Chapter 41
“I told you. I’m not going to abandon you.”
“……”
“Say what you need to say to me.”
“Ah… th-that’s…”
The emerald eyes—deep like a lake—were rimmed red. This time, I didn’t let him look away. I held his gaze, and as if his breath was caught in his throat, his body trembled.
“Speak.”
“I-I don’t know what you mean…”
When I waited for him to answer, his eyes—those that had touched mine a moment ago—dropped to my knees again. I sighed, wanting to give him another chance, and let my eyes wander around my familiar chamber.
Expensive paintings, luxurious porcelain, shining silk sheets and canopies. Everywhere, the imperial crest.
And the small traces—those slight displacements of items that had been moved and then put back—marks of Joshua’s touch.
“I see. So that’s how it is. Still like that, huh.”
“I—I’m sorry… forgive me…”
“Sir Francis.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The cooks in my palace. Bring them all to me.”
Francis tilted his head, puzzled, then went outside and seemed to speak to Verdine. I glanced at them before turning my eyes back to Joshua, who was still trembling.
He looked up at me, and when our eyes met, he lowered his gaze again. Why did my chest feel so heavy?
It took only ten minutes for the cooks to assemble before me.
During those ten minutes, neither Joshua nor I spoke a single word.
“Y-your Highness, the little sun of the Empire…”
“Enough. Kneel.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not hear me? I said kneel. All of you!”
“Ah—yes, Your Highness…!”
There were fifteen cooks working in my palace. The five in front of me were the senior ones; the ten behind them were likely assistants.
As they knelt, they removed their hats. The longer the hat, the higher the rank, it seemed—the ones in the back wore berets, shorter and plainer.
“Why do you think I called you here?”
“We… we don’t know, Your Highness…”
“Ha ha ha. Really?”
My right arm still felt heavy—an annoying weight I had endured until now, but no longer felt inclined to bear.
“I’ve been trying to live kindly, you know.”
Francis stood ready, his knights at attention, waiting for my slightest gesture.
“It’s not easy.”
I motioned to a knight beside Francis. He approached, bowing deeply. I took his sword from him.
“Y-Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, please!”
“Have mercy!”
I pointed the blade at the throat of the one with the longest hat—the head cook.
“Give me one reason not to cut your head off.”
“I-I… I-I really… ah!”
I drove the sword through the hat he’d set down, tearing it in half. It collapsed like a deflated balloon. Normally, the sight would have amused me, but now, it only chilled me.
“Three.”
“Your Highness!”
“Two.”
“I’m innocent!”
“One.”
“I-I was wrong!!”
It wasn’t the head cook who cried out—it was the one beside him. I turned the sword toward that man, who immediately pressed his forehead to the floor.
“W-we didn’t know, we… we didn’t know what we were doing!”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Why wasn’t the status window showing up?
Was this what the so-called “banquet with Joshua” had meant?
That subtle tremor when he swallowed, the odd saltiness in the meat, the way he kept drinking water…
“My lord!”
“Can you tell me now?”
“I… I… I—”
He was trembling, hands clasped tightly together.
“I-I…”
“Joshua. You know how much I care for you.”
“…My lord…”
“And yet, do you expect me to tolerate anyone playing such tricks with what’s mine?”
“I-I only… the food was… too salty…”
“Ha.”
He gasped for breath, tears streaming endlessly. I wanted to ask how long it had been like this—not because I doubted him, but because I was furious with myself for not earning his trust.
“I’ll wait. Speak.”
“S-some time ago… the food… it started tasting… strange…”
“Did someone dare to poison what’s mine?”
“N-no! It wasn’t poison!”
I gripped the sword tighter, resisting the urge to grind my teeth. Pressing the blade to the cook’s chest, I tore open the buttons of his uniform, leaving shallow cuts across his skin.
“Then what was it?”
“M-my seasoning was off… m-my taste… is dull, Your Highness…”
“A dull-tongued fool serving in my palace—feeding my guest salt blocks? How dare you.”
