The banquet hall was so silent that even breathing could be heard.

“......A gift?”

“Yes.”

Ardiana smiled at the Emperor.

“I assumed that was why Your Majesty invited the King of the Dead to today’s ceremony. That you wished to put previous misunderstandings behind us.”

“......Ha.”

The Emperor let out a short laugh.

Only after some time did he speak again, his voice strangely restrained.

“As a matter of fact, I truly was planning to bestow something.”

Tightly gripping the wineglass in his hand, the Emperor turned his head.

For the first time since the ceremony began, his gaze settled on Tie.

“King of the Dead, come forward.”

Hearing the voice directed at her, Astie unconsciously shrank her shoulders.

But the moment she turned and saw Papa standing behind her, she straightened her chest again.

‘It’s okay. Papa’s here.’

And not just him.

Grandpa was here too, along with the princess chairwoman of the Association who loved Tie very much, and the squad members.

Even though everyone was acting carefully because of the number of witnesses around them, that also meant Tie no longer had to cower in fear no matter what happened.

As she briskly walked forward, she saw people parting on their own.

The Emperor sat upon a large elevated throne, looking down at Tie from above.

In the silence, Tie carefully studied his face.

The Emperor was very handsome.

He was even tall enough that, from a distance, he resembled some magnificent hero from a storybook.

But.

‘......Scary. He has villain eyes.’

There was no light in the Emperor’s eyes.

And even stranger was the way he looked at Ardiana.

‘Why does he look at his own daughter like that......?’

Just as ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Tie was Papa’s daughter, Ardiana was the Emperor’s daughter.

But the Emperor did not look at Ardiana the way Papa looked at Tie.

And it seemed Ardiana returned the feeling as well.

‘The princess looks at Papa with hatred too.’

And very strong hatred at that.

The kind that looked as though there could never be forgiveness or reconciliation between them.

And then—

“Though your achievements are not particularly great, nor your blood especially distinguished.”

The Emperor spoke with long pauses between his words.

“Since the princess herself asks it of me, I have little choice but to accept.”

His lifeless eyes settled on Tie.

“By the authority of the Emperor, I grant you a title.”

“.......”

“I hope the honor I bestow proves to be a burden you are capable of bearing. The grant and territory will later be delivered to you by Chief Treasurer Collin.”

The officials standing to the side immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“We shall carry out Your Majesty’s will.”

The observing nobles forced smiles onto their faces.

“H-how magnanimous!”

“Indeed.”

“They say a ruler who possesses both courage and mercy appears only once every three hundred years, ha ha......”

But Tie herself, having just received a title, merely stood there staring blankly at them.

Too many difficult words.

Grant, Chief Treasurer...

She had barely understood anything the Emperor said.

Still, there was one thing she managed to figure out.

‘So... Tie is getting a reward......?’

Because Tie had helped capture the clock tower well.

‘But his face looks like he really doesn’t want to give it.’

Tie nervously wriggled her fingers, unsure how she was supposed to react.

And then—

“What are you standing around for?!”

One of the nearby officials whispered sharply at her.

Still bent from bowing, they looked at Tie as though they could not believe their eyes.

“You should thank His Majesty first! Even if you don’t know etiquette, this is too much......!”

“Ah!”

Tie hurriedly turned toward the Emperor.

‘Forgot.’

Whether he was bad or good, the Emperor was still the Emperor.

And if you received a reward from the Emperor, you had to give thanks.

Tie quickly bowed.

“Thank you!”

Then she secretly glanced toward the old official grandpas standing nearby, as though asking whether she had done it correctly.

But instead of praise, they looked even more horrified.

‘That’s not right either?’

Tie rolled her eyes around before looking back at the Emperor again.

“Um... Tie’s household isn’t very wealthy, but I’ll still use it well......”

Silence fell once more.

‘That’s wrong too?’

In the end, Tie anxiously looked toward Ardiana.

And just as their eyes met and Ardiana was about to say something—

“I knew you had rather strange tastes and preferred wandering around in the form of a child.”

