WTSP - 44

Serdellius Carlot had been in a consistently foul mood for the past few days.

It wasn’t solely due to the incident that had occurred within the Imperial Palace. Of course, the fact that there was a large power organization daring to defy the Emperor’s authority was unpleasant enough.

Given his personality, he had no intention of overlooking it. Strong imperial authority was an essential factor in maintaining the nation.

But just as important was the condition of the Fourth Imperial Concubine, Ophelia.

The anxiousness he had felt, fearing he might lose her, had subsided, but in its place, her heart seemed to have sunk endlessly into darkness.

In the not-insignificant time Serdel had known her, Ophelia was a resilient yet affectionate person.

So it made sense that she would have given deep affection to a child she had only known for a few hours. It could also be a sense of responsibility for a life she had saved.

Serdel liked that tender side of Ophelia.

For him, who had always suspected and guarded against others, it was an unfamiliar personality. The royals surrounding Serdel were all selfish and greedy.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. Her Highness said her cough is severe and she will be unable to see you...”

“Again today?”

“Yes. As you instructed, I returned without asking twice...”

Throughout his return to Serdel’s office, Harpin swallowed several sighs. He was also worried about how to convey this news to Serdel.

The Emperor still wore a calm expression. Serdel, who had been signing the end of a document, lifted his head to look at Harpin.

“The swordsmanship training with the Vice-Captain. Is it still ongoing?”

“No. It seems she has temporarily stopped due to her physical condition. Aside from the maids and Madame Ruavel, it seems she is not meeting with anyone.”

“It’s fortunate she is avoiding me and not training alone with Rovair.”

Serdel placed the pen beside the document. If he hadn’t, it would have been difficult to suppress the rising emotions.

Harpin, observing his expression, spoke cautiously.

“Your Majesty, may I ask you just one thing?”

“It would be strange if you didn’t ask, with that expression of being so curious you could die. Go ahead.”

“It’s... I know it’s a rude question, but why do you not meet with Her Highness the Fourth Imperial Concubine? If it is Your Majesty’s command, shouldn’t Her Highness follow it whether she likes it or not? There must be a way for you to do so.”

Harpin finally decided to voice the question that had been building up within him for the past few days.

Serdel was certainly a cruel and ruthless emperor, but he was a monarch who showed a certain degree of leniency towards those he considered his own people.

It might be presumptuous, but he believed he was included in that small group. So, he wouldn’t be dismissed from his position as Captain for asking this much.

...And what he had recently realized was that the Fourth Imperial Concubine might have come to be included in this group as well.

No, considering his actions at the hunting festival, it was almost certain.

Serdel chuckled lightly, as if he had expected Harpin’s question, and fixed his gaze on him.

“Is it strange? That I have become excessively lenient and merciful?”

“To be honest... yes. It is clearly different from the Your Majesty I have served for so long.”

“I too feel awkward with myself, so there’s no way you would be used to it. ...It’s not leniency. I am merely making an effort.”

Even if Ophelia said she wasn’t feeling well, if he wanted to see her, he could have summoned her here immediately.

Within the Carlot Empire, there was no one who could refuse the Emperor’s command.

He could just say a single word, so why was he suppressing his emotions alone like this?

Until now, Serdel had always immediately seized what he wanted. If necessary, he had issued forceful commands and developed situations according to his desires.

But this time was different.

“I hope the Imperial Concubine does not hate me. For the emperor of a nation to think that he doesn’t want to be hated by his concubine... it’s truly strange, isn’t it?”

“...Yes. However, since Your Majesty cherishes Her Highness Ophelia, it is not entirely strange. There is no one who would want to be hated by someone they love.”

Harpin recalled the story Serdel had told him a while ago.

He had said that his feelings of love for the Empress didn’t feel like his own. That he had begun to feel uncertain about it.

Having served Serdel for a long time, even Harpin found it confusing.

One thing was certain: the Emperor’s heart now leaned towards the Fourth Imperial Concubine, not the Empress.

“...I miss her, the Imperial Concubine.”

Serdel muttered to himself in a low voice.

He looked at the scenery beyond the window bathed in warm sunlight, but his stifled feelings did not dissipate. He wanted to meet her eyes and check on her condition immediately.

Harpin, who had been standing by his side, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Your Majesty, the sky is clear and the weather is lovely today. How about getting some fresh air for a while? There is still some time before the conference begins.”

