Three years have passed since the United Kingdom became the Empire.
Time is said to be relative. Unlike the suffocating and intense days before the war ended, peaceful days have flowed like a river.
For the first time in history, various races on the continent have been slowly learning to live together during the past three years. They have learned and understood each other’s customs, discovering ways to compromise and yield.
Of course, the process wasn’t smooth. There have been quite a few disputes, and large-scale rebellions almost occurred twice.
It was only natural that conflicts arose when those who had fought for thousands of years were told to coexist under one law and order.
However, the rebellions that were almost recorded as happening ended almost immediately due to overwhelming force, making it pointless to mention them, and the citizens gradually came to realize that the governance of the Scarlet Empire was not a temporary system.
Those who couldn’t let go of the glory of the past gradually faded away, while those who conformed to the new order seized opportunities.
In that process, the mountain of paperwork that once seemed like it would crush and kill me has now mostly been swept away by the river of time.
As the new system firmly established itself and the citizens became accustomed to it, the massive system known as the Scarlet Empire began to move by itself, just as I had hoped initially.
“Yeah. This is life.”
I nodded in satisfaction, enjoying a cup of coffee in my much cleaner and tidier office.
There’s a mysterious magic to slacking off during work hours. Ordinary actions that wouldn’t evoke any thought on a holiday somehow feel like productive uses of time when done during work hours; it feels as if I’m living life to the fullest. Anyway, such feelings well up within me.
I felt a wave of nostalgia. Until half a year ago, I couldn’t even dream of this.
If I took my eyes off my work for a moment, the backlog would multiply, leading to tearful nights spent struggling to meet deadlines.
But now it’s different. With domestic peace and the marvelous product of the work-life balance in hand, I can now manage to have two days off a week even if I spend only eight hours at my desk.
“Master.”
“Yeah. Shall we get going?”
Exactly 1:40 PM. Eleonora, who had quietly been nibbling on cookies in the corner, reminded me of the time like an alarm clock.
It would be wonderful to wrap up the day lost in peaceful contemplation, but unfortunately, there’s a meeting scheduled for 2 PM.
What’s more, it’s a crucial meeting where all the Grand Dukes gather to share the updates from the past six months, so I can’t keep them waiting.
What’s that about the Emperor making his subordinates wait a bit? Normally that might be appropriate.
In diplomacy, it’s said that one might deliberately be late to convey political messages and engage in those power struggles between nations, right?
But I don’t have anyone to tussle with, so there’s no need for that. If there are subordinates who don’t know their place, it’s not a power struggle but a flat-out fight.
They say if the body is weak, the mind suffers, and the more I think about it, the more it seems true.
In the past, I would pull out every trick in the book to survive, to the point my brain felt like it was going to burst from stress, but now that I’ve gained strength, I’m coasting through life.
As I reflected on the truths of the world, I finished off the last few sips of coffee and rose from my seat.
1:52 PM. Even though I arrived at the meeting room eight minutes early, I was the last person to show up.
“Your Majesty, how has your health been?”
“…It’s fine.”
As soon as I stepped into the meeting room, Jeil stood up quickly and respectfully greeted me.
I expected him to return to a casual attitude after a few years, but surprisingly, he has remained consistent. Opposite him, Martini covered her mouth with her hand and smiled gracefully.
“Hmm, Jeil. Do that thing again. That thing.”
“…What are you referring to?”
“You know, the one where you say, ‘I was trying to at least show some minimal respect since you’re the Progenitor.’”
“I’ll take you on if you want to fight. Step outside right now.”
Even after a long time, their friendship is still strong.
By the way, I miss that line. It was what Jeil said when I stormed into Helraig’s Grand Duke’s Castle.
I once recounted that memory to Martini while reminiscing, and since then, she has taken every chance to tease Jeil about it.
For him, it must be a painful history he’d like to forget. After surviving thanks to my True Blood and overcoming the Sun, he had been almost religiously worshipping me.
