(Orlax Pov)
Orlax spent the next two days caring for Sera and trying to teach her how to speak.
"Call me Orlax, come on, Orlax."
"Papa."
"No, Orlax, let's try again, Orlax."
"Papa?"
Sera tilted her head as if confused by my words.
"Whatever, call me whatever you like."
I sighed as I looked at her.
No matter how hard I tried to teach her to call me by my name, she kept calling me her father. In the end, I gave up trying.
Over these two days, I tried to teach her a few words, but she only learned "Papa" and "food."
Now, I was adjusting my clothes because I was about to go to the Grand Duke's mansion to treat his daughter, Alice.
I put on a white shirt with a blue jacket over it and black trousers.
After finishing styling my hair, I turned to Sera, who was wearing a pink dress today with gold earrings that matched the color of her eyes.
Two days ago, when I put the earrings on her ears, she cried so much that she didn't stop until I held and hugged her for a full hour.
I placed my hand under Sera and carried her in my arms as I left the room.
At the palace door, Alex was standing there, waiting for my arrival.
"Your Majesty, the car is ready. Shall we move now?"
"Yes."
He opened the palace door, and there was a beautiful black car waiting for us.
He opened the back door for me, and after I entered with Sera in my arms, he closed the door and headed to the driver's seat.
I glanced inside the car, admiring its interior design and spacious on my lap, looking out the window and seeing the outside world for the first time, I spoke to Alex.
"Alex, you're at the graduate level in swordsmanship, right?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. I became a graduate a year ago."
"You're considered talented for reaching this level at nineteen."
I wasn't lying when I said that. Most graduates are over twenty-five years old, and Alex reaching this stage at his age was considered talented by this world's standards.
"Thank you for the compliment, but the truly talented one is you, Your Majesty. You reached the Grandmaster level at fourteen; everyone in the world envies your talent."
Alex was absolutely right. The youngest Grandmaster in the current era was recorded at forty-one years old.
In this world, swordsmen are ranked into seven levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Graduate
- Half Master
- Master
- Grandmaster
Thus, Orlax, possessing swordsmanship skills at the seventh level, equivalent to Grandmaster, is considered a monster by this world's standards.
After finishing my conversation with Alex, I turned my gaze to the window and kept observing the city until the car stopped at the Grand Duke's mansion.
Although it wasn't as beautiful as the imperial palace, it was still a very magnificent mansion.
When we stopped at the gate, Alex rolled down the window and informed the guards of our identities, allowing us entry.
Finally, Alex parked the car in front of the mansion door, and a man who appeared to be in his late sixties came to open the car door and bowed in greeting.
"I greet Your Majesty."
When I got out of the car with Sera in my arms, I looked at the man who had opened the door for me.
He was the head servant of the Grand Duke's house and also his right-hand man, Leonardo Zephyrus, who was also the Grand Duke's uncle.
As I looked at him, he lifted his head, allowing me to see his facial features clearly.
Despite his old age, his posture remained upright, and his muscles were still visible, indicating his strength.
'Half Master, considering he's in his nineties, his talent is average.'
This isn't Orlax's personal opinion but rather the standards of this world. Most warriors who reach their nineties have achieved the Master rank.
"Follow me, please. The Duke and his family are waiting for your arrival."
"Lead the way."
Alex drove the car to another place while I followed Leonardo, with Sera in my arms, looking around curiously and nervously due to the new environment.
He opened the mansion door, revealing an interior adorned with gold and a grand chandelier hanging in the center. A staircase led upwards.
The place was massive, and right in front of me stood Armanthor with his white hair and blue eyes, a hallmark of the Zephyrus lineage. To his right stood his wife, Kathleen Zephyrus, with blond hair and honey-colored eyes. On his left stood a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties, with hair the same shade as Armanthor's and hazel eyes staring directly at me.
"Welcome, Your Majesty, to our humble home."
Armanthor stepped forward and bowed slightly in greeting, followed by the others behind him.
"Hello, Grand Duke. How have you been since our last meeting?"
"In the best of health, Your Majesty. Let me introduce you to my family."
Armanthor looked at his family and signaled for them to step forward.
"This is my wife, Kathleen Zephyrus."
"Welcome to our home, Your Majesty. It is an honor to receive you."
"The honor is mine, my lady."
I stepped forward, raised her left hand, kissed the back of it respectfully, and returned the greeting she had given me.
"This is my son and heir, Daniel Zephyrus."
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."
He extended his right hand for a handshake, and I reciprocated.
Suddenly, he began squeezing my hand with more force than necessary for a handshake, so I looked into his eyes, which were quietly analyzing me, and increased my grip slightly.
"Ugh..."
He started groaning in pain, sweat forming on his forehead. I released his hand and turned to face Armanthor, who now seemed annoyed.
"What rudeness, Daniel! Apologize at once."
"I apologize, Your Majesty. Please forgive my disrespect."
"No problem, but why did you do that? Were you trying to test my strength?"
"I apologize once more, Your Majesty, but I wanted to see the strength of a Grandmaster firsthand."
"I accept your apology, but don't do such a thing again. I dislike being tested by someone weaker than me. If you want to see my strength, ask directly."
"So, from what I understand, Your Majesty, you will show me your strength later, correct?"
"Yes, I have no problem with that, but not now."
After my conversation with Daniel, I felt a surge of anger within me because he was trying to test me.
Maybe due to my trait [Pride], such an action made me lose my composure slightly and made me want to strike him.
