Chapter 205
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: A Calculated Encounter
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It seemed like pure coincidence, but my instincts told me otherwise.
I could clearly sense the power surging intensely into Princess Eileena's dress.
In other words, it was a calculated move from the start, to some extent.
Ah, right. As expected of the Emperor of the Empire.
He'd given me a good experience, making him someone I could grow fond of. And on top of that, his talent was exceptional? Tempting, but...
Conveniently, the object of his beloved daughter's affections? This was an opportunity too good to pass up.
The story was obvious even without seeing it play out.
Honestly, I picked up on it right away.
The Emperor didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it, either.
"Oh my. It's been a while, Instructor Leon!"
Princess Eileena looked at me with a startled expression, as if it were truly by chance.
If Luna were here, she'd call her a two-faced bitch. Eileena's cheeks flushed red as she openly showed her fondness for me.
She'd definitely shown considerable wariness at our first meeting.
I wonder if the Emperor knew.
That the pounding in her heart from being saved was nothing more or less than that.
"Hoho, seeing you two together, you make quite the handsome pair. Young Lord Leon saved Eileena's life once before, didn't he?"
"I merely did what needed to be done."
"No, no. As Emperor and as a father, I can't just let that slide."
His shamelessness was truly top-tier for the Empire.
"But nothing comes to mind right now. May I claim my reward at a later opportunity?"
"Kehhehe. Impatience between a man and a woman is like poison. Take your time."
Is he planning to use this as an excuse to summon me again?
Unless I dumped my cold coffee on Princess Eileena's face right now, it felt like this situation would drag on.
[Not recommended.]
I knew that full well.
If she were an enemy or had a rotten personality, I might have done it, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Watching Princess Eileena blush like a shy girl brought on a wave of cognitive dissonance.
This wasn't the woman I remembered.
Wasn't she supposed to be quick-witted, cool-headed, and indifferent to men?
Her current demeanor was far removed from the impression I'd gotten from our direct encounters.
"Hoho, before I grow old and die, it would be nice if my dear Eileena could meet the man she loves, marry him, and give me grandchildren..."
A man who looked fit enough to live several more decades spouting such lines was scriptwriting incarnate.
"Father, you're being so dramatic."
Watching her laugh like a refined lady only amplified the disconnect.
Suddenly, it had turned into a meeting with the lion's den.
The Emperor rose from his seat with practiced nonchalance.
"Still, I can't send you away empty-handed. Eileena, wait here a moment."
He was saying he'd give a fine reward if I waited, but it was obvious he was scheming to leave Eileena and me alone.
"Aurora, come with me for a bit."
"Oh dear. Of course, Your Majesty."
She couldn't refuse the Emperor's command, so even Aurora vacated the room.
In an instant, only Eileena and I remained in the Emperor's private chambers.
"Ah... Father, really... Leaving a guest alone like this..."
"It's fine. I've got nothing but time right now."
Maybe if I acted like a total layabout, she'd lose interest.
Looking at her face, though, I could tell that wouldn't work.
"Um... Did you receive the letter I sent?"
Did I even reply to it?
"Has Your Highness been faring well at the Academy?"
"Y-Yes... I've been working hard since then. Lately, I've stepped away from the Academy to return to the palace."
She smiled shyly, unable to hide her flushed cheeks.
"Um..."
"Princess."
Whatever the case, it was better to be direct than drag it out.
"Ah... Yes. What is it, Instructor?"
"I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but there's something called the suspension bridge effect."
"Suspension... bridge effect? What's that?"
Might be phrased differently here.
"It's when men and women unintentionally develop feelings for each other in a moment of crisis."
"Oh, I've never heard of that. Instructor Leon knows so much..."
"Princess."
It was rude, but I cut her off.
"The feelings Your Highness has for me right now... that's what they are."
"......"
"You'll regret it later."
With those tactful words of rejection, she fell silent and lowered her head slightly.
Then, staring at the floor, she slowly rolled her eyes before speaking.
"Maybe you're right."
"Princess."
"But it's the first time in my life I've felt this pounding in my heart."
She suppressed her trembling as she clearly expressed her intentions to me.
"Ever since that day, I keep thinking about you, Instructor Leon. I even find myself spacing out in the garden, wondering what you might like."
She slowly reached out and gently grasped the edge of my sleeve.
"Even if it's just a fleeting emotion, I don't want to let go of this thrilling, unfamiliar feeling."
Her eyes trembled as she spoke, but I responded firmly.
"Princess, I have someone I love."
"......"
"And we plan to marry before it's too late."
Her hand shook violently.
"So, I'm sorry, but I can't accept Your Highness's undeserved attention."
I stood from my seat, and until the moment I left, she kept her head bowed without a word.
"Tsk. The human heart can be so unpredictable."
"Oh, Your Majesty. You're just going to leave it like that?"
"Heh, what kind of man do you think I am?"
"The supreme ruler of the Empire, capable of anything."
He gave a wry smile at Aurora's cheeky response.
"Many things happen in the world, but some can't be resolved even with an Emperor's authority."
