Chapter 43: Emperor Ladwin’s Plan
Golden-horned horses moved swiftly toward Thonias City, the line of imperial carriages and their guards creating a grand spectacle in every place they passed. Inside one of those carriages, Aldrian was telling his stories to Princess Sylphia, with Eleine sitting beside him, listening as well. Not all the truth could be told, but he shared the interesting parts.
Sylphia listened intently, her beautiful face sometimes expressing astonishment, sometimes sadness, and sometimes happiness. Aldrian thought the princess was truly passionate about adventure. People might assume that Princess Sylphia was just an ordinary princess from a great empire, with her refined, beautiful face, back-length golden hair, and slender body.
But she had told him that she sometimes ventured around the empire and even beyond its borders to gain experience. Her father supported these activities because it allowed her to experience the outside world, not just the palace or the capital.
She used her own disguise, so only a few people knew that she also liked to venture outside. To him, she was a rather unusual princess. Initially, he had thought princess Sylphia would avoid such activities and prefer to hear about adventures rather than partake in them, but Sylphia was truly an adventurer at heart.
In another carriage, Emperor Ladwin and Imperial Teacher Elthar sat face to face. Elthar watched the emperor with doubtful eyes because the expression on Ladwin's face could only be described as stupid.
"You've been grinning like a fool since we left the Forest of Despair. What's on your mind?" Elthar asked.
Emperor Ladwin kept his grin and responded, "Not much, I'm just in a good mood, Teacher."
Elthar narrowed his eyes, thinking. Suddenly, he realized something he had missed earlier. He hadn't paid much attention because what Aldrian had shown them was truly shocking, but now that he thought about it, there was something else significant that had never happened before.
The emperor's happiness about introducing his daughter to Aldrian was unusual. He had never seen Ladwin act this way before. Heck, even when princes and noble young masters from within and outside the empire were captivated by Sylphia's beauty and tried to approach her, her father would always drive them away with countless excuses.