IMHMF 21

Chapter 21

After Eden left, the moment I had been dreading had truly arrived. The emperor approached me to speak the moment Eden was gone.

“Are you not curious about my cane?”

The emperor asked me casually.

In truth, I was not curious. I already knew the facts about his cane. But since this was a situation where I had to play along with him, I had no choice but to open my mouth and pretend to know nothing about the cane.

Wretched class system.

“Might I be permitted to ask?”

“You are the first person not to ask me about my cane.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“It is indeed a compliment. This cane is not a tool to support my body.”

The cane was a deception. He needed to display the dignity and charisma befitting the name of emperor, but he could not carry a self-defense weapon openly. Having ascended to the throne at a young age, there had been several threats on his life.

So the measure he had devised was the cane. His limbs were all perfectly sound, but to put those who opposed him off their guard, he had begun using a cane as though his health were poor.

On the outside, the cane was covered in ornate gold and appeared heavy, but in truth it was enchanted with magic and became light when his hand touched it.

Furthermore, gripping and turning the handle of the cane revealed a hidden blade. One might wonder how a blade could be concealed within a cane, but the cane had been cleverly crafted. It appeared to be an ordinary cane, but upon close inspection, one could notice that the cane was thicker than one would expect.

Of course, who would stare intently at the cane the emperor used.

Having finished his explanation of the cane, the emperor gave a slight smile.

It was a very, very faint smile, but it was a smile that looked rather benevolent.

So this is what it means to be an emperor, I thought.

“Just as I thought.”

“……”

“You are also the first person not to be surprised upon hearing about my cane.”

“……”

“Ah, of course, aside from Hylus and Herrmann, you are the first to know this secret.”

“Pardon?”

“You did not waver, yet you waver at this.”

“How could anyone not waver upon hearing what you just said.”

“If word were to spread that my cane is a deception…”

I could anticipate what he would say next.

So you are telling me to watch my mouth, is that it?

“It would have to be either myself, Eden, or Duke Herrmann.”

The emperor paused briefly upon hearing my answer.

“Haha. Right, you are Hylus’s fiancée. I am simply not accustomed to someone calling Hylus by his given name.”

“There is nothing for you to worry about.”

“Good. By the way, that last thing you said just now was directed at Garnet, was it not?”

Blast. So he did catch it after all.

I had tried to speak indirectly, but the emperor was still the emperor. Just as I was thinking that I had apparently made a mistake in deciding not to get on his bad side.

“I shall personally grant you permission.”

An unexpected statement came from the emperor’s lips.

“Pardon?”

“I am saying I will give you the opportunity to have it out with my lady-in-waiting.”

Even after asking him to repeat himself, thinking I had misheard, what I had heard was exactly right.

“I could simply tell Garnet to apologize and she would. But could you accept that apology?”

I answered without a moment’s hesitation at his question.

“No.”

“Just as I thought. I like you.”

Should I have deliberated a little?

“However, since this is a matter I am specially permitting, make sure you win.”

“I am grateful. If Lady Garnet shows me disrespect again, I shall do so at that time.”

I had spoken to the emperor with composure, but knowing that the chance to deal with Garnet had come, I could not contain my excitement.

I found myself hoping that Garnet would hurry up and show me disrespect again.

The emperor’s ladies-in-waiting could not be of common birth, and only those of viscount or baron rank were eligible for the position. Of course, occasionally a lady-in-waiting of countess rank would enter service, but that was almost exclusively in cases where a child of similar age was brought in to help a prince or princess learn to speak more quickly.

On one side of Garnet’s chest was a badge bearing the emblem of a sunflower gazing up at the sun.

A sunflower looking toward the sun. It was the Dalia viscountcy, a family that had served the emperor as ladies-in-waiting for generations.

I would not have known this ordinarily, but Eden had quietly informed me before he left.

“That lady-in-waiting’s name is Garnet Dalia, the second daughter of the Dalia viscountcy.”

When I looked at Eden at the sudden sharing of information, he opened his mouth in a low voice.

“I had a feeling you would not let it go.”

“……”

“My lady is a bold Duchess, after all.”

Nice, Eden Cler Hylus. Well done, well done!

I praised Eden to my heart’s content inwardly and then composed my expression once more.

“The walk ends here. Garnet, please escort Lady Eloa to where Hylus is.”

The emperor, who had called for Garnet, gave me a wink.

A wave of surprise washed over me for a moment, but it did not take long to grasp the meaning behind the wink. And Garnet, drawing close to me, said.

“Lady Rumania.”

She did not disappoint me.

A moment ago I would have been seething with anger at Garnet’s discourteous attitude and lamenting the wretched class system for leaving me unable to say a word, but not now.

This was a fight the emperor himself had permitted, so should I not show him something worthy of that?

They say watching a fight is the most entertaining thing, after all.

I drew a long, deep breath all the way to the depths of my lungs and spoke calmly.

“I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to set things right here, by the grace of the Sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”

I gave a slight bow of my head toward the emperor as a show of courtesy. The emperor made an expression telling me to get on with it and lifted his teacup with ease.

After confirming the emperor’s permission once more, I turned my gaze toward Garnet.

Listen here, Garnet Dalia. You have picked the wrong person.

“Garnet Dalia, you address me as Lady Rumania. My official form of address should clearly be Young Countess, or prospective Duchess.”

At my words, Garnet blinked briefly in surprise, but quickly resumed her usual expression.

“Ah, it was a mistake. Still, Lady Rumania is not such a bad form of address, is it?”

Garnet responded with a more brazen attitude than I had expected. At her attitude, I pressed my lips firmly together before slowly parting them.

“I can understand your mistake. However, I cannot tolerate discourtesy. Deliberately disregarding me despite being aware of the difference in rank oversteps all bounds. Lady Garnet Dalia of the viscountcy.”

With a firm and piercing gaze, I placed particular emphasis on the word ‘viscountcy.’

The class system was something I found disagreeable, yet it was ironic that it proved useful in moments like this.

“I respect that the Young Viscountess holds a high position as a lady-in-waiting to His Majesty the Emperor. However, disregarding the hierarchy of rank, and in particular showing contempt for my position as prospective Duchess, is an act that damages one’s honor. Such discourtesy can no longer be tolerated.”

I stepped one pace forward as I spoke.

“Therefore, I demand an apology from you here and now for your conduct. And I strongly request that you use the correct official form of address going forward. If not, I will have no choice but to bring this matter to public attention, with the gracious permission of His Majesty the Emperor, the Sun of the Empire.”

The emperor smiled and gave a nod. And then he began to lend his support to my words.

“A lady-in-waiting who serves the emperor and yet fails to understand the distinctions of rank, how is she to serve as a lady-in-waiting at all. Is that not so, Garnet?”

With the emperor’s timely assistance, I was able to receive an apology from Garnet.

“…I sincerely apologize for the discourtesy shown to Young Countess Rumania. My carelessness has caused the Young Countess concern.”

The words spoken with a pleasant smile were not pleasant words at all.

“I hope that the next time we meet, your understanding of rank will have improved, Young Viscountess.”

What I meant was, if you do it again, there is something wrong with your intelligence. There was no way the shrewd Garnet had failed to understand this.

Ha, how satisfying.