Children of the Holy Emperor

After experiencing a series of disturbances in the downtown area, Seongjin’s mindset had somewhat changed.

While he still spent most of his time dedicated to training as usual, he now felt a slight inclination to actively keep tabs on the current situation of himself, or in other words, of current Morres.

He still had a sense of discomfort about living as someone else; as Morres.

However, when he listened to the gossip of the Holy Emperor and Amelia, and impulsively acted without thinking about the consequences, it seemed that he had inadvertently developed some affection for this world.

The issue was, given his identity as Morres, it was not easy for him to move about freely.

“If only I had someone capable to act as my hands and feet…” he pondered.

If he were to choose someone close to him, there was Sir Masain.

However, Masain was a former paladin  and a member of the imperial family. He was far too prestigious to run errands for him.

On top of that, the man was somewhat inflexible and lacked adaptability.

Even the palace guards in Pearl Palace were tightly scheduled with their duties for palace security and escort missions.

“Maybe I should make more active use of Edith…” he thought.

Recently, as the number of maids and support staff had increased, Edith had become increasingly idle.

She also had the advantage of being a high-level aura user, so he had no concerns about her wandering around alone.

“… But she’s a bit slow and lacks social skills.”

So far, there was no improvement in the taste of the tea she made, and her occasional nervous glances made her service less than satisfactory.

Even if he discreetly asked her to investigate something, he would consider himself lucky if she didn’t blatantly advertise what she was doing.

“Let’s start by sending her on various errands. Her skills will naturally improve with experience,” he concluded.

So, Seongjin assigned a simple messenger task to Edith.

“Contact Herna and Gades and tell them we should meet soon.”

At that, Edith responded with a somewhat puzzled expression.

“Yes, Your Highness. When would be the meeting? Or would you prefer I go to them directly myself?”

“…”

“Shall I ask them to come to Pearl Palace, or would you prefer to visit them yourself?”

“… Send a letter. Tell them to drop by in the next few days.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Watching Edith obediently leave the room, Seongjin thought,

“Hmm. This feels somewhat inefficient. She seems really cumbersome to utilize…”

[If it’s the twins, it’s them? The ones you were talking about before?]

The Demon King, who had been listening, perked up at their conversation.

Ah, come to think of it, this guy had never actually seen the twins, had he?

The Demon King had become very curious about them ever since Seongjin told him the twins seemed to know something about him.

-Even Holy Dad, probably wouldn’t know either.

– If His Majesty doesn’t know, we wouldn’t either.

The twins had said so. Therefore, it could be assumed that what the Holy Emperor knew, the twins likely knew as well.

At this point, if he were to investigate someone, targeting these two would be the most efficient. There were also questions to ask about Madame Justine.

Well, whether those cunning kids would readily spill information was another matter.

[Leave all the investigations to me!]

The Demon King boasted unknowingly.

[I can unravel whether they’re lying or not, or if they have any secrets, in no time at all!]

“You can’t even detect souls anymore, can you? How are you going to discern the truth from those snakes?”

The words were meant to discourage wasting effort, but the demon king flared up.

[I can still detect changes in blood pressure or pulse to some extent and discern lies! I am incredibly useful! I even identified those weird humans from another dimension, didn’t I?]

‘…….’

The former demon king argued for his usefulness as a lie detector.

It’s a bit sad.

There was more to figure out.

Before, the situation was such that they glossed over it, but how on earth could Lee Seongjin speak Brittaninan as if it was his mother tongue?

Even after sampling a few Brittanian language books from the Pearl Palace library, he couldn’t understand a single word.

When he asked both Masain and Edith, they claimed they had never heard of Morres studying Brittanian before.

At this rate, the basic premise that Lee Seongjin can speak the language because he’s using Morres’s brain starts to wobble.

[This is truly an unusual case.]

Even the demon king expressed his wonder.

[I, as a high-level soul, can understand any language. But speaking it fluently is another matter.]

The demon king can understand all languages because he reads the thoughts forming in the mind before they’re spoken. So, it’s more accurate to say he reads thoughts rather than understanding the language.

[It’s not difficult for me to have a direct conversation with someone. I read and transmit thoughts. But making vocal cords work like a real human to produce sound or sing is a different story.]

