Chapter 9: Volatile Situation
“Have you contacted Ruri?” Jade asked as he sat in his office signing documents.
Claus, who was also working in the same room, replied, “Indeed. I sent a letter to my mother early this morning. Lord Kotaro should be able to return to the castle in a matter of hours, so they should arrive either today or tomorrow.”
“... Today,” Jade curtly asserted, implying that he wasn’t willing to wait a second longer. He had been on pins and needles the entire morning, wondering when Ruri was going to return to the castle. Working at a faster pace than usual, it seemed like he was desperate to finish and secure time to spend with her.
Claus chuckled to himself and grabbed his pen in order to write a follow-up letter to Chelsie. However, that was when the both of them stopped their work and lifted their heads in an almost coordinated fashion.
“...Sounds like a commotion,” commented Claus.
“Yeah.”
Their unparalleled dragonkin sense of hearing picked up on a slight bit of clamor outside the room. The noise seemed to gradually get closer with each passing second as a terrible feeling started to swell in their chests. It wasn’t long before they could hear a set of arguing voices right outside the room, followed immediately by the door swinging wide open without so much as a word beforehand.
That sort of conduct was unthinkable. This was the royal office, after all. No one would be so uncultured to open the door without announcing themselves. It was clear from the second it happened that whoever did it wasn’t from the Nation of the Dragon King.
The person who barged into the room, as expected, was none other than Azelda. Behind her, they could see a soldier desperately trying to stop the girl from doing anything rash.
“Dragon King!” Azelda called out, making a rather rude entrance as if she didn’t comprehend how disrespectful she was currently being.
“P-Please forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty. A thousand apologies!” said the soldier after nervously entering the room. He then bowed deeply to Jade before making his way toward Azelda.
“Um, Lady Beloved, this is His Majesty’s office. Please, I implore you to vacate,” said the soldier in a timid tone.
Azelda, however, was entirely focused on Jade and didn’t seem to hear a word the soldier said. “Dragon King, I shall be having a tea party soon that I wish for you to attend,” Azelda said with flushed cheeks, making no attempt to hide how smitten she was.
Azelda had apparently fallen in love with Jade at first sight. She was hell-bent on inviting him to her parties at any opportunity she could get, just like this. However, Azelda was supposed to be barred from entering sector one in order to prevent her from seeing Celestine. That being said, why was she in Jade’s office in sector one...? Jade shot an accusing glare at the soldier, making him feel guilty.
“My sincerest apologies. I informed Lady Beloved that she was not allowed to enter sector one, but she positively insisted on having an audience with you, Your Majesty. I tried to stop her, but she became enraged, causing the spirits to...”
Jade didn’t have to hear the rest to gain a rough idea of what happened. It was common for the spirits to be influenced by the anger of a Beloved. Not even a dragonkin could earn the ire of the spirits and come out in one piece. The soldier wasn’t powerful enough to stop her from coming here, but Jade couldn’t blame him for that. Not even Jade could stop her once the spirits came into the equation.
He had heard from Euclase’s account that Azelda barely enforced any control over the spirits. While Ruri would quell her spirits more often than not, Azelda used their anger to her advantage to get her way.
Jade’s head ached over the fact that he was babysitting such a troublemaker. He took his eyes off the soldier and turned around to Azelda. “Lady Beloved...”
“Oh, Lady Beloved sounds so reserved. Please, call me Azelda,” she said, keeping her eyes fixed on Jade, albeit embarrassed.
That look put a bitter frown on Jade’s face. “Okay then, Lady Azelda. I’m sorry, but I am in the middle of work at the moment, so I won’t be able to attend your tea party.”
“You never attend my tea parties when I invite you. Can’t you make an exception today?”
“I’m terribly sorry to decline. However, my work needs me, so I need you to understand. Also, I need you to refrain from entering sector one of the castle.”
“I just wanted to see you...” Azelda said, her brows slumping sadly.
Jade started to sweat, not wanting the spirits to go berserk. “I’m not saying it to be mean. Currently, we have the Beloved of the Nation of the Beast King in sector one. A Beloved outside of the four allied nations meeting another Beloved goes against the rules.”
“Oh my, there is another Beloved here? I would like to meet them.”
“No, there is a rule that forbids Beloveds of outside nations from meeting in order to prevent conflict, so I can’t let you meet her.”
“Don’t worry about that. I can get along with her.”
