CH9

Even after hearing Levi’s words that they had arrived, the carriage continued to run for a while before stopping. Meanwhile, Yul did not take his eyes off the window. He looked at the well-manicured gardens, beautiful sculptures, and buildings that were enchanting just by looking at them and it felt like he had traveled abroad.

Yul, who was looking around with round eyes, started crawling into Mikael’s jacket pocket as soon as the carriage stopped.

In his mind, he wanted to fit in the front pocket on his chest, but he didn’t have the confidence to climb up there.

“What are you doing now?”

“Don’t even think about holding my head and carrying me around!”

To Mikael’s question, Yul answered sharply.

That’s right. The reason Yul hurriedly crawled into his pocket was because he didn’t like the way Mikael and Levi had been holding him until now. So he took the initiative to find a way for them to carry him around.

It was stuffy, but the inside of the pocket was cozy in its own way. He liked the feel of the high quality fabric, and even the inside of the pocket was soft and smooth. Of course, breathing was a bit difficult, so he took his face out.

“Put your head in.”

“Then it’ll be stuffy… Arghh!”

Before Yul could finish his words, Mikael pressed Yul’s head with force and shoved him into his pocket. Yul screamed.

Yul was both in pain and angry, so he kicked in his pocket. As Yul started a riot inside, the area around the pocket shook.

That was Yul’s situation, and Mikael didn’t feel very pleasant either.

It was because the pockets bulged out when the puffy cotton doll got into the pocket. Of course, the clothes that had been put on gracefully were also messed up.

Mikael looked at the protruding pocket with dissatisfaction.

“Shall I put him in my pocket?”

Levi, noticing what he was thinking, asked first. At his words, Mikael looked at his pockets and Levi alternately.

There definitely would be a bunch of people around the Imperial Palace who would gossip about this. It wasn’t a problem in itself, but it was unacceptable for Mikael to wander around like this on his own.

But, oddly enough, thinking of the guy who would be crumpled in this obscurely protruding pocket, he didn’t want to hand him over to someone else. Even if that person was Levi, whom he had always had a favourable opinion of.

“No, never mind.”

Mikael got out of the wagon after flatly rejecting his offer.

The waiters of the Imperial Palace welcomed Mikael and Levi. After greeting them with courtesy, they tilted their heads with wide eyes, looking at Mikael’s convex pocket, but Mikael didn’t mind and moved forward.

“I want to go out, it’s stuffy!”

As he walked down the long hallway, he felt something squirming in his pocket, and a pink round head popped out of his pocket. Fortunately, the royal servants kept a distance as they followed Mikael, so they would not have been able to hear or see Yul.

“Endure it.”

Mikael looked straight ahead only and gave a brief reply, then shoved Yul’s head back into his pocket. ‘Hih, it hurts! Don’t shove me in like that!’ Yul’s resentful cry was heard, but he tried to ignore it.

Should I just have left him to escape?

He regretted it for a while, but if he had left this little thing to escape, it would have been a pain in the ass. Mikael let out a small sigh and hurried his steps.

‘So annoying, really. If you’re going to be like this, let me leave! I thought you’d give a tour of the Imperial Palace!’

Yul, who was stuck in his pocket, chimed in his heart.

He wasn’t out of breath the way he was the last time he was locked in a drawer, but it was still quite stuffy.

After all, the pockets were narrower than the drawers. He had to crouch so he could tuck his head in the pocket. He could live a little if he had only his head taken out, but Mikael wouldn’t even let him.

If this was going to be the case, why did you bring me, why!

Today was yet another where Yul was huffing and puffing with words he couldn’t say. He felt Mikael, who had been moving for a while, stop.

Curious about what was going on, he tried to take his head out, but Mikael was faster. He shoved Yul’s head inside with terrifying speed.

Meanwhile, Mikael arrived at the audience room. As he entered the audience chamber at a quick pace, the Emperor greeted Mikael.

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“Long time no see, Archduke Orlov. You have come a long way.”

“Mikael Orlov, greetings to His Majesty the Emperor.”

