As he was about to move on from the book of cake recipes to the book on bread recipes—the door was opened quietly.
It was the Lord’s castle, but it was also the room where the Emperor was resting.
Hadith glanced at the visitors coldly.
“Who said you were welcome to enter?”
“Forgive me, but this is an emergency. The naval port has been taken.”
The one who entered with some attendants was Marquis Veil.
He stood firmly with his hands were folded behind his back. A habit seemingly retained from his former military service.
“There are reports from Kratos that the attack was organized by that child you brought here. Since then, the naval port has been occupied and barricaded. Moreover, the assailants have taken hostage of my daughter, Sufia.”
Even though it involved his own daughter, his tone was casual.
Hadith only raised an eyebrow and asked.
“What happened to the Northern Division guarding the naval port?”
“They were useless. In any case, the fact remains that naval port has fallen into enemy hands. I’ll send my private army. My daughter’s life is at stake here, I hope you don’t have any complaints.”
“What are you going to do with my wife?”
Marquis Veil raised his eyebrows.
“’Wife’? She’s nothing but a spy, you should open your eyes. This is also our chance to banish that useless Northern Division. They were originally stationed because of His Majesty’s engagement with my daughter—as such, this is Your Majesty’s blunder.”
Just slightly, the corners of Marquis Bale’s lips were raised.
Is that his aim? What a foolish act.
Marquis Veil was a very prideful person. Despite the existence of his private army, which was boasted for being elite, the Northern Division was stationed and maintained.
Instead of getting closer with the daughter of his favorite wife, Hadith became friendly with Sufia, the daughter of his ex-wife.
Perhaps his pride got hurt because things didn’t proceed the way he wanted them.
Hadith closed the book on his lap.
“I understand. I leave those bandits occupying the naval port to you.”
“That’s what I expected to hear from the beginning.”
“However, if my wife is proven to be innocent, I’ll make you pay for it.”
Marquis Veil laughed as if Hadith was a fool.
“That’s preposterous. Your Majesty should get his priorities straight and worry about himself. What if because of Your Majesty’s blunder, the Marquis’ daughter dies?”
It seemed that he planned to use his own daughter as a tool to besmirch the Emperor.
Hadith saw off the back of the Marquis, who went out triumphantly, with amazement.
“If you look at his conduct, a politics of fear seems to be the most rational approach.”
“I don’t disagree with you. But that’s so Little Lady-like, isn’t it? It seems she didn’t kill any of the ship assailants and only dropped them to the sea.”
Hadith noticed Rave appearing out of his body.
“I see… is this one of the hardships married couples go through—!? Then I must absolutely execute a politics of fear…!”
“Then, what are you planning to do in this situation? Won’t you go and save Little Lady?”
“I want to, but she made me promise to leave it to her… and isn’t it better for me to stay away? I fear that my heart’s condition might relapse…”
Even though he said it seriously, Rave only gazed at him with contempt.
“I’ve been wanting to ask this since long ago but… did I raise you wrongly?”
“No way. You and I, we both grow up just fine.”
“Then answer this, what do you think of Little Lady? Like, is she cute to you, or cool…”
“‘What do I think?’, you ask… I don’t know, she might be dangerous for me.”
Towards Hadith whom was short on words, Rave had a strange expression.
“After all, she won’t leave my head. No matter what she does, I always get anxious thinking about it. My heart also goes crazy near her. Since she’s my bride, I want to get to know her more and stay by her side. But just thinking about her makes my heart ache… It’s probably because she has a lot of magic! That may be affecting me a lot more than I thought—I’m positive, I’ve acquired a new illness!”
“Yes. I’m wondering if you’re sick, too.”
“As I thought! If I don’t cure it quickly, I won’t be able to bake cakes for her! I was so happy seeing her eat them like they were the most delicious things in the world—she’s so cute!”
“Even a God like me is powerless to do anything…”
Wondering why Rave muttered such a thing, Hadith resumed his explanation.
“But it’s an absolute must that she stays safe. Rave, will you be her aide and see how it goes? If it’s required of me to move, I’ll move.”
“Is that all? Nothing else?”
“Nothing else, I think. Anyway, Marquis Veil himself is but a piece that can easily be thrown away. Even if I leave him alone, he’ll eventually destroy himself. This is indeed our chance to cut down Northern Division. Afterwards, it’ll be under my direct control. That’s the plan. A reconstruction plan for the naval port city has also been made.”
Such a plan was easier for him to come up with than deciding what kind of cake he should make for his wife next.
—next he shall study bread recipes. Hadith reached for the stacks of books on the table.
“It would be nice if there were some decent people left, but if not, well.”
“What about Lady Sufia?”
“You’re free to help her. But her father, Marquis Veil, might die, and her entire family might perish. She will have nowhere to go with only a bleak future awaiting her. Wouldn’t she be happier dying here?”
“Why don’t you make her your concubine? You’ve got a bride that bears my blessing, and the goddess can no longer come to the Rave Empire. No need to be so picky just because she is over 14 years old.”
“It’s not that I don’t want her, but what if the Goddess kills or manipulates her? What if Lady Sufia is put on trial? Won’t she be thrown away not only by her father, but also me?”
Towards a woman that thought of him all the time, Hadith appeared to give little to no regard at all.
However, deep down in Hadith’s heart, Rave had a small inkling such wasn’t the case.