Sensing the magic, Hadith lifted his face—it came from the naval port.
“Hadith! Listen to this, Hadith! Your bride is just too amusing!”
His partner, whom he tasked to watch over Jill, slipped past the kitchen wall.
The smirking figure had no dignity of a god whatsoever—while measuring the amount of fresh cream, Hadith turned his cold eyes at Rave.
“Didn’t I tell you to protect her? Even though my hands arE full with preparing her welcome party…”
“I don’t even have to, I tell you! She escaped on her own. When I reached the cathedral, what an amazing sight it was! She’s fighting the enemy in there!”
Towards the unexpected response, Hadith stopped stirring the whip cream.
“Ha? Fighting? Why would she—“
“She even said the same thing as you! ‘My hands are full, so please return to Hadith’—she treated this Dragon God me like a hindrance!”
Rave laughed, and ate a piece of peach intended to be the cake’s decoration without permission.
“Hmm, yummy~! What are you making?”
“Peach mousse. Stop stuffing your mouth and answer. What’s the situation?”
“Miss Sufia is being protected in the cathedral. The surviving Northern Division is working hard under your bride’s command to push the enemy back. They’re planning to reclaim the naval port—amazing, isn’t it? Cool!”
“To reclaim the naval port… she really plans to do that?”
“Not only ‘plans to’, but that’s what she’s currently doing.”
Because she could fight to some extent using her magical power, it was expected that she would try to escape on her own. But he didn’t expect her to try to reclaim the naval port.
“She gave a speech for you, the Majesty Emperor. Said speech made the Northern Division believe that you were the one who sent her to their rescue.”
“Don’t tell me, she’s trying to save everyone… what an unreasonable thing to do…”
However, she did manage to raise the Northern Division’s moral. She also found a way to save Sufia, something that Hadith alone couldn’t achieve.
“What are the chances of those bandits running away? Will there be any damage to the town?”
“There’s no damage because they’re only rampaging inside the naval port. Little Miss isn’t letting them escape from there. Oh yes, the ship in the harbor was also smashed!”
“So, she doesn’t only plan to catch the assailants, but to also prevent Marquis Veil from escaping? My bride is too awesome!”
Instead of succumbing to stigma, they used this opportunity to attain an achievement instead. In that case, the honor of the naval port could be maintained. Instead of it being thought of as a blunder, everyone would see it as one of the Northern Division’s operations.
To the point that they could probably reveal that Marquis Veil was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
I thought she would escape with Lady Sufia, but everything is going beyond my expectations…
“The reconstruction cost will naturally come from Marquis Veil’s pocket. Better than wiping out his entire family, right?”
“What goes around comes around, huh?”
“In the face of his crime, I doubt this would be considered as sufficient—but it is set.”
“What a relief.”
Hadith, who poured the mousse mixed with whip cream into a mold, blinked. He didn’t grasp the meaning of the previous words.
“Because this means that Lady Sufia, and also Marquis Veil, don’t need to be abandoned and killed. You can become an Emperor that isn’t hated by everyone, one that rules without a politics of fear!”
When he realized that, his eyes went wide. His previous, fierce, feelings swelled up again.
“…I, in short, I, I can become an Emperor that’s loved by everyone—!?”
“…I didn’t say that… I’m just saying that you have a good bride. In truth, I suppose you’re really overjoyed right now.”
“S, stop it…”
His heartbeats were so loud—he covered his mouth with his palm.
“…the sickness, is acting up again… water…”
“Ah, okay, please also do something about that disappointing state of yours… or you’ll end up getting dumped, you know.”
“D, don’t say that! It’s bad for my heart! And why is that, exactly?”
“After all, you aren’t doing anything noteworthy right now.”
Due to the impact of those words, his movement stopped. Water spilled out of the titled jug onto his apron.
“Oi, it’s spilling! Towel, towel! If you get soaked like that, you’ll catch a cold!”
“…I, aren’t I making a peach mousse right now—!? So you’re basically saying that doesn’t suffice—!? Alright, shall I eliminate the Marquis Veil’s private army right this second—!?”
“They haven’t even done anything yet, and you’re going to destroy them. By doing this, you’ll end up on the politics of fear route again.”
“Then what should I do—!? What should I do so she doesn’t get tired of me—!? I don’t know! This is too hard to understand!”
“Aah, okay, if you don’t understand, then how about you fulfil Little Miss’ wishes?”
“Understood! I therefore shall finish this mousse!”
“No—wait, I also don’t understand how to approach this situation? Eh, wait, doesn’t this put me on the same level as you…?”
The door of the kitchen opened by the time the wet apron was removed.
Soldiers came in. They bore the insignia of Marquis Veil on the sleeve of their uniforms.
They were the private army of Marquis Veil.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty the Emperor! But Marquis Veil has requested us to escort you!”
“Escort? But I’m busy making mousse. I would like you to not disturb me.”
Although he said so seriously, he was responded to with a snort.
“We receive information that the bandits who occupied the naval port are aiming for the castle. Just in case, we require the Emperor to evacuate to a safer place.”
They might be impatient due to the fact that the Northern Division had almost reclaimed the naval port. Hadith was amazed at the preventative measures they took to keep him from meeting Jill.
It might also be because Marquis Veil was losing his composure. After all, he was outperformed by a ten year old girl. Thinking so, Hadith’s lips drew an arc.
…even I was amazed.
As if he could let himself—her husband—to stand as low as Marquis Veil.
The soldiers kept their hands on the handle of their swords, staying vigilant. They must had been ordered by Marquis Veil to not let Hadith escape. How strange.
There was no reason for the Emperor to escape.
All he had to do now was to cool the mousse. He would decorate it later.
“It would be troublesome if all of you kick dust up onto the dessert though—kneel.”
He took off his bandana and ordered so. The magic that spread like ripple from under his feet shook the entire castle.