At Mikael’s greeting, the Emperor lightly beckoned to the unnecessary servants in the audience room. The servants immediately disappeared out of the audience chamber as if they were used to this kind of thing.

The Emperor, who guarded the throne with an expressionless face and dignified posture, leaned against the armrests of the throne as soon as the servants left.

“Oh, I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I am so tired of being Emperor.”

Andrei Alberova IV was the Emperor of the Wydefia Empire, and he was designated Emperor since he was born. He did not fit the aptitude for the position, but he was forced to do it because of his bloodline.

Of course, this fact was kept secret, so few people knew about it.

“You’re saying this again.”

One of them was Mikael.

Mikael frowned as if bored. The Orlov family itself had close ties with the Imperial Family from generation to generation. Because of this, he ended up becoming a regular listener to Andrei’s complaints.

Their relationship has been going on for a very long time.

More than 100 years ago, when the Alberova family coveted the throne and defeated the enemy, Wydefia, it was the Orlovs who empowered Alberova.

Of course, the then Emperor, Sergei Wydefia, was a great rascal, and due to multiple divorces and remarriages, there were only five Empresses in the courtroom, and his concubines numbered close to twenty. Because of this, his descendants from an early age fought for the throne, and the atmosphere of the country was disturbed.

Even though the Emperor was an idiot, the Imperial people’s resentment toward the Imperial Family was considerable as the throne was obtained through rebellion.

It was thanks to the reputation of the Orlov family, who had long played an important role in subjugating neighbouring countries and unifying Wydefia into a huge empire.

The Orlov family was one of the few aristocratic families that were well-recognized by the people of the Empire as they had been at the forefront of defeating foreign aggression from generation to generation.

Since those people supported Alberova, the people of the Empire were able to accept them.

It was also the opinion of the Orlov family at the time that the name of the country should also be kept as it is in the sense of respecting the former Wydefia.

Thanks to this, the people of the empire quickly found stability, and the Imperial Family was able to firmly defend the throne.

“Can you just be the Emperor? Hm?”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“I’m serious.”

“Then I don’t want it even more.”

Mikael frowned at Andrei’s words.

Even with that said, Andrei was a fairly respected Emperor, well-recognized both inside and outside the country. Mikael said he didn’t want it, but he had no intention of expelling an emperor who does a good job, and he had no desire to ascend to the throne.

“Levi, how about you, Levi? Don’t you think being an Imperial aide is more desirable than the Archduke’s assistant? Levi, try to convince him.”

“No thank you. I like a life without overtime work. I’m busy enough right now, but wouldn’t I be even busier if I became an aide to the imperial family?”

“How cold.”

Andrei grumbled at Levi’s cold reply. But he wasn’t the type to back down. Andrei had made the same offer over and over again even after being rejected countless times.

“Then leave this fellow and come to me. If a talented person like Levi joins the Imperial Family, I’ll be a little more comfortable. How much does this guy pay you? I can certainly double the amount.”

“I will decline. I already know that the Imperial Family is twice as busy as the Archduke’s residence.”

“Tch…”

At the blunt rejection, Andrei tutted with regret. Then he noticed something and widened his eyes. Then, after a while, the amethyst-colored eyes curved, and then he burst into laughter.

“Ahahahaha, Mikael, what is that? What the hell are you carrying in your pocket? Hahahahaha.”

Andrei laughed coolly when he saw the strangely bulging pocket and the visible soft pink cloth inside.

It was the first time he had seen a nobleman carrying something like that in his jacket pocket. And it was Mikael of all people. The pockets didn’t even protrude properly, they were almost on the verge of bursting.

“What the hell is it, like a squirrel holding an acorn?”

“… Don’t even think about coming out.”

At Andrei’s words, Mikael’s pockets squirmed. As Andrei opened his eyes wide, startled, Mikael spoke to what was in his pocket. If that wasn’t enough, he pressed the slightly exposed pink cloth into it.

Andrei, who only knew the usual Mikael, tilted his head at his strange appearance.

At that moment, his pockets swayed violently, and a pink head popped out.

“It’s so stuffy I’m going to die!!!”

…With a scream.

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