"Will you just keep standing there?"
It was only after hearing Kishiar's voice that Yuder realized he was still standing in the same spot, the door yet to be closed.
"Ah, yes. I apologize."
"There's no need for apologies. Those who see this useless opulence for the first time often react similarly."
Kishiar smiled, adjusting his diamond-encrusted belt and pulling the end of his gloves to straighten his outfit. His expression was as relaxed as ever, but Yuder could feel a keen, predatory tension from the tips of his fingers.
"Given that you call it 'useless opulence,' it seems you're not fond of the formal attire."
"I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"Do you see this?"
With that, Kishiar held up a gloved hand, displaying it for emphasis. The back of the glove was studded with jewel fragments carved into ancient symbols representing eternal blessings.
"This glove alone is valuable enough to feed a small region in the frontier for a few months. But the truth is, it doesn't need to be this expensive. It doesn't have any special features, and the jewels used aren't particularly valuable."
He lowered his gaze toward Yuder, who was staring at the glove.
"Then why is this glove so expensive? Want to guess?"
"...I heard that items used by the imperial family are only made in designated places..."
"Exactly. The only reason it's so expensive is because it came from a family of glove makers favored by the fifth Emperor."
Kishiar waved his gloved hand as if to emphasize his point, then dropped it.
"At the time, it started from a very good intention. Until then, the Emperor had proclaimed that he would begin buying items made by the people instead of those made directly in the imperial palace. But now, even that has become another tradition, and the initial purpose of supporting poor but skilled individuals has completely disappeared."
The family of glove makers chosen by the fifth Emperor's favor grew wealthy. In order to retain the wealth and prestige gained from making items for the imperial family, they began to exert their efforts.
The original intent vanished. Those who questioned why only they could provide gloves for the imperial attire gradually disappeared. As the tradition of buying gloves only from the designated place solidified, the makers began to put an even higher price tag on the gloves sent to the palace.
In comparison to the total budget used in the palace, the price was not that substantial. The palace administrators simply saw it as a normal tradition, gladly accepting the sweet bribes and letters sent by the makers. Thus, the transaction continued from generation to generation, leading to the present situation.
Yuder listened attentively to Kishiar, who was speaking casually about things he hadn't known before.
"The gloves aren't the only issue. It's the same from head to toe. Once you attach the tag of 'tradition,' no matter what problems arise, they become unchangeable, leading to no change or progress. It's a sickness of the Empire."
"Is it possible to change it now?"
At Yuder's cautious question, Kishiar softly lit up his eyes and smiled.
"Of course, it will be changed. In fact, His Majesty the Emperor had always wished to change this aspect, but it was impossible this time. However, next time..."
The rest of the sentence, omitted with a smile, was not heard but could be guessed. Yuder recalled the face of Emperor Keilusa, who had cleverly and indirectly shown support every time Kishiar and the Cavalry were about to stir something up.
The scholarly Emperor, who had been working alone in a small palace located in the remotest corner, leaving many other palaces empty, held such thoughts. It was surprisingly astonishing.
'I died too early in my previous life, so I knew nothing… Both brothers had great dreams.'
"That aside."
With a change in his expression, Kishiar, shifting his gaze, opened his mouth while glancing at the formal attire Yuder was wearing. A mischievous mood rose above his red eyes.
"As expected, it suits you well."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your formal attire. It's a good example that it can look more valuable than anything else if the hanger is good, even if it's made without excessive luxury."
Yuder looked down at the formal attire he was wearing. He had never thought about whether the attire he was wearing before he came here was luxurious or not, but standing in front of Kishiar, the difference was clearly visible. The formal attire he was wearing used good-looking fabric and had gold buttons, but no jewels were used, and the shape was much simpler.
'Looking back, the formal attire of the nobles who attended the parties in my previous life... it seems like there were no clothes without jewels.'
"Did you purposely make it like this?"
