterly unacceptable to deliver such an important matter without any discussion at all.
I could remain calm knowing the Emperor was originally this kind of madman, but if someone else were in this situation, they would surely be bewildered, even questioning whether the royal family was provoking them.
“However, a swordsmanship master…”
I swallowed hard as I focused on the phrase that seemed especially emphasized.
Serenon is currently 20 years old. I, at 19, was even younger than him. Most swordsmanship masters for the royal family were wise, elderly men. Yet, for them to ask a younger person like me to be his master didn’t add up.
“Moreover, Serenon is quite skilled, being just one step away from becoming a Sword Expert… Does that mean they assessed my swordsmanship as superior to his?”
This letter, which seemed like a ridiculous joke, suddenly felt like it could be a clever trap laid by the Emperor.
“…Just how much does the Emperor know?”
With my heavily weighed question, everyone fell into thought, leaving questions hanging in the air.
“Did he become interested in my power due to the hunting tournament?”
The Emperor didn’t know the ins and outs of the massive monster hunt during the tournament. He might’ve made some deductions based on reports, but it was clear he hadn’t reached the truth that I was Mir yet. Until he figured that out, the situation wouldn’t resolve itself.
“If that was of interest to him, merely making me his friend would have sufficed… Why the swordsmanship master’s position for the 2nd Prince?”
Even if the Duke’s household held an unaccountable amount of power, it formally served the royal family. If the Emperor wanted to make me a companion, that would have been acceptable.
Yet asking me to be the swordsmanship master for the 2nd Prince felt distinctly odd.
“It’s weird…”
Staring intensely at the letter, I felt unsure of the Emperor’s intentions. While I was deep in thought, Aria, emerging from her stupor, shot me a cold glare.
“Deciding this matter without any discussion means he looks down on my sister. To not even ask for her opinion…”
“That’s right. It feels like an insult to Shushu.”
Kal joined in with an equally icy expression, and Caesar, with a similarly stern face, pressed his lips together.
“I tried to comply with the Emperor’s orders as much as possible to avoid unnecessary friction… But now he’s trying to manipulate my daughter freely; that’s gone too far. Shushu, you must feel quite displeased. Don’t worry, I’ll go to the palace myself today and—”
“No. There’s no need for that.”
“…What?”
I firmly stopped Caesar, who looked ready to storm the palace with a sword at any moment. He paused and looked back at me in astonishment.
“I don’t know what the Emperor’s plan is. This might even be a trap.”
The Emperor could truly harbor ill will against me and be trying to insult me. I didn’t know yet. However,
“I do need to gain favor in the Emperor’s eyes.”
For my future plans, I needed to be recognized by the Emperor, good or bad. In that regard, both the position of the 2nd Prince’s swordsmanship master and the Emperor’s companion were profoundly useful.
“It feels as if a pumpkin has rolled into my lap.”
Two perfect opportunities to endear myself to the Emperor had unexpectedly arisen. Contrary to my earlier thoughts, the situation was unfolding far better than I had anticipated, and a smile crept to my lips.
“And… being the swordsmanship master makes it a good chance to connect with the 2nd Prince.”
I was personally curious about the 2nd Prince: his relationship with Diego, and his attitude toward power—there was something truly intriguing about him.
“This is a legitimate chance to dig into the 2nd Prince.”
I had already decided Diego was the sun of my time. Therefore, I needed to distinguish whether Serenon was a pretentious faker who aspired to be the sun or simply a puppet played by those targeting the sun.
“What a great opportunity.”
Initially, I felt flustered over everything, but the more I thought about it, the clearer my fortune became. This time, genuinely appreciating the Emperor’s impulsive decision, I smiled broadly.
“I’ll do it. Both the position of the 2nd Prince’s swordsmanship master and the Emperor’s companion.”
My declaration left all three of them in shock. With a serious expression, Caesar held my shoulder tightly.
“Shushu. If you’re doing this just because you’re afraid of being a burden to the family, stop right now. The Crisis family is not in a position that would collapse over something like this. I’ll go sort things out with the Emperor. So—”
“No, I really want to do this.”
It was an opportunity that fulfilled both my personal curiosity and my plans for justice. I had no intention of letting go of this chance that had soared into my grasp.
I beamed at the worried faces of the three before me.
“This could be really fun.”