A child's love is homework for the child to solve, not something to meddle in with imperial power.
"I used to think the same in my youth. With the Emperor's authority and the supreme throne, what couldn't I do? But that was a delusion."
Aurora said nothing in response.
"It's frustrating that he rejected my beloved daughter's heart, but praising him for cleanly ending it without testing the waters is in order."
His daughter still had plenty of time ahead. Having learned the feeling of liking someone, she wouldn't fixate on one person like before.
The Emperor spotted Leon emerging from the bedroom and asked,
"So, have you sorted it out?"
"You're not angry?"
"Few dare to ask an Emperor such a bold question. To conclude, I have no intention of getting upset over this."
"But isn't Princess Eileena Your Majesty's cherished daughter?"
"No reason to force something that could harm her future."
With that, he beckoned to the head steward down the corridor.
The steward approached slowly and presented a small box.
"This is..."
"Something I received long ago from the person I loved."
Inside the box he offered was a delicate necklace.
"It holds magic from an outdated era."
Leon recognized it at a glance and showed interest, drawing a spark in the Emperor's eyes.
"Do you know what this is?"
"Hard to say without closer inspection, but it seems like some kind of contract magic."
"Contract magic? A new form of magic to me."
"It's a field that requires at least 7th Circle to probe. It sets conditions to extract specific compensation. Similar to the magic in the dragon ruins rift where Coral and Bata clashed recently."
The Emperor had already heard reports from there, so he wasn't surprised.
"I see. Then do you know what ability it holds?"
"I'd need to check. Mind if I do?"
"Go ahead. I've been curious myself."
At the Emperor's words, Leon channeled mana into the necklace on his palm.
The necklace reacted, slowly floating up from his hand.
"Hoo..."
At the same time, intricate arrays of strange characters formed magical formations around it.
"Ah, the activation method is similar. Let me see..."
Analyzing the structure, it seemed like a mental accessory of some sort...
"It appears to provide the wearer with mental comfort."
"You can tell that much?"
"Did you know?"
"I had a vague idea. But I didn't expect you'd discern what even the imperial mages couldn't, right here. The more I see, the more I covet your talent. Young Lord, have you ever considered naturalizing in the Empire?"
This man was saying the unthinkable.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I plan to spend my life in Cascadia."
"Your desires are so modest compared to your abilities."
The Emperor quickly changed the subject.
"And a personal request."
"Please speak."
"Are you planning a sequel?"
Aurora glanced at me at his question.
A look asking if it was okay to tell.
I nodded, so Aurora explained instead.
"The response has been better than expected, so we plan to artifact-ize just the game portion, Your Majesty."
"Hoo, that's good news. If you need any support, let me know. I'll provide whatever assistance is required."
Thus ended the somewhat peculiar meeting with the Emperor. As we left the imperial palace, I asked,
"Was this planned?"
"No. I just slipped away on my own initiative. Better to handle things quickly and cleanly, whether you like it or not."
I understood what she meant by "handling things."
If there's no interest, cut off the princess's attention swiftly.
Especially since the other party was a princess—leaving it be would be a blunder.
That must have been her consideration.
"By the way, I had no idea Lady Aurora was the heir to the Lavren family."
"No benefit in advertising it."
It wasn't just power. House Lavren was, in fact, the wealthiest family on the continent.
Not merely a house, but a colossal force in its own right.
That's why even a family from a small neutral kingdom was untouchable.
If she'd gone around proclaiming her Lavren heritage, she probably couldn't have managed academy life, let alone run the Planetaria Merchant Guild properly.
"I understand."
"Melissa, the Count of Cascadia now, is fine for the moment, but if Young Lord keeps making a name with orichalcum and artifacts..."
Something peculiar stood out in her words.
"Orichalcum?"
"What you gave Senior Isna—it really was orichalcum, right? Rumors are circulating, albeit faintly, that orichalcum has been found since the Cascadia mines resolved the mana instability."
Oh. Rumors spread fast.
"I did my best to quash it at my level, but is that okay?"
"Thank you for the consideration. But isn't it usually hard to believe?"
"By sheer coincidence, I once saw orichalcum long ago out of pure luck. To be honest... if that mine's true nature gets out, who knows what chaos it'll cause."
Mana instability—especially in severely unstable mines—had never been resolved before.
Yet, in a tiny fraction of them, orichalcum formed and could be mined. Thus, the Cascadia mines were effectively the continent's sole orichalcum source.
"So for now, keep it hidden. Build your power until attacking Cascadia for orichalcum feels like a loss for them."
She added quietly,
"Plus, with the recent war against Coral... it's possible information about Cascadia's orichalcum leaked to them."
It was sincere advice from her.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I understood her point.
Aurora parted ways, saying she had business with the imperial financial officer.
She'd probably visit later for business matters.
As I prepared to return to Cascadia via spatial transfer magic,
Someone called out to me.
"Young Lord Leon Cascadia."
A cold tone, but devoid of hostility.
Turning around, I saw the head of House Mielephon—Lady Isna's mother, Katsi Mielephon—looking at me.