The King's Tea Party
I let out a dazed hum, completely lost in thought, when the dean suddenly kicked the back of my heel. Iel was shooting me a deadly serious look from the side.
Both of them had cold sweat beading on their faces as they silently pressured me…
“Ah!”
I finally realized just how rude I had been. Staring at the king for that long? I deserved to be executed.
“I greet the King of Dmitry! May Your Majesty’s path be paved with eternal glory!”
In my panic, I did something incredibly stupid. I dropped to both knees and bowed deeply, pressing my forehead to the ground.
Only after my forehead touched the floor did I realize my mistake.
This kingdom didn’t greet people that way. Kneeling on one knee was the height of politeness. And a noble lady was never expected to kneel in greeting for the rest of her life.
Kneeling on one knee was already the ultimate display of loyalty, reserved for knights swearing fealty. But here I was, on both knees with my forehead planted on the ground. My embarrassment reached the level where I genuinely wanted to disappear.
For a moment, a heavy silence fell over the room.
“Pfft!”
A burst of laughter rang out—impossible to tell whose—followed by a chorus of various chuckles.
“Hahaha!”
I slowly rose, face burning crimson, and kept my head bowed low. If I could, I would have hidden under my mother’s skirt. The king’s warm, amused laughter was at least bearable.
“Hehehehe.”
The dean’s laughter lasted unusually long. He must have found it hilarious to see the usually sharp-tongued me so flustered that I slammed my head on the floor.
No matter that it was my first time meeting the king, a lady—not even a commoner—should never behave that way.
“Heeheehee.”
“Hohoho.”
Now even the maids were laughing.
Come on, stop laughing already! I’m going to die of embarrassment! People do weird things when they’re too nervous, okay?!
[Puhahahat!]
This damn spirit! He couldn’t even read the room!
[Hey! Stop laughing!]
[Pffft.]
[You’re going to live as a rat from today onward, got it?]
[……Huh? Master, I wasn’t laughing! This is unfair! Master! Masterrrr!]
There was no way I wouldn’t recognize Rai’s laughter. His personality stood out in so many ways. I seriously considered picking up a dead rat on the way back. And I knew that intention would be crystal clear to him.
“Hehe, it seems she was simply too nervous since this is her first time in a place like this. Please understand, Your Majesty.”
“Of course. Children are bound to make mistakes. Is it not my duty to find it endearing?”
“Jeanie. Greet His Majesty properly this time. And no full prostrations.”
The moment the king stopped laughing, the room fell silent as if nothing had happened.
I could feel the king’s influence firsthand. Seeing that even the maids had laughed, I could vaguely tell that he usually had a generous personality.
“I greet you. Fourth child and eldest daughter of House Crowell, Jeanie Crowell. It is the honor of three lifetimes to meet Your Majesty.”
I curtsied, lightly lifting the hem of my skirt and bowing my head deeply with perfect posture.
This time, it was a flawless and courteous greeting. I rarely had the chance to practice etiquette while stuck at the academy, but I had received the basic education. After all, I was still a noble young lady.
After the greeting, the tension finally eased and my mind felt lighter.
“Sit comfortably. Marquis Lyle? Pull out a chair for the young lady.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“This must be your first time at a men’s tea gathering.”
Noblemen usually preferred drinking parties over tea gatherings, but someone of the king’s stature couldn’t move freely, and such frivolous events would be beneath him. So it seemed he invited close acquaintances for simple tea or luncheon.
It was a well-known fact that the older and more powerful a man became, the more he enjoyed tea parties. Of course, it was all part of politics.
“I’m still young, so this is actually my first tea gathering ever.”
“Your first? At ten years old, shouldn’t one have already debuted at such events?”
“I entered the academy early… so I never had the opportunity. Thank you for inviting me like this, Your Majesty.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
I sat primly and picked up one of the cookies topped with red jam that the king offered. That was when I noticed the plate holding the cookies was made of gold and silver.
The brooch pinned at the center of my chest seemed to tremble slightly.
[Gold…… Silver…….]
Stay still, you crazy bastard.
I smiled brightly while delivering a terrifying mental warning. I was terrified the insane spirit inside the brooch would go on a rampage.
I had no desire to cause trouble inside the royal palace.