'Maybe I'll hit him later. Yes, he wants to see my strength, right? I'll teach him a few moves when the time comes.'
Daniel felt a shiver down his spine and looked around to see why the atmosphere had suddenly turned cold in the middle of summer.
"Where are my manners? Please, Your Majesty, sit and have some tea."
Here is the translation of your text into English:
After sitting on the couch that Armanthor pointed to, tea and a plate of sweets were served in front of me by a maid.
Armanthor sat on a couch opposite me, along with his family. Their attention turned to the girl who had remained silent all this time and was now sitting on my lap.
"Who is this child, Your Majesty?"
Armanthor finally broke the silence as I took a sip of tea.
After placing the cup back on the table, my eyes returned to them as they watched Sera with curiosity.
"It's a long story, but you can consider her my daughter."
Armanthor nearly spat out the tea he was drinking as he coughed violently.
"Ahem, Your Majesty, you mean you adopted her, correct?"
"No, she carries my blood. I had her tested at the hospital two days ago, and the test proved that she is my real daughter."
"But how, Your Majesty? You don't..."
"I know what you're thinking, but as I said, it's a long story, so let's ignore it for now."
I saw Armanthor's lips tremble as he looked between me and Sera, as if trying to confirm whether what he had just heard was indeed true.
His wife and son seemed equally shocked, so I gave them a moment before speaking again.
"Let's set that aside and move on to the reason for my visit."
"Sigh ,You're right, let's go to Alice's room."
Armanthor stood from his seat, followed by his wife and son.
I stood as well and carried Sera in my arms after giving her a small piece of candy to eat.
We ascended to the second floor, and I followed them down the long hallway until we reached the end, where a single door stood.
Armanthor opened the door and entered the room, followed by his wife and son.
I stepped inside as well and saw them sitting beside a girl seated on the bed.
She had white hair and blue eyes, and her beauty was extraordinary. Despite her young age, she was undoubtedly destined to become a beauty capable of shaking empires in the future.
Her pale white skin looked as if she had never seen sunlight before.
Her delicate, slender hands held a small book.
"Your Majesty, this is my daughter, Alice. Alice, standing before you is the emperor, Orlax Tirshtain. Pay your respects."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. It is an honor to have this audience."
"The honor is mine, my lady."
Just as I had done with Kathleen, I stepped forward, kissed the back of her hand, then stepped back before Armanthor's glare could kill me.
"Now, Your Majesty, how do you intend to cure my daughter?"
Everyone in the room was surprised by Armanthor's question, as it seemed he hadn't informed them of the reason for my visit.
"My dear, what do you mean?"
"Yes, Father, what is going on here?"
Kathleen and Daniel asked Armanthor in shock, their gazes shifting between him and me.
Alice remained silent, simply listening to what was happening around her.
"Sigh ,A few days ago, His Majesty and I made a deal. He will cure Alice, and in exchange, Alice will become his wife."
"What do you mean, my dear? Alice will become his wife? This monster!"
As if realizing her mistake, Kathleen covered her mouth, but she still looked at me with hatred and disgust.
'It's been a while since someone looked at me like that.'
I thought, ignoring Kathleen's angry glare, and instead turned my gaze to Armanthor, who remained silent.
"Enough, Kathleen. We have made an agreement, and don't you want Alice to regain her sight and live a normal life? If this is the price, I am willing to pay it. Moreover, His Majesty has promised me that he will not mistreat Alice and that he will ensure her happiness."
"My dear, of course I want Alice to regain her sight, but I will never agree to her marrying him!"
"Enough! We have agreed on everything, and the matter is settled!"
When Armanthor spoke these words, he stood up and shouted at his wife to make her stop.
Kathleen was stunned by her husband's outburst, and tears began to appear in her eyes.
She turned her furious gaze toward me and started moving in my direction.
Slap!
"You did something to my husband! There's no way he would agree to something like this! You devil! You devil! You killed all your siblings and your father, and now you're coming after my only daughter! Haven't you spilled enough blood already?!"
Kathleen slapped me on the cheek, causing my head to turn slightly to the side, and she began shouting insults and curses.
I held my cheek, feeling the lingering heat, surprised.
'Even though it's a blow from someone weak, it still hurts.'
"Papa! Papa!"
Sera started crying at the sight of me being slapped and tried to push Kathleen away as she grabbed my collar.
"Stop, Kathleen, what are you doing?"
Armanthor rushed over and pulled Kathleen away, who was still cursing with tears staining her face.
[Pride activated]
[Emperor's Presence activated]
"I did not come here to be insulted, Grand Duke. Leave now and let me complete my part of the deal. I want to leave this place as soon as possible."
Upon hearing my words and sensing the overwhelming presence that filled the room, everyone fell silent and began leaving.
As Kathleen passed by me, her angry eyes were still glaring at me.
I met her gaze briefly, letting a trace of irritation and anger show, then ignored her.
"Grand Duke, carry Sera for me and do not let this woman approach her."
"I apologize for what happened today, Your Majesty. I will make sure she is punished for her actions."
"If by punishment you mean giving her a lovely kiss on the forehead for doing exactly what you wanted, then no thanks—I don't want that kind of punishment. Leave now and let me finish my work so this farce can end."
Armanthor took Sera from my arms and left the room, silent in response to my words. However, I could see a hint of anger in his eyes.
After everyone had left, I turned my gaze to the girl sitting on the bed, visibly nervous about being alone with me.
'This is what happens when I decide to do something good. Fate sure likes to mock me.'