The day of the welcome party known as the Emperor's Tea Party.
I attended with my hair dyed black using hair powder given to me by my father.
I simply didn't want to stand out, so ignoring Heartie's advice that gentlemanly manners required me to sweep my bangs up, I left my hair down.
Actually, it wasn't just my hair that had changed color.
My eyes, which should have been blue like my mother's, had somehow begun to show flecks of gold.
I didn't mind having my father's eye color, but since it seemed quite rare, I decided to hide them.
I was wearing the blue formal suit my father had given me.
The coat was aqua, the vest navy blue. The ribbon at my chest was a deep, vivid blue, and though the trousers were black, the entire outfit featured elaborate gold trim and embroidery.
"I wish it were more subdued."
"No matter what, Your Highness will attract attention. Rather than your appearance, I believe you should conduct yourself in a manner that appears harmless and docile."
Ikt, who offered me this advice, accompanied me partway as my escort.
The venue was a corner of the garden where rose hedges were cultivated, featuring a sundial.
To the north stood a building that was neither spacious nor small—a place where an indoor party could also be held.
The gathering would involve dining and conversing inside that building, then viewing the grand gardens that the Empire boasted.
"I'm docile. I'm the type to quietly chat with someone inside a flask."
"That... is that truly something safe?"
Ikt questioned me as we walked through the gardens together.
That entity calling itself "I" inside the flask.
Even when asked if it was a ghost, it would only say "I," and apparently even it had only just recently recognized its own existence.
Since it claimed to be trapped inside the flask, when I tried to let it out, it said it would dissipate if I did that.
"I don't know, so I'm investigating it. That's the basics of alchemy."
"Does alchemy create such things as well? It is completely different from the magic I know, and I cannot classify it."
"Alchemy is about making gold, as the name suggests. Ultimately, it means exploring methods to transform matter based on the truth that the essence is the same thing. It's not limited to metals—creating the panacea elixir is alchemy too, and the mystical pursuit of reaching the truth as a human to become a higher being is also alchemy."
"...We should have examined the books Your Highness reads."
Helkov always says he doesn't understand, while Ikt gets stuck thinking there must be some allegory.
Only Wearell can more or less understand what I'm doing by comparing it to the books.
Basic scientific knowledge is important, isn't it?
And the ability to read between the lines, or contextual understanding? Imagination?
However, even I don't understand that talking "I" inside the flask.
"Don't worry, I won't talk about alchemy. It's an unknown quantity even for me."
"Those with malicious intent will approach Your Highness and speak to you fervently, so please be careful."
I received this advice filled with what seemed like genuine concern.
Arriving at the venue, I was guided inside alone.
Guards and attendants were to wait in a separate area.
Looking around the venue, I could see uniforms like Ikt's stationed at various points.
In other words, it seemed the palace guard led by Marquis Strateg was handling security for this welcome party.
"Oh, who is that young boy attending alone over there?"
"With that black hair, surely you can tell? To think he actually came..."
And already, the voices I heard were far from welcoming.
Why was I, born and raised in this country, suddenly treated like an outsider?
"The Emperor is currently attending to guests, so please wait."
Then the guide left me alone and returned to his post.
And whispers began to circulate around me.
The children accompanying their parents were likewise discussing who I was and what my position was.
This was fresh information for me too, but I was surprised to learn that the story about making Terry cry had spread more than expected.
Of course, this referred to when Terry cried after being startled by a bug.
Furthermore, it seemed the palace guard who had taken his eyes off Terry and tried to draw his sword on me had left the palace, and this was also being blamed on me.
I thought that was entirely his fault.
"Thank you for this welcome today..."
And so I was left alone as the welcome party began.
Father hadn't told them I was coming, had he? What a fine adult, abandoning his duties to harass me like this.
But I am an adult, so I didn't make a fuss while the main guest, the King of Lukiusaria himself, was giving his greeting.
I heard the Queen, Prince, and Princess were with him.
But since the adults were in front, I couldn't see which ones were the Prince or Princess.
And there, discreetly, was my father's wife—the Empress, and Terry's twin brother's mother—for the third time I had seen her.
