“My sister… is it?”
“Yes. Your half-sister. Irene Vermont has been secretly searching for Neomium in the black market since eight years ago, and she finally won the bid after a year. The winning bid was five times the amount at the last auction. It’s safe to say that the current owner of Neomium is undoubtedly Irene Vermont.”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is demanding that we immediately invade your sister’s house!]
For a moment, I was left speechless in shock.
I didn’t expect to get my hands on the Neomium right away just because I learned its whereabouts.
It would take time to approach its owner.
I was thinking that negotiating with him over the Neomium would also consume quite a bit of time. The chunk of Neomium was much closer than I had imagined.
‘But why does it have to be Irene?’
Of course, it was true that she was a hassle to track down.
However, dealing with Irene was quite burdensome.
If it were up to me, I’d want to go straight to her and say, “I know you have the Neomium, so sell it to me cheaply.”
But then I recalled her long nails that used to scratch my cheeks and the sharp heels that pressed into my thighs, making my groin tingle with discomfort.
This won’t be easy.
“Thank you for the valuable information, Your Majesty.”
“It’s nothing special, so no need to make a fuss. You may ask for such trivial favors whenever you wish. After all, it’s just between you and me. A small request is nothing, right?”
“…”
The Empress Sister looked at me with a smirk, her eyes sparkling.
For a moment, my heart nearly stopped. Of course, part of it was due to how beautiful her smile was…
But that wasn’t all!
What on earth was it?
After racking my brain for a moment and going through some anguish, I finally understood the true intent hidden behind the Empress’s enchanting smile.
“What you mean is… that Your Majesty can also make ‘light requests’ of me anytime, isn’t it?”
“Heh. You’re quite quick on the uptake. Isn’t it good? We can exchange light requests and help each other out.”
“I’ll consider it positively, Your Majesty.”
“…Your eyes are clearly showing you dislike it. You little rascal.”
I almost fell into a trap.
Just because she said it was a light request, I couldn’t just go around agreeing to everything, as it would be troublesome when it comes time to ‘repay’ Empress Sister.
From my perspective, she never lets someone she likes rest easily.
She’s a harsh person to everyone, including herself. If someone is even slightly capable and has a decent character, she takes advantage of them as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Just looking at how she can wipe out an entire department in a single morning when she doesn’t like someone is telling enough.
Empress Sister has no ‘certain limits.’
Once you start being used by her, it’s impossible to gauge just how much she’ll exploit you, and that’s the scariest part.
Therefore, it’s best not to give her any leverage from the start.
A one-on-one relationship where we exchange benefits on the spot is ideal.
The moment you start extending credit, that’s when the gates of hell open.
“The palace needs talents like you. The door is always open, so if you change your mind, feel free to say so. Oh, and one more thing. I almost forgot to mention. Your green-haired sl*ve.”
“Are you talking about Charlotte?”
“Yes. After investigating that girl’s sword from various angles, it seems it’s anything but an ordinary weapon. The ministers have expressed their doubts about her being a magic knight and have requested an investigation…”
“…”
Clink.
I felt a cold sweat trickle down my neck.
Emperor Sister then brought her lips close to my ear and whispered quietly.
“Could it be that a loyal vassal like Count Vermont would dare hide a magic knight from me? I scolded and dismissed them all.”
“…!?”
A chill ran down my spine at the voice of Empress Sister, right by my ear.
A magic knight is a rare being who awakens their powers when they wield a special sword.
Charlotte is making a name for herself as a dark knight.
However, I had been harboring suspicions that Charlotte might be a magic knight for a while.
But according to imperial law, magic knights must be bound to the imperial family as soon as they awaken their talent.
That’s why I hadn’t tried to correct her ominous title of dark knight.
I also hadn’t tried to investigate whether she was a magic knight or not.
I thought I could bury it just like this…
“Surely, a loyal vassal like you wouldn’t even think of deceiving me, right?”
“Yes. Th-that’s right…”
“Indeed, it’s just like you. You never disappoint me.”
Empress Sister patted my shoulder lightly and walked ahead.
Interpreting what she just said goes like this.
‘I’ve given you a chance. Make sure to behave yourself.’
This is a big deal.
I hadn’t intended to get involved with Empress Sister’s side at all.
