‘What? No, that… What am I supposed to do with that!’
<You are my contractor. Of course anything is possible. Hurry up and fix it!>
‘No, people don’t usually stop feeling and thinking just because someone tells them to stop! Stupid Phoebe! But if that’s what you said, Phoebe…’
<Didn’t you say it was a mixed Noctis elf? Among their abilities is the ability to stop thinking and feeling. Since that guy is of mixed blood, it must have been possible if he strongly desired it. But…>
Only then could Asha understand Phoebe. Ivan probably didn’t use the ability because he wanted to, he was just driven into a situation… and now he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to.
<How awful.>
‘What? What?’
Asha turned her head to Phoebe’s exceptional response.
<Silly Asha, what do you think of me? I am the Great Spirit of the Senses. That guy who has closed all his emotions and thoughts, looks like rotten water in a puddle to me! And there really is a core of filth in it.>
‘Oh… Is that Prasti that bad?’
<It’s a piece of the Sword of Sin that’s split. If you are in a beast, the beast becomes a monster, and if you are in a man, a man becomes a monster.>
Ivan’s emotionless, milky eyes looked up at her. Asha recalled how Anastasia died in her memory and was convinced.
‘Then shouldn’t we take that out first? What should I do?’
<You can use my power. Whether you’re making something to eat or bond, do it together.>
‘Like giving it to Alyosha?’
<Yes. Then he’ll regain his emotions, and I can use my power to take out what’s inside him.>
‘But the apple jam cookie didn’t do much good.’
<Are you sure he ate it? Even if it’s certain, it’s not a just one-time thing.>
‘I know what you mean. But what about Prasti? Just take it out and it’s done?’
<That’s something that needs to be done until it comes out of that guy.>
Asha bit her lips and nodded. And above all, she decided what to do with Ivan’s ridiculous bed.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
The next morning.
With a determined face, Asha wrapped one of the two remaining apple jam cookies finely. She tied a ribbon and put it in a silk pocket that Lise got.
“Let’s go, Lise.”
At Asha’s words, Lise hugged her even though she had a worried expression on her face. It was because Asha’s ankle was still not healed. But even when Asha reached her destination, she couldn’t fulfill her will.
“His Majesty is on official duty… He told you to wait.”
The old chamberlain spoke to her with a full face of kindness. Asha nodded confidently with a clean face.
“Okay. I came without an appointment, so I can’t help it.”
“Your Highness, since His Majesty said that… wouldn’t it be better for you to come back the next time he calls?”
Lise said carefully. The chamberlain seemed to agree with her words. But Asha shook her head.
“When do you know you’ll call?”
“Then…”
“I will sit here and wait. Is that okay?”
“Ye, yes…”
Asha slumped down on a small bench in the hallway in front of the Emperor’s office. The chamberlain nodded her head with a face that couldn’t be helped and went back inside.
While Asha was sitting on the bench and only tapping her toes, many people passed in front of her. Most of them left, greeting her with a surprised and embarrassed face.
Some people asked what she was doing with a pretty mischievous face.
“Your Highness, if you have anything to say to His Majesty, shall I pass it on for you?”
“I can’t because I have something to give you.”
Asha pointed to the silk pocket in her hand.
“I can deliver that for you, too.”
“Do you know what’s inside?”
When asked like that, they retreated a little embarrassed. It was a little after eleven that the Emperor called her in.
“His Majesty told you to eat inside.”
Asha stretched herself out and got up from her seat. Lise seemed to want to carry her in her arms, but could not do so until in front of the Emperor.
As she entered, the Emperor had set up a simple tea table next to the table. Finished with a cup of tea and a few plain-looking crackers.
“I’m busy, so just tell me your business briefly.”
It was a word from the Emperor’s mouth as soon as Asha sat opposite the tea table. Asha, who tried to open the conversation smoothly, first held out the silk pouch she had.
“Then… eat this.”
While the Emperor was handing over a sip of tea, the chamberlain took Asha’s silk pouch and took out what was inside. It was an apple jam cookie wrapped finely in dry paper.
“Did you make it?”
“Yes! I want to give it to you, Your Majesty.”
“…again.”
“What?”
