Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 71

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 71

This was the story the nobles had been chattering about before the Emperor appeared.

It was probably because the timing of the party was so coincidental.

Those born on the same day had even their days of misfortune coincidentally overlap.

Ten years ago, today.

The Former Emperor died and his remaining son went missing.

Yet on such a day, a birthday celebration ball despite it being a whole week away from his actual birthday.

Though it was an event from long ago, it remained a shocking incident where two direct members of the imperial family died.

Especially for the current Emperor who had been close to the Former Emperor, today should rightfully be a day of mourning.

Of course, there had been emperors in the past who held grand parties around their birthdays.

He was simply someone with a lot of vanity, but would the person before his eyes really commit such an act out of such trivial feelings.

Adam smiled beautifully, contrary to his inner thoughts.

“But it’s also strange that even though he passed away so suddenly, no special investigation was entrusted to the temple. Surely those who served the Former Emperor said he showed strange symptoms.”

Though he was behind him, Adam could sense it.

The nobles also found it strange in their confusion, but the reason succession happened so quickly after the Former Emperor’s death.

And also the disappearance of the Empress’s baby who was born on the day the Former Emperor died.

“…A person of the temple has no right to meddle in imperial affairs.”

“Yes, if I were indeed ‘a person of the temple.'”

“…”

The Emperor’s eyes glinted as he showed his anger.

He clenched his teeth so hard they ground together, but couldn’t express his fury.

Adam smiled as if pleased and came one step closer to him as if greeting him.

“If you were thinking of touching my weakness, you should have thought about your own weaknesses being touched before acting.”

This time it was in a small voice.

However, it was loud enough for the Emperor who was glaring and watching Adam’s every move to hear clearly.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

The Emperor ultimately couldn’t hide his anger and clenched his fist so violently that his nails dug in.

Seeing blood flow beneath his fist, he hid his sneer and went back down below the platform.

And he quickly found Iberis.

She was secretly watching him from behind the curtain.

She was muttering words that couldn’t be heard from here with blazing eyes.

Adam strode over and took her into the terrace.

Adam, who had drawn the curtains so the situation inside couldn’t be seen from outside, approached Iberis.

It was completely different behavior from when he had leisurely walked before the Emperor just moments ago.

It was movement tinged with anxiety.

What benefit was there in bringing her to this place in the first place.

Iberis quietly looked into his face.

‘What was the Emperor trying to show?’

Adam kneeling beneath him and bowing his head?

It seemed like he wanted her to see such a servile attitude and leave his side.

Just like how a nobleman at the hunting grounds once looked down on the Hero as nothing more than a broken string.

He dressed her in fancy clothes, as if whispering that she could have these things if only she let him go.

So abandon that useless man.

Iberis snorted.

‘Does he think I’d leave Adam’s side over something like that?’

It only diligently built up her anger meter toward the Emperor.

Iberis glared blazingly at the Emperor who would be beyond the curtain.

‘I don’t know what it is, but he’s an unpleasant person!’

He didn’t appear often in the game so she had no information about him, but she didn’t like how he was clinging to Adam either.

Trying to kill him was even worse!

“Eve. Let’s leave while drawing as little attention as possible.”

She slowly nodded her head.

Earlier too, when she conversed with Adam, people’s gazes had pierced them as if they found it interesting.

More people’s gazes were fixed on them than at the Hunting Competition, making her whole body feel itchy.

As they left the terrace, the nobles’ gazes turned toward him as if they had been waiting.

Perhaps because he had knelt before the Emperor just moments ago, the nobles’ faces were filled with blatant amusement.

No one else would kneel even if it was the Emperor’s birthday.

But only Adam did so.

Because he was a commoner Hero who wasn’t welcomed here…

Even then, they would tell him to be grateful for the Emperor’s consideration.

Of course, there were also people among them who found their behavior uncomfortable.

Among those who didn’t hide their mockery, there were also people who responded with expressionless faces or made outright displeased expressions.

Though there were few nobles in the latter group…

‘That person is…’

Iberis, who had spotted someone, moved her body this way and that.

She flailed her arms and caught the attention of Adam who was walking ahead.

He who had been quietly watching what Iberis was doing came up with the best answer.

“…You want me to hold you?”

Adam awkwardly stretched out his arms toward her.

‘No, that’s not it!’

Would such a joke come out in such an important situation?

Anyway, Adam’s terrible comedy skills were something to acknowledge.

Iberis eventually gestured to lower his head.

“Prince Judis is over there. It seems he has business with you, Hero?”

“Don’t worry. I don’t.”

…That’s not something to worry about.

Was he like this even before she came?

Flustered, Iberis grabbed Adam’s arm and made him stand up.

“Right now even one ally is precious to us!”

Can’t you see those gazes that are looking at us as if to pierce us right now.

If it’s Judis, he would become a good shield for him.

At Iberis’s firm attitude, Adam nodded as if giving in.

Only then did he make eye contact with Judis and gestured slightly as if telling him to come out.

To other people, it would look like a sign Adam was making to her.

Iberis stepped aside so they could converse comfortably.

“Eve doesn’t need to do that.”

“No, I want to rest alone for a bit…”

Trying to stand upright as if nothing was wrong was already exhausting.

Iberis went to where Adam had mentioned the carriage was and watched the two of them.

Having secretly come out to the empty garden, they went far away and began talking.

The Imperial Palace Gardens looked so good for conversation that they would be the optimal place for secret meetings for some people.

It was regrettable that she couldn’t hear the content of their conversation either.

Iberis removed the uncomfortably large earrings and tried to guess the content of their conversation.

In the distance, Adam and the Prince were having a secret argument.

Watching them converse while looking at each other as if touching would be horrible, it looked like a comedy.

‘What are they doing?’

Looking at that, who would see which one is the Prince of this Empire and which one is the Hero who saved the world.

Adam openly sighed and eventually came back having received the object they had been squabbling over.

He rubbed his face with a very tired expression from the brief confrontation.

“Eve, let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

Iberis obediently climbed into the carriage with his escort.

She removed the long gloves that had been bothering her since earlier.

Adam, sitting across from her, hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Eve, when you go to the Demon King’s Castle….”

“Yes?”

“…No, never mind.”

However, Adam only moved his lips for a while before ultimately failing to say anything meaningful.

‘I thought I could do it.’

Adam couldn’t understand his own change.

Just like earlier, why won’t the words come out?

The thought of Iberis not being by his side made his heart sink to a degree that surprised even himself.

Unable to open his mouth in the end, he rubbed his lips with his hand as if frustrated with himself for not being able to say anything.

“So what was it that His Highness the Prince was desperately trying to give to the Hero?”

It seemed similar to when she had handed over Archimedes II to her.

Unable to throw away or neglect the flute that the Prince had personally given her, she kept it carefully placed on a cushion.

She only occasionally dusted it with a feather duster.

Adam seemed to have noticed the flute’s existence too, but didn’t say anything particular about it.

Had he recognized it as the Prince’s?

Even so, by not hiding it and leaving it openly displayed in the room, he seemed to think she hadn’t completely switched over to the Prince’s side.

Adam rummaged around as if just remembering the box he had roughly stuffed into his coat.

“It’s nothing special. If Eve wants it, take it.”

Adam answered indifferently while tossing the gift to her as if throwing it away.

It was a small box but surprisingly heavy.

When she tore off the crude wrapping paper, brilliant gold revealed itself.

“….”

Iberis was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out as she looked back and forth between the yellow gold and Adam’s even more yellow eyes.

Then with a stiff expression, she muttered about what she had just realized.

“…His Highness the Prince was actually a very good person, wasn’t he?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————