Jin and his companions returned to the Royal Palace shortly before the appointed time of 2:00 PM.
They used the servants' entrance for their return, just as they had when they slipped out earlier that morning.
"I wonder how the security works here?" Jin mused, his curiosity piqued.
"The guards at the gate are said to memorize the faces of everyone who enters and leaves," Veronica replied.
Jin wondered if that was some kind of special talent. He was notoriously bad at remembering faces—to the point where a former classmate once joked that he’d never make it as an insurance salesman.
That aside, after passing through the gate, they traversed the Sannomaru—the outermost section of the castle—and headed toward the Honmaru.
I see, so they’re all keeping an eye on each other as well, Jin observed.
On the way out, he had been content to follow silently behind Veronica, but on the return trip, he had enough composure to take in his surroundings.
Waiting for them in the guest rooms of the Royal Palace’s central district was Balfaza Walker, the Chairman of the Ministry of General Affairs.
"Lord of Kunlun, did you enjoy your excursion?"
"Yes, it was quite interesting."
"Splendid. In that case, might I suggest a bath first?"
It was a thoughtful gesture, acknowledging that they would likely be covered in dust and sweat after walking through the city.
Jin and Elsa were shown to small, gender-separated baths. After washing up and changing, they emerged from their respective dressing rooms at almost the exact same moment.
A waiting maid then guided them to the venue for the tea party.
"Wow..."
"...Oh."
The venue was a roof garden.
Red, white, and yellow summer flowers were in full bloom, competing in a riot of color. Reed screens had been hung to block the harsh summer sun, keeping the area pleasantly cool. At the center sat a round table, where preparations for tea were already underway.
"Welcome, Lord of Kunlun, Madam."
King Cesar stood to greet them.
Also present were Kirk-at, the Captain of the Royal Guard, and several maids. One other person was in attendance: a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties.
"...Merfe-san?" Elsa murmured.
Indeed, it was Merfe, the mistress of the former King Richard.
"Elsa-dono, she insisted on offering her congratulations to you personally," King Cesar explained.
"Elsa-sama, Jin-sama, congratulations on your marriage."
Merfe stood and gave a deep, graceful bow. She felt a profound debt of gratitude to Elsa for treating Richard, and she had been determined to offer her thanks and well-wishes in person during this visit.
"Elsa-sama, thanks to you, my master is finally able to move about like an ordinary person again. Words cannot express my gratitude."
"N-No, that's only because of your devoted care, Merfe-san. I only provided a little help."
"That isn't true at all! If not for you, Elsa-sama, I'm sure he would still be..."
Merfe’s gratitude seemed bottomless.
"Truly, we are in your debt," King Cesar added.
"Th-thank you very much."
Elsa turned beet red with embarrassment.
Five minutes later, the tea party officially began.
"You must be exhausted after everything," Merfe said. She seemed to sense that Jin and Elsa weren't particularly fond of such flamboyant public events.
"Haha, well, it's just one of those things that can't be helped," Jin replied with a wry smile.
"Indeed. One might call such ceremonies a necessary evil," King Cesar agreed.
Jin felt it was a good sign that people felt comfortable enough to speak so candidly within the Celuroa Kingdom now.
"I expect we'll be able to conduct a trial run of the monorail in about a month," the King continued.
"That's good to hear."
"Yes. I would very much like you to come and see it."
"Well, I was the one you commissioned for the project, so I'll certainly be there."
"I’m counting on you."
The conversation remained lively as they moved from topic to topic. Jin was clearly a man relied upon by many.
"Tomorrow... no, the day after tomorrow, you head to the Shouro Empire, don't you?"
The discussion eventually turned to the next leg of the wedding tour.
"That's the plan."
"Since it's the Madam's home country, I imagine it will be a truly grand affair."
"..."
Internally, Elsa was already feeling overwhelmed by the prospect, but she managed to keep her composure. Beside her, Jin could only offer another wry smile.
Time slipped away as they talked, and before they knew it, the sun began to dip toward the horizon.
"Well, as much as I'd like to continue this, I suppose it's time to conclude," King Cesar said, glancing at a secretary who had stepped forward. "Lord of Kunlun, Madam, thank you for everything these past three days."
"No, the thanks should be ours," Jin countered.
"Not at all. I know you both would have preferred to spend this time alone together, yet I summoned you here for the sake of national prestige. For that, you have my apologies."
It was a sentiment that perfectly captured the character of a king who belonged to the commoner faction.
＊ ＊ ＊
That evening, Konron 3 ascended into the fading light, setting a course for the Shouro Empire.
"Halfway done, I guess..."
"...Mm. The Shouro Empire, the Klein Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Franz."
"Ideally, we should probably visit the demon race as well."
"We can do that unofficially once we've finished the formal tour," Elsa suggested.
"Good point."
Jin was considering officially inviting Sion and All-Creation to join the Jin Family. After all, both of them already knew quite a bit about his capabilities.
"But first things first, I suppose."
"...Mm."
Konron 3 flew against the rotation of Ars, so the sky remained stubbornly bright for a long time. Eventually, under the gathering dusk, the capital of Loizart came into view, followed by Jin's mansion.
Since they had sent word ahead, the guidance lights on the roof were already lit. Konron 3 touched down slowly.
Butler D was there to receive them.
"Welcome home, Master, Madam."
After a day of rest at the mansion, the wedding celebrations would finally begin in Elsa’s homeland, the Shouro Empire.