57 – Sunny after rain – (2)

“I’m here.”

“uh?”

Lynchia returned to her bed just as the sun was setting over the steeple to the west.

Lucy, who was leisurely cleaning her room, opened her eyes wide when she saw her. Why did the Empress, who usually skipped dinner and chatted with the Guardians, returned so early?

“What’s wrong? You’re here early? Meal isn’t ready yet. Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. You don’t have to eat it.”

Lyncia slumps into a chair with a huff.

Seeing that, Lucy guessed.

‘There must be something.’

Lyncia was obviously calm and mature for her age, but she was also not good at managing facial expressions.

The feeling of “I’m pissed off” was right on my face. What else is the behavior like? Lucy licked her lips at the dainty toes wiggling disgruntledly.

Lucy smiled and put the duster in the bin. And he clung to Lynchia’s side. Lyncia, who was trying to shake off Lucy’s touch with a small whimper, seemed to have given up when she clung to her tenaciously, and relaxed.

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen?”

“No. It was as usual.”

It was cute the way he pouted his lips while saying that.

Lucy and Lyncia, who were just entering their late twenties, had a considerable age difference, but their relationship was like that of close sisters.

“Did you go to Sir Fried’s hospital as usual?”

“…”

“Are you offended? The reason must be because of the national defense, right?”

“Lucy… I’m a little bothered today. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Why is there no relationship. I’m always on the side of the empress.”

“……Fuu.”

Lyncia turns to the narrow corner of her eyes.

However, he did not deny that it was not because of the border guards.

After sorting out a rough number of cases, Lucy continued asking.

“Wasn’t the Hoguk-kyung welcomed?

“……No. Fried always welcomes me.”

“Then~.”

I think of the many bad rumors about him.

“Ah, then there were traces of another woman in the hospital room!”

“…sigh.”

I was convinced when I saw her sniffling.

this was the correct answer

Lucy continued her reasoning.

“Sir Milia Liantour by any chance?”

“……Ah, no.”

“You know what, Empress?”

“What?”

“You really can’t lie.”

In the end, Lyncia buried her reddened face between her knees.

After a while, Lynchia, who had recovered her emotions, spoke up, and Lucy, who heard her story, nodded.

“Sir Millia visited the ward’s hospital room and gave him a present. A bottle full of spring flowers. And Sir Fried smiled when he told the story of Sir Millia, La.”

“yes.”

“Looking at that, I felt really bad for no reason, so I came back without saying anything else.”

“……right.”

“Does the Empress dislike Sir Millia by any chance?”

Hearing those words, Lincia thought deeply and shook her head.

“No. First of all, he’s a guardian knight loyal to the Empire. And he seems like a very nice person, so I think he’s the one I like.”

“Well…….”

“But why is this? Sir Millia is reluctant about something.”

Lucy thought for a moment.

It was an obvious feeling.

‘I’m jealous.’

Actually, there was nothing to be jealous of.

A flower is just an ordinary hospitality gift. I’ve never had a direct conversation with Guardian Knight Milia, but I heard that she has a steady and sincere personality.

Perhaps, the gift has no special meaning.

However, Lincia had a different idea. She was well educated as a rational human being, but she didn’t know much about emotions. He even tries to deny the feeling that he likes Hoguk-kyung. So you won’t even feel that this is jealousy.

Moreover, Milia has countless s*xual scandals with the Guardian Guard. Rumors like that made Lincia anxious.

“Well.”

But Lucy didn’t dare to say such a claim.

Who can stand such a funny scene!

“In the end, what does the Empress want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

He seemed to be tormented by feelings that he could not define himself.

If so, resolving such concerns is also a natural duty as a servant.

Lucy invited Lyncia with her eyes shining. no, screwed up

“There’s a good way.”

“……What?”

Lucy let out a devilish smile as Lynthia looked at her with slightly expectant eyes.

“It’s a gift that’s big enough to make the empress feel better, and to the extent that she’s completely overwhelmed. A gift that’s so great that it’s incomparable to what Sir Milia gave!”

“……yes?”

“You’re capable of that, right? A reward from the empress of the Millennium Empire!”

Lyncia, who looked tempting for a moment, soon hardened her expression.

“But I don’t even know what Fried likes.”

“Ah. It doesn’t matter. All men like things are similar anyway.

“Are you asking me directly?”

A groaning expression.

“It’s okay. I heard that all gifts that men will like are the same anyway? I’m also familiar with those things.”

Of course, I read it as a book anyway.

Lucy, a sensual novel maniac who had no experience with men until she was 26, did not bother to add that.

