The Nature of Possession

372 – EP.13 Something Better

***

The knife cuts the meat into bite-sized pieces. The browned steak oozes juice.

The cross-section of the sliced ​​meat was light pink, the emperor’s favorite cooking method.

“It tastes worse than yesterday.”

As the emperor muttered while putting a piece of meat in his mouth, the cook standing far away lowered his head in confusion.

“I’m sorry, sorry.”

The cook was so excited that he was worried he might bite his tongue.

“It’s okay. If yesterday was 94, today is 93.”

When the emperor smiled, the cook’s face turned pale.

“Go out. I want to have a leisurely meal.”

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the cook bowed his head and left the tent.

The emperor, who had even bitten his servants, slowly cut the steak and put it in his mouth.

Then he took a sip of wine. The sweet and bitter taste mixed with the meat.

“As expected, it’s not as tasty as yesterday.”

In normal times, he would have cut off the chef’s neck.

But this was a battlefield, and the Emperor was in a good mood today.

In this way, the cook was able to save his life.

The emperor’s meal proceeded quietly.

She acted as if there was someone across from her.

Blunt impression,

He is a man of few words,

Scars all over my body,

Not knowing how to adorn oneself,

Captain of the cavalry belonging to the Kingdom of Gernoa,

The man she loves.

The man acts as if he is eating the same food as himself across from him.

She firmly believed that if she did that, such a future would really happen.

And it is also a future that will happen soon.

“Ah- I guess I just have to wait two days.”

The first day of the third week was passing by.

The emperor ate his food and smiled faintly, like a newlywed waiting for an anniversary.

Apart from the afternoon tea, it was the most hearty smile the Emperor had seen in recent times.

“What would be good to eat with you who is now mine… Of course, that cookie would be the most symbolic.”

The Emperor was more concerned with meaning. The cookies may taste bad, but their symbolism must be great.

“Hehe, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to designate that day as a cookie-making day. The entire empire will bless your union.”

The emperor swirled his wine glass around, as if he was enjoying just imagining it.

The emperor’s face reflected in the glass was clear and without a single speck of blemish.

***

As the emperor was finishing his meal, a noise was heard outside the tent.

“Your Majesty, the commander of the knights has arrived.”

“Tell them to come in.”

As soon as the Emperor’s permission was granted, the tent opened and the Knight Commander appeared.

A man of heavy build walked towards him with brisk strides and knelt at the emperor’s feet.

“The report has arrived.”

He took the letter out of his bosom and presented it to the emperor.

“Oh, you’re finally here. I was curious about this anyway.”

The emperor’s eyes sparkled.

The Emperor snatched the letter from the Knight Commander’s hands and read it quickly.

“Hmm, meat stew… You must have tried hard to make ends meet. Yeah, you’re not feeling well, so you should eat well.”

The Emperor muttered to himself and was convinced. The Knight Commander remained motionless on his knees.

“Commander, you’ll be able to recover sufficiently after resting for about three days, right?”

It was a story about a cavalry captain.

“It depends on the extent of the injury, but I think the cavalry captain will recover sufficiently.”

The captain of the knights agreed.

“Haha, that’s right. I guess it was a good choice to give you three days after listening to what you said.”

“Even if it weren’t for my words, Your Majesty would have made that decision.”

“Haha, that’s true. I’m not such a villainess that I would pressure someone who’s injured.”

The emperor smiled, feeling good.

“Commander of the Knights.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The cavalry captain will soon be my man.”

The emperor’s voice was filled with excitement.

“I am grateful. The addition of the cavalry captain will soon be a great blessing to the empire.”

The bear-like knight commander nodded.

“Oh, you think so too?”

The emperor asked eagerly, as if he had found someone with the same hobby.

“Anyone who has fought with him would agree. He is a brave, wise and exemplary man.”

“Haha, I didn’t know you could praise others like that.”

“I was simply stating the truth. That is why I was truly sorry when he declined Your Majesty’s offer and left.”

The Emperor made a bitter face at the words of the Knight Commander. Old memories that he had tried to forget suddenly came back to him.

***

“You’re leaving?”

The princess asked, and doubted her ears.

“I helped the princess in her war as per the contract. Now that the contract is over, I plan to return to my original position.”

“Have you heard my offer? If you come under me, I promise you the position of cavalry captain. I will use you with great care.”

The princess said, fanning her face with her hand.

“I just did what I had to do as a mercenary. I will not receive any additional reward.”

“It’s not a prize, it’s a suggestion.”

The princess frowned, but the mercenary captain showed no reaction.

“Then I guess I won’t hear that offer. I don’t have any plans on joining any side yet. I have a mercenary corps too.”

“That mercenary group… isn’t it gone now?”

“…….”

In the process of clearing the way, he lost all his men.

After all the fighting was over, he gathered the fallen soldiers on the battlefield in one place.

Ignoring everyone’s offer to help, he carefully moved each and every body of the team members.

He carried his comrades to the center of the battlefield and buried them with his own hands.

Dig a hole, put your comrades in it, and bury them again. Their weapons become their tombstones.

“sorry.”

He apologized in front of the tomb.

“sorry.”

He knelt down.

“I am useless.”

He shed tears. The tears that had been flowing one drop at a time soon formed a stream.

“Sorry….”

The blunt man’s face was distorted horribly.

The prone man screamed in pain. It was a groan he had not made even when he was cut by a sword or pierced through the shoulder by an arrow.

The princess saw the sight.

And I thought.

Ah, this man is someone who can cry passionately for others.

Wouldn’t this man’s love be hot?

Can’t I have those feelings?

It was only a matter of time before curiosity developed into interest.

Like a fire in the field, affection burned brightly in the princess’s heart.

So that was the suggestion.

But the mercenary captain flatly refused.

“Tell me what you want and I will listen. All you have to do is become my cavalry captain.”

“Your Majesty, there is nothing in the Empire that I desire.”

The mercenary captain spoke with a blunt face.

“Have you forgotten who is before you? I am the princess of the empire. Is there anything I cannot give you?”

The princess was frustrated.

“Yes.”

“What is it that you wish for? Tell me!”

“Family… a haven. That’s what I want.”

It was a moment when a faint smile appeared on the face of the blunt mercenary captain.

The princess had no choice but to let him go.

As the captain of the mercenaries said, she couldn’t give it to him.

***

The Emperor’s face crumpled with regret and displeasure at the parting that day.

“Commander of the Knights.”

She lifted up the kneeling man.

“yes.”

The giant knight commander bowed his head politely.

“I guess it won’t work.”

She pointed to the empty plate.

“As expected, the food was worse than yesterday. I can’t just leave the person who fed me this kind of food alone, right?”

“I will do as you command.”

The commander bowed and left the tent.

The sound of a sword being drawn was heard in the distance.

Not long after, someone’s scream was heard from somewhere.

“Two days. Two days. You will soon be mine.”

The emperor kept repeating the spell for two days.

“I will give you something better than a haven. I promise it in the name of the Emperor.”