Misunderstanding
Misunderstanding
"So, what's it say? That he's safe, I'd wager?"
At the 2nd Prince's question, asked while preparing tea, Esmue let out a scoffing laugh.
"I've already told them not to bother reporting the obvious. To summarize, he's made contact with the elves of the tribe Asilie mentioned and is currently traveling with them. He's moving through the Western Kingdoms in his usual fashion, which has apparently prompted some people to start watching for my reaction regarding his treatment."
"...His usual fashion?"
The other siblings were officially far-removed from succession rights and thus lacked such information, but the 2nd Prince was different.
He maintained a near-daily act of ambition to surpass Esmue and become Emperor, which granted him enough power to scrape together the intel Esmue deliberately leaked or left behind. He instantly grasped the meaning of the 'usual fashion' in that statement.
"That's a dangerous situation, isn't it?"
Eldmia certainly moved with a calculation of risks and benefits. The problem was that the high or low status of others was not a factor in that decision-making process.
In Itisel, a chain of events had forced him to mind the Empire's gaze, so one could argue his personal safety was never an issue. The western regions were different. For some reason, the place was crawling with anti-Imperial zealots who flipped their eyes and blamed the Empire for everything, even when the Empire did nothing at all.
"As you well know, sister, the Western Kingdom region is an uncontrolled land. They've been feasting on their own for so long they're stubborn to a fault. Even when the King declares his will, the lords defy him and harbor their own agendas. For Sir Ega to act as he usually does in such a place means he could easily turn the lords and high nobles into enemies."
"I should correct you on that. It seems he's already begun turning them into enemies."
Good heavens. The 3rd Prince whistled nonchalantly, but the 2nd Prince found himself frowning involuntarily. Esmue, however, simply flapped the letter she was holding as if it were nothing, only continuing her explanation after the 6th Princess snatched it from behind her.
"A diplomat stationed in the Kingdom of Belhondra contacted us requesting advance instructions. It's already known that the man is Eldmia himself, and the kingdom's nobles are dissatisfied that the Empire's influence reaches him. Some are even preparing rumors that the Empire deliberately dispatched him to sow chaos."
The West was a ridiculous place in many ways. The Kingdom of Belhondra, which maintained the most pro-Imperial stance, was frequently denounced as a nation of traitors even by people who weren't anti-Imperialists. Yet whenever something like this happened, everyone immediately pressured them to find out the Empire's position. It was impossible not to laugh at the absurdity.
But it was merely laughable. It wasn't an unforeseen move.
"It's as expected. What do you plan to do?"
"Naturally, I must send word that the Empire has absolutely no ties to him and no intention to grant him protection."
For a moment, all the siblings doubted their own ears and stared at Esmue.
Esmue was so exceptionally outstanding that she occasionally took steps beyond common sense. Even if those actions defied everyone's understanding, they were always the right ones, so by now it hardly came as a surprise.
But when it came to love, she had behaved exactly like any common girl falling in love. No one present could comprehend and accept the decision she had just made. The 2nd Prince, the first to recover his wits, cautiously asked again.
"Are you saying you'll abandon him?"
"That's a rather poor choice of words. I am strictly assisting him."
Was she sincere? Judging by the slight scrunch of her nose and the expression that seemed to ask, 'Just what do you take me for?', it seemed she was utterly sincere. So why couldn't the rest of them comprehend it? He glanced at his younger siblings, wondering if he was the only one who didn't understand, but they all had the same reaction.
"No, what do you mean assisting? The nobles will mobilize their army. My brother-in-law will die, you know?"
Only when the 3rd Prince, unable to hold back, interjected did everyone nod in agreement. At this, Esmue tilted her head as if she truly couldn't understand them at all.
"How did you arrive at that calculation?"
"Huh?"
As the conversation drifted sideways, Esmue glanced at everyone's faces before tilting her head the other way.
"Even a knight who is an aura expert of a certain realm will pose difficulties for those trying to surround and capture him if he resolves to flee alone. And that's assuming his abilities aren't underestimated. Yet the seditious factions in the Western Kingdoms currently lack even a proper grasp of Eldmia's full combat strength, and he is accompanied by elves who can move freely through the forest. If they do have a method to capture Eldmia in his current state, I personally have every intention of applauding them."
Huh? Was that how it was?