“That’s right?”

And when Lyncia heard Lucy’s words, she gulped and swallowed.

Seeing this, she smiled condescendingly.

*

As evening approached, the lights in the imperial palace began to turn on one by one.

It was pretty spectacular.

Looking at the scenery beyond the window of the hospital room, I yawned.

There was only me and Yuriad in the room. Even that, it seems that Yuriad is tired of playing with me after fighting with me for a while. I’m not going to give up my old-fashioned pride.

If it had been as usual, I would have melted the time by chatting with Lyncia, who had come to visit me in the hospital, but today, for some reason, I left early, and it was a situation where I was blown away.

It can’t be helped, because Lincia must have a private life too. It’s something you can’t hold on to forever.

“Huh.”

With that thought in mind, I stretched.

The moment you lie down and try to bury your face in a soft pillow.

Tak tok tok.

I heard footsteps across the hallway. Yuriard also heard this and stood up. After all, he is a bright man once asleep.

At first, I thought it was Lynchia, so I relaxed my posture, but I soon realized that it wasn’t. The footsteps sounded completely different.

“Oh. Are you both awake?”

Soon the door to the hospital room opened and a middle-aged man walked in. The man in a luxurious suit smiled while brushing his handsome beard.

“Duke Harzfeld.”

Uriad recognized him first and bowed his head.

The man whose name was called, Mittern Harzfeld, waved his hand and said,

“What a formality, however, Uriad. Between us.”

“It is only natural for a knight to show respect to the great ruler of Lumenel.”

“It’s bland.”

Hartzfeld smiled mischievously and turned to me.

“Hoguk Sir Iscobal.”

“How are you so far?”

I bowed my head.

Archduke Mittern Harzfeld. He was a person who was no different from the protagonist of the third act meeting.

Among the five grand dukes who ruled the empire’s dependents, he was one of the three most important figures along with the golden duke Liantur and the winter duke Aranion.

As mentioned above, his nickname is Iron Blood Grand Duke. He was a man of strong taste.

The rest of the main characters, Grand Duke Winter and Grand Duke Golden, will also soon appear. Act 3 was a story that revolved around them.

In any case, Harzfeld was also a virtuous person, although he did various eccentricities. Even at the director’s office, he was the only one among the three grand dukes to attend, showing great loyalty to the imperial family. So there was no need to pretend.

Above all, I had a reason to buy his favor.

“I was impressed by his performance as Director. To defeat an apostle, he must have been the disciple of his master.

“……Well.”

I don’t know what kind of relationship the original Fried was with Uriard, but it was clear from the way he treated me that he wasn’t good at all.

Without bothering to deny it, he just shrugged his shoulders, and Yuriard snorted.

“I didn’t raise it. That kid is just a mutant.”

“As others say, humility is not a virtue, Uriad.”

“By the way.” said Harzfeld.

“Sir Eina regretted not being able to cross swords with you. It seemed that he really liked you.”

When I heard the name Eina, it came to mind. An aphasic knight with light purple hair. One hundred and forty years old elf grandmother.

I remember losing my left arm to Atral.

“Lord Eina… how is your condition?”

“Well, since my arm was cut off, I won’t be able to wield the sword like I used to. But, as a vassal, he’s still going to be by my side. Until the Duke’s meeting in two months, I mean.”

“Sorry.”

“What. If it’s Lord Eina, he’ll get up at any time, so I’m not too worried.”

After meeting her for a short while, she was truly an outlier. Otherwise, would he commit suicide by charging into the corpse giant alone?

The words “playing with each other” fit perfectly.

“Oh, and this is my castle.”

Then, what Harzfeld took out was a long golden bottle.

“It’s Lumen El’s specialty. It’s the best drink that you can’t buy even if you pay 10 million.”

“Hoo.”

Speaking of alcohol, it appeals to me.

Accepting it calmly, Harzfeld winked one eye.

“In that sense, how about drinking slush today? It’s been a long time since I’ve reunited with my old friend, Yuriard.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he took the glass from his bosom and smiled.

You open a bottle and pour it into a glass without asking for consent. Each and every one of those actions is seasoned. It seemed that he was quite a heavy drinker.

“For Lord Eina’s safe recovery.”

When I took the glass and tasted it, I felt the scent and flavor of the oak barrel.

A taste that is hard to taste even in modern times. It seemed like a pretty good drink.

As soon as the alcohol started, the conversation flowed naturally.

“How long have you two been friends?”

“Well, since I’ve known Yuriard since he became a Guardian Knight, I’m sure we’ve known each other for almost 30 years. At that time, Eina was also a Guardian Knight, so it’s the same with her.”

