emperor chapter 15

Chapter 8 – Interest

“It’s mine, so I can do whatever I want with it.” That was Lowell’s magnificent logic. It truly fit his personality.

I wanted to argue every single point, but Lowell was the one who paid, the one who signed the contract, and the one who had already declared Helion a gift. There was no room for objection. In fact, it should have been something I welcomed. That is, if I hadn’t seen Helion on the verge of tears the moment Lowell spoke.

Even if they were destined mates, how could Helion possibly open his heart to an emperor who constantly treated him cruelly? Helion struggled desperately to pull his hand free from Lowell’s grasp.

“How annoying. If you resist any further, I’ll break your ankles and carry you.”

Lowell’s threat only served as a catalyst for the already terrified Helion. Tears welled in Helion’s eyes, and Lowell’s displeasure grew. The situation spiraled out of control.

“Wait! I think it’s too soon. For now… I’ll keep him.” Why was I making this request? Yet, I couldn’t ignore Helion’s trembling lips. This was the man who had tried to kick my face in, so what wouldn’t he do?

“Isn’t it problematic to take back a gift after giving it?”

“You acted like you didn’t even want him…!” I blurted out, overwhelmed by a sudden surge of emotion.

“If you want to take him, you’ll pay a price. Come to the main palace after sunset with the payment. Simple.”

Right. This was the kind of person he was.

Lowell, as if granting a favor, offered a solution. He didn’t forget to add a thinly veiled threat about what would happen if I didn’t comply.

With those words, Lowell dragged Helion back to the imperial palace.

***

Abandonment, or rescue. It was pointless to think about it now, but if Lowell had shown even the slightest interest in Helion, I would have chosen the former.

With a hollow feeling, I entered my office. Raphaerd, who had already arrived long ago, greeted me inside.

Thud.

At the appearance of his superior, Raphaerd closed the book he was reading and turned his head. Looking left and right, he noticed Helion’s absence from my side. He tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face.

I felt bad for Raphaerd, who had done nothing wrong, but I still hadn’t recovered from the shock of having Helion snatched away. I greeted him with a rather unfriendly opening line.

“Give me money.”

And then, all hell broke loose.

Raphaerd, who had been in a frenzy, convinced that a terrible evil spirit had possessed the Saintess, finally calmed down after hearing that the money was for Helion’s ransom.

“How much do you need?”

“I don’t know. A hundred gold coins should be enough, right?”

“Understood. I’ll have it prepared without delay.”

Frustration was evident in Raphaerd’s gesture as he swept back his dark gray hair.

“You said it would be a problem if I accompanied you.”

“He told me to come alone. It wouldn’t be wise to go against his conditions.”

“Alone. And at night, after sunset.”

“We’ve spent the night together before, so what’s the big deal…?”

Raphaerd’s eyes widened. You said nothing happened, he muttered, his voice laced with discontent.

“Something will happen. Absolutely, judging by His Majesty’s usual behavior.”

“Just in case… Raphaerd, do you have some personal grudge against Lowell?”

“No. Although every time Your Holiness calls him, it feels like my ears are rotting, and whenever I see you two together, I want to kick him somewhere far away, I harbor no feelings towards His Majesty.”

“I understand you don’t have a high opinion of Lowell. But holding me back because of that is delusional and overprotective, Raphaerd.”

I’m giving money and getting Helion back. In its simplest form, it was a barter. I emphasized that it was unlikely anything strange would happen in such a straightforward transaction, finally managing to reassure Raphaerd.

“Hypothetically speaking… if a divine message came down instructing Your Holiness to refuse His Majesty’s proposal, would you listen?”

Raphaerd brought up the divine message with a serious expression. If this had been before I received the divine message telling me to leave, I might have dismissed Raphaerd’s words as a joke. But now, I couldn’t.

“That would be difficult. Helion is important to me.”

My fate was tied to the relationship between Lowell and Helion. I intended to actively intervene and foster their relationship rather than leaving them be.

“Sometimes, I truly can’t fathom what Your Holiness is thinking.”

“What are you talking about, Raphaerd? You make it sound like you know everything I’m thinking.”

Raphaerd, who had been feigning seriousness, burst out laughing. “As a secretary, I must understand the Saintess’s intentions to serve you properly. I’ll deliver the necessary funds without delay.”

I knew it wasn’t because my resolve was firm, but because Raphaerd had backed down. As my closest aide, he couldn’t help but worry about Miniel.

***

“There’s nothing like reading to pass the time.”

Sunset was still a long way off. After parting ways with Raphaerd, I left my room and headed to the library.

I wasn’t the only one in the library. Everyone was engrossed in their reading, maintaining a silence perfect for concentration. I selected a few books and settled into a spot.

The history books with fantasy elements weren’t bad. Various fields of study existed in this world that didn’t exist in my original one, and the introductory books were just as tedious.