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Chapter 57 – How To Not Put Your Foot Into Dangerous Things

The Emperor’s Grand Chamberlain. Aside from the usual protocol meeting, a person who hardly appears outside of the Emperor’s palace unexpectedly appeared here.

“His Majesty called for you.”

… Came under the Emperor’s secret order?

“You mean, to meet him privately?”

“You saw right through it.”

He had no right to refuse now that this happened.

Cassius slowly nodded. He had no idea what the Emperor meant by this, but he followed after the Grand Chamberlain in silence.

‘Using a shortcut.’

The Grand Chamberlain was guiding him using the sideroad, rather than the official route. It was rather suspicious. All of these were the Emperor’s main methods used to have a private meeting.

‘He also spoke to me privately like this when he asked me to marry the Imperial Princess; it was the first time.’

But when it came to marrying the Imperial Princess, he backed down at once. So, was it because of the ‘case of the Icarus murder’? But now it doesn’t seem to be that great since this whole situation now felt questionable to him.

Cassius was, of course, quite wise so he didn’t ask about it. He just followed the Grand Chamberlain into a dark secret room in the deepest part of the Emperor’s palace. It was a windowless secret room filled with cigar smoke.

He sat kneeled on one knee and bowed his head, respectfully greeting the Emperor. But it was only for a little while. Cassius stared at the throne beyond the beaded curtains in the dark with a clear gaze, where the Emperor was sitting.

“Cassius Ideos greets His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.”

The words he exchanged when meeting the Emperor were generally plain. It was always asking him to marry the Imperial Princess or give support to the Crown Prince. It wasn’t so easy against the Emperor, who drew out cards that could pressure him with a good face. Fortunately, thanks to him being a war hero, he could go against him to some extent and exercise his right to refuse. Furthermore….

“What did you call me for?”

In this way, he could exchange words back and forth.

“Duke Ideos has arrived.”

Without saying anything, the Emperor was sat on the throne beyond the beaded curtain and looked at him. It seemed like his impression was distorted in a grumpy manner beyond the sparsely woven beads, then his finely wrinkled hand suddenly pulled back the curtain and he stood up. Gray-haired and squinting eyes – the Emperor stood right in front of Cassius, who lowered himself.

“Stand up, Duke.”

Cassius bowed his head without standing up.

“I would like to sit down and listen to what you have to say. Please say it, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked displeased for a moment, then looked down at Cassius with a smile and said, “Then do it.”

The Emperor slowly relaxed and took the initiative.

“Did you know that I have been looking at plants a lot lately?”

“… Of course.”

Everyone knows that recently, the Emperor has been interested in plants. He made a public declaration that he wanted to build a botanical garden of rare plants on the capital’s outskirts and wanted to be buried outside the botanical garden after his death. But what is his reason for bringing this up suddenly? Cassius’ eye sharpened.

“The plant I love the most is the fire flower, its petals resemble a hemp cloth, hence the name.

“….”

“That fire flower is so beautiful that I paid close attention to it every day, and I even water it every time a branch breaks. Do you know what happened?”

The Emperor burst out laughing.

“It died.”

It was a dreary voice.

Cassius raised his head and stared at the Emperor. He was reaching the climax of the story like a question-and-answer catching the clouds in the sky. Cassius waited patiently for the Emperor’s next words with his eyes lowered.

“I was heartbroken, so I invited a botanist.”

The Emperor chuckled as he took a step back from in front of Cassius.

“Ho, it died because I paid too much attention to it. I’ve never even heard of a case like that before, but I have to trust the experts.”

The Emperor’s cunning gaze looked down on Cassius. Kneeling down on one knee, Cassius looked up at him and hardened his lips.

“In that case, Your Majesty.”

“The Duke is smart so you should know what I am talking about.”

Cassius answered quietly.

“You mean for me not to pay attention to the Code Red case.”

“We, as expected, speak the same language. You will make a perfect future son-in-law.”

The Emperor’s expression, that he was quite disappointed, was revealed. Cassius stared at him in silence, neither shaking nor nodding his head. He was clearly refusing.

The Emperor shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn’t expecting much of him anymore.

“Back to the point….”

“Yes.”

“The flower would not have died easily if it had not been given too much attention.”

“….”

“Thank you, Duke, for listening to me.”

Cassius’ unenthusiastic, dry eyes stared at the Emperor. Cassius opened his mouth after a brief silence.

“I fully understood what Your Majesty had said. However, I beg your pardon if the speculation of someone unworthy like me differs.”

The Emperor’s clear eye stared at Cassius. Unfortunately for the Emperor, he wasn’t straightforward and loyal as what was known.

“… Don’t pay attention to matters of great importance – it sounds like that.”

In fact, most of kidnappings and murders would have been of a little interest.

People around the world follow him as a righteous hero because of his victory over the monster wars, but he was not a very righteous man. His world revolved around Sierra. She asked him for a favor. When she thought of her smiling eyes saying thank you, he felt a lump in his chest.

“Yes, don’t be interested in anything.”

The Emperor muttered quietly.

“What can I do for you… I gave you the first and last advice.”

It wasn’t an order nor request, but an advice. Will there be a big problem if you pay attention to it? Cassius slowly raised his body.

“I have received your order.”

… Of course, he meant that he would obey Sierra’s orders, not the Emperor’s.

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