53
Wells was about to climb into the carriage waiting for him outside Count Holt's mansion when he looked back at the Count, who appeared restless beside him.
"Count, don't be so anxious."
"I apologize, Duke Honeywell. You gladly visited my mansion, and yet I would not be able to... My wife---"
"Your wife had tripped and fallen down the stairs, so of course I would not expect you to come with me. The meeting has been postponed. In the meantime, take good care of your wife."
"Thank you. Again, I apologize. Please be careful on your way, Duke Honeywell."
Count Holt bowed a full ninety degrees and nodded. Wells initially wanted to stop him and continue their chat, but he refrained.
The Duke of Honeywell was not a man who easily moved to and from other families' mansions.
However, since Count Holt had been with Wells throughout his life and he had known him since the previous duke, his father, was in power, Wells readily accepted Count Holt's invitation this time.
However, who would have known that upon receiving the invitation, Countess Holt tripped and fell down the stairs, and their entire situation became a complete mess.
Wells said nothing. He patted Count Holt on the shoulder and climbed into the carriage.
As he settled down, the coachman set out.
Wells watched through the window of the carriage, and Count Holt remained bent over in a bow until he was out of sight.
Duke Honeywell crossed his arms and clicked his tongue at his behavior.
"Count Holt is a good person, but he lowers himself too much."
Shaking his head, he took out his pocket watch and checked the time. One of his appointments for the day, filled with a cramped schedule, was completely ruined, and now he was late.
"Should I go back to the mansion? Lady Titonsser will be out, and Rose will be alone."
Putting the pocket watch back in his bosom pocket, Wells looked out the window once again.
He noticed that the carriage was heading along the path that would sooner or later pass by the Imperial Palace before reaching Honeywell Manor.
He took a short breath and opened the window to the driver's seat.
"Before going to the manor, let's stop by the Imperial Palace for a while."
"As you wish, Master."
The coachman tugged at the reins of the horses and changed the destination.
Wells closed the window and leaned his back against the carriage seat.
"I should inform His Majesty about the schedule for Rose's entry into the palace tomorrow, since I am nearby---hmmm... Shall I buy a cake that Rose likes on the way?"
Closing his eyes, Wells began to plan his newly created appointment to add to his already busy schedule.
In the short time it took for Wells to guess the location of his beloved sister's favorite cake shop, the carriage entered the imperial castle.
Wells stepped out as the coachman opened the door and a knight standing guard approached him.
"Welcome, Duke Honeywell. Is today not your day off?"
"Hmm? It is, but I have some business with His Majesty. Is His Majesty in the palace?"
"His Majesty is in the office today, like always."
At the knight's words, Wells laughed with an expression of acceptance.
"I knew it. You don't have to follow me."
As Wells moved on, the knight greeted him with a salute. Wells walked through the familiar corridors of the Imperial Palace.
Walking through a patch of sunlight creeping in through the passing window, Wells thought of his best friend, who was most likely sitting with his work in his office.
"I know better than anyone that the position of emperor is busy, but... Haa... No matter how good your stamina is, I would like you to take a little break."
Wells stopped mid-stride and faced the window.
As the sunlight flooded him from head to toe, Wells looked out at the Imperial Palace. He raised his hand and swept it across his chin.
"If you welcome the empress by your side, shall we have time to actually take a break, even if it is a small one? You look so serious when I bring up the story of the empress, Russell."
Wells' feet resumed their journey.
As he walked comfortably down the corridor, his mind was filled with Russell and the future empress he would one day meet.
"Which woman would be appropriate to become the empress of Tristan? The ducal families are only Proud and Honeywell, so it's impossible to have a daughter taken from a duke's family. A marquis family? Maybe... Otherwise, the only way is to enshrine a princess from another friendly country as the empress."
In Wells' musings about the future empress, it sounded as if Rose would never become empress.
His long-winded thoughts stopped only when he arrived in front of Russell's office.
The knights standing guard in front of the office saluted him and spoke.
"Please wait a moment. I'll inform His Majesty that Duke Honeywell has arrived."
The knight knocked to announce Wells' arrival, and after a moment of silence, Russell's voice called out from inside.
Wells passed through the door opened by the knight and entered the office.
Russell, whom Wells assumed would be stuck in a pile of paperwork, didn't look as busy as he thought.
No, the desk where Russell was sitting was clean and free of papers.
Upon seeing Wells, Russell asked him, puzzled.
"Isn't today your day off? What are you doing at the Imperial Palace?"
"I had an appointment with Count Holt, but it fell through in the end. I had something to tell you while passing by, so I thought it would be better to meet face-to-face rather than write a letter. Did I come here at a bad time?"
"No, I'm not busy."
"Yes... It looks like it, but..."
Russell noticed Wells' gaze as it scanned the clean desk. Immediately, the emperor distracted the duke with a clearing of his throat.
He then stood up and calmly walked to the couch, sitting in front of the desk.
Both men sat down.
"You have something to say to me?"
He didn't even wait. As soon as we were seated, he went straight for the kill.
[TL/N: He immediately went to the main point, asking him why he's there.]
Wells brought out the purpose of coming here without embarrassment.
"Yes, I came to inform you that Rose is in good condition, so I think she will be able to enter the Imperial Palace tomorrow."
"Hmm, I'm glad."
"By the way, may I ask why you are calling Rose?"
