"I'll have to find out if Gloria still has feelings for my brother-in-law..."
After Fritz apologized and departed, Jin and Elsa continued their discussion.
"He did say some things that made it sound like he'd given up, after all."
"On that point, the next country we visit will be the Klein Kingdom."
"Oh, right. We'll likely have a chance to meet her there. We can confirm it then."
"Mhm."
More importantly, today was the day of the luncheon.
Despite having spent the morning relaxing, the two of them felt strangely tired.
"About an hour until they come to pick us up, then?"
"Please, have some tea."
Reiko offered tea to the weary-looking pair.
"Ah, thank you."
It was fragrant hojicha.
As they sipped the tea slowly, their minds began to settle.
"Since you were told only people you know are attending the luncheon, I believe you can put your minds at ease."
"I hope so."
Jin felt a bit relieved by Reiko's words.
"By the way..."
Fritz's visit had brought something else to Jin's mind.
"I believe I've asked this before, Elsa, but are you sure you don't need to drop by your family home?"
The House Randol estate was on the opposite shore of Lake Tosmo; it would be a quick flight with Konron 3.
"No, it is fine."
But Elsa declined once again.
"Right now, we are in the middle of touring the various nations. Therefore, I have decided that private matters must wait until after that is finished."
"Is that so?"
"Mhm."
Jin thought she didn't need to be quite so formal about it, but he also recognized that this was Elsa's way of maintaining her sense of propriety.
Thus, he decided to respect Elsa's wishes on the matter.
＊ ＊ ＊
Time passed, and an escort automobile eventually arrived in front of the mansion.
Among the ten or so guards accompanying it was Fritz.
"Lord of Kunlun, we have come to escort you."
Flora Hecherat von Melante, a female royal ritter of the Shouro Empire, appeared to be the leader of the party.
The group consisted of five female ritters led by Flora and five soldiers led by Fritz.
"Thank you for coming."
Jin gave a slight bow, took Elsa's hand, and boarded the automobile. Reiko followed, and the vehicle started off.
Unlike during the parade, the roads had been cleared of crowds, and they arrived at the Royal Palace without any delays.
The automobile took them directly to the Inner Palace.
From there, Flora and Fritz led Jin, Elsa, and Reiko inside.
The party eventually reached a room deep within the Royal Palace.
It was a bright hall with high ceilings and wide windows that let in plenty of light.
On one wall hung a tapestry embroidered with the emblem of the Shouro Empire—three stylized stalks of wheat—and the Empress sat with her back to it.
"Welcome."
The Empress stood to greet them.
"I want today to be a truly informal, private luncheon, so please, act as you usually would."
She then added, "To that end, I would like to call you Jin-kun and Elsa. Would that be acceptable?"
Jin agreed readily, thinking it would be much more comfortable than maintaining stiff formalities.
"Yes, certainly."
Jin had been worrying about how he should behave as the Lord of Kunlun, so he was honestly grateful for the offer.
Currently, the only people in the room were the Empress, Jin, Elsa, and Reiko. Fritz and Flora remained outside.
"One more guest should be arriving."
A few moments after the Empress spoke, that person arrived.
"You look well, Elsa. Congratulations on your marriage."
"...Mother."
The guest was Elsa's stepmother, Marlene Randol von Nefra.
"Her Majesty invited me, saying that Elsa surely wouldn't return home until her tour was over. Your father is still not feeling well, so he stayed behind."
Marlene spoke with a pleasant smile.
Elsa's face was initially frozen in surprise, but it gradually gave way to a tearful smile.
"Mo... ther..."
"Elsa."
Mother and daughter took each other's hands.
Jin, Reiko, and the Empress all watched over them warmly for a while, allowing them their moment.
＊ ＊ ＊
The luncheon proceeded in a harmonious atmosphere.
The menu was light, centered around rice porridge, and included marunegi (onion) miso soup made with katsuobushi dashi.
The quality of the meal reflected the dedicated efforts of the Royal Palace chefs.
For tea, they could choose between fragrant hojicha or flavorful sencha.
Jin and Elsa chose hojicha, while the Empress and Marlene opted for sencha.
"You look happy, Elsa."
"...Yes."
Wearing a soft smile, Marlene narrowed her eyes as she gazed at Elsa and Jin.
"Because you seem to be upholding what I taught you in the past, Her Majesty was kind enough to arrange this meeting."
Seeing a look of curiosity on Jin's face, Marlene began to explain.
"Noblewomen of the Shouro Empire are taught to always prioritize the family they marry into."
She clarified that once married, a woman should prioritize the circumstances of her husband's household over her own personal feelings or convenience.
"That's why I suspected she wouldn't visit her childhood home until all the official events were concluded."
The Empress added, "Observing the two of you, it didn't seem like you were planning to head back to House Randol anytime soon. I thought this was the perfect opportunity, so I invited Marlene here. I asked Fritz to handle the escort duty."
Being escorted by her own son ensured she could travel safely without feeling the strain of formal company.
"I see. Thank you very much."
Though she remained seated, Elsa bowed her head deeply.
"It is quite alright. I want nothing more than for Elsa to be happy," the Empress said with a gentle smile.
"On this occasion, there is something I wish to tell you both—and specifically Elsa."
The Empress shifted the topic.
"Our national emblem consists of three stalks of wheat..."
She turned slightly and pointed to the tapestry on the wall behind her.
"Its origin traces back to the first Emperor of this land."