"Wow! It's huge! I've never seen a building bigger than the Vermont estate!"

"Charlotte, seriously. So rustic of you. This isn’t even the largest one—the Imperial Palace is bigger, you know."

"This is the Imperial Palace."

"..."

Charlotte marveled aloud, letting out a satisfied sigh, while Yulia, who had been mocking her for it, promptly shut her mouth.

Since their mission was completed successfully, the first order of business was to report to the Empress. It would have been possible to drop the kids off in Vermont territory, but there was no need to do so. The Empress would likely prefer they stayed close by anyway.

"Um, Lord, is it really alright for me to be here…?"

"Is there some rule that only those of noble blood may enter the palace? Don’t dawdle; lead confidently. Aren't you accompanying Charlotte and Yulia as their escort?"

"Y-Yes!"

Nervously hesitating, Yuri straightened up and walked forward. To her right was the "human butcher" Sylvia. And on her left, the protagonist and future hero, Yuri.

Reassuring, truly reassuring. Even if Yuri’s allegiance was temporary, with her loyalties possibly shifting at any moment, I still felt that our relationship was progressing somewhat.

But helping Yuri grow stronger posed too big a risk. There had to be a way to win her over without letting her become too powerful. I pondered deeply.

"Um, Lord…?"

"Speak."

"Are we required to wear this uniform all the time?"

"It's neat and looks good, but feel free to change according to the season or situation, as long as it's not too flashy."

"So, for better mobility, a skirt would…"

"..."

"Ah, I suppose not, right? It wouldn't look professional…!"

"..."

Seeing my bewildered expression, Yuri quickly backtracked. For a moment, I wondered if this kid had lost it. Please, if you’re into cross-dressing, enjoy it in private. The workplace is not the place to express such peculiar tastes…

‘Although… it might actually suit her.’

Perhaps because she was so small and slender, the thought crossed my mind that cross-dressing might unexpectedly suit her. I was… curious.

Not that I actually wanted to see it with my own eyes. If that day ever came, it’d be a sign that this world, with a "hero" like that, was doomed.

‘Wait. What’s she wearing underneath? Men's or women's underwear?’

I suddenly found myself wondering. Last time, she’d seemed quite interested in women’s undergarments. Did she buy them in the end, or give up? And if she did buy them… is she wearing them at work?

Just imagining it felt like it was frying my brain. Damn kid. Of all the hobbies, why this one…?

"I’d like to return to a time when I didn’t know this."

"Sorry?"

"…Nothing."

I pushed aside Yuri’s private interests for now and headed straight to the Empress's office. I was about to formally request an audience, but I was just told to go directly to her office.

"If you’ve forgotten the way to her office, would you like me to guide you again…?"

"No, it’s fine. I remember the way."

Last time, they’d rushed me in without any formalities, as if it was some emergency. The Empress seemed to have "ignoring protocol" as a passive trait.

What if someone entered the palace and headed straight to her office to cause trouble? Truly a worrisome reception system. I sighed and knocked on her door.

"Who is it?! If it’s the Finance Minister, turn around, finish your handover, and come back later! The budget review won’t take long!"

"Your Majesty, it’s Aslan Vermont, Count of Vermont."

"Oh, it’s you. What are you waiting for? Come in."

Her casual permission grated as the door creaked open. Today, she seemed to have a bit more time, as she’d put a minimal effort into her appearance.

"Apologies. I’m not this busy every day, but for some reason, every time you visit, it’s a war zone. Yesterday, we discovered the Finance Minister was embezzling funds with some of his officials, so I had to promote the one honest person left and fire the rest. It’s chaos—please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. I can wait until you’re finished, Your Majesty."

"Very well. It really shouldn’t take long… Ah… it might take until sunset, actually…"

The Empress furrowed her brows, pressing her temples as if dealing with a headache. This was what happened when she made work for herself… Normally, minor corruption went unchecked, but she didn’t seem capable of ignoring it.

