Episode 10

‘Dante Hamelson’.

The High Priestess’s apprentice and successor.

In The Second Empress, he was a supporting character. A mysterious blond character stands by the High Priestess’ side.

When the conflict between the High Priestess and the imperial family intensifies, Dante mysteriously disappears. He dodges Leto’s sword.

In the original story, Dante has no contact with Empress livia. He is caught looking at a botanical book.

He is intrigued by the book.

“You’re looking at an interesting book, aren’t you?”

“I’m preparing for the return tea party. I was thinking of planting some new plants in the garden.”

“Plants for a tea party… How delicate of you.”

He smiled. It was an inscrutable smile. One that made me cringe.

“Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a look at the book.”

I flipped back through the pages as if nothing had happened. Dante hovered around me.

“…….”

“…….”

“Is there anything else you need to see?”

“I’m a priest, and I’m thrilled to finally see the Empress I’ve only heard rumors of, and she’s been resurrected by the grace of the Goddess.”

His tone was flattering but also secretly rude. I wonder if he trusts the High Priest.

He’s not someone I want to deal with for long. I cut him off and said,.

“Whatever the reason, I’m uncomfortable, so you’ll have to leave, or I’ll come back.”

I closed the book. Dante’s tail twitched in confusion.

“What do you mean? Of course, I’ll leave you alone. I was rude. Please forgive me.”

“…….”

“I came to the Empress to deliver this.”

He pulled something out of the inside pocket of his priestly robes. It was a white letter envelope with a gold seal.

“Forgive me for cutting to the chase in my eagerness to speak with Your Majesty. This is a letter from my mentor, the High Priest.”

“A letter from the High Priest?

“Is it addressed to me?”

“To be precise, ‘only’ to Her Majesty the Empress.”

So he wants me to keep it a secret from Leto.

I took the letter and held it in my arms. I was eager to read the contents. But it would be best not to read it in front of Dante.

“Well, I’ll see you again, Empress.”

Dante smiled and bowed. I returned the gesture with a single nod of my head. He turned and disappeared from the study. A few seconds later, Fahram came around the corner.

“I brought you paper and a pen. Unfortunately, my pen ran out of ink, so it took me a while.”

“Sir Fahram, did you see anyone on your way here?”

“No, I didn’t see anyone, but who was there?”

“…No. Let me finish my journal.”

I reopened the closed book. I had to find Indigo first.

After a moment, I closed the book with disappointment. There was no Indigo anywhere in the book.

“Your Majesty, do you not have the plant you are looking for?”

Fahram asked, trying to be cheerful. The sight of his rash face made me feel unnecessarily upset.

Still, it was too soon to be discouraged.

“Sir Fahram. You said this book is not complete. Do you think you can identify any plants that are not in it?”

“That… I’ll see what I can do.”

Fahram smiled. As if to tell me not to worry too much. I put my hand lightly on his shoulder.

“Okay, let’s call it a day.”

* * *

By the time I got back to my office, the sun had set. I sat down and opened the letter from the High Priest.

The letter was written in very nice handwriting.

[Dear Empress, As the head of the Great Hall, I ask for a private audience with Your Majesty; please keep it secret from the Emperor; I will wait for you in the Great Hall.

In the p.s., he wrote the date he wished to meet. Despite his polite demeanor, I could sense his self-righteousness.

“Dokdara…….”

It was coming; I knew you’d call me someday.

He’s not going to let the resurrected emperor sit idly by in the Great Hall. He’s going to use her somehow.

Ding.

At the knock on the door, I quickly put the letter back in the drawer. Madame marais entered the throne room.

“Your Majesty, dinner is ready.”

“Ah, what can I do, Madame? I have so much work to do today.”

I gestured to the piles of papers on my desk. Mrs. Marais gave me a worried look.

“Your Majesty. You have to eat, no matter what.”

“Then I’ll eat when I’m done.”

“Just make sure you eat on time, or you’ll make yourself sick.”

I’ve been skipping dinner for days. Tonight, Madame Marais seemed unwilling to back down.

“Come on, Your Majesty.”

“Just give me one more day, will you?”

“It’s no laughing matter; now come with me to the dining room.”

Madame marais patted me gently on the back. We are like mother and daughter. I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was then.

“What’s all the fuss about?”

Leto must have been passing through the hallway. He stepped through the half-open door.

“What’s going on, Madame marais?”

“Well… the Empress keeps skipping meals.”

It was a half-admishing tone. Not that Leto would care about such things.

But she was wrong.

“Aha. Really?”

Leto glanced at the stack of papers on his desk, then at Madame marais.

“Since the Empress is busy, I think we can bring the meal here.”

“Here?”

Madame marais asked in surprise. Leto nodded wordlessly.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Mrs. marais bowed and left the office. Leto approached my desk and shuffled through his papers.

“It looks like you didn’t get any work done today.”

“I was just about to start. I had an appointment until a little while ago.”

“I see.”