At Harpin’s subtle suggestion, Serdel rose from his seat as if agreeing. As Harpin had said, the weather was fine.

Suddenly, Serdel felt a desire to visit the garden where he had spent time with Ophelia.

“Let’s go to the garden for the first time in a while. It seems many flowers will be in bloom.”

“That is a good idea, Your Majesty. At this time of year, there is no place as beautiful as the Imperial Garden. I will escort you.”

Was there about an hour to spare?

Serdel checked his watch one last time before leaving the office. He planned to spend some time in the garden and then go directly to the conference hall.

Unaware of the future that awaited them, the two men moved their steps towards the scent of flowers.

________________________________________

“I’ve never seen this flower before. Is it a species that came from the Quaniten Kingdom?”

“Ah, I apologize. ...I will inquire about it today and inform you. The gardener will know.”

Serdel had often visited the garden even before meeting Ophelia.

It wasn’t that he cherished and was close to flowers and saplings, but he knew quite a lot about plants. It was thanks to his memory, which retained things in his mind with just one hearing.

Above all, when he looked at the flowers swaying gently in the breeze, the complex emotions filling his head felt like dandelion seeds scattering in the wind.

Perhaps because it was the flowering season, the flower beds were filled with flowers he hadn’t seen before.

The Empire imported various goods from neighboring kingdoms, and plants were one of them. It was the effort of the head chamberlain to maintain the most beautiful garden on the continent.

“Are you not dizzy, Your Majesty? I feel like I might get intoxicated by the scent of the flowers here.”

“It seems your training is still insufficient, Harpin. You must try harder.”

At Serdel’s rare joke, Harpin shrugged with an awkward expression. Since his lord was enjoying this scenery, he had to endure it.

Serdel, who had been slowly walking with his hands behind his back, turned his head at a sound coming from somewhere.

He couldn’t hear the content, but it was clearly a woman’s voice. Harpin, too, seemed to have heard it, as he looked around.

“I instructed that no one was to enter after Your Majesty arrived. I will go and speak to them.”

“It’s fine. It’s not my space alone anyway. There’s no need.”

In any case, he would have to leave the garden soon for the conference.

Letting out a nonchalant chuckle, he continued to look at the flowers. Just then, a familiar name softly echoed in Serdel’s ear.

“Lena.”

“...Lena?”

He couldn’t understand the rest of the conversation, but he clearly heard the name ‘Lena’. Serdel immediately thought of the person it belonged to and met Harpin’s eyes.

If it was Lena, wasn’t she the maid who was always with Ophelia?

“Let’s go that way, Harpin. It seems the Imperial Concubine’s maid is here.”

“In that case, could Her Highness the Imperial Concubine be here as well?”

“Who knows? We’ll only know if we go and see for ourselves.”

The sound was coming from not far away. Serdel and Harpin turned towards the path on the right.

After walking for about thirty seconds, the back of a woman wearing a light sky-blue dress came into view. Beside her, Lena, dressed in a maid’s uniform, was engrossed in something.

‘She said she was sick... Was she faking it?’

The person with that snow-white, voluminous hair was only one in this Imperial Palace. Even without seeing her face, he knew it was Ophelia.

Serdel sighed and approached her from behind. She had made excuses to him, yet here she was, spending time outside.

He didn’t feel betrayed, but he wasn’t in a good mood either. He had intended to wait patiently until her body and mind recovered. Was he only second priority to her?

Harpin, beside him, cleared his throat awkwardly, sensing the atmosphere.

“Ah, by the way, what was the name of this flower...?”

Ophelia was looking at a white flower with a frustrated expression. A pure white flower of the lily family. It was a flower Serdel knew.

Ophelia and Lena were so engrossed that they hadn’t even noticed someone had come nearby.

Serdel watched her nibble on the tip of her thumb. One of his eyebrows involuntarily rose.

Was she oblivious, or just careless?

“It started with a ‘hi’... Ah, this is so frustrating.”

“Hyacinth.”

In the end, Serdel gave her the answer instead. At this rate, it seemed she wouldn’t notice his presence until the very end.

Whether it was the answer she wanted, Ophelia let out a small exclamation. His gaze, fixed on her slightly revealed profile, grew complicated.

“Ah! Hyacinth. How could I forget that? My memory is really...”

Ophelia naturally turned her head as she spoke to herself.

At that moment, their gazes collided in mid-air. Her clear pink eyes filled with surprise and embarrassment.