Chapter 96
"We've arrived."
"Right."
I slowly straightened up from where I'd been leaning against the carriage backrest. With the aid of the attendant's hand, I stepped gracefully through the softly opened carriage door and onto the ground.
It's been a while.
I gazed at the massive building before me, struck by the thought. I'd come here several times after visiting with Kaiser and Aria—to see Diego. But lately, with all the rumors swirling around me, I'd cut back on my visits.
As always, I stared for a long moment at the resplendent palace before setting off.
Meet the emperor at the garden terrace at 2, then Serenon at 4.
I organized my schedule in my head as I followed the imperial attendant toward the gardens.
The palace gardens, welcoming spring, were so beautifully maintained they could be called a sight of imperial splendor. I loved natural scenery to begin with, so I found myself wandering the paths, momentarily forgetting my situation.
Expensive herbs growing like common weeds... To my eyes—trained to an expert level studying herbology to cure Aria's illness—the palace gardens looked like a field of medicinal plants. Spotting Prudpera, excellent for easing paralysis, blooming casually under a flowering tree like wild grass, I felt a bit overwhelmed.
I'd had tea with Diego in these gardens many times, but it never felt like this. Of course, it had been beautiful then too. But that was winter, and now it was spring—the atmosphere was entirely renewed.
I kept glancing around as I followed the attendant. He stopped at none other than a greenhouse in the center of the garden, its outer walls made of crystal.
"His Majesty the Emperor awaits inside."
The attendant stepped back before the garden door, guarded by four knights. I lingered a moment on the way the crystal walls sparkled in the sunlight, then entered the greenhouse.
It's really stunning...
The interior was just as beautiful as the outside. Mana stones floating in the air regulated the temperature, allowing flowers unseen in this season to bloom everywhere. Gazing at a cluster of colorful roses, I thought idly of giving the red ones to Kaiser and Kal, the blue to Aria.
Crossing the vast greenhouse steadily, I reached an elegant tea table. Golden hair shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight filtering through the crystal walls. Round, pretty eyes like blue glass beads. A face so beautiful it was hard to believe he was middle-aged.
"Hey, Kashmir! You made it!"
Sitting there was Emperor Helios I, beaming at me.
'Hey... Kashmir, you made it?'
From the cheap interjection that didn't suit an emperor to the unpermitted first-name basis—it was astonishing phrasing, impossible to know where to even start critiquing.
And that's a harness he's wearing...
The emperor's outfit was just a light white dress shirt, overlaid with a fairly intricate harness.
Can a middle-aged man be that provocative?
I stared at Helios, momentarily speechless, before snapping out of it and bowing.
"I greet Your Majesty the Emperor. Kashmir Crisis."
"Haha! Yes! Sit down, Kashmir!"
I'd emphasized Crisis on purpose, but Helios stubbornly stressed Kashmir right back, calling my name resolutely. Wearing a subtle expression, I sat across from him.
I know the original story, so I can roll with it... but Helios is just like this.
He was the type who put his interests and subjective views above everything else in the world. I knew that, so I took it in stride, but anyone else might've thought it was an insult.
"What tea do you like?"
"Anything is fine."
"Really, anything?"
...What?
Normally, during tea time, it was etiquette to drink whatever the host provided. So I'd answered plainly, but Helios's follow-up expression seemed oddly meaningful.
I gazed steadily at Helios for a moment. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint unbecoming his age. Anyone could see it was the face of someone plotting a prank.
There's something up with the tea.
It was obvious even without a Sword Master's senses. I smiled faintly.
On the surface, Helios seemed so lighthearted and playful it was hard to believe he was the emperor. One wondered if he ever had a serious moment. But that was Helios's smokescreen.
Helios Solatine is a viper hiding its fangs.
The sun wasn't for just anyone. He concealed his meticulous nature and endless calculations behind a veil of levity—a perfect sovereign.
Of course, he's an interest-driven eccentric.
If something amused him, his eyes lit up. But saying interest was the most important thing in his life would be wrong. To Helios, the empire came first. He was a cold ruler, with the empire's peace as his top priority.
And a man like that opened a legal path for me to enter the palace freely. As the crown prince's teacher and the emperor's companion—no light role.
Helios wasn't the fool to mix personal feelings with official matters. So I couldn't view this appointment to the imperial household as some impulsive whim.
Helios is testing me.
That was my conclusion.
The sudden re-entry of the ducal house's mysterious lady. The one who'd faced a Basilisk head-on and survived—not to mention been shown its corpse. Clearly, he'd arranged this meeting to probe me.