“My lord… please…”
Suddenly, Joshua was at my side, clutching my hand.
“How many days have you been feeding us this garbage?”
“I-I don’t know… ah… my lord…”
“Joshua.”
“Ugh…”
He sobbed—trying so hard to speak through his grief.
“S-since the first day… it’s been like that… every… every day…”
“Behead them all.”
“N-no, Your Highness!”
“Please, show mercy!”
“Your Highness, please—spare us!”
“Your Highness, I’ve served in this palace for ten years!”
I stepped closer to the man who cried that out. He lowered his head to the floor, and I pressed my boot down on it.
“Hey.”
“Ghk…! Y-Your Highness…”
“Ten years or ten days, you should have known better. You know the rules here.”
“P-please! Spare me!”
“I don’t want to. Why should I?”
“My lord… please…”
Joshua’s pleading made me hesitate—but not for long. How many examples must I make before people stop doing this? Would they stop only when they truly saw someone die? The thought frightened me.
“Then what would you have me do?”
“F-forgive us. Please, my lord…”
“I can’t do that. Do you think you belong to yourself?”
“N-no…”
“Then why did you stay silent all this time?”
I didn’t want to make him cry again. His tears were beautiful, yes—but Joshua’s tears were the one thing I never wished to see.
“M-my lord…”
“Yes, I know. I didn’t give you enough faith. That’s on me.”
“Ah…”
It hurt to meet those sorrowful eyes. I handed the sword back to the knight and sighed.
“Still, punishment is due.”
“Your Highness, please… spare our lives!”
“Normally, I’d have cut out your tongues and made you eat them…”
“Gasp…!”
“But my Joshua wouldn’t like that. So I won’t.”
When he tightened his grip on my hand, I let him. He needed that reassurance.
“However, from now on, while you serve in my palace—you’ll eat this food, exactly as you made it.”
“T-thank you, Your Highness…!”
“If, upon inspection, you deceive me again—or if I learn you’ve done anything like this to Joshua once more…”
Francis’s throat bobbed. He was calm—perhaps too calm—already used to such scenes. Like a greyhound, always ready to strike.
“Cutting out your tongues won’t be enough. I’ll have your bodies displayed on the city gates. Understood?”
“Y-yes, Your Highness!”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
“Th-thank you, Your Highness!”
I removed my foot from the man’s head, then turned back to the table and picked up Joshua’s untouched plate.
Clatter.
Without hesitation, I dumped it all onto the floor.
“What are you waiting for? Eat it. Clean it all up, and maybe I’ll let you live.”
The five in front reached out trembling, gathering the food with their hands and shoving it into their mouths.
“This was your sister’s doing, wasn’t it?”
“……”
“Don’t torture them to make them talk.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Understood.”
I didn’t need to ask their intent—it was obvious. This was meant to humiliate Joshua, to remind him of his place.
“Ugh…”
“Ghh…”
“Blech…”
The food must have been horribly salty; their faces twisted in pain as soon as it touched their tongues.
How did you even eat this, Joshua?
I remembered his faint smile as he ate—and anger flared again.
Calm down. You can’t lose control now. You have to show the composure of a ruler. If you act emotionally, the Emperor will be disappointed.
I had to walk that tight line—commanding, yet measured.
Why did my sister want to bring Joshua to her side?
Did she somehow know he would be needed for the throne?
Those fox-like eyes, blinking slowly, studying me…
I was glad. It meant he wasn’t completely naive.
Quest Complete! Dinner with Joshua Deirid!
▼ Reward 1. The period during which you can ask Joshua Deirid for a favor has been extended by one week.
Reward 2. Joshua Deirid regrets having tested you.
I caressed Joshua’s cheek, my thumb brushing his lips. He leaned into my touch, pressing his tear-streaked face against my hand—and I found that I liked it very much.
“Joshua. To whom do you belong?”
“I… belong to you, my lord…”
