At the brave request made by Neonidas, some of the advisors started murmuring in surprise while frowning. However, the Emperor took a deep breath to digest Neonidas's words and began to think in heavy silence. Neonidas, on the other hand, had no intention of breaking the silence; with a confident demeanor and a smile, he waited for the Emperor's decision.
"Child," the Emperor finally spoke, his voice deeper and more serious. "You've changed a lot, much more than what the rumors say." He added, widening his smile.
"Is that a yes, Your Majesty?"
At Neonidas's question, the Emperor smiled even more broadly. "Yes, it is. When the campaign against the Kingdom of Hindonpon takes place, you'll be there as second-in-command to Princess Allea. Will that suit you, brat?"
Neonidas's true goal in this war wasn't to serve the Emperor, of course. He wanted this war—or more precisely, the invasion of the Kingdom of Hindonpon—because he saw some benefits to be gained from it. And of course, a war doesn't happen immediately. Even if diplomatic efforts develop in the most hostile way possible, it will probably take at least a month for the war to begin.
"Of course, it suits me, Your Majesty," Neonidas said, bowing his head. But in his mind, a different plan was taking shape. The weaknesses of the Kingdom of Hindonpon and the opportunities that could be gained from this invasion were becoming clear in his mind. He didn't see this war just as an opportunity, but as a tool to expand the empire's borders while increasing his own power and influence. However, being second-in-command as Princess Allea's assistant might cause some issues. He hadn't even had a proper conversation with his fiancée, and in the novel, Allea's exact personality wasn't clear either.
In the original novel, the female protagonist Avelina had literally stolen everything from Allea, leading her to slowly go mad and act uncontrollably. But before that, she was presented as a strong princess. However, one thing was certain: Allea did not want this engagement. For Neonidas, though the engagement to the princess was bothersome, it was necessary. Even though Neonidas was much stronger now, he wouldn't last more than a few weeks against the other dukes and dozens of enemies.
It's also worth mentioning that Prince Alkahmar wasn't actually that strong. The reason people thought he would win was because Neonidas had an extremely unskilled ability in everything, but Prince Alkahmar was much weaker than any imperial duke.
"Then leave, child. I have work to do. Ah... And try to talk to Allea... But be a gentleman, okay?"
Neonidas nodded slightly, showing a sign of respect in response to the Emperor's words. "Of course, Your Majesty," he said, but there was a mocking glint in his eyes. With the Emperor's approval, his plans regarding the Kingdom of Hindonpon were starting to take shape. But for him, this was only the beginning.
There was a heavy silence in the Emperor's room. Neonidas, following the Emperor's instructions, walked toward the door, but not without a thoughtful expression. The murmurs of the surrounding advisors didn't stop him from falling deep into his thoughts.
After Neonidas left the room, Soren greeted him. Soren was trying to figure out what had happened inside from his master's expression, but Neonidas's unique expression was still on his face, as usual. Perhaps thinking that the meeting with the Emperor had gone well, Soren stood next to Neonidas without asking any questions. He was beginning to understand his master better and knew that Neonidas didn't like unnecessary questions. However, the important thing here was that for Neonidas, most questions were actually unnecessary.
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After preparing for the ball that would take place later in the evening, Neonidas and Soren were discussing the map of the primitive world map. Solara, after receiving permission from her master to prepare, left the room and wore a blue dress. Although she wasn't wearing any exaggerated jewelry or an elaborate dress, since she wasn't a noblewoman, she would undoubtedly be one of the most beautiful women at the ball.
Solara deliberately didn't apply makeup, as she didn't feel it was necessary, but the reason behind her decision was different. The hierarchical system between the nobility and the common people in the empire was much more rigid than it appeared. This was one of the things that affected the young and brainless female readers of the original novel. Even though she was the Emperor's daughter, the female protagonist wasn't treated like a princess and was oppressed, making her cheap drama a big hit.
It wasn't just this; themes of the unfairness of the hierarchical system were often addressed in the stories of the side characters or those in the protagonist's harem. In short, the nobles, alongside the presence of magic, had become more egotistical and proud, holding a great respect for their ancestors.
