“All right. It’s time to steel myself,” Kris murmured in an effort to raise her spirits as she walked through the castle halls.
The group reached a door where a maid was waiting outside.
“Please wait here,” the maid instructed. “You will be summoned once Their Imperial Majesties are ready to see you.”
The room she was standing in front of appeared to be the drawing room Kris’s group had been heading for.
“My, my! Why, if it isn’t Margrave Reiner. What a coincidence it is, seeing you here.”
Reiner found the source of the voice calling out to him, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly. “Well, if it isn’t Count Roland. My apologies; it’s been a while.”
“No apology necessary,” the count replied. “You do live quite far from the capital. I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to see you. By the way, who is that beautiful lady with you?”
Count Roland was a man of average build and height. He sported brown hair and dark-brown eyes, and from the way he was looking at Kris and Emma, it was clear that he was assessing her. The most surprising part was the fact that he didn’t seem to be trying to hide his judgment of the elf and her companion, which the women found incredibly unpleasant.
Kris politely greeted him. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kristie Saffron.”
“Oh, so you’re Kristie Saffron. I’ve heard rumors about you—the unruly girl who was disowned from her family after a quarrel with her older brother and fled the Saffron Trading Company.”
Kris couldn’t believe how rude the count was being to someone he’d only just met, but she wasn’t going to fall for his cheap shots. “I wasn’t aware there were such rumors going around in the capital,” she replied, still maintaining her smile. “While those rumors are completely unfounded, I’m quite curious as to how such stories could have started.”
She was desperately trying to suppress the explosive anger inside her, but Roland wasn’t going to stop provoking her.
“Hm? Just as the rumors say, that is indeed a beastkin behind you. They claim you’re as unruly as a restive horse, and it seems the rumors of two ‘animals’ getting along is true.”
Excuse me? Kris thought. She hadn’t expected him to also insult Emma. It took a moment longer for her to process what he had said, given the sudden attack on her companion, and she let out a bit of a pathetic gasp. Referring to beastkin as animals was the worst insult someone could direct at them. Roland had done so while being aware of that and flashing a vulgar grin. Kris knew that he was doing so just to upset her, and she didn’t care about insults thrown her way. But she couldn’t forgive him for insulting Emma.
Emma, for her part, was trembling with anger and sorrow, enduring the count’s horrible words. She likely believed that it was her own fault Kris had been insulted, and seeing her so hurt made Kris’s blood boil. But the moment she opened her mouth to voice her anger, Reiner stopped her.
“Count Roland, I believe that is more than enough jesting. I am unaware of such rumors. And these women are guests of the Valdia family who have accompanied me here for an audience with Their Imperial Majesties. I believe insulting guests of the imperial family is a bit imprudent even for you, sir.”
They glared at each other for a moment before Roland averted his gaze and scoffed.
“Well then, please excuse my behavior. All the rumors I’ve heard about your guests were along the lines of what I shared. It was indeed thoughtless of me to believe such gossip, Margrave Reiner.” The count then turned to Kris and Emma. “Lady Kristie, Lady Emma, I’m terribly sorry for my lack of manners. Please accept my apology.” With that, Roland bowed to them. “Well then, I have somewhere to be. Please excuse me.” He gave Reiner one final look before lightly bowing his head and heading down the hall.
“Hmph. What a boorish, deceitful man,” Reiner mumbled under his breath.
“Um, Sir Reiner, what was that about?” Kris hesitantly asked.
“That was Count Roland,” Reiner grumbled, staring in the direction the count had gone in. “He’s a man who loves power and money.”
Kris had been on the verge of falling for Roland’s cheap attempts at goading her, and Reiner had saved her from doing so.
“I’m so sorry I put you in that position, Lady Kris,” Emma said, looking as though she were about to cry.
“Don’t worry, Emma. You have nothing to apologize for,” Kris said, comforting her. Although she maintained composure, she was fuming inside.
I will never forgive that man. Count Roland and his family are officially on the Kristie Trading Company’s blacklist, where they’ll remain for eternity, along with every descendant of his.
“He was likely hoping to upset you and use that to cause further commotion in order to cancel our presentation,” Reiner suggested. “Don’t think too deeply about what he said. You’ll eventually get used to this sort of thing. Letting someone like him get to you will only make you more susceptible to manipulation.”
“You’re right. I’ll do my best.”
“Don’t worry, Their Imperial Majesties are quite normal and reasonable people.”
Kris had never been so relieved to hear that someone was “normal and reasonable.”
After the kerfuffle with Roland, the three visitors finally entered the drawing room. Reiner sat on the couch and rested while Kris and Emma inspected the chamber. Being in such a lavish room was a rare opportunity for them, and their eyes sparkled as they happily discussed the architecture and furnishings.
Some time passed before there was a knock on the door. Reiner responded, and a maid entered.
“Excuse me,” she said, bowing her head as she walked in. “His Imperial Majesty and Her Imperial Majesty are ready to see you. Please follow me.”
“It’s finally time,” Kris muttered to herself.
She followed Reiner, her chest swelling with nervousness and excitement.