On the morning of February 8, an imperial envoy arrived from Miyagi.

The imperial envoy brought the following news,

"...... His Majesty is going to visit us this afternoon at 3:00 p.m.".

But that was all. However, that was all, and the letter given to him did not say what the purpose of his visit was.

"......This must be about Mertze, no doubt."

Jin said.

"Of course it is."

"Of course it is."

"Yes, I'm sure."

Daikki, Reinhardt, and Erza agreed.

"What, what, what?

Merze was on the verge of panic.

No wonder. She thought she was a normal person until a few days ago, but now that she is actually the of the current emperor, she can't possibly be aware that she is of imperial blood .......

"Well,...... it's going to be troublesome, so I think Belle and I should go back to Horai Island."

"I'm sure you're right, dear."

Reinhardt said that the Emperor's visit would make a different impression without the presence of a stranger, and returned to Horai Island by <>.

...... with a few barrels of wine he had purchased the other day.

Well, that's all for the matter, Rubina is still here.

Rubina is still here because she has become good friends with Merce.

Goh, on the other hand, looks a bit dismayed.

"Don't worry, Meru-chan. Jin-sama's here, and Daiki-no-Uncle is here too.

"Well, you can't say that, he's the emperor.　He's the greatest man in the land.

But Mel, you're going to be his aunt, aren't you?

"Aunt"?　Go to ......, Your Majesty is almost 40 years old, isn't he?　I'm 13.

"No, I thought age doesn't matter in this case."

It's just that aunts and uncles are usually older, but there are also younger aunts and uncles.

"Well, I don't know. ......"

"Don't worry, they're not going to eat you alive."

"...... but ......"

Rubina's follow-up helped her to calm down a little, but her complexion was not good.

Jin could no longer remain silent and called out to her.

"Don't be nervous, Merce. I, Erza and Daikki will be with you when you meet His Majesty.

"Oh, yes. ......"

"Yes, don't worry about it."

"Thank you. ......"

After being told by Jin, who had helped her, and Erza, who had checked on her, Merce seemed to have finally calmed down.

"I made you some tea."

Then Perid 102, a five-colored golem maid, came in with a cup of herbal tea.

Chamomile tea.

Chamomile, also called chamomile or chamomile. It is an herb of the Asteraceae family, with an apple-like aroma and a relaxing effect.

In recent years, this herb has been cultivated in the central part of the Shoro Empire, and is easily accepted by beginners.

It is especially in demand among noblewomen, as it is said to improve the luster of their hair when used as a rinse.

"Oh, it's delicious!"

"Yes, this is good."

It was cooled down to the right temperature so that even Jin, who has a cat's tongue, could taste it.

Reiko saw that Jin liked it and reported it to Lao-kun with the built-in manacam.

The old man decided to go ahead with the cultivation on Horai Island ......, but that is a story for a little later.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"......We have to think about what to do with Ms. Mertze."

Erza said.

Gathered in the other room were Jin, Erza, Daikki, Reiko, and Hope. Reiko and Hope were there.

Cocona, Goh, and Rubina are with Merce.

Goh is with them only because they are close to each other in age, though he does not like it.

That being said, Elsa is probably sympathetic to Merce's situation.

"...... I guess you have to choose between becoming a member of the emperor's family or living as an ordinary person, right?"

"Yes, I think so."

"But if this happens, I think it will be difficult for ordinary people to live their lives as usual.

I agree.

"It's a delicate position to be in."

He is a member of the imperial family but has no claim to the throne.

"But I'm sure there are many nobles who would like to take her in."

If they marry into the emperor's family, they will have a connection with the emperor's family, and the child born will be a by-product of the emperor's family.

That would be a very good thing for a nobleman.

Though he may not want to be an aristocrat.

"I think so, as I spent a short time as Mr. Merze's doctor."

"Can't I just check with him ......?"

"Yes. I haven't been approached by the Czarist family yet.

For the moment, it is just a matter of the Jin family making a roundabout way of having this kind of discussion.

"First of all, we should make it clear that we intend to protect Miss Mertze.

"Yes. Maybe Daikki is right."

"Nope."

That was the conclusion of the discussion.

The discussion was settled.

At 3:00 p.m., a luxurious carriage stopped in front of the house.

Jin remembered with nostalgia the time when he had received a visit from the emperor a long time ago.

Even though it was a private visit, it was still a visit to welcome the Emperor, so Daiki-Kokona and her husband, her adopted son Goh, Jin and Erza, Reiko, Hope, and others greeted the Emperor, and together with two apprentices and two knights of the Kingsguard, they went inside the house to protect the Emperor.

There they were greeted by a five-colored gorm maid and a butler, Golem Butler D, who welcomed them.

Then, in the drawing room...

"Your Majesty, welcome!

Daikie, the master of the house, greets them again.

"Well, I know this is sudden and inconvenient, but I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

Is this about Mr. Merce?

Yes. Yes. I didn't want too many people to know about it. I didn't mention it in my letter. I apologize for that.

I'm sorry, sir.

Then Ruby 102, the golem maid, came in with a wagon full of tea.

It was 3:15 p.m., tea time.

She pours tea from the teapot into the teacups in front of the emperor, his attendants, and the knights of the Kingsguard. For all of them, of course.

The tea is non-poisonous, to show that it is not poisoned.

Daikie, the host, is the first to sip the tea.

The knight of the guard is next.

Then the attendant.

Then the emperor.

"Oh, this is delicious!

Even the emperor was impressed by the taste of the tea. The tea is grown on the island of Horai.

Therefore, it has a high content of <>, which increases its <>.

After drinking the tea, the emperor said,

"It was a delicious tea. Let's get down to the main subject.

He said, "Let's get down to business.

I have come to talk about Merce. Can you send for her?"