In the previous world, the demon king candidly admitted that he couldn’t understand the radio communications between hunter squads.

So understanding and speaking a language he hasn’t learned, with just the sound devoid of thoughts, is impossible.

‘So what now…?’

How should they investigate this?

Even if they tried to figure out whether Morres had some degree of foreign language skills, not even Edith, his personal maid, knew for sure.

[First, it seems necessary to expose ourselves to other languages of this world.]

The demon king who had been pondering, gave his opinion.

[Even if we assume that Morres secretly studied foreign languages, there would be limits. Let’s try listening to all the languages of the continent. If you can understand all of them, then the issue lies with your soul, not Morres’s body.]

That sounds reasonable.

‘So now we just have to find someone who can rattle off foreign languages in front of us for testing?’

He thought so, but it was surprisingly hard to find people skilled in foreign languages.

A millennium after the empire dominated the continent as a victor.

At present, when almost every nation uses the imperial language as their first language, the imperial citizens didn’t pay much attention to learning foreign languages.

Even people working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs barely knew a few phrases of Brittanian, a high-level language, just to show off their education. That’s it.

Is this okay, Delcross Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Feeling frustrated, Seongjin set aside the issue of the Brittanian language for the time being.

However, clues for resolution are sometimes found in unexpected places.

* * *

It was lunchtime like any other.

“Lady Chloe really sends flowers regularly these days. I’d like to meet her and see what she’s like.”

Amelia looked and admired the brilliant vase of red and pink flowers.

The flower bouquets that were delivered daily were usually set up by Edith for table decoration. Thanks to that, Amelia, who almost daily visited the Pearl Palace for lunch, was always caught by their sight.

“Wow, she really makes thoughtful choices every time. She must really like you.”

Seongjin chuckled.

Like who, exactly?

“Well, it’s certainly something to send different flowers every day.”

It seemed that Chloe had decided to further solidify her position as a fiancée. Ever since the last tea time, she had been sending a bouquet of flowers with a small card daily.

There were no special words on the cards.

The flowers in the garden are in full bloom, so I wonder how the beautiful palace garden’s flowers look.

The weather is quite good today, so it would be a good day to row a boat on the palace pond.

Well, such inconsequential matters.

Today’s letter was the same.

“Have you heard about the new play that’s the talk of the town on Bertrand Street? They say it has been translated from a script that was very popular in Brittany. I’m a little intrigued due to all the talk.”

Seongjin was content with checking his growing vocabulary by reading those cards daily.

But then, having heard the explanation, Amelia cocked her head.

“Isn’t that her asking you to invite her to the imperial palace? She also wants to watch a play together and is asking for your opinion.”

“Haha, no way. She is going to dump me as soon as she makes her debut.”

“How could she…”

Amelia, who looked at Seongjin in disbelief, soon asked with a serious expression.

“This flower is a Ranunculus (Buttercup flower), Morres. It’s not a casually chosen flower. Do you know its flower language?”

“Is that important?”

“…”

While Amelia was lost for words, Edith, who was clearing the table, shook her head in disbelief.

“That’s why I’ve been telling you, Your Highness, to at least send a one-line reply. Ignoring the feelings of this poor young lady is tactless, to say the least.”

Seongjin unconsciously opened his mouth in surprise.

I never thought I’d hear from Edith that I was tactless!

“People often hide their true feelings in the language of flowers or formalities. But most of the time, they’re actually hoping that the other person would naturally understand,” Amelia said, gently touching the ranunculus petals.

“She’s showing so much care. So, you should also invite her to the palace and treat her respectfully. That’s basic courtesy.”

“Exactly, Your Highness. Chloe is virtually faultless. From a good family, cute, and intelligent.”

Edith chimed in with agreement.

Seongjin felt incredulous.

Do you even remember that I fed Chloe gallbladder juice not long ago?

Even if you forget, that clever kid will never forget until she dies.

Amelia’s clear gray eyes sparkled at Edith’s words.

“Oh really? Cute and smart as well, you say, Edith?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I heard she’s quite distinguished among the children of the Valois family. She’s the youngest, yet the most proficient in foreign languages.”

For a moment, Seongjin doubted his own ears.

