A winter morning that arrived after a dreamless night. Today too, having failed to meet the nameless white one, I started my day amidst terrible headaches and dizziness.
Somehow managing to endure well, I succeeded in finishing breakfast with Lenox and sending him off to his magic lessons.
However.
“…I’m going to die.”
That seemed to be my limit.
I leaned against the dining room wall and let out a deep sigh. Checking my current ‘Chaos Meter,’ it was 63 percent. It was remarkable that I hadn’t fainted.
Of course, I hadn’t fainted yet, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t in the future. The system window, now quite familiar, wavered before my eyes, sending a warning to be cautious of losing consciousness.
As I stared at the system window while leaning against the wall, Billy, who had spotted me, asked.
“What are you doing there, Your Imperial Majesty?”
“I’m trying to prevent fainting through sheer willpower.”
“Can that be done through willpower?”
“No.”
That’s the problem—it can’t. I grabbed my throbbing head and started thinking of a backup plan.
‘If I collapse like this, I’m the only one who loses.’
One of the disadvantages of fainting was not knowing how I’d fall. Since it happens in an instant, it’s easy to get injured, and if unlucky, I could hurt my head.
I couldn’t choose whether to faint or not. Then, the wisest thing was to lie down in advance.
So I just lay down.
“…Your Imperial Majesty?”
“What.”
I replied with my eyes closed.
“I have business with the floor for a moment, so mind your own business.”
“…”
“Go to the office and organize the documents, and when the merchant guild master comes, guide him there. The Knight Commander and Albert will come too.”
“That…”
Billy looked at me lying on the floor with a flustered gaze, but perhaps because this wasn’t the first time seeing my bizarre behavior, he adapted quickly.
“Shall I bring tea that’s good for headaches?”
“That’s not bad.”
Soon Billy left, and I found stability while lying on the floor. Very fortunately, when the dining room cleaner discovered my state, the ‘Chaos Meter’ went up slightly.
How long had I been like that?
“…Hm?”
A warm sensation was felt near my legs.
It was the fox.
During breakfast, it had been wandering around getting bread crumbs and then disappeared, so I thought it had gone with Lenox, but surprisingly it seemed to have remained nearby.
“Go.”
I waved my hand half-heartedly.
“If you’re unlucky staying here, you’ll get hurt.”
I was going to rest a bit more before getting up, but if it loitered around my feet and got crushed, that would be a real disaster. It was enough for just me to get hurt as this meter or whatever went down.
But the fox, far from moving away, came closer. Like a stray cat, it rubbed its body against my leg and gradually closed the distance.
“…Hey. Don’t get saliva on me.”
Its moist nose poked my cheek. The touched area got slight goosebumps but it wasn’t unpleasant.
When I turned my head, my eyes met with the fox’s. Its clear black eyes sparkled like jewels.
“You…”
I was about to scold it, thinking it doesn’t listen to people at all.
‘Huh?’
Didn’t I feel a bit better?
While wondering if it was just my imagination, the little one climbed right onto my chest. Settling itself squarely on top of a person’s body—it had absolutely no manners.
Uncomfortable. Heavy. Bothersome.
But.
[Current Chaos Meter: 63%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 64%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 65%]
Though a bit slow, the ‘Chaos Meter’ was rising.
Was it because of doing something I hadn’t done before? I didn’t know the exact reason, but I seemed to know that the fox was at the center of this change.
“Does it give off good energy or something?”
Instead of answering, the fox swished its tail. A purring sound tickled my ears.
Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d rested lying down with an animal like this. It wasn’t because I disliked furry four-legged beasts. It was just that such leisure had never been permitted to me.
‘I did live without a moment to catch my breath.’
It was a life lived as if running. Taking care of myself alone was overwhelming, and on top of that, I had to be responsible for my younger sister who had been bedridden for so long—how much more difficult could it be?
A corner of my heart ached. It wasn’t from resentment. How could it be? My younger sister was the reason and purpose of my life.
Rather, it was because I found myself thinking this wasn’t so bad. The only thing waiting for that young, pitiful one was the day of death, yet I, her only family and guardian, was living quite well here.
So this was guilt about the peace and happiness I’d inadvertently felt.
Amidst the slight pain, the unfamiliar discomfort pressing on my chest, the warmth and ticklishness, the ‘Chaos Meter’ slowly rose.
After breaking through 70 percent, my spinning vision became a bit calmer. I tapped the fox’s rear to chase it away, then groaned as I got up.
“Shall we go to work now?”
Behind me as I walked with long strides, the pure white fox followed closely with quick steps.
***
When I arrived at the office, Albert, who had been waiting in advance with a pile of documents, made a complicated expression. Seeing my complexion, it seemed nagging had risen to the tip of his tongue.
‘Can’t be helped.’
This is actually improved.
I quickly gave him a look to start the report, but Albert’s mouth remained tightly shut. He didn’t even hand over the documents he was holding.
Even after Knight Commander Wieg and the merchant guild master entered, this strange standoff continued. Every time the two tried to speak, Albert sent them a terrifying look, so the silence enveloping the office only grew endlessly longer.
Fortunately, before I lost patience and got irritated, Billy arrived. He brought steaming tea and several round black pills, setting them down in front of me.
“These are good for headaches and dizziness.”
Finally, after swallowing all the bitter pills and rinsing my chalky mouth with medicinal tea, today’s work began.
My greatest treasure, Albert, began explaining this and that while handing over documents with an enthusiastic attitude as if he’d never delayed the report.
“Good.”
The first winter in the Grand Duchy of Betius was proceeding smoothly.
The knights were divided according to ability and disposition to either patrol the areas where magical beasts lived or be in charge of the entire grand duchy’s defense. This was because safety was the cause that made winter here most difficult.
But no matter how safe it was, if people were hungry, it meant nothing. Food and daily necessities were never enough no matter how much we prepared.
So to ensure the territory’s people lived without incident, we had to divide the budget and make plans to regularly procure and supply necessary items.
Since we needed to dispatch personnel to places requiring detailed management, twenty-four hours a day weren’t enough. Fortunately, it was still manageable. Since the results were good, the sense of accomplishment was greater even if the work was a bit tough.
It was around the time when the reports necessary for territory management were roughly finished.
“The goods coming from the Sting Trading Company will be checked around next week… Right.”
Settling into my chair, I looked at Albert.
“Did you bring the materials I mentioned?”
It was something I’d personally requested, specifically about that fox sitting at the door.
I needed more information about white foxes. How big they grow when fully grown, whether there are habits to be mindful of, whether they show aggression that could harm people, exactly which regions they inhabit, whether there’s a precise scientific name. Also, I had given instructions to find out if there were cases of people in the northern region keeping white foxes as pets.
Although I said I’d send it away when the weather warmed up, it was still something I’d decided to raise until then. I hoped Lenox, who had good intentions, wouldn’t get hurt.
He would hand over a meticulously prepared report and explain it as always. That’s what I was thinking.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
Albert fidgeted with his empty hands, then clasped them behind his back and bowed his head.
“They say there are no foxes in the north.”
“…Huh?”
Flustered, I gestured with my chin toward the office door.
“Then what’s that thing sitting over there? A tiger?”
If you have eyes, look. It’s a fox. No matter how you look at it, it’s definitely a fox.
The fox, noticing my gaze, perked up its ears. Its fluffy tail slowly swept the floor, expressing its joy.
Wieg, who had been looking at the fox, spoke in a cautious voice.
“Actually, this is the first time I’ve seen one too. I inquired around since I heard you’d taken in something new…”
From him with his hands clasped behind his back came completely unexpected words.
“None of the people in the north have ever seen a fox.”