And I have no reason not to play along.
Helios taking an interest in me was exactly what I wanted. Whatever pranks or tests he had in store, I was ready to meet them.
"Of course, Your Majesty. How could I object to whatever you choose?"
I met his gaze directly and smiled more brightly than he had, signaling my willingness to engage.
His eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of intrigue lighting his serene blue depths like a ripple on still seas. He smiled.
"...Fun. Head attendant. Bring the tea."
At Helios's gesture, an elderly man pushed in a trolley. The attendant deftly set out the cups and poured tea into mine. And with the steam rose a fishy, acrid scent.
...Black?
A thick black liquid—no, something viscous and semi-solid—filled the ornate ruby-decorated cup.
Damn... I expected a prank, but not something this blatant.
I blinked slowly, then let out a hollow chuckle at the sight in my cup. It was all too familiar.
Magic beast blood.
The emperor was truly mad.
The empire's nobles lived far removed from magic beasts, so their knowledge was lacking.
Most think you die just from touching one.
Cowardly idiots, but that was the majority view. For such an emperor to serve magic beast blood as "tea" to a duke's daughter—how could it not shock?
Any ordinary noble would think it a grave insult. Magic beast blood at tea time?
Nobles knew nothing of magic beasts, so they'd surely react that way.
I peered into the suspiciously bubbling, dubious liquid, tapping my cheek with a propped-up hand.
How should I react?
Play along with freak-out for the joke? Or counter coolly? I tilted my head slowly.
I couldn't predict what reaction the emperor wanted. But the image I wanted to project was clear, so my response was set.
I'm not here to be the emperor's plaything. I need to be his partner.
A panicked, playful reaction might amuse him, marking me as an entertaining girl. But I couldn't stop there. I needed to appear loyal, wise, and useful to Helios.
With elegant poise, I lifted the cup. The foul steam was all too familiar.
Well, if you're offering something this good, who am I to refuse?
I inhaled the scent as if savoring it, then faced Helios with a radiant smile.
"To serve something as precious as Madolrus blood—I'm deeply grateful and at a loss for words."
Helios's eyes, which had been scrutinizing my every reaction, widened in surprise. I met his astonished gaze boldly, curving my eyes playfully.
Normal magic beast blood is poison, not medicine. But Madolrus blood is different. Processed, it's the finest tonic.
Refined Madolrus blood boosted mana, eased tension, and restored energy in a flash. It fetched a high price, so as a mercenary, I'd hunted them on sight and sold the blood.
"...How did you know that?"
So stunned he'd dropped his constant grin, Helios asked in disbelief.
I smiled calmly.
"I've seen magic beast blood a few times."
"No. I mean, how did you know it was Madolrus blood?"
His eyes sharpened. I lowered mine softly.
Of course—anyone knew magic beast blood was black and viscous.
But distinguishing it from Madolrus blood? Not just anyone can.
Fakes flooded the markets. People bought ordinary beast blood as Madolrus, ingested it, and fell ill—not a few cases. It was a serious social issue.
How many Madolrus have I killed? I can tell by the smell alone.
I'd dealt with it so much, I could identify it passing by. But I couldn't tell Helios that outright. I rolled my eyes briefly, then extended my cup forward.
Afternoon sunlight filtered faintly through the transparent crystal walls, spilling over the tea.
"Madolrus blood creates faint ripples in light. Unlike other magic beasts' blood."
That was how experts distinguished it. Helios, staring piercingly, let out a hollow laugh.
"You felt those ripples."
The waves from Madolrus blood were so subtle, ordinary people couldn't detect them. Specialists and tools were needed.
"Yes. It wasn't hard."
Knowing that, I answered calmly before his wildly gleaming blue eyes.
"Ha, hahaha!"
Helios burst into laughter, as if dying of delight. After a long bout, he leaned forward, eyeing me.
"You're a really fun person, Lady. Aren't you?"
"I've only ever heard I'm stoic, but thank you for the praise."
At my nonchalant reply, Helios laughed again, eyes crinkling in pure amusement. He lifted his own cup of Madolrus blood and held it out to me.
"Good. I'm thrilled to have such an entertaining companion, so let's toast."
A toast with teacups? Insane. But somehow I felt amused too, so without a word, I raised mine to his.
"Then, to our friendship."
Clink.
The fine porcelain met with a precarious chime. Our gazes clashed intensely over the rims.
I don't know what you're expecting, but I'll exceed it.
Fluorescent pink and blue eyes curved in unison, and we drained our cups in one go. Madolrus blood tasted refreshingly crisp, belying its appearance and smell.