Chapter 3. Misaligned Gears

Count Kent let out a long sigh with a face full of worry.

The splendid door before his eyes felt overwhelmingly burdensome.

“Count.”

The chief chamberlain urged him to quickly announce his visit with a face no less dark than Count Kent’s.

However, the chief chamberlain also knew. That in the current situation, it would be difficult for Count Kent to easily raise his voice.

Count Kent turned his gaze from the door to the chief chamberlain.

“Is she alive?”

“Count! What terrible words are you saying!”

The chief chamberlain waved his hands in horror.

But he understood what state of mind Count Kent was in to ask such a question.

Yesterday, he had heard that the emperor, who had gone on an outing, didn’t get out of the carriage for quite a while even after arriving at the imperial palace.

He had also heard that suspicious moaning sounds and rustling continued for a long time before the emperor finally got out of the carriage. In his arms was something wrapped in the emperor’s clothes.

There was no one in the imperial palace who didn’t know who the person the emperor had personally carried into the bedroom was.

In fact, it was safe to say that among those working in the imperial palace, there was no one who didn’t know that the emperor harbored feelings for Elia Weiss.

It wasn’t just once or twice that men who had shown interest in the intelligent and pretty young administrator were transferred to remote posts by the emperor’s command or fired for trivial mistakes.

‘Even so.’

Wasn’t it too much to drive her to the point of bleeding enough to horrify the head maid?

It was then. The emperor’s bedroom door burst open.

Count Kent and the chief chamberlain simultaneously stepped back and bowed their heads.

Casiel, who was in a robe with wet hair, quietly watched what the two were doing and then nodded.

“Did you come this early in the morning because you were curious about Lady Weiss’s well-being?”

Count Kent hesitated. That was actually one of his purposes.

Count Kent glanced toward the bed visible over Casiel’s shoulder.

He could see a small human figure lying motionless as if dead in the middle of the large bed, covered with a sheet.

His view was soon blocked.

Casiel had turned his body toward Count Kent as if to obstruct.

At the clearly guarded gesture, Count Kent lowered his gaze to the floor.

“How convenient.”

Casiel gestured to the chief chamberlain with a heavily subdued voice.

“Call the head maid.”

“The head maid, you say.”

“She needs to be washed.”

“Ah…… Yes. Then I’ll convey that……”

“I’d like to do it myself, but if I touch her, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back again.”

By adding unnecessary words, the dignified chief chamberlain’s face turned pale.

Only after the chief chamberlain hurriedly disappeared did Casiel mention the bundle of papers in Count Kent’s hand.

“It seems you have urgent business. Is it a long story?”

“It seems it will be. It’s a dispatch from Rosellern.”

A sharp look immediately appeared on Casiel’s languid face.

“Let’s go to the office.”

Casiel, who walked straight to the office not far from the bedroom, extended his hand to Count Kent.

Count Kent carefully placed the papers he had brought on that hand and began.

“It seems we need to adjust the list of distinguished guests to invite for the Foundation Festival.”

Casiel’s eyebrows twitched as he scanned the papers with his eyes.

“…… What?”

It was an exclamation mixed with mockery.

“The new emperor of Rosellern wants to come here? And personally at that?”

Since it was an expected reaction, Count Kent quietly waited for Casiel’s next words.

Casiel’s long fingers threw the luxurious cream-colored paper down onto the desk.

“What is the new emperor thinking? He can’t be such a fool as to not know what kind of fight I had with his father. He doesn’t seem worried about his own throat either.”

“As Your Majesty knows, the new emperor of Rosellern was someone who openly opposed the previous emperor. Since his political foundation is still weak, he might want to curry favor with our side.”

“Count, you sound like you’re saying we should welcome this fellow?”

“Since they expressed their intention to visit first, not refusing would be a wise response. The current emperor is someone not much is known about, unlike the previous emperor, so it would be best to confront him directly. However, the problem is……”

Casiel tilted his head crookedly.

“Right. The problem is whether to treat him as a state guest or as a distinguished guest……”

“Thinking of the previous emperor of Rosellern, you might not like it, but wouldn’t it be better to treat him generously?”

“There’s no need to show excessive hospitality to a sudden visitor. It would also be awkward to create a bigger event than that before holding the national wedding with the lady.”

“That’s true as well.”

While agreeing, Count Kent suddenly asked Casiel a question that occurred to him.

“Have you decided to call her lady instead of financial administrator?”

“I’m going to process her resignation soon. If we’re going to prepare for the national wedding, it would be good to clear up her position quickly.”

“Ah……”

Count Kent hesitated slightly, then made up his mind and bowed slightly toward Casiel.

“About that, Your Majesty. Actually, I’d like to borrow Financial Administrator Elia Weiss’s help.”

