“Khup… whatever my Betty wants! I’ll do anything!”

Caenian was completely smitten. His heart fluttered at just one duck footprint. He flicked his hand, asking a servant for a pen.

“Wow! For the rest of the clauses too?”

Bestia’s face brightened at the emperor’s bold move, driven by his obsession with the duck. Her eyes sparkled, ready to clap her hands at any moment.

“Of course. Oh wait. What? What’s this… give Bonobono five gold coins every Monday?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Giving gold coins to Bonobono is also a condition.”

“Why!”

“Because Betty said so.”

“But why!”

The agreement shook in Caenian’s hand as if it might tear.

“…Should we just forget about it? Betty will return to her family……”

“Aish!”

His hand holding the pen hesitated near the signature line. But there was no choice.

“I’ll bring Betty right away, Your Majesty.”

Bestia received the completed agreement with his signature.

“Sir Potters, go with her and protect my Betty from any possible danger.”

After the two left the audience hall, Caenian traced his furrowed brow with his fingertip. He had many thoughts.

“Why…… Did they become close while I left Betty in my bedroom?”

A soliloquy popped out due to his troubled mind. He recalled the morning when Bonobono was holding Betty tightly. Jealousy surged. His lips protruded forward.

“Come to think of it, there’s no condition like dancing cutely for me every time we meet?”

Caenian narrowed his eyes. She had attached numerous conditions to meeting him, but told him to give gold coins to Bonobono without any conditions.

When did the relationship between the two animals become closer than with me?

“No. Stay calm. Just being able to see my Betty again is a good thing.”

But thinking about it again, he wondered if it really mattered. When had he ever rescued a small duck from danger expecting something in return? It was just an act of kindness from his love for animals.

It’s just that I care so much because it’s the first life that didn’t die because of me.

“…Sigh. Yes, that must be it.”

Caenian concluded his thoughts that way. He tried to let it go in a positive manner. After all, what mattered was that his cutie was alive and well, showing her face.

But…

“That’s right, Your Majesty. I like your positive attitude.”

When Duke added his words, the mood changed. The brow that had relaxed wrinkled again. Caenian narrowed his eyes.

“Chancellor, are you mocking me now?”

“How could I?”

He snapped without realizing it, his voice sharp. A gasp escaped at the sight of the old man with wide eyes.

“There’s no soul in your voice?”

“Ehey. I’m hurt that you slander a good imperial citizen, Your Majesty.”

“Good citizen indeed. Even a passing seagull would laugh.”

Caenian deliberately maintained an angry tone. Reflecting on what he had just muttered to himself, his dignity was in shambles. Glancing sideways, he saw the servants had backed away three steps. He felt embarrassed. He cleared his throat repeatedly.

“Teing. A seagull inland, you say.”

Duke, understanding Caenian’s thoughts, deliberately played dumb. An unseemly word came from the mouth of a man over seventy. Caenian frowned.

Where did he learn such a strange word?

“I didn’t know the Chancellor was so cunning.”

“People naturally live with the charm of eight colors—”

“When you’re not even human.”

Unable to say he wasn’t acting his age, he ended up just giving him a rebuke. Caenian deliberately let his words trail off. He needlessly looked at the window.

“…She said she’d be back soon. Tsk……”

But soon another soliloquy popped out. This was all because of the human Betty.

The woman who suddenly appeared claiming to have found the duck and presented the agreement.

The woman who stared at him with blue eyes as if she were a duck herself.

“Chancellor.”

“Your Majesty.”

It was when his thoughts were deepening. The two men opened their mouths at the same time. Caenian, who had been looking far away, narrowed his vision.

“You speak first.”

“No. I will listen attentively.”

Looking at the white-haired old man bowing his head to him, he nodded briefly. He had regained his imperial authority just by finding the duck’s whereabouts. Caenian paused for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I have been quite lacking. You must have had a hard time, Chancellor.”

His voice revealing his inner thoughts was heavy. At this moment, even Duke wore a serious expression.

Nod nod.

“As long as you understand… then a generous reward for me……”

“Is that sarcastic personality a characteristic of pelican beastmen?”

