Chapter 12: 11

“Your Imperial Highness?”

Khalid called Renato in a strange voice when he didn’t respond to his words.

“What’s wrong? Did my greeting sound strange?”

“Excuse me? No, not at all!”

I made a mistake. Renato, startled by Khalid’s words, quickly shook his head. He realized his rudeness and was at a loss for words. Seeing that,  Khalid opened his mouth first.

“If that wasn’t the case, I’m glad. I learned the official language late, so I’m not really confident. It’s been a while since I last used it, so I wondered if I made a mistake in pronunciation or intonation.”

“Not at all. Your pronunciation and intonation are all excellent. My apologies for the rudeness. Well, it’s just that, I guess I was nervous because I finally met someone I have admired for a long time.”

Stupid idiot. Renato inwardly cursed himself and hurriedly made excuses. He didn’t even know what he was talking about. He only worried that Khalid might have been offended by his rudeness.

Hearing Renato’s apology, Khalid’s expression became strange this time. But Renato did not see his face. He was so flustered that he couldn’t afford to look at or care about Khalid.

“Please let me greet you again. Nice to meet you, your highness, grand prince Khalid. I am very delighted to be able to meet the knight that commands the continent.”

Ehem, after letting out a few coughs, Renato tried to raise the corner of his mouth and asked Khalid for a handshake. Khalid glanced at the hand that was extended to him, then gently grabbed it.

“It’s nice to meet you too. You’re so welcoming towards me that I don’t know what to do.”

“First of all, I will guide you to the diplomatic office used by the Khan Kingdom. After that, please go to the official residence. You must be tired from the long journey, so we have prepared a carriage for you to move comfortably.”

After shaking hands with Khalid, Renato led him to the prepared carriage. His heart was pounding, and the hand that touched Khalid’s was beating just like his heart. His palm was hot as if on fire.

Renato curled his fingers inward as if catching the remaining warmth in his hand. It was a reunion that only he could remember.

* * *

“Watch out! If it breaks, we’ll be in big trouble!”

“Alright! Done! Now let’s move over there!”

Through the open window came the voices of the knights unpacking their belongings. Having gotten used to the noise coming from outside, Khalid looked around the office he would be using in the future.

“How is the office?”

Having finished putting his luggage down on the desk that had been reserved for him, Nasir asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

“It’s better than I thought.”

Khalid answered in a quite satisfied tone. They weren’t empty words, because the legation of the Khan Kingdom was of a suitable size, and the facilities inside and outside the building were well equipped.

“The former ambassador, Count Henry, seems to have taken good care of it. Everything we need right now is provided.”

“More than anything else, I think it’s good that the official residence is right next to the diplomatic office. There will be plenty of rooms for the knights to use.”

“It’s a good thing. How about the training ground?”

Khalid nodded his head and then asked when he remembered something else. The training ground was also an important place for the knights who had to train every day.

“It seems a little narrow, but…… I asked the janitor and he said that it was possible to expand it. Should we proceed with that?”

“Do that. We can’t neglect the training.”

As soon as Nasir got Khalid’s permission, he took out his notebook. Having quickly finished his note, he spoke to Khalid again.

“I think we can rest without doing anything today. We will have to finish packing the luggage.”

“Just take it slow. The official work will start next week, so there’s no need to rush.”

“That’s true, but the day after tomorrow, there is a banquet in the evening to welcome you at the Imperial Palace, your highness.”

“Banquet? Can I not go?”

Khalid frowned with disgust. For him, who was a knight by nature, banquets were always arduous tasks.

“That’s the banquet to congratulate and welcome you since you have been appointed as a diplomatic ambassador, so how can you not attend, your highness? You are the main character.”

“Tsk, it’s so annoying.”

Realizing that there was no hole for him to escape, Khalid nervously swept through his hair. Thinking of becoming a spectacle in uncomfortable formal clothes already made him tired.

“They say that the 1st Prince will send a carriage to the diplomatic office in the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. He also said if you didn’t have a partner to attend the banquet with, he’d escort you himself, so what do you plan to do?”

