NOVEL NEXT Ch. 23 - The Kind Emperor
“Dad, put me down. I’m hungry.”
“Phew.”
Asil reluctantly set Yuriana down on the floor.
Yuriana, hiding behind her father’s large thigh, could finally see Harun.
‘He looks almost exactly like I expected!’
Just as he was described: a young, ambitious foreign emperor.
Both had muscular builds, but while Asil was slender, Harun was exaggeratedly broad, almost like a door.
‘Wait! If Harun approached me with interest, could it be because…?’
“Young lady, please join me and my nephew.”
“… thank you.”
So, he was Karas?
The prince in the bushes she met by accident turned out to be Harun’s nephew, Karas.
Though older than Yuriana, his sad, empty expression made him seem just as young. Poor thing.
‘I don’t know what Harun plans to do with Karas in the future. Even recalling the original story didn’t help…’
Trying to understand why this emperor came to Dark Town was futile with her limited understanding.
But she could vaguely guess.
Historically, potential threats to one’s regime were often… eliminated.
Despite Karas’s decent appearance… this was unfortunate.
“Let’s go. Oh, right. Should we introduce ourselves?”
“No need. We can do that inside.”
“Very well.”
Though Asil was the host, the most excited person was the guest, Harun.
Asil’s face was like an erupting volcano, fierce beyond measure.
As everyone headed to the dining room, Harun recalled a brief scene he had witnessed.
Karas, it was unmistakable.
Asil’s daughter, this little princess Yuriana, had caught his eye!
‘This is interesting.’
If Karas grew up safely and his feelings didn’t change…
Asil Litus would likely be the biggest obstacle to Karas’s marriage.
“Meow~”
“Oh, Lulu. I’m sorry. Can you wait?”
Just before entering the dining room, Yuriana pushed the cat aside gently, but it resisted, arching its back stubbornly.
The sight was like a peaceful painting.
Harun spoke kindly.
“You can bring the cat inside.”
“What? Cat fur will fly everywhere.”
“Meow!”
The black cat hissed, but the girl seemed unafraid.
Perhaps it was because the cat was a beastman.
Harun crouched before Yuriana, soothingly.
“In our empire, it’s fine. And you can create a spot for the cat in a corner. It has short fur.”
‘Whoa.’
She was more touched because she didn’t expect him to be this considerate.
In the route Alice didn’t pursue, he was a cold man who only did his job and returned to the empire.
Entering the dining room, Harun spoke cheerfully.
“Young lady, if you don’t mind, may I know your name? I am Harun Al-Akrion Reef.”
Harun, who spoke informally to most people including Asil and Karas, was oddly formal only with Yuriana.
“I am Yuriana Litus!”
“Oh, I see. You’re cute, as expected of Asil’s daughter. This is my nephew, Karas… please greet him.”
Harun’s smiling eyes met Karas’s.
Karas, unusually flustered, introduced himself.
“I am Karas Ifrit.”
Huh? Not Karas Reef, but Ifrit… so the imperial surname was taken away.
She didn’t know about the former empress’s family, but Ifrit…
‘I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere, but it must be my imagination.’
“Alright, Charon. How did this adorable young lady meet my nephew?”
At this moment, Harun’s fishing rod was cast towards a big catch.
“Yes. This lady was looking for a cat near the bushes when they met. Her skirt got caught in the bush, and Lord Ifrit helped her.”
“Oh-ho!”
He didn’t peek under her skirt, did he?
Contrary to Harun’s admiration, Asil wanted to pull Yuriana’s chair closer to him.
‘Hmph.’
Yuriana was thoroughly daydreaming.
Due to the visit of an important guest, Lulu had a better meal in a corner than usual.
Milk and delicious minced beef.
“And…”
After some boring conversation, human food was set on the table, and Yuriana enjoyed tasting various dishes.
She eagerly awaited the Reef Empire’s dessert, which seemed to be served last.
Harun, having polished off his salmon salad, suddenly brought up a topic.
“By the way, what kind of curse is on that cat beastman?”
“…”
Asil remained silent but visibly displeased.