"Would you like to kill some time with a meal at the palace dining hall?"

"A meal?! Can we really eat here?"

"Ah?!"

Swish!

As Charlotte’s voice echoed, the Empress’s head shot up from her paperwork. Upon noticing Charlotte and Yulia, a delighted glow appeared on her face, barely suppressed.

"Ahem, ahem! I didn’t realize you brought your slaves along."

"My apologies for the delayed greeting."

"I’m Charlotte! It’s nice to see you again, Your Majesty Sis!"

"Charlotte, she’s not ‘Sis’… Ah, good day! I’m Yulia, Your Majesty!"

"Hmm, hmm…"

The Empress’s mouth twitched as she barely held back a smile. She really was a sucker for children. Nearly on the verge of tears, she sighed heavily and sat back down, fists clenched.

"Hooo… I see. Since you brought your slaves along, I can guess the reason for your visit."

"Yes, we successfully escorted Lady Esther to the mansion in the capital as you requested and are on our way back."

"I received the report. They couldn’t contain themselves and caused trouble, I hear."

"Yes, it was a crisis of life and death."

"A thousand airborne monsters may sound serious, but it’s hardly a life-and-death crisis if a few dozen knights could handle it. That’s not normally how one would describe a situation like that."

"..."

"Those who stick their nose into everything usually have a dark side to them. But you’re a strange one. You look like the last person anyone would want to talk to, yet your intentions are so transparent."

The Empress propped her chin on her hand, flashing a sly smile. Was this a compliment or an insult? It was unclear, but her smile indicated I should let it go.

"Be careful. The Duke of the North may not mind your meddling, but if you keep this up, people will start assuming you’re plotting something. You need to understand just how intimidating your appearance is."

"Thank you for the advice. I’ll be careful."

Her expression turned into a carefree smile, clearly enjoying teasing me. The Empress wasn’t exactly one to talk about caution.

"By the way, Your Majesty. If you keep holding these informal audiences, you might end up in trouble yourself."

"What’s that nonsense?"

"I mean, the process to reach you is so loose that your safety concerns me."

"You seem to misunderstand. Just because I’m confident in my strength doesn’t mean I neglect my protection. Only you have access to such an unconventional audience."

"…Excuse me?"

"Is that a look of disappointment? Are you upset you missed seeing me dressed up?"

"Not at all. You look beautiful as always, Your Majesty."

I hastily added a recovery line. When she was in formal attire, the Empress’s presence was overwhelming. It wasn’t surprising that I’d feel chills down my spine and nearly collapse from sheer stress. How I survived her visit to Vermont territory was a mystery in itself. Seeing her casually dressed like this was much more manageable.

"Actually, I think your natural beauty shines even more in this look, accentuating your true elegance."

"Speaking without a trace of sincerity. At times like these, you truly resemble a cunning snake…"

"..."

"Enough! Leave my sight already; I’m sick of seeing you!"

Huffing, cheeks flushed, she averted her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. It seemed she recognized that my words held not a hint of falsehood.

With my report completed, I bowed and prepared to take the kids and leave her office.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"Didn’t you just tell me to get lost?"

"Ah. You can go, but leave your slaves. They deserve a meal, don’t they?"

"..."

[The evil god Kali takes a great liking to Empress Vanessa.]

The Empress’s warm smile at the children was in stark contrast to her cold demeanor toward me, which made me chuckle in disbelief.

"Whoa! Palace food! Do we really get to eat it?! Is that it?"

"Indeed. What would you like? Speak freely."

"Really?! What should I order, what should I order! Oh, I’m so excited…!"

"Charlotte… Let’s not ask for too much, okay?"

"No, it’s fine. The palace chef usually makes simple dishes; they’ll be thrilled to finally show off their skills."

"Really?! What should I order…!"

"..."

Charlotte and Yulia quickly took up positions at the Empress’s sides, eagerly following her out of the room. Just a little—a very slight—pang of betrayal flickered through me.