A few days later, the hottest gossip in society was prominently featured in the *Ricavelli Weekly*. 'Viscount Rangot, Midnight Escape?' 'Elurot Count, the Rogue of Society, Falls in Love. Who is the Object of His Affections?' 'Wepalin Bank, on the Brink of Bankruptcy! Will It Collapse?' These issues, any one of which would have caused a stir, all erupted at once, making the atmosphere particularly tense. People would gather and whisper about the backstories. Franz, who was reading the chaotic weekly, lifted his head and quietly looked at Mabel, his student and the emperor of the empire. Sensing his gaze, Mabel looked up from her documents.
"Why, Master?"
Mabel, who was innocently asking, was in the middle of reviewing the guild's financial statements submitted by Franz. Officially, Franz's business report time had long been changed to the little emperor's class time. Franz, who was officially the emperor's teacher and unofficially Mabel's slave, trembled with fear today.
"No, nothing."
"Is there anything interesting in the newspaper?"
"Ah, hahaha..."
In any case, Franz, a member of Eve's guild, knew that Mabel was the mastermind behind this major scandal in society. Yet, she acted as if she had no interest in worldly affairs. The thought that she had casually destroyed over a dozen families with such an innocent, pure, and lovely face made him shudder.
'Scary person.'
As Franz awkwardly laughed, Mabel tilted her head and started to study Rangard language on her own. She studied so well on her own that Franz was unnecessary. Thus, Franz spent his time like a scarecrow today.
'Best job ever.'
His job satisfaction was a perfect 100 out of 100. *** In the imperial palace of Devlin. Emperor Veron Arthur Devlirica usually locked himself in his laboratory, rarely coming out. But lately, he had been leaving his laboratory more often.
"Report on the <Eve> information guild in Hermanno."
Veron flipped through the report handed to him by his subordinate. It detailed the guild's activities over the years. Though it seemed unremarkable on the surface, its recent rise to the most famous guild in Hermanno was noteworthy.
"The guild's leader is a man named Ethan."
"Ethan. Ethan..."
Veron chuckled and propped his chin.
'Interesting.'
It seemed that Ethan, who had attached himself to the one-year-old emperor of Hermanno, had also regressed in mental age. Otherwise, he wouldn't engage in such childish antics. Veron had left him alone out of curiosity about what he would do outside his control, but nothing significant had happened.
"Is there anyone in a key position in the guild who can be bought?"
"Such a person would be... Vice Master Casey or Academy Dean Franz Alonika."
"Why them?"
"Casey, being a commoner from the back alleys, can probably be bought with money. As for Franz Alonika, he doesn't seem to be working out of his own will, making him easy to buy."
Veron knew well what moved people's hearts. Money was the most important. There was nothing that material rewards couldn't achieve. The corners of his mouth curled up.
"Alright. Approach Casey first."
He intended to let Ethan experience the feeling of being betrayed by a trusted subordinate, just as Veron had. *** A letter from the Holy Kingdom of Abellard arrived. As soon as I opened it, I was greeted by an informal message that skipped all pleasantries.
"To be honest, Mabel Gadenia Hermanno. You were the best when I was around. Where are you lying? My education as a god-king is obviously better than those young priests."
I snorted at the nagging content of the letter.
"Never seen a boss who's jealous of their subordinates."
The sender was the god-king. He had come as a teaching priest named Hael for six months but was inevitably sent back to the Holy Kingdom. When he left, the god-king left a memorable line.
"Wait and see. I'll be back soon."
Unfortunately, the god-king never set foot in Hermanno again after that. Instead, we occasionally exchanged letters. Though I had no particular desire to maintain a friendship, it was necessary for world peace. I sent all the essence of the Genesis Tree obtained through the guild to the temple, which was responsible for storing and purifying it. Thanks to this, the drought that had spread across the continent was reportedly improving. I finished reading the god-king's letter.
"Anyway, I received this essence well. It's a hassle to purify it every day, but there's no choice. By the way, I found something unusual in this essence..."
