"Grandfather..."

Lionel froze for a brief second when he heard that word suddenly slip in his mouth. He cleared his throat and immediately straightened up.

"I apologize," he muttered, "my respects to His Majesty," Lionel said as he lowered his head properly.

The emperor’s eyes flew to Lionel. Softness flickered in his eyes before it disappeared.

"It’s good to see you, Lionel." He muttered; his voice was now hoarse with his old age.

"It’s good to see you too, your majesty," Lionel answered genuinely.

He and his grandfather might not be very close, but they still share a history and a relationship. Lionel cared for him wholeheartedly.

The memory of his grandfather, which was in a casket, suddenly flashed in his mind. During that time, the whole empire mourned for the emperor’s death, even him. It was so sudden and so unfortunate.

That’s why seeing him now, alive and in good state, stirred something in his chest. He was thankful that he could still spend some time with him. There were still 5 months left before the day happened.

"I have heard of what happened in the forest," The Emperor studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"Your actions... were commendable," he said slowly

Lionel straightened slightly at that.

"It was my duty, Your Majesty," he answered calmly, lowering his gaze just enough to remain respectful. "I only did what I had to do."

The Emperor gave a short nod. Even without saying much, his acknowledgment was already enough. A praise from him was not something given lightly, so Lionel was proud to have it.

A brief silence ensued among the two of them, when suddenly, the emperor cleared his throat.

"Ehem... Have you eaten breakfast?"

Lionel blinked at that.

"Pardon?" The question caught him off guard.

"I asked," the Emperor repeated as the tone remained calm, "have you eaten?"

Lionel quickly composed himself.

"Not yet, Your Majesty," he replied as a small, polite smile formed on his lips despite the confusion. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The emperor briefly nodded at that again. Then without saying much, he turned around suddenly.

"It is only the two of us here."

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Lionel’s brows furrowed.

The Emperor glanced back at him for a second before speaking again.

"You can call me grandfather."

"..." Lionel’s breath hitched when he heard those words. His heart began to beat faster against his chest, loud enough that he could almost hear it.

That simple word felt heavier than anything else that had been said so far.

A warm feeling spread through him. Lionel lowered his gaze for a brief moment before his lips rose to a big smile.

"Yes..." When he looked up again to see the emperor, his eyes softened even more, "Grandfather." The word felt so familiar, yet foreign on his lips.

The Emperor’s expression did not change much. But the corner of his lips slightly curved.

"Good. Now let’s get breakfast."

Lionel’s eyes widened at that.

"Breakfast?" he repeated softly, almost as if he wasn’t sure he heard it right.

"Mm." The Emperor hummed but did not look back. All of a sudden, he just walked, prompting everyone to follow him.

"Yes, Grandfather." Lionel quickly snapped out of reality and followed after him without hesitation.

His steps were quick and careful. Behind them, the guards and attendants moved at once. They walked in silence, maintaining a respectful distance as they trailed after the Emperor and Lionel.

Lionel walked just a step behind his grandfather. Even then, his eyes couldn’t help but drifted slightly to the old man.

Emperor Augustus Sigismund Vaeloria was the name of his grandfather. He had taken the throne at the young age of 15. At that time, the empire was still unstable and divided by factions.

It was he who stood at the center of it all and held everything together with his own hands.

Years passed, and under his reign, the empire flourished. Their trade expanded, their lands prospered, and peace remained for decades. They trained troops to the best of their abilities.

Emperor Augustus was someone who knew how to train for strength and improve his weaknesses.

He ruled the empire for 45 years.

But now, time had already left its mark on him. His hair had turned gray, and his voice had grown hoarse. His steps were also no longer as strong as they once were, and lately, he had been falling ill more often than usual.

But even so, the man was the pillar of the empire.

Lionel kept his pace as he followed behind him. For a moment, he hesitated. But knowing that this was a rare chance, he decided to call it. He will start a conversation with his grandfather.

"Grandfather..." he called out softly.

The Emperor did not stop walking, but there was a slight pause in his steps. It was enough for Lionel to continue.

"How have you been?" Lionel asked. The question was simple, but he really wanted to ask it. He knew that sooner or later, his grandfather would be sick.

The Emperor glanced at him briefly from the side.

"I am well," he answered.

Lionel pressed his lips together for a moment. He knew his grandfather was never one to speak much about himself.

"Have you been busy lately?" Lionel tried again.

"As always." It was another short answer.

"I see..." Lionel almost let out a small laugh at that. It was as if he were having a conversation with a rock. But Lionel did not stop. He was not one to give up.

"You should rest more, grandfather..." he said after a while, "You’ve been working for so long already. You should eat healthy food too. Mother is deeply worried about your state."

That made the Emperor stop. His steps came to a halt so suddenly that even the attendants behind them slowed down at once.

Lionel blinked, a bit surprised by the reaction. He knew that his mother and the emperor used to be close to each other.

The Emperor did not turn, but his head tilted slightly to the side.

"How is your mother?" he asked.

Lionel’s eyes widened for a brief second at that.

"She’s doing well, grandfather," he answered. "Before I went here, she also told me to tell you to take care of your health."

"..." The emperor fell silent at that.

Lionel watched him from behind carefully, trying to read even the smallest change in his expression, but there was none.

"...I see," the Emperor simply muttered, but for some reason his voice sounded softer this time.

Lionel couldn’t tell if his grandfather was pleased or not. The man was still as unreadable as ever. But the fact that he asked about his mother in the first place and that he sounded pleased, made him think it was for the better.

===

A/N:

A new month and I’m really grateful for all of you who are still reading the novel.

Shout out to rockstxr! Thank you for the rain of Golden Tickets. I really appreciate it

With it, I decided that for every 50 Golden Tickets this novel received, I will release an extra Chapter at the end of the week. Just making sure that your support wont go to waste.