May smiled at the surprised Empress and gave some instructions to one of the soldiers standing by her side. I couldn't quite read what she was trying to do, so I could only watch what was going on, but then my eyes met Sidhi's who was standing next to Mei. She nodded her head slowly and firmly, as if to say, "Leave it to me. Seeing this, I silently turned my attention to the emperor. He looks at the Empress and me alternately with concern.
A soldier came back with a chair. Mei thanks him in a low voice and slowly makes the Empress sit in the chair.
"Are you all right? Please take it easy."
With a beaming smile on her face, May spoke to the empress from a crouched position. She stares at the emperor, her eyes black and white, as if she does not know what to do.
"......Oh, you're not okay."
The Empress opens her mouth, moving her eyes wildly from side to side as she tries to squeeze the words out of Mei. The emperor slowly walks over to them.
"My lady, what has happened to my wife?
Mei holds the Empress' hand and turns her body toward the Emperor from a crouched position.
"I am sorry for my selfishness. The Empress seemed to be very tired. ......"
"So ...... so,mi tired and so on. ......"
"So, it's all right if you are. I am sorry. No, your shoulders were wiggling and your breathing seemed shallow and uneven. That's why I thought there might be something wrong with you.
"I think your diagnosis is correct. But you are not feeling well. Perhaps you are pregnant.
Suddenly Sidney opens his mouth. It seems a hunch has struck her.
"What? Are you sure?
The emperor shouts in a crazy voice. His voice has turned inside out in surprise. He looks into the empress' face with wide-open eyes.
"Ok, what do you think?"
"I ...... don't know. ....... I'll have to see a pharmacist ......."
"The apothecary ....... It's going to take some time before I can call him."
"If you don't mind, my Lord, would you like me to take a look at it? In case you're wondering, I have some knowledge of apothecaries. ......"
May took turns looking at them and talking to them. The two looked at each other, but eventually the emperor, with a soft smile on his face, opened his mouth to Mei.
"So, ....... King Agartha, may I take your ...... queen's word for it?"
"Of course. My wife Meirias is one of the best doctors in the world. You can rest assured of that.
"Maro has heard of the Great Sage Meirias. It is fortuitous for Maro and Oku to be examined by such a wise doctor. Hm? Is the name May ...... only for a great doctor?"
"Oh no ...... ugh, ha ha ha ha ha ha."
May is having a laugh. Since she did not intend to play along at all, Mei's unexpected reaction has left Teishu-sama perplexed.
"...... Auzin, Satsuki. It's all over now. You should cool your heads for a while."
The emperor looks at me, scratching his cheek. I nodded my head and looked at the Orjin and the others, who were lying flat on the floor with their eyes downcast, rubbing their heads against the floor. I then called for Ziwan and the others who were waiting in the other room, and together with the courtesan who had followed us, I moved them out of the room.
When Auzin and the others disappeared, the emperor looked happily at the empress and then turned his attention to Mei and bowed politely, asking her to take good care of his wife. May returned the bow politely and led the Empress out of the room with Sidi. After seeing them off, the emperor suddenly turned to Daw Ki and spoke.
"Well, ...... Doki, I have a favor to ask of you."
For me, is that right? Yes, what is it?
I would like to borrow a fire from your store to boil water for the birth of my son, if Oku were still alive.
"What? What do you mean?"
Originally, when the wife of the emperor gave birth at the palace, it was customary to boil water using a sacred fire. But the torch was lost in the last battle and we have not been able to make the fire yet. This is partly due to Maro's lack of ability, but it would be a pity for his unborn child to use an ordinary fire. So, Doki... I would like to borrow the fire in your store."
Why my store?
The Dooki prepares the Emperor's meals. The fire in your kitchen, where I prepare my food, is pure. That is why Maro wishes to borrow your fire.
Not bothering to hide his troubled face, Dawki turns over with his ears floppy. The emperor looked on with a satisfied expression on his face. The torch of the Miedai Kingdom is a fire that has been lit by the heat of the sun, and then by the emperors themselves using their own magic power. It is indispensable for refining the Prill Stone, but since it has disappeared, the emperor has not been able to create the Prill Stone. This is said to be one of the main reasons for the decline of the Mideast.
