Chapter 263: A Grand Welcome by the Empress

“Welcome to my estate! This may be the second time I’ve invited you, but I am delighted to be able to greet you personally. Valiere von Anhalt!!”

Valiere was astonished.

Indeed, Her Majesty Empress Maxine would surely welcome her with the utmost goodwill. She had avenged the Empress’s father, after all. But still, but still.

“Y-Your Majesty. I am truly humbled that you would greet me yourself, but! When I consider your position, I can only say that this is unbecoming of your station!!”

Even Valiere was taken aback by this—The Empress herself, standing and waiting for my arrival in front of her estate, greeting me outdoors rather than in the audience chamber.

She was shocked by it.

This was hardly the behavior of a woman who sat on the imperial throne.

Of course, the Electors were not truly loyal to Maxine in their hearts.

But Valiere was different.

She held not just a measure of respect for her—but a clear and definite reverence.

“Oh? Are you concerned for me? As your host, I must show you the greatest possible consideration. Of course I would come to the front of the estate to welcome you.”

“It is rash! You must give more thought to your position!!”

Empress Maxine’s aides nodded in agreement.

At the same time, they, too, showed a hint of favor toward Valiere’s attitude.

Honestly, they hadn’t been pleased to see their master go to such lengths, but if the invited guest, Valiere, was going to react this way, it didn’t leave a bad taste in their mouths.

“You are the supreme sovereign of the Holy Gusten Empire. It is the duty of the Empress to refrain from reckless and thoughtless actions!!”

Valiere truly acknowledged the Empress as the Empress.

She was different from the Electors—like Anastasia, Katarina, and Eugen—who utterly looked down on the Empress in their hearts.

Realizing this, the aides began to feel a distinct goodwill toward Valiere from this alone.

This was one of Valiere’s good qualities.

She respected others from the bottom of her heart.

And not just the Empress.

In place of low self-esteem, she possessed a goodness of character that allowed her to consider and respect the positions of others.

“Now, now, is it not fine? Lady Valiere, we, the attendants of Her Majesty Maxine, also welcome you. Come, allow us to guide you to the estate. Fortunately, our estate is large, and we have a separate guest villa prepared. It is also possible to host Valiere-sama in the main house, but—”

“No, please don’t trouble yourselves. It is a true honor to be under the same roof as Her Majesty the Empress, but… well, it is simply too much for one of my station. The separate house is more than enough.”

This, too, was what she truly felt.

Had Anastasia or Katarina said this, it would have been taken, despite the outward courtesy, as a sneer meaning, “Think about security. How could I possibly stay in the main house alone? I’d never know when I might be assassinated in my sleep.”

Valiere was truly not lying.

She genuinely felt that it is too much for one of my station.

“Then we shall guide you to the guest house. Should there be any discourtesy or inconvenience, please do not hesitate to inform me of anything.”

Anyone could see it.

Valiere was incapable of such machinations to begin with.

That, in turn, invited the goodwill of Maxine’s aides.

“Valiere-sama, I now understand why Her Majesty went to the trouble of greeting you at the front of the estate. We shall welcome you with all our heart. To all those accompanying you, please make yourselves comfortable and relax here at our estate.”

Maxine’s aides said this with sincere, beaming smiles.

Her Majesty Empress Maxine had welcomed Valiere-sama before the estate with open arms.

As a result, the people Valiere had brought with her…

The Second Princess’s Royal Guard.

Sabine and Amelia.

…her attendants, did not feel ill-disposed in the slightest.

Rather, it was an almost intoxicating feeling.

They even felt the urge to puff out their chests, as if to say, “See? Isn’t our Valiere-sama a magnificent person?”

They had no intention of pledging loyalty to anyone but Valiere, but there was no way they could feel bad about their own master being treated this way by the Empress.

They even developed a favorable impression of the Empress.

Their first encounter ended on truly excellent terms.

They had shown more than enough mutual respect to let their guards down.

However.

“Hmph.”

There were three who were different.

One of them, Duchess Astarte, showed respect as a matter of outward courtesy, but nothing had changed about the fact that she was still scheming all sorts of things in her heart.

She stared intently, observing both Valiere and Maxine.

Now, how can I make use of this relationship? That was her only thought.

“—”

The second, Faust, well, he didn’t feel bad about it.

His master, Valiere, had been shown such a high degree of courtesy.

I, too, shall show courtesy.

As a knight, he understood that perfectly, and he didn’t believe the Empress was thinking of harming Valiere-sama, either.

He understood that.

He did, but.

“…”

Faust could not let his guard down.

The Empress was showing the utmost goodwill.

He understood that, yet he simply couldn’t lower his vigilance.

The reason being, he had actually had people try to take his head in his sleep several times.

Since the age of fifteen, Faust had been serving his military duty for Anhalt as the acting head of the Polydoro territory.

During that time, there had been a village of bandits that colluded with thieves to attack travelers.

