I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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215th Episode

“Haha! I knew this would happen! If it’s Marquess Ein Hart, I knew you’d choose him! Finally, you’re revealing that cherished subordinate!”

As soon as I accepted the position of commander, Noah contacted Helios through the communication link. It was as if he had been waiting; a reply arrived promptly, and I could hear the boisterous laughter of Helios.

As usual, disregarding decorum, Helios chuckled while dropping six sugar cubes into his black tea and swirling it around.

I squinted at what I hoped was not merely sugar water but actual tea. His bizarre tea preferences always baffled me.

“In fact, I was pondering whether to directly hand the command position to you. It would be faster and clearer. But the Duke of Crisis complained to me recently that his subordinates were eager to go to war. If I had appointed you as commander upon hearing that… he might have pulled out all my hair and turned it into cow fodder! I needed a shield.”

Helios was utterly shameless. Noah, taken advantage of, laughed heartily.

“You’re saying I was used as a shield, right before me?”

“Why not? ‘Sword of the Empire’ Marquess Einhart. Isn’t it your duty to protect me?”

“I’m afraid of the Duke. If he challenges me to a duel, would His Majesty rebuild the arena with his own funds?”

“Haha! I can handle that expense. But still, the Duke wouldn’t treat you carelessly, would he? I treat him as seriously as I would any emperor.”

“Forgive me, but I think that’s well-deserved. It’s your own doing.”

“Truly, you’re quite apologetic. You and the Duke could easily be compared to rebels in terms of audacity.”

I watched the two of them exchange nonsensical banter like it was a leisurely stroll along the riverbank. At this rate, they could abandon their roles as emperor and marquess and form a comedic duo.

“Anyway, whether it’s you or me, it’s certain that we both deemed Lady of Crisis an appropriate candidate for this endeavor.”

Helios looked at me with a mixture of laughter. The small spring created by the deep blue of the sea seemed to reflect all my thoughts.

“You are acknowledged by the Emperor and the head of the Imperial Palace’s knight order. Go with pride. There, you will be the face of the Empire. Your actions will reflect the Empire’s, and your decisions will become the Empire’s decisions.”

With pride came a heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders.

‘Can I really do this?’

Even though I had resolved this many times and wished for such circumstances, my weak heart, which had not fully ripened, still squirmed within me.

Did my stomach churn at that thought? Whether reading my expression or not, Helios, who had been wearing a slightly serious face, smiled gently to ease my tension.

“But with heavy responsibility comes the right to enjoy. If anyone dares to go against you, I’ll crush them by saying I am the Empire. Enjoy yourself without any reservations.”

“I’m the Empire? Are you suggesting I commit treason against my own subordinate?”

“Over there, neither I nor the Pope nor the Duke can say what happens. If whispers of your treachery reach me, I’ll simply turn a blind eye, so don’t worry.”

The heartfelt sentiment I had received was soon shattered by the comic duo of Helios and Noah, but still, Helios’s words left a deep impression in my heart.

I was trusted by many people.

“By the way, I heard there’s a place in the capital of Atara that makes potato potage exceptionally delicious. Maybe I should go and pack some for myself…”

“Your Majesty…”

While Helios babbled nonsense, a squire rushed in anxiously. During an audience, such interruptions were extremely rare, so all three of us tensed up. What could possibly be so urgent?

“What’s the matter?”

“Well… um…”

As Helios resumed his strict emperor demeanor, the squire stole glances at him while scanning the entrance. Only when Helios pressured him with a look did the squire continue.

“Her Majesty the Empress requests an audience.”

‘Tina?’

I blinked in surprise at this unexpected development.

Tina Cypros, the Empress of this Empire and the mother of the second emperor, Serenon. I had met her several times under the pretense of parental involvement while working with Serenon, but recently I had been too busy to find time to meet.

As I pondered her name, which I hadn’t heard in a while, Helios hastily adjusted his attire.

“…Do I look fine right now?”

Helios, who had neatly arranged his tousled bangs, turned to Noah with a nervous expression. Perhaps the sight of Helios grooming himself like he was going on a date puzzled me, and Noah, blinking slowly, gripped his fist tightly and released it.

Having served as his subordinate, I understood that this was a sign of him trying hard to suppress his laughter.

“You look perfectly fine. While nearing your golden years, you still come across youthful like a boy.”

“…Damn! I just threw something on this morning after a hectic start!”

Noah replied with a teasing tone, prompting Helios to let out a groan while scratching the back of his neck.

The Emperor’s elegant white uniform only accentuated his flushed neck, making it look strangely vivid.

‘What’s going on?’

Something felt off, though I couldn’t pinpoint it. Nevertheless, I found it intriguing.

To Helios, Tina was merely a political marriage partner and a remnant of Cypros threatening his position. Furthermore, Tina was rumored to be a villainess trying to kill Diego for power, yet he seemed neither displeased nor uncomfortable with her coming.

‘More than that…’

I narrowed my eyes, focusing on Helios’s quivering throat.

Yes, unusually, Helios was tense.

“Shall I send word to Her Majesty to return?”

“No, no.”

Reading Helios’s peculiar attitude as discomfort, the squire hesitated again. Helios, who hurriedly stopped him, glanced between Noah and me.

“Would it be alright if the Empress joined us for a moment? It should be fine.”

It was half-heartedly a request but more like a subtle coercion.

Since Tina would not be uncomfortable with it, I nodded casually, and Noah covered his mouth for a moment before turning away, possibly holding back a grin—he too agreed without objection.

“Bring her in.”

Helios nodded at the squire, gripping the armrest of his chair.

“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor.”

And soon after, Tina entered the room.

