Hayden’s attire at the Gleya Palace was always dazzling, catching eyes whenever he visited.

Even the chambermaids and waiting ladies who had to be cautious about where they looked couldn’t help but admire him.

Lu also secretly delighted in seeing Hayden. She had honed her aesthetic sense in Kaleta and inherently liked lavish things. It’s a pleasure to see someone well-dressed.

Today, too, Hayden was impeccably dressed from head to toe. His presence radiated majesty, enough for anyone to realize he was an emperor, yet it was balanced with refined elegance. Neither overly flashy nor vulgar.

Compared to him, Lu, who was simply dressed in a clean, comfortable two-piece outfit, looked almost too casual.

‘Well, I have no commitments.’

Both the mourning period and the funeral are over; Hayden’s schedule must be filling up.

The stronger the emperor is at governing, the stronger his authority will be. With that thought, Lu sipped her warm soup.

With just the right amount of seasoning, the rich-flavored soup warmed her from within, perfect for a cloudy day like today. Freshly baked bread was warm, crisp, and soft, and even just spreading quality butter on it was delicious. No, it was delicious on its own.

“But Your Majesty, haven’t you had your meal yet?”

It was already late for breakfast, given that Lu had been doing exercise-based training. It would’ve been better to have a quick snack and then have lunch.

However, Hayden nodded and generously spread orange marmalade on his bread. He also seemed quite hungry. After all, to maintain that physique, he would have to eat a lot.

“You must’ve been busy this morning.”

“It’s not that I was busy.”

To be precise, the emperor’s morning involved dealing with several urgent matters, thoroughly reading the newspaper, and fully understanding the moves of the Kaleta public servants and nobles, all while dressed impeccably.

“I waited because the lady I wanted to have breakfast with was busy.”

“I would have adjusted my schedule if you’d told me in advance.”

“No, the one who wants to see should adjust the time.”

Crunch. The rich aroma of quality butter broke along with the crispy bread in her mouth.

“If you need me, just summon me.”

From the academy to the Kaleta Imperial Knights, Lu had claimed the top spots in male-dominated fields, handling any situation calmly.

Men approached her in various forms: those who just looked once and passed by, those who tried to belittle her yet ended up wanting a piece of her. She wasn’t fazed by any of this.

“Sometimes I need you. I always want to see you.”

But men who could successfully claim her purity, either by tapping into her loneliness or by the force of alcohol, were not to be taken lightly.

“And the ‘need’ you’re talking about and the ‘need’ I’m talking about seem to have different definitions.”

He smiled leisurely.

“I think they mean the same.”

“How could they? Yours is endlessly formal, and mine is endlessly personal.”

His intense gaze pierced Lu directly, unshaken.

Eventually, Lu’s mouth paused, even forgetting to chew. Hayden, who had made such a comment so casually, continued to eat slowly.

Only after watching him eat did Lu finally chew and swallow a piece of bacon, then reached for a drink. Whether it was water, milk, or orange juice, she gulped down whatever was at hand and finally moved on.

‘…He’s playing me. No doubt.’

Or maybe the problem was her, who was so affected by those words and gazes. Her heart wavered by his calm gaze. It shouldn’t waver, but it did.

“So, you came for personal reasons then?”

Gathering herself, she spoke. If one doesn’t want to waver, one must be steadfast. She had to sever it with her will.

“It’s a personal meal.”
Hayden nodded. Lu couldn’t help but notice the servants and maids who were serving meals. Though they stood far enough away to not hear the conversation, she was needlessly worried about rumors spreading.

Being suspected as a double agent and the emperor, who had just ascended the throne and was still subject to checks from the nobles, were the worst combination. Yes, the worst.

Despite knowing this, she felt a slight sting at the back of her mind. Ridiculous. What did she even say to him? Or how many times had she met him to feel this sting?

“So, speaking of which.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything you said.”

“What does a man need to meet to be considered a romantic interest?”

“You’re asking that question now?”

Lu looked at Hayden incredulously, but he was calmly cutting his sausage.

“There was no need before. I told you everything that night.”

“I… what? What did I say?”

This felt ominous. Lu gripped her fork tightly and stared at him.

“When looking for a romantic partner, I passed several of the criteria you mentioned that night.”

“So, what are they?”

She hadn’t made a drunken mistake, had she? No, the biggest mistake had already been made. Now it was the turn for the minor ones to surface.

“Firstly, our young lady likes handsome men.”

At this point, Lu could be utterly shameless. What’s the big deal? It wasn’t a huge mistake after all.