At Seoho’s question, Puti nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, that’s right. If His Majesty is pleased, then I’m pleased too.”
Because Rosetta was happy, Puti was happy too.
“Puti, you’re devoted.”
“His Majesty is a beloved emperor. The people of the Empire love His Majesty deeply. His Majesty receives tremendous support from the people and from the nobles who believe in the gods, to the extent that I don’t know how long it’s been since imperial authority has been this strong.”
For a moment, a strange feeling washed over him. Seoho blinked and listened to Puti’s words.
“So cases like the Holy Maiden’s are rare. Well, even her feelings toward His Majesty are probably something like a love-hate relationship, but anyway, most people will basically feel favorable toward you, Seoho-nim.”
Seoho asked once more.
“Because I’m Rosetta’s person?”
Perhaps sensing the somehow different tone, Puti hesitated, then asked.
“Do you want me to answer honestly?”
When Seoho nodded, Puti answered with a somewhat stiff expression.
“That’s correct. Solely because you are His Majesty’s destiny, you will easily gain the favor of others.”
It felt a bit strange. In other words, because of Rosetta, not because of Seoho.
Seoho asked about the part that had been bothering him for a while.
“What’s the reason Rosetta is so beloved?”
Then Puti answered as if it were obvious.
“Because he’s a human loved by the gods. He’s truly a human who received a name from the gods for the first time in hundreds of years.”
That cleanly delivered answer made Seoho feel melancholic. Seoho quietly gazed at Puti.
Puti stood there with a face full of pride, seemingly not recognizing what the problem was at all. Seoho smiled bitterly and muttered.
“There’s not much difference between Rosetta and me.”
“Pardon?”
Seoho added an explanation for Puti, who didn’t understand his words.
“To gain favor and receive love because of someone else’s existence—what light and hollow emotions.”
He thought he understood why Rosetta had said he had no friends or precious people here.
The hostility from Angel and the goodwill from Puti and Aris that Seoho had received since arriving here all originated from Rosetta.
It would be a lie to say that point hadn’t bothered him.
Even in his original world, Seoho had a personality that got along easily with others. Of course, he couldn’t be liked by everyone, so naturally there were people who disliked Seoho too.
‘But those were emotions directed at me.’
It meant they were emotions derived from watching his actions, from seeing him as a person himself.
‘Not like now, poured toward the background called Rosetta.’
Had Rosetta not felt this strange emotion that Seoho felt after meeting only a few people in a very short time?
Just as Seoho was hidden behind the background called Rosetta, he too was hidden behind an intangible existence called the gods.
In Seoho’s case, at least Rosetta was human, but for Rosetta, that target was the gods. People didn’t see Rosetta as Rosetta, but only thought of him as a human receiving the gods’ love.
‘This really sucks.’
In this world where the existence of gods was certain, what kind of position did the gods hold? As if understanding the meaning of Seoho’s words, Puti called out to Seoho with a pale face.
“…Seoho-nim.”
“So is that why Rosetta called for me so desperately?”
Was that why he had cried so sorrowfully, so precariously, so achingly?
‘Because he was lonely like me.’
Did he need someone who would recognize him? All of this might be conjecture. But Seoho just had that thought.
‘Poverty in the midst of plenty.’
He received overflowing love, but it was all hollow. He thought he could understand why Rosetta found Angel bothersome.
‘How many times must he have felt such hollow emotions?’
After a long silence, Puti slowly opened his mouth.
“…That might be so.”
Puti’s face was dark. Since he hadn’t meant to hurt Puti’s feelings, Seoho deliberately shrugged his shoulders lightly.
“I might be overthinking this too much by myself. And even if that’s the case, I don’t know if I’ll be of help to Rosetta.”
“You will be.”
At the firm answer, Seoho looked at Puti with slight surprise.
“You’re so certain.”
Then Puti looked at Seoho with a bright smile.
“Yes. I’m certain now. Seoho-nim will have a good influence on His Majesty.”
At those words filled with conviction that it would certainly be so, Seoho felt a bit reassured.
“Thank you. I hope so.”
It wasn’t because Puti believed in him. Still, it was reassuring to know there was someone who truly thought of Rosetta.
‘This is strange.’
He didn’t know why his heart went out to and he worried about this person called Rosetta, even though they’d only known each other for a short time.
***
As Seoho had resolved, he faced Angel normally without showing any particular discomfort.
“Hello. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
Unlike their previous meeting when hostility had been gradually leaking out, today not a single flaw could be seen in Angel’s expression.
‘Now that I know she dislikes Rosetta, this makes me more anxious.’