“Marquis Lyle and I are old friends, so we often share tea like this. The marquis can’t drink even a single drop of alcohol, so if I want to call him out, tea is the only option.”
“Your Majesty, alcohol is bad for the health.”
“He always says the same predictable thing. I suspect even on his deathbed, Marquis Lyle will try to teach me what it feels like. Giving him the position of dean was inevitable.”
To me, the dean was just a nagging old man, but in reality he was a marquis of this kingdom and someone who held the king’s deep trust.
According to Iel, the very existence of the Spirit Studies department was thanks to the dean, so I could guess how much influence he carried.
Still, to me he remained an old nag. That fact never changed.
“So, how is the academy? Is there anything lacking? Is it a good place to study? How is life as a student? Feel free to tell me anything.”
“……It is perfect. There is nothing lacking at all. Everything is thanks to Your Majesty’s grace.”
When I gave such a model answer, Iel—who was standing because he hadn’t been offered a seat—looked at me like I was insane.
His eyes clearly said, This is not the kind of kid who would answer like that.
“Talent is a nation’s treasure. Since it is the future, it is only natural to cherish it. How reassuring it is to have someone like you… Though you are still young, so you probably don’t understand. It’s better not to know such things in childhood.”
The king was a powerful swordsman who dominated battlefields, yet when he lifted his teacup, he looked every bit the elegant royal.
Was this what distinguished bloodlines looked like? Was this possible because he was king? Were all kings like this? Or was Dikel III simply an exceptionally fine ruler?
“I will grow old and eventually disappear, but talent begets talent and nurtures talent. That is the true way for a nation to remain strong forever.”
“……”
“Did I say something difficult? There’s no need to try to understand. I simply find myself wishing there were more talents like you.”
It seemed our king was truly special. In the short time it took to drink one cup of tea, I developed a silent loyalty toward him. Seeing the king—who had always felt like a fictional character from fairy tales—right before my eyes, speaking with him and meeting his gaze, made it impossible not to feel that way.
If this was why he had summoned me, then he was quite the excellent politician.
“If you ever face any difficulties, speak to Marquis Lyle anytime.”
“It would be an honor.”
“Our kingdom suffers from a severe shortage of mages, so I intend to actively support that field. Of course, I view Spirit Masters in the same light.”
“I still don’t know much about Spirit Masters, but I will study more. As you grow, so will my own knowledge. My expectations for you are very high.”
“Though I am lacking… I will work hard.”
“Good. I should bestow some reward upon you. Is there anything you desire?”
“A reward?”
Normally, questioning the king was one of the things one must never do. There were quite a lot of things one must never do. But since I was still a child, everyone seemed willing to overlook it.
“Tell me what you usually wish for.”
It was a sudden opportunity.
The king was asking for my wish. I had to desperately suppress the honest answer that rose all the way to my throat.
I want to drop out of the academy!
You idiot, read the room.
If I said that here, I wouldn’t be able to show my face again. Then what else was there?
Should I ask for gold and treasures? It was a safe enough wish, but I might end up labeled as someone who loved money. Which, to be fair, I did.
Or should I ask for various metals instead of just gold and silver? It would be good for Rai. The more metals he could absorb, the better, he had said.
But that felt way too random as a wish. Ugh.
“I hear your father currently holds the rank of baron. How about it? If you wish, I can grant him the title of viscount.”
Wasn’t that a bit much? I blinked my round eyes several times.
And then I realized the king was testing me. Those sweet words were bait meant to see through me.
It seemed the king was curious about the depth of ambition this girl possessed.
“If you become a splendid Spirit Master in the future and bring glory to the kingdom, what could be greater than that?”
But I didn’t have even a mouse’s tail worth of desire for power. Even if the king wanted to dig into me, there had to be something there to dig up first.
I had never once thought about becoming a big shot in this life.
My parents in this world weren’t the type to cling to status either.
Although they were nobles, their title was little more than a fancy decoration. They were essentially no different from wealthy upper-middle-class commoners.
“Do you not wish to become the young lady of a viscount household?”
The king seemed genuinely curious about what kind of human I was. What kind of greed I possessed and what thoughts I held.
Since I was still young, he clearly believed he could easily figure me out. But I…