Strange as it was, Lyse could remember her past life as a knight of the empire. On the day she’d died, the imperial family had been in the middle of their annual stay at their villa near the Light of Origin. Lyse was brought along as a guard for the occasion.
And during the trip, an intruder appeared. Not only did he take a member of the imperial family hostage—he dared to approach the Light of Origin.
Lyse’s past self had flown to the aid of the young boy who’d been taken hostage. But rather than be caught, the intruder decided he would rather jump into the Light of Origin. Lyse just barely managed to save the boy, and was drawn into the Light herself in the process.
Her memories of dying weren’t very scary. She’d felt fear the moment she was sucked into the Light, but the Light had enveloped her like a warm bath. She recalled thinking, “Ah...this isn’t so bad.” And then it happened. That was the moment she’d realized the Light’s secret.
The Light of Origin wasn’t made by the gods after all.
As this was a discovery that could shake the very foundation of the empire, Lyse knew she couldn’t tell a soul. If she ever let it slip to an imperial citizen, she’d be jailed the rest of her life for blasphemy. Her uncle’s family might even be arrested as well. Any such talk in Olwen, however, would merely be dismissed as fantasy.
This was the true reason Lyse couldn’t get close to the empire—it was dangerous. If it weren’t for that, she would’ve found her way back by now.
“...Ngh.”
On the verge of a sigh, Lyse hurriedly closed her mouth. Thinking back on her old self’s death was a bad habit of hers. Two years earlier, on her way to the palace from the estate, she’d gotten lost in the same memories. But this was no time to daydream.
It was only polite to pay attention in the audience chamber, after all.
Still, Lyse couldn’t help thinking about her old life when she saw the familiar face of the man on the throne. That golden hair, those keen, green eyes, and that attractive face with angular, masculine features... This was the man who stood atop the Razanate Empire and its vassal states, His Majesty Emperor Egbert.
Though he looked to be in his thirties, he was actually 150 years old. Imperial nobles were all amazingly long-lived thanks to the Light of Origin.
The Light bestowed many blessings on the land and the people around it. Yet not only was it deadly to approach, it also attracted monsters. The people of the empire knew this, but chose to stay near the Light anyway, using the magic and longevity they gained from it to defend themselves. In turn, they also offered their services to surrounding countries in exchange for tribute.
These were the so-called vassal states of the empire. The tribute they paid amounted to a protection fee—a cost the neighboring royals were happy to cover. Indeed, for mere money, a pledge, and putting up with an imperial inspection every five years, the empire would defend them from the plague of monsters. It was but a small price for safety. As such, the neighboring countries had voluntarily become vassals of the empire, the Kingdom of Olwen included.
And, as a vassal state, Olwen extended its throne to Emperor Egbert upon his visit. Before him knelt both the king and queen of Olwen, along with their entire retinue. Lyse, one of the twenty-odd court ladies in attendance, kept sneaking glances up at the emperor. Perhaps because she vividly remembered him as a child—shorter than her, even—from her past life, she was struck by how handsome he’d become.
Lyse’s past self had served as an imperial guard to the emperor. She wished she could do that again, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. She thought she’d given up after her trip home two years ago. She cursed her own stubbornness.
While Lyse was thinking to herself, it seemed the king of Olwen had concluded his speech. The raven-haired Imperial Duke Alcede, who’d been standing next to the emperor, then stepped forward.
“His Majesty is currently feeling ill, so I shall be handling his affairs in his place,” he announced. “We need only a single attendant.”
This news sent a stir through the court ladies gathered in the back of the room.
“They only need one? Oh, now I’ll never get picked!”
“I’ve heard that if you go to the empire, you stay younger longer! Please, pick me!”
All of the ladies around Lyse then quietly began praying. Each was desperate to be selected, which would increase their chances of marrying into imperial nobility. Such an arrangement would increase the standing of their families in Olwen as well. And some of the ladies also seemed to think they’d be blessed with the imperial secret to long-lasting youth. Lyse was jealous of their unbridled, earnest desire to go to the empire.
“Sidis, I leave the choice to you,” Duke Alcede declared.
At his command, a silver-haired knight began asking everyone in turn—starting with the chamberlain—how they felt about the emperor. They all answered with flowery praise.
“He’s an inspiring ruler.”
“I’ve heard he’s most wonderful.”
Could he really judge their aptitude from this? Lyse tilted her head in puzzlement. It was there that the silver-haired knight finally stopped in front of her.
The knight named Sidis was a tremendously beautiful man. He gave off an androgynous air, yet his features were sharp and angular. His black and silver coat and cape were like delicate adornments that further enhanced his looks. His nearly lake-green eyes were handsome as well.
Though this was Lyse’s first time meeting him, unlike with the emperor, he still felt strangely familiar to her. As she raised her right hand to her shoulder in an Olwen-style bow, she tried to recall him. Based on his appearance, he didn’t seem to be over a hundred years old. That meant Lyse couldn’t have known him from her past life, so she brushed off the familiarity as a figment of her imagination.
As she silently came to that conclusion, she heard Sidis whisper, “Sword calluses...”
His eyes were fixed on her hands poking out from her sleeves. She’d been so wrapped up in thought that she’d defaulted to an imperial posture... She realized how awkward it was, but it would have been even more awkward to switch now.
She was also more concerned that the knight had remarked on her calluses. She’d gotten them by doing practice swings whenever she was upset—an advantage of having a large bedroom. Though she had worried Sidis would be suspicious, his stern look softened. Did he like sword calluses or something?
Sidis said nothing more on the matter. He simply apologized and asked her as he had everyone else, “What is your impression of His Majesty the Emperor?”
“I believe he wa—is a man very worth protecting.”
Because Lyse knew the emperor from her previous life, she had to stop herself from saying “was.” It would have been strange indeed to imply she’d protected him before.
When Sidis heard this, however, he suddenly gasped and grabbed her wrist. The moment he did, she felt something strange, as if his hand were pulling her in like a magnet.
She looked up to find him staring at her intently, as though he was beholding something he could scarcely believe. His mouth moved almost wordlessly, though Lyse thought she heard him say, “You can’t be...”
He then pulled Lyse to her feet and turned to the emperor upon the throne to declare, “Your Majesty, I recommend this woman as your lady-in-waiting.”
“Huh?!”
There was no reason for Sidis to choose her. Lyse thought as much herself, and she heard the other ladies around her echo the sentiment...
“Why would he pick the boar girl?!” they squealed.
But Sidis was most serious. He immediately began dragging Lyse by the hand toward the emperor. Stunned by all this, she could barely keep up with him and promptly stumbled. Sidis seemed to misunderstand the reason.
“Are you bad on your feet? My apologies for not realizing. This is a most urgent matter, however, so please bear with me for a moment,” he said before lifting Lyse into his arms.
“Eeeeek!”
This was the first time she had ever been held by a man. She was shocked. So utterly, in fact, that she could do naught but screech like a mosquito. She couldn’t even get away. She would have suspected Sidis of casting some sort of spell on her, but she’d detected no sign of him doing so.
Sidis, meanwhile, arrived before the emperor and lowered Lyse to the ground.
“Your Majesty, please designate this maiden as your attending lady-in-waiting during your stay,” he implored the emperor. He then whispered to Lyse, “Give him your name.”
“Ah...”
If she gave her name here, that would be it—she would become the emperor’s lady-in-waiting. Lyse couldn’t help hesitating, but she caved under the stares and dirty looks the elderly prime minister and other nobles were giving her. At this point, she wouldn’t dare do anything as impolite as walk away without so much as a word.
“My name is Lyse Winslette,” she thus said with a bow.