The Emperor Is My Brother's Best Friend

…What? You are a family member of the Duke of Honeywell? Judging by the age difference, I don't think she's the duke’s daughter, so she must be his sister.

Kate held out the crystal ball to Rose, all the while trying to maintain a friendly smile and innocent expression.

"Do just as Barry did. Remember the person you have in your heart, and place your hand on the crystal ball."

I'm curious. Who is this soul, the one who was born with the touch of God and is receiving his attention?

Rose closed her eyes and placed her hand on the crystal ball. A smile spread across her delicate features as though the person she thought of was the one she liked the most.

"It’s done."

Rose opened her eyes and withdrew her hand as Kate brought the crystal ball back to her and looked within.

The first thing that appeared was a wedding.

It was a first for Kate, seeing the image of the carpets lining the floor and the high-ceilinged building and walls. The beautiful and colorful decorations showed that it was not an ordinary wedding hall.

…An aristocratic wedding truly is… Unique.

Rose in the crystal ball was wearing a pure white dress, and even though the veil on her head covered her face, Rose's beauty shone through.

She wore the happiest smile in the world as she stared at the groom standing dashingly at her side.

Then the crystal ball showed the face of Rose’s groom.

Upon laying eyes on the man's face filling the surface of the crystal ball, Kate’s expression, indicating that she tried so hard to remain neutral, showed signs of cracking.

Rose's marriage partner was the emperor himself, Russell. Kate nervously brushed her hand across her cheek to hide her surprise.

When did the two have such a relationship?

Still, it was fortunate for Kate that Rose had inquired about a mere crush.

Because there's no need to lie now.

Kate opened her mouth to tell the truth about what she saw.

However, the crystal ball that showed the happy wedding hall was suddenly smothered with black fog.

"Huh?"

Kate made a noise involuntarily.

For the first time, she’d experienced the crystal ball change mysteriously. She felt perplexed.

Kate focused on the crystal ball again. The black fog lifted, and what appeared was the capital of the Tristan Empire.

It accurately showcased the Imperial Palace, but the appearance was different from what she had come to know.

Everywhere she looked, there was a sea of fire, and half of the buildings in the Imperial Palace collapsed.

Though she could not hear the sounds from within, Kate could see the people flee as they screamed in pain, submerged in the ever-growing flames.

The quietest place in the ruined Tristan Empire was the Imperial Palace. Or more specifically, the banquet hall.

And in the center of it all was Russell, holding something red in his arms.

Kate didn't blink an eye.

The scene in the crystal ball gradually approached Russell, and Kate quickly covered the crystal ball with the blanket that lay over her lap.

She was quick to speak.

"The relationship with the person you have in mind will develop smoothly."

Rather than Rose, Barry and the other woman next to her were delighted with the positive response.

"Aww! Lady Rose! Who is it? Is it someone we know?"

Barry questioned her mistress, but Rose just laughed it off and didn't mention his name. Kate saw the last guest off.

"Do the other two guests want to know about their future loves?" 𝒷ℯ𝒹𝓃𝓸𝓿ℯ𝓁.𝒸ℴ𝓶

"Ah, no… I just want to know if I will meet a good man in the future."

The woman's name is Anne.

Kate foresaw that Anne's future would also be harmonious.

The three of them finished with their requests, and Rose paid Kate.

"Goodbye."

Kate politely bid the three of them goodbye.

When they left the tent, she went out to the entrance and announced the closing of business for the day.

Several waiting guests did not hide their disappointment, but she had no time to pay attention to each one of them.

She returned to the tent and sat down at the table.

"What was that…?"

Rose's untouched crystal ball showed nothing, but she stared silently nonetheless.

She remembered clearly what she’d seen.

Actually, it would be right to say that it is stuck in my mind and will never be forgotten.

Tristan became a sea of fire.

The emperor, who remained calm amidst the chaos, held the corpse of Rose in his arms.

The second the image appeared, she threw the blanket over and covered the crystal ball, but she saw it all.

Rose's body in Russell's arms was bizarrely bent, and her entire body was covered in red blood.

"That is—what is that person's future? How can—but the first thing the crystal ball showed me was definitely a wedding."

Kate told her customers that the future shown by the crystal ball could change, but what she felt after seeing countless futures was that the future would not change no matter what. No matter what, if it showed up in the crystal ball, that was your future.

There was a time when the crystal ball showed that lovers who came to see the future had different ties.

Kate told them what she saw, and in the aftermath and some time later, Kate met them on the street, each with a different lover.

"Then… After the emperor and the Rose get married, will disaster come to Tristan?"

God has not spoken a whisper about this to me.

Kate put her hands together in frustration.

"Oh God! Please tell me the future of this empire."

However, there were no signs of even the slightest wind inside the tent.

God, who was normally benevolent, was so merciless this time.

Everyone in the manor knew that Rose had voluntarily broken off her engagement to Elliot.

So when she said that there was someone she had a crush on, Anne and Barry did not hold back their curiosity.

"I can’t say that…!"

Even if Rose shook her head and refused, her maids wouldn't back down.

