The palace courtyard.
　I let the man go away, and there I was alone with Eliza.

　Eliza walking in front of me.
　Dressed in imperial garb, she exudes a dignity unimaginable at her real age.
　A girl who seems to have been born to be an emperor.

　That's what Eliza thought as she stopped in front of a flower bed and turned to me.

I want to rule the empire steady for a long time.

　Eliza's tone of voice was serious as she began, "I want to create a stable world and restore the backbone of the empire that the previous emperor tried to shake.

I want to create a stable world and restore the backbone of the empire that was almost shaken by our predecessors. That's what I want to do.
"Yeah, I think we should do it.
What do you think is the most important thing for that?
"...... would be.

　I can answer as many questions as I want if I wanted to, but the only right answer is in Eliza.
　I just throw back the questions as they come at me.

My heart, my right hand, my sword. Longevity is the equivalent of a man. Do you know much about history?
...... Yes, it seems that a change in prime minister often causes difficulties in the political arena.

　The memories of previous lives and the studies I had done since I got the Philosopher's Stone.
　Those knowledge led me to answer Eliza's question immediately.

Yes, that's why I want someone who'll be with me for a long time. Someone who's going to outlive me, who's smart, and who's got a good heart.
That's why they made me the vice emperor.

　Eliza nodded clearly.
　Okay, that makes sense.
　But is that really what you want. Will I be the vice emperor of this world?

Yes. Yes. And if you're married to the Vice-Emperor, it's more than fair.
"Huh?　What did you just say?

　While I was mulling over the heavy responsibilities that would be imposed on the vice emperor, Eliza mumbled something.
　I heard it back.

'Hey, it's nothing!　I'm just talking to myself.

　Eliza blushed and cheated.
　You're talking to yourself.

"Yes, more than that.

　Eliza coughed to regain her composure and looked at me with the same serious eyes she had before.

"Can you help me?
Are you sure it's me?
"I want you. You're the only one--in a double sense.

　I couldn't hear what she said at the end because her voice was too quiet, but still .
　I could tell that Eliza's will was strong, that you were the only one who could do it.

Yeah, I get it.
Thank you.

　Eliza smiled.
　She smiled. She was both an emperor and a girl of her age.
　She smiled with an expression that was both.

　It was so charming, and it was a smile that was enough to make me want to help her.

　　　　　☆

"Oh!　Welcome back, brother-in-law.

　When I returned to Hossen's house after leaving Eliza, I found that people were coming and going in and out of the house, and the servants and maids were busy.

"Master Hossen, is something wrong?
A gift.
"Present?
Yeah, it's all a gift for my brother-in-law.
"...... I see, what's up with the inauguration of the Vice-Emperor

　Think about it for a moment, and the situation becomes clear.
　When a person wins the lottery or gets ahead in life, he or she will suddenly have more friends and relatives.

　This is the same, but when you're the deputy emperor, you can't just come to them right away, you have to start with a present to put them in a good mood.

But it's still amazing.
"Oh, look at this.
"What is this pile of mail--an invitation to attend a party?

　I took one of the envelopes and looked inside.
　It was an invitation to a party written in decent letters on decent paper.

　A formal document or invitation has to have clean handwriting or it is rude.
　Beautiful handwriting is a golden art in itself.

　Such clean handwriting, I believe, is enough to feed a family of ten people without inconvenience.

　Naturally legible, I read the invitation with Hossen.

"We happen to be having a party and invite you to come.
"I see that's a coincidence.

　I know it's not possible.
　No such coincidence at this time.
　It's definitely something that is open to invite the vice emperor (me).

"That's a lot of them, too. How many are there?
"I'm not counting beyond a thousand!
"What?



　Hossen to fuss.
　I asked because there are a hundred envelopes in the pile, but it was far more than I expected.
　So there's some things you don't see here.

And then this one came in, too.

　Then beckons Hossen.
　Another maid brings a stack of envelopes as well.

"What's this?
"An arranged marriage. ." "It's an introduction to your brother-in-law.
I see, this one is pretty straightforward. And it's still a lot.
"I'm not counting beyond a thousand!
"So much!　I can't do that much wife!

　You are a nobleman, and you may need a vice-chamber because you are a vice-imperialist.
　Among the nobles, the more well managed a vestibule is, the more valued it is.
　For the sake of lovely Angel, I thought that would be possible in the future - but not this one.

　I can't have so many of them!

"Really?　I think my brother-in-law can afford it.
"What?　What's that buy?
By the way, Carlisle once said, 'I'm going to bring back the wedding night tax for Alec. The entire territory is practically my brother-in-law's wife.
"What are you planning to do, Father!

　By the way, the wedding night tax, which literally means that you can either give up a woman's wedding night or pay a tax in lieu of it, is still practiced by some noblemen, even though it's not part of the Carlisle family's territory.

"Well, the number is reasonable, but there are too many normal girls, and not enough for my brother-in-law. You can burn them.

　Yes, sir, and the maid left with a sealed envelope of the blind date.
　Hossen's buying spree is as impressive as his father's.

These things are here too.
Is there more?

　The next thing the maid brought in was also a pile of enclosures.

What now?
Home.
"Home?
"It's all about doing the house in a nutshell.
"You're too straight!　And this can't be ......
"Oh!　I'm not counting beyond a thousand!
"Too many!

　If we got it all, we'd have a thousand more houses.
　It wouldn't be house-ownership anymore, it'd be street level.

Well, houses and mansions are too cheap for my brother-in-law.

　At Hossen's command, the maid left with another pile of enclosures.

　I took a deep breath.

I'm in big trouble.
"At first it might be. What to do?　Do you want to stop being a Vice President now?　A man like my brother-in-law, he's not fit to be a vice-emperor, so still--
"No, I'll do it.

　In my head I was remembering Eliza.
　Her determination, her ideals.
　Remembering that, I was determined to do my best, even if it was a little hard.

"Oh!　That's my brother-in-law!　That's what men do.
"Yeah, I guess so.
"Ah!　My brother-in-law's face is so cool right now.

　Hossen used words like a young man.
　It suits him well.

Okay, then I'll handle all this stuff from now on.
"Are you sure?　Isn't it hard?
Haha, not a big deal. If you want to send your brother-in-law something, all you have to do is ask him to tie me up in a fight.
That's a hard game to play, isn't it?

　I chuckled.
　The greatest warrior of the empire, Hossen Chohi.
　I wonder if there is anyone in the world who could beat him in a fight.

So don't worry about it. If anyone has the backbone to really challenge me, that's all the better.

　Hossen lifted the corners of his mouth.
　It's a look that I'm really looking forward to, as he self-declares.
　If that's the case--

Yeah, okay. Please.
"Whoa!　I got it!



　Hossen laughed even more happily and gaily.