"Actually, legally, that's more correct. The law forbids excessive luxury of those leading the Empire. It's a mere formality now, though."
After saying that, Kishiar tilted his head and chuckled.
"...And actually, it also suits my taste."
"Excuse me?"
"I told you. I have a certain taste in these things. Since the result came out quite to my liking, I expect a new trend in formal attire to spread across the continent after today."
Kishiar, who nodded his head in satisfaction, came closer, stretched out his hand to the end of the belt around Yuder's waist.
"You seem to do everything well, but this is a bit clumsy. If you tie it like this, the knot will soon come undone."
"I'll tie it again."
"No need. Watch how I tie it so it won't come loose."
The duke was serving as a valet, attending to another man's clothes. It would have caused a stir if someone had seen, but it was only Kishiar and Yuder here.
Yuder felt slightly dizzy watching Kishiar, who bent his waist in front of him and started to pull and tie the strap. He thought he knew better than anyone that Kishiar was a man whose actions were hard to predict, but watching him tie his waistband in flashy formal attire was a different issue.
Even though he was wearing thick formal attire, the sensation of fingers touching too closely was felt through his waist, and it was difficult to maintain his usual calmness. The scent of the perfume emanating from Kishiar's golden hair was too strong, and above all...
'Anyway, this position is...'
"Are you watching? Turn this part around like this and tie the knot, then it won't come loose."
"I get it. I'll do it now... Ugh."
Yuder, who was trying to hastily step back, let out an involuntary choked sound due to the pressure he felt as the knot was tightly pulled.
"Ah, my apologies. Why are you moving about? You should stay still when I'm tying your belt."
He was the cause of this situation and yet he was making such a remark. Unable to contain his irritation, Yuder finally retorted.
"Commander, I am not a child."
"Of course you're not. You think I don't know your age?"
"I mean, I am capable of tying my own belt."
"It's not just about tying it, is it? There, all done."
Kishiar, who stepped back after tying the last knot, stroked his chin with a satisfied look, as if admiring his work.
"As expected. The previous one was tied too loosely, it lacked the proper tension."
To Yuder, it felt no different, yet Kishiar kept lavishing praise on his own work, as if he had made a significant change. Realizing that any further protest would probably fall on deaf ears, Yuder decided to give up quickly.
"Now, before we leave, about the security of the building..."
"Ah, before that, just one more thing. I remembered something I had forgotten, so wait."
Upon hearing this, Kishiar suddenly seemed to remember something and vanished down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Yuder was left standing blankly where Kishiar had disappeared. A moment later, Kishiar returned and handed Yuder a pair of white gloves that were long enough to cover up to his elbows.
"I got these a while ago. They were enchanted for convenience. Here, take them."
"This is..."
Yuder involuntarily hardened his expression.
He had seen those gloves before. They were one of the gloves that Kishiar, in his past life, often wore especially when he was about to retire from his position as Commander. The memory of him wearing very similar long white gloves on the day he died suddenly made Yuder feel cold.
"I'm fine. The ones I'm wearing now are enough."
"They match your current formal wear better than black ones. Besides, I originally got them for you."
Despite the incredibly soft voice, it felt like a thorn pricking his heart. Why was that? He had experienced a similar feeling before, but now the pain was more intense than ever.
In his past life, Yudrain Aile, following the orders of the Katchian Emperor, assassinated Kishiar La Orr without any remorse.
However, since his return, every time he confronted this sensation, he had this strange feeling as if something he never knew existed within him was being violently beaten. To avert his gaze from this unbearable feeling, Yuder lowered his eyes to the ground. As he slowly regained control of his breathing, his fingers cramped up from his tightly clenched fist.
"Of course, it shouldn't happen like last time when the spots spread a lot, but if such a thing happens, these will help to conceal it or prevent it from spreading. They're made from threads and fabric drawn from a sacred tree grown with blessings."
Kishiar, who was explaining, paused as if he sensed something was off.