Well, she had seemed confused and unsure how to handle me since our first meeting.
The thirty-year-old man inside me nodded, thinking it couldn't be helped that she had suddenly been made the second wife of a man with children nearly thirty years old when she was only twenty.
"Asha, there you are. Go greet the Lukiusaria royal family."
After the opening address finished, Father came over specifically, having left the Lukiusaria royal family to the Empress.
Judging by the dissatisfied look on his usual aide, he might have forced through something as Emperor.
Still, when I went to go, the Lukiusaria King and Queen seemed flustered.
"What is the matter?"
"Your Majesty the Emperor, we apologize. Our child went inside to get some sweets and..."
It seemed the Princess had slipped away in the moment her eyes were off her, blending in with other children flocking to the sweets.
Since she was surrounded by guards, they said she would be found soon, but any parent would worry.
Here, it would be improper to bother Father while he was working, so I decided to act like an adult.
Thus, I whispered secretly to Father.
"Your Majesty, please ease the concerns of your guests first. I shall wait. I will be nearby."
"No, Asha. You may enjoy yourself as well. I'm sorry."
Father went to attend to the Lukiusaria royal couple.
Stepping back and moving to the edge, I was a bit troubled.
"I am so uncouth that I do not even know how to enjoy such a lively occasion."
The usual aide with the dissatisfied look frowned, apparently having heard me.
Yes, I should avoid saying unnecessary things.
I am merely a decoration like the plants here. I am harmful to no one.
Thinking this, I remained quiet, but then someone approached.
A blue-haired, pompous-looking man about Father's age, and accompanying him a boy with navy hair about my age—likely his son.
"We meet for the first time. I am called Duke Eurasion, do you know of me?"
The pompous uncle asked, offering a crude introduction.
By the rules of royalty and nobility, the superior speaks first, and the inferior gives their name upon permission.
In other words, if I gave my name here, I would be acknowledging that Duke Eurasion was above me.
And I had heard that this Duke Eurasion was a troublesome figure in terms of position.
By blood relation, he was Father's cousin.
In other words, he was the son of the previous Emperor's younger brother, and when the princes in the palace died out, this Duke Eurasion had risen to the top of the list of Crown Prince candidates.
He was also the person whose chance at the throne had faded when Father appeared, since the previous Emperor had been obstinate about wanting his own son on the throne.
Moreover, Father was supposedly inferior to Duke Eurasion in terms of bloodline, making the Duke the leading figure in trying to pull Father down.
"Then my greetings..."
Right, I decided to deflect Duke Eurasion's attempt to establish dominance over me with a rough response while appearing casual.
And this was my appeal that I was harmless.
"Well then... If... that is... what you... say... then... my... name... is... unnecessary... yes..."
Speaking with unnaturally long pauses, and with a buildup that suggested more to come but meant nothing.
And with the emptiness at the end of my words, I ground away at the other party's motivation.
This is the art of social survival that a battlefield photographer risked his life to master!
As I thought this, I heard an unexpectedly loud choking sound nearby.
"*Cough*, *hack*, *gag*...!"
Looking, I saw among the venue guards the blond rude person Levain.
It seemed this palace guard hadn't been fired and was continuing his work.
"H-Your Majesty, please calm yourself..."
"You too... your voice... is shaking... *snrk*"
Father seemed to be concerned about this side too.
Because he and his aide had started trembling together, they were drawing strange looks from those around them.
Speaking of which, Duke Eurasion and his son were gaping in astonishment.
This was truly their first time meeting me, and even if they had heard bad rumors, this strange way of speaking was outside their expectations.
They probably hadn't even properly processed what I said?
Wasn't this my chance?
"And... that... person... is... your... son... yes?"
"Ah, yes, Sort."
"S... Sotirios Basileus Biono Eurasion... it is."
The Eurasion father and son, having forgotten their initial attempt at dominance, answered by reflex.
I smiled innocently, pretending not to notice.
I nodded as if to say there was nothing strange at all.
Yes, this might actually be quite useful.
Though limited to people who don't know the usual me.
Otherwise, it seemed like it would cause harm to people other than me.
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