Russell's long fingers began tapping on the armrests of the couch. After a moment of silence, the emperor shook his head.
"She had an accident in the Imperial Palace, so I was worried. I just wanted to see her face."
"It was like that."
Russell stared at Wells.
Whether Wells should be considered fortunate or unlucky for being so easily convinced, Russell didn't know the answer.
As their subtle interrogations concluded, Wells changed the subject.
"Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"Shouldn't the Tristan Empire bring in an empress soon?"
Wells was careful not to offend Russell.
However, despite his cautious voice, Russell's expression hardened in an instant.
"Duke."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"I thought I told you not to bring this subject up again after the other day in front of the duke and ministers."
Russell was open about his discomfort and displeasure, but Wells couldn't back down easily.
"I remember, but Your Majesty--- Your Majesty is now twenty-five--- No, since the year has passed, you are already twenty-six. Looking back at the emperors of the past, there has never been a time when Her Majesty the Empress was not chosen this late. At least, you should be engaged."
Russell, who had been sitting up straight, relaxed.
He rested his elbows on the couch and his chin on his hands as he stared at Wells.
"If it's a matter of the next great successor, I'll take care of it."
"I know you don't have a plan. If Marquis Rosenberg had a son, he could have been adopted by His Majesty already, but isn't she also childless? However, there is no one with Imperial blood from another family."
Wells painfully pointed out the facts, causing Russell to sigh at the truth he had been trying to forget.
"My predecessor ascended the throne very fiercely, and because I got rid of the brothers who tried to harm me as I ascended, no one but my sister was left. If I had even one left, I could use that seed to succeed me."
"Even if you do that, it'd already be the blood of a traitor. Would the nobles accept such a bloodline to become the heir to the throne? Your Majesty knows better than anyone."
Russell narrowed his eyes and glanced at Wells.
Usually, you have a righteous mouth that only speaks the right words, but today, it is poisonous.
...If I hit that mouth, will it be quiet?
He would have liked to have done that if he could actually silence Wells, but Russell just turned his head away.
"I know. It was just something I said."
Wells looked at Russell, who turned his head with his legs crossed as he pouted, then opened his mouth.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why you don't take in an empress? Isn't His Majesty the one who cares about Tristan more than anyone else and tries to protect the Imperial family?"
Wells asked in a soft voice, as if he were talking to a child. However, Russell refused to reply.
How can I say that I'm passionately in love with my best friend's younger sister and do not want another woman to become my empress.
Russell sighed in frustration. His purple eyes, as beautiful as jewels, were lost in thought.
...If I didn't know Rose, would there have been an unknown empress in Tristan by now?
He questioned himself, but Russell found it meaningless to question things that would never exist.
No matter what kind of future he imagines, he can't imagine a life without a relationship with Rose.
Russell straightened his posture and met Wells' eyes.
"Wells, who would you like to be the Empress of Tristan?"
"Hmm... I thought about it on my way here. First of all, it is important to have a family that will not suffer even if you ascend to the position of empress. If you're looking for one within the empire, you'll have to pick one from a marquis' family, and if that doesn't work, you'll have to think of princesses from other countries."
"Really?"
Russell let out a laugh.
He doesn't seem to consider Rose Honeywell becoming my empress.
"By the way, how are things going with Lady Honeywell and Duke Proud's engagement ceremony?"
Wells narrowed his eyes at Russell's question.
"There has been no response yet. I thought the engagement ceremony would be held as soon as the New Year came, but there was no movement even after the hunting festival was over."
"Really? He's a man. You don't know what's going on inside his mind."
Wells nods vigorously in agreement.
He took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
The door to the office they were in was thrown open without knocking, and a knight rushed in.
Russell and Wells's cold gazes were directed at the knight who entered at random, and they held back their retorts when witnessing the urgency in his expression.
"What happened?"
When Russell asked, the knight apologized.
"I apologize, Your Majesty! An urgent message has arrived from Honeywell Manor. That says that... Rose Honeywell, I think... She's been kidnapped. Duke Honeywell, there's a message requesting to return to the manor as soon as possible."
As soon as the knight finished speaking---no, before he finished speaking---Russell jumped up.
He put the cloak that was neatly on the coat rack over his shoulder.
"Where is the location where Rose Honeywell was kidnapped?"
"It was near the post office in the capital city wall block. One of the knights there borrowed a nearby horse and is chasing after them."
"If it was near the palace wall, there is a high probability that the kidnappers would have gone out of the capital."
Russell looked back at Wells, whose bloodless skin was white as snow. He seemed to be holding on to his sanity, but the slight trembling of hand represented Wells' terror and lack of awareness of his surroundings.
Russell marched away from the door and approached Wells.
"Wells. Go to the manor right away and send the knights. I'll head out of the capital immediately and look for her."
"...Your Majesty? You'll be in danger. I will go directly to the manor and send the knights. Your Majesty can---"
"It'll be too late by then! Go now, Wells. You can follow after."
When Russell commanded his friend and advised him of a logical plan of action, Wells seemed to agree.
It was absurd that the emperor of their nation would go after the kidnapper himself for the duke's sister, but because he was worried about Rose's safety first, Wells had no choice but to accept Russell's words.
After confirming Wells' obedience, Russell turned to the knight.
"Prepare your order now. There are families who are related to the kidnappers in the capital, so inform the commander of the first division to look around the capital for them. Of course, this has to be done in utmost secrecy."