However, this emperor has not given up and is struggling to light the torch again. It is said that the heat of the sun can be collected, but he has to sublimate it into a torch and accumulate a huge amount of magical power to keep it alive. He did not tell me the method, but from what he said, it seems to involve a great deal of patience and physical exertion.
While we were talking, the woman who had taken Ozin and the others away came back to the site. Her name is Cure Light, and she is the personal guard of the emperor. She seems to be a very quiet person who never speaks nonsense, but when she gets angry, she seems to be scary. Just then, Mei and her family came back to the room and told us the results of the examination. As expected, the Empress was pregnant, and the Emperor was very happy to hear it. I invited the emperor and empress to join us for a celebratory dinner, and they nodded with big smiles on their faces.
With Roni taking care of the children alone at the house, I asked Matkal, Soleil and Sidi to go back to the house first, and Rico and Mei to join us for dinner. The emperor was also to be present, along with the empress and her escort, Cure Light.
Rico and Mei took care of the Empress, while I talked with the Emperor about many things. We talked about our backgrounds, our past, and our future. It seems that his life has been a series of hardships and perseverance. But even so, he is not corrupt and continues to work hard for the restoration of the Mideast.
"The emperor is really patient, isn't he? If it were me, I would have given up.
No, no, it's not that big a deal. Everything depends on how you feel.
"Oh."
"If you think so, it will be even more painful. In the midst of suffering and pain, you must find enjoyment. Then you will see many things. Maro makes the pottery, Oku weaves the loom....... We can forget everything when we do this. And it is fun. What we make turns into gold in other countries, which is then passed on to the people. By repeating this process, little by little, our country is on the way to recovery. More and more people are lending a helping hand to Maro. Now Maro is happy to see his country gradually recovering. It is a pleasure. He does not know how the other kings see Maro, but he believes that people and happiness will come to those who live each day with joy and vigor.
"...... I see, the emperor of the Heedata Empire, my brother-in-law, said the same thing."
"I see. If I have a chance, I would like to meet His Majesty the Emperor of the Hereditary Empire.
Yes, I will introduce you when I have a chance. I think you and the emperor would get along well.
"Maro has never been outside his country. From now on, he will not be able to do only what he does in his own country. He must broaden his horizons or there will be another great uprising like that one. Unbalanced feelings lead to strife. Maro must meet more people and learn from them.
Rico and the others nodded their heads in agreement with the emperor's words. Just then, the sound of their stomachs rumbling echoed through the room.
"...... excuse me."
The one who is bowing is Cure Light. She does not touch any of the food, nor does she even want to sit down. I asked her not to do so and managed to get her to sit on the chair, but she wanted to concentrate on protecting the emperor and the empress. She didn't pay any attention to the food.
"If you're so hungry, why don't you eat?
"Yes, Cure Right. It's rude to leave food untouched. Maro has no reservation. Come on, come on, come on."
She only bowed her head lightly at the words of the emperor, and in the end she did not touch the food until the very end.
After the meal was over and the guests had enjoyed Agartha's cuisine, they headed home accompanied by the Poseidonians. At that time, Rico handed a basket to Cure Light, who took it with a curious look on her face.
It contains today's dishes. Please go home and eat it."
"......"
"You're not hungry, are you? You're welcome to eat it if you'd like."
Rico's mouth was open with a big smile. Cure Light accepted it with an apologetic look on his face and bowed his head deeply, still silent. Then, the emperor and the others moved away.
"...... Wow, Rico! When in the world did you have them prepared?"
"That's not important, Linos, please tell me."
"What? What?"
"I'm talking about the standard for what makes a woman pretty. Who taught you that?
Rico is staring straight at me. I notice that May is also looking at me. Something scary .......
"E,e,e,er,er,erza-sama. It's Erza-sama."
"Miss Elsa?"
"Yes, Miss Elsa. She's the one who taught me how to get into the palace. She told me to be careful what I said about women. ......
Rico and May look at each other. Then Rico slowly turns his gaze to me.
"That's my lady Elsa," Rico said. But I want you to remember one thing.
"What ...... is it?"
Even among women, we say cute when we think someone is really cute, and we also say nice when we think someone is really nice. The important thing is not the word itself, but to feel the heart of the person. I am sure Linos will be able to do that.
...... I could only laugh, ashamed of my own shallowness. After all, I'm not going to be able to compete with Rico until I die.