Chapter 39
“So,” the Emperor began, his piercing gaze sweeping over Dylan, whose expression remained unchanged.
He got straight to the point, knowing that making unnecessary small talk would only sour the mood further.
The former head of the Harrison family, Jin Harrison, had been pliable, easy to manipulate. But the new head, Dylan, was a man who wouldn’t even bleed if pricked.
Hiding his displeasure, the Emperor continued,
“Thanks to Duke Harrison’s efforts, we won the war, and your niblings returned safely, didn’t they? How about holding a banquet to celebrate?”
“Hmm.”
Though framed as a suggestion, it was clearly an order.
“Duke Harrison?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll make the arrangements.”
Dylan’s indifferent tone revealed his lack of interest in the banquet, even though it was a direct command from the Emperor.
It was as if the matter was of no importance to him.
The Emperor’s hand tightened, causing a crack to form on the teacup he was holding.
The faint sound echoed through the quiet hall, drawing sharp breaths from the surrounding officials, who nervously watched the Emperor’s reaction.
Having ruled over everyone since birth, the Emperor never hesitated to express his displeasure, and the consequences often spilled onto those around him.
Yet, Dylan, who had stood above even more people for a longer time, didn’t seem to care at all about the Emperor’s mood.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Hmm?”
“If you’re done, I’ll take my leave. I’ll inform you of the details later.”
Dylan rose from his seat, leaving behind an untouched teacup.
The officials tried to stop him, but it was the Emperor who signaled them to stand down.
“Very well. I’ll await your word.”
The Emperor smirked as he watched Dylan leave without an escort.
How bold of him to come alone.
Despite putting on a brave front, he must be terrified. His brother had been murdered so brutally, and everyone knew Dylan was likely the next target.
The pride of dragons was less useful than trash on the streets.
The Emperor’s eyes glinted with an intense longing for the unattainable as he watched Dylan’s retreating figure.1Another trashy Emperor 😮💨
***
Dylan brushed off his shoulders, his expression impassive.
The Emperor’s lingering gaze felt like an unwelcome stain on him.
“How unpleasant.”
He hadn’t had many one-on-one encounters with the Emperor before, but today had made things clear.
There was something unnatural, something against the laws of nature, in the way the Emperor looked at him.
Perhaps the Emperor had been the one who most wished for and reveled in the downfall of the Harrison family.
Dylan suspected the reason behind the banquet was related to that incident—or perhaps to his niblings.
Although it left a bitter taste, Dylan knew the banquet was necessary if he wanted to uncover the truth. Yet the preparation process felt like a tiresome ordeal.
With more than enough on his plate already, organizing a banquet was a test of his patience.
In the end, Dylan summoned two of his most reliable subordinates, Mitzu and Hael.
“You called for us?”
“You called?”2The structure of sentences are different in Korean as verbs are always at the end. So although Hael repeated the last words of Mitzu’s sentence, it was actually the verb ‘called’ not ‘for us’ as in English.
The two dragons slouched casually in Dylan’s office, silently protesting their reluctance to work.
“You don’t have anything to do, right?”
“What?! Do you seriously not know who’s the busiest here?! I just got back from escorting the kids and the human woman a day’s ride away, you know?! Just now!”
“Just now!”
“Hael, you didn’t even go!”
“Hmph.”
Mitzu shouted, his face flushed, while Hael turned away as if uninterested.
“Enough. You’re here now because you finished that job, right?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Then you can handle another task.”
Could it really work like that?
Mitzu tilted his head in confusion but kept quiet, knowing that once Dylan decided on something, there was no point in arguing.
“A banquet needs to be organized soon. The Emperor himself might attend, so prepare accordingly.”
“…What?”
“Why are you acting so clueless?”
Dylan curled his lips into a bright smile, sending shivers down Mitzu and Hael’s spines.
Both quickly averted their gazes, pretending not to notice.
Seeing their superior smile was the last thing they wanted.
“Fine. Is there anything specific you want us to focus on?”
“Not really. Just take care of it.”
“Hmph… well, I’ll do my best.”
Mitzu’s crimson eyes rolled thoughtfully as he tried to recall the banquets he had attended before.
However, he had always preferred cutting down enemies to socializing at such events, so nothing came to mind.
Hael, even less socially adept than Mitzu, was utterly useless in this regard.
In the end, the burden of planning fell squarely on Mitzu’s shoulders.
He sighed deeply, exhaling his frustration. He couldn’t help but wonder why he was always assigned these dull tasks.
“What about the previous errand?”
“All sorted. I had a word with the bookstore owner, and the human woman and the kids are safe.”
“I see.”
“Yes! By the way, the mana-binding device that half-blood had didn’t seem to be crafted by any familiar race. I’ve never seen such techniques before, so I only managed a cursory analysis.”
Dylan nodded at Mitzu’s detailed report.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Same here!”
As quickly as they had appeared, Mitzu and Hael vanished from Dylan’s sight.
Dylan briefly looked in their direction before rising from his seat.
It was nearly 3 p.m., and that meant it was snack time for his niblings and Erina.
“Hm.”
Curiosity about the triplets’ eating habits motivated Dylan to move.
It certainly wasn’t because he wanted to enjoy Erina’s desserts or savor the tea she brewed.
Dylan, calm and composed in the Emperor’s presence, found his steps quickening as he headed to the second floor.
Knowing the triplets’ voracious appetites, the snacks might be gone before he even arrived.
Hoping to avoid such a tragedy, Dylan increased his pace.
“Kids!”
Entering the dining room on the second floor, Dylan called out to the triplets.
The children, who were just about to bite into Erina’s freshly made blueberry pie, grimaced in unison.
Relieved to see the pie hadn’t been entirely devoured yet, Dylan approached Erina with the grace of someone who had never rushed in his life.
“Miss Erina? Did you enjoy your outing today?”
“Oh, Dylan! Welcome back. We were just about to enjoy some snacks. If you have time, would you like to join us?”
Dylan, who had been waiting for such an invitation, nodded without the slightest hesitation.
The ever-busy head of the Harrison family, who had delegated all his work to Mitzu, seemed nonexistent now.
In his place was a childish uncle eager to compete with his niblings over delicious blueberry pie.
“This pie is exceptional. Did you make it yourself?”
“Yes. We took out a lot of blueberries from the pantry today. I think the mild climate of the Sylvian Empire makes the blueberries larger and juicier, which makes for a better pie.”
“Is that so? There are plenty of other delicious things here, so let me know if there’s anything you’d like to try.”
Dylan took a large bite of the pie, savoring the burst of blueberry juice.
Next to him, Lia poked his side, exclaiming,
“Uncle! Stop eating it all!”
But Dylan, treating her complaints as mere playful banter, flashed her a cheeky smile and grabbed another slice of pie.
The triplets groaned in frustration, muttering, “Ugh!” as they began piling pie slices onto their plates, determined to claim their share before Dylan ate it all.
Watching the playful chaos, Erina smiled awkwardly, relieved she had baked extra pies just in case.
“There’s more here, so once you finish what you’ve got, feel free to help yourselves. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
Dylan replied just as obediently as the children, a picture of politeness and warmth—truly a courteous and gentle dragon.
