Chapter 7
“Your Majesty!”
Arther Digory flung open the door to the Emperor’s private chambers and stormed in.
His momentum faltered for a moment upon seeing the Emperor seated on the sofa and the Divine Beasts lounging in beast forms beside him, but he soon narrowed his brow and strode purposefully toward the Emperor.
“If you’re making that face, you must be here to scold me.”
“Exactly! Scold you, and more! What on earth happened with Marcella Morris?”
The young lady who had left the banquet hall with the Emperor had returned in tears and barefoot.
The rumor had spread like wildfire. A young age, an indifferent temperament that made it hard to see him as a wise ruler, if he were at least good at politics it would be one thing, but he only ever made enemies. A rumor like this was fatal for him.
“What are you thinking, doing something like that? Do you even know what the underlings are whispering about right now?”
– *Arther.*
Tamarin, who had been lying with his belly exposed, rolled over and bared his teeth at Arther.
– *What’s the problem with what the underlings are whispering? If the problem is those who utter disloyal talk, bring them to me. I’ll put them all in my belly.*
As Tamarin growled his words, the phoenix spread its wings as if in agreement.
Arther flinched and stepped back.
The reason Nell, with his poor reputation and many opposing factions, had been able to continue reigning as Emperor until now was truly simple.
The only person comparable to the legend of the dragon-slayer. There was no one in the Western Empire who could defeat Nell Haire, the master of Divine Beasts.
“That’s not the problem.”
But just being strong didn’t mean everything ran smoothly. Being above others was not such a simple matter.
– *If that’s not the problem, then what is? If you put all the troublemakers in your belly, things get easier.*
– *How ig-no-rant.*
The phoenix mocked Tamarin, transforming into a human woman’s form and standing beside Arther.
“How far do you think ruling through fear can go? Fear without charisma only provokes rebellion for survival. You experienced it today too.”
“Experienced it?”
“Arther, shall I tell you? What happened to Lady Marcella?”
– *Hey! Phoenix!*
“Stop barking, Tamarin, you’re not a dog.”
The phoenix mocked Tamarin and whispered in Arther’s ear.
“Tamarin bit that poor lady’s head *chomp* out of boredom. So he got punished and ended up like that.”
The phoenix pointed at Tamarin in his lion cub form and giggled. The lion cub Tamarin then pounced on the phoenix.
“Stop it, please stop, both of you!”
– *Shut up! Don’t you order me around, Arther.*
“Yeah. You stay quiet, Arther.”
As the two beasts tangled and began to fight, a whirlwind started to stir within the room.
“Your Majesty!”
Arther searched frantically for Nell. Nell just propped his chin on his hand, watched them, and tilted his head slightly.
“Your Majesty, please stop them at once!”
– *Oho, now you’re referring to us as ‘them’? You’ve really made it, Arther?*
“Your Majesty! Have you forgotten how much human damage there was the last time the two Divine Beasts fought!”
“Nell won’t have a scratch, so it doesn’t matter.”
– *Yeah, weakling Arther.*
“Whether I’m a weakling or not is irrelevant! Your Majesty! Please!”
Arther went before Nell and knelt.
Nell silently looked at Arther, then reached a hand toward Tamarin and the phoenix.
“Enough.”
The two beasts looked back at Nell with dissatisfaction. But they could not disobey that word. As the phoenix withdrew first, Tamarin also hid his claws, snorted, and turned his head away.
“Congratulations on extending your lifeline, kitten.”
– *Look who’s talking, chicken-head.*
Tamarin went onto the bed, the phoenix to the window, and they continued to growl at each other.
Arther was relieved they hadn’t caused an incident like the last time and looked up at the Emperor again.
“Your Majesty, is it true that Tamarin bit Marcella Morris’s head?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“How should I know the reason for Tamarin’s pranks?”
Arther felt his mind reeling but held on tight. If he were to collapse over this, he would never have appointed himself as the Emperor’s aide.
He calmly enunciated each word.
“Your Majesty, Tamarin is your Divine Beast.”
“Yes.”
“Your Majesty’s Divine Beast attacked a lady.”
– *Hey! Attack, what attack? It was just a little prank.*
Arther turned sharply and glared fiercely at Tamarin. Tamarin just snorted.
Arther looked back at Nell and clenched his teeth. If he didn’t understand at once, it was his role to keep advising until he did.
“Your Majesty, let me say it again. Your Majesty’s Divine Beast attacked an innocent lady.”
“I pulled Tamarin away because it seemed she would cry if I left it be.”
“…You mean you pulled Tamarin away first, not that Tamarin withdrew on his own?”
“Why are you so surprised? Isn’t that the kind of action you wanted from me?”
Arther looked back at Tamarin with disbelief.
Rolling his eyes as he gathered his thoughts, Arther spoke again.
“Your Majesty.”
