Chapter 9: Her Highness.
"Congratulations, Your Imperial Majesty!" Alan heartily smiled towards the man standing next to the window. He was currently explaining something to a young redhead, but the sound of door opening made their heads turn.
The hall the trio entered didn't seem like a throne room since there was no big chair on a platform, but it was too large for a cozy library or a study. In addition, there were no bookshelves, but only several weapon stands and a couple of sofas.
The white walls were void of any decorations, and windows were wide and tall, allowing for the bright sunlight to shine in, but somehow it only accentuated the feeling that the owner had no time to decorate the place yet.
"Alan! What took you so long!" Seeing the visitors, the man at the window visibly lit up.
Maybe it was only Alan or Tess, or maybe no one had to kneel before His Majesty. It was also possible that the emperor was this easygoing only with the subjects of his inner circle.
"Sorry ... we kind of got delayed ..." Alan pointed at Lee lying in Tess's arms.
Lee found it hard to tell whether his stepfather was faking the embarrassment or was actually blushing, but Tess surely was holding breath for a while to get some red color on her face. Of course, the side effect of her not saying anything rude was a bonus.
"How ... This is unexpected! Congratulations! Should we celebrate?" The Emperor came up closer to take a look at the child, and Lee could finally observe him better as well.
The tall and handsome man, probably in his forties, did seem to be amiable for the head of the empire. He was even dressed casually and only had a linen shirt and dark trousers on. The sole luxurious item was the sword at his side, or rather, the scabbard, embed with countless gems.