Chapter 35: The Emperor’s Most Powerful Sword

When I regained consciousness, I was having a private audience with the Emperor.

Or rather, thankfully, it seemed to be over. The Emperor was setting down his empty teacup and getting up from his seat.

There was no way I could remain seated while the Emperor stood. I pushed back my chair and rose, and he paused to look at me.

“You must have had a lot on your mind over there. How about attending the banquet to relieve some stress? Of course, I won’t force you if you don’t want to.”

Whatever it was, it seems I’ve weathered the storm.

Otherwise, there’s no way I’d be alive and having a private conversation with the Emperor.

He’s even making such a considerate suggestion! Although he says he won’t force me, I have no idea how things were resolved or if any resentment lingers, so I don’t really have a choice.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. I will attend.”

Usually, when superiors say, ‘You don’t have to if you don’t want to,’ it really means, ‘You have to, even if you don’t want to.’ If I refused without understanding the situation, who knows what would happen to me.

Sure enough, the Emperor’s lips curved into a subtle smile, confirming I’d made the right choice.

He openly scanned me from head to toe, then spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“In that state?”

…Ah.

“I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll have clothes prepared for you. Wash up and then join the banquet. I’ll inform the head maid.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

He gave a casual nod to my thanks and turned away, as if he had no further business with me.

Then, before he’d taken more than a few steps, he turned back as if he’d remembered something.

“Is that outfit… important?”

Excuse me?

Oops, questioning the Emperor is a huge breach of etiquette.

I quickly shut my mouth and lowered my head.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem displeased. His voice remained even as he kindly elaborated.

“I mean, is it too precious to throw away?”

Ah…

Well, I don’t know anything about clothes…

I have no idea how much this cost, so I can’t just say anything.

Instead, I thought of the maids who diligently helped me choose this outfit before coming here.

They debated enthusiastically, each holding up different garments, their eyes practically bloodshot with concentration as they focused on my appearance.

And yet, I’d ruined it all before even arriving at the banquet hall.

‘Won’t they be upset?’

Even if they aren’t angry, they’ll surely be quite disappointed.

So, it’s probably best not to discard the outfit. Though, judging by its current state, it seems impossible not to…

Still, the Emperor only asked if it was too precious to throw away, so I hesitated for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.

“I think… it might be a little too precious to throw away.”

“Vague. But I understand.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

…Wait a minute, he understands? What?

The Emperor turned and left the reception room without a second glance. Left alone, I sat back down at the table to gather my thoughts.

But I wasn’t given any time to think.

“Greetings, Count.”

A group of maids swarmed into the reception room.

Their imposing presence was almost like a well-trained military unit.

Slightly startled, I looked at them questioningly, and one of the maids stepped forward.

“I am Bella, the head maid. We heard you would be attending the banquet.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Their gazes sweeping over me are intimidating. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but their eyes seemed to turn cold for a moment as they looked at the chair I had been sitting in.

Surely they wouldn’t do anything to me, would they…?

“First, we need to get you bathed. This way, please.”

“Yes.”

Scary…!

Their words are polite, but their actions are firm. Surrounded by the maids, I had no choice but to shuffle along at their pace.

And the series of events that followed were on a scale that made the servants at the Count’s mansion seem like amateurs.

As soon as we arrived at the bathhouse, attendants waiting there stripped off my clothes and were about to forcibly wash me… before a physician rushed in.

You see, my entire body was covered in injuries. Bruises, scabs, all sorts of wounds I didn’t even know I had.

The examination even revealed internal injuries.

“The internal injuries are the priority. This is the level of damage you’d expect from a carriage collision. Did you perhaps fall off a cliff?”

I definitely haven’t fallen off any cliffs, and a carriage collision…

It’s definitely not in my memory, but I have an unsettling feeling about it.

What is it? Did I throw myself at a carriage? Or did someone throw me at one?

In any case, the staff here, for whom every second counted, didn’t give me any time to think. As soon as the treatment was finished, they started washing me again.

They were in such a hurry that they didn’t even give my body time to soak.

They immediately started pouring water over me to wash away the blood, then vigorously scrubbed every inch of my body…

‘I don’t want to go through that again…’

Next time the Emperor asks, I’m going to refuse, pressure or no pressure!

Vowing this to myself, I was half-dazed as they dragged me into a room.

What I saw there was none other than my outfit, the one I was sure would have to be thrown away.

Seeing it neatly folded and in pristine condition, I couldn’t help but be bewildered.

‘No way. How?’

It was covered in blood. Beyond saving.

Even if they somehow managed to wash it clean, it would take time to dry.

‘Magic? Is it magic? No. Humans can’t use magic… Then is it sorcery?’

Is it even possible to quickly dry clothes with sorcery?

Sorcery is unique to humans, created to counter the magic of the demons.

If magic defies the laws of the world, sorcery twists them slightly in the user’s favor by offering a price.

Sorcerers are rare, and little is known about sorcery, so I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, the maids handed me the clothes, urging me to get dressed quickly.