The Emperor clicked his tongue and leaned back against his throne.

Then, looking at Tie with even greater contempt, he continued:

“But I did not expect your manners to be this magnificent. I suppose you will adapt quickly to your new title as well.”

The nobles fell silent.

Those who knew the Emperor’s temperament immediately understood.

‘He’s decided to crush her completely.’

Whenever the Emperor disliked someone or found them irritating, this was the way he usually spoke.

They were not direct accusations or punishments.

No.

The Emperor preferred slowly and elegantly humiliating someone in front of a crowd.

Ardiana’s face stiffened — she too understood his intentions.

But the Emperor continued already:

“Then again, perhaps it was precisely your lack of upbringing, lineage, and fear that allowed you to achieve such accomplishments.”

“.......”

“Well. Even lowly creatures are not destined to crawl upon the ground forever. Even insects can occasionally fly.”

“Your Majesty.”

At last, Ardiana quietly stepped in.

After first looking at Astie, she said:

“The King of the Dead has never been taught court etiquette. And this is her first time attending an event of this nature......”

“Hehe, actually!”

But then Tie suddenly raised her hand high.

“As the Emperor said, everyone really did say Tie was very polite!”

The child beamed as though delighted to be acknowledged.

“A long time ago, at kindergarten... no. Um...... somewhere, Tie learned how to bow properly!”

“.......”

“All the other kids got confused, but Tie remembered everything and even won an etiquette prize! Girls are supposed to put the left hand on top!”

Tie plopped onto the floor and bowed to the Emperor.

The officials were horrified at the unfamiliar bow.

The Emperor frowned as well, but Tie had already bounced back up and tilted her head.

“Not right? Was the right hand on top......?”

The child fell into thought.

Then suddenly exclaimed:

“I’ll do it again!”

And promptly dropped into another bow.

From behind, a muffled laugh could be heard.

Tesetan, one corner of his lips crooked upward, was struggling to hold back his laughter.

Meanwhile, Tie climbed back to her feet.

Then, as though everything had now been settled, she dusted off her knees.

And then—

“Then I’ll go now! I have a lot of things to do! Goodbye!”

Apparently she had once seen somewhere that one must not turn one’s back toward the Emperor, so she began hurriedly backing away in tiny steps.

Watching Tie retreat, the Emperor’s forehead tightened so severely that a vein bulged at his temple.

In a voice only Ardiana could hear, he hissed:

“......How dare she.”

Ardiana lifted her eyes.

“How dare that low blood...... address me......”

“That low blood is someone Your Majesty just granted a title to.”

The Emperor flinched.

Raising his head, he saw Ardiana calmly gazing at him.

“Was it not you who taught that the words and actions of the imperial family must carry weight?”

“......Ha.”

“If Your Majesty is angered by the King of the Dead’s words, then that only proves her words struck true.”

Ardiana smiled.

And beneath the sleeve of his robe, the Emperor’s fist visibly trembled.

He understood perfectly well himself.

If he began interrogating the King of the Dead now, the only one who would become a laughingstock was himself.

Suppressing an irritated breath, the Emperor set down his wineglass.

Where had Fides gone?

Why had Lavenia still not appeared?

And why had Ardiana, who had lived her entire life quieter than still water, suddenly......

In the end, the Emperor clicked his tongue and rose from his seat.

“I do not feel well.”

At those words, everyone froze.

“Continue the banquet. There is no reason to disrupt order simply because the Emperor is absent.”

With a dark expression, not even bothering to conceal his irritation, the Emperor left the banquet hall.

“I think it’ll be a baron title.”

“What are you talking about?! At minimum, a viscount! Her Highness the Princess personally requested it, and besides, these days people say you can even buy a barony with money!”

“But for a mercenary, even a barony already feels excessive, don’t you think?”

“Of course it’ll be a personal title! Though if land gets added on top of that......”

Each time the speaker changed, Tie’s eyes darted left and right.

In the corner of the banquet hall, where a crowd had gathered entirely because of her, Tie poked at her food with a fork.

“King of the Dead! What do you think yourself?”