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“Escort? Me?” 

“Yes, he also said that you could refuse without feeling pressured, but……”

“Hmm, what do you think?”

“Me? Uhm, considering the position of the 1st Prince and the complicated situation within the Empire, I don’t think it’s a very good idea to get his escort. Wouldn’t it be better to choose a suitable member of our Knights Order as the partner?”

“Among our knights? Then will you be my partner?”

“Eek. Me?”

At Khalid’s suggestion, Nasir took a step back, terrified as if he had heard something absurd. Khalid’s expression darkened when he saw the outright rejection.

“You told me to choose any suitable person.”

“Uh…… I don’t think I’m a suitable person. You usually have Omegas as partners when you go to such places, no? Why don’t you go with an Omega like Dame Alia rather than an Alpha like me?”

Nasir awkwardly smiled and recommended Alia. He got goosebumps just imagining that he would become Khalid’s partner.

“I know. I just randomly said so, so don’t freak out. Why would I go to such a place with you?”

Do I know anyone that would want to go with me? Khalid frowned and looked out of the window.

In his mind, he would like to go alone and just show his face for a while, and then leave as soon as the banquet began, but formality and etiquette were a problem.

“What should I do……”

Khalid tapped on the window frame with his finger, recalling the person he had been with just a moment ago. Then, the silver hair with a light purple tint and the good-looking face with youthful features came to his mind.

He was a strange person.

Thinking of Renato, Khalid’s expression became mysterious. Recalling their first meeting a few hours ago, he felt a little strange. He had met a lot of people while going through the battlefields, but it was the first time he met someone like Renato.

‘Welcome to the Fleurette Empire. I am Prince Renato El Fleurette of the Empire.’

Renato had a clear and soft voice that suited his round and gentle face, and was obviously nervous.

Since he had never been involved in government affairs as a Prince, he was clumsy in things like eye contact and facial expressions. His voice also slightly trembled.

So Khalid acted more politely than usual. Renato was not a politically important figure, but Khalid would have to see his face frequently for the next month or two, so he thought he’d make a moderately good impression.

However, towards Khalid’s greeting, Renato behaved as if he had heard something strange. As Khalid saw the pale purple eyes shaking like petals fluttering in the wind, he momentarily wondered what he did wrong. But his words shouldn’t have anything for Renato to show that kind of reaction.

‘What’s wrong? Did my greeting sound strange?’

He carefully called out, wondering if something was wrong, and the person in the pure white cape greatly flinched. Renato made excuses with a startled expression.

‘My apologies. Well, it’s just that, I guess I was nervous because I finally met someone I have admired for a long time.’

Did he admire me? Khalid felt a little confused by Renato’s excuses that didn’t sound like excuses. As a famous knight, he met quite a few people who admired and respected him. Most of them were people walking the path of the sword.

Unlike them, Renato looked like he had never held a sword properly. He could tell that just by looking at his slender waist or legs exposed outside the cape that covered his shoulders and chest.

Why would a Prince who looked like he had grown up peacefully admire him?

Khalid fell into a little doubt. At that moment, Renato asked for a handshake as if trying to make up for the awkward atmosphere.

‘I am very delighted to be able to meet the knight that commands the continent.’

Maybe it was because he had been outside in the cold weather for a long time, or because he was flustered by his mistake, the man’s outstretched fingertips were red as if dyed in flower petal extract. His snow-white cheeks were flushing red just like a porcelain doll.

Khalid, who was distracted by that sight for a moment, came to his senses and took Renato’s hand. As expected, the hand he touched was smooth and soft with no calluses.

Renato sighed in relief when Khalid accepted his handshake. Having relaxed a bit, he led Khalid to the diplomatic office and then returned to the Imperial Palace.

“……How strange.”

Recalling what happened with Renato, Khalid slightly narrowed his brows. Thinking back, he felt a bit uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing his murmuring, Nasir tilted his head while organizing his luggage.

“I’m talking about the 1st Prince. It feels like we have already met somewhere.”

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