Chapter 163
“Please wait here.”
Upon arriving at the palace where Terman resided, a man who introduced himself as an aide came out to escort me to the parlor.
“Will I be meeting His Majesty here in the parlor?”
I asked as I set down the gift I’d brought, and the aide shook his head.
“No. His Majesty usually receives guests in his study. If you wait here, I’ll check his plans and come escort you.”
Terman’s aide was as kind as he was handsome. His tone wasn’t overly warm, but he answered questions sincerely.
He apologized for making me wait, but honestly, I was glad for the small pause.
However, the pause didn’t last long. I didn’t even get a chance to look around the room before the door opened.
I turned around and my eyes widened.
The aide had changed. But—
He was seriously handsome.
He was tall and broad-shouldered — more like a knight than a secretary. He looked a bit older, fitting for the Emperor’s aide, but that only made him more striking.
The subtle lines on his face added a sense of depth and refinement.
“You must be another royal aide. Does the Emperor pick his aides based on looks? You’re incredibly handsome.”
I blurted out something embarrassing.
The middle-aged aide looked like Helios.
Our prince isn’t exactly someone with a common face Maybe everyone just ends up looking like him if they’re the pinnacle of beauty?
Like how all math problems may have different setups but lead to the same answer, ultimate beauty seemed to circle back to Helios’s face.
That’s why I felt a strange sense of familiarity with the aide. I wanted to get along with Terman’s aide.
Maybe I can fish for some info about Terman.
“Is His Majesty very busy today?”
The aide frowned like he didn’t quite approve, then gave a curt nod.
Oops. Maybe I got too friendly too fast.
I gave an awkward smile and gestured to the seat.
“You must be tired of standing—please, have a seat. Or are we heading straight up?”
He shook his head and then sat down on the sofa. Compared to the previous aide, this one was much quieter.
And perhaps because he was someone important, as soon as he sat down, the court attendants brought out tea.
“I’m fine. I’ll wait and drink with His Majesty.”
They tried to place a cup in front of me too, but when I refused, the attendant’s hand started to tremble.
“Are you feeling unwell, perhaps? Would you mind if I took a look? I’m a doctor…”
“No, I’m fine.”
The court attendant quickly bowed her head. Tsk, a tongue-clicking sound came from the front.
“Just drink the tea.”
The aide said. His speech was curt, and it caught me off guard.
Even if he’s a royal aide, and clearly older than me, speaking so informally to someone he just met was surprising. And someone who might become this country’s crown princess, no less?
It was annoying, but I didn’t argue.
He must be incredibly high-ranking.
The aura flowing off of him wasn’t ordinary. If I had to guess, he was probably one of Terman’s closest confidants — his right-hand man, perhaps.
If that’s the case, no need to get prickly over something so minor.
“Tea for me, too, please.”
The court attendant let out a sigh of relief and placed the teacup in front of me.
Slurp, just as I sipped my tea, sharp eyes bored into me. They were searching eyes, probing me.
“Did His Majesty ask you to look into me?”
“Something like that.”
“And what do you think now that you’ve seen me?”
“Hmm. Hard to say just yet. Let me ask you instead — what do you think of His Majesty?”
I hadn’t expected the question to be flipped back at me. I scratched lightly at my temple with a fingertip.
I thought it over, but nothing in particular came to mind.
“I don’t know much about him.”
“Did Helios — well, His Highness not mention anything?”
“He did talk about him from time to time.”
“What did he say?”
The aide uncrossed his legs and leaned forward slightly.
Yep. The Emperor definitely told him to ask me this. A hundred percent.
His posture radiated an eagerness not to miss a single word.
I began to recall what Helios had once said about Terman.
It was honestly hard to recall. Helios had barely mentioned Terman. Trying to draw something out felt like scooping water from a dried-up well.
More like wringing a dry towel.
Still, a few things did come to mind.
