“Shushu, why are you bothering an innocent person? That’s his job.”

Bestia, feeling sorry for Potters, scolded her jealous friend.

“How did I bother him?”

“Sir Potters is His Majesty’s knight guard. He probably keeps track of who visits for an audience and how often, not just me.”

“What I felt wasn’t like that.”

Finally, Shushu looked at the clueless Bestia, seemingly frustrated. She couldn’t bring herself to say she was interested in Potters.

“Hmm? Then what was it?”

If I say that, it’ll reveal that I was jealous!

Confessing to having feelings for someone is embarrassing. She was even scared of being teased.

“Nothing, forget it. By the way, are you keeping in touch with home?”

“Home? Yes, yes, they send letters every week.”

“Don’t you write back?”

“Of course I do. What do you take me for, Shushu.”

Shushu immediately changed the subject. She had never discussed matters of romance with Bestia before. Their conversation topics were always either academics or rumors circulating in the village.

“A fool who got lost and went all the way to the border.”

“…It was a journey of self-discovery.”

“That’s a fancy way to put it. After making so many people worry.”

If asked why they never talked about romance, there was one reason. Crusoe was always by their side. How could they talk about boys in front of a boy? That would be embarrassing and unrefined.

Embarrassing and unrefined.

No, why was he always around anyway?

“It’s true… but I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Quack. Bestia immediately lowered her tail. It was clearly her fault that she had gone missing and made many people worry. It was true that she had found her identity as a duck beastman, but it was also true that she had caused trouble.

“Oh, forget it. I didn’t mean to scold you.”

Shushu gently took Bestia’s drooping hand. She had deliberately mentioned the journey of self-discovery. Her friend Bestia was definitely a duck beastman.

‘Father, could you take me with you when you go to the imperial palace?’

‘You? Why?’

‘I want an audience with His Majesty. My friend Bestia went missing—’

‘His Majesty is busy these days. He’s completely smitten with a duck he picked up somewhere.’

‘A duck?’

‘He supposedly found it during the New Year’s Parade and now keeps it constantly by his side. He’s spreading rumors about being an animal lover to curry favor with those beastmen.’

She remembered that conversation clearly. The yellow handkerchief dropped by the woman who had transformed into a duck. The duck the emperor picked up during the New Year’s Parade. And Bestia, who disappeared after going to see that New Year’s Parade. All clues pointed to one thing.

You are that duck!

“Did Runda really do that?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It was the next day. Caenian was with his ministers. Once again seated after barely getting any sleep. Fatigue and anger showed plainly on his face.

“Didn’t they promise to trade those three items under any circumstances?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. No matter how much production dropped, we were to be the primary export country, and the volume was to be adjusted to match Delta Empire’s needs.”

The ingredients for cold remedies brought by the seasonal winds.

Dried horse chestnuts, wild sunflower seeds, and musk penguin oil.

Just earlier this morning, they had said they would reduce exports to 90% of the original amount.

“And now they’re saying they won’t export at all?”

The reason given by Runda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was that they had started using those items to raise livestock or something.

“An obvious lie. Everyone knows what toxic effects those have on non-human creatures!”

“Y-yes. Animals die from the toxicity, and beastmen have a 50% chance of stomach upset and hallucinations……”

“Only humans can use them without side effects.”

More than half of Runda’s citizens were beastmen. And more than half—nearly 90%—of the Delta Empire’s citizens were humans. There was one reason for this population imbalance: Ruvan III’s anti-beastman policies.

“The seasonal winds weren’t this threatening before.”

Caenian’s gaze turned fierce. He recalled the Empire’s past appearance, when beastmen could still live comfortably.

The Delta Empire, where beastman children could be found everywhere.

“Even if people caught colds, the presence of beastmen with high immunity weakened the contagion, making outbreaks difficult.”

“Now if one person catches it, more than ten become infected within a week.”

Beastmen in the Delta Empire had become rare, about one in a thousand. Those who barely escaped death fled to Runda to survive.

“What if we conduct research to artificially produce beastmen’s immune pheromones, Your Majesty?”

“I’ve heard bat beastmen have particularly high immunity. What if we extract their pheromones to make children’s fragrances?”

“There’s also a superstition that drinking diluted beastman blood prevents catching colds.”