Seoho, conscious of Rosetta sitting beside her, decided to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
“Still, you shouldn’t overdo it because of me, so I think it’s better to get straight to the point.”
“Yes, do you have something you’d like to ask?”
Seoho nodded and said.
“I’m learning the common knowledge here, but the truth is I know almost nothing about this place.”
“Yes. That’s natural.”
“I don’t know from where to where is the appropriate range to ask you, Angel-nim. So, first I’d like to know about past cases similar to mine. While listening to the stories, may I ask questions if I’m curious about something?”
At Seoho’s question, Angel looked at him as if surprised, then opened her mouth.
“Yes, I understand. However, please know that the records may not be accurate, and since they’re old records, there are parts missing in between.”
It was a bit disappointing, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Yes.”
“According to the records, there have been a total of four people who were dragged to the Empire like you, Seoho-nim. You’re the fifth.”
Seoho glanced at Rosetta. He was looking only at Seoho, as if he had no interest in Angel sitting in front of him.
‘It seems like she deliberately used the word “dragged.”‘
Seoho didn’t know if he was overreacting, but it definitely seemed like words thrown out with the intention of provoking Rosetta, yet he showed no reaction.
Rather, he was smiling brightly as if pleased that his eyes met with Seoho’s. Seoho smiled back at Rosetta while subtly correcting Angel’s words.
“There aren’t as many people who came here as I thought.”
Whether she grasped Seoho’s intention or not, Angel continued the conversation as if nothing was wrong.
“Well, it could be that some weren’t recorded.”
“Yes.”
“This is the second time a man has come. The first, second, and fourth were women, and the third was a man.”
Angel looked back and forth between Rosetta and Seoho.
“Since the people who could obtain this mirror were mostly those who had close relationships with the temple, the people here were all of noble status.”
Then Rosetta, who had been looking only at Seoho as if he had no interest at all in Angel’s story, suddenly interrupted.
“Seoho, I’m the best.”
At the tone filled with pride, Seoho burst into laughter and looked at Rosetta.
‘He really is like a child.’
He was laughing in disbelief when Angel continued speaking as if cutting off that laughter.
“…Of course, His Majesty is the first emperor to obtain this mirror.”
Seoho turned his gaze from Rosetta back to Angel. Angel, whose eyes met with Seoho’s, spoke with a calm face.
“I’ll tell you about the man among them. So, the third person.”
“Yes.”
“He was a man with blue eyes…”
After that, a long story about the third man continued.
***
After the conversation with Angel ended, Rosetta and Seoho spent time as usual.
Seoho occasionally had hazy eyes as if lost in thought, but the atmosphere wasn’t bad.
‘He must be worried.’
The story about the third otherworlder was nothing special. He was in his thirties when he came to this world, and his relationship with the marquis who summoned him wasn’t bad.
It took time to adapt to the suddenly changed environment and he wandered a bit, but looking at the records, there didn’t seem to be any major problems. Of course, Angel’s conclusion was that all the other otherworlders were the same.
‘There were many stories about the early days, but the later stories were all speculation.’
Whether Angel really didn’t know and said nothing, or knew but didn’t speak, Rosetta didn’t particularly care either way.
‘What does the past have to do with me?’
Some of the past otherworlders Angel mentioned seemed to have taken quite a while to adapt to this world, but Seoho was adapting very well right now.
‘Even if Seoho has trouble adapting, I just need to help him.’
Angel’s words about staying longer in the palace since more questions might arise were annoying, but even after the meeting with her, Rosetta’s mood was fine.
When Seoho, who had been lost in thought even while lying in bed, fell into a deep sleep, Rosetta, who had been gently watching over him as he slept, separately called in Puti.
Puti, who had expected Rosetta to call him, followed him to a corner of the room far from the bed. It was consideration so that Seoho wouldn’t wake up from the sound of conversation.
Perhaps because of the sleepless nights he’d experienced before coming to the Empire, Seoho particularly loved sleeping. And Rosetta, who noticed that fact, made efforts not to wake him once Seoho went to bed.
Actually, if he didn’t want to wake him, he could leave the room entirely and talk somewhere else, but perhaps because of the desire not to leave him, Rosetta always listened to stories about Seoho’s daily life in one corner of the room. Rosetta, who had been looking at Seoho sleeping in the bed a bit away, asked in a small voice.
“Anything unusual today?”
“Nothing in particular. However, as Seoho-nim mentioned earlier in the conversation with the Holy Maiden, it’s been decided that he’ll learn the common knowledge here. From Imperial Mage Aris-nim.”
A faint light of wariness appeared on Rosetta’s face, which had been looking at Seoho with gentle eyes.
