“Take a seat.”

Kaiser spoke with a trembling voice and ushered them inside.

When Ariel lifted her head to look at his face closely, King Kaiser appeared to be in his late forties. His tall stature, solid build, and quite rugged facial features hinted at his popularity in his younger days.

Leopold and Ariel moved to sit across from Kaiser and Celine.

“Please, take a seat first.”

As Kaiser stood, waiting for them to sit, Leopold smiled and spoke.

‘Is he kidding…’

Though his mouth smiled, Leopold’s eyes were already cold.

No matter how much Leopold and Ariel were nobles of Atlan, this was the Kingdom of Macglier, and Kaiser was the king of Macglier.

What would the attendants serving them here think when they saw this scene?

Wouldn’t they find it strange?

Wouldn’t they wonder about the identities of these people?

They might imagine all sorts of things.

They were already troubled by the news of demonic beasts appearing, did he have to worry about such things too?

A ripple of his suppressed temper, which had been calm thanks to Ariel, emerged.

“Oh, right.”

As Kaiser stuttered and took a seat, Queen Celine sat beside him.

“El.”

As Leopold and Ariel stood across from Kaiser and Celine, an attendant approached to pull out their chairs, but Leopold pulled out Ariel’s chair himself.

“Thank you.”

Ariel’s eyes wrinkled prettily as she sat down.

Leopold responded with a smile and then, as he sat down, shot a cold glare at Kaiser.

Kaiser flinched in surprise at his fierce gaze.

“Thank you for inviting us.”

Ariel said to Kaiser and Celine, who were sitting across from her.

Celine, who appeared to be around the same age as Kaiser, wore a pink dress that resembled cotton candy.

The upper part of the dress, visible above the table, was adorned with a bright floral pattern. The small, cute flowers scattered across it complemented her pure image.

“Since you’ve come to Macglier, I thought it would be good for you to try the local cuisine, so I’ve prepared various dishes. I hope they suit your taste. If not, please let us know.”

Celine’s lips trembled slightly.

It was more fear than nervousness.

She couldn’t believe her eyes as she saw the notorious Emperor Leopold Diaz looking at his wife with such clear, innocent eyes like a gentle lamb.

‘If Kaiser hadn’t declared surrender, Macglier’s beautiful heritage would have been destroyed by his hands.’

Even the dwarves’ weapons were no match for Leopold’s swordsmanship.

The unique atmosphere of Macglier, from its old houses to temples and this royal castle, and the beautifully cultivated cityscape, would have been devastated by his merciless sword.

Celine’s shoulders trembled lightly.

Ariel’s keen eyes didn’t miss this.

‘It seems she’s quite frightened because of Leopold.’

Ariel looked at her with concern, then deliberately smiled more brightly and looked down at the table.

“The food looks really delicious, Your Highness.”

On the table were fresh salads made with colorful vegetables and traditional Macglier dishes such as Dug Blanche, Turnzinia, and Nellobi.

At her words, Celine reached for the plate with the meat.

“Dug Blanche is a dish made by smoking young lamb. It’s a delicacy, so please try it.”

To entertain the Emperor and Empress of Atlan, Celine had chosen the dishes for the luncheon and participated in the selection process of the ingredients days in advance.

Because it was a meal she had put so much effort into, Celine felt relieved by Ariel’s compliment.

Leopold personally served the food onto Ariel’s plate.

Ariel, with eyes full of expectation, picked up the food and put it into her mouth. The smoked lamb’s tenderness filled her mouth with flavor.

‘It’s even more delicious than I expected.’

Ariel’s eyes widened as she chewed.

“How can lamb be this tender?”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Celine smiled with relief.

“Leo, you should try it too.”

“Yes, I will.”

Leopold lovingly watched Ariel as she moved the food onto his plate.

‘Thank goodness.’

She had said she wasn’t in a good mood, but the delicious food seemed to have lifted her spirits.

Leopold also placed other foods onto his plate. Queen Celine raised her eyebrows as she watched him.

