The Guest (3)
I stared at Aria in silence.
“Schluss Heinkel. I intend to bestow a title upon you. If there is anything you desire, speak it now.”
“······.”
What kind of expression had crossed my face when I heard those words? Had the corners of my eyes twitched? Or had my mouth fallen open without me realizing? I wasn’t sure, but the only thing I could do was pretend to remain perfectly composed.
“When you say ‘anything I desire,’ does that mean I may ask for whatever I wish?”
“Indeed. Speak freely.”
“Would you not mind if I asked for the title of duke?”
A faint smile spread across Aria’s lips.
In the current empire, there were only three ducal seats. The Duke of the Desert Frontier. The Duke of the Southern Colony. And the Duke of the Monarch Principality. All three were positions of immense economic and political importance. If a commoner like me were suddenly handed one, the social repercussions would be catastrophic.
“Are you speaking in earnest?”
“It sounds as if you’re saying you cannot grant it. I distinctly remember you telling me to say whatever I wanted.”
“Hah······ heh heh······ hahaha! What an amusing fellow you are.”
Aria wiped the corners of her eyes as she burst into laughter. It seemed my honesty had pleased her. Or perhaps she simply thought of me as a entertaining clown.
“It appears I misjudged your character. Very well. As you said, a ducal title is not something even I can bestow lightly. Is there something else you desire?”
“Yes. There is.”
I had been waiting for this.
The offer of a title was certainly tempting. If I could secure even a modest barony in some remote countryside, the tax revenue alone at the lowest rate would provide me with a comfortable lifelong income. But that was its only advantage. The risks far outweighed the benefits.
While I knew every fortuitous encounter and event in this story like the back of my hand, I knew absolutely nothing about managing a fiefdom. If I tried to develop the territory and ended up driving its economy and stability into the ground, I could clearly see myself being branded as an utterly incompetent baron. In that case, it would be better not to have a fief at all.
Yet it felt far too wasteful to simply reject this opportunity outright. So I had come up with a clever plan.
I would make Aria refuse me herself, then demand a different reward equivalent to what she had originally intended to give. That way, I would secure the right to ask for something other than a title.
“May I take one treasure?”
“A treasure? What sort of thing?”
“I have heard there is a storehouse beneath the imperial palace containing countless treasures. May I choose after seeing them for myself?”
In truth, I had already decided which treasure I would demand. Among the artifacts stored in the imperial palace’s underground vault, there was one that absolutely had to be taken first. But if Schluss—who had never even set foot near the imperial palace—suddenly named a specific treasure, the source of his information would undoubtedly be questioned. That was why I said I would choose after seeing them.
While I was at it, if luck was on my side, I might even get to see the emperor’s face. I was rather eager to meet that man soon. After all, he didn’t have much time left.
“Very well. Most of them are things we do not use anyway. You may take anything from within the vault.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“The palace plans to award you a medal at the imperial court. You may choose then.”
“A medal······? What do you mean by that?”
Wait, what? Hadn’t the academy said they would be the ones giving me a medal? When had it changed to the imperial family? Hadn’t the scale grown far too large?
“Do you truly not know? It is in recognition of two things. Preventing the catastrophe on the Day of Magic, and eliminating that damned Crow who murdered my father.”
“······.”
The latter had probably carried far more weight in the decision to award me a medal. Henderson had infiltrated the imperial palace and brutally murdered Aria’s father, the crown prince. The fact that I had caught the man who had evaded capture for years meant they could hardly avoid giving me some form of recognition.
But Henderson was actually······ well, never mind. That story could wait.
“Your reaction is rather lukewarm. Do you not wish to receive it?”
“I am not particularly fond of intangible rewards. They only seem to make things noisier around me.”
My power was still weak, and I hadn’t seized any major opportunities yet. Becoming famous too early was something I needed to be wary of. The victory over Henderson had come down to luck more than anything. If people like him kept coming after my life in the future······ I had no confidence I would survive.
“Hah! An intangible reward, you say. You must be the only one in the empire who refers to honor—something other nobles would risk their lives to obtain—in such a way. However, whether you like it or not, you must accept it.”
