Male Lead, Don’t Push, Pull! - Chapter 57

If the emperor has decided to truly empower Kyle, this event could be an opportunity to establish a business connection between the two families and Kyle.

And a few hours later, my speculation became a reality.

“Vivian of House Rosiere and Daniel of House Raston, step forward and pay respects to His Imperial Majesty.”

As I walked forward in response to the summons, I felt intense gazes fixed upon me.

Standing diagonally across from Emperor Ishad was Kyle, the central figure of those scrutinizing looks.

He was currently staring at me as if he could bore a hole through me.

For some reason, my cold sweat was about to burst, but I forced myself to look ahead.

“Rosiere, Raston.”

The aging and not particularly healthy emperor, who had even participated in the grand nation-building festival, was wearing attire that exuded dignity.

Yet, the charisma wasn’t diminished; his authority was palpable.

With narrowed eyes, likely struggling to read the inscription on the certificate of merit due to his presbyopia, he spoke.

“You have developed a law to extend the shelf life of drugs and laid the groundwork for applying them to reality. Thanks to your contributions, it is now possible to deliver drugs that are effective even to those in remote areas. The lives of the people of the Empire will surely be better than yesterday, and many more will be saved thanks to your discoveries. Therefore, in recognition of your merits, I confer this award on you.”

“I am humbled, Your Majesty.”

I bowed deeply as the emperor presented me with the award.

Upon seeing the certificate bearing the name Vivian Rosiere, my heart raced in anticipation.

It was really happening—I was receiving an award.

It seemed Daniel was experiencing a similar emotion, as his face also flushed with excitement.

“In addition, you shall each be rewarded with a chest of gold and two chests of magic stones.”

“Your majesty is pleased!”

The emperor’s satisfaction seemed evident as he stroked his beard.

“Rashton’s firstborn, Daniel, I admire your talent. Your talent is truly impressive. You studied magic medicine even in Arene. I expect you to continue your studies and accomplish much for the betterment of the Empire.”

“Yes, Your Majesty! I won’t disappoint you.”

“Rosiere’s young lady has been bold since childhood and amazed everyone.”

I was taken aback. I never expected Emperor Ishad to recognize me.

At best, I had been invited to tea once as a child, after being accepted into the Academy.

But to call me bold? Wasn’t I polite and well-mannered to a fault?

“Upon closer examination, it seems that boldness was based on your abilities. I wonder how you came up with such a clever idea. To be so bright even at a young age truly bodes well for the empire’s future.”

“The crown prince is here, Your Majesty.”

“Now that the capital’s business shares have been transferred to the Crown Prince, it would be a good idea to discuss and collaborate on developing them. You should share your thoughts.”

After my father handed over a portion of the business ownership to the emperor and received permission, it seemed that the rights had now been transferred to Kyle.

Looking at it this way, the emperor seemed genuinely interested in elevating Kyle’s status.

However, perhaps due to his elusive nature, it was difficult to discern the true intentions of the other party.

“After all, the three of you graduated from Arene Academy together. I’ve made a place for you in the garden. Let the three of you take this opportunity to catch up on old times and perhaps exchange some news.”

The ailing emperor excused himself from the gathering with those words.

“Please, come this way.”

Following the guide of the chamberlain, we moved to a subsidiary garden attached to the imperial palace.

A long table had been set up in the garden, neatly decorated for the meal. The maids and servants were already waiting for us.

With the emperor absent, Titania took the lead.

“Although he couldn’t join us at the table, His Majesty has prepared this banquet. Please, take your seats.”

Titania quipped, suggesting that in the absence of a tiger, a fox takes the role of the king.

She occupied the head of the table as though it were her rightful place.

While it was true that she held the highest status here, the way Titania carried herself was quite irritating.

‘What on earth has she done for Kyle!’

I’ve never liked Titania to begin with, and I had to work hard to keep my feelings to myself.

But even though everyone involved in today’s ceremony was seated, there was still one seat left at the table. It was directly across from Kyle.

As the emperor was absent due to his health, and no more guests were expected, who could possibly be late?

It seemed that I wasn’t the only one curious; everyone at the table seemed intrigued by the vacant seat.

Titania, who had been taking a momentary break, suddenly smiled broadly.

“We have a very special guest at the imperial palace today, so I invited them to join us for this banquet.”

“And who might that be?”

“I’m sure you’ve all met on National Founding Day. She is the Saint of Yuphiter, the representative of the Yuphiter Church.”

My eyes widened.

Sienna is coming here?

“There she is, Saint, welcome!”

Titania greeted the approaching figure from a distance with enthusiasm.

Titania was right, Sienna was coming towards us.

Sienna was dressed in a neat cream-colored outfit today. Her snowy-white hair was neatly braided and naturally cascading down, giving her a very innocent and pure appearance.

As she approached, Sienna bowed slightly in greeting.

“Greetings, everyone. May the grace of Yuphiter be with you.”

I stared at her in fascination.

Although she had mentioned that we would meet again later, I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

“I was invited by Lady Titania to join you. I hope I’m not causing any inconvenience…”

“Oh, not at all. It’s an honor for us, in fact.”

The adults present welcomed Sienna’s unexpected presence with smiles of delight.

On a day when each of their children had received awards from the emperor, the presence of a saint during the banquet added to the occasion.

This was certainly an event worth bragging about in the neighborhood.

“Please, enjoy your time here.”

“Thank you. Oh…! What a lovely lunch, Lady Vivian!”

After exchanging greetings with the others, Sienna turned to me, her tail wagging like a joyful puppy, and approached me with excitement.

Her demeanor was a stark contrast to just moments ago, and it immediately drew the attention of the people around us.

“Yes, nice to see you again, Saint.”

“The weather is truly beautiful today, isn’t it? It seems even the weather is especially good for the day I get to meet Lady Vivian.”

As was the case the last time we met at the temple, Sienna was showing me unconditional favor.

I wonder why she’s so fond of me.

Maybe she remembers something from her childhood? But I hadn’t done anything plausible to her then.

Rather, I had surprised her by suddenly passing out from heat stroke.

Moreover, she had never mentioned to me that she remembered something from her childhood.

There was something incomprehensible about her attitude. But it was true that she liked me, nonetheless.

That was much better than Kyle, who was ambiguous about whether he liked me or not.

So, I intentionally smiled broadly as if to show off.

“Haha, I guess it’s because Sienna is here. I’m glad to see you again too, Sienna.”

As we engaged in a cheerful conversation, the people around us looked at us with slightly surprised expressions.

They’re looking at me, wondering when I became so close with Sienna.

And within that gaze, Kyle was also included.

I pretended not to notice Kyle’s gaze.

It didn’t matter who Kyle cared about, whether it was me or Sienna.

Either way, Kyle didn’t seem particularly pleased about it.

Hmph, well, I should have acted more boldly.

Kyle should experience a bit of turmoil too.

As all the invited guests gathered for the dinner, the meal finally began.

While Titania generally took the lead in the conversations, Kyle also smoothly engaged in discussions with my father or Baron Raston, seamlessly keeping the conversation flowing.

It had only been a week since he was officially recognized as the Crown Prince, yet Kyle behaved as if he had been in that position from the very beginning, completely natural and composed.

There were no rough edges in his behavior, no flaws to point out.

Watching Kyle flawlessly act as the Crown Prince made me feel like I was the only one still stuck at the academy.

But that wasn’t the only thing bothering me.

“Saint, your outfit today looks truly beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“Come to think of it, the colors match the garment worn by His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s as if you were meant to be together. What a match.”

Titania showered Sienna with endless praise.

And subtly, her remarks seemed to link Sienna and Kyle together.