Translator: Nox

Chapter 23

Let’s pretend we don’t know each other anymore.

Episode 23

“I shall overlook today’s insolence. However,”

“…….”

“Do not expect such leniency to continue in the future—.”

“Quiet, Renaud,” Erich said, his words sounding as if they were being ground between his teeth. Dante merely shrugged, a playful smile dancing on his face.

“You are still an unreliable Emperor, Your Majesty. Shouldn’t you overlook at least this much rudeness?”

“Shut up.”

“How could such words come from the mouth of our patient Emperor…?”

“Dante Renaud.”

Only when met with a gaze sharp enough to cut a man down did Dante finally press his lips thin.

Even then, his cheekbones remained high, twitching with suppressed amusement.

Watching him, Erich let out a long sigh.

Of all people, he hadn’t expected Dante Renaud to be listening. It was a disaster among disasters.

“I was truly surprised.”

Dante eventually began to speak again, his words creeping out slowly. His face was in full bloom with a teasing grin.

He’s even using formal speech just to mock me.

Erich took a deep breath.

He should have invented a magic spell to shut that mouth first.

“You look like the type who would cut down anything that displeases you, so the fact that you maintained your dignity until the end is quite unexpected….”

“I think it would be better if I just cut off your head.”

“We both know you can’t do that.”

Who else would perform his magic experiments if Dante disappeared?

As Dante countered with a soft smile, Erich’s brow furrowed instantly.

He felt almost apologetic for thinking, even for a moment, that the Second Princess he met yesterday was more sly than Dante Renaud.

“As soon as the Allied Meeting is over, I’m going to invent a spell to seal your mouth.”

“You haven’t forgotten that the one demonstrating that spell would be me, have you, Your Majesty?”

“There are plenty of other magicians besides you.”

“But there isn’t a single magician you trust, is there?”

“……Your way of speaking reminds me of someone.”

As soon as Erich finished speaking, Dante clamped his mouth shut.

‘Sharp bastard….’

Was it because he had been talking to Elisha so often lately? Even if that were the case, his snarky attitude wasn’t exactly a new development.

Surely he didn’t know and was just pretending not to?

“Renaud.”

At that moment, Erich suddenly called Dante’s name. Dante flinched, his shoulders hunching instinctively.

“Yes, yes?”

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

Erich’s piercing eyes locked onto Dante’s. Dante felt a sudden, desperate urge to bite his tongue.

Oh no, he really knows.

Surely he wasn’t going to ask where Elisha was? What should he say if Erich asked why he’d hidden her?

‘I’m dead either way, so maybe I should ask for a final vacation before I die….’

“Do I have such a frail impression?”

However, the question that followed was completely different from what Dante had expected.

Dante Renaud stopped mid-thought and doubted his own ears.

Frail?

“Frail? Fra-ail?”

The man who could crush someone with a single look was asking if he looked frail?

Seriously?

“……I’ve heard enough of an answer.”

Observing Dante’s expression, Erich nodded awkwardly.

Even then, Dante stared blankly at Erich as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have, before letting out a small cough.

It was the most absurd thing he had heard all year.

‘I can see where that thought originated, though.’

It was likely because of what happened yesterday. Combined with the general atmosphere within the Imperial Palace lately.

Having finished his thoughts, Dante spoke with a slightly softened expression.

“Only a very few people know that you have a natural talent for inventing magic formulas. Rather than frail, they likely think you are incompetent.”

“…….”

“And it’s true that you haven’t been very active publicly.”

To those who didn’t know better, he might indeed seem frail.

At Dante’s words, Erich lowered his eyelashes, his brow twitching slightly.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t appeared before the public except for council business. He rarely attended gatherings like balls.

Because Elisha hated them.

‘I hate pretending to smile while saying things I don’t mean.’

The memory of her lying on the library floor, grumbling in a sulky voice, was still vivid.

Erich slowly closed his eyes as the memory surfaced effortlessly, without the need for careful recollection.

Elisha hated social gatherings.

Given her personality—unable to say sweet, empty words even if her life depended on it—it was perhaps only natural.

Thus, whenever a banquet was held, she would invariably run away and hole herself up in the library.

Erich had been no exception.

