Knock, knock—
The door swung open, revealing Princess Sara Hart, who appeared as if she were ready for war, though it was similar to war itself.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"Yes, I am," I replied.
"Okay, it's time. Let's go."
"Yeah."
As I engaged in small talk with her, I could sense that it was going to be a long day.
Beside us stood Sir Noel, whom I hadn't seen for two days.
"Hello, Sir Noel. How are you feeling?" I inquired.
Upon hearing my voice, Noel flinched and Sara raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
"I'm fine, but why are you talking like that?"
"I understand. But, Sir Noel, you see, there's a rumour circulating, and I happened to overhear it."
"What rumour are you talking about?"
"You know, like how I saved the Princess from demons and wicked people."
"But it's not just a rumour. We were indeed able to save the Princess because of you."
You might wonder why I'm having trouble here. I just don't want attention; it's like poison to me.
"What's the matter, Kali? Why are you upset about something like this?"
"It's nothing, Princess. I just don't want credit for something like this."
"What do you mean? It's because of you that I was able to escape."
"I understand, Princess. We can discuss this later, but for now, we have to meet the emperor."
"Ah, you're right. Let's hurry."
With that settled, Sara led us to the main chamber where the emperor awaited. Noel and I flanked her, maintaining silence throughout the journey.
After a 20-minute walk, we arrived at the main chamber. Guards stood before us, assuming strong stances as they noticed Princess Sara. They thumped the ground and shouted in unison.
"Her Highness Princess Sara Hart is here!"
Once the shouting ceased, the door opened. Talk about exaggeration.
"Kali, do you know what to do?"
"Yes, Sara, you don't have to worry."
"Okay."
She was referring to our earlier discussion. She needn't worry; I wouldn't speak unless necessary.
Stepping through the door, I found myself face to face with the current emperor. He shared Princess Sara's blonde hair and appeared to be in his mid-forties. His sharp eyes seemed capable of discerning lies, and his handsome appearance defied his age. This was the empire's ruler, Emperor Kevin Hart.
In the novel, he appears sporadically to advance the plot or aid the main protagonist.
He intervened briefly to resolve conflicts between the MC and the villain, Andrus.
Beside the emperor stood a man responsible for his sister's death, manipulating minds, engaging in shady dealings, and being the Empire's First Prince, Andrus Hart.
He wore a smile, but his eyes revealed anger—undoubtedly directed at me. He knew that my actions had allowed Sara to escape the demon realm, thwarting his plans to take the throne.
A tense silence hung in the air. Then, Noel took a deep breath and knelt before the emperor and prince.
"I am Lieutenant Neol, commander of the 9th Platoon, 1st Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Imperial Corps. I extend my sincere greetings, Your Imperial Highness, the Emperor, and First Prince."
In kind, I also knelt beside him.
"I am Kali. I extend my sincere greetings, Your Imperial Highness, the Emperor, and First Prince."
Sara began speaking, but she was cut off by her father's emotional reaction.
"I-I'm glad you're alive, my daughter. I apologize for not being there when you first arrived, but now we have all the time in the world."
He embraced her, his voice quivering. I could only imagine that if we weren't present, tears might have flowed freely.
"Emperor, what—"
"Enough. Can't you see that my daughter is here, alive and well? If you disturb us again, your head will be displayed outside the castle."
It was a surprising change in his demeanour. I now understood the origin of Sara's and Andrus's personalities.
"Father, I'm fine. Could you please let go? You're embarrassing me."
"Apologies, apologies."
Observing us, his demeanour reverted to that of a ruler.
"Stand. I have a few questions for both of you."
The real test of wits began.
"Firstly, allow me to thank you for saving my daughter."
"No, Your Majesty, it was my duty to protect Her Highness."
Neol's response was courteous.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I felt compelled to do so."
"Very well. Now, can anyone explain what transpired?"
"May I, Your Highness?"
Neol began to recount the tale. I and Sara stood beside him, letting him speak on our behalf.
He detailed the events, starting from a secluded castle area where soldiers rarely tread, and indicated where the Princess had been imprisoned and ultimately rescued.
"So, you're suggesting that Sir Isaac was killed by someone from our army, not demons?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Hmm, Andrus, what do you think?"