Asha asked back, but the Emperor did not answer.
‘I can’t figure him out.’
There was a very pleasant atmosphere, and at the same time, there was a sign of disapproval. In the meantime, the Emperor winked at the chamberlain. The chamberlain peeled off the paper and put the apple jam cookie on the table.
The Emperor roughly cut the cookies in half with a butter knife and strode them into his mouth. There’s nothing to say for a while. Asha looked through the expression and clenched her fist inside.
“It’s working!”
The Emperor, who took a bite, hardened for a while, and slowly chewed what was in his mouth. Around the Emperor, a subtle flash of light, like a firecracker, burst in the water.
“…Is it an apple inside?”
“Yes! I baked the apple a little and put the boiled one in.”
“This is the texture of the apple. The cookies are soft, too.”
“I tried to make it savory and sweet… I hope it’s delicious.”
“So what do you want?”
“…What?”
Asha was a little embarrassed and asked back. She wanted something, so she had been making a fuss since the morning. She was delighted to think that now that the Emperor was in a good mood after eating the sweets, she would lightly accept any request, but she did not expect that the Emperor would ask first.
“It’s clearly written all over your face. It’s saying what kind of bribe you brought to ask for a favor.”
“Will you listen to it?”
“It’s up to me to hear and decide.”
“But you already ate the sweets I gave you.”
“Haven’t you half left?”
“As promised last time, I’ll make it like a snack.”
“Kuhm.”
The Emperor, who was tilting his tea cup in a noble posture, coughed small. The chamberlain brought the napkin with a look of dismay. The Emperor didn’t seem to want to give a definite answer that he would listen.
She couldn’t help it, she just had to say it. It was the moment Asha thought so.
<Try to change the title.>
“What?”
There was a strange breath of wind in her ear. While Asha blinked in surprise, the Emperor wiped his mouth with a napkin and opened his mouth.
“…That’s enough. Yes, tell me what you are going to ask for.”
<Did he not sprout horns when you called him ‘Your Majesty’? Try calling him differently.>
‘Who? Who?’
She glanced around, but she couldn’t tell what voice it was or whose voice it was. Meanwhile, the Emperor urged her to answer.
‘Differently?’
“That child, could you please make them a commoner instead of a slave?”
“Why?”
“…!”
“Oh, no. That’s… Grandfather. Well, I don’t know yet.”
“…Tell me your business.”
“It was this?”
Asha wished she had her own attendant. But you can’t use a slave as an attendant.
“Grandfather… gave me something a while ago, a slave…”
“…Hmm. I did.”
“The slave… Can you make him a commoner?”
“Why?”
Asha tried to hide her gloomy appearance and lowered her eyes. The slave belongs to the owner and lives in a small room attached to the owner’s room. But you don’t know what you’ll do to your sleeping master, so you lock him up when you sleep. That’s why the key is right next to the lock. I don’t value what’s inside…
“I wish I had my own servant. But slaves can’t be used all the time.”
“So you’re going to exonerate him as a commoner and use him as your servant? The same is true of commoners who cannot become servants. Do you know that the lady-in-waiting who takes care of you was also a close friend before your mother got married?”
“Yes… Yes?”
Asha barely held back from shouting before knew it.
‘Was Lise friends with mom?’
No wonder she was exceptionally sweet to her from the first time they met, but it must have been because she was a friend’s daughter. However, thinking so did not dispel the surprise.
“If I can’t use him as an attendant… make him learn swordsmanship and become my escort knight.”
“What if a slave learns swordsmanship and has a grudge and stabs you to death?”
“It’s stabbing to death. Even if you don’t learn it, you can just do it…”
“…”
“…”
“If you could grant me a favor, would that be… possible?”
Asha asked again, looking around. The Emperor shook off half of the cookies he had left and sighed.
“I can’t refuse because I received the bribe. I see. Your slave is a commoner as of today.”
“Oh, really?”
“Do you want me to cancel?”
“No! No! No! Thank you very much, Grandpa!”
It’s really working!
Asha jumped up to express her joy, and then sat down again, clutching her ankle.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s really all right.”
“It’s not all right. Hello!”
“No, really…”
It’s okay…
