Then, Kibun answered me with a very serious face:
“If you're concerned about that, we can put the bill on your account, Secretary.”
“...No, it's okay.”
I failed to make fun of him as if he were a foreigner.
In such conversations, the one who doesn't understand always wins.
Anyway, we arrived at the restaurant quietly and ordered food.
‘Hmm…’
I didn't notice it when we ate in a hurry at first, but Kibun's dining etiquette was perfect.
“Kibun.”
So I couldn't hold back my curiosity and started talking:
"Where did you learn the imperial dining etiquette?
It's really great."
Kibune looked a little confused.
At such moments, one of the privileges of being his boss was not having to kneel down and say, “I’m sorry if I bothered you.”
Since he seemed hesitant to answer, I smoothly turned the topic back to me:
“I'm from the Empire and yet I learned it at the academy.
It's kind of complicated, but it seems that the Kingdom of Emot has similar dining etiquette.”
Kibun answered me slowly:
“I learned it directly from my father.”
I was a little surprised and quickly swallowed my food.
I remembered what was written in Kibon’s file: “Family relations: none.”
'He had a father but he apparently died!'
Did I raise a topic I shouldn't have talked about?
But changing the subject now would seem like I'm paying too much attention to it.
She smiled feignedly and said:
“Ah, he seems like he was a great guy.”
"Yes."
Then, unexpectedly, Kibun continued slowly:
“My stepmother is a good person too, and my new little brother is cute.”
Oh, my God.
Is this too sensitive a family history for me to hear?
While I was moving my eyes, Kibun continued talking:
“Maybe if I wasn't there... everything would be perfect.”
"…What?"
I was so surprised I almost dropped my fork.
“My father forcibly married a woman he did not love and gave birth to me.”
Kibune continued indifferently:
“For my consideration, the other three have put up with a lot of trouble.
They are definitely good people, but because of this, I sometimes feel like my presence is an obstacle in the way of a perfect family.”
What does it feel like to be a stranger in a family?
I knew him well.
But I hated Baron Rawabi's family with satisfaction, because they did what deserved to be hated.
But if not, it would be confusing.
'Really, he couldn't reveal this to anyone, and he was suffering from it alone.'
But are all three dead?
Why was it written “Family relations: none”?
Kibun put more food on my plate and said:
"Eat more.
You have all these coupons, so why don't you always use them?"
He looked at my thin wrists under the wide sleeves and said in a dissatisfied tone:
“I don’t know who gave you these gifts, but he must have given them to you to eat a lot.”
“Ah…”
Then I remembered Chiaros who had given me these vouchers.
Chiaros had been present at that moment before, but he did not intervene until the end.
'Well, maybe it was difficult for him to intervene.'
Emperor Empress Jayden.
There was no place for him among them.
‘Although the status is very different, in a way, his story is similar to Kibon’s story.’
A situation where Jayden, the Emperor and the Empress resolve a misunderstanding.
Just as I quietly walked out of that moment, perhaps Kiaros walked out quietly as well?
The last image of him standing far away, alone, strangely stuck in my mind.
‘Perhaps Kiaros was working hard in the empire’s affairs because he needed to confirm his existence in some way.’
At the same time, something was bothering me.
Words I said myself while comforting Jayden:
[His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress truly love each other, and you, Your Highness the Prince, are a treasure to them.]
Oh, I shouldn't have said that.
Kiaros heard him too.
Of course, I said it for a little kid, but adults are not immune from harm.
I lost my appetite when I thought about that.
“Minister.”
Kibun looked at me with a frown as I grabbed the fork without eating.
“Minister?”
“Ah…”
“Why don't you eat?”
“Um, this is…”
“Do you not like the food here?”
“No, no.
Not that.”
I forced myself to eat a piece of the food Kibun had given me.
Then she smiled feignedly and said:
“I keep thinking about His Highness the Crown Prince...”
“Khhhhh!”
Suddenly, Kibun, who was perfect in his dining etiquette, began coughing violently.
“Drink water.”
I calmly offered him water.
Kibon coughed for a while, then calmed down.
Then he asked in a slightly confused tone:
“Why the Crown Prince…”
“Oh, just something.”
Of course, I wasn't going to tell Kibon about what happened a moment ago.
When I stuttered a response, Kibun blinked slowly and said:
“The rumor is that you kicked His Highness the Crown Prince with force spread throughout the palace.”
“I didn't kick him that hard.”
“So, you kicked him gently and still thought about him?”
“Just… I was thinking that it would be good if His Highness the Crown Prince wasn’t alone right now, and that he was in a good mood, that’s all.”
Kibun looked at me calmly.
Fortunately, he didn't ask more, so the matter was over.
But when we finished eating, Kibun said with a slight smile, as if it were a passing remark:
“His Highness the Crown Prince’s mood will be rather good, most likely.”
Whew.
It doesn't cost anything, but he only said "fairly good."
I responded with a complaint:
“Since it's back talk anyway, you can say it's quite good.”
As was his wont, he immediately corrected himself:
“Since it's a back talk anyway, His Highness the Crown Prince's mood is quite good.”
“…”
He does what I say, but there were limits to the imperial language.
Kibon stood next to me as we walked towards the palace and asked:
“How about telling him directly?”
“Tell who what?”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, with your thoughts.”
“How dare I tell His Highness the Crown Prince my fleeting thoughts?”
I replied indifferently:
“I'm just an ordinary person.”
“…”
“What are those negative looks?”
“Well, except that sometimes your eyes roll around and startle people... you might be normal in normal times...”
"My eyes are rolling?
My energy is very low.
I never get agitated or agitated."
“It's much scarier to roll your eyes without agitation.
Anyway.”
Kibune said calmly:
“If you tell His Highness the Crown Prince these thoughts, I think he will be very happy, more than you expect.”
I shrugged unconvinced and uninterested.
We were never close enough to share such simple thoughts.
Saying it for no reason sounds like flattery.
When Kibun noticed that I was not listening carefully, he continued:
“Maybe His Highness the Crown Prince...may not find that a really good position.”
“Why wouldn’t that great position be any good?”
“Because the responsibility is very heavy, but he may think that no one really needs him.”
“What are you talking about?
He has the ability to match that huge responsibility, and the entire people of the empire need His Highness the Crown Prince, so what...”
“No, I mean the responsibility is too great, but he has no place for his heart to rest, so sometimes he might want to run away...”
I suddenly stopped walking while talking carelessly.
"What?"
I felt like my eyes suddenly turned.
“Escape?”
In the original story, Kiaros's death alone set the entire continent on fire, and now escape?
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUP?
Kibune slowly started to back away with a surprised face.
I stared at him and whispered in a dark voice:
“Don't say such nonsense.”
Kibon continued to retreat until he collided with a large tree.
I walked towards him with long strides, as if he were the Crown Prince himself, with a serious face.
I didn't even hear his murmur, "You're so close..."
I hit the tree behind him hard and said with bated breath:
“Where will he run away to?”