When I regained my senses, I realized I had somehow become entangled with Empress Sister’s loyal line, skewered from my mouth to my backside.
I didn’t want to step into the painful world of politics…
When I returned to the kitchen with Empress Sister, who wore a satisfied expression, I could see the children engrossed in conversation while devouring their food.
“Hmm? Hmm? Why? If it’s made in the palace, shouldn’t it taste better?”
“I think the cream pasta from the mansion tastes better, Charlotte…”
Whisper, Whisper.
She thought she was speaking quietly, but everyone could hear her clearly from afar.
That the food at the Vermont estate was better than the food in the Imperial Palace…
I don’t cook the food myself, but for some reason, I felt proud.
“Is the food at the Vermont estate that good?”
“Yeah! Yuri… Yuria, you should come over and eat with us sometime! It’s super delicious!”
“I see… At least the food is good…”
Yuri nodded slowly, as if surprised.
This brat.
Did he really think I was starving the kids or something?
At least, the misunderstanding seemed to be clearing up a bit, which was a relief.
Just as I was thinking that…
“Oh! Charlotte! I think I know why the food at the estate tastes better!”
“What? What is it!?”
“I think it’s because of the bowls! Deep, thick dog bowls are better at retaining heat, so the food stays warm… Gasp!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Julia, who had been rambling as if she had just realized something, suddenly covered her mouth.
Charlotte’s eyes widened.
Yuri, who had been holding a spoon, stopped moving.
Beside me, I could feel Empress Sister glaring at me with her already large eyes wide open.
***
“Should we change the bowls to something more proper?”
“No! I’m fine with it!”
“Me too. I actually think the dog bowls are scientifically superior because their structure enhances the flavor and aroma of the food.”
“…”
In the carriage on the way back to the Vermont estate. Hearing the children’s innocent responses, I let out a sigh of relief.
Yes. If the kids like it, what’s the problem?
The fact that I had never considered how it might look to others had been the issue all along.
It had become so normal at the Vermont estate that I didn’t think twice about it.
For a moment, Yuri gave me a death glare through his mask, and Empress Sister seemed to be contemplating how to punish me.
But after a lengthy explanation, I managed to avoid any serious consequences.
The children’s enthusiastic defense helped too.
After all, just because I serve food in dog bowls doesn’t mean I’m treating the kids like dogs.
“I can’t even eat without dog bowls now! Just seeing one makes my mouth water!”
“Ah. I’m not quite that bad… though.”
“…”
Charlotte seemed to be turning more and more into Pavlov’s dog, but I didn’t think that was my fault.
After dropping the kids off at the estate, I headed into town with Sylvia.
It was close enough that we could’ve taken the carriage, but after sitting for so long, my backside was sore.
So, I decided to walk for a change of pace.
‘I’ll need to come up with a proper plan to get the Neomium from Irene…’
If someone else had the Neomium, I would have to hurry and negotiate before they could sell it off.
But since it’s in the hands of Irene, who is serious about black magic, I could be relieved that there’s no chance she’d sell it.
I can approach this cautiously, without rushing.
What’s more urgent right now isn’t the Neomium, but the sword lodged in my body.
When I arrived at the blacksmith’s, I kicked the door open.
“Oh! Master, you’re back! You’ve worked hard! I’m not sure what kind of promotion you did, but we’ve suddenly been flooded with sword orders from all over the country…”
“Hey, Jacob. The sword you made got lodged in my body. What’s going on?”
“Huh? Lodged in your body…?”
“Sylvia. Show him.”
“Eek!? Eeeeeek!”
Shing, Shing.
To clear Jacob’s confusion, Sylvia drew the sword from my neck once again.
Jacob’s face turned pale, and he immediately dropped to the floor, prostrating himself.
“I-I-I’ve committed a grave sin! I swear, I never intended this! Please believe me, Master!”
“Enough, get up and explain. What kind of sword did you make?”
“Ah, that sword… I had a dream where I saw my grandfather, and suddenly, I was struck with inspiration and made it… I infused it with mana coating that hasn’t fully hardened yet…”
“Just get to the point. I won’t understand the process anyway.”
“To put it simply… The sword was designed to adapt to the optimal form based on the condition of the first user to wield it…”
“…What?”
What on earth is he talking about now?
