Chapter 104

Peyton opened the door and entered the room, bowing towards Rashid. Rashid was by the window as expected, and when he lowered his eyes, Peyton flinched in surprise and expressed concern.

“Has something happened in the past few days?”

“Not really.”

Rashid raised one hand to tell him not to be annoying about it. It meant that questions were no longer allowed, so while he followed that command, Peyton still observed his eldest brother from time to time.

“…….”

A jawline so sharp it could practically cut you, and a disciplined, powerful conduct.

This flawless appearance was indeed the eldest brother and this empire’s Emperor he’d come to know over tens of years, but the red eyes that did not seem to belong to a human did not look the same as before.

Those were the very eyes that once had the notorious reputation of their color deepening according to the amount of blood he had cut down.

Of course, there was no way that such eyes could change to look human at once, but maybe because he’d been gone for a few days that the change looked all the more clear.

Or perhaps he was only feeling now, what had gradually become that way from before.

“Did you bring it?”

“Oh…. Yes. Of course.”

At Rashid’s indifferent words, Peyton immediately remembered his command. As it was, Peyton was on his way back from the capital in deference to that command.

“He is with Tenon right now. He has been the entire time while coming here, so he’s probably having a hard time.”

“I see.”

Peyton was about to say ‘he is being taken care of by Tenon’, but since that didn’t feel quite right, he corrected himself to only say that they were together.

No matter how much he thought about it, that thing was much too far from the concept of being able to be taken care of. His limit was that he only listened to what his master Rashid said.

“And what of Kirel.”

“Second Eldest Brother is still busy taking care of state affairs. And he is also following Haniel’s whereabouts in his own way using secret channels of insider information.

“The Grand Duchess must be resenting me much.”

“Well, that’s….”

Peyton, who showed many signs of having already suffered from his sister-in-law, could only smile awkwardly.

Kirel’s wife, who also happened to be a princess of their neighboring country Billard, was originally supposed to be the partner to Rashid as the emperor, according to the peace treaty that ended the war.

But using the national funeral as an excuse, Rashid repeatedly refused the marriage, until they conferred Kirel into the position of Grand Duke and had him wed instead.

Though that was the case, even if it was the Grand Duke’s wedding, the ceremony was as simple as much as they were still in national mourning.

Defeated nation as they may be, she was still the princess of a country, and this was something she could most definitely feel upset about. From exactly that point on, she did not stop holding small complaints about the Emperor, and took out her anger by seizing her husband the Grand Duke instead.

Just what does the Emperor even do, and why does he only make you do all the work.

She usually ended up weeping many tears on that problem, but very surprisingly… The Grand Duchy had a good relationship inside and out.

And a very, very good relationship at that, extremely.

If the Grand Duchess sniffled and went to her room upset, the Grand Duke would awkwardly follow her, and many had already witnessed the way they would come out the next morning with arms linked together and smiles on their faces.

“…..B-but I think it will be fine.”

Peyton, who had seen that happen before as well, blushed for no reason. Rashid also seemed to get a rough idea of what he was trying to say and did not ask more.

However, contrary to how he would usually openly taunt or completely ignore this kind of problem, his eyes became unknowably mixed with emotions.

“…….”

Irritated but also complicated, but also with the smallest hint of envy. A generally angered look.

“If the Grand Duchess ever acts so arrogantly again….”

“You, you cannot cut her down, sir. Even without the diplomatic relations in mind, please think of Elder Brother Kirel and…..”

“……What is with you fools.”

At that point, Rashid took the time to look back on his actions again. When he talked of someone else, it was true that the words ‘cut them down’ had often dominated.

But he wasn’t so thoughtless that he would speak roughly about the wife of his brother working hard in his stead over something as small as this.

“Then tell the Grand Duchess that we’ll give her a proper wedding ceremony once the national funeral and all its processes are over.”

“That’s not possible. Clearly, the eldest brother must come first.”

Not surprised at all over the un-Rashid-like favor, Peyton made the order clear.

When it came to anything related to national law, Peyton was worse than the Grand Duke Kirel, as the feudal lord of the Southern Lands and the commander of the knights.

Especially laws about the authority of the imperial throne or marriage could only be discussed at Lianess, the conference of the lords of the North, East, South, and West.