The next day, Pristin got up early to see off the envoys leaving for the Perk Empire.
“I see Your Majesty.”
“Pristin.”
Jerald, as usual, greeted Pristin with a welcoming expression.
“You came early.”
“I can’t be late.”
“I didn’t expect you to come.”
“I thought it was my duty to safely send off the guests I serve.”
“Excellent, that responsibility.”
Jerald seemed pleased that he could see Pristin from this early morning.
“Your Majesty.”
At that time, the envoys of the Perk Empire appeared before Jerald and Pristin. Jerald looked at the men with a nice smile.
“Lord Ark, are you leaving now?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for your kindness over the past few days.”
“I hope there were no inconveniences during your stay. Even if there were any shortcomings in the hospitality, please overlook them.”
“No, Your Majesty. I’ve been treated so well that I couldn’t ask for more.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad. Have a safe journey back home.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Lord Ark deeply bowed, showing his respect, and then glanced at Pristin.
“I hope we have the chance to visit again to some good news.”
It was an ambiguous expression, but Pristin thought it was directed at her. Not knowing what expression to make, Pristin could only put on an awkward smile.
Then Lady Ark, the wife of Lord Ark, approached Pristin and firmly held her hand as she spoke.
“It’s regretful to part like this, Countess Rosewell.”
“I feel the same, but if our destinies cross paths again, we will meet.”
“If you ever have a reason to visit the Perk Empire, please do let me know, Countess. I will always remember the kindness I received from you during our stay.”
“Your kind words are much appreciated. I hope the time you spent in Limburg will be a happy memory.”
“Of course, Countess Rosewell.”
“And finally.”
Lord Arc politely spoke to Jerald.
“We have a present for you before we leave, Your Majesty.”
“A present?”
“Bring it over.”
The Duke of Ark turned around and instructed the servant, and before long he appeared with something. Pristin smiled and muttered.
“That’s…”
“In the Perk Empire, it is customary to give a dog as a gesture of gratitude when receiving the hospitality of an esteemed person.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. This dog…”
“It is a dog with the bloodline of the Perk imperial family’s dogs. A very rare breed. The name will be chosen by Your Majesty.”
“Yes. Our Emperor of Perk specially chose this dog, with the consideration of His Majesty the Emperor of Limburg.”
“I would be glad if you could accept it, Your Majesty.”
Lord Ark politely handed the dog’s leash to the imperial servant of Limburg. The dog brought by the Perk envoy was a large breed with white fur. Despite its bulky size and not being as agile as a hunting dog, it didn’t give off a sense of intimidation.
It was the moment when Pristin looked at the innocent and adorable dog with a smile.
“But why is he not saying anything?”
Pristin became puzzled by the silence next to her. It was customary to express words of gratitude upon receiving a gift. However, as no words were heard, Pristin eventually turned her head towards Jerald. He had a slightly stiff face and was biting his lip, giving off the impression of someone angry, which surprised Pristin.
Pristin called out to Jerald in a voice that only he could hear.
“Your Majesty.”
“…”
“Your Majesty.”
However, no matter how much she called, he showed no sign of responding. Instead, the furrow between his eyebrows deepened. Even his loyal attendants, who were usually at his beck and call, discreetly gave him meaningful glances, but Jerald’s lips remained tightly pressed, showing no signs of movement.
Pristin was bewildered by his unresponsive behavior.
‘Huh…?’
By chance, when Pristin’s gaze landed on Jerald’s hand, she sensed something unusual. His hand was trembling. With a slightly surprised expression, Pristin looked at Jerald. Only then did she see that his expression was one of fear, not anger.
‘But why?’
He was a courageous man, one who had bravely reclaimed his position from his usurping uncle.
‘That kind of person is afraid of dogs?’
Moreover, it was not even a hunting dog but a pet dog. And what was even stranger was that even if Jerald were afraid of dogs, his reaction seemed to be slightly different from what people would generally exhibit when feeling fear.
For example, Pristin herself was afraid of spiders, but when she saw one, she wouldn’t become completely rigid, unable to make a sound or move like Jerald did.
So Jerald’s fear seemed more akin to that of someone suffering from a trauma rather than a typical phobia. In any case, the situation was incomprehensible to her and thus felt perplexing.
But now, that was not the most pressing issue at hand. With a determined expression, Pristin reached out and held Jerald’s trembling hand that was beside her. At first, he flinched in surprise, but soon his trembling subsided within the grasp of Pristin’s hand.
