The Empror's Trap

Meeting with Pluvia went much more smoothly than Uheya had anticipated.

Today, Pluvia was clearly in a good mood, appearing completely different from her aggressive demeanor during previous negotiations. And Uheya, now unburdened, didn't mind being polite to Pluvia. So when the two women first met, they hit it off quite well.

Since this was an informal chat between an emperor and a princess, Kenji, who stood nearby, naturally didn't join in and simply waited quietly.

Of course, neither he nor Uheya probably realized that Pluvia's friendliness was largely due to her feeling a sense of shared suffering with Uheya.

Both were women caught in power struggles, both were royal family members, and both faced troubles from their own countries and relatives. In many ways, Pluvia saw a reflection of herself in Uheya. She even wondered if she might have ended up like Uheya now, had she failed in her own power struggle.

But at present, she didn't need to dwell on such thoughts. Following custom, she inquired about King Tuwa of the Sal and his son Ban. Upon hearing that they were doing well, Pluvia merely smiled, showing neither disappointment nor any other emotion.

"Oh, right. When you came to Camelot for negotiations earlier, I asked Grand Marshal about your relationship. I heard you two are old acquaintances, correct?" she asked.

"That's right, Your Majesty. Grand Marshal was once brought to the Sal Kingdom by the former Duke Anos. We met there and became quite close, I would say we were good friends," Uheya replied to Pluvia's question.

"How wonderful! I had no idea the Grand Marshal had such a good friend in the Sal during his youth. You know, Grand Marshal has never been keen on making friends or attending gatherings—though he performs well at every social event, I know very well that he's not one who enjoys socializing."

Pluvia had some understanding of Kenji. This fellow appeared quite friendly with most officials and even servants at court, but in reality, he disliked such social interactions. He only chose to go against his preferences because he needed those officials.

From Pluvia's observation of Kenji for so long, he was only on good terms with a few officials, occasionally taking the initiative to invite them to banquets. Besides that, the only people who interested him were those young military officers.

The friendships with those officers, in Pluvia's view, were more like relationships between like-minded individuals who shared topics and ideals.

As for close friends, Pluvia had never seen any. However, if one set aside status, Lina definitely qualified, and Pluvia felt the relationship between Lina and Kenji had long surpassed mere friendship.

In fact... their relationship seemed to be something ordinary people could never replicate.

"Your Majesty flatters me. We merely played together in the past. Now Grand Marshal has become Duke Anos, and bringing up those old matters makes me feel rather embarrassed," Uheya said, downplaying her relationship with Kenji.

She had deliberately set Kenji up once during negotiations, but that was because she represented her country's interests at the time. Now, being essentially a discarded piece, she didn't want to cause trouble for her friend. If she dwelled too much on her past relationship with Kenji, the emperor might become wary of him because of this connection.

From her country's perspective, having the Camelot Grand Marshal under the emperor's suspicion would be beneficial, but Uheya still felt she should distance herself somewhat from Kenji to avoid implicating her friend.

Seeing how she brushed past the topic, Pluvia didn't press further and simply nodded. "By the way, since you're here, if you have any plans or requests for the future, you can tell me. I'll try my best to accommodate them. Also, Kenji is no longer Duke Anos; he has been granted the title of Prince. So in the future, please be mindful of his title when addressing him."

"Prince?!" Uheya widened her eyes as she looked at Kenji.

The title of Duke Anos had accompanied Kenji and his father for so long, and Uheya, who knew Camelot well, understood that for someone like Kenji who wasn't born into the royal family, being granted the title of Duke was already the highest honor possible.

But now he had become a prince? How did this happen? Even with military achievements, this promotion seemed too rapid. Thinking carefully, the biggest thing Kenji had done recently was organizing the counterattack against the Sal Kingdom and reclaiming Hanyin City...

Wait, did my homeland's defeat contribute that significantly to his accomplishments?

"Yes, thanks to Her Majesty's generosity," Kenji honestly replied.

"Congratulations, Grand Marshal. Being named a prince in the Camelot court is a tremendous honor," Uheya said politely, then suddenly froze.

Wait a minute, though Kenji had achievements, they surely weren't enough to directly warrant being made a prince? Even if his accomplishments did merit such a title, it shouldn't have happened so quickly. According to Camelot's procedures, if he were truly to be named a prince, the formal investiture would normally have to wait until next year. Why was Kenji's appointment so hasty?

On further reflection, Kenji and the Camelot Emperor seemed to have grown somewhat closer. Could it be that...?

No, impossible! Kenji wasn't that kind of person! If the title had been granted through improper means, Kenji would never have agreed. Yes, that's right!

While these thoughts ran through her mind, neither Kenji nor Pluvia knew what she was thinking. Pluvia casually took some paper and a brush, then bit her lip as she began writing an official document.

This document would handle Uheya's residency in Camelot. With it, Uheya could enjoy almost the same treatment as Camelot nobility, preventing her from being stopped by those who didn't recognize her if she wanted to go out.

As for whether she might take the opportunity to slip away... well, if she truly did so, Sal Kingdom would likely face dire consequences.

If a hostage escaped on her own, Camelot would have every reason to launch another war against Sal. Uheya was a smart person; unless the situation truly threatened her life, she wouldn't do such a thing.

However, it was clear that Pluvia's arm hadn't fully recovered, making writing documents somewhat difficult for her.

"Kenji, help me," she said, lifting her chin to indicate that Kenji should grind some ink.

Kenji walked over, set up the inkstone, moistened the ink stick with water, and began grinding. The gentle grinding sound was strangely comforting.

After preparing the ink at a leisurely pace, Kenji placed the inkstone before Pluvia with a gesture that said "please."

"From now on, you'll stay in Luminara. If you need anything, you can first approach Kenji, since it's easier to get things done through someone familiar. If Kenji can't resolve the issue or can't make a decision, you can come to me."

After finishing the document, Pluvia had Kenji pass it to Uheya, then said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."