'I must be in my best condition.'
Even at the imperial training ground, Jaekiel had neatly gathered his cold
energy and mana and cleaned his body thoroughly.
─There's a slight delay. Come when the moon rises.
While waiting, additional contact came from the audience room.
It was disappointing that there was a delay, but since it wasn't postponed to
another day, it was manageable.
With some free time on his hands, Jaekiel wondered what he should do.
"Teacher, do you have a moment?"
The Third Princess, Solana, appeared as if she had been waiting for this
moment.
They spent the next few hours together in the reception room.
Hours had already passed.
The weather was unusually good today, and the sunlight shining through the
reception room's windows was quite dazzling.
Solana, the Third Princess of the Empire.
If someone were to ask who in the empire had the brightest smile, Solana
would certainly be mentioned. Jaekiel thought so as well.
It was said that devotees would do anything to improve their performance,
just for a chance to exchange a word with the Third Princess.
Just hearing a word from Solana or spending time with her was considered
a blessing, which was why they worked so hard, risking everything.
"I've been praying all day, worried that something might go wrong with
you, Teacher. And…"
Solana was leading the conversation, chatting away.
And it was with none other than Jaekiel.
The air was filled with a fragrant scent that tickled Jaekiel's nose.
Had her cooking skills improved even more?
The luxurious tea and snacks seemed far too extravagant to be served in the
reception room. These were offered to Jaekiel along with Solana's
conversation.
Jaekiel was no fool.
He wasn't ignorant of the fact that many people desperately longed to be in
his current situation. But it wasn't about indulgence.
However, even though he was aware of his fortunate position, he couldn't
focus on Solana's words at all.
'The Sun Water, I'm finally going to receive it… '
His mind was completely occupied with thoughts of the Sun Water.
It didn't take long for him to pay the price.
Snap!
He felt a small pressure on his hand, and at the same time, the vibrant scent
of sunflowers filled the air around him.
Solana had tightly grasped Jaekiel's hand.
She was close enough for their noses to touch.
The Third Princess was staring intently at Jaekiel, gripping his hand firmly.
"Teacher, you're not paying attention to what I'm saying, are you?"
She smiled brightly.
"What could you possibly be thinking about?"
It would have been better if she had scolded him sharply, but saying those
words with a smile made it all the more terrifying.
"Every time you expand your party, Teacher, the members are always
women. I heard that an elder from the Blue Tower joined you, and when I
checked, she turned out to be the most beautiful one in the tower."
"Hm…"
It wasn't something Jaekiel had done intentionally.
Still, he had been so preoccupied with thoughts of the Sun Water that he had
been rude to Solana without realizing it, so he couldn't exactly deny it.
Solana tightened her grip on his hand slightly.
"Even if you're not interested, Teacher, there's no guarantee they won't be.
Even a fox with no interest will wag its tail when it finds a master it likes."
"Alright, alright… I'll focus on the conversation."
But Solana didn't stop talking.
"Now that I think about it, there's something strange about the Second
Princess's secretary, too. That rabbit-like woman. Why is she sticking by
your side when she's supposed to be the Second Princess's secretary?"
"…"
"You need to be even more alert, Teacher. You're surrounded by a garden of
flowers. Though, it doesn't seem like each flower is all that impressive."
Perhaps she had subtly infused her emotions into that final comment.
She spoke with a bright smile, but the meaning was different. There was an
underlying strong warning and concern. In other words, she was telling him
to pay attention when she smiled.
Jaekiel couldn't help but resolve to do better. He wanted to make sure no
one in his entourage would suffer any harm.
Jaekiel tried his best to reassure Solana.
"There's nothing to worry about. Don't be concerned."
"Even if you say that, I'll still worry. Anyway."
Solana opened her eyes wide and asked.
"You received a check, didn't you?"
The check.
"…"
At the mention of the check, Jaekiel's mind, which had been entirely
focused on the Sun Water, snapped back to reality.
He suddenly remembered. He was told that the news had been sent to all the
princesses.