Jerald slowly turned his head and continued to stare at Pristin, his pupils still dilated. From there, Pristin could see definite fear. But without showing any sign, Pristin forced a smile to help Jerald regain his composure. Finally, Jerald’s eyes, which had not blinked even once, began to return to their original state little by little. He slowly opened his lips and expressed his belated gratitude.
“Thank you, Lord Ark. His Imperial Majesty Perk has sent a very lovely gift.”
“I’m not sure if you will like it, Your Majesty.”
“Of course. I like it. Furthermore, white dogs have quite a sacred and symbolic meaning in Perk. I am even more grateful for the meaning behind it.”
The fact that it was a lie could be noticed in his hands, where the tremor grew like the first time. But the only person who knew that was Pristin.
She gently touched Jerald’s hand, helping him relax a little. Fortunately, the trembling gradually subsided.
“We are truly grateful and honored to have someone who understands our hearts.”
“I am overjoyed even with such a precious gift. I hope you can safely return and deliver the news to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. We will definitely convey the grace you have bestowed upon us to His Majesty.”
“Yes. I hope we meet again.”
And so, the envoys departed on the ship, and only when their eyes were completely out of Jerald’s sight did Pristin look at him.
He may have looked fine on the surface, but upon closer inspection, he still appeared pale. Pristin called out to him with a worried expression.
“Your Majesty.”
“…”
“Are you okay?”
“…Of course, Pristin.”
He replied in a painfully low voice. However, Pristin felt that his response of being okay sounded like a lie. He didn’t seem all right. So, just as Pristin was about to hold his hand tighter, Jerald withdrew his hand from her.
Pristin looked at Jerald with a bewildered gaze, completely caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events. But Jerald avoided her eyes and spoke.
“I woke up early this morning, so I’m a bit tired. You should go inside first.”
“Your…”
Before Pristin could grab hold of Jerald, he turned his back to her.
Pristin could not help but be shocked by Jerald’s attitude, completely different from his usual self. It was the first time he had turned his back on her. It had been the case in the Perk Empire, and it was even more so after their reunion.
Pristin couldn’t help but feel flustered in this unfamiliar situation.
“What in the world…?”
Pristin became worried. She watched Jerald, who was moving away from her with a serious expression, and then Aruvina approached her.
“You should go in now, Your Excellency. You must be tired from waking up early in the morning…”
“Madame Korsol.”
Pristin called out Aruvina in a heavy voice.
“You’ve served His Majesty for a long time, so you know it well.”
“What…”
“Does His Majesty hate dogs?”
“Well…”
Aruvina narrowed her eyebrows slightly and looked thoughtful. Then she shook her head and replied.
“I don’t know. Because he’s never shown such an expression.”
“…”
“Is it because of what happened earlier?”
“I don’t know. But… I was a little surprised that His Majesty seemed different from usual.”
“Don’t worry too much. He might just be a bit sensitive due to the recent matters that required his attention.”
“I hope that’s the case, but…”
“But could it be because of a pet dog?”
However, in Pristin’s view, Jerald’s earlier behavior seemed to be more than just sensitivity caused by fatigue. This made her even more concerned, especially since he had been his usual relaxed self before receiving the dog as a gift.
In Pristin’s mind, the restless and fearful image that Jerald had shown earlier kept playing over and over again. Pristin looked at the empty space where Jerald had vanished with a worried expression.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
“I need to rest for a while, so do not disturb me.”
As soon as they returned to the central palace, Jerald commanded in a tired voice. Some attendants were tidying up his bed, and one of them approached Jerald and asked.
“Your Majesty, what should we do with the dog that was received from the Perk Empire envoy? Should we raise it in the central palace?”
“…”
Jerald’s expression quickly stiffened at the attendant’s question, but it returned to normal in an instant. He responded with a calm voice.
“No. For now, let it be raised in another palace, preferably far away from the central palace.”
“Okay? Ah, all right, understood.”
The attendant felt a sense of unease at Jerald’s command, but they didn’t probe further and stepped back.
After a while, Jerald, who was left behind, laid down on the bed with an extremely exhausted and tired expression. His face was filled with agony, and if someone unknown were to see him, he would have looked like someone who had been tormented by nightmares and had just woken up.
“…”
He slowly clasped his hands that Pristin had held just a while ago. Regrettably, it didn’t have the same effect of calming him down like when she had touched them earlier.
However, he didn’t know what would happen if he didn’t do something like that, he might really go crazy. So, Jerald began to slowly stroke his own hands.
