Unless it was a country that could afford to be rejected and retaliated against by the Empire, there would be no nation willing to engage in future exchanges with Ferentia.
Despite sending several envoys from Ferentia to convey apologies, Kai did not accept. He was planning to take direct action soon to absorb Ferentia into the Empire.

Harman, knowing Kai’s tendencies better than anyone, naturally thought he would respond the same way this time. However,

“No. Let’s observe for now.”

Unbelievable words came out of the Emperor’s mouth.

“Yes, understood. So, for now, in Verdura Castle… Yes?”

Harman, who had been considering sending Princess Stella away without even listening carefully, raised his head in surprise at the unexpected answer.

This was because in Kai Edelgard’s dictionary, there were no words like consideration or mercy.

“Did your mentor go to the imperial library again today?”

The Emperor suddenly changed the topic of conversation and asked a question. Quick-witted Harman realized that the Emperor didn’t want any more mentions of Princess Stella and quickly gave an appropriate answer.

“Yes, that’s correct. Perhaps he’s recently developed an interest in scholarship?”

Harman cautiously observed the Emperor’s expression while stating his somewhat concluded opinion.

Although there was a slight expectation that the Emperor might mention Princess Stella again, he did not show a response that matched Harman’s expectations.
Unlike Harman, who wanted to discuss more about Princess Stella, Kai’s attention seemed to have shifted to Duke Will, at least outwardly.

“There must be something.”

However, Harman couldn’t ask or press further unless the Emperor spoke.

“It seems that the mentor’s visits to the library are increasing.”

“Yes, even yesterday, he stayed in the library until late at night. It seems that as he ages, he is putting aside the sword and is planning to walk the path of a scholar.”

Until leaving the Empire again, with Kai’s persuasion, Will was using an empty room in his nature.

Kai was one of the people who knew Duke Will well.

If someone asked whether he would read a book or do a hundred laps around the training ground, Will would unhesitatingly choose the latter.

He loved the sword more than books and was the kind of person who preferred diving into a forest where magical creatures roamed rather than studying in a safe place.

No matter how old he became, he had a fundamental personality that couldn’t stand sitting still.

After retirement, traveling like a wanderer across the continent was precisely because of that reason.

“Unlikely.”

Kai quietly shook his head and suddenly stood up from his seat. He was very curious about what kind of book would make his mentor, who shivered at the thought of sitting still, call him to the library at such an ambitious hour.

“Where are you going at this late hour?”
Harman looked at Kai, who suddenly stood up, with curiosity and asked, “The library?”

“Are you going to see the Duke?”

Even in this situation, Harman didn’t think that the Emperor would go to the library to read books.

“Don’t inform the mentor that I’m going.”

“Yes, understood.”

Harman simply smiled, thinking that his mischievous disciple was going to tease his elderly mentor.

Even though the Emperor behaved flawlessly in front of others, he withdrew infinitely in front of the person who had given him his heart.

He wasn’t aware of it at all, but based on his attitude towards me and Duke Will, you could tell. One puzzling thing was the Emperor’s attitude towards Lady Melissa.

While Lady Melissa treated the Emperor without any reserve compared to others, and the Emperor seemed to tolerate it, in Harman’s eyes, who had been watching the Emperor for a long time, it seemed more like negligence than tolerance.

Not allowing but simply leaving it alone.

If asked about the differences between the two, Harman was not confident in providing a clear explanation.

But one thing was clear—the Emperor’s attitude towards me and Duke Will was clearly different from his attitude towards Melissa.

Despite the late hour, the Imperial Library was brightly lit. The librarian, dozing off until the sudden appearance of the Emperor, was so surprised that he jumped up from his seat.

“Hush!”
Harman, who was following the Emperor, discreetly signaled to the librarian to stay quiet. The librarian nodded and quietly returned to his seat, acting as if nothing had happened.

It had been over two years since he worked as a librarian, but it was the first time the Emperor personally revealed himself at the library.

“To see His Imperial Majesty up close like this!”

The librarian, with an expression of disbelief, placed his hands on his chest and exclaimed with deep emotion.

The library of the Kredion Empire was enormous, spanning five floors and occupying an entire annex. It housed not only books published in the empire but also books from neighboring countries. In this vast library with an uncountable number of books, Kai found Will in the section where rare books were collected.

Due to the barriers set by Griffer, he couldn’t enter, so Will had piled up nearby books and was reading them. However, the mentor Kai knew didn’t look like his usual self. Will’s eyes, peering into the books, were reddened, and his hands flipping through the pages rapidly trembled slightly.

Most surprising to Kai was the fact that despite coming so close, Will seemed unaware of his presence.

As Kai approached, he heard murmuring sounds from Will. Thinking he might be reading aloud like a child, Kai took a few more steps closer and stopped abruptly in his tracks.
“No matter how hard I look, it’s not there. Nowhere to be found. How on earth can I snatch it away?”

Will was looking somewhere and having a conversation with someone. Following Will’s gaze, Kai’s head moved slowly. Then, locking eyes with him, there was a mischievous grin in the jet-black pupils staring intently.