The following day...
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Aira finally stepped beyond the doors of the imperial palace.
The cool morning breeze brushed against her cheeks, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and fresh earth. She paused at the top of the grand staircase, blinking against the warm sunlight.
"...Freedom."
She whispered the word with heartfelt emotion.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked beyond the towering palace gates.
An entire world waited outside.
No endless scholars trying to decipher the meaning of pizza and coffee. No servants bringing monster-head cuisine that seemed to stare back at her. No awkward banquets filled with shirtless commanders.
Today was finally going to be normal.
Or... as normal as life in another world could possibly get.
The young servant standing beside her smiled.
"His Majesty has granted Your Grace permission to explore the imperial capital."
Aira gasped excitedly.
"Really?"
The young servant nodded enthusiastically.
"His Majesty believes seeing the empire with your own eyes may help you better understand our people."
Her face immediately lit up.
"Finally!"
She pumped a fist into the air before quickly remembering she was supposed to behave with dignity.
"...I mean..."
She coughed awkwardly.
"Ehem... That is... wonderful."
The young servant politely pretended not to notice.
"But you must make sure not to remove the necklace around your neck. It was specially made for you by His Majesty."
Aira glanced down at the sapphire necklace resting against her collarbone. She still didn't understand why she had to wear it. The servant had explained that it concealed both her appearance and her scent, preventing others from recognizing that she was the Woman of the Prophecy.
"Yeah, yeah...got it."
Aira looked toward the massive gates with unconcealed excitement. Maybe she'd finally find something she recognized.
The enormous gates slowly creaked open. Her eyes widened.
Beyond them stretched a city unlike anything she had ever imagined.
White stone roads shimmered beneath the morning sun as elegant white horses pulled luxurious carriages through the streets. Magnificent buildings carved from crystal and marble lined both sides of the road.
Colorful banners fluttered gently in the breeze. Merchants called cheerfully from lively market stalls overflowing with strange fruits, glowing flowers, polished gemstones, and curious little creatures she couldn't even begin to identify.
High above the city, enormous winged unicorns soared gracefully through the blue sky.
Some carried cargo. Others carried passengers.
"...Whoa..."
She couldn't stop staring.
It was breathtaking.
It looked like every fantasy novel and RPG she'd ever loved had somehow come to life.
"I can't believe I'm actually here..."
A smile slowly spread across her face.
Then...
A large shadow fell over her.
.....
Her smile instantly disappeared.
Standing beside the palace carriage was the emperor.
Dressed in black ceremonial robes embroidered with silver dragons...with absolutely nothing covering the sculpted muscles beneath. The front of his robes remained slightly open, revealing a glimpse of the perfectly defined abs she had accidentally seen far too many times already.
She instinctively swallowed.
How is this legal...?
Just looking at him felt like committing a crime.
How am I supposed to survive if I have to keep seeing him like this?
His posture remained perfectly straight. His expression was as unreadable as ever.
"...Y-You."
She pointed at him.
"You're coming too, Your Majesty?"
"I am."
"...Why?"
"You are leaving the palace."
"...Yes?"
"You require protection."
Aira slowly turned toward the young servant.
You never mentioned this!
The servant immediately avoided her gaze before discreetly slipping several steps backward.
Traitor.
Before she could complain, the emperor spoke.
"I will escort you personally."
"...The emperor is personally acting as my bodyguard?"
"I am escorting you as a guest that's different."
"That's literally the same thing with a fancier title..." She muttered under her breath.
Why is the final boss accompanying me on my sightseeing trip?
She had imagined wandering around freely.
Browsing shops. Trying local snacks. Making friends.
Instead...
She was about to explore the city accompanied by the single most intimidating man in the empire.
A luxurious carriage soon rolled to a stop before them.
Excited despite herself, Aira hurried toward it.
Unfortunately...She misjudged the height of the step.
"Ah—!"
She nearly pitched forward. Before she could fall, a firm arm wrapped around her waist.
Everything seemed to stop.
She found herself staring directly into the emperor's golden eyes.
For one strange moment...The world fell completely silent.
Then she noticed something odd. The emperor wasn't looking at her the way he usually did. Instead, he was staring at her face.
Very intently.
Then the corner of his lips twitched. A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"..."
Aira's expression slowly disappeared.
"...Did you just laugh?"
The emperor calmly looked at her, then slowly shook his head.
"No."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...You definitely laughed."
"I did not."
"...Then why were you staring at me?"
Silence. No answer.
Instead, another amused look crossed his face before he calmly released her waist and stepped into the carriage.
The sudden loss of support nearly sent her tumbling forward again.
"W-Whoa!"
