Published: January 4, 2026
Sorry for the wait, let's resume.
I will write up to chapter 117.
Late at night, I was inside the inn, working on some writing.
Even when I was away from the capital, government affairs moved forward through consultations between Henry and Oscar, but still, there were occasional matters that only the emperor could approve.
Those would sometimes be sent over, so I had to read through them at night, think about them, and respond.
Right now, that was what I was doing—cutting into my sleeping time to write replies.
Knock knock.
There was a soft knock at the door.
“Peiyu? Come in.”
“It’s John.”
“Hm?”
I paused my writing.
I looked up and toward the door.
It wasn’t Peiyu but a male voice announcing himself.
I searched my memory for the name John.
Soon, the image of a young man appeared clearly in my mind.
“...Ah, it’s you. Come in.”
“Thank you!”
After the reply, the door slowly opened.
Outside the door, John knelt, then stood up, carefully closed the door, and respectfully knelt again, bowing his head.
“Your Majesty—”
“There are no outsiders here; just use the usual internal etiquette.”
“—Yes! It’s been a while, master.”
“Hmm. Have you been well?”
“Yes!”
John lifted his head and answered with a wide smile.
Once upon a time, during the period when the late emperor’s first prince Albert was trafficking black slaves, we happened to run into some children forced into slavery by those black slave traders in town.
I rescued those children and took them in.
John was one of those children.
For several years after that, he did chores at the mansion, but when I ascended the throne, I sent him out as a magistrate.
I stared at John, observing him.
“You’ve gotten a bit plump, huh? Looks like you’re eating properly.”
“Sorry! I’ve been hooked on fatty meals lately.”
“Hmm? Fatty meals?”
“It’s just rice drenched in richly seasoned pork fat, but it’s an addictive taste!”
“Hahaha, that’s a very manly kind of meal. Don’t you eat anything better?”
“I’ve been to merchants’ banquets a few times, but the food is too refined and doesn’t suit me. I know it’s refined, but whenever I eat it, I get diarrhea.”
“Sounds like you’ve got an unsophisticated palate. But keep getting used to it little by little. If you come back to the Imperial Capital in the future with that palate, I’ll have fewer rewards to give.”
“Y-Yes! I’ll do my best!”
John bowed his head happily, though still a bit embarrassed.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Yes! I heard master was here and came with soldiers to escort you.”
“Soldiers?”
I tilted my head slightly and strained to listen.
Then, I sensed something.
Outside the inn, there was an unusually tense atmosphere for midnight.
“That’s exaggerated.”
“Not at all! If something happened to master here, it would be a huge problem. Also—”
“Also?”
“Since I have fewer chances to serve master after leaving the mansion, I want to help at least at times like this.”
John said this with passionate eyes.
I could tell he admired me, which didn’t feel bad at all.
“Hahaha, I see. I’ll leave everything to you then.”
“Thank you!”
John happily bowed deeply.
Just then, something happened.
Until a moment ago, no noise could be heard even when I listened carefully, but suddenly loud voices arguing came from outside.
“What’s going on?”
“Maybe drunkards. Don’t worry, I told downstairs strictly not to let anyone in.”
“Let paying guests in properly. We’re not renting the place out exclusively.”
“Y-Yes! As expected of master, I forgot because Mary always tells me to be more considerate like that!”
John said while lightly tapping his own head.
Given his background—from a farmer to a slave, then coming to my mansion—John’s manners and speech were quite rough at first glance.
That showed even now, but many of my household came from slave backgrounds, so in such situations, we just laugh it off.
Thinking that, I recalled how rare Evelyn was.
Then, mixed in with the sounds of the argument came the clashing of metal swords.