Chapter 74
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Chapter 74
And so the Empress arrived and left everyone in shock.
She certainly had a remarkable talent for that one thing.
"It's been so long since I felt this way. Somehow, I feel like I might lose."
A fierce competitive fire blazed in the Empress's eyes.
I rushed forward and positioned myself in front of Kibon.
"Your Majesty the Empress, it is an honor to receive you. Might you be here to see Young Prince Jayden?"
"Namia!"
The Empress cried out joyfully, scooped me up, and spun me around in circles.
"It's all thanks to you, all thanks to you! We've decided to get along from now on! If it weren't for you, I might never have known what my son was thinking!"
"Gasp, yes... gasp, I'm so glad..."
"We also decided to attend that Scroll Department event together at the banquet! Did you hear?"
"Cough, gasp, yes..."
"Since it's been so long since I've attended a banquet, I thought we should match our outfits! Was it a... similar look?"
A similar look, that is.
"Namia, if you don't have a dress to wear to the banquet, let's go together! There are only a few days left!"
"Pardon?"
I hadn't managed to buy a dress for the banquet yet.
But truthfully, I had no time to shop for clothes. I'd been working late every night since becoming a minister.
"Before that, though."
As I blinked, the Empress smiled coldly and pointed at Kibon.
"I'd like to have a match with that one. He's completely spineless, that fellow."
The Empress looked Kibon up and down with a smirk.
"No, really, how does the Scroll Department have such talent? Hand him over to me. I'd like to train him properly and have him guard Jayden."
At those words, Kibon's expression turned horrified at the mere thought.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
I laughed awkwardly.
Ultimately, the Empress wanted to have a match.
'Kibon would never go easy on someone just because they're royalty.'
The Empress didn't know, but one must let superiors win when sparring with them.
Dragons are so overwhelmingly strong that it's impossible to do so with them.
But Kibon was a foreigner with no flexibility whatsoever, so he would absolutely never throw a match.
'The Empress isn't the type to hold a grudge over it, but still, it would look bad.'
Kibon too clearly had no desire to spar.
I spoke quickly.
"This Intern is weaker than he appears. Though young, his body is afflicted in five thousand places."
"Huh?"
"He's been working late nights and even had a nosebleed... he's absolutely not the kind of talent Your Majesty would find interesting."
At that, the Empress grew furious.
"What? Have you ever seen such a cunning fox!"
"Pardon?"
"There's no way a few nights of overtime would cause a nosebleed! You'd need to stay up for several days straight for that! Namia, you're being deceived!"
The Empress looked ready to grab Kibon by the collar at any moment.
Kibon merely sighed as if he found the situation troublesome.
"You look perfectly fine, so you're being awfully cunning about this! Shirking duties and feigning illness under a kind superior? Come on, let's spar! What do you say?"
Kibon glanced at my bewildered expression before slowly opening his mouth.
"I'm sorry. I'd rather not."
My jaw dropped at those words.
No, how could he refuse so bluntly!
Of course, the Empress didn't look hurt at all. I was grateful that they were equally impolite people.
"Don't be like that—think about it! Come on? You're someone who's used to physical activity, so doesn't your body itch to move instead of just twirling a pen here? Hmm?"
Seeing the Empress's persistent expression, it didn't seem like this would end easily.
In the end, I laughed nervously and linked my arm through the Empress's.
"Your Majesty, let's go."
"Hmm?"
"To get our dresses fitted. I don't have a gown for the banquet either."
To be honest, I had never intended to have a dress fitted together with the Royal Family.
But this was the only way to escape this situation.
"Ah, yes! Let's go!"
The Empress laughed heartily at my words and exclaimed.
"Let's hurry! His Majesty the Emperor summoned a quite famous Madam from the Dress Shop!"
I was truly grateful she went along with it so easily.
* * *
Cancel that gratitude.
"Come on, come on, come on. Let's spar. Hmm? What do you think?"
The Empress hadn't forgotten her target.
As I tried to move quickly, the Empress shouted toward Kibon.
[The Secretary must follow wherever Namia goes!]
[Pardon?]
[We're going to get Namia's dress fitted! Of course the Secretary has to come, right?]