“······.”
“The exact schedule will be announced later. Should you fail to attend the medal ceremony······ well. You may consider your desired treasure lost.”
Aria chuckled as she spoke. She had taken my treasure hostage. At this rate, skipping the ceremony was no longer an option. Not that I had ever intended to, of course. Doing so would earn me the imperial family’s enmity.
“Understood. I will be sure to attend. In return, I trust Your Highness will keep your word.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No matter which treasure I choose, you must give it to me.”
“Hah. You really have gone mad.”
The atmosphere grew icy in an instant. I seemed to have properly offended her. That was only natural. I had essentially doubted her word. It was a foolish thing to do, but a necessary one. By provoking her like this, her pride would compel her to grant whatever I asked for—whether coolly or while pretending to be cool.
“To think you would scratch at my insides like this. It seems the treasure you have in mind is no ordinary one. I look forward to it. I wonder what you will choose.”
“Yes. Please prepare yourself.”
“······.”
The corners of Aria’s eyes twisted once more. I wasn’t joking—she really would need to steel herself. Granting what I wanted would likely require her to kneel before the emperor and beg for permission. Just imagining her flustered expression made me want to laugh.
“Hah······. Now I finally understand what the head professor meant.”
“What did Head Professor Ludwig say?”
“That you are insane. Completely and utterly mad. At this point, I fully agree with the head professor’s assessment.”
“······.”
So Ludwig had called me crazy. Hah. Unbelievable. I’d have to think of a way to get back at him later.
“It was quite an entertaining conversation. However, the tea was rather unpleasant. Far too bitter.”
“It seems the cups were switched.”
No wonder mine had tasted unusually weak. So that was why Aria had been frowning the entire time. It looked like Emilia had accidentally swapped the guest’s tea with mine. To think she would pay attention to such a tiny detail······. Her acting really was superb.
“Do you normally drink it this bitter?”
“I’ve never found it particularly bitter.”
“······You should visit a doctor. There must be something wrong with your tongue.”
Aria shook her head and rose from her seat. Soon after, Emilia appeared, her face pale with worry, hands clasped nervously before her. Even acting terrified of punishment for her mistake······.
“Will you be leaving now?”
“The way you speak makes it sound as if you’re saying, ‘It’s about time this wench left.’”
“That couldn’t possibly be the case.”
“You had better fix that mouth of yours before coming to the imperial palace. Unless you wish to be beaten to death.”
Come on. She wouldn’t act like this in front of the emperor, would she? You really do worry too much.
“Step outside for a moment.”
“Step outside······? Yes, understood.”
“I also wish to borrow your attendant for a short while. Is that acceptable?”
“By all means.”
The moment I saw Aria’s hair, I immediately understood her intention. She wanted to tuck that long hair back inside her hood. Since she was about to leave, she would need to remove and then put her outer garment back on. In other words, she was telling me to get lost.
Without asking any questions, I went into the next room and waited. That was when······
‘What is this? A barrier?’
I faintly sensed the trace of a spell. Upon quick analysis, it appeared to be some kind of barrier. Judging by its output, it was likely a perception-inhibiting barrier meant only to block sound. I could have shattered it instantly if I wanted, but I chose not to.
What could the two of them be talking about behind my back?
A short while later, I heard Emilia say it was fine to come out and returned to the living room. Aria had already tucked her long golden hair beneath her clothes and pulled her hood down over her face.
“We shall meet again at the imperial palace.”
“Yes. I will see you then. Please return safely, Your Highness.”
I only escorted Aria as far as the mansion’s front gate. I had considered walking her all the way to the Imperial Academy’s entrance, but I feared it would draw too much attention, so I decided to let her go alone.
Well, not exactly alone.
The moment Aria stepped out of the mansion, I felt mana waves fluctuating wildly in every direction.
‘Phew. I survived.’
All the spells that had been aimed at me vanished at once. They must have been Aria’s escort mages. They had been on standby since morning, and I had been so tense I thought I might die. They probably would have blown up the entire mansion if things had gone wrong.
