After the story was completely over and we left the library, Seria’s expression was slightly flushed.
I thought it might be because she was exhausted from struggling while floating in the air, but when I heard the soft words she muttered, it seemed like that wasn’t the case.
“…Thank you.”
“What for?”
“My story. Thank you for making it sound better.”
It seemed that she appreciated the way I had added a bit of spice to her story when she told it.
But honestly, that was only natural. How could I have just told her parents the bare truth?
If I had said she was always hanging out with me, they’d definitely have been shocked. No, it wouldn’t be just a shock. If they misunderstood, they might have thought it was Seria floating in the air instead of me.
So I just lied and said I often hung out with my same-sex friend, Lilith, and that I was building a bit of a rapport with the student council president, Alkine, to prepare for student council activities. I only told the truth about her academic performance since Seria was always doing her best.
And about her magical abilities? I emphasized that it was clear that her level was still far from impressive, so I suggested she check again properly.
Of course, as I got to know Seria better, I realized she had a quirkier side than I had expected… so there was a lot I could’ve said about that, but…
“Originally, you preserve face in front of your parents.”
Even if a friend does something embarrassing next to you, it’s just a memory between us.
To spread that to your parents is a violation of a taboo that should never be done.
I had just said that thoughtlessly, but since she was thanking me, it felt awkward, so I decided to change the subject.
“Isn’t there something else to do?”
“Yes. If there is, someone will come and let me know.”
“Then let’s go for a walk.”
Saying this, Seria grabbed me and led me outside.
She headed toward the central garden, which we had passed earlier on our way to the library, and as soon as we arrived, a strong floral fragrance filled the air.
Looking at the flowers planted there, I noticed they were all kinds that Seria liked.
None of them were flowers that bloomed in this season. But since Seria liked them, she had kept them alive with magic all year round.
Considering the scale of the imperial garden, the upkeep costs must be astronomical, but I wondered if it was nothing much by imperial standards.
“Rudion. Come, sit down.”
While I watched the scene of money flowing out in real-time, we arrived at a table that was placed somewhere in the garden.
Seria quickly hopped onto one chair and pointed to the one opposite her, calling me over. This was just like spending time in the academy. I hadn’t expected anything different, though.
Sitting down as she said, I momentarily felt the breeze mixed with the scent of flowers and casually asked, “Can’t we go back now?”
“Of course not. What are you talking about?”
Honestly, I had nothing left to do now.
I had avoided the emperor’s plot to execute me, and I had left a decent impression on the empress when she called me to meet.
Though the emperor’s three sons were still around, I was sure they wouldn’t care much about me now that Seria had come home.
So, I wanted to leave alone if possible…
“I already told them, so Rudion will be staying in the guest room.”
Seeing how Seria said this, it seemed like there was no changing her mind.
Looks like I’d be staying here for a few days.
The imperial guest rooms… I knew they weren’t used often since there weren’t many guests at the palace, but I never thought I’d end up using one.
When I thought about guest rooms, all kinds of hidden gimmicks within the palace came to mind, but Seria’s voice made them scatter.
“And… while you’re here in the palace, I’ll have to spend time with my family, so I don’t think I’ll be able to spend much time with you. I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry about? You came here for that in the first place, right?”
If she showed up at the palace and stuck with me all the time, who knows what might happen? It’s better if she’s treated as an outsider.
But wait, did you just say you need to spend time with your family? So you’ve realized your position, huh?
“Wouldn’t you be fine without me? You’d have nothing to do, right?”
Saying it like that makes me sound like a friendless loser.
But then again, it’d be weird for me, in my position as a guest, to roam around the palace without her, so technically, it wasn’t an incorrect statement.
“I don’t mind.”
It wasn’t just an empty remark; I genuinely didn’t mind.
Despite her concerns, the moment I entered the palace, it was overflowing with things to do.
If there’s nothing to do, you just make something, right?
“…Well, if it’s lazy Rudion, he’d probably just stay in his room. If you’re bored, you can grab a few books from the library and read them.”
Seria, unaware of my true feelings, seemed to be bothered by the idea of leaving me alone.
Well, there was nothing I could do. I had to accept her suggestion and lighten her mind a bit.
“Reading books sounds fine, I guess. Hmm… should I try reading something like The Journey of Stars series, the one you like?”
“Huh? Rudion, you know about that? Have you read it?”
“No, I haven’t read it. I just know the title.”
When the conversation turned to a book she liked, Seria seemed a bit excited, her tone rising.
“In The Journey of Stars series, understanding the stars is really important. In this book, stars are not only the foundation of society but also the source of magic. The principles of magic related to stars are…”
Then she started explaining the background of the book… I honestly couldn’t understand half of it, probably because I hadn’t read the book. But since she was explaining it so earnestly, I couldn’t interrupt, so I kept listening. Suddenly, Seria tilted her head as if she realized something strange.
“Huh? How did you know I like that series? I don’t think I’ve told you about it.”