On the night of a ball, the two of them would read books in the dark library, surrounded by small clusters of magical light.

They didn’t share affectionate conversations. They simply shared the space.

“Since you’d just give a quick greeting at banquets and then vanish into thin air, they probably thought you were either ill or lacked social skills.”

Actually, I thought so too at first. And you do have a prickly personality.

Dante continued speaking.

Erich remained lost in his reminiscence, his gaze still cast downward.

‘Still, at least two days a year.’

There were times when both Elisha and Erich had to keep their seats.

One was the birthday banquet of the late Emperor Bernhardt, and the other was the banquet for his own birthday.

‘The sight of her eating dessert with a blank face was quite a spectacle.’

The way she would stuff her cheeks with dessert and chew busily while maintaining those emotionless eyes.

The small hand that would silently offer him a dessert whenever he stared at her.

Thinking back on it now, it was unbearably lovely….

“Anyway, you really held back well yesterday. It’s better than having the atmosphere get messy right before the meeting.”

Suddenly, Dante’s voice broke Erich’s reverie.

Erich immediately narrowed his eyes and spoke.

“I didn’t do it to get a compliment from you.”

“I wasn’t exactly trying to compliment you either. Why would I ever want to praise you?”

“You certainly have a way with words for someone speaking to the Emperor.”

“It was Your Majesty who told me to be comfortable and suggested we be friends.”

Of course, there are no take-backs.

Having finished his piece, Dante Renaud gave a bright smile.

Erich decided to just keep his mouth shut.

Rather than continuing this unproductive conversation, it was several times more efficient to prepare for the upcoming meeting.

Dante also stopped talking and let his eyes wander.

Since he’d teased Erich enough for now, he wondered if he should go check on the knights.

“If you don’t have anything else for me to do, then I’ll be off….”

Just as Dante was slowly turning to leave.

“Your Majesty, it is Mullen. May I enter?”

A familiar voice suddenly echoed from outside the office. It was the aide, Mullen Cassus.

Dante gulped.

Mullen Cassus, of all people.

“Can I use teleportation magic right now?”

He had been intentionally avoiding the man.

He pleaded with eyes like a puppy caught in the rain. Erich asked back with a confused look.

“Why that reaction? Did you do something wrong to Mullen?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. But if we meet, Sir Cassus is going to do something wrong to me!”

“……?”

“He tells me not to take extra work home and to stay and finish it myself! He makes me work overtime without even paying me!”

If it were work he actually did himself, that would be one thing, but since he dumped everything on Elisha, he couldn’t afford to take on a losing deal.

Dante put on a tearful face again.

Erich tilted his head for a moment, then.

“Come in.”

He twisted one side of his mouth into a smirk.

At that moment, Dante was overcome by a deep sense of betrayal.

‘Malicious, truly malicious….’

As expected of the guy who said those things to Elisha, even after they grew up together for years.

“I see Sir Renaud is here as well.”

While Dante was sinking into despair, Mullen Cassus entered the office and offered a benevolent smile. Dante flinched.

Why is he smiling at me, of all people….

“What is it?”

Erich asked with a gentle smile. Dante marveled inwardly.

Look at that snake-like smile. He wasn’t like that when he was younger.

“I have something to tell you regarding a report I just received.”

Mullen turned his gaze away from Dante and spoke softly. Erich gave a short nod.

“Then I’ll leave you two to have a friendly chat. I’ll be going….”

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Dante was quickly backing away to leave.

Mullen’s gaze shifted back to Dante.

“I believe it would be best if Sir Renaud heard this as well.”

“M-me?”

“Yes. It is… a rather urgent matter.”

Mullen’s brow furrowed with a troubled look. Dante, his face turning even paler, looked back and forth between Erich and Mullen.

What urgent matter could there be besides the Allied Meeting?

If there was one, it would probably be something like, ‘The work speed must not slow down because of the Allied Meeting. Work overtime.’

‘Not that!’

Absolutely not!

Just as Dante squeezed his eyes shut at the horrific thought.

“There was no news from Dexon, which was supposed to arrive today, so after looking into it….”

Words completely different from Dante’s imagination came out of Mullen’s mouth.

“It appears they were attacked by monsters on the Shelan Plains.”