The ministers seized the opportunity to add their comments. They were people who normally viewed beastmen with disdain. The emperor’s gaze turned cold toward these humans who had tormented beastmen, taking advantage of Ruvan III’s tyranny.

“That would only make beastmen suspicious of us.”

“But humans must survive first—”

“Be quiet. That’s not the core issue.”

His eyes looked at them as if they were insects. The ministers who had been speaking up here and there fell silent. Caenian looked at each of them one by one before speaking.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We will await any new information, Your Majesty.”

The single statement he uttered with a sigh was extremely heavy. The young emperor pressed his temples and left his seat.

His head throbbed from not getting proper rest. His bloodshot eyes felt dry. He wanted to sleep comfortably holding his fluffy duck.

“…Betty.”

But bringing her would separate her from her family.

If he summoned her, that woman might say not to bother her friend.

“Haa, I’m lonely.”

Caenian swallowed his feelings alone. The break was brief. The emperor, who had collapsed into sleep as soon as he reached his bedroom, appeared shortly after looking perfectly fine.

His head was clear, perhaps thanks to the sleep incense lit by the servants. His stiff shoulders had also loosened somewhat thanks to the servant who massaged them while he slept.

“Hmm……”

Standing before the door with a much more relaxed face, he slightly furrowed his brow.

Whispers were leaking from the conference room where security level 1 diplomatic issues were being discussed with even the guards dismissed. It was an absurd situation where the door wasn’t completely closed. Looking closely, he saw a button someone had dropped was stuck in the door gap.

“It’s black.”

Caenian murmured as he bent down to pick up the black button. There was nothing special about a black button. It just reminded him of a certain man.

“Did Potters find out?”

He hadn’t noticed when he wasn’t thinking about it, but now that he was aware, he was very curious. He wanted to summon him immediately and ask, but he had no time to focus on private matters now.

“Probably some noble family’s son. I should strengthen palace entry permissions.”

And since he had no time to spare, it was best not to create issues that would require attention. With a slight curl of his lips, Caenian pictured the woman who would be alone under the tree.

“That black tea and cookies. They’re actually my favorites.”

Familiar tastes can be frightening. Caenian recalled more vividly the face of the woman who had smiled while offering his favorite snacks to an unidentified man.

Bright smile, flowing golden hair, blue eyes.

“She never smiled once in front of me.”

His words came out with a sting. Caenian himself felt it and frowned. His face hardened enough to make his brief rest seem meaningless. That’s when it happened.

“Isn’t this all because of His Majesty?”

“Ahem. Watch your words.”

“I also think His Majesty’s words and actions were the cause.”

The voices leaking through the door gap registered clearly in his ears. The ministers who had suggested using beastmen to obtain pheromones were raising their voices.

“That’s right. Isn’t this mess because of that one duck?”

“I agree. The cause is clearly when he chased away Princess Harael during the banquet.”

That incident mentioned by the ministers who particularly hated beastmen. Caenian also thought that was the cause.

I did overreact then.

After inviting dignitaries from another country, he had expelled one of them because he didn’t like her.

If he hadn’t been the emperor, there would be nothing to say even if war broke out immediately. But calling our Betty a beastman……

That was too much, wasn’t it?

How pitiful Betty looked with tears welling up from the injustice.

“…That was also cute. Ugh.”

Words that pop out following the flow of consciousness cannot be taken back. Caenian tapped his forehead as if scolding himself. He glared at the gap on the door, not knowing the real reason Bestia had tears in her eyes.

“Isn’t it a disgrace to the Empire that trade has been disrupted because of one duck?”

The one who had suggested capturing bat beastmen was speaking with spittle flying.

“Now, now. A disgrace? Mind your words, Minister.”

“That duck isn’t even seen much these days. If he was only going to adore it briefly, he shouldn’t have brought it in the first place. Tsk.”

“His Majesty is too soft. He lacks the charisma that the previous emperor showed.”

Duke’s warning was useless.

“Are we the Empire for nothing? Couldn’t we just sweep them all away if necessary?”

They all continued talking while picking their ears. It was exactly like the saying that even the king gets criticized in his absence. Caenian glared at them through the door gap. A murderous aura instantly rose around him.