No one had ever shared anything about Rupedos. Even Yuriana, who was with him, had no idea. Explaining it would be difficult.
“Nea Kingdom is good in other aspects, but it’s suspicious that there are so few beastman.”
“… are you planning to send some beastman to the kingdom?”
Harun chuckled, raising his glass.
“I might consider it if the opportunity arises. Not a bad idea.”
If asked what a beastman was, Harun would likely explain kindly.
But Yuriana didn’t ask.
‘Wow, they’re fighting. Harun and Asil are fighting!’
Though no knives or punches were thrown, these two men were in a fierce verbal battle.
Perhaps since Harun arrived at the Dark House for the meeting.
Yuriana just sipped her water quietly.
‘An old friend of mine once said that when accomplished men gather, they growl at each other. They fight for dominance! Hmm… Alice managed to blend two or three male protagonists seamlessly. As expected of the heroine!’
She found herself admiring Alice’s greatness again.
“There are beastman hiding in Dark Town.”
“Exactly.
“Meow…”
‘Pfft! Lulu, are you scared of Harun too?’
Lulu made a timid meowing sound, unlike usual.
Yes, Harun was indeed a strong man. It was best to acknowledge that.
Harun smiled and asked the silent Karas.
“What do you think, nephew? Compared to your beastman?”
“… pardon?”
Karas was quite flustered.
Though their positions were different, they were on foreign soil and Harun was not the host.
To evaluate Yuriana’s beastman was awkward.
“Just kidding. Don’t look so grim in this dreary city.”
Yuriana pondered for about a second.
Should she, as a naive six-year-old, exclaim, ‘No! Dark Town is fine!’?
And after a second, she gave up.
‘Harun is not an easy man. It’s better to deal with him cleverly than to confront him stiffly.’
Karas kept crossing her mind.
For her and Asil, it would be fine once Harun left, but Karas…
‘They’re uncle and nephew. They can’t avoid each other. It must be tough.’
“…”
“…”
“Men from the empire are indeed popular.”
Seizing the quiet moment, Harun brought up a random topic.
“… pardon?”
When Asil asked bluntly, Harun gestured beside him.
“…!!!”
No way.
Karas was staring at his daughter so blatantly…!
Yuriana was also staring back?! They were making eye contact!!!
“Please stop saying strange things.”
Despite his anger, Asil spoke calmly, and Harun clicked his tongue.
“I can’t even joke comfortably. The kingdom is too rigid, can’t even bring a cat to meals. Hmm… 5 generations ago, Emperor Noah surrounded himself with twenty cats while handling state affairs. He’s still known as a wise ruler.”
“Ha…”
“My nephew here raises a black panther as a pet beastman. But people talk a lot. They say to trim its claws, check its teeth, and so on.”
“Can people keep black panthers as pets?”
Yuriana asked suddenly.
Oh, she should have asked what a black panther was first.
She felt she had made a mistake, but Harun smiled and explained.
“Oh, yes, young lady. In the Reef Empire, unlike here, there are various beastman. Some belong to nobles like my nephew, some are free citizens, and some live in tribes. Are you curious?”
“Whoa…!”
Harun glanced at the timid cat in the corner.
“If you ever visit the empire, I’ll make sure you can see as much as you want. You might even find a beastman who wants to serve you.”
Though curious, Yuriana wasn’t sure if freely exploring someone else’s territory was right.
So, she didn’t give a definite answer.
“Meow…?”
At that moment.
Lulu, who had been silent, let out a pitiful cry.
Did he dislike other beastman? Or was he worried about being abandoned?
Yuriana raised her tiny thumb and whispered.
“Lulu, don’t worry. To me, you’re the best beastman in the world. You are number one, and if you dislike anyone, I won’t take them.”
Even if he couldn’t speak human language, even if he was not a special black panther beastman.
“Meow…”
Lulu seemed touched.
Of course, it was because he kept her from starving!
“Hahaha! The young lady is very loyal. I concede, Asil. If she ever comes to the empire, I’ll treat her as the most honored guest. Now, this is my promise.”