While everyone looked at each other with blank expressions, Esmue continued speaking.
"If I officially declare his connection to the Empire now, it will instead place restrictions on Eldmia's actions. Every single move he makes will be tied to the Empire's intent. How could I bear to shackle the ankles of the person I love when I can't even properly help him?"
Her reaction was as if she was stating the obvious, which made the atmosphere one where it was difficult to say anything more. Still, Eselua decided to try adding just one more personal opinion.
"Ah... but, isn't it dangerous? It would be better to secure his person under the Empire's name..."
"Well, if it were up to my heart, I would do exactly that immediately."
Rising from her seat to deliver instructions to Ollend, Esmue snatched the letter the 6th Princess was holding and tossed it into the stove fire, speaking as she watched it burn.
"But how could I call myself an Emperor while acting so privately? I could create a pretext with the Demonfolk matter and the Itisel matter. Those were affairs tied to the Empire. But the current situation is not even that of a third party. Surely you don't believe I, blinded by love, would act rashly and foolishly?"
Of course they didn't. They had merely thought it was right to protect their aloof eldest sister, who seemed destined to live her entire life alone beyond power... now that she had sincerely found a partner. With her putting it like that, they had nothing left to say.
"If he were truly in danger, I would devise a method somehow, but since that's not the case... in times like these, the proper course is to trust in my husband's ability. He genuinely is capable. Reckless, certainly, but oddly adept at cleaning up after himself, too."
As Esmue strained to open the tightly shut door of the private chamber, the imperial family members composed themselves once more, feigning their usual impassiveness as they marveled at her again.
If it were them, they would never have been able to judge and decide that way. Even in secret, they would have secured the subject's safety.
"Will you truly be alright with that?"
"Of course."
Having relayed her message to Ollend, Esmue closed the door again and dusted off her hands. Then, as if all problems were truly resolved, she smiled brightly and changed the subject.
"I apologize for talking business when we've all gathered together for once. Where were we in the conversation?"
A part of them still wondered if it was truly alright, but they decided to trust Esmue and let it go. Her judgment had never been wrong. It would be the same this time, too.
The 3rd Prince, who had dragged a cushion back and was now sprawling comfortably, answered in a bored tone.
"We were getting angry at Menelmuiera for spouting nonsense about wanting to skip the academy and go traveling."
"Ah, seriously, big bro!"
"Right! That was it! That Mene girl, where did she get such a strange, misguided idea..."
And so, the siblings' tea party, officially known abroad as an imperial family meeting, continued.
Meanwhile, at the same time, in a different place.
Eldmia had been unable to close his mouth at a completely unexpected sight, and finally managed to force out his words with extreme difficulty.
"Uh, so this is... a bronze statue commemorating the hero Yekaterina's majesty, you said?"
"That's what I said! How many times must you ask? It's a work of art honoring the moment when the vicious Baron Castal's forces, swollen with arrogance and trusting the city walls, were crushed when the hero Yekaterina smashed the city gate in a single charge!"
Cellevian's group acknowledged it with a nod and paid it no particular mind, but Eldmia had to exercise transcendent patience across multiple levels just to hold in his laughter.
The ripple effects of Yekaterina's great deeds must have been immense, because the bronze statue was so detailed and well-made that it truly lived up to the man's description as a work of art. The statue, far from evoking a sense of dynamic motion, stood rigidly erect on two legs, one hand raising her enormous spear high into the air as she gazed toward the heavens. As luck would have it, the sunlight breaking through the gaps in the cloudy sky shone down from above, creating a tremendously majestic spectacle.
Eldmia fully sympathized with the fact that the statue's level of perfection was enough to make the city dwellers feel a swell of emotion in their chests whenever they passed by.
'Wow, I really want to stick a speech bubble right next to it.'
The problem was the pose.
The statue of Yekaterina, striking the final stance of a century's-end fist king—a pose that made you want to rip a wooden plank off something, write 'Not a single regret in my entire life!!' on it, and paste it beside her—felt to Eldmia like nothing more than a ridiculous statue and a colossal dark history.
Because of this, Cellevian stared at him oddly while he giggled to himself, but Eldmia brushed it off, saying the statue was just funny because it was of an acquaintance, and headed toward the inn.
Though they still had to pass two more cities before reaching their destination, the forest, he thought that at least for today, he might be able to spend the day pleasantly.