Fearing the possibility of being exposed, they had waited for Faust and his soldiers to be asleep and launched an attack.

Of course, Faust had unilaterally slaughtered his attackers, but from that experience, he had completely stopped “letting his guard down.”

That did not change, even in an estate where he was an invited guest receiving the Empress’s hospitality.

“Oh, Lord Faust von Polydoro. Is something on your mind?”

Amidst the relaxed atmosphere, his vigilance was noticed by Maxine.

Since Maxine herself was paying close attention to Faust, it was only natural.

“My sincerest apologies. It is a knight’s disposition; my past combat experience makes it impossible for me to lower my guard. It is embarrassing. Please, do not take offense—”

“Not at all, not at all, Lord Polydoro. It is good to have at least one such attendant. That is what it means to be a knight of high honor. I envy Valiere for having such a fine retainer.”

Rather, Maxine praised Faust’s warrior-like vigilance.

Of course, she wasn’t actually offended, but it was a technique for winning people over.

His praise was calculated to improve Faust’s impression of her, even if only slightly.

Her position as Empress was not just for show.

“By all means, I would love to hear your story, along with Valiere’s. And of course, that of your squire—”

The third person who had not let down their guard was a child.

Her master was Faust, so no matter how much Valiere was praised, she felt nothing in particular.

Regarding that Martina…

…Maxine narrowed her eyes, gazing at her as if to ascertain her character.

“Martina von Bäusel. I have read your book. It was most fascinating. I would very much like to hear more about it in detail.”

“But of course. It would be my honor, Your Majesty Empress Maxine. If you would allow me to explain in detail—”

Although she said as much, and of course knelt to show her respects, she had no idea what she was thinking.

That was the impression Maxine got from her.

She couldn’t read the heart of this mere nine-year-old child at all.

“Hmph.”

For a moment, Maxine was bewildered.

Maxine was naturally brilliant.

She was unquestionably of the finest blood in the Holy Gusten Empire, a superhuman.

She told no one, but in truth, she could read people’s hearts just a little.

It wasn’t a magical ability like mind-reading.

She could simply infer what a person was thinking from the slightest clues in their words and expressions.

And yet, when it came to Martina, she couldn’t read her at all.

Honestly, she’s an eerie child, Maxine thought.

“Excellent. Exceedingly excellent.”

Instead, her interest won out.

Her ability was ineffective.

This intrigued her.

“Well then, let us conclude the greetings here. I am Maxine von Lothringen. I have no intention of ever forgetting my gratitude for Valiere avenging my father. However, as a small token of that gratitude, I would first like you to accept the hospitality of my estate. It is only for the month or so until the succession ceremony of your elder sister, Anastasia, as an Elector, but please, relax and make yourself at home. Of course, you may also look forward to the reward I will bestow upon you at the end!”

“Th-Thank you very much.”

Valiere smiled like a fairy and knelt.

It was the courtesy of a knight to their lord.

Maxine was satisfied.

“—”

Here, Faust tilted his head slightly.

It was nothing major; he simply felt a slight sense of puzzlement.

“Is something the matter, Lord Polydoro? Do you find something about me puzzling?”

Maxine, ever sharp, noticed this as well.

Rather than chastise her, Maxine spoke as if to answer the unspoken question.

“It seems your health has improved somewhat. I am pleased to see it.”

What Faust found puzzling was that Maxine’s complexion was much better than when she had last had an audience with her.

She was as thin as ever.

Perhaps her ribs were visible beneath her clothes.

Nevertheless, there was no mistaking that she was in better health than before.

“Heh heh, you can tell? This, too, is thanks to Valiere. Ever since she avenged my father, my health has been superb.”

“…”

Faust furrowed his brow.

Maxine read his mind.

‘If that’s the case, fine, but she’s still so thin. It’s painful to see,’ or something to that effect.

Well, she didn’t mind being pitied.

“Pardon my interruption once more. Your Majesty Empress Maxine, there is something I would like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“This is a truly impertinent question, and I apologize if it offends you, but…”

Maxine tried to read his mind again.

She’s probably going to say, ‘Shouldn’t you be eating more?’

She predicted it would be something like that, given the flow of the conversation so far.

“Would you be so kind as to guide me to the grave of your father, Your Majesty? I have heard the cemetery is located on the estate grounds. As a fellow man, I wish to offer a flower to a ‘true man’ who fought desperately to the death to protect his daughter. I do not know if such a small gesture could offer any comfort to your heart, but…”

Even for Maxine, it was an unexpected request.

She froze for a moment, bewildered.

At such thoughtfulness, even Maxine’s aides were struck speechless.

In other words, this was the kind of man Faust von Polydoro was.

Because he was a man, he could show sincere, heartfelt respect for another true man—a respect that was not mere flattery toward the Empress.

And that was something that not even Maxine, with her transcendent abilities, could read.