Fortunately, the young servant caught her just in time.
What the--
This ungentlemanly jerk!
Aira climbed into the carriage with an obvious pout.
The emperor glanced at her once more. Then another tiny chuckle escaped him.
"...What?"
"You resemble..."
He paused.
"...a parrot."
"...Excuse me?"
"When you're dissatisfied," he said calmly, "you puff out your cheeks like a parrot."
"I do not."
"You are also rather noisy."
He looked out the window.
"...A noisy little parrot."
Aira's jaw dropped.
Did...Did the emperor of an entire empire just compare me to a bird?
Me?
How rude!
She folded her arms tightly and turned toward the opposite window with a dramatic huff.
Fine.
Don't explain why you laughed.
See if I care.
...
I care.
Behind her, the emperor quietly hid another chuckle.
If only she knew.
The sapphire necklace around her neck had completely altered her appearance.
To her own eyes, she looked exactly the same. But to everyone else, she looked like a frail old man with a long white beard, drooping eyebrows, deep wrinkles, and an adorably grumpy expression.
Watching that elderly man puff out his cheeks like an offended child every few seconds was enough to test even the emperor's legendary self-control.
The carriage soon lifted into the air.
Instead of horses, two magnificent winged unicorns pulled it gracefully across the sky.
Aira forgot her annoyance almost instantly.
We're flying...
We're actually flying!
She pressed herself against the window, staring in amazement.
Crystal towers glittered beneath the sunlight. Floating fountains shimmered like rainbows. There are other unicorns flying effortlessly between the clouds while colorful streets bustled far below.
It felt like watching a fantasy movie.
No...
It felt even better.
Because this time...
She was inside it.
Not long afterward, the carriage descended into the Inner Palace Market. Unlike the markets outside the palace walls, this one catered exclusively to nobles and members of the imperial household.
Rows upon rows of luxurious stalls stretched in every direction.
Rare fruits. Magical herbs. Sparkling gemstones. Silk garments. Enchanted artifacts. Exquisite weapons. Even tiny glowing creatures slept peacefully inside crystal cages.
The moment the emperor stepped out...Everything stopped.
Merchants froze mid-sentence.
Customers immediately lowered their heads.
Several people dropped to one knee.
One elderly fruit vendor nearly overturned his entire display in his panic to bow quickly enough.
Aira slowly looked around, then at the emperor then back at everyone else.
Again...?
Seriously?
This wasn't shopping. This was emotional damage.
The emperor walked forward as though nothing unusual had happened.
Everywhere he passed...
Heads lowered.
Voices disappeared.
Bodies stiffened.
The market became so quiet that Aira could hear the fluttering of the unicorns' wings behind them.
She glanced sideways.
The emperor looked satisfied and proud. There was unmistakable pride in the calm confidence with which he carried himself. He's enjoying this.
Her eye twitched.
He's actually enjoying terrifying everyone.
She watched another merchant panic so badly that he accidentally dropped an entire basket of glowing oranges.
The poor man looked ready to apologize for existing.
Meanwhile...
His Majesty simply continued walking as though this happened every day.
Unbelievable.
This man actually thinks fear is a personality trait.
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
How is anyone supposed to enjoy shopping when everyone looks like they're attending a funeral?
I just wanted to explore...
But with this emperor around, I can't enjoy anything.
After only a few more minutes, she gave up trying to browse.
Everywhere she looked...people bowed.
Every time she approached a stall...the owner nearly fainted.
Forget it. At this rate, I'll starve before I manage to buy anything.
She wandered a little farther ahead, pretending not to notice the emperor quietly following several steps behind.
Then...
A delicious aroma drifted through the air.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Grrrr...
She froze.
"...Traitor."
Her own stomach had betrayed her.
She followed the mouthwatering scent with sparkling eyes.
There, arranged neatly across a wooden stall, were dozens of skewers of beautifully grilled meat unlike anything she had ever seen.
Her eyes widened.
That...
Finally!
Meat that actually looks edible!
No monster heads, dragon tails and even mysterious eyeballs staring back at me. It's normal food!
Without realizing it, her feet had already carried her toward the stall.
She stopped in front of it, practically drooling.
The elderly vendor looked up with a welcoming smile.
Then his gaze shifted past her.
Toward the emperor.
His smile instantly vanished and his face turned deathly pale.
The tray in his hands nearly slipped from his grasp.
"W-Your Majesty!"
Before Aira could even ask about the grilled meat...
The poor vendor threw himself into a deep bow, trembling so violently that he looked moments away from fainting.
Aira slowly closed her eyes.
...I knew it.
Shopping with the emperor is impossible.