“Hoo.”

Isn’t it almost like a close friend?

Besides, I never imagined that Eina would be a Guardian Knight. Well, if you look at the fighting power, it’s probably like that.

“Of course, since the unfortunate incident twenty years ago, we tend to focus on each other’s work.”

“……Is that about my family?”

At that question, Harzfeld shrugged. Uriad glared at Harzfeld.

“Aren’t you drunk by any means? You’re talking nonsense in front of the kids.”

“Well, to some extent it was intentional. I’m sorry, Hoguk-gyeong. I hope you don’t mind too much.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“hahahaha. It’s nice to be bold.”

Harzfeld raised his glass as a sign of apology, and I raised my hand and touched it with a clicking sound.

rattle!

And that was the signal.

Suddenly, the door to the hospital room was opened.

The one who came in between them was the owner of the imperial palace.

“Huh. Ugh.”

The Empress breathing heavily, Lynthia Ayrn.

I must have been running in a hurry, but my nightgown was down to my shoulder blades.

“your majesty?”

Everyone looked at her with their eyes wide open.

Lincia gasped and lifted her head, then looked at Harzfeld and smiled ahahahaha. Then he hurriedly pulled up the hem of his nightgown.

“I’m sorry I’m busy. For a moment, Fried, no, I have business with Hoguk.”

“Huh…”

Lynchia came over to me and put her arms on the ledge of the bed.

“Freed.”

“Yes.”

“I did a little more today… no no, I thought about it properly. It seems like there are a lot of things I couldn’t do for Fried.”

“Yeah… eh?”

Lynchia continued by reading Korean books.

“I think it’s necessary to give him a present, even to appreciate Fried’s hard work for the Empire!”

“yes?”

“So, is there a gift you want? It doesn’t have to be an object. If there’s anything I can do for you, I’ll do anything for you. It’s the privilege of an empress.”

When I tilted my head, not knowing what I was saying, Lyncia widened her eyes and took my hand.

The heat on her face was strangely frightening.

“Just say it. I’ll make it happen.”

“… um.”

Looking around, Uriad was frowning, and Harzfeld was drinking a glass as if watching an interesting play.

Why is this young empress doing this? There was no guessing part.

But you can ask for anything… … .

“Then, there’s something I’d like to ask of you without hesitation.”

“Yes! What is it?”

“Give me a vacation.”

“……Yes?”

Lynchia’s face hardened.

It didn’t seem like the answer I was expecting.

“Whew, vacation?”

“Yes. I think I’ve been working too hard.”

“Ah, ah… that’s right. That’s right. Fried is also a human being, so he should rest. Sa, the situation is now resolved.”

Lyncia said while nodding her head.

“Then, are you going to stay at the Royal Guard during your vacation? You can stay right next to my bed without any burden. If so, would you like to rent a VIP room with a bath? Or would you like to stay?”

I shook my head at the gibberish woman.

“It’s ok. I don’t need accommodation.”

“Yes, eh?”

“I’m thinking of leaving for a week or so.”

Lynchia’s face hardened.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“The imperial palace?”

“Exactly, we are leaving the capital.”

She gasped, swallowed her breath, and asked.

“Uh, where are you?”

I glanced at Harzfeld before replying.

“This is the Iscobal estate.”

“…”

My words left everyone speechless, including Uriard.

“Since it’s a remote area, I think I’ll have to leave for a week or two. That’s why, if the Empress allows it, I think I’ll be able to go more comfortably. Also.”

Harzfeld, as if he had already guessed what my next words would be, put down his glass.

“If the Grand Duke helps, it will be easier. Is that okay?”

Iscobal’s territory was located in Rumenel, the western province of the Empire.

If you get help from Harzfeld, the ruler of Lumenel, it will be convenient in many ways.

It was also from this that he treated him kindly.

Harzfeld raised an eyebrow. It seemed to him that the situation was very pleasant.

“A reverse hero wants it, so is there any reason to refuse? I promise my full support.”

“thank you.”

“Are you all right?”

This time it was Uriard.

“There is no need to overdo it.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll take care of it. I don’t care anymore.”

“Hmm.”

If that’s what I meant, then it was a tone that I wouldn’t stop it.

I raised my hand and grabbed a long silver rod that I could feel through my inner pocket.

The key to the Iscobal family.

In order to remove the variable, it was necessary to open the basement of Fried’s mansion.

“……Ugh.”

Meanwhile, Lyncia in her pajamas silently watches our conversation.

“Isn’t this…?”

It made me cry when I said that.