After Solara was ready, she left her room and entered her master's room. However, the scene she encountered inside surprised her.
Neonidas, like a wrestler, had Soren's head locked under his right arm and was holding it tightly. Solara immediately understood that they weren't actually in a serious fight or a dangerous situation. They were most likely just joking around.
"My lord... I can't breathe... Please, I can't breathe... Sister!" Soren gasped.
Neonidas laughed while tightening his arm around Soren's neck. "What are you, George Floyd now? Hahaha, struggle a little, sweet bunny."
Solara, smiling, said, "My lord, my brother really will run out of air." She said, in a lightly mocking tone. Neonidas loosened his arm and freed Soren, not hiding his smile.
"Are you okay, little bunny? I like this nickname. From now on, I'll call you sweet little bunny."
Soren, taking a deep breath and rubbing his eyes, tried to straighten up. "Do you really have to be so rough, my lord?" he mumbled, still unable to stop smiling.
Neonidas shook his head mockingly and lightly tapped Soren's shoulder. "You definitely should have been born a princess."
Soren, laughing at Neonidas' words, responded, "Yes, maybe I should have been a princess. But then, I probably would have had to become your 'sweet bunny' instead of Lady Allea."
"Hey heyy... I know where this conversation is going. Now get up and go put on something proper."
Soren straightened his collar and left the room to prepare for the ball, leaving Neonidas alone with Solara. Solara, as usual, stayed silent while sitting on a sofa near the door. She had always wanted to chat and joke around with her master, just like Soren, but as a woman, she knew it wouldn't be seen as appropriate.
When Solara glanced at Neonidas, she saw that he was once again looking at himself in a pocket mirror. Sometimes, he would curse or insult the mirror, but Solara didn't understand why. Why was her master insulting his own face? Did he think he was ugly?
"Fuck. This stupid, worthless thing."
Once again, Neonidas cursed at the mirror, but in reality, he was cursing the system, though it didn't appear that way. To an outsider, it would definitely seem as though Neonidas was insulting his own face. Solara couldn't bear it anymore. She wanted to run to him, hug him, and tell him that he was actually very handsome.
'I wonder how many bad things have my master has gone through in life to think his beautiful face is ugly?' Solara thought.
Her heart seemed to break every time her master belittled himself. Of course, during the time she had spent with him, Solara had heard the unpleasant rumors about Neonidas, but she didn't believe them. After all, she had seen for herself what kind of person he truly was. Therefore, she was certain his enemies, who didn't like him, created these rumors.
"I wish I could kill you, you damn piece of trash."
Solara couldn't take it anymore when she heard such cruel words coming from her master. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She remembered that whenever she had gone through a difficult time as a child, her brother would hug her, and that embrace always made her feel so much better. So, she gathered all her courage and opened her arms, determined to give her master what he needed.
When Neonidas saw Solara approaching him with tears in her eyes, he didn't know what to say. But in the next moment, the sensation of her warm chest and the beat of her heart quickly put him into a sort of trance. The soft feel of Solara's skin and the gentle touch on his back extended into that trance.
"No... no, my lord! You are very handsome. Don't listen to them.... *Sniff-Sniff... think of those who love you at least!"
Neonidas, still not understanding what was going on, thought about what kind of mess he had gotten himself into. "Thank you... Solara. Please, now stop crying, okay?"
When Solara pulled away, still tears running down her face, Neonidas hadn't realized she could be so emotional. He reached out and wiped the tears from her face. But even now, it was evident how beautiful Solara was. With her ocean-like blue eyes and flowing white hair, the dress she wore made her look truly otherworldly. Even while crying, she remained sweet and attractive. She was one of those rare women who could trigger all man's protective instincts.
"Are you feeling better now?" Neonidas asked, still wiping the tears from Solara's face with his hands.
"Yes... I'm sorry, my lord, but when I heard you say those things to yourself, I couldn't control myself."
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I still haven't created a proper ai image for Solara, but I'm working on it😭😭