Chapter 21
I naturally turned my head in that direction.
What came into view was a man.
Calm golden hair and violet eyes resembling amethyst.
He looked vaguely in his thirties or forties, with sharp eyes that tilted slightly upward.
“Ah…”
I immediately recognized who he was.
It made sense—after all, this was a man I had seen several times while playing Fantasy World.
“I heard he had passed through the palace gates, but I wondered why he hadn’t come until now…”
His violet eyes softened into a gentle curve.
“So you were meeting Frederick here. It seems the news that Howard was coming reached even the prince’s palace.”
“…Your Majesty.”
Howard, who had been making eye contact with Frederick, straightened his posture.
He bowed politely.
“I pay my respects to the Sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”
…Marcus de Lucullen.
I swallowed dryly as I looked at the emperor, Marcus.
He was still smiling gently, watching Howard.
Very much like a beloved nephew.
“It’s been a while, glad to see you. I’m glad I suggested having tea. It’s always better to meet in person.”
“Tea?”
Frederick, who was listening to the conversation, widened his eyes.
“C-Can I attend too, Your Majesty? I’ve never had tea with a duke before…”
“Frederick.”
Marcus cut off the chattering words with a voice that was gentle yet firm.
“It’s almost time for your swordsmanship lesson. Go to the training ground now.”
“B-But…”
“You’re going to be responsible for this country one day, so you mustn’t neglect your lessons already. Members of the Lucullen royal family must never appear lazy.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Frederick bowed his head deeply in acknowledgment.
He turned and trudged toward the training ground.
The maidservants who had been behind him followed.
I saw his small frame slumping as he walked away.
‘Isn’t that a little too harsh for a child?’
He seemed too young to be spoken to like that.
An age where tantrums were normal, yet Frederick immediately bowed and obeyed. I could tell just by looking how he lived his daily life.
Marcus seemed to have no patience for even his own son.
And oddly…
‘It looks like he’s trying to prevent Howard from talking to me.’
Watching Frederick’s retreating back, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze on me.
I turned my head and found Marcus staring at me. He looked as if he could pierce right through me.
Startled, I shivered.
Ah, I hadn’t even greeted him.
“Your Majesty, the Sun of the Empire. I am Luka Everitt.”
I hurriedly held the hem of my dress and bowed.
When I looked up, Marcus was smiling kindly.
It was as if his previous intense gaze had never existed.
“You must be Miss Everitt. I’ve heard plenty about you. They say you captured Howard’s heart at once, though no one else ever has.”
“Ah…”
…What do you even say at a moment like this?
Suppressing my embarrassment, I forced an awkward smile.
Fortunately, Marcus continued speaking without any further remark.
“I wanted to talk to you once. Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
Well, you acted like it would have been a disaster if you hadn’t come.
Even though I was barely holding myself awake from almost collapsing, I couldn’t even muster the polite words to say, ‘Thank you for inviting me.’
‘And why has he been staring at me like that since earlier?’
It felt as if he were observing me like an exhibit in a museum.
Thinking that made goosebumps break out over my body.
Was he evaluating whether I was a suitable partner for Howard? One of the few people with imperial blood?
Even so, the intensity of that gaze was hard to comprehend.
‘This feels… strange.’
Instinctively, I raised my hands and brushed my arms down.
Howard must have noticed my state, because he stepped between Marcus and me, partially shielding me.
“Thank you for inviting me to this precious occasion, Your Majesty.”
Marcus’ gaze naturally shifted away from me.
After a brief pause, Marcus slowly turned his body.
“Shall we go then? Tea has been prepared in the palace gardens.”
As the distance between him and us grew slightly, Howard asked.
“Are you alright? You didn’t look well just now.”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
I nodded for now, convincing myself it was just my imagination.
Tea with the emperor was nothing special.
Marcus asked me a variety of questions.
How I met Howard, how I fell in love with him, why I decided to leave the northern Everitt estates and come all the way to Opulen, and so on.
Typical questions.
The kind an uncle would excitedly ask about his beloved nephew’s relationship.
I was confused because I didn’t think Marcus called me to the palace for such reasons.
‘There’s something odd about this.’
Since entering the palace gardens, Marcus had been speaking only to me.
Howard was there, yet even though they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, the voices we heard were only his and mine.
It wasn’t exactly a surprise question, so I could answer without issue, but…
‘Isn’t this a bit much? Even if he’s curious about his nephew’s girlfriend, Howard is right here.’
The stranger part was Howard himself.
Even though Marcus was ignoring him, Howard just quietly sipped his tea without any reaction.
As if this scene was entirely normal.
“I see. So you decided to follow Howard to Opulen because you love him that much. Still, it must not have been easy to leave your home…”
Marcus smiled faintly as he listened to my reply.
I glanced at Howard and smiled at him before answering.
“Haha. I wanted to be with Howard that much. Do you think it was a hasty decision?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I think it’s impressive. Nowadays, I rarely see someone so proactive and determined.”
“Really? I thought Opulen had many such people.”
“No, not really… Even now…”
Marcus turned his head while speaking.
“Howard is right beside you, isn’t he?”
It was the first time Marcus’ gaze had shifted to Howard since the tea party began.
His tone softened as he continued.
“Howard is more introverted than he appears. He doesn’t attend parties, and hardly ever leaves the temple. If not for his duties as Commander of the Knights, he might never have left the Duke’s estate.”
“I see…”
“Not only that, he’s timid. You may not know, but something unfortunate happened to the Chelston Dukedom about ten years ago.”
Something unfortunate happening to the Chelston Dukedom ten years ago…
That must be referring to the event in which the dukedom was wiped out.
‘…Will he be alright?’
I looked at Howard again.
I remembered how uncomfortable he had been whenever anyone asked about his past in Fantasy World.
I didn’t want to hear about it like this. Even if I was curious, I wanted him to tell me when he chose to.
But Howard didn’t look at me.
His expression remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Marcus continued speaking.
“Back then, the Chelston Duke—my brother—was a prodigy, one of a kind, a knight commander of extraordinary skill. But even his power wouldn’t have been enough.”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
I hesitated for a moment, about to ask Marcus to stop. I thought this was far too much. But Marcus seemed oblivious, continuing to speak.
Then, shocking words reached me.
“That day, the one who invaded the duke’s estate… was the Demon King.”
