I was sitting in the dinning room with my father. Both of us were too focused on eating that neither of us spouted a word. There was nothing but the sound of cutlery clanging.

The food is really good.. As expected of our chef..

After the dishes were aligned on the table father dismissed all the servants as now it's just the two of us here.

"Salvarina" Father spoke which caused me to flinch.

"Yes father"

"Have you thought about marriage?"

"Well for now I'd rather focus on my business"

"I see.. Then perhaps what do you think about inheriting my title?" Father spoke.

I freeze at his words and thought about it...

To inherit his title meaning to become the duchess of Salvair duchy. It's quite a tempting offer. Of course the work load will increase but I'm quite used to it. Also I can avoid getting married!

It's a good offer right?

After calculating all pros and cons I finally spoke up.

"yes, I would like to" I said facing him.

Father smiled and continued to speak.

"Now when that's settled... I will take care of your training and other formalities" He said while slowly taking a sip from the wine in his glass.

"Is the training necessary though?.. I mean I've been training to be the empress for the past ten years so.." I spoke while thinking about it.

"Well... If you have to be the duchess Salvair then you have to go through a specific training for it... Don't worry too much about it as you've said you've already trained to be the empress so there's nothing additional except the 'serving part'" Father said while emphasizing the last part.

"You would have to serve the next emperor" He said annoyed.

Welp. That's a problem. I'd have to serve that trash. From all the rumors and from my own insight that guy is not at all a good ruler. He's a shit prince. Slacking off all the time especially since he met the heroine. He's been ditching all of the necessary work on to Salvarina. Wanna know why?.. Cause all the secretaries assigned to him quit due to the work pressure.

I swear if he were to push all of his work on to me again I'm gonna make him cry.

"I'll handle it father" I spoke just as annoyed as him.

"His Majesty has actually sent you a fair amount as ransom" Father said after a pause.

"That's good" I wonder what took him so long though.. It's almost been two months since the annulment.

"Also, he has asked for an audience with you" father said abruptly.

Wait.. What!

"Why so suddenly?"

"He has something to discuss with you"

With me?... The emperor?

From Salvarina's memories I don't remember much about the emperor. They didn't visit frequently or anything just a few ordinary banquets. His face too its kinda blurry. The description about him is too vague.

"Do you perhaps know what it is, father?"

"There have been reports of slavery occurring in our empire. It seems that he wants to discuss about that"

Slavery!?

"What do you mean father?"

"We know nothing for sure but it seems there's something going on here in the capital"

Whoa this is big news.. Slavery is strictly prohibited here and to think it's actually going on..

"Does it have anything to do with Moebius?" I asked father carefully.

Moebius.... A secret figure whom no one knows. It is said that Moebius is the person controlling the black market. Nobody knows if Moebius is a girl or a boy... Some say it's just a made up story to scare kids but no it's not just a story.. A very few nobles including my father and myself knows about this person's existence. Could it be that Moebius is behind slavery?

"No.. I think not. Slavery isn't taking place in the black market but in some secret auctions right here in the capital"

Hmmmm..

"So.. Could it be that some noble is behind this?"

"Yes, that's what we've been thinking" father spoke with a serious tone.

"Alright. I'll be meeting the emperor"

"Very well. By the way how's your business progressing? Do you need any extra funds or anything?"

"Everything's going well father. Right now we don't require anything"

"Is that so?..what about the information guild you set up?"

"Well... We've got some new recruits and Mr John is taking care of it"

"Seems like you are short in hands"

"Yes. I actually am.. Hahaha" I just laughed it off.

"Do you want me to assign someone?"

"Nope it's fine. I'll just find someone"

"Great then Salvarina.. you should eat more vegetables"

Ack! He noticed that I haven't been eating the artichokes. Gosh I hate that stuff.

"But father I'm full"

"Oh is that so?... Then have some desserts"

"Ah well yes"

"I asked the headchef to make ice-cream as dessert"

"Thank you father" I smiled.

I ate ice-cream scoop by scoop while father was looking at me and smiling.

Somehow I can sometimes see a glimpse of my papa in him.

After having dinner I skipped to my room while humming. What a good day it is!

Suddenly I stopped as I remembered about Iglo. I ran quickly towards my room to see what he was doing.

As I entered my room I saw Mary organising bed and mattresses for me to sleep as it was already night.

"Mary where's Iglo?" I asked while searching for Iglo.

"Ah.. Well.. It's behind the flower pot I guess.." Mary spoke her voice sounding uneasy.

I looked behind the flower pot and there he was.... drinking something really suspicious?

"Sup master?" Iglo spoke

Sup? Did he just 'sup' at me?

"What are you drinking?" I asked while raising my eyebrows.

"I'm not drinking it,master.. I'm only tasting it since monster's can't consume food we feed off our master's mana"

I looked at it furrowing when Mary came beside me.

"Kyaa! Mylady, this solution is used to make the room smell refreshing"

So he's actually drinking air deodorant.

"It's extremely itchy though" Mary added.

Itchy?

"Iglo, do you feel itchy?"

"Relax master. I'm a monster human tastes and our tastes are quite different" He spoke with a peculiar dialect different from the one he's been using when I first saw him.

"O-okay then" I said while having my suspicious eyes glued onto him.

It was night time and I was sleeping peacefully..Since it was quite hot I asked Mary to leave the windows open..Iglo was with me as well.. He was sleeping on the pillow beside. He has become my personal bodyguard after all.

'Master wake up.. I can sense someone here'

'Where?'

'Right outside the window'

'Wait a minute.. I can sense this person too'

'Well master after forming a contract with me it seems that some of my abilities are acquired by master'

'Hmmm.. Like high sensations?'

'Yep'

Seriously... That jerk Xenoc.. I even told him not to come in the middle of the night..There goes my sleep.

I should've closed the windows after all.

I groaned in frustration.

'Master it seems that this person has a quite rare mana'

'What do you mean Iglo?'

'Usually mana is gold in color but this person's mana is blue'

Blue mana?... As expected of a villain...

'Just stay here Iglo' I quickly grabbed a tea pot from the table near my bed.

Let's see.. Where's this guy?.... I aimed at the direction where I'm feeling his presence and threw the tea pot.

A whimper escaped from his mouth.

Gotcha!

That must've sting a lot.. This is what you get for spying on me you jerk.

'What a shot master!' Iglo applauded.

I raised my chin up proudly.

I was really good in shot put after all.

My sleep is disrupted by that jerk.. Let's just sleep again.

'Do you want me to sing a lullaby master?'

'Shut up and sleep, Iglo'

In the morning I decided to write a letter to the falcon trading house especially to be given to their head, the-jerk-who-disrupts-my-sleep.

As I was choosing the envelope for my letter I glanced at Mary who looked like she was desperately searching for something.

"Mary, what are you looking for?"

"H-huh?.. Ah mylady, Have you seen a tea pot with floral designs? ..It was placed here near the table beside your bed... It was my favorite tea pot" She said panicking.

Tea pot? Wait a minute.... Didn't I throw something at that jerk yesterday?.. Was it the tea pot?

'Aren't you gonna tell her, master?'

How should I tell her?

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