He called the Emperor quietly, then opened his mouth slightly as if a thought had struck him.
“Your Majesty, what business did you have with Lady Marcella? No, before that, how did you even know Lady Marcella?”
“…I’d prefer one question at a time.”
“Why did you take Lady Marcella out with you?!”
At Arther’s near-shout, Nell quietly lowered his gaze, lost in thought, then looked back at Arther.
The time until his answer came felt agonizingly slow to Arther.
“I promised to show her the dragon-slaying sword.”
“Your Majesty said that?!”
Arther shouted as if he’d seen a ghost.
“When on earth did you make such a promise?!”
“Three years ago, perhaps?”
“You took her out to keep a promise from three years ago, and for that, the sword of the Dragon-Slaying King?! Your Majesty!”
Arther was so shocked his veins bulged in his neck.
“Of all people, Your Majesty!”
“I don’t understand why you’re so surprised.”
“Well, because Your Majesty of all people…!”
Arther hastily shut his mouth. He swallowed the words back down into his belly.
*When on earth? Three years ago would have been after he had already met Nell and proclaimed himself his aide, vowing to make him Emperor.*
He was the person who had served Nell more closely than anyone else. Yet, without even his knowledge, Nell had made such a… cute promise to show some lady a treasure?
“This, this is…!”
Once again, this crisis that would only worsen Nell’s reputation suddenly felt like an opportunity bestowed by the gods to Arther.
“Arther, I think I know what you’re thinking. Want me to tell you another piece of good news?”
The phoenix smiled as she approached Arther and whispered in his ear.
Being a phoenix, her proximity felt as hot as carelessly putting a hand into a fireplace, but Arther endured it somehow. Even if he got burned now, it would be worth it.
“That shoe, whose does it look like?”
The phoenix pointed at the green enamel shoe on the table.
Arther’s jaw dropped in utter astonishment. *Marcella Morris!* It was unmistakably Marcella Morris’s shoe.
“The lady threw it at Tamarin and left.”
*She threw a shoe at Tamarin and came back in one piece?* Granted, she returned with disheveled hair, barefoot, and in tears, but did that foul-tempered Tamarin let her off that easily?
“Why… that shoe the lady threw at Tamarin… is in Your Majesty’s private chambers…”
Arther covered his mouth with one hand.
*There’s no way Tamarin would let her off.* This was the Tamarin who once bit off a servant’s leg just for daring to pass by him.
The fact that Tamarin sent that lady, who had attacked him, back in one piece meant only one answer was possible.
“Did Your Majesty… bring it here?”
As Arther asked in a trembling voice, the phoenix smiled broadly and nodded.
“Finally!”
Arther clenched his fist. Finally, having found the target for the plan he had been secretly formulating, Arther couldn’t stop smiling.
***
**[A Golden Invitation Cannot Be Refused]**
Arther Digory began to very cautiously implement a plan he had long envisioned but had been unable to execute.
This plan was perhaps an even trickier matter than placing Nell on the throne.
“I didn’t expect Lord Digory to visit.”
*Now, this was the first step.* Theon Morris, who tensed up upon seeing him, practically bristling.
Arther gave Theon a broad smile and picked up the tea Theon had reluctantly offered.
“The aroma is pleasant.”
It was the most terrible aroma he’d ever encountered. Still, Arther pretended to enjoy the scent, taking a breath.
*It’s awful. How dare he serve such tea.* It was unforgivable, but Arther decided to forgive Theon.
“Lord Digory, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“Please, call me Arther. We became friends at the party yesterday, didn’t we?”
*You can’t say no.* Arther put strength into his gaze, threatening Theon. Theon flinched and seemed to shrink back.
“Is this tea from the Eastern region?”
“Yes, brought from Morris…”
It was tea he’d served poorly, hoping the visitor would leave quickly after tasting it, and yet he said the aroma was pleasant? Theon looked at Arther with suspicious eyes, trailing off.
If this tea had been prepared by the hotel, Arther would have gone down immediately to have the tea leaves changed, but since it was from Morris, he decided to respect him.
“The reason for my visit today, Theon… do you have any idea?”
“Forgive me, I’m afraid I don’t…”
*What a terrible liar.* Seeing Theon’s face unnaturally contorted, Arther curled the corner of his mouth.
“Where is Lady Marcella? Is she perhaps out?”
Arther deliberately put force into his voice, knowing full well Marcella was in the inner room. She was probably eavesdropping on their conversation with her ear pressed to the door.
Hearing a clattering sound from behind the door, Arther smiled and lifted his teacup. It was hard to decide which was worse: the taste of the tea or Theon’s lying skills.
“Why are you looking for Marcella?”
Theon’s voice, which had been cautious and tense, turned sharp.
Essentially a coward, he didn’t have the courage to chase after the Emperor and demand what he’d done to Marcella, but he wasn’t such a pushover as to hand Marcella over just because someone asked.
