Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 42
It seemed that the maid, who I thought had fled earlier, was waiting neatly dressed in front of the door. Her face was blushing shyly and her hair was a striking blonde.
As I exited the room, I overheard the maid’s voice either trying to soothe the Emperor’s anger or cutely indulging his flirtations. I can’t prevent the rumors of Teiles II’s sordid private life from spreading… But the Emperor must not lose favor.
‘Well, what would the Emperor possibly do in his office? I essentially do all his work, anyway.’
I chuckled self-deprecatingly and continued down the corridor.
The two knights guarding the door seemed quite familiar with this situation.
‘I’ve got a lot on my plate, and he was just wasting my time.’
I try to be productive with all my waking hours, not scheduling anything I didn’t need. If I wasn’t working, I was resting — and even though these were my designated non-working hours, I wasn’t exactly resting either. In other words, this was a waste of my time. As I was heading back to my quarters, mentally going over the list of tasks awaiting me, I stopped in my tracks.
“…?”
At the entrance, Lecan was simply standing there, right at the passageway every visitor to the Emperor’s office had to pass through.
I paused for a moment, just a few seconds, then resumed walking.
Stepping outside the main gate, the cool night air greeted me. I never cared for the sun, especially its sharp rays disrupting my midday sleep. But it’s not like I particularly liked the moon either—it was just more familiar. I stood next to Lecan, who was looking up at the sky, wondering what was so amazing.
“I request a compromise.”
Lecan didn’t respond to my words, but I knew he was listening to my voice. Even though we stood beside each other without facing one another, our proximity wouldn’t draw any suspicious attention if we were discovered by someone.
We couldn’t have a long conversation, so I kept things short.
“I’ll step back a bit on the matter regarding Benedict. Therefore, Your Excellency, please… make a slight concession.”
“…Very well.”
From the moment he readily accepted the Emperor’s request to dine with the Princess earlier, I sensed Lecan’s decisiveness and promptness. It was somewhat surprising how swiftly and positively he responded. But then again, it made sense for someone who frequently had to make big decisions.
Decisions tend to slow down when there are many individuals involved in the reviewing process. Is Lecan’s faction more of a rigid hierarchy? I’ve only seen glimpses of him, but I can tell what type of person he is. He seemed like the kind of man who responds to threats with threats and reciprocates when given grace.
‘A blend of strength and flexibility.’
The ideal monarch, I thought, the kind of monarch one might read about in political theories. But I couldn’t talk to him for much longer, not with Teiles II looking at me suspiciously because he rescued me at the ball.
‘Though he’s a threat that must be eliminated, I acknowledge his worthiness as a leader.’
Oddly enough, it was somewhat reassuring to have someone of his caliber as my adversary. The time spent, which initially felt unproductive, now was somewhat useful after Lecan’s compromise on the matter regarding Benedict.
Feeling slightly better, I moved to leave. But I didn’t get very far before I paused.
Hesitantly, I turned around, and for the first time, I could finally see all of Lecan’s face. He looked puzzled, but also just fatigued.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I said. “On their behalf…I apologize.”
Even without specifically mentioning anyone, Lecan might have sensed whom I was referring to. Feeling belated embarrassment for my manners, I turned and started walking away. I may be mistaken, but I thought I was being watched, so I picked up my pace.
***
“My Lord! Where were you?”
“Aah.”
Lecan muttered to himself as he watched the huffing and puffing librarian run to him. Why did that Leyesha’s retreating figure look so charming, even though she was just walking? Was it the flowing hair? He’s seen that blonde hair before, even on one of the maids, but it seemed different now.
After staring at her for a while, unable to look away, the librarian followed Lecan’s gaze and turned his head.
“Uh, that maid is….”
Lecan suddenly frowned, remembering the circumstances she was in during his rescue at the ball. He subtly moved a step, blocking the librarian’s line of sight with his body. Meanwhile, Leyesha disappeared around the corner.
“Tell me,” said Lecan out of the blue, diverting the other man’s attention away from her, “are there any positions left in the system that give some amount of authority without the need to bestow a formal title?”
“What? All of a sudden? Um…”
Given that Leyesha had conceded a little regarding Benedict’s issue, Lecan needed to find an appropriate position to ease the young lord’s dissatisfaction. It wasn’t an urgent matter that needed to be addressed right now. Nevertheless….
It bothered him that another man was staring at her backside just as he had been doing. Just as he had exclusive knowledge of her secrets, he was possessive of her beauty, wanting it all to himself. Unable to attach a name to his emotions, Lecan was briefly lost in thought, disregarding the librarian’s chatter.
‘Possessive, huh?’
Perhaps that wasn’t the right word for it, but he couldn’t think of anything else. Lecan felt momentarily breathless in the face of an unfamiliar emotion. Despite loosening the collar around his neck, it felt as if someone had forcibly tugged at it, making it hard to breathe. Just like when Leyesha had drunkenly pulled him closer that night. It was a strange, strange feeling.