“What?”

His voice immediately became menacing. Since Count Kent had already expected this, he maintained his composure and added.

“Elia…… Excuse me. Please don’t look at me so menacingly. Finance Minister Zeke said that Financial Administrator Elia Weiss had already drafted the Foundation Festival budget proposal. But variables have arisen, haven’t they? I’d like to consult with her to make revisions and discuss future issues as well.”

“You can’t keep making someone who will become empress continue doing administrator work forever.”

“If she’s going to become empress, I think it’s all the more reason she should be involved in this work.”

Count Kent added emphatically.

“Since there is currently no empress in the empire, each department is dividing up the work that the empress should do. Entertaining foreign guests is, above all, something that Empress should handle with priority.”

It was a valid point.

Still reluctant, Casiel took some time before finally uttering words of acceptance.

“I’ll consider it.”

Count Kent inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Even after staying by his side for several years, he always became tense during private audiences with the emperor.

“But you know.”

Casiel’s voice caught Count Kent’s foot as he was about to withdraw.

“Command me.”

“Did you look into what I asked you to investigate before?”

“Your Majesty’s benevolence in looking after the empire is so broad that I would be grateful if you could show the kindness of telling this foolish subject which matter you’re referring to.”

Though he spoke in circles, the point was simple.

There wasn’t just one or two tasks assigned, so how could he know which one without being specifically told?

A faint smile appeared on Casiel’s face.

He thought it interesting that Count Kent, who had been the most direct type when rolling around on battlefields, had learned quite political speech after a few years of imperial palace life and marriage.

“About who Lady Elia Weiss said she was going to marry.”

Casiel immediately brought up the matter. Count Kent’s eyes widened briefly, then he bowed.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. That was surely just something said in desperation, and there absolutely cannot be a fiancé.”

“Is that the countess’s opinion?”

“Yes.”

Casiel’s eyes narrowed.

He was worried that he might be scolded for ending the report on a commanded task with mere speculation, but the words that came from Casiel’s mouth were far from Count Kent’s guess.

“Count. You said you and the countess were lovers for a long time.”

“That is so.”

“And you two have been close with Lady Weiss since childhood?”

“Yes.”

“Then it wouldn’t be difficult to guess why Lady Weiss is stubbornly insisting she can’t marry.”

“That……”

Count Kent, who received an unexpected question, hesitated for a moment. However, he answered with the resolute attitude befitting a steadfast knight.

“Isn’t a national wedding a big matter that’s difficult to decide easily?”

“Are you saying she was worried about the ministers’ true intentions who agreed to the national wedding?”

“Of course, that would be one reason. Since Your Majesty is currently single and has turned down all marriage proposals so far, there are quite a few who plan to first place someone as empress, then get their own daughters appointed as imperial consorts.”

“You said that’s one reason, meaning there are other reasons?”

There were of course many reasons why Elia was horrified at the suggestion of taking the position of empress.

“The Weiss couple are uncommonly easygoing and affectionate people for nobles. That’s why they took such good care of my wife, who had nowhere to rely on, from childhood. But regardless of them being good people…… the two of them are slightly…… to put it nicely, very cautious, and to put it badly, timid.”

“So they don’t have the courage to accept the emperor as a son-in-law?”

“Yes, well……”

If it were Elia’s father that Count Kent knew, he might grab the back of his neck in shock and collapse. Moreover.

“Most importantly…… No. For now, I’ll bring the documents to Financial Administrator Weiss later……”

“Why do you start to say something then stop? What’s most important?”

Count Kent bit down hard on his molars. He had made a slip of the tongue.

He thought he might get scolded by Lilias later, but it was difficult to take back his words now.

“Most importantly…… it’s Elia’s feelings toward Your Majesty.”

Casiel’s eyebrows rose like the wings of a fierce eagle. Count Kent quickly elaborated.

“Please don’t misunderstand. What I mean is……”

Having difficulty choosing appropriate words, Count Kent stopped speaking. And the answer he carefully selected was….

“Elia is a very girlish child.”

was…….

“What?”

“I mean…… Elia would have wanted the kind of romance where you walk side by side in the garden, carefully hold hands, and confess……”

Casiel’s expression became peculiar at the explanation that followed while sweating profusely.

“I think I roughly understand what you mean.”

“Thank you for understanding this inadequate subject’s words.”

“Listening to your words, I understand in my head what I should do.”

“Is that so? Then……”

“But I absolutely cannot control myself and cannot endure it.”

The words spoken with an utterly serious face were the kind that naturally made one’s face flush.

“Hmm, Your Majesty. That is……”

“When I lose myself and do it, I think I might have gone mad.”

Count Kent momentarily wanted to plug his ears.