Chapter 87

The north wind, which had been shaking the windows all night, finally calmed down at dawn. It seemed that this old town had a very skilled glazier, for the glass windows set in the wooden frames had withstood the wind and snow well. When Conrad wiped the fogged-up glass with his hand, the old streets emerged in the clear morning air.

White.

The moist wind from the northern sea seals the northern part of the Winter Empire, including the ancient capital, in snow, but it only brings dry cold to the Imperial Capital, blocked by the mountains in between. Feeling the creeping cold from the stone walls, Conrad instinctively pulled up the blanket. Underneath, he was not in his usual nightwear but in his civilian clothes.

Suppressing his racing heart with a deep breath, he began to move quietly so as not to be noticed by Sebastian, who was waiting in the next room. He let down a rope he had prepared from the window. Emperor Conrad finally put into action his long-held modest plan of escape.

"After all, grandfathers are grandfathers."

While trudging through the fresh snow, Conrad muttered his discontent under his breath. He had been brought to the ancient capital almost by force for a meeting. And the person he was to meet was none other than the hated enemy, Princess Regent Celestine de Orlia of the Eastern Kingdom. Despite being in his mid-thirties, Conrad had never considered marriage.

He didn't want children.

Not out of personal desire, but as an emperor. Conrad believed that the emperor should ascend the throne based on ability, not bloodline.

As the eastern sky began to brighten, the residents of the ancient capital slowly started their daily routines. Some went for a walk, others unfolded the stalls they had folded up the night before, and still others went to work. Conrad had inspected the streets of the Imperial Capital to observe the lives of the common people, but everything was sanitized for his visit. It had been a long time since he had seen people in their natural state.

The imperial emperor was revered to the extent that he was not supposed to see anything inconvenient. He realized this when he found that not even a pebble was left on the street he was inspecting. Even though the road was not paved with cobblestones, everything had been picked up in advance.

Emperor Conrad had long felt a sense of discomfort at the excessive reverence he received. He was in his current position simply because he was the late emperor's grandson.

If someone with the ability of the late emperor were to ascend the throne, that would be better. That was why he had run away. The elopement was a spur-of-the-moment protest against the sudden meeting, and it was entirely unplanned. He had not decided where to go or whom to rely on.

The House of Sanknessen, near the ancient capital, was an old family with no blood ties to the imperial family, making it convenient for him to seek refuge. However, he knew that such an act would plunge the empire into great chaos. The emperor, in conflict with the late emperor, fleeing to the local lords would be harshly criticized by future historians.

He knew all this, but the fact that he had slipped out of the window of his hiding place was undeniable.

Maybe I should go back.

Perhaps his innate seriousness made it hard for him to stop once he started, or perhaps he lacked the courage to stop.

Somewhere in his mind, he was searching for a reason to justify himself when he returned to the inn and was scolded by Sebastian. Because he wanted to inspect the ancient capital? Because he had a secret meeting with someone? None of these reasons were convincing. He couldn't declare that he refused to meet a girl from an enemy country who was over fifteen years younger than him.

If he did, the Eastern Kingdom, claiming to be insulted, might summon its vassals and rush to the border. That would be war.

"After all, grandfathers are grandfathers."

He rolled the complaint on his tongue again and kicked a snowball into the river. Why, of all places, the Eastern Kingdom, and why, of all people, the Princess Regent?

In diplomatic documents, she was described as ruthless, cunning, and devoid of any feminine charm, a demonic spawn. The empire had suffered from her machinations more than once.

Political marriage, political marriage, political marriage.

As part of the late emperor's diplomatic policy, Conrad had been spreading the imperial blood to neighboring countries, but he never imagined he would be a pawn in a political marriage himself. He had no intention of marrying. If he did, it would be with someone more delicate and gentle, not a political monster like the Princess Regent.

"Kyaa!"

"Sorry."

Lost in thought, he almost bumped into someone. Instinctively, he helped the beautiful silver-haired girl to her feet. Looking into her moist eyes behind the silver-rimmed glasses, Conrad was struck with shock. His mouth opened involuntarily.

"Miss, what is your name?"

"My name is Celestine."

At the age of thirty-seven, Emperor Conrad experienced his first love at first sight.

"Thank you for treating me to this."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. This is to make up for earlier."

Sitting on a pile of wood by the river, they munched on grilled eel from a stall. It didn't look very good, but it was surprisingly delicious.

"Wow, this is unexpectedly good."

"Right? A friend told me about it in a report... I mean, a letter."

Celestine sometimes used strange words, but Conrad didn't mind. He was captivated by her quick wit and the intelligence that shone through her words, as well as her delicate beauty.

It would have been the gentlemanly thing to send her home immediately, but Conrad ignored this common sense with superhuman effort. It was an action unimaginable for the usual Conrad. The last time he had mustered such courage was when he decided to repel the pirate fleet authorized by the United Kingdom that appeared in the northern sea.

Celestine, who had seemed a bit gloomy when they first met, gradually brightened up as they talked. She must have had some worries, but he was happy that she seemed to be cheered up.

"So, Celestine, the fluctuations in rice prices were orchestrated by the Kurvaldia Chamber of Commerce?"

"That seems to be the case. Some lucky brokers managed to buy at the artificially low prices."

The conversation with the knowledgeable Celestine jumped from one topic to another, never getting boring. Her ability to engage in political discussions suggested she was a noble's daughter. He thought she might be a merchant's daughter, but that didn't explain her noble demeanor.

He tried to recall the faces of the local lords in the area, but he couldn't think of anyone who looked like her. Of course, he didn't remember all three hundred lords and one thousand nobles of the empire, so it was quite possible she was someone's daughter.

Ah, if my marriage partner had been this girl.

While thinking this, Conrad finished the last bite of eel on the skewer.

Celestine there, Celestine here. How could they be so different? He had never met the Princess Regent Celestine in person, but from her notorious reputation, she was undoubtedly a poisonous woman. Should he reveal his identity and invite this girl to the Imperial Capital?

The late emperor, his grandfather, had been devoted to his wife, but many emperors over the generations had enjoyed women. While none had as many as a thousand or two thousand wives like the Great Lord of the West, many had kept second and third consorts under the guise of female friends.

But that was impossible.

The Celestine with the glasses was opening her heart to Conrad, not the emperor. If he revealed his identity, her attitude would stiffen, and she would become like the many other ladies-in-waiting.

"Kings are lonely," Garmrich sang, but perhaps the emperor, the king of kings, was even lonelier.

The pleasant time passed mercilessly. Morning turned to noon, and noon to evening, and the sun began to set. The two had talked so much that their throats hurt, but as the topics ran out, their words naturally became fewer. Both knew the time to part was approaching.

Can we meet again?

He couldn't ask such an irresponsible question. Conrad was an emperor and a public figure. He had never been a private person since his coronation, except for today.

He decided to keep this happy day as a memory in his heart. Just as he was trying to convince himself of this, Celestine looked up at him and invited him.

"Would you mind treating me to one more place?"

Did her cheeks look flushed from the sunset? Conrad mustered the courage of his life and responded with his best smile.

"Yes, I would be delighted."