As I was reading the letter, Larima called out to me.
"Your Majesty, you need to get ready!"
"Huh? Isn't there still time?"
"No, we need to start preparing now!"
"Ugh, alright."
I put the letter in a drawer and slowly got up from my chair. The maids, who had been waiting, quickly dressed me up. Once I was dressed, I moved with heavy steps.
"I want to lie down, sleep, rest, play..."
At my muttering, Lisandro, who was following me, mocked me.
"Anyone listening would think you're handling state affairs, Your Majesty."
"Hmm..."
I narrowed my eyes and looked up at Lisandro.
"Why?"
"Forget it. Lisandro doesn't know anything."
"What? What don't I know! Who knows more about you than I do?"
He knew nothing. During my lessons with Franz and at night, I handled guild-related matters. Not only that, I was busy investigating the social scene with Chikchik and Chikchik, and occasionally visiting the stables to check on the horses. On top of that, the amount of study I had to do was overwhelming. Even if my father handled the emperor's duties, it was still busy. The thought of handling the emperor's duties on top of that was terrifying.
'Is this why I'm not growing taller despite doing so much work?!'
Unlike other children who had grown taller, I was still short. It was frustrating. Ignoring the grumbling Lisandro, I arrived at the meeting place. It was the glass greenhouse garden I received as a 7th birthday gift.
'Flowers have been blooming around the main garden for some time now.'
Unlike the scorching summer outside, a cool breeze blew inside the greenhouse.
"Your Majesty."
The guest, who had arrived earlier, greeted me with a bow. I smiled and nodded.
"Thank you for coming in this heat, Emily."
"It's nothing."
Indeed, today's guest was none other than Emily Havier, the daughter of Duke Havier and Enrique's younger sister.
"Please sit. Let's have some cool tea."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
We sat across from each other at a table set up in the garden. Emily, who smiled brightly at me, had matured and seemed more adult-like.
'I'm nine, so Emily must be eleven now.'
Sipping the tea, I realized how quickly time had passed. I had been meeting Emily in the greenhouse and chatting occasionally for about three months. How we ended up having tea together...
'It's because of Duke Havier.'
Though several years had passed since the duke was placed under house arrest, his influence still existed in the capital. Though I had brought down the Mitelon family, it was far from enough. The duke's retainers and subordinates frequently demanded his release. They even tried to manipulate Enrique, who was acting as the head of the family. To subdue these people, it was necessary to give them some leeway. Since I couldn't release the duke from house arrest, the solution was to bring Emily Havier into the palace as my playmate. Being a playmate meant that Emily occasionally visited the palace for tea. It was a sign of the family's importance and honor, though I didn't really care.
'A minnow is still a minnow, no matter how it jumps.'
Being Emily's playmate didn't bother me much, except for the time it took. As we chatted and drank tea, Emily brought up a new topic.
"By the way, the sword tournament is coming up soon."
"Ah, it's already that time."
I had seen my father and Gustav working late on the tournament. The sword tournament, held under the emperor's supervision, was an annual event to showcase the skills of young knights who had just been knighted. Of course, participation wasn't limited to them. Anyone who walked the path of martial arts could participate. I had never seen it because my father, citing it as too stimulating for a child, didn't allow me to attend. I didn't know much about how it was held. It was decided that I would attend the tournament from this year. Emily smiled eagerly.
"I'm really curious who will win this year."
"What's so great about winning?"
"Well, winning brings great honor to the family, and you can make one wish."
"Wish? Who grants that wish?"
Emily tilted her head and replied.
"Your Majesty."
"Me...?"
I was taken aback by this new information. So suddenly? I had to grant a wish? It felt like I had been caught in a penalty game.
***
The rumor started in a men's salon.
"Have you heard the rumor?"
"What rumor? There are so many."
"Not that one. The one about someone winning the sword tournament and proposing to the emperor as their wish."
"......Isn't that person's life worth more?"
The rumor was dismissed as a joke, a new and creative suicide method. However, the rumor didn't end there. It wasn't just a rumor