"Will you just keep standing there?"
It was only after hearing Kishiar's voice that Yuder realized he was still standing in the same spot, the door yet to be closed.
"Ah, yes. I apologize."
"There's no need for apologies. Those who see this useless opulence for the first time often react similarly."
Kishiar smiled, adjusting his diamond-encrusted belt and pulling the end of his gloves to straighten his outfit. His expression was as relaxed as ever, but Yuder could feel a keen, predatory tension from the tips of his fingers.
"Given that you call it 'useless opulence,' it seems you're not fond of the formal attire."
"I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"Do you see this?"
With that, Kishiar held up a gloved hand, displaying it for emphasis. The back of the glove was studded with jewel fragments carved into ancient symbols representing eternal blessings.
"This glove alone is valuable enough to feed a small region in the frontier for a few months. But the truth is, it doesn't need to be this expensive. It doesn't have any special features, and the jewels used aren't particularly valuable."
He lowered his gaze toward Yuder, who was staring at the glove.
"Then why is this glove so expensive? Want to guess?"
"...I heard that items used by the imperial family are only made in designated places..."
"Exactly. The only reason it's so expensive is because it came from a family of glove makers favored by the fifth Emperor."
Kishiar waved his gloved hand as if to emphasize his point, then dropped it.
"At the time, it started from a very good intention. Until then, the Emperor had proclaimed that he would begin buying items made by the people instead of those made directly in the imperial palace. But now, even that has become another tradition, and the initial purpose of supporting poor but skilled individuals has completely disappeared."
The family of glove makers chosen by the fifth Emperor's favor grew wealthy. In order to retain the wealth and prestige gained from making items for the imperial family, they began to exert their efforts.
The original intent vanished. Those who questioned why only they could provide gloves for the imperial attire gradually disappeared. As the tradition of buying gloves only from the designated place solidified, the makers began to put an even higher price tag on the gloves sent to the palace.
In comparison to the total budget used in the palace, the price was not that substantial. The palace administrators simply saw it as a normal tradition, gladly accepting the sweet bribes and letters sent by the makers. Thus, the transaction continued from generation to generation, leading to the present situation.
Yuder listened attentively to Kishiar, who was speaking casually about things he hadn't known before.
"The gloves aren't the only issue. It's the same from head to toe. Once you attach the tag of 'tradition,' no matter what problems arise, they become unchangeable, leading to no change or progress. It's a sickness of the Empire."
"Is it possible to change it now?"
At Yuder's cautious question, Kishiar softly lit up his eyes and smiled.
"Of course, it will be changed. In fact, His Majesty the Emperor had always wished to change this aspect, but it was impossible this time. However, next time..."
The rest of the sentence, omitted with a smile, was not heard but could be guessed. Yuder recalled the face of Emperor Keilusa, who had cleverly and indirectly shown support every time Kishiar and the Cavalry were about to stir something up.
The scholarly Emperor, who had been working alone in a small palace located in the remotest corner, leaving many other palaces empty, held such thoughts. It was surprisingly astonishing.
'I died too early in my previous life, so I knew nothing… Both brothers had great dreams.'
"That aside."
With a change in his expression, Kishiar, shifting his gaze, opened his mouth while glancing at the formal attire Yuder was wearing. A mischievous mood rose above his red eyes.
"As expected, it suits you well."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your formal attire. It's a good example that it can look more valuable than anything else if the hanger is good, even if it's made without excessive luxury."
Yuder looked down at the formal attire he was wearing. He had never thought about whether the attire he was wearing before he came here was luxurious or not, but standing in front of Kishiar, the difference was clearly visible. The formal attire he was wearing used good-looking fabric and had gold buttons, but no jewels were used, and the shape was much simpler.
'Looking back, the formal attire of the nobles who attended the parties in my previous life... it seems like there were no clothes without jewels.'
"Did you purposely make it like this?"