Well, that’s because it’s in the setting book.
According to the setting book, she said she had read The Journey of Stars series dozens of times.
She loved it so much that it was even mentioned that she carried it around in her bag throughout her academy days.
“You always carry that book around in your bag.”
With that, I could confidently answer her question.
Since I’d seen it in her bag when she organized it, I knew I wouldn’t be wrong.
“When did you even see that? Honestly, you’re always sharp in the weirdest places.”
Even though the setting book was a bit messed up and half-irrelevant, parts of it were still useful, like this.
“But… are you really going to read it?”
“Maybe. I’m starting to get a little interested.”
At first, it was just a random comment, but as I talked, I really became curious. The book’s content hadn’t been implemented in the game, but here, I could actually read it.
How amazing could it be to make her read it dozens of times? I thought I should make time to read it myself.
“It’s in the library, right?”
“Oh, you don’t need to go that far. It’s in my room. I’ll bring it to you later.”
“Then, thank you.”
She had it in her room? Thanks to that, I didn’t have to go to the library and search for it.
“Ugh, I want to tell you about the content, but I guess I can’t. Hurry up and read it. I’ve always wanted to discuss this book with a friend.”
“Well, you should’ve told me to read it sooner.”
“I thought you wouldn’t be into books. I didn’t think you even knew about The Journey of Stars series.”
Hey, I’m still a model student who scores perfect in theory, you know? Isn’t that a bit harsh?
Hmm… well, it makes sense considering I always fall asleep during lectures. I can accept that.
While we were talking, before we knew it, evening was approaching.
And then…
“Oh, Rudion, you came? I didn’t expect you to come. What a surprise.”
“I wasn’t planning on coming, but the Emperor himself called me…”
I was forcibly dragged to the dinner table.
At first, when Seria invited me, I tried to avoid it, saying I didn’t want to join the family dinner.
But since the Emperor called me directly, there was no way out.
In the end, I ended up joining the whole family, and the situation became very uncomfortable… especially since I was seated between Seria’s three older brothers.
Just from their glances, it felt like they were going to stab me with the knives meant for cutting meat.
If I eat here, I might end up choking.
Not knowing my concerns, one dish after another was brought to the table.
As soon as the meal was ready, the sound of cutlery clinking filled the air.
Even though the gazes directed at me didn’t change, I couldn’t just sit there blankly with food in front of me, so I casually picked up a piece and put it in my mouth.
‘…This is delicious.’
At first, it was hard to take a bite, but once something tasty entered my mouth, my hand just couldn’t stop.
At some point, I became so focused on the meal that I didn’t care about the eyes on me anymore.
The Emperor and his sons seemed to have a lot they wanted to say to me, but since they hadn’t expected me to eat so well, they seemed flustered and couldn’t say much.
Yeah, they say you can’t bother someone while they’re eating. With my eating show strategy, even the Emperor wouldn’t be able to do much.
In the end, the quiet atmosphere continued until the meal was finished.
Normally, during a meal, I’d exchange a few words with the family, but today, it seemed like they had been waiting for the right moment to talk to me, only for their plans to go awry, so they remained silent.
“Well, I thought the child wouldn’t care too much, but… I didn’t expect this.”
“Honestly, I feel the same. How does food even go down for him, in that atmosphere?”
Seeing this, Seria quietly exchanged some words with her mother, but that was all.
Phew, how do you like that? This is my eating technique.
If you’re Korean, you wouldn’t be able to resist it, would you?
Of course, this is a game world… but the game itself is heavily influenced by Korean culture, so it’s not entirely wrong.
With that, I finally broke through the uncomfortable situation…
“Here, Rudion. Eat this too.”
Just as I thought the tension had broken, Seria unexpectedly handed me the meat from her plate.
Since it was far from me, she used magic to send the whole plate flying toward me.
“…Seria? What is this…?”
“What? This is how it always is.”
No, Seria. This was something you did in the student cafeteria, but to do this here…
“Always…? Does this mean you two always ate together?”
“As an older brother, I can’t just let this slide. You, come with me right now.”
“What are you talking about, older brother? Let’s just deal with him right here.”
“Calm down, guys. It’s too merciful just to kill him. We should torture him as painfully as possible…”
Of course, this reaction was to be expected.
Seria, fully aware of what she was doing, was smiling broadly. She seemed to have developed a taste for this, just like when she used to snatch drinks at the café.
But back then, it was just a guard, not her family. Did it really have to be like this?
The only fortunate thing was that the Empress seemed to understand Seria’s intentions and was quietly laughing without reacting much.
Even then, it didn’t really help. The loudest three were still causing a ruckus.
“Give me some meat too, Seria!”
“Brother, that’s not the issue right now!”
“But I really can’t resist the meat Seria gives.”
“Little brother, what are you doing? Seriously!”
Haha, what a mess. I decided to just finish the plate Seria handed me.
It had cooled down a bit, but it was still delicious.