“How about we limit our bonding to that for now? There’s plenty of time.”
Since it’s fun, let’s spar just a bit longer. I tried to dissuade them as formally as possible while not putting too much heart into it.
But the inflexible one stepped back without a clue and playfully growled at Martini as if to say she was lucky, then obediently took a seat.
Ah, what a disappointment. I thought I’d get to witness a fun spectacle for once.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I must have embarrassed myself.”
“Well, it’s fine. Is Stella doing well?”
“Yes.”
Stella, standing behind Martini, answered shortly and lightly bowed her head. She’s still the same expressionless yet cheeky vampire.
Up to this point, at least I was familiar with these people. After that, I exchanged formal greetings with the Grand Dukes of Vertica, Armes, and Gracia.
After dealing with Selina, who was subtly trying to draw my attention, I turned around, feeling something was amiss, and spotted a cat snoozing in the corner.
“Did you stay up all night or something?”
Kardan, who had been cautiously trying to wake Shete, locked eyes with me.
“…I stayed up for four nights memorizing the report for the meeting.”
“It’s pointless if you sleep on the day of the meeting.”
Looking over, I saw drool dripping from her mouth. What a dirty girl. I resolved to make her clean up later, and just when I was doing that, on Kardan’s third attempt, the cat finally woke up.
“Meow! Your Majesty, hello?”
“Not very well, thanks to someone using the Royal Palace’s meeting room as her bedroom.”
I wish she’d just wipe her mouth. I cast a blatant glare at Shete, who casually asked me as if nothing was wrong, but true to her feline nature, she simply laughed with a carefree “nya ha ha.”
I felt a slap coming on. But I couldn’t just smash the cheekbones of a Grand Duke who had stayed up prepping for the meeting.
I knew all too well that this cat was never keen on paperwork, so I generously decided to understand Kardan’s situation, giving him credit for at least trying to report without cutting corners.
I’m usually merciless to those who don’t try, but I tend to be forgiving to those who do their best.
“Alright, chatter is over. Let’s hear the report from the Sahelrn Duchy.”
“Yes. Since the introduction of the improved Blood Supplement, there are no particular issues regarding blood supply—”
The meeting progressed in a relatively relaxed atmosphere.
Though the Grand Dukes addressed me formally, it was a bit less stiff compared to an official event, and I simply spoke casually.
In the past, Martini would insist on maintaining a regal tone for me, acting as a etiquette tutor, but now she doesn’t bother with such issues concerning my behavior.
After all, it’s said that the weak bark the loudest. In the past, I struggled not to be underestimated, but things are different now.
Just because I speak a bit more casually doesn’t mean the Emperor’s authority is threatened. My unmatched strength and accomplishments serve as proof enough.
Of course, I don’t do this everywhere; I reserve such informality for gatherings of close aides above the rank of Duke. Even if I were to act out at an official event, I doubt anything would change.
In any case, without unnecessary formalities, reports and exchanges of opinions happened swiftly and efficiently.
Given that some might have guessed I was enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee before the meeting, it was no surprise that this meeting was a picture of peace.
It was essentially a repetitive cycle of saying that after hearing the reports, I would just proceed as usual. The Empire’s system is finally entering a stable phase; I think it’s been like this since last year.
The consecutively presented reports from each duchy concluded neatly with Shete showcasing the results of her all-nighter.
“Good. The semi-annual meeting will conclude here. Although we finished in a day, rooms have been prepared so everyone can stay a bit longer. Feel free to attend to any business at the system during this time.”
This meeting, held every six months, used to average three days, and in the early days when things were hectic, it even stretched to a week. Today marked the first time it ended in just one day.
Even without openly expressing it, everyone had faces reflecting quite a mix of pride, showing that we contributed to the Empire’s development and stabilization.
Of course, Stella’s expression was always the same, so I inferred that from the atmosphere. And if it turns out otherwise? Who cares. Just let it be.