He slammed down the papers he was looking at. He turned to the door and called out.

“Ewarton!”

Ewarton hurried in at the call.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Take these papers to my office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ewarton gathered up the papers and hugged them. I turned to Leto.

“Your Majesty, I can do this. It will take me some time.”

“I didn’t ask you to do it while starving.”

He cut me off.

“But.”

If I don’t do it, you’ll have to do it all.

“But?”

“…No.”

I relented. After all, you were the one holding the lifeline. I had to listen to him.

It all happened in one fell swoop.

The papers disappeared, a huge table was brought in, and all sorts of delicacies were placed on it.

“You can sit there.”

Leto sat down in a chair and gestured across, but there was only one set of dishes.

“And His Majesty?”

“He’s not a fool to be feeding himself at this hour.”

That’s it. No words. I smiled, half-heartedly, and asked.

“Thank you for your concern. But I’m quite capable of eating on my own.”

“Is this a celebration in my palace?”

He meant he wouldn’t leave. I didn’t understand. Why would anyone want to watch someone else eat? He had enough on his plate.

Eventually, I picked up my fork in front of him. I thought he had no appetite, but it went in. It tasted good, and he must have been hungry.

After, I was somewhat full. Leto asked me.

“fahram went looking for you today, didn’t he?”

I guess I’m still being debriefed on my activities, but that’s okay. I hadn’t done anything to get caught.

“Yes, sir. We were looking through a plant book together, trying to find an ingredient for a medicine.”

“So, did you find it?”

“No.”

“I see.”

What a serious response! I thought he’d be disappointed or laugh at me. I felt unnecessarily embarrassed, so I added.

“I suppose we’ll have to find another way. I’ve instructed Sir Fahram to look into it, but if that doesn’t work, I may have to go into the forest to find the plant myself.”

Leto set his jaw and stared at me. More than a little incredulously.

“What’s the rush?”

“What?”

“Like a man whose life depends on it.”

Because my life isn’t on the line; it’s on my limbs, and who knows what you’ll become when I’m useless?

Leto saw my expression and smirked.

“I see you still think I can kill you.”

“I wouldn’t say so.”

“I’m tired of changing people’s minds, and I’d like to change yours.”

In any case, it meant I wasn’t going to kill him now, and that was enough to make me feel better.

By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.

“The High Priestess sent me a letter.”

“The High Priestess?”

He frowned openly.

“Yes. He wants to meet with me at the temple without Your Majesty’s knowledge.”

“That’s nasty. You must go to the Empress of the Empire.”

“But if I don’t go, I’ll arouse unnecessary suspicion, and it wouldn’t make sense for a resurrected Empress to stay away from the temple.”

“Go if you wish.”

I was surprised. She was so willing to let me go.

“But only if you’re sure you won’t be used by him.”

“Is that a condition?”

“Sort of. If you can’t, I’ll keep you from contacting the High Priestess.”

Leto might be able to stop him this one time, but in the future? The High Priest would keep trying to make contact, and I didn’t want to be the one to do it.

“I’ll go; I won’t be so easily taken advantage of.”

“Good. Then make sure you take your knight with you and come back and find me as soon as you can.”

“Thank you for your permission.”

“Strange, by the way. If you were thinking of accepting the High Priest’s offer, why bother telling me?”

“It is that His Majesty and I-”

“And I?”

“You’re married.

I was going to say. It’s self-evident by now, but then I remembered what happened a few days ago.

When he called me ‘wife’. It felt like he was coming on to me.

So I said something like this.

“We’re on the same side; we’re colleagues.”

For a moment, his expression hardened slightly. He drummed his fingertips on the table.

“…Right, coworker.”

That’s how the meal ended, anyway. As I wiped my mouth with my napkin, Leto said.

“You’re eating more evenly than you look.”

“I’ve never been in a position to cover my food.”

“You don’t dislike anything?”

“Even if I don’t like something, I just have to eat it.”

I’m from an orphanage. And I grew up pretty fast. I don’t think I’ve ever been a food snob.

But he’s quiet, all of a sudden.

I glanced at him, pretending to take a drink of water, and his eyes turned icy cold.

“Why… would you do that?”

“Is that how he treated you?”

“What? Him?”

“I didn’t realize you were so blind to men. I’m disappointed.”

Let me say something unintelligible again. What could he be misunderstanding? This time, I didn’t want to let it go.

“I’ll take care of my man-eye, but who the hell is ‘him’?”

“He’s the one you’ve been looking for so desperately in your sleep, so many times.”

“So who the hell is he?”

“Statin. He had a weird name.”

“Statin?

It’s a cholesterol-lowering drug. A reductase was isolated from a blue mold.

I wonder why that popped out of Leto’s mouth.

“… Come to think of it, I had a dream about the lab the other night. I dreamed I was making a drug that would kill me.

Was that……?

“Ah, ahahaha!”

I burst out laughing.

I feel like I’m being massively misunderstood.