Chapter 15

On the day of the Emperor's tea party, a welcome party.

I dyed my hair black with the hair powder my father gave me and attended.

I didn't want to stand out, so I avoided Haruto's advice to wear my bangs up and kept them down.

Actually, the color change isn't just in my hair.

My eyes, which should have been blue like my mother's, now have specks of gold.

While I don't mind having my father's eye color, it seems rare, so I decided to hide it.

I wore the blue formal suit my father gave me.

The jacket was light blue, the vest was navy, and the bow at the chest was a deep, vivid blue. The pants were black, but all the pieces had the same gold edging and embroidery, making them quite elaborate.

"I wish I had something more subdued."

"Your Highness will attract attention no matter what. It would be better to behave in a way that seems harmless and unassuming."

Ikt, who was accompanying me as a guard, gave me this advice.

The venue was a corner of a garden with rose hedges and a sundial.

A building of moderate size was built to the north, a place where indoor parties could be held.

The gathering would involve eating and drinking inside the building, chatting, and enjoying the view of the grand imperial garden.

"I'm unassuming. I just chat quietly with someone in a flask."

"Is... is that really safe?"

Ikt raised this question as we walked through the garden together.

The someone in the flask.

When asked if it was a ghost, it only called itself "I," and apparently, it had just become self-aware.

It claimed to be trapped in the flask, and when I tried to let it out, it said it would dissipate if I did.

"I don't know, so I'm investigating. It's the basics of alchemy, after all."

"Is creating such a thing part of alchemy? It doesn't fit into any category I know, and it's completely different from the magic I know."

"Alchemy, as the name suggests, is about making gold. But it's also about transforming substances based on the truth that everything is fundamentally the same. It's not limited to metals; it includes methods for creating the elixir of life and the mystical pursuit of becoming a higher being through truth."

"I've read the books you've been reading, Your Highness."

Herkov always finds them incomprehensible, and Ikt gets stuck on the allegories.

Only Wearrel can understand to some extent by comparing what I'm doing with the books.

Basic scientific knowledge is important.

And the ability to read between the lines, to understand the context and use your imagination.

But even I don't understand the talking flask.

"Don't worry, I won't talk about alchemy. It's unknown to me as well."

"Be careful; those with ill intentions will be the ones who approach you and talk the most."

I received a warning that seemed to come from experience.

When we arrived at the venue, I was guided in alone.

The guards and attendants waited elsewhere.

Looking around the venue, I saw people in the same uniform as Ikt.

It seemed that the security for this welcome party was handled by the Marquis Strategos and his palace guards.

"Oh, is that the young master over there?"

"Can you tell by my black hair? I didn't expect you to actually come..."

The voices I heard were far from welcoming.

Why am I suddenly at a disadvantage in this country where I was born and raised?

"His Majesty is currently with guests, so please wait."

The guide left me alone and returned to their post.

Then, whispers began around me.

The children of the parents who were there were also discussing who I was and what my position was.

It was new information to me, but I was surprised to hear that the story of me making Terry cry had spread.

Of course, it was when Terry cried because of a bug.

Moreover, it seemed that the palace guard who tried to draw his sword at me when I was distracted by Terry had been dismissed from the palace, and it was blamed on me.

I think it was entirely their fault.

"Thank you for such a warm welcome today..."

I was left alone as the welcome party began.

Father hadn't told anyone I was coming? It's quite mean for an adult to neglect their duties like this.

But since I'm an adult, I wouldn't cause a commotion while the King of Lukisaria, the main guest, was greeting everyone.

I was told that the Queen, Prince, and Princess were also there.

But since the adults were in front, I couldn't see the Prince or Princess.

And there, for the third time, was my father's wife, the Empress, and the mother of Terry and his twin brother.

She had been confused and unsure of how to handle me since our first meeting.

Considering she was suddenly made a stepmother to a man nearly thirty at the age of twenty, the thirty-year-old part of me understood.

"Asha, there you are. Please greet the King of Lukisaria and his family."

After the opening remarks, my father, who had entrusted the King of Lukisaria and his family to the Empress, came over.

Judging from the dissatisfied look of his usual aides, he might have pushed something through as the Emperor.

Still, when I went over, the King and Queen of Lukisaria seemed flustered.

"What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, I apologize. One of our children went inside to get some sweets."

Apparently, the princess had disappeared among the other children who were grabbing sweets while she wasn't looking.

Though she was surrounded by guards, it was natural for a parent to worry.

I didn't want to bother my father, who was working, so I decided to act like an adult.

So I whispered to my father.

"Your Majesty, please start by easing the guests' concerns. I'll join you later. I won't be far."

"No, Asha, you can enjoy yourself too. I'm sorry."

My father went to attend to the King and Queen of Lukisaria.

I moved to the side, a bit at a loss.

"I don't know how to enjoy such a lively occasion."

The usual aide, who heard this, frowned.

Yeah, I shouldn't say anything unnecessary.

I'm just a decoration, like the plants around here. I won't cause any trouble.

While I was quietly standing there, someone approached.

A man with blue hair, about my father's age, and a boy with navy hair, about my age.

"Pleased to meet you. I am known as the Duke of Eulasion. Do you know me?"

The older man asked, introducing himself casually.

According to the rules of nobility, the higher-ranking person should speak first, and the lower-ranking person should introduce themselves only after being given permission.

So if I introduced myself here, it would mean I acknowledged the Duke of Eulasion as my superior.

I had heard that the Duke of Eulasion was in a complicated position.

He was my father's cousin.

In other words, he was the son of the previous emperor's younger brother and was the top candidate for the crown prince when the princes in the palace died out.

He wanted to make his son the emperor, and when the previous emperor objected, my father appeared, and the throne moved away from him.

Moreover, my father, by blood, was inferior to the Duke of Eulasion, making him the main obstacle to my father's rise.

"Let me introduce myself..."

Okay, I'll pretend to be casual and subtly avoid the Duke of Eulasion's attempt to assert his superiority.

And I'll show that I'm harmless.

"Hello... If you... say so... then... I don't... need to... introduce... myself..."

I spoke with unnatural pauses, and the pauses had no meaning.

And I ended with a meaningless statement, completely deflating the other person's enthusiasm.

This is the survival skill a battlefield photographer learns by risking their life!

But then I heard a loud choking sound nearby.

"Choke, cough, hack...!"

Looking over, I saw Reavan, a familiar rude blonde guard.

It seemed he hadn't lost his job and was still working as a palace guard.

"Y-Your Majesty, please calm down..."

"You're... shaking... too, hah."

My father was also paying attention to me.

He started shaking along with his aides, drawing strange looks from those around us.

The Duke of Eulasion and his son were stunned.

It was their first time meeting me, and even if they had heard bad things about me, my strange way of speaking was unexpected.

They probably didn't even fully understand what I said.

This could be an opportunity.

"Is... this... your... son...?"

"A, ah, yes, Sort."

"S-Sortirios Basileos Bioon Eulasion."

The Duke of Eulasion and his son, forgetting their initial attempt to assert superiority, answered like obedient children.

I smiled innocently, nodding as if to say, "Nothing is wrong."

Yeah, this might be useful.

But only with people who don't know the real me.

Otherwise, it might cause trouble for others.

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Next: The Lost Princess 4