A completely, completely kind person!
“One gold coin at the auction? I didn’t call for that. Rather, I felt good thinking of you after hearing about your brilliant skills, which reminded me of Blossom.”
The emperor, resting his chin on his hand, smiled and waved his hand dismissively.
How generous of him!
A completely, completely warm Emperor!
The emperor pierced a slice of apple with his fork and handed it to the waiting maid. The maid returned from the table and gave the apple fork to Pastel.
“Try this too. It’s a Camelot apple, and it’s in season, so it’s really delicious.”
“Wow!”
The pink eyes sparkled.
“I love Melissa apples!”
“Melissa?”
The emperor seemed to recall something unrelated to the topic.
“Oh, the next Archmage? The returns on the investment have been good. If it’s a variety you like, that’s great. Enjoy.”
“Yes!”
Pastel felt completely at ease at the kind meal. She took some magic stone powder sprinkled on a small plate and dipped it before biting into the apple slice. The crunching sound echoed. The tart and sweet flesh filled her mouth.
Wow! Wow!
It’s an apple! An apple, apple!
A full, satisfying feeling washed over her.
The salmon steak was delicious too!
The tomato soup was great!
Not to mention the various green salads that came out, the dressing was really refreshing and sour!
She was too embarrassed by the auction incident to hope too much, but this was exactly the royal banquet she desired!
A meal prepared with the highest quality ingredients by top chefs, who put their careers and lives on the line to create a custom dish!
It was a feast that felt like her taste buds had been waiting for this their entire lives!
There was a satisfying feeling that she was finally receiving the treatment she deserved!
Gasp.
Pastel’s eyes widened in realization.
Maybe I was meant for the royal family.
Why was I born in a viscount family? Shouldn’t I have been royalty? Preferably the first in line for succession.
She couldn’t understand her own birth.
“You eat well. You remind me of Blossom during our camping trips. If I had known it would be like this, I would have invited you long ago.”
The emperor smiled while resting his chin.
Pastel gulped down the apple.
“I’m always up for it!”
A lot of invitations for dinner!
“Should I?”
“Yes! I would love it! Love it!”
Yay!
The emperor laughed.
“But doesn’t Viscount Pastel have a lot of work to do on Sky Island?”
“That’s true.”
Indeed.
“Right.”
Pastel felt slightly gloomy.
If she had known the emperor was this kind, she wouldn’t have settled in the remote Sky Island because magic stones were cheaper. She would have rushed to the imperial palace to ask for help.
This seemed like a bit of a misjudgment on the demon’s part.
Puff, puff.
If the emperor had suggested asking for help, many problems would have been solved easily!
She wouldn’t have had to engage in the smuggling that the demon despised!
Indeed! Indeed! Puff, puff!
Of course, she knew that relying on others’ mercy for one’s lifeline was a sure way to be taken advantage of, but this kind emperor wouldn’t do that!
But what if the demon was actually enjoying her struggles?
Phew.
Though she had made many friends and had fun, life relying on her hormonal friend wasn’t entirely happy.
If there was an easier path, shouldn’t she have at least been informed of its existence?
Puff, puff.
Suddenly, rebellious feelings surged.
Hadn’t the demon promised to bring food?
Since she was already full, she wouldn’t eat a single bite!
Hehe.
“Eat while you listen.”
As the emperor gestured, a maid brought over the apple pieces on a plate.
Fresh apples!
She twirled the magic stone pepper shaker, sprinkled some powder, and with her fork, poked and bit into it. Crunch, crunch!
“Originally, I called you not for the railway construction rights but because of an incident with the Bellevue family, hoping to seek cooperation from Viscount Pastel.”
Huh?
Suddenly, the Bellevue family came up.
When Alesia Bellevue said something, Melissa seemed to perk up, and even Pastel’s apple friend in her mouth seemed to pay attention.
So, Pastel simply chewed her apple friend.
Apple friend: Aaaah!
The apple friend crumbled and fell silent.
Sorry!
But if the apple friend got involved in this conversation, it would be chaos! Just quietly go into my stomach!
Yeah, yeah!
She swallowed the apple remnants.
“Is something happening with the Bellevue family?”
“They’re still hiding it…”
The emperor’s expression turned sad.
“The eldest son has died.”
Huh?
If it’s the eldest son, isn’t he probably the next clan leader?
That person has died?
Huh?
The emperor shook his head.
“While the exact reason is still under investigation, the eldest son had requested the assassination of Alesia Bellevue from aggressive demons.”
Aggressive demons, like those terrifying people who shoot with shotguns?
