Arriving at the Imperial Palace, Evely debated whether to return to the Southern Palace or to inform Sovieshu that she had accomplished what he had asked her to do.
Although Evely felt she had to visit Sovieshu, she worried that there would be unnecessary rumors because he had not called her. Besides that she didn't feel comfortable talking alone with the Emperor.
Evely hesitated all the while as she unloaded her luggage, but in the end decided to inform him at once.
'Since it's a private matter, I'd better inform him on my own.'
Her decision was correct.
Sovieshu didn't call her at once because he thought she would be tired, but he was very anxious to know if Evely had delivered his gift and how Navier had reacted.
As soon as Evely entered his office, Sovieshu quickly asked,
"What happened to the gift? Did you give it to her?"
Evely couldn't even give a polite greeting, clasped her hands together and hurried to answer,
"Yes. I personally delivered it to the Empress Navier."
"What did she say?"
"Huh?"
"What did Empress Navier say when she received the gift?"
"Ah, that..."
"What about her expression? How was her voice?"
However, Evely didn't expect Sovieshu to ask about this. Evely's eyes darted from side to side in embarrassment.
Sovieshu understood the situation as soon as he noticed her discomfort and smiled bitterly,
"It's alright. The Empress Navier has always been indifferent no matter what I give her."
But unlike the bitterness in his voice, his eyes were full of longing.
Evely bowed her head more and wiggled her toes uncertainly.
"Thank you for running the errand. You can go now."
Evely was so embarrassed that Sovieshu decided not to ask any more questions.
Once Evely left, Sovieshu went to his bedroom, sat on the bed, looked at Navier's painting and said to himself,
"I wish I had given it to her earlier when she had asked me..."
His desolate voice echoed in the bedroom.
Still, he felt a little better knowing that the gift had been delivered. Sovieshu was also glad that he had been able to keep the promise even if it was late.
'Although I don't think Navier will remember the promise...'
About two hours later, when a man from the Western Empire who came with the Eastern Empire delegation handed him a letter from Navier and a letter from Heinley in the drawing room, his expression darkened.
After reading the two letters, his expression worsened even more.
'Did an envoy try to harm Evely on the orders of Viscount and Viscountess Isqua?'
It was a disgrace to the Eastern Empire for an envoy to do this.
Moreover, Evely had been sent by him on an errand. Of course, the delegation did not know that Evely went to the Western Empire to run a secret errand for Emperor Sovieshu. Still, that did not diminish the crime.
— ... For what that envoy did, he could even be punished by the Western Empire. However, isn't he one of the envoys who came on behalf of the Eastern Empire? If that envoy were to be punished by the Western Empire, it could harm the reputation of Emperor Sovieshu, so I'll leave this matter in the hands of the Eastern Empire.
