Chapter 40
"Well, anyway, if you say so, then there is nothing more for me to say."
After lunch, Dante rose from his seat, looking a little more relieved than
before.
I was worried that my friend had gone mad and was about to sell the Cardion
Empire, but it seems that is not the case. What a relief.
"Thank you for inviting me to lunch again, Your Majesty. Next time, I truly hope
you enjoy a pleasant dinner with the delegates from each country instead of us."
"You will be joining me for lunch tomorrow as well."
"Please, give me a break! Mullin has been reprimanding me severely lately!"
Master Renard, at this rate, our enemies will discover that His Majesty lacks
social skills.
Dante imitated Mullin Cassus and frowned. His purple eyes carried an
indescribable sense of injustice. Eric watched him coldly before directing his
gaze to settle on Elisha. Her eyes were on Dante, who was imitating Mullin. At
that moment, Eric was swept by an unknown desire.
Ah.
I want to snatch her gaze and fix it on me in this moment. Even if all that
remains in the end is a sense of duty, I want to rely on that trivial emotion
and make her look only at me. Exactly as I do with you, exactly as I cannot take
my eyes off you. I want you to be like me—.
"......"
At that moment, her mysterious green eyes met his. Eric immediately stopped his
thoughts and drew a breath quietly.
Did she know?
How ugly his thoughts were a moment ago. The fact that, in his gaze at her, he
hid a desperate desire he did not even dare to utter aloud.
"Thank you for inviting me to lunch, Your Majesty."
Her characteristic direct eyes quickly vanished behind her lowered lashes. Only
then did Eric let out a long breath. It seems his recent schedule was very
demanding, given that he could not even control his emotions. Or perhaps he had
become impatient without realizing it. In either case, the self-loathing was the
same. To think he would have such thoughts before Elisha.
"...I think I should get some rest."
If I don't, I'll go crazy soon.
While Eric muttered with a small sigh, Dante's eyes widened as he looked at him.
"You know how to say you need rest?"
This man was famous for being the last to leave, whether it was research or
work. The man who stayed awake for days and nights on end when he was trying to
find Elisha. To say he needed rest with his own mouth.
"Hey, is this that time of year for you?"
"What?"
"You know, the few days a year you get sick."
At Dante's question to Eric, Elisha rolled her eyes. To her knowledge, the
period Eric got sick every year was not at this time. It was probably in a few
months. She had always stayed by his side and watched over him then. Since she
would no longer be able to do so, she thought it would be best to ask Dante
Renard.
"...Don't be ridiculous."
Eric glanced at Elisha and dismissed the thought. Perhaps I should develop a
magic spell to seal Dante Renard's mouth. Of course, that would eliminate what
little time he had left for rest, so it would remain just an idea. Nonetheless,
perhaps I can mess with him a little. After making his decision, Eric spoke
calmly.
"Today is a day with no official schedule anyway, so I will tell Mullin Cassus
to assign you some of my duties. Meet him before you return to the knight squad
barracks."
"I am always the easy target, aren't I..."
At this rate, he'll one day ask me to be the Emperor instead of him.
Dante frowned and grumbled. At any rate, Eric glanced at Elisha once more before
turning his back. It seemed best not to face Elisha right now. Because if he
stayed any longer, he did not know what words might come out of his mouth.
"Hello, Lucy. I heard His Majesty invited you to lunch again today?"
This was the first thing Gabrielle said to Elisha upon entering the First Knight
Squad breakroom. Elisha fluttered her eyelashes several times before slowly
greeting Gabrielle.
"Hello, Gabrielle."
"You ignored the first part smoothly, didn't you? Well, it's not like I was
expecting an answer."
"......"
"I don't really have any bias regarding this kind of matter. Besides, honestly,
the fact that His Majesty likes competent people is already an open secret."
The two people closest to His Majesty were incredibly competent, so it's only
natural for such a rumor to spread. Gabrielle finished with a gentle smile.
Elisha, once again, simply tilted her head without an answer. She herself had
been brought by Bernard, so she couldn't really be included in that rumor, and
while Dante Renard had caught Eric's attention thanks to his abilities—
"The decisive reason they became close was likely not that."
