Chapter 132

“You’re welcome! Just take it for granted. Anyway, let me get back to the main point… Why doesn’t Iric attend the martial arts contest? I think you could win the awards with your excellent skills. Let me ask my father to prepare wonderful awards for the top winners.”

Marianne leaned her head slightly and laughed. As her smile was so lovely, Iric also laughed.

If he extended his arms, he would barely touch her. But that was the closest possible distance between him and her where he could block someone wielding a sword or an incoming arrow. That distance was what he could hope for the most. That was his allowed space, where he could not run away, retreat from, or come close to her.

“I’m fine as long as I can protect my lady with this sword. I don’t need anything else.”

“You integrity is too excessive. It’s not good for you to stay away from worldly desires or desire for honor. I think you’re fully qualified for the contest. The emperor has also given me the power to pardon one crime.”

“… Pardon?”

“Oh, um… Well, I originally received it, but the emperor said he would forgive you even if you curse him behind his back.”

While Marianne was thinking of what to say next. Iric frowned a bit.

“How dare I commit such a disrespectful crime against the emperor?”

“Oh, as you are good, there is no chance you will… But just receive it. Who knows, you might need it in the future. Anyway, take it. You may not need it now, but you never know. Who knows you if will hand it down to your offspring without using it in your life?”

Although Iric made an expression as if he could still not understand, he agreed by nodding.

Marianne took pains to erase Eckart’s face from her mind, which naturally came to mind because she mentioned a pardon.

She tried to erase her memories of the Adenium pot over there, her father’s awkward voice, and Mrs. Chester’s smiles.

Instead, she pulled Iric’s arm while beckoning Cordelli.

“Let’s walk until they plant all the flowers. I promised to tell you what happened in Roshan, didn’t I? There is a very cute apprentice priest…”

* * *

“Your Majesty, could you do me a favor?”

Someone’s clear voice broke the silence in the parlor.

“Favor?”

“Yes.”

Eckart put the fork next to the steak slices that Kloud cut into fine shreds. That meant he wanted to stop eating for a while.

In fact, he had a bad appetite. If he could have his own way, he just wanted to drink several cups of tea. But he was served a table with lots of delicious food because of a visitor who suddenly came to see him.

Eckart wanted to have lunch lightly, as usual, he was bothered by Kloud, who was monitoring if he could empty his plate. Besides, he couldn’t finish eating too early because he had a guest. His guest couldn’t continue to eat while the emperor was done.

Fortunately, however, his guest opened his mouth, ready to reel off a long story. Eckart could buy some time thanks to his interruption.

“I see. That’s why you asked me to have lunch together.”

“If you say that, I’m afraid I’m going to be called a very cunning person.”

“Oh, I can find out if you’re cunning or not when I hear what you’re going to tell me. Tell me first what you want to ask me for.”

Eckart rinsed his mouth with red wine that came with the main dish. Although he was sick and tired of political favors, he felt that his lunch partner today wouldn’t request for any impure favors.

“I want you to abuse your power just a little bit.”

“…”

Eckart’s prediction was off the mark.

“I feel like I don’t want to hear any more.”

“Oh, no. Please listen to me a little more while taking me as a cunning person.”

Eckart frowned, putting down the wine glass on the table again. Even before he asked again what he wanted to request, his lunch partner got down to the point.

“It’s not a big deal. Just put my name on the final list of the participants in the upcoming martial arts contest.”

“… Rane.”

“Oh, not my name, but a fake name.”

His sharp eyes became narrower. Even Kloud, serving him at hand, was also surprised.

Not caring at all, Rane continued to eat shamelessly even after she made such a bombshell request. She chopped large pieces of fresh meat and deliciously chewed.

“Fake name?”

“Yeah. Any fake name is fine with me. All you can do is let me know which fake name you have for me later.”

“…”

‘Where should I begin to point out her problem?’

Eckart sighed, pressing on his temple as he suddenly had a headache. Although he was embarrassed, he felt her actions were not unfamiliar. In some respects, she took after someone he knew very well.

“Why are you going to participate in the contest?”

“Oh, Marie told me it was not bad to pursue what I want to do.”

Rane laughed brightly while answering.

Eckart breathed a longer sigh than before. Although what she just said was ridiculous, her mention of Marie disturbed his mind very much.

“I hear there is no limit to eligibility for this fight, right? So, I can participate too.”

“That’s true, but it is cheating to put your name on the list of the finalists when you didn’t even participate in the preliminary round.”

“That’s why I want you to abuse your power slightly. If I had met Marie a bit earlier, I would have participated in the preliminary round.”

“…”

“And you know me well, right? I’m a proven swordsman as recognized by my uncle. If I participated, I would get… Would you want to hear my explanation? I’m confident I would beat all the contestants and win them all.”

“I can’t find any modesty in your attitude.”

“You don’t really need modesty before facts. My father used to tell me too much modesty deceived others.”

Rane wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at him proudly.

Eckart again sighed. It was the third time he sighed before her.

“… Do you want to participate anonymously because the other party won’t fight fiercely enough if he finds out your identity?”

“Wow! That’s right. You’re so smart as a disciple of Lord Simon!”

“Well. Does your mother agree with your idea of participating in the contest? I don’t think your parents will like it.”

“Of course they don’t like it. That’s why I’m flattering you now. You’re the only one who can beat them. They can’t stop me if I tell them I’m participating at the emperor’s order.”

Rane giggled humorously.

Eckart pushed the tableware to the side. He sat close to the chair, with his back against it.

Kloud already seemed to be worried about her and said, “After all, you want me to take responsibility for any trouble after the contest.”

“Yeah. I hate ambiguity most. As I have already decided to be a cunning person, it’s my best policy to be as cunning as possible. By the way, I decided to abandon every scruple before I came into this room. I’m going to recover it when I go out.”

Eckart hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly.

“… Let me think about it.”

“Your Majesty, I hope you can make a wise decision.”

Pleading with him with an exaggerated voice, Rane stood up and showed her manners.

Eckart shook his face as if he was turned off by her erratic behavior, but he didn’t keep a straight face or show any anger.

Her uncle Kloud was grateful to him deep inside. There were not many who could act freely before the emperor in the vast land of Aslan. There were only three or four who could be forgiven for their rudeness to the emperor.

And Kloud knew how precious Eckart’s expressions or gestures were when he sometimes showed it to them.

“Oh, by the way…”

Rane stopped while pulling another dessert plate. As if she was pondering over something, she softened her expression and looked up at him.

“Can I ask you one more favor?”

“No more.”

“It’s for Marie!”

“…”

“It’s real.”

“…”

“Are you going to refuse it? Are you sure? You’ll regret it. Just listen. You can decide later. Yesterday, it seemed like Marie was very tired, and I think this will be a very good present,” Rane said, her olive eyes twinkling. Eckart raised his hand and pressed on his eyes as if he was getting tired again.

The ruler’s hospitality could easily turn into poison. Eckart was not to be easily swept away by any words in favor of someone. Anyone who ruled a country was supposed to be impartial at all times, and any decision based on one’s private emotions became an easy target of the opponents.

Rane wasn’t a woman against whom Eckart had to build a cold wall just like he did when he sat on Conrad Hall’s golden chair. Anyway, it was obvious that when he made the exception, he might be faced with a greater risk.

However, Rane’s words that Marianne seemed to be pretty exhausted, and that he would regret it if he didn’t listen to her already made him nervous and worried. Marianne was already a special exception for him.