No, the Secretary isn't exactly like a lady's maid or anything!
But the Empress was relentless. I could see she had ulterior motives.
Having brought Kibon along, she seized every opportunity to demand a sparring match with him.
"I'd rather not."
Kibon stood firm without any change in expression.
His stubbornness and resolve were truly remarkable.
'He doesn't seem nervous at all even in the Empress's Chamber.'
When I first came here, I naturally felt intimidated.
Especially with all sorts of weapons hanging throughout the Empress's Chamber.
Anyway, that's why we're here now.
Young Prince Jayden, the Empress, Kibon, and I were all together.
The Madam from the Dress Shop whom the Emperor had summoned was undoubtedly competent.
"This color would be lovely. With a pattern like this to create harmony...."
She had found the optimal solution while enduring the Empress's indifference.
Just from her manner of speaking, she was a true professional.
The Empress, who favored those skilled in their craft, seemed to take a liking to her as well.
"Wow, what an eye you have! I absolutely love it!"
"You're too kind. Thank you."
The Madam elegantly completed the banquet gown designs for the Empress and Young Prince Jayden with minimal fittings.
Ordinarily, the order should have been placed long ago, but the Empress's decision to attend the banquet had only been made today.
I asked the busy-looking Madam cautiously.
"With the banquet coming up so soon, will you be alright?"
"No problem at all."
The Madam smiled brightly and spoke.
"I'll see it through to completion, one way or another."
Of course. She was handling dresses for the Royal Family, after all. She had no choice but to complete them somehow.
'So the rumors about her being famous are true, it seems.'
When the Emperor summoned someone, what could one expect?
The catalogs and sample dresses the Madam had brought were all elegant and beautiful.
That was when it happened.
"Namia Loapi! You need to pick out clothes too!"
"Pardon?"
The Empress, who had been pestering Kibon with talk of "making a splash," cried out.
"I told you to pick out your dress!"
"Ah...."
That had been something I'd said to quickly separate her from Kibon.
But it was true that I didn't have a dress. As I hesitated, the Madam smiled warmly.
"Actually, I have a dress that I think would suit you perfectly, Minister. Would you like to try it on?"
"Really?"
This woman certainly knew how to sell!
The Empress clapped her hands and nodded enthusiastically.
"Perfect! Namia Loapi, this woman's eye is trustworthy. Go try it on right away!"
Young Prince Jayden also folded his arms and nodded in agreement.
"Good idea. Where else would you find a quality dress like this? It's better to take advantage of the Imperial Family's prestige and pick one out now. Besides, you probably couldn't even book this Dress Shop on your own, could you?"
That was true enough.
I gave the Madam a sidelong glance with an expression that said, 'I'd love to, but given the circumstances, I can't show my enthusiasm.'
The Madam understood immediately and pushed me forward.
"Come along. Hurry now. We'll get you dressed right away."
At the same time, the Dress Shop staff rushed over.
True to their veteran status, the fitting was swift.
The dress was dazzling, its beads embedded densely across the fabric, creating an almost blinding beauty.
"I'll add this as well."
Madam whispered as she opened a jewelry box.
"I had a feeling you'd want it."
In an instant, a large sapphire necklace and matching earrings were placed upon me.
"Let me do your hair as well—just a simple touch."
Skilled hands worked through my hair, gently braiding it down before crowning it with a glittering ornament.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
"My goodness."
Madam exhaled softly, whispering.
"You're truly... truly beautiful. I never realized you were this lovely."
The Dress Shop staff nodded in agreement, murmuring so the others wouldn't hear.
"Honestly, you're going to shine the brightest at the Saint Kairo Banquet."
"Really?"
I felt flustered and finally turned my body toward the mirror.
And I was so astonished that my mouth fell open.
'Goodness.'
Indeed, all matters should be entrusted to professionals.
The result of simply sitting still without uttering a word was this magnificent.
'Is this... really me? Incredible....'
Everything sparkled from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.
Yet the colors of the dress and jewelry were so elegant that they didn't diminish my presence.
I was admiring myself in the mirror when it happened.
"Namia Loapi! Are you finished? Hm? Come out here, quickly!"
The Empress called out.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org