“However, it seems they underestimated it to the point of a terrorist attack at the academy and severed ties right after the attack. The demons, retaliating, ended up assassinating the eldest son. They turned him into minced meat with gunfire.”
Huh?
Minced meat…!
Pastel’s hands trembled. The apple fork in her hand was shaking.
Completely terrifying people!
The emperor’s expression changed to one of pity.
“I’m not particularly against demons, but I had to call you to deal with the extremists.”
“Me?”
A smile spread across the emperor’s face.
“You have been working hard to help with the academy’s interim director, organizing the knight corps, and rebuilding the clan. Since it’s something the Craft family used to do, you’re the right person for it?”
Great power comes with great responsibility.
Great power comes with great obligation.
But! But!
She really didn’t want to do something terrifying like suppressing extremists who have shotguns as a hobby!
“However, I originally called you for a minor reason, hoping to see someone resembling Blossom…”
The emperor received a letter from the maid.
It was a letter that seemed familiar.
Specifically, it was similar to the coded letter Ellie wrote, saying she would discreetly inform the moderates of the news regarding the discovery of the Dark Lord (fake).
Oh dear.
Pastel felt a cold sweat break out even though she hadn’t heard anything yet.
“While the viscount was on the way, an urgent report came.”
The letter fluttered.
“Despite around a million newborns being eliminated by the late emperor, the Dark Lord is still alive. And the demons have secured a pawn.”
Striking a stark contrast to the sad and regretful expression, the emperor’s golden eyes turned cold.
“This is no small matter.”
Ahh!
Ellie!
Confidential information is leaking out?!
Are there spies in your faction?!
Pastel’s pink eyes quivered.
She clapped her hands exaggeratedly in a panic.
“This is such a big deal!”
An evil Dark Lord!
What a serious issue!
Too serious!
The truly kind Pastel could empathize a million times. She wanted to dash out right now and return to Sky Island.
Dark Lord, save me…!
“I’m worried. Viscount, you may not have learned from Blossom, but the prophecy mentions the collapse of the empire along with the emergence of the Dark Lord.”
The emperor sighed languidly.
“For the collapse to be possible all at once, geographically, it can’t be done by the Demon Realm alone. Someone among the empire’s nobility who possesses a large private army must have allied with the Dark Lord, but I have no idea who.”
Oh dear, betrayal!
Pastel’s expression instantly changed to anger. She pounded the table with her little fist.
Bang!
“What a bad person!”
Finding that bad traitor before the Dark Lord would probably be a wise step!
“Indeed. A bad person. But it’s good timing. You were called in. There’s no one safer for the hunt for the Dark Lord than the Craft family?”
Huh?
The emperor rested his chin and smiled.
“Even if you wanted to ally with the Dark Lord, you wouldn’t be able to because of the past. It’s ironic how a challenge that Blossom couldn’t resolve has come back like this.”
The emperor stood up.
As Pastel inadvertently followed suit, a knight who had entered handed over a sword and stood in front of Pastel.
“I will revive the governor’s position for Sky Island and appoint Viscount Craft to that position.”
Oh?
“And I will grant the governor the authority to operate the Demon Realm Trade Alliance stock company’s private army and related matters. They will focus on identifying the Dark Lord in both Sky Island and the Demon Realm.”
The emperor’s sword was handed over.
Gasp.
Pastel’s heart raced.
Governor Pastel.
The true power recognized by the highest authority.
A power that cannot be denied legally, institutionally, or politically.
Her cheeks flushed.
From today forward, she is Governor Pastel!
The frightening future of having to confront demons who have shotguns as a hobby swiftly faded from her mind.
What remained was a pink future suited for the pink, pink Pastel.
The pink eyes glazed over.
As she had heard, she knelt on one knee and accepted the emperor’s sword with both hands.
“I accept the order.”
She felt the weight of the sword in her palms.
It was a heavy sensation, just like the weight of the power she had received.
Pastel was overwhelmed by that weight.
Long live the Emperor!
Long live!
She had always thought about how the emperor was born to be an emperor and respected him, yet he gave her this opportunity!
He surely must have the insight to recognize loyal subjects!
Respect bubbled from within her.
If only I could be such a powerful figure!
I will be loyal for a lifetime!
Undying loyalty without a shred of change in heart!
Dark Lord!
To make such a kind emperor feel a sense of crisis!
Bad Dark Lord!
I will fulfill this solemn order and capture you!
Yap! Yap!
With not a single thought of betrayal in her mind, loyal Pastel resolutely vowed.
Evil Dark Lord!
This loyal Pastel will not forgive you!