Jade almost let out a sigh. It wasn’t a matter of likability. Also, they probably wouldn’t get along anyway seeing as how Celestine’s impression of Azelda was already at rock-bottom. Even Jade could say with confidence that the two were practically oil and water.
“Regardless, I can’t allow the two of you to meet. Now, return to sector two before you encounter Celesti—”
“Pardon my intrusion.” Just as Jade was about to hand over Azelda to the soldier, the royal office’s doors opened and out stepped the very individual Jade was warning Azelda about—Celestine.
Jade’s eyes snapped over to the door where Celestine stood and his jaw tensed. “Celestine...”
“I knocked several times, but I heard no response, so I took the liberty of coming in. I had something I wished to speak to you about and... Oh my, is that who I think it is?” Celestine said as her eyes fell upon Azelda standing beside Jade. Azelda was surrounded by a group of spirits just like Celestine, so she had a hunch as to who the girl was without Jade even answering. “Yes, you are ‘Azelda,’ if I recall...”
Celestine’s look intensified. Jade and Claus both started to sweat.
“Celestine, please, step outside,” Jade urged, but Celestine’s eyes were fixed on Azelda.
Whether she was oblivious to Celestine’s stern glare or not, Azelda simply smiled and approached her. “You’re the Beloved of the Nation of the Beast King? I’m Azelda. Charmed,” the young girl said, holding her hand out for a handshake. But Celestine maintained her icy gaze and slapped the girl’s hand out of her face. It wasn’t a very hard slap by any means, but Azelda let out a tiny shriek, possibly from the shock alone. “Eeep! What are you doing?!”
“I have no intention of being friends with someone who treats the spirits like tools. I would advise you to not act so overly familiar with me.”
“W-Why?! I was going out of my way to be friendly!”
“I never asked.”
Celestine poutily turned her head to the side as Azelda glared a hole into her. Jade and the others in the room watched on in suspense as the volatile situation between the two unfolded.
Jade thought he was imagining things, but there were clearly more spirits in the room than before—all of them probably provoked by their anger. He had to act quick or the worst-case scenario would come to pass.
Jade made up his mind and stepped in. “Wait, you two. Celestine, you know the rules, don’t you? I’ll listen to what you have to say later, so just return to your room for now. You as well, Lady Azelda. You’re holding a tea party, aren’t you? I’ll have the soldiers escort you to sector two.”
Both looked dissatisfied, but Celestine was the first to move. “Very well. I will go regain my composure,” Celestine said in a display of rationality, much to the relief of Jade and Claus. Azelda, on the other hand...
“No. I hate this person. I’m a Beloved. I won’t leave after being treated like such a fool! Everyone, sic her!”
Even though Celestine was being an adult and going back to her room, Azelda wasn’t going to sit with that. Because of her status as a Beloved, she’d never had anyone respond to her like this. Her whole face was beet red, and it was clear she was furious. She turned to the nearby spirits and ordered them to attack.
Jade and Claus turned pale. Jade tried to stop Azelda and Claus moved to protect Celestine, but Celestine herself spoke up before they could act, her words reverberating.
“Who cares if you’re a Beloved? You use the spirits when things don’t go your way. You’re like a child throwing a tantrum. Isn’t that just embarrassing?”
“What did you say?!”
The spirits had yet to move.
Jade and Claus weren’t terribly familiar with the specifics of what happened in a confrontation between two Beloveds since their kingdom had lacked any Beloveds for quite a long time. It was unknown what actions the spirits might take, and that unknown factor only invited fear and panic.
It was clear that they couldn’t let this fight go on for any longer, so Jade stepped between the two and broke up their staredown. Then, he turned his back to Celestine and walked to Azelda.
“Lady Azelda, I must ask you to calm yourself.”
“Why are you covering for that brat?!”
“I’m not covering for her. Lady Azelda, weren’t you holding a tea party? I would appreciate it if you’d let me join.”
“But, did you not just turn down my offer because of work?”
“Yes, but I feel that having a leisurely chat with you is more of a priority than work. Let us be off, quickly.”
Azelda brightened up as if she completely forgot about her anger up until that point. “Oh, you mean it?! Let’s be off, then!” Azelda took Jade’s arm and huddled up to him in a spirited mood.
Jade shot a glance at Claus. With an expression that seemed relieved as well as annoyed, Claus whispered, “Best of luck, Sire.”
“Claus, I’m leaving the rest to you.”
“Yes, consider it done,” Claus replied, bowing his head.
Jade left the sulky-looking Celestine behind and walked out of the office with Azelda.
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