The place where the Emperor and Empress went to greet their returned younger brother was the small Dandelion Room they had visited once before. The only changes since their last visit before the break were the different plants in the vase and the absence of Nathan Zuckerman.

Seated before a meal that had already been prepared for them, the Emperor let out a long breath and undid the top button of his ceremonial robe, which had been tightly fastened around his neck.

“So. How was it?”

A question tossed without any preamble.

Kishiar, receiving the question, replied with a bright smile, without even the pretense of asking "What do you mean?"

“The world really has changed.”

“That’s all?”

“I’ll humbly and sincerely admit that ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the me of six weeks ago was overly worried.”

“And besides that?”

What kind of reaction was he expecting?

The answer to that question came when Kishiar chuckled as if he’d figured something out.

“Well... I feel like I can finally breathe easy. It was enjoyable.”

At last, a response the Emperor seemed satisfied with. A faint smile touched his lips.

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

It wasn’t praise he wanted. He simply wanted to know how much his younger brother had truly enjoyed the theatrics that played out in the Room of Truth today.

Watching the brothers speak with a smile, the Empress turned a warm gaze to Yuder.

“Yuder. I’m relieved to see you’ve rested well during your leave. You seem so much more vibrant now.”

He had already heard similar words several times since returning. Yuder himself wasn’t sure if he’d changed enough to warrant such comments, but of course, he wouldn’t dare voice such doubt before the Empress. He simply lowered his head politely.

“It is thanks to Your Majesty’s concern.”

“I sent a few gifts along with the disciplinary notice at the time. Were they of any use?”

“You sent tea, candles, and spices. All of them were used well. Thank you.”

To be precise, it wasn’t so much that Yuder used them himself, but more that the people of Peleta had used them on their behalf.

The news of the extended disciplinary period had arrived while Kishiar was in the middle of a heat. Unable to leave the bedroom, it had fallen to Nathan Zuckerman and the Peleta steward Enk to receive the Emperor’s decree. Rather than just storing the accompanying gifts, they had decided to open and use them immediately for the benefit of Kishiar and Yuder.

During brief moments when they managed to leave the bedroom to resupply food and essentials, the baskets Nathan had prepared in advance were brought out. Only later did Yuder learn that those baskets included food made with the Empress’s spices, teas, and towels imbued with calming effects from her scented candles.

“Well... since they were put to good use, I suppose it’s fine.”

In truth, Yuder was probably the only one who felt even mildly awkward upon realizing this.

Neither the people of Peleta nor Kishiar himself had minded that the Empress’s gifts had been used without ceremony or awareness. Truly, both lord and retainers were remarkable and unique in many ways.

Someone like Kiole—who thought of disciplinary action as nothing more than punishment—would never understand.

While Yuder was thinking such things, the Empress tilted her head slightly.

“Spices? I don’t think I sent any...”

“I was told there was salt and pepper included...”

“Ah.”

Only then did the Empress bring a hand to her lips and bite back a laugh.

“That must have been from His Majesty. When I said I wanted to include gifts, he warned me not to be surprised if the scented candles turned into pepper... So it wasn’t a joke after all.”

“...Pardon?”

“Well, at least it seems he didn’t forget the candles. If it had been just for the Duke alone, he might really have sent only pepper.”

That composed and dignified Emperor Keillusa—was he truly capable of playing such a prank?

The impression Yuder had of him so far was so different that he could only blink in silence, and the Empress, after a while, settled her laughter and spoke again.

“In any case, I’ve heard all about your accomplishments even while on leave. They say you became the guardian of Peleta?”

“I believe... Sir Zuckerman’s achievements were greater than mine.”

“Yes, I heard that too. That the Sword of the North Wind appeared.”

As one of the Emperor’s closest, it was no surprise the Empress already knew Nathan Zuckerman’s new nickname. Yuder felt a small sense of satisfaction.

“It’s a pity he couldn’t join us today, but I’m sure there will be another chance.”

After saying that, the Empress suddenly gave a slightly different smile, as if recalling something.

“It’s still amazing and something I’m grateful for—that I can now comfortably look forward to next time.”

“......”

Knowing the weight of past pain behind her bright and composed voice, Yuder remained silent. The Empress gently curved her eyes and spoke again.

“It’s all thanks to you, Yuder. I always remember that well. So... please eat heartily today, too.”

With a gesture, a chamberlain silently stepped forward and set a few more dishes in front of Yuder, smiling kindly. The dishes were ones he’d eaten before during his stay at the palace—though the portions were easily twice as large this time.

“You may not have noticed, but today we had the chefs prepare a mix of dishes the Duke and you enjoyed most, plus some from Peleta and some Central styles. If it’s not enough, the palace chefs are standing by to bring out more, so don’t worry.”

In fact, he had noticed from the start that the amount and variety of food seemed greater than usual. He had simply assumed it was part of the Emperor and Empress giving Kishiar a grand welcome—but apparently, there was more to it than that.

“...It seems I’ve caused a very large misunderstanding.”

Yuder wasn’t your typical big eater. He didn’t seek out fine cuisine or eat from greed; he simply ate everything that was served. From experience, eating little or a lot didn’t really affect his energy or activity levels.

Still, having seen Yuder finish everything no matter how much was placed in front of him, the Emperor and Empress must’ve wanted to serve him a meal that would truly satisfy him.

“Surely they don’t plan to keep feeding me until I say I’m full... right?”

“While I was having a low-nutrition conversation with His Majesty, it seems the Empress has monopolized my aide.”

At that moment, Kishiar leaned in and interjected.

“Oh my. They’ve brought out double portions of all the dishes Yuder enjoyed. But Yuder also eats the grilled duck wrapped in gilindo leaves very well. Yuliver, could you bring another plate of that?”

“Yes, understood.”

“The one with low nutritional value is you, Kishiar. That dish loses flavor once it cools, so bring a warming plate with it.”

Instead of stopping him, Emperor Keillusa even escalated the exchange, clicking his tongue. When Yuder quietly looked toward Kishiar in silence, the man—who clearly knew everything—softened his expression and whispered with a face of exaggerated pity.

“We heard so much nonsense in the Room of Truth today. To cleanse our dirtied ears and guts, I figured a bit of greasy food would help. You mind?”

What was he supposed to say to that?

“...No, sir. Please enjoy plenty yourself, Commander.”

Kishiar flashed a wide grin, like a predator who had gotten exactly what he wanted.

“Of course. How could I not obey your words?”

“...Good grief. I’d already heard you introduced the Baron in a rather spectacular way before the retainers of Peleta—but now, seeing the results firsthand, my mind is truly troubled.”

Emperor Keillusa murmured in a low voice. Though his face showed clear displeasure, the moment he met Yuder’s eyes, he added kindly:

“You need not worry, Baron. This unease is solely because of that one over there.”

“That one? Now that’s too harsh.”

The Empress gently scolded him, and the furrow in the Emperor’s brow twitched, then eased.

“Very well. I take it back.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. The grace of dawn is like a summer breeze. Only the dawn can blow away the trials of midday heat.”

Kishiar replied shamelessly with an infuriatingly smug face.

The Emperor let out a deep sigh. Yuder thought he looked slightly more exhausted than he had just moments ago.

“...Anyway. Let’s get to the main topic.”