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Join the Server“You really seem to enjoy throwing yourself around. I thought an angel had fallen from the heavens.”
“It was only due to my lack of attention. Still, I appreciate the help.”
“Had I known I would meet you in a place like this, I would have stopped by every day. Are you here for research?”
“Y-Yes! I’ve been deeply impressed by the Empire’s advanced medical arts.”
“But this section mainly carries romance novels. Did you get lost?”
At Byron’s question, Fria broke into a cold sweat. It was hard to claim he had wandered into the wrong aisle when the stack of storybooks he had already picked out was sitting quite visibly beneath the ladder.
“T-The master of the Swallow Palace enjoys storybooks, so I thought I’d bring a few back while I was here at the archive.”
“Then may I recommend one? There’s a beautiful sonnet collection here.”
Byron pulled a volume of poetry from a nearby shelf. The gold-embossed title glittered before Fria’s eyes.
Labyrinth of Love.
Wait, wait a second.Before Fria could stop him, Byron began reciting in a rich, resonant voice.
“You are the flower, and I the butterfly.
I came from afar solely to meet you.
I am but a humble bee, intoxicated by your nectar, drifting into slumber.
I stand here now, so open your door to me.
Let my stamen brush against your pistil.
You are the bluebird, fly into my embrace.
Within the cage that is myself, you shall find peace.”
‘What the hell? Why does it end with imprisonment?’
Not particularly fond of twisted romance stories, Fria quickly interrupted the recitation.
“Thank you for the recommendation. I shall keep it in mind.”
With eyes dripping honey, Byron flashed him another radiant smile.
“Isn’t it wonderful? Since fate has brought us together like this, perhaps we should go somewhere and compare our stamens-”
“Could you put me down first?”
Hearing voices approaching from the corridor, Fria hastily leapt out of Byron’s arms and dragged him deeper into the stacks.
“Here? You’re more passionate than you look. Then let us hurry and revise each other’s stamens-”
“What nonsense are you spouting? In a sacred archive, no less.”
“You didn’t know? This is a famous spot for secret rendezvous.”
So that’s why concubines were forbidden entry? The sparsely populated archive was filled with blind spots where all sorts of things could happen unnoticed.
“Tell me, Gir, how old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“I’m twenty-five myself. We’re close in age, how about becoming friends?”
“Friends?”
“Indeed. Friends.”
“If we’re friends, then we can…”
Fria hesitated before speaking.
“…together?”
“Together… read books?”
“Certainly.”
“And go on walks together, drink tea together, debate together, and badmouth His Majesty together?”
“Gir, you…”
The broad smile on Byron’s face abruptly faltered.
“You must really not have any friends.”
“…Why wouldn’t I? I have plenty of friends, especially female ones.”
That was not a lie.
“They come in all age groups. Every single one of them is lively and charming.”
From ages five to eighteen. Surrounded daily by a crowd of girls, Fria bristled at Byron’s pitying look.
“Then we are alike. To think you were a hidden master all along. Still, won’t you spare me a place among them? You may encounter troubles in this unfamiliar Empire. If that happens, call upon me, and I’ll help however I can.”
At Byron’s offer, something came to Fria’s mind.
“Acting Minister, there is something I would like to ask you.”
“Ask away. Not just one thing, ask a hundred.”
“How does one gain access to the restricted archives? Does it require approval from higher authorities?”
“It does. Permission from above is necessary.”
Perhaps he should have used the petition he’d been saving for this. But how could he possibly tell the man outright that he wanted to investigate his family records?
Seeing Fria’s expression darken, Byron grinned mischievously.
“As it happens, I possess rather influential backing. I think I can manage something of that level.”
“You mean that? You truly have connections among the high ranks? Well, as the deputy to the Minister of State, I suppose it makes sense.”
“Even higher than that. I was blessed with excellent relatives.”
“Let us be friends!”
Delighted, Fria seized Byron’s hand.
Judith had warned him against interacting with unrelated men, but as long as he didn’t reveal that he was actually a concubine, there should be no problem. Besides, part of him wanted to experience the fiery brotherhood between men he had only ever read about in knightly epics.
As Fria’s face brightened, Byron smiled warmly in return.
“Then let us be best friends. From now on, remember that I am your number one priority. I may not look it, but I possess considerable pride. Never once in my life have I been treated as someone’s second choice.”
“Deal.”
“This pleases me greatly.”
“My dearest friend, your first mission: can you obtain the Imperial Records for me?”
“Prepare yourself to taste the sweetness of power.”