Wait, Edith. What did you say?

“…Chloe is good at foreign languages?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Edith answered with an unperturbed face, showing no realization of her mistake.

“The Valois family is renowned, you know? They are fluent in the empire’s official language and Brittany language. Direct descendants basically know at least three languages.”

“…Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

While I was searching high and low for someone proficient in foreign languages, what were you doing?

“That’s because you asked if there was anyone in the palace who is proficient in foreign languages, Your Highness. But the Valois family aren’t one of the palace’s people, are they?”

What do you mean by that?

Edith, still oblivious, merely tilted her head and repeated the question.

Seongjin subconsciously grabbed the back of his neck.

Ah, my blood pressure’s going up.

“…Send a letter to Chloe right away. Tell her to come over if she has time.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Her enthusiasm in running off to carry out the task was nothing short of remarkable.

I can’t tell if I’m ordering a person around or a puppy at this point.

***

So the next afternoon.

Lady Chloe, adorned with flowers, sat brightly in the reception room of Pearl Palace.

Her curly hair was decorated chaotically with yellow flowers, complementing her light yellow dress.

She must have loaded her personality with all sorts of flower meanings, but to Seongjin, she just looked like a small, yellow chick.

“How could you not send a single reply until now, even if you say you don’t feel responsible? That’s too much, Your Highness.”

Facing the resentful eyes of the petite lady, Seongjin suddenly felt guilty.

“Uh… I apologize for my indifference. Fearing that you’d be talked about, I ended up ignoring your sincerity.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed.

“Hmm, is that so? And?”

“I heard from my sister. A lot of meaning and care went into the bouquets you’ve sent. As you know, my memory isn’t perfect, so I didn’t understand your intelligent intentions. It’s embarrassing.”

“And?”

“…The yellow dress really suits you.”

“Hehehe. Fine, Your Highness. No need to say things you don’t mean.”

Chloe spoke as if she was sulking, but the face she made while chewing on snacks seemed to soften.

Of course, she didn’t forget to sneak a taste of the tea before sipping.

Upon realizing the tea tasted normal, her face visibly relaxed.

“So, why have you invited me? Surely not just to see my face?”

“Thank you for coming. Actually, I need to ask for your skills.”

Being asked a favor after a grand invitation might have made her unhappy, but that was Seongjin’s mistake.

Her face lit up the moment he mentioned the need for her language skills.

Seongjin didn’t know, but Chloe had a strong desire to be recognized by others.

“Hehehe. You’ve come to the right person, Your Highness. When it comes to foreign language consultation, none can match the Valois family!”

Rooted in Brittany, the pride the Valois family had in their lineage was immense. They even employed a considerable number of Brittany people as servants, having spent a significant amount on them.

It’s even said that everyone in the household formally has to speak Brittanian.

So Seongjin felt at ease and opened up to her about his problem.

“I think I secretly studied foreign languages before I lost my memory. I need to find out how much I know.”

“You studied languages in secret? Including Brittany language?”

Chloe looked at Seongjin with a skeptical face.

“It’s not an easy language to study secretly. Plus, generally, you start learning a foreign language by reading textbooks. How can you not recognize the characters at all?”

So, Seongjin gave her a demonstration.

“I don’t understand it either, but it’s true. I can speak it fluently, but I can’t read. Maybe I developed some kind of dyslexia after having a fever. I can’t gauge how much I know just by having books, so I would like someone who actually speaks the languages to test me.”

And by the time he finished speaking, Chloe was looking at him as if completely enchanted.

“Oh, my! How can you be so…”

“……?”

“Your speech flows so smoothly, yet it’s compelling, almost like the eloquence of Arrhc!”

…Why does everyone keep going on about Arrhc? What even is that?

Anyway, thanks to Chloe’s sudden increase in affinity, Seongjin was able to directly listen to the languages of various countries across the continent.

In reality, the languages she could speak fluently were limited to the Imperial Common language, Brittanian, Orthonese, and Cypriot—just four languages.

However, if simple greetings were included, she could speak as many as nine languages, including those of pagan tribes.

This was surely a talent that was nine times greater than any salary thief in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

And the result of the test.

Astonishingly, Seongjin was able to understand all nine languages that she spoke!