Ah, then don't give me the task!
“I am very sorry if Your Majesty took my words in this way.
I am only saying that there are limits to what I can do.”
I felt pressure from the Emperor's ferocious aura becoming more tense as if he was upset by my rejection, so I clenched my jaw.
The conversation flowed quickly.
“This is a matter that can be resolved with the cooperation of my knights.
I can lend you any number of hands.”
“Then, what we are looking for will definitely leak out.
Moreover, the Awakened will not listen to the orders of our magicians.”
“Ha, if you just respect them, there won’t be any friction.”
“Well, isn’t that just your opinion, Your Majesty?”
“Duchess, what are you trying to do with me now?”
Oh, that's not true.
I regained consciousness at the Emperor's words.
'Ah, because of this habit.'
Every time I see this face, I unconsciously play the role of the rude duchess, so I hold my tail sharply.
I concealed my feeling of embarrassment a little, grabbed the reins of the conversation that was about to go awry, and quickly added:
“Instead, I promise you this.
If we find that precious guide to Your Majesty...”
Oh, I should put some saliva on my lips when I'm lying.
I closed my eyes tightly internally and told a blatant lie:
“I will not hide or threaten her in secret.”
“I am not so stupid as to not know that losing control and turning into an unrestrained monster will destroy the peace and safety of the magicians.”
Yes, I am her.
I am that guide.
And I'm actively hiding it!
“Does this satisfy you?”
Casey seemed somewhat satisfied, as he exhaled slowly.
I also breathed a sigh of relief.
“…Well, there are not many people who can hide a person under my eyes, so if you promise this much, I have no choice but to believe you, even if I don’t trust you completely.”
“You were the one who revealed a fatal weakness to someone you didn't trust and ordered him to investigate, so this concern is your duty as well, Your Majesty.
Should I even take care of your fragile mental state?”
“You seem to be getting more and more courageous every day, Duchess.”
“Yes, because you won't kill me at this level.”
no!
In fact, I'm scared!
I'm so scared that I want to faint!
But death is what I hate most!
'And you, Caseys.'
There was one thing that was bothering me so much that I struggled to open my eyes.
Perhaps my damned guide instinct had awakened, but I clearly saw that the Emperor's aura, which I had given off that night, had begun to intertwine.
Very clearly.
'Don't you feel pain?'
What an abhorrently toxic man.
Of course, he's the type of person who walks around looking normal even in the worst situations, so there's no need to worry.
'But, he must feel as if his flesh is being torn apart.'
I could no longer bear to look, so I bit my lip and decided to end the conversation:
“So, can we end this secret meeting now, Your Majesty?
We are not in a relationship that allows us to stay together like this.
Later, you can send someone trustworthy to determine the method of the report.”
Please, let me leave.
When I said indirectly that I didn't want to see his face, the handsome statue stared at me with a fierce look and his lips curved violently:
“Okay.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.
Then…”
“Before that.”
"Yes?
What's left?"
The man ordered with a stubborn whim:
“Do not submit reports in writing, Duchess.
Report directly to me.”
What, you idiot?
I stared at him in astonishment, and Casey added cheerfully:
“This is a very confidential matter that cannot be trusted to the papers.
So, I mean, come yourf and tell me directly.
Don’t you come to the Imperial Palace every day anyway?
This is just adding another place to stop.”
My veins swelled.
Is reporting to the boss every day like just going to work, you crazy person?
The more I got used to facing the Emperor, the more my blood pressure increased with anger, overcoming fear and terror.
Who said that?
Incarnating as a miss from a noble family means living happily without worrying about work, money, or old age.
“Huh, everything collapsed.”
Contrary to my desire to stagger and fall after the meeting with the Emperor upon my return to the palace in the capital, Duchess Ariel's night was still long.
Territory, ongoing projects, Magic Tower affairs, etc.
'If Hilaria had died in the original novel, it would have almost certainly been caused by exhaustion.'