Andrus, sitting next to the emperor, was prompted for his opinion.
"I'm not sure, Father. Why would anyone attempt to kill Sir Isaac? Perhaps they wanted to tarnish his accomplishments."
"His accomplishments, you say?"
The emperor repeated the phrase thoughtfully. Despite suspecting Andrus, he lacked concrete evidence to act upon.
Andrus's forced smile wavered for an instant, but he said nothing.
"Please continue."
"Indeed, Your Highness. I can't imagine the pain Her Highness must have endured. However, even after her rescue, individuals were planning to harm her."
Hearing this, the emperor clenched his teeth in disbelief at the idea of people plotting against his daughter.
"But there's more, Your Highness. Learning from Kali, we realized that directly rescuing the Princess was not feasible. So, Kali devised a brilliant plan."
Why is he dragging me into this? I don't want to be in the spotlight.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, Father. Without him, I shudder to think of what could have happened."
Sara's words sounded almost unnecessary.
"I understand, my dear. Please continue."
With that assurance, Neol proceeded to outline the plan. It involved infiltrating the demon castle's storage room to acquire a mass teleportation spell, enabling us to escape as a group. However, we'd need to contend with castle knights, both where the Princess was held and at our destination.
"I see. No need for further details."
The secretary was summoned to discuss punishments for those who attempted to harm royal family members.
"Secretary, what are the penalties for targeting royal family members?"
"Your Highness, the punishment is beheading."
"Do it. Spare no one in this matter. Also, inform Duke Pandu that I wish to meet with him."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Addressing me, the emperor asked, "Your name is Kali, correct?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Thank you for saving my daughter. Without you, I wouldn't have her here now."
"It's nothing, Your Highness."
"Secretary, reward Lieutenant Neol with 100 gold coins as a token of appreciation. Also, grant him a week's vacation, and upon his return, promote him. You may leave now."
"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your generosity."
Neol bowed and exited the chamber.
"Kali, join us for dinner. It's late afternoon, but that's no problem."
I couldn't refuse the offer of free food.
"Of course, Your Highness."
With that, the secretary was instructed to have dinner prepared at Juliette Palace immediately.
"Excellent. Secretary, instruct the maids to prepare dinner at Juliette Palace right away."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Let's go."
The current emperor's grandfather, the late Emperor Romeo, was once engaged to a woman named Julite, a noble from the Roan Kingdom. The engagement represented good relations between the Breck Empire and the Roan Kingdom. Juliet enjoyed the Riester-style pronunciation of her name, Juliette. In her honour, the late emperor built Juliette Palace within the Imperial Palace grounds, signifying his commitment to shielding her eternally.
However...
"Juliette was someone who betrayed His Majesty, the late Emperor Romeo. Hence, Juliette Palace is often referred to as the cold palace."
Sara was educating me about the history of Juliette Palace. While I knew of Juliette Palace as a venue for parties and banquets, I hadn't known its backstory until now.
"Thank you for explaining, Princess."
"Don't mention it. As I said, nowadays we use Juliette Palace for festivities because it's so beautiful."
Emperor Kevin Hart chimed in, offering additional insight.
"I see. Thank you for sharing, Your Majesty."
"No need to thank me. This is common knowledge. Look over there—that's Juliette Palace."
Following the emperor's gesture, I spotted a gleaming white building before me. Its marble walls reflected light, enhancing its beauty.
"It's breathtaking."
"It certainly is."
I nodded in agreement with the emperor's words. Opening the door, he led us inside.
Inside, the walls seemed intricately carved, giving the place a unique atmosphere.
"Is that white gold? It looks incredible..."
I whispered to myself as I explored the room.
The round room boasted walls, floors, and ceilings of the same metallic material, emitting white and blue light that danced across the room.
The reflections of Emperor Kevin, Prince Andrus, Sara, and me were cast upon the shining floor like an artistic projection.
The setting was reminiscent of a sci-fi movie, with its futuristic ambience.
"Shall we move to the dining room? I'm hungry, and it's still afternoon, but that's alright."
I suddenly realized my inability to dance, making my life more complicated.
As I had suspected this morning...
Yes, it was indeed going to be a long day.