She was just as before. With her light purple bobbed hair and misty blue eyes reminiscent of the sea, she exuded a sense of mystique. She seemed to embody elegance personified.

Gliding closer, Tina greeted us flawlessly.

“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Thank you for having me.”

Noah and I also stood to salute her. Tina acknowledged our greeting with a nod but chose to stand a little distance away, not joining us at the table.

“What brings you to me?”

Helios tilted his head with a stiff expression. His tone was much colder than usual.

Seeing that, I wondered if Helios truly disliked Tina, but my attention was drawn to the beads of cold sweat forming on his brow. It was my first time witnessing Helios in such a state of tension, and I couldn’t hide my surprise.

“I’m sorry for coming so suddenly; I have something to tell you.”

Tina lowered her eyes, her light purple-tinged white eyelashes fluttering. Despite the sudden visit, she appeared remarkably composed.

When she raised her gaze, it locked onto me. Ever since Tina arrived here, she had been observing me rather intently.

‘Of course. She must have a lot to say. We haven’t spoken once since the terror incident.’

Feeling slightly guilty, I subtly averted my eyes from her misty blue gaze. I still felt a twinge of remorse for pretending to be someone different from Mir.

“What do you wish to convey?”

Helios, looking uninterested as he stared at his fingertips, briefly glanced at Tina. His attitude seemed atypically indifferent and cold; yet he kept moistening his lips.

“Isn’t it amusing?”

I pondered about Helios’s strange demeanor, and Noah’s whispers came to mind. I nodded.

“Do you two get along well, or poorly?”

“Well, hard to say. In the beginning, it was definitely bad. It was a political marriage, and only malicious rumors about Her Majesty spread.”

They had communicated separately, never having any exchanges.

Noah stirred his tea with a spoon, wearing an understated smile as if he were watching his child’s romance play out.

“I suspect the Emperor might have had feelings back then…”

“Feelings? As in love?”

“Ah… You are certainly slow on the uptake. Love, indeed.”

My eyes widened in surprise at Helios’s words.

When I focused closely, I noticed his heart rate was abnormally fast. He kept moistening his lips, and faint blossoms of color adorned his cheeks.

‘Indeed, that’s what they call love.’

I sighed at the realization. Distinguishing whether those feelings were love or not was difficult, but reading physical changes was quite simple.

Clearly, Helios was showing all the classic symptoms of being in love recognized by society.

“How fascinating. I’ve never seen someone so deeply in love.”

“…You’ve never seen anyone like this?”

As I marveled like a child witnessing something new, Noah responded with an unimpressed expression. When I turned towards him, I noticed him gazing at me with a peculiar look.

“Given your experience, I assume it must be notoriously boring. Oh, but not today.”

“May I borrow your ear for a moment?”

As Noah and I conversed through whispers, Tina approached Helios. It seemed she had a private message for him. Even if she spoke quietly, as a Sword Master, I could still hear them.

I noticed Helios visibly stiffening as Tina neared him, who usually brimmed with charm.

“Shouldn’t you be more composed in front of someone you care for? You seem rather… stiff.”

I started off intending to imply he was acting foolishly, but it felt too brazen, so I softened my words. Noah chuckled softly.

“Humans often become foolish in love. Even the Emperor isn’t exempt.”

His golden eyes were gentle as they focused on me.

“So if there are people who aren’t usually like that in front of you, it might be worth being suspicious. Even if their behavior isn’t outright foolish, if it deviates from the norm, it suggests something.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“It may indicate they might be in love with you.”

Several faces flickered through my mind at that remark. I blinked and turned back to Tina.

As Tina approached Helios, she gently swept aside his golden locks and leaned down to whisper softly in his ear.

In that moment, I noticed Helios’s eyes, wandering aimlessly, whose usual confidence seemed stripped away.

“Please come to my quarters tonight, and I’ll tell you properly then.”

With a low, slow voice, Tina whispered. It was a gentle murmur but loud enough for my ears to catch.

“I only hope His Majesty doesn’t suffer a heart attack. The imperial succession process can be quite a hassle.”

Noah bit his lip to suppress his laughter. Feeling as though I should not intrude on this particular atmosphere, I shifted my gaze to the distant mountains and noted the moment Helios’s breath faltered.

“This is all I wanted to say. I won’t hinder you any longer.”

Tina straightened up, declared in a nonchalant tone, and gracefully departed. Her elegance resembled an assassin who had just taken a life, leaving without a trace.

“Oh, and Duke Crisis.”

Tina turned to look at me. A myriad of thoughts flickered in her blue eyes before fading away.

“After today’s events, you should come to see me. No matter the time.”

Having said that, Tina vanished as though she felt satisfaction in not looking back. I couldn’t shake off the thought that her true purpose here was not Helios, but rather me.

“Sigh…”

As soon as Tina disappeared, Helios let out a heavy sigh. A glimpse of the blush on his face peeked through the gaps in his frail hands.

‘Did Helios… get used?’

I pondered if he had sensed something awry as I tried to gauge his expression, but Helios simply stared blankly into space.

“Honestly… at my age, there should be a limit.”

He roughly swept his bangs back.

“Isn’t it nice?”

A gruff yet sincere confession. Though the recipient was absent, the feelings contained within were tangible.

While mulling over it, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me, and Noah inhaled slowly.

“Your Majesty, forgive me, but… may I request you to smile just a little?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah! Fine, I’ll smile. Really smile! Mock me if you must!”

“Hahaha!”

“Is this really laughter? Is it coming naturally now?”

As I watched the comedic routine unfold once again, I couldn’t help but laugh with a sigh.

No matter how much I saw it, Helios seemed to have been taken advantage of, yet he seemed quite content with it all.