I let out a deep sigh of relief and returned inside the mansion.
“······.”
But something seemed off with Emilia.
“Come behind me.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At the crown princess’s command, Emilia hurriedly approached and stood behind her. Aria grabbed the hem of her outer garment and lifted it upward, revealing her pure white back.
“Slip your hands inside and pull my hair down.”
“Ah, yes!”
Understanding the request, Emilia reached out. She slid both hands beneath the lifted garment and pulled the hair out from the back of the neck. Even though she tried to keep her distance, she couldn’t help but feel the smoothness of Aria’s back against her forearms. It was so flawlessly smooth that it hardly felt like human skin at all.
Emilia swallowed hard, pretending not to be flustered, gathered Aria’s hair, and pulled it downward. With a pleasant rustling sound, the crown princess’s flowing golden locks slid out from beneath the garment.
“Hmph. Why are you standing so far away? You’ll stretch the clothes.”
“Ah······ I’m sorry.”
Emilia bowed her head deeply. She had been trying to avoid touching Aria’s body as much as possible out of fear that it would be disrespectful······. She had made far too many mistakes today. She had been trained by the intelligence bureau never to lose composure no matter the situation, yet the moment she faced the crown princess, she had blundered repeatedly······.
Today was nothing short of humiliating for Emilia.
“By the way.”
“······?”
At that moment, Aria flicked her hand. Sensing danger, Emilia realized a barrier had been deployed right beside them. It was a perception-inhibiting barrier. With such faint output, Schluss in the next room probably wouldn’t even notice its existence. It meant the two of them were about to have a conversation they didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“What is your name?”
“Emilia Siegfried.”
“Emilia······. A name as lovely as your appearance. Now I see why Schluss chose you as his attendant.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“To think he hasn’t dismissed you despite all these mistakes. You must be exceptionally skilled at nighttime duties.”
“······.”
For a brief moment, Emilia’s expression crumpled, but she quickly returned to her smiling face. No matter how famous Aria was for her honesty, this went far beyond mere candor. At this point, it was nothing short of a personal attack. Unable to understand the intent behind it, Emilia barely managed to suppress the irritation rising within her.
“Nighttime duties are not part of my responsibilities. Mister Heinkel is not the sort of person who lays hands on his servants, so I would appreciate it if you did not insult me.”
“Hahaha! I was only joking, yet you turn so serious!”
“······.”
After provoking her so thoroughly, she called it a joke. Were all members of the imperial family like this? For a second, Emilia seriously considered killing this woman and then taking her own life.
“Well, that’s enough of the jesting.”
“······?”
“Let me hear it. What is your purpose in spying on Schluss?”
Emilia’s heart sank. It was fortunate she was standing behind Aria. Otherwise, the crown princess would have seen her eyes widen in shock.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean, Your Highness.”
“Playing dumb, are we? Schluss can’t hear us anyway.”
“······.”
“How boring. Very well. Stay silent and listen. As long as you are merely observing, there is no problem.”
How did she know? No—how much did she know? All sorts of thoughts tangled chaotically in Emilia’s mind. She clenched her fists tightly and listened to Aria, who sat casually hugging her knees.
If it became clear that she knew too much about the intelligence bureau’s existence, there would be no other choice. She would have to snap her neck immediately.
“Whether sent by those damned separatists, those foolish anarchists, or spies from the kingdom—if you are only watching, I do not care. However, if you intend to harm Schluss······”
Aria slowly turned her head. Emilia met her gaze and saw a chilling smile.
It was a terrifying smile that sent a shiver down her spine.
“If you intend to harm the benefactor who avenged my father, then you had better prepare yourself. Prepare to face the full might of the empire. Make sure to relay that message to your employer as well.”
“I truly have no idea what you are talking about, Your Highness.”
“Enough. What a boring woman.”
Aria clicked her tongue, pulled her hood over her head, and stood up. With a flick of her hand, the barrier was dispelled. Emilia remained frozen in place, still reeling from shock, until Schluss emerged from the room to see Aria off.