****
Byron led Fria down into the underground levels of the archive and waved a key he had obtained from the reception desk.
“This isn’t a key just anyone can receive.”
Opening the door, Byron gestured for Fria to enter first. The moment he stepped inside, the portrait hanging on the wall caught his eye.
One thoroughly unwelcome face: the Emperor.
“Which period of the Imperial Records would you like to see, my dear friend?”
“The most recent volumes. Including the late emperor’s era.”
“The recent records… Ah, here they are.”
After scanning the shelves, Byron selected a massive tome and placed it before Fria.
“Is this a book or a weapon?”
Groaning, Fria flipped through the absurdly thick volume, his wrists aching from the weight. The pages were packed densely with writing, making it difficult to locate the exact period he wanted.
After carefully scanning page after page to no avail, he eventually turned the book upside down and began flipping backward.
Year 53 of the reign: Crown Prince Aaron deceased.
Year 50: First Imperial Grandson Arthur deceased.
Year 50: Birth of the Crown Princess’s child…
Setting the records aside, Fria searched the shelves until he found an illustrated collection of imperial portraits.
The late emperor and his empress. The emperor before him and his empress. Yet no matter how many pages he turned, there were only portraits of imperial couples.
“Where might I find portraits of the other royals?”
“What sort of royals?”
“For instance, the deceased former crown prince.”
“Ah, that would be here.”
After hauling out several heavy books, Byron finally retrieved a hidden art volume buried in the back. It looked as though no one had touched it in years; the pages clung together from dampness. As Fria opened the dust-scented volume, a portrait of the former crown prince emerged.
Black hair. Elegant eyes and firmly pressed lips. He resembled the current emperor greatly, though his expression seemed far more rigid.
He did not appear to be the sort of man who would throw away his life for the sake of a dead lover, but perhaps the portrait had simply failed to capture the prince’s burning passion.
“Are there portraits of people who weren’t royalty?”
“For example?”
“For example…”
After glancing around cautiously, Fria leaned toward Byron and whispered into his ear.
“The crown prince’s lover, perhaps. I heard there was an extraordinary beauty named Yonnana…”
The moment Yonnana’s name left Fria’s lips, Byron’s expression turned peculiar.
“He certainly was beautiful. Are you interested in Yonnana?”
“He came from the same homeland as I did. I merely wished to see what he looked like. Is that not allowed?”
“The late emperor ordered every portrait of him burned.”
“So it’s impossible to see one?”
“Officially, yes. However…”
“However?”
“As I said before, I happen to have powerful relatives.”
Stopping there, Byron smiled meaningfully and pulled Fria toward another storeroom at the end of the corridor.
“This place officially does not exist. It’s a warehouse for troublesome things.”
‘So this is why people say connections rule the world.’
Judith had been right. With Byron’s backing, there seemed to be nowhere within the palace they couldn’t access. Completely unaware that he himself possessed the greatest backing of all, Fria looked up at Byron with eyes full of admiration.
“Here it is.”
Amid the clutter of miscellaneous junk, Yonnana’s portrait had been left abandoned. Byron cut the cord binding several frames together, revealing the dust-covered painting beneath.
It depicted a strikingly handsome young man.
Eyes the color of a moonlit pond and hair like crimson moonlight. His slightly upturned eyes carried a shadowed melancholy.
The extravagant ornaments adorning his body were emphasized so prominently that it was obvious the portrait had been painted to display gifts from some admirer.
Someone from the same homeland had existed in this palace only a few years ago.
Yet a single portrait revealed nothing of the story hidden behind him. Standing before the indifferent gaze of his countryman, Fria could only stare silently for a long while.
“Do I resemble him?”
“You both share the trait of being exceptionally beautiful.”
“Not that. Do we actually look alike?”
“If I had to say… you are both blond. Though his is a provocative reddish gold, while yours is the sort of honey-blond that perfectly suits my tastes.”
Enough already.
Fria shot Byron an exasperated look before speaking again.
“Other than that? Similar facial features, perhaps?”
“I still prefer your face.”
Fria sighed at the useless answer. He had asked the wrong person.
“My dear friend, why do you ask? Is there some reason?”
Shaking his head, Fria examined Yonnana’s portrait once more.
The poor storage conditions had allowed patches of mold to bloom across the canvas. Flower-like stains spread over the beautiful young man’s face, smearing no matter how much one tried to wipe them away.
“The librarian recognized immediately that I was from Alphenia the moment he saw me.”
And the Emperor mistook me for Yonnana.
“That is all.”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, How to Avoid Regression is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : How to Avoid Regression
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