Episode 37
Wow, me. I really said something bold!
Did I just argue with a future tyrant emperor? Am I crazy? Do I have a death wish?
How will he react?
He’ll probably get angry and hate me, right? What if he doesn’t just break off the engagement but has me executed?
I felt like a freedom fighter who just threw a bomb and was waiting for the result. My hands were sweaty from how nervous I was.
But instead of getting mad, the emperor looked surprised—and then burst out laughing.
“HAHAHAHA!”
He laughed loudly and didn’t stop for a while. He even leaned back as he laughed heartily.
What… what’s going on? Is he so mad he’s gone crazy?
That’s when I learned something: a madman’s laugh can be even scarier than anger. But then, something even more shocking came out of his mouth.
“Eilene. You’re really wise. You’re truly fit to be an empress!”
He clapped his hands in admiration.
What? How did we end up here?
How do you even upset this guy properly? Now I’m starting to wonder how the original Eilene managed to get away from him at all.
Excuse me, original Eilene, can you hear me? If you can, please come back and tell me your secret!
I’m sure now—it’s not just my imagination. The more I meet the emperor, the deeper I get involved with him.
The Grand Duke had been busy recruiting Neverrest recently. And for some reason, the emperor, who had been quiet for a while, also started calling for me again.
Now, I was suddenly very busy, meeting the emperor during the day and the Grand Duke at night. It felt like both men were pulling on my arms in opposite directions.
Of course, for me, this routine worked: I’d deal with the emperor during the day, then relax by seeing the Grand Duke at night.
Especially since Raymond kept inviting me, which matched my own wishes, I didn’t feel tired at all. And yes, it was all very innocent and proper.
Tonight, the Grand Duke treated me to dessert from Hari’s again. This time, it was colorful, cute little cupcakes.
“Wow, thank you! I’m going to enjoy these!”
With a smile, I quickly dug in with my fork.
These days, I was eating dessert with Raymond almost every night. But today, I suddenly felt a bit guilty.
High-calorie food at this hour… Looking down, I felt like I had gained some belly fat. I started slowing down my eating. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t help but hesitate.
“What’s wrong, Eilene?”
“Um, well…”
Raymond noticed the change in my behavior. I hesitated before answering.
“I think I’ve gained some weight from eating like this every night.”
“…? But that’s good. You were too skinny before.”
He said it so casually.
What? Too skinny? That can’t be right.
I couldn’t tell if he was clueless or just being kind, but his words were nonsense.
The original Eilene was really thin, but now I was clearly chubby!
Raymond is tall and broad, so he probably doesn’t realize how small ladies’ bodies are in comparison.
“Tsk. I’m not skinny anymore. No way.”
“When I lift you, it still feels like I’m holding a feather.”
Raymond said that as he thought back. Since he often carried me at night, I guess he would know.
Should I trust that?
I want to trust that badly.
But I couldn’t relax based on just one person’s opinion.
“Then should we ask Rash too?”
“Rash is used to me. Someone your size probably feels light to him by now.”
“Hm. That makes sense.”
I tapped my chin and nodded.
One by one, I was getting convinced by Raymond’s logic. Mostly because those cupcakes still looked too good to resist.
Even though I was worried about gaining weight, I scrunched my face and kept eating. My hands moved on instinct, even while my brain hesitated.
Maybe I looked funny, because Raymond chuckled and leaned his chin on his hand, looking at me.
“If you’re really that worried, I’ll eat a bite for you.”
“Really? You want some?”
My ears perked up. Wow, look at him! He actually asked! Our dear Grand Duke really has changed!
I mixed some cream and cake with my fork and held it up to him. Raymond opened his mouth and ate it in one bite.
“Hmm.”
“How is it?”
“A little too sweet for me, but it’s good.”
“Right? That’s why this place is so popular!”
I proudly praised Hari’s desserts. I was sure they were the best in the whole empire.
