“Wow! It’s huge! I’ve never seen a building bigger than the Vermont Mansion!”
“Charlotte, seriously. How quaint. Just because it’s a palace, there are bigger places than this.”
“This is the imperial palace.”
“…”
Charlotte gasped in awe.
Julia, who had been mocking her, quickly shut her mouth.
Having successfully completed the mission, I should report to the Empress first.
The kids could have looked down at the Vermont territory, but I decided against it.
The Empress would prefer it that way, too.
“Um, my Lord, is it okay for me to step in here…?”
“Is there a rule that only those of noble blood can enter the palace? Don’t hesitate; step forward confidently. You’re accompanying Charlotte and Julia as escorts.”
“Ah, yes!”
Shaking with uncertainty at first, Julia soon straightened up and took the lead.
On her right was the human butcher, Sylvia.
And on her left was the main character and the soon-to-be hero, Yuri.
He is strong, strong.
Although Yuri is on my side only for a limited time, and I don’t know when he will turn his sword.
Still, I think our relationship is progressing in some way.
Helping Yuri gain strength any further would be too risky.
Is there a way to win his favor without completely turning his heart?
As I pondered, a thought occurred.
“By the way, my Lord…”
“Speak.”
“Do I have to wear this uniform all the time…?”
“It’s neat and all, but you can change according to the season, the occasion, and the situation. Just avoid anything too flashy.”
“Then for ease of movement, how about a skirt…?”
“…”
“Um, it wouldn’t be allowed, right? Because it’s not a proper outfit…!”
“…”
Looking at him with a perplexed expression, Yuri quickly backtracked.
For a moment, I wondered if he had lost his mind.
Please keep your cross-dressing hobby to yourself in your room.
This isn’t a place to flaunt such interests…
‘But strangely, it might suit him.’
Maybe it was because he was so small and his body delicate.
I started to think that, surprisingly, he might pull off the look well.
Curiosity piqued.
Of course, I didn’t mean I wanted to see it with my own eyes.
If that day comes, it means that this world where such a guy is a (future) Hero is already over…
‘Wait a minute. Are those men’s underwear or women’s underwear down there?’
I suddenly became curious.
When I read the letter last time, he seemed very interested in women’s underwear.
Did he end up buying some or did he give up?
If he did buy some, did he wear them to work?
Just imagining it makes me feel like part of my brain is going to be destroyed. That damn guy.
Out of all the hobbies in the world, he had to choose cross-dressing…
“I wish I could go back to when I didn’t know this…”
“Excuse me?”
“…Nothing.”
Setting aside Yuri’s secret tastes for now,
I headed straight for the Empress’s office.
I intended to formally request an audience, but she told me to just go to the office.
“Oh. If you’ve forgotten the way to the office, I can guide you again…”
“No, it’s fine. I remember, so I’ll find my way there myself.”
I thought maybe last time I rushed it because it was urgent.
But it seems the Empress has a passive ability to ignore procedures.
What if someone barges into the palace and heads straight for the office, causing a ruckus?
It really is a worrying reception system.
I sighed deeply and knocked on the office door.
“Who is it? If it’s the finance minister, turn around, finish your handover, and come back! Reviewing the budget plan won’t take long!”
“Your Majesty. I am Count Vermont.”
“Oh, it’s you. What are you waiting for? Come in quickly.”
The permission was given in a very informal manner, and the door creaked open.
Is she at least a little free today?
Even from the appearance of Empress Sister, there was a hint of pretense, if only a little.
“I’m sorry. It’s not like I’m busy every day, but for some reason, it’s a war zone every time you come. Just yesterday, the finance minister discovered that some of the finance department staff were embezzling funds, so I promoted the one honest guy and fired the rest, resulting in this chaos. Please forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. I will wait until your work is done, Your Majesty.”
“Right. It should be done soon… Ah… but it seems like it’ll take until sunset…”
Frowning and pressing her temples, the Empress seemed to have a headache.
Well, she keeps creating more work for herself…
Normally, minor corruption would be overlooked, but it seems she can’t do that.
“To kill some time, would you like to grab a meal at the restaurant?”