‘…Well, whatever. My own clothes are much better than anything the Emperor would provide.’

Less burdensome.

At this time, I didn’t know that designers from every clothing store in the capital had been brought to the Imperial Palace along with their apprentices.

And that when they left, they all looked utterly exhausted, like they hadn’t slept in a week.

Nor did I hear the rumor that someone screamed when they saw over a hundred people with gaunt faces staggering out of the Imperial Palace.

[Thirty minutes. Make it exactly the same within thirty minutes.]

[Did you say it’s impossible? There are so many people here, are you really saying it’s impossible?]

Make it happen, even if it seems impossible.

I had momentarily forgotten that this was the Emperor’s favorite saying.

***

Despite the commotion, the banquet hall quickly regained its peaceful atmosphere, as if nothing had happened.

The red footprints and droplets of blood on the floor were quickly cleaned by the servants, the music started playing again, and people began to gather in groups, chatting.

The scene was no different from before the disruption.

However, there was one difference: the gazes of those chatting were all directed toward one particular spot.

At the end of their gazes sat a man with white hair, wearing a clean white uniform, his chin resting on his hand, his eyes languidly lowered in boredom.

Outwardly, he appeared to be just a nobleman from some family, but those who knew his true identity couldn’t approach him, only stealing glances.

“The dark circles are gone. I remember the last time I saw him, there were shadows under his eyes.”

“I heard he went monster hunting. Could it be from seeing blood?”

“If so, does that mean the rumors about him being a vampire are true?”

“Considering how much His Majesty favors him, it wouldn’t be surprising. Otherwise, there’d be no need to keep information about him so tightly guarded…”

Deon Hart, Honorary Count.

A peerless man who rendered distinguished service as a vanguard in the Eight-Year War and recovered the Hero’s body as his comrade.

Starting with the rumor that the Emperor tried to bestow upon him a title higher than the rank of ‘Honorary Count,’ a single-rank title, but he refused, countless rumors surrounded him, making him a popular topic of conversation in social circles.

One particularly frequently mentioned topic was…

“Then the annihilation of the Hart family was also his doing…?”

“Shh, lower your voice.”

The annihilation of the Hart family, a case whose full details no one knows.

The disappearance of the Hart family, who had faithfully served the Imperial family for generations, without a trace one day, sent a great shock through aristocratic society.

They might not know the full details of the incident, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t speculate. The nobles were putting together a plausible theory based on all the revealed information.

For example, ‘There was some kind of deal between Deon Hart and the Emperor.’

There was enough evidence to support it.

Even though the dog that was particularly loyal to the ‘Dessert’ bloodline had died, the Emperor remained silent.

The Hart family was a loyal family. Not even a Baron or Viscount family, but a Count family.

Such a family disappeared overnight, and he remained silent? Anyone would find that suspicious.

“From the start, the fact that His Majesty, who cherishes talent, only gave him the title of Honorary Count was…”

“Yes, it was suspicious. He even delayed officially recognizing him as a hero.”

Deon Hart returned after the Eight-Year War and had a private audience with the Emperor in recognition of his merits.

No one knows what kind of conversation took place there, but as a result, unlike the other heroes who received Marquis titles, he received only the title of ‘Honorary Count.’ This didn’t align with the Emperor’s characteristic of valuing talent.

Although he received an enormous amount of monetary reward in addition to the title of ‘Honorary Count,’ and has been gradually receiving territories since then, currently possessing a territory comparable in size to a Marquisate, in the end, the most important ‘title’ resulted in such a lackluster outcome.

So, this speculation arose.

[Deon Hart refused the high title offered by the Emperor and instead wanted the annihilation of the Hart family.]

Deon Hart is a mutation within the family.

Pure white hair and red eyes, plus pale skin. Perhaps they really did pick up a young vampire somewhere and raise him.

The truth is unknown, but whether he’s a mutant or a vampire, both are unsettling, so the family must have shunned him.

So, they might have abused him.

Until he participated in the Eight-Year War, he never stepped outside the mansion, so this speculation wasn’t entirely unfounded.

“So, for revenge, he annihilated the Hart family…”

“To be discussing who the main figure of this banquet is while knowing full well who it is, that’s quite something.”

“C-Duke!”

Waving his hand at those who were startled and bowed, Starbe Illuster offered a gentle smile.

Standing behind him was none other than Cruel Hart, the main figure of this banquet.

He simply bowed his head to those who looked at him with bewildered expressions, then left without another word, seemingly unconcerned.

Just as an awkward silence was about to fall, Duke Starbe clapped his hands a couple of times, as if turning the attention away from Cruel, and smiled.

“Just a joke. Isn’t it a famous story that everyone knows? So there’s no need to be so surprised. Sir Cruel probably knows all about it too.”

…

Yes, he would know very well. Because Cruel was the one who helped investigate the rumors.

A story anyone who frequented high society would know.

It was an uninteresting rumor to the Duke, who had grasped the general situation, but Cruel, his subordinate and directly involved in the incident, had questions, so he used him to delve deeper into the matter.