I didn’t get reincarnated just to eat, but I’ve definitely been lucky with food since coming here.
Raymond nodded calmly at my words but then suddenly paused. It was like he just remembered something.
Then, without warning, he turned his head and called out to Melas, who was standing with the other guards nearby.
“Melas.”
“Yes, Your Grace?”
Melas quickly walked over to the table when he heard his name. He bowed politely, not knowing why he was called.
But instead of speaking to him directly, Raymond looked at me and said,
“Eilene. Would you give Melas a bite too?”
“Huh?”
Melas, not me, was the one who looked shocked. He stared at the Grand Duke in confusion.
Oh my. How thoughtful! I guess he thought of his loyal guard after enjoying the dessert.
I was touched by Raymond’s kind heart.
Not knowing what to do, Melas tried to politely refuse.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll eat it myself.”
“Just take it. That’s an order.”
“Uh, yes, sir.”
At the Grand Duke’s firm voice, Melas stood at attention.
“Hehe. I’ll feed you. Hold still.”
I stopped him from taking it himself and grabbed a spare fork. I picked up a fresh cupcake, split it nicely, and held a piece out to him.
“Here, say ah.”
“Ah…”
Melas awkwardly opened his mouth and ate it.
“That’s enough. Give me the fork.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the Grand Duke interrupted and gently took the fork from my hand, offering it to Melas himself.
Melas quickly took another bite and then, blushing, hurried away.
Why did he change his mind after asking me to feed Melas?
As I looked at him curiously, Raymond just smiled to himself like he was oddly satisfied.
Late the next morning.
I went to visit my mother, who was staying at the mansion for once. Usually, she was so busy I had to send messages through the butler, but today I wanted to talk to her directly.
“Mother.”
“Welcome, Eilene.”
Even while staying home, Mother was surrounded by work. She left her paperwork and sat with me on the sofa.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Not really. I just wanted to see you.”
“I see. Hehe.”
Mother smiled warmly at my sweet words.
We chatted about everyday things for a while until we got to the main topic.
“How’s the search for my bodyguard going?”
“Ah, I was just about to talk to you about that. We’ve selected twelve candidates from the paperwork. I think it would be best if you choose the one you like in person.”
“That sounds good.”
“We’ll schedule interviews soon. Try to make time for it.”
“Okay, Mother.”
She explained that all the candidates were highly qualified, so I couldn’t go wrong no matter who I chose.
Soon, the interview day arrived.
In the early afternoon, I reviewed the candidates’ profiles.
Of course, Koa was among them. Her listed background said she worked at a temple in the countryside, and it looked like someone from there wrote her a recommendation.
Basically, this was a staged competition. I was always going to pick Koa!
So I felt totally relaxed—until I saw how serious the interview process was. The butler had set up a very strict and detailed system.
The candidates who passed the document screening had to go through three stages:
- A physical fitness test
- A combat test
- A final interview
“Isn’t this too much?”
“Not at all, my lady. Think about what happened last time. His Majesty still hasn’t found the criminal. So we must prevent danger from the start by choosing someone extremely skilled.”
“Hm. That’s true.”
The butler lowered his voice when mentioning the emperor, and Mother was quickly convinced.
But no! That’s not true!
The emperor could find the culprit. He just chooses not to!
This was supposed to be an easy pick, but now I was getting nervous. Whether or not Koa became my guard would affect my whole future.
Soon, the candidates began arriving at the mansion. Koa came exactly ten minutes early and sat down.
The interviews were scheduled to start at 2 o’clock sharp, and the moment the clock struck, the butler firmly shut the doors.
Anyone late would be instantly disqualified.
“Wait! Please open the door! I was late because of something important…”
“Whatever it was, nothing is more important than protecting the young lady.”
The latecomer pleaded from outside, but it was useless. The butler firmly rejected them.
Just like that, the number of candidates dropped from twelve to eleven.