"Actually, legally, that's more correct. The law forbids excessive luxury of those leading the Empire. It's a mere formality now, though."
After saying that, Kishiar tilted his head and chuckled.
"...And actually, it also suits my taste."
"Excuse me?"
"I told you. I have a certain taste in these things. Since the result came out quite to my liking, I expect a new trend in formal attire to spread across the continent after today."
Kishiar, who nodded his head in satisfaction, came closer, stretched out his hand to the end of the belt around Yuder's waist.
"You seem to do everything well, but this is a bit clumsy. If you tie it like this, the knot will soon come undone."
"I'll tie it again."
"No need. Watch how I tie it so it won't come loose."
The duke was serving as a valet, attending to another man's clothes. It would have caused a stir if someone had seen, but it was only Kishiar and Yuder here.
Yuder felt slightly dizzy watching Kishiar, who bent his waist in front of him and started to pull and tie the strap. He thought he knew better than anyone that Kishiar was a man whose actions were hard to predict, but watching him tie his waistband in flashy formal attire was a different issue.
Even though he was wearing thick formal attire, the sensation of fingers touching too closely was felt through his waist, and it was difficult to maintain his usual calmness. The scent of the perfume emanating from Kishiar's golden hair was too strong, and above all...
'Anyway, this position is...'
"Are you watching? Turn this part around like this and tie the knot, then it won't come loose."
"I get it. I'll do it now... Ugh."
Yuder, who was trying to hastily step back, let out an involuntary choked sound due to the pressure he felt as the knot was tightly pulled.
"Ah, my apologies. Why are you moving about? You should stay still when I'm tying your belt."
He was the cause of this situation and yet he was making such a remark. Unable to contain his irritation, Yuder finally retorted.
"Commander, I am not a child."
"Of course you're not. You think I don't know your age?"
"I mean, I am capable of tying my own belt."
"It's not just about tying it, is it? There, all done."
Kishiar, who stepped back after tying the last knot, stroked his chin with a satisfied look, as if admiring his work.
"As expected. The previous one was tied too loosely, it lacked the proper tension."
To Yuder, it felt no different, yet Kishiar kept lavishing praise on his own work, as if he had made a significant change. Realizing that any further protest would probably fall on deaf ears, Yuder decided to give up quickly.
"Now, before we leave, about the security of the building..."
"Ah, before that, just one more thing. I remembered something I had forgotten, so wait."
Upon hearing this, Kishiar suddenly seemed to remember something and vanished down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Yuder was left standing blankly where Kishiar had disappeared. A moment later, Kishiar returned and handed Yuder a pair of white gloves that were long enough to cover up to his elbows.
"I got these a while ago. They were enchanted for convenience. Here, take them."
"This is..."
Yuder involuntarily hardened his expression.
He had seen those gloves before. They were one of the gloves that Kishiar, in his past life, often wore especially when he was about to retire from his position as Commander. The memory of him wearing very similar long white gloves on the day he died suddenly made Yuder feel cold.
"I'm fine. The ones I'm wearing now are enough."
"They match your current formal wear better than black ones. Besides, I originally got them for you."
Despite the incredibly soft voice, it felt like a thorn pricking his heart. Why was that? He had experienced a similar feeling before, but now the pain was more intense than ever.
In his past life, Yudrain Aile, following the orders of the Katchian Emperor, assassinated Kishiar La Orr without any remorse.
However, since his return, every time he confronted this sensation, he had this strange feeling as if something he never knew existed within him was being violently beaten. To avert his gaze from this unbearable feeling, Yuder lowered his eyes to the ground. As he slowly regained control of his breathing, his fingers cramped up from his tightly clenched fist.
"Of course, it shouldn't happen like last time when the spots spread a lot, but if such a thing happens, these will help to conceal it or prevent it from spreading. They're made from threads and fabric drawn from a sacred tree grown with blessings."
Kishiar, who was explaining, paused as if he sensed something was off.