Only his expression was serious; his sparkling eyes were full of gold coins. Caenian made a disgusted face. He furrowed his brow as if reproaching himself for the somewhat rash words that had unconsciously slipped out.

“How could you say such a harsh thing…!”

“I’m sorry. I went too far.”

“If you give me five gold coins too, I won’t get upset—”

“Just get upset. It seems it would be quieter.”

“What? That’s too much.”

And this time Duke frowned. He clutched his left chest tightly, claiming to be hurt, but there was no response. Duke straightened his posture with an awkward face. It was his turn to speak.

“But Your Majesty, everyone knows your sincerity. Because you sincerely desire peace for the empire, you naturally poured much affection even into one duck.”

“…Chancellor. I……”

“This old man knows everything.”

“What do you know, Chancellor ?”

“I know with what heart Your Majesty showed obsessive attachment to Betty. Despite my appearance, I’ve accumulated some years of experience. Ho ho.”

Caenian couldn’t raise his head at Duke’s words. He knew it himself. He had tried to pretend not to know, but it was impossible.

“I feel embarrassed thinking that the Chancellor saw through everything.”

He just tapped the bridge of his nose in awkwardness.

He had tried to receive from Betty the affection he hadn’t received from his parents. The sight of the duck trembling alone that day looked just like him.

But when that duck left his side, he felt abandoned. Just like the squirrel that died because of him and the beastmen who suffered. He thought it was time to pay for his past sins.

‘How many beastmen have shed tears of blood because of you! Do you think you deserve to laugh and enjoy yourself?’

‘You don’t even deserve to be loved!’

Caenian had suffered such nightmares. The reason he had unintentionally become more handsome after losing weight from lying in bed for the past fortnight was this.

“No. I feel not just embarrassed but guilty. I also feel like I lack governing ability.”

“Your Majesty.”

Caenian’s face immediately darkened. Duke hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t they say failure is the mother of success?”

“Are you saying I failed?”

“Ah. What are you saying now.”

Caenian Ruvan.

The emperor of the empire was just eighteen years old. Duke recalled when he was eighteen. How much he had showed off after just becoming an adult. But in the end, he was a child.

It would be the same for someone born to be emperor. Time flows equally for everyone. No matter how early he had matured, eighteen years couldn’t become several decades.

“I’m just saying. Your Majesty has much knowledge, but you’re not yet at an age where life wisdom has accumulated.”

“Life wisdom… you’re right.”

“Yes. So don’t blame yourself too much. Isn’t that how everyone becomes an adult, accumulating one dark history at a time?”

Rather, it could be that by not being able to act childlike at that age, his inner self was expressed in a strange way. For example, treating a duck like an attachment doll.

“Dark history, Chancellor? No matter what, that’s a bit harsh……”

“Causing diplomatic problems by driving out a foreign princess because of one duck.”

“Chancellor.”

“Gathering all the gold to make a duck statue.”

“Chancellor.”

“Mobilizing even guards on maternity leave to search for one missing duck, turning the entire palace upside down like catching mice—”

“Stop, stop it, Chancellor.”

“Shall I?”

Duke treated Caenian like his own grandson. He smiled brightly at the emperor who was waving his hands to stop his words.

“That’s enough. I get it. Everything will go well if I pull myself together and do well.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

His eyes stung with sympathy and pride. Some people asked if he had no pride, being the son of the one who caused the extinction of the black pelican beastmen, but Duke thought differently.

“You can shape the future well with today’s realizations after burying the past, Your Majesty.”

He was wise enough to separate the oppressed past from the present.

* * *

Caenian diligently attended to state affairs as he had signed in the agreement. It was to meet his companion duck.

A week later, Duke unofficially checked his state affairs management. It seemed like the positions had reversed, but Caenian didn’t mind.

— Quack? (Hello?)

“Betty! I really missed you so much! I had a really busy week so you wouldn’t be disappointed!”

He only showed interest in the duck Duke had brought. He jumped up from his seat and ran out.

— Quaack! (Hug me gently! I’ll burst!)

“You’re still soft and warm! Oh? Have you gained weight? The softness is even more than before…….”

— Quoack! (Where are you touching!)