“Food!? Can I really eat at the palace!?”
“Ah!?”
Crack!
As soon as Charlotte’s voice echoed, the Empress quickly dropped her stack of papers and looked up.
Only then did she notice Charlotte and Julia, her face lighting up before she managed to suppress her excitement.
“Ahem, hmm! I didn’t know you brought your sl*ves with you.”
“My apologies for the late introduction.”
“It’s Charlotte! Nice to see you again, Majesty!”
“Hey, Charlotte. I told you, she’s not ‘Majesty’… Ah, greetings! I’m Julia! Your Majesty!”
“Hmm. Hehehehe…”
The corners of the Empress’s mouth twitched as she barely held back a smile.
As expected, this person is a serious lover of children.
The Empress, holding back what looked like tears, sighed deeply and sat back down.
Her fists trembling.
“Haah… Well… Seeing that you’ve brought your sl*ves along, I can guess the reason for your visit.”
“Yes. I am returning after safely escorting the Princess of Ester to her villa.”
“I’ve heard the news. Even in Ester, things got out of hand.”
“Yes. It was a dire situation.”
“Even if you say there were over a thousand flying monsters, sacrificing a few dozen knights is manageable. Typically, that wouldn’t be called a dire situation.”
“…”
“Usually, those who meddle this much have ulterior motives. You are quite peculiar. How can you look so unapproachable while being so transparent inside?”
Empress Sister propped her chin on her hand and smiled sweetly.
Was that a compliment or an insult?
It was a bit confusing, but seeing her smile, I decided to let it go.
“Be careful. The Archduke of the North is a rather simple-minded fellow, so he won’t think much of your meddling, but if you keep this up, people will start to suspect you’re plotting something. You need to be more objective about how intimidating you appear.”
“…Thank you for the advice. I will be cautious.”
Empress Sister’s smile transformed into a playful grin, clearly enjoying teasing me.
Thinking about it, she wasn’t in a position to tell me to be careful.
“But Your Majesty, if you keep receiving audiences like this, it might cause you trouble someday.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“I’m saying that the process of reaching you is too lax, which makes me worried for your safety.”
“You seem to be mistaken. No matter how confident I am in my own strength, I’ve never neglected my security, nor do I plan to in the future. You’re the only outsider who can have such ridiculous audiences.”
“…Huh?”
“You look like you have some grievances. Are you disappointed because you haven’t seen me all dressed up?”
“Not at all. You’re beautiful just as you are, Your Majesty.”
I hurriedly covered myself with flattery.
The Empress’s official attire for audiences is overdone.
It’s excessively elaborate.
Just looking into her eyes makes me tremble and feel faint, as if I could collapse from anxiety.
It’s a mystery how I survived her visit to the Vermont territory.
So, I find it much more comfortable when Empress Sister presents herself like this, without the heavy embellishments.
“No. I actually think this natural look highlights Your Majesty’s inherent beauty even more.”
“You’re just babbling without thinking. At times like this, you really do seem like a cunning snake…”
“…”
“Tsk! Enough! I’m tired of looking at you, so get out of here!”
Swish, Swish.
Empress Sister blushed and avoided my gaze, waving her hand.
It seems she realized there was no hint of dishonesty in my words.
Having completed my report, I bowed my head in a simple greeting and was about to leave the office with the kids.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Uh? Didn’t you just tell me to leave?”
“Oh. You can go, but leave your sl*ves here. They need to eat, don’t they?”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ has taken a great liking to Empress Vanessa.]
Despite her harsh demeanor towards me, Empress Sister showed a warm smile to the kids.
I couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.
“Wow! Palace food! Can we really eat it!? Is that what this is!?”
“Yes. What do you want? Just say it.”
“Really!? What should we order? I’m so excited…!”
“Charlotte… let’s not be a nuisance, okay?”
“No way! The palace chef usually makes simple meals, but it’s a special occasion for him to show off his skills!”
“Oh, really!? What should we order…!”
“…”
Rushing forward, Charlotte and Julia squeezed in beside the Empress as they exited the room. Just a tiny bit. Just a very tiny bit, I felt a pang of betrayal.
