Published: January 17, 2026
【Bellinate】
Last night, there were guests, and I ended up staying up quite late. Because of that, I had told everyone not to disturb me in the morning, but...
“Your Majesty, sorry to bother you so early.”
I heard a knock on the bedroom door, followed by a man's voice. Normally, this would be the role of a personal attendant, but this voice clearly belonged to a middle-aged man. Since it was through the door, I couldn't be entirely sure, but it didn't sound like an attendant.
At times like this, it usually means an important report. Suppressing my annoyance, I quickly threw on a cloak and turned toward the door.
“It’s open. Come in.”
Giving permission, the door was opened from the outside. Standing there was Prime Minister Aperta. He squinted at me with a look of mild exasperation.
“Oh, Your Majesty. Are you really just waking up? It seemed like quite some time had passed since sunrise, yet your hair is still in disarray...”
“I don’t want to hear your sarcasm this early in the morning. What’s going on?”
Grumbling at Aperta’s usual sharp tongue, I asked the reason for his visit. He frowned and sighed, clearly displeased.
“This morning, a messenger from the marquis rosso family arrived, requesting an audience from Count Panamera, but more importantly...”
“A messenger from the marquis rosso family, sent by Count Panamera? I don’t understand, but is there more?”
When I asked, Aperta’s expression suddenly changed as if he'd just found a new toy, nodding eagerly.
“Would you like to hear it?”
“Speak quickly, hurry.”
Delighted by my impatience, Aperta shook his shoulders with a wicked grin. Who on earth gave this ill-tempered man the position of Prime Minister?
“A mysterious ship has suddenly appeared along the coast of this capital city.”
“A ship...? A drifting vessel? That would be quite a stroke of luck.”
Occasionally, fishermen’s small boats get swept away. In this region, they usually drift southward. Most of the time, the people aboard perish, but perhaps some have survived?
That was my line of thought as I sought confirmation, but Aperta looked at me with a disappointed expression.
“Your Majesty, has your intuition dulled with age? How pitiful.”
“I’ll knock you out, you know that?”
I couldn’t help but complain honestly, which made Aperta laugh aloud.
“Oh, Your Majesty. You’ve suddenly grown younger. Hearing that nostalgic tone has brightened my day. Ha ha ha.”
Still chuckling, Aperta turned to leave.
“Tell me about the ship! Tell me about the ship!”
I stomped on the floor in frustration and shouted. What’s wrong with Aperta today? He’s more troublesome than usual. It’s beyond disrespect—it’s an insult to the royal family. Maybe I should make him work without a single day off for a year.
Seeing the angry king, Aperta nonchalantly opened his mouth.
“Oh, I almost forgot. The ship appeared this morning and is already anchored. It’s enormous—probably close to a hundred meters long.”
“A hundred...? Could this be the same large ship that appeared in the marquisate of rosso!?”
Hearing this report truly made my blood boil. Why would he report such an important matter with such an attitude? So far, we’ve received three reports from the marquis rosso family: first, a large ship anchored offshore; second, a messenger came from the ship; and third, about an unknown maritime nation. I had instructed that the last one be investigated carefully, but to think a large ship would actually appear in the capital!
“Why are you so calm? Have any of the ship’s crew disembarked?”
I spoke in a low voice, and Aperta folded his arms, as if trying to recall something. Then, his face lit up as he opened his mouth.
“Ah, now that you mention it... there was also a report that Viscount Van was seen on the deck of that mysterious ship. This came from knights sent to scout, so it’s highly credible.”
“Viscount Van, you say!? Oh, so that’s the connection! The mysterious ship appearing in the marquis rosso family’s territory—could it be that Viscount Van is involved! Hm, I won’t stand for this! I’ll go to the ship immediately!”