I looked at the accumulated papers with dead eyes, then dropped the feather pen into the ink. the curse!
"Yes!"
In fact, I saw nothing of the content of the papers.
“What do I do now?”
As Duchess Ariel, I received assignments.
Even in the original novel, she was described as a cold and rude aristocrat, but she had amazing abilities.
So, in order not to become a disgrace to her, the original Duchess Ariel would actively search for the Emperor's mentor.
And the Emperor is desperate.
Contrary to his cold expression, he is ready to do anything.
In other words, Duchess Ariel must move the witches to actively search for that guide.
I must order myf to search for myf.
However, I must not be found to be suspicious...
At that very moment.
It was as if the system, which I suspected was spying on my thoughts, had suddenly intervened.
While I was squeezing my head in thought, a “poof” sound appeared before my eyes.
At the same time, an ominous situation window, shimmering with multiple colors, filled my field of vision.
[Congratulations!]
I frowned as soon as I saw her.
[There is always a mentor who does not skimp on advice for you...]
Ah, disappear.
Nothing good ever happens when you say “Congratulations”!
But, regardless of my aversion, the words of the regime’s window changed:
[revision.
For the confused player, we are offering a great bonus.
Click on “Receive the reward” immediately.
She will be your exclusive destiny guide.
Receive the reward (click)]
The buzzword was kind of catchy.
'Maybe this time will be useful?'
I cheered up and quickly clicked “Receive Reward.”
Suddenly, the vision in front of me brightened, and something carrying a heavy presence pushed me and fell directly onto my chest.
"Yes!"
What is this?
I can't breathe!
Save me...
“Cough!
How heavy is this?”
After a long cough, I opened my eyes and saw what was called a reward.
In other words, oh.
My gaze met the yellow eyes of an animal slit vertically.
“What is this fat cat?”
“Meow!”
No matter how I looked, he was an incredibly fat black cat.
“Meow, meow.
Mmm.”
The sounds of greedily drinking water and chewing something were wonderful, but they did not alleviate my accumulated worries.
I double-checked that there was no outside noise, then poked the fat cat who was feasting on my desk in the workroom.
“Hey.”
The flesh into which I stuck my finger had not been fat for a day or two.
"What exactly are you?
What cat eats human sweets?"
“Meow!”
The cat, or rather not the cat, raised his butt while chewing a strawberry cake, and stared at me with an angry look:
"Shut up, Meow!
Do you think I'm a real cat, Meow?
It's all because of you, Meow.
Why do you have such a bad idea of cats, Meow?
You insolent, immediately call me Great Lucy, Meow!"
I made fun of him:
“That's really funny.
Why are you blaming me for your tone?”
Having trained in front of the Emperor, this hiss doesn't scare me!
“You ignorant person, listen carefully, Meow!”
The cat shouted filthyly as she dropped the strawberries she was chewing:
"I'm a great being!
I wasn't even speaking in that tone, Meow.
I had to use your perception because of your interference, cah, cah cah!"
to intervene?
Great being?
It seems that something important and strange has just happened.
Suddenly, the cat started coughing violently as if something was wrong with her, then she quickly changed the subject:
“Anyway, you need my cooperation, Miu!”
“Didn't you just say something strange?”
“I didn't say anything, meow!”
I stared at the cat, which pretended not to say anything, and then I said:
“Okay, good.
Then come up with a great solution.
The Emperor ordered me to do something amazing to find him.
If this continues like this, he will find me one day, and if I stay still, the only outcome will be mission failure and death, right?”
“Breathe a little and then speak, Meow.”
“Provide a solution!”
The cat calmed down.
She looked at me with half-closed eyes, then asked the fat mass:
“You, do you really want to live, Miu?”
“What?
And is that a question?”
Do you think I want to die?
Why am I struggling like this then?
“You stupid human, that's not what I mean, Meow.
Are you ready to actively dive into this world, Meow?”