He said he wanted to take care of Dante because he felt sorry for how Dante was
always getting the short end of the stick with her. Recalling the old memory,
Elisha tilted her head to the other side.
"...A false rumor."
"Pardon?"
"It is a false rumor, that one."
Elisha immediately closed her mouth and rolled her eyes. Gabrielle followed her
gaze intently, her golden eyes gleaming. Lucy Forte, who usually goes with the
flow regardless of what anyone around her says—for her to deny that personally.
If she was saying that firmly, it had to be true.
"It is truly strange."
Then Gabrielle spoke, her voice cheerful as a bell.
"Lucy, you haven't been in the Imperial Palace for long, but you seem to know
many things."
"It is not like that."
"Liar."
Gabrielle said while tilting her head slightly. Elisha frowned a little and met
Gabrielle's gaze. Gabrielle Duncan was a woman of keen insight. So if someone
was destined to discover her identity, it would likely be Gabrielle. When that
happens, what should she do with this woman? In the worst-case scenario, with
her own hands...
"Could it be—"
While Elisha was lost in thought, Gabrielle's piercing gaze captured her for a
brief moment, then—
"Does the Captain tell you all sorts of things about His Majesty?"
Her eyes lit up, as if she had found the correct answer. Elisha immediately
dismissed her thoughts.
What would I tell her...?
At that moment, Dante Renard entered the knight squad breakroom. Only after
ensuring Gabrielle's gaze had left her did Elisha let out a faint breath.
"Hello, Captain. You look like you're dying again today?"
"Because of whom do you think this is..."
"Sometimes, His Majesty seems to know how to torture you better than anyone
else."
Is all this work documents?
Gabrielle then stood up and took some documents from Dante's arms. Elisha stared
in bewilderment at Dante's haggard appearance, looking as if he might collapse
at any moment.
"I don't think he sees me as a friend. He definitely sees me as a target for
torture."
"How many people can speak to His Majesty this casually? Besides, one of them
is..."
Oops, talking about that person now is a taboo in the Imperial Palace.
Gabrielle immediately closed her mouth. But Dante, who easily guessed the rest
of her sentence, cast a glance at Elisha. The other one is here too.
"Anyway, I must work, so everyone keep quiet. I must finish this quickly if I
want to return home."
"You have an office, Captain. Why work here?"
"Eri—, no, the Emperor is in my office. I can't work with him there, it's too
distracting."
Do you have any idea how terrible it feels to have him watching me work in real
time?
Dante lamented in a voice that sounded like it would break at any moment.
Gabrielle pursed her lips gently.
"Is there anything I can do to help? Before that, am I even allowed to see these
documents?"
"The ink used here was likely made so it can only be seen by authorized persons.
I heard it was a recent invention."
It was presented to him along with the words, "You keep taking your overtime
work to your mansion, how can I focus on my work while I'm worried about leaks?"
"Wow, I can't see anything indeed."
Gabrielle muttered with a small gasp. Elisha then lowered her gaze gently to the
documents placed before Dante. To her eyes too, the documents seemed to have not
a single character written on them. As if they were blocked by a wall. As if it
proved that Lucy Forte, that Elisha, could no longer be included in that circle.
"Ah, I'm in trouble."
Suddenly, Dante uttered, his face crumpling. Elisha immediately looked at him.
Judging from that expression, it seemed he had made a minor mistake.
"I left that ink in my office."
As if proving Elisha's point, Dante ran a hand roughly through his hair with a
look of pain.
I snuck out while Eric was sleeping. What if I go back and he catches me? But I
can't not do the work.
"Gabi, can you go to my office for me?"
"Cannot. I am afraid of His Majesty. Besides, there is a barrier in front of the
office!"
"He isn't a scary person once you get to know him. I'll tell you how to
deactivate the barrier."
"Still don't want to. His status alone is scary. Besides, when you say that with
this expression, I don't believe you at all..."
Gabrielle muttered with an expression of total regret. Until then, Elisha had
been watching Dante and Gabrielle silently, but then, as if she had made a
decision, she slowly opened her mouth.
"I will go."
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