“Damn.”

The conversation was longer than expected, and Eric’s irritation was steadily building. The emperor was unusually talkative today, and William, who used to escape in the middle of every banquet, was persistently holding his ground today.

“Is there something bothering you, Count Russell?”

“Yes? Oh, no, Your Majesty.”

As Eric quickly mumbled, William glanced at him with a suspicious look.

“Then let’s finish the business with Valua here.”

“Yes.”

Thinking it was finally over, Eric responded with relief.

“William, I apologize for interrupting the banquet, but please convey it well to Viscount O’Brien and Commander Spencer.”

“I understand.”

“Now.”

“Oh, yes.”

After giving a casual farewell to the emperor and Eric, William left the place.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave now, Your Majesty.”

As Eric was about to leave, the emperor grabbed him again.

“I need to talk a bit more with you.”

“…Yes?”

As the emperor started walking, pushing Eric with his back, who unexpectedly ended up walking beside him, the emperor began speaking in a low voice.

“Is there any movement from the sorcerers or monsters?”

“Not yet.”

“Really. What are they after, anyway?”

“Tracking the whereabouts of the sorcerer is not easy. I think there might be a hiding place or someone watching, but like the ruins of the northern temple, if they’ve cast a magical barrier, it won’t be easy to find.”

“I see.”

After nodding seriously, the emperor looked at Eric and smiled slyly.

“I worried, but there doesn’t seem to be a problem with commanding the Zero Knights, right?”

“Yes.”

Eric spoke confidently.

“It’s difficult to say it’s perfect control. Their loyalty to the original commander is strong.”

“That must be the case. But still, they seem to treat you with respect since you’re in charge.”

?”

The emperor laughed as if he found it amusing.

“Even if you look at me like that, I can’t tell you. Information about the commander’s identity is confidential. You’ll find out eventually, though.”

“Oh, yes.”

Just like a spy organization, the Knights had too many secrets, even from Eric, the acting leader.

However, since the emperor openly mentioned that it was confidential, Eric couldn’t ask any further.

“Do you know when the Chief Sorcerer will return?”

“Not yet. They don’t know at the Temple either.”

“It would be a great help if they return.”

“It would indeed. But it seems like they are within the country.”

“In that case, couldn’t Your Majesty or the Chief of Staff order them to return quickly?”

“That independent guy won’t listen no matter what I say. Besides, he won’t listen until it’s clear. Even if I, as the emperor, order him to return, he won’t budge until I say it clearly.”

As the emperor said so and sighed, he didn’t have an unpleasant expression.

Complete trust.

That’s probably what Eric thought.

“Anyway, I apologize for talking about work at the grand banquet. I haven’t been interested in banquets lately.”

“Oh, yes. In fact, I thought today’s banquet might be canceled.”

“The Empress’s will is so strong that I had no choice but to permit it. But seeing everyone enjoying themselves at least puts my mind at ease.”

‘Now, please let me go. It’s my first time trying to enjoy a banquet.’

Although he grumbled silently, Eric followed the emperor without saying anything.

“Compared to the fuss, you dance well, don’t you?”

“Really? I was really worried. Afraid of making a fool of myself.”
In response to Chase’s praise, Alicia smiled as if relieved.

“Embarrassment? It’s not like my brother can’t lead.”

“Ah, honestly, I was worried about that too. He always ran away from banquets. But when he actually danced, he showed determination.”

“······.”

Alicia felt uneasy as Chase’s complex expression, similar to the one she had seen before, appeared. They had been close friends for a long time, so she thought she knew him well. However, recently, there were aspects of Chase that she couldn’t understand at all. For example, what exactly did that expression mean?

“Chase.”

“Yeah?”

When Alicia called, Chase smiled as usual.

But even though she didn’t know much else, Alicia could clearly understand one thing. Chase smiled like that when he was trying to hide something from her.

“Chase.”

Just as Alicia was about to speak, the waltz ended. Like everyone else, they exchanged greetings, and when their eyes met, Chase smiled again.

“It’s over.”

“······Chase?”

“Is it really over?”

“∙∙∙∙∙∙.”

Seeing Chase muttering and making the same expression as before, Alicia closed her mouth.

Since she felt a strain in their relationship after noticing something was off, sometimes, even in casual conversations, there seemed to be meaningful words caught in between. It felt like Pandora’s box. If she opened it, many things would change, and she felt like she shouldn’t know some things. However, despite that, there were times when she felt like she had to open that box. Like now.

“Chase, I [dash].”

“Commander Spencer.”

“Ah, Your Highness.”