"…The check?"
"The check you got from the imperial scribe, right? The one that allows you
to spend five whole hours with one princess of your choice. Hmm? Why are
you avoiding my gaze?"
"…Uh, I forgot."
"There's no need to feel awkward about it at all."
Solana spoke calmly.
"Just think of it as five hours for you and me to spend together. You were
going to use it to choose me anyway, weren't you?"
"…"
"I cleared my entire schedule this week."
Seeing Solana's confidence suddenly made Jaekiel nervous. Were the other
princesses this sure of themselves too?
'…Who am I even supposed to choose?'
Choosing one princess meant, in other words, not choosing the other four.
How was he supposed to deal with the aftermath?
…No, could he even handle it in the first place?
At that moment, Solana placed a basket on the table, subtly pushing it
toward Jaekiel as if it were something specially prepared for him.
"You can take these before using the check. Don't worry, I handpicked
everything myself."
Jaekiel opened the basket and inspected its contents.
Herbs, elixirs, ginseng… But the energy they radiated felt unusual, different
from what Jaekiel typically sought.
"They're all good for… vitality. You should feel the effects right away as
soon as you take them."
"…Vitality?"
Jaekiel looked taken aback.
But Solana only looked back at him, as if she were even more surprised by
his reaction. Her eyes narrowed slightly, enough to intimidate Jaekiel.
"With five hours, you can do anything, right?"
She continued, confidently.
"The First Princess has already talked about marriage, and the Second
Princess barged in out of nowhere… I can't just sit back and take it. I have
to be prepared."
That kind of preparation seemed a bit… excessive.
But Jaekiel couldn't bring himself to point that out.
"Now, now, take one right in front of me."
Solana picked up one of the herbs and almost forcibly shoved it into
Jaekiel's mouth. He couldn't exactly refuse her either.
"…"
As Jaekiel silently chewed the herb, Solana smiled.
"You ate it like a pro, Teacher."
"Hm?"
"It's a vitality booster I prepared, so you won't use it for anyone else, right?
That wouldn't be proper. It should be used for the person who made it for
you."
A radiant smile.
Why did that bright smile feel so terrifying today?
"We'll talk about this later. It's time."
Jaekiel quickly mumbled and stood up.
"I need to head to the audience room first."
"Teacher? Teacher?"
Jaekiel had never been happier to have an excuse to visit the audience
room. He quickly left the reception room.
The thought of finally receiving the Sun Water made him momentarily
forget about the check.
He would worry about it when the time came. There was no other way.
It'll work out somehow!
Yes.
Somehow, it'll work out, right…?
Finally, the moon had risen.
Jaekiel had feared that the Emperor might delay the schedule again, but
fortunately, that didn't happen.
Jaekiel silently entered the audience room.
As usual, the interior gave off an overwhelming sense of grandeur. Jaekiel
looked up at the throne, where the one who made this vast space so special
was seated.
"You have come, Jaekiel."
Emperor Verd of the Empire.
He was facing Jaekiel.
"You must have eagerly awaited this moment."
As usual, the sacred holy grail floated in the air. Once it was emptied, the
Emperor's long robe straightened, and he abruptly stood up from the throne.
Jaekiel felt a tickling sensation on his forehead.
When he wiped it with his hand, he was surprised to find sweat.
'…Sweat?'
At the same time, he realized something.
There was something making this space incredibly hot, and surprisingly, it
wasn't the Emperor's doing.
Before he knew it, a heat haze-like substance began to rise, as if it were
breathing, gathering toward the Emperor.
No, to be precise, it was gathering toward the sleeve of the Emperor's robe.
Finally, the Emperor pulled something from his sleeve.
"Watch closely with your own eyes."
The Emperor murmured softly.
A small object, like a miniature sun, appeared. It shimmered, like something
between liquid and solid, and just looking at it felt like it was burning his
soul.
Jaekiel had never experienced heat before in his life, but now, he distinctly
felt hot.
"This is the Sun Water."