Was he really such a considerate man? She heard he had a very nasty temper…

But the way he looked at Ariel savoring the food revealed his feelings for her.

The softly curled corners of his mouth, the moist pupils.

It was different from the stories she had heard and the image she had seen during the war.

Queen Celine fiddled with her knife on the plate, watching them from the corner of her eye.

***

When the plates on the table emptied, the meal came to an end.

“Your Highness. May I boldly ask you to dismiss the attendants?”

At Leopold’s sudden request, King Kaiser’s eyes anxiously wandered in the air.

Why was he asking to dismiss the attendants all of a sudden?

Could it be…

‘Is he here to kill me?’

A chill ran up from his toes. The fear that stimulated his peripheral nerves made his face turn pale.

A silence fell.

‘It seems he’s misunderstanding…’

It seemed he thought they were here to harm him.

Ariel glanced at Leopold and let out a deep sigh.

“We heard the people’s stories on the way. You’re suffering from demonic beasts.”

“Oh-!”

Realizing their misunderstanding, Kaiser and Celine’s eyes widened instantly.

“Everyone, leave.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Clunk-! Thud!

The attendants who were serving the meal all left the banquet hall.

With a serious look in his eyes, Kaiser began to speak to Leopold.

“I sincerely apologize for misunderstanding your intentions.”

“No. Well, I understand to some extent.”

Since there were no onlookers, Kaiser used formal language.

“That’s right. Recently, demonic beasts have been appearing in the eastern plains of Macglier, and it’s been giving me a headache.”

“From what I’ve heard from the people, it seems that demonic beasts didn’t originally appear here.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry to say this, but the demonic beasts that were focused on Atlan and Kolnman didn’t even look towards Macglier. But for some reason, they are coming to Macglier now.”

Leopold nodded leisurely, knowing the reason.

The demonic beasts that had been parasitizing the Helmir Forest and the border areas of Atlan were coming to Macglier out of fear of being killed like their comrades.

But, where are the dark mages?

‘Fortunately, it seems all the dark mages have been captured.’

Leopold’s eyes narrowed.

“It seems there are a couple of dark mages as well. No matter how many barriers the mages of Macglier put up, they break through them. Moreover, the magical orbs don’t work on them.”

When Kaiser finished speaking, Celine hurriedly added.

“Are you asking because you’re thinking of helping us?”

Ariel quietly watched them with a gaze full of earnestness.

We should help them.

Even if it’s just a way to stay peacefully here.

Leopold waited for Ariel to answer Celine’s question.

He had already decided in his heart, but once spoken, it would become a promise they had to keep, so he seemed to hesitate.

‘What will you do, El?’

I will do as you wish.

He had come here with the intention of refusing their request for help if she wished.

Leopold looked down at her.

He looked at the small but resolute and strong Empress of Atlan with a deeply satisfied heart.

“…”

Suddenly, her eyes changed, and she opened her mouth.

“Are you just asking for help? Without any compensation?”

“That’s not it.”

King Kaiser replied urgently.

“It seems you want something in return.”

“It’s nothing special…”

Kaiser and Celine simultaneously swallowed dryly.

They were worried that he might make an unreasonable demand.

But it wasn’t a problem they could solve on their own.

‘What is he going to say?’

The crimson eyes looking down at the top of Ariel’s head gleamed with interest.

In fact, Leopold hadn’t even thought about receiving compensation for this matter.

He thought Ariel was better than him.

“Give us the mansion we are currently staying in… so that the Atlan imperial family can use it anytime.”

“Ahem-!”

Haha…

Leopold stifled a laugh that was about to escape with a cough.

Given the gravity, he thought she might ask for half of Macglier’s territory.

But it was such a modest compensation.

Under the table, her daintily clenched fist was resting gently on her thigh.

Leopold reached out his arm and held her hand firmly. Then he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

“So-! Are you going to give it or not?”

At Leopold’s question, Kaiser opened his mouth.