Her body, which was suffering from both sides as her maids nagged and tugged on her as she walked, staggered greatly.

"Lady Rose!"

"Lady Rose!"

Anne and Barry were startled and timeously grabbed Rose by the arms, saving her from falling.

The eyes of the three were directed forward to a boy of about six years old who was rolling on the ground.

Apparently, while running blindly, he ran into Rose. He was unable to stop in time and crashed into the noble lady.

"Little boy, are you alright?"

Barry approached the boy and lifted him up.

"I’m sorry!"

The boy prostrated before them so that his head touched the ground, as if he had recognized Rose's position, who was wearing clothes made of luxurious materials.

"I'm well. I'm not hurt, so don't worry too much."

Rose examined the boy's attire.

Her brother once said that there are people living without houses deep in the alleys where buildings meet.

Perhaps the boy is in the same situation. From the clothes he was wearing to the color of his face, not a single inch of him appeared to be clean.

"Oh no, my lady. Your clothes are dirty."

Anne took out a handkerchief and brushed off the hem of Rose's skirt.

The boy might have been covered in ashes, and the black stain on the hem of Rose's skirt could not be erased.

"My lady, I can't get rid of the stains on your clothes. Let’s go back to the manor quickly and change your clothes."

"Yes, but wait for a moment. That boy..."

_I can’t bear to get angry at such a pitiful child, so maybe Anne can slip him some money to help him get along. _

Just as she was about to put her hands in the pockets of her coat, the boy jumped up and ran away.

He was so fast that neither Rose nor Barry, who was closer to the boy, could catch him.

"He’s gone!"

"We should be going too."

Seeing where the boy had fled, Rose continued to walk with Anne and Barry by her side.

The two seemed to have forgotten about their previous conversation. Rose felt that the boy had been the perfect interruption.

After walking for a while, we arrived at the carriage. Rose boarded as Barry jumped into the driver's seat. At Rose's urging, Anne hopped up the steps to get into the carriage.

As Rose watched Anne enter the carriage, she saw the knights standing in front of the entrance, putting their hands on their swords, vigilantly.

"Who are you?"

Anne hung awkwardly, half inside the carriage, as she turned her head.

Rose also moved to a position near the door and looked in the direction the knights were warily staring at.

In the place where everyone's eyes were directed, there stood a man wearing a cloak that was draped over the top of his head.

He gave the impression of being a man, judging from his tall stature and the fact that his body could not be covered by a cloak.

"I’ll ask again. Who are you? You've been following us ever since we’ve left the tent. If you come any closer than this, I will arrest you."

The knight spoke slowly, as if threatening. However, as if he did not pose any threat to the man, he took one step closer at a time.

The distance between the man and the carriage gradually narrowed, and when the knight swung his sword, it was close enough to touch. The man pulled out his hand, hidden under his cloak.

"Stop!"

The knight drew his sword, but it was not pointed at the man.

Not only the knight but also Rose and the others looked at the man's hand.

The man had a wallet in his hand.

A cherry-colored woman's wallet. Anne, who was the first to recognize it, shouted out

"Oh! Is that the Lady Rose’s wallet?!"

At the same time, Rose rummaged through her pockets. She searched and searched, but came up empty.

Rose discovered that the pouch in her dress had been torn.

"Lady Rose! Are you hurt?"

Anne quickly climbed into the carriage and caught a glimpse of Rose’s torn dress pockets.

"Huh? No, I don't think I'm hurt, but why are the pockets of my dress... How in the...?"

"Obviously, it must have been torn when that kid ran into you. Foolish fellow!"

The kid Anne was talking about was the boy who bumped into Rose, apologized, and ran away.

Rose got out of the carriage and turned to face the man. Before he could get closer to their mistress, the knight prevented him from approaching.

"I will take it, my lady."

"Are you alright? That's my wallet. I want to say thank you in person."

Rose approached the man with a knight walking vigilantly by her side. The man held out the wallet and did not budge after.

If Rose hadn't seen him move, you might have mistaken him for a broken doll.

"Thank you. It was a wallet given to me by my older brother, so it is very precious to me."

The man stayed silent.

The knight reached out, but the man retracted his hand before the knight could take the wallet.

When the knight got angry at the man’s rude behavior, Rose reached out to calm his anger.

She looked up at the hooded man.

_I want to see his face. I can't see it because the hood of the cloak is lowered so deeply. _

Rose reached out and took the wallet from the man's hand.

"If you don’t mind, could you tell me your name and where you live? I want to repay you."

The man remained speechless.

…Are you someone who can't speak?

Belatedly thinking that she was actually being rude, Rose blushed.

"Thank you for returning my wallet. Then, as a reward, take this too."

Rose took out five silver coins from her wallet. She placed it on the palm of her hand and held it out to the man. The man made no move to take it.

"Uhh… If you don't like this..."

Are you asking for more money?

Rose withdrew her hand to take out more money, but before she could react, the man grabbed her retreating fingers.

"This guy!"

The knight was the first to react.

He drew his sword and swung it at the man without hesitation.

An innocent person will be cut down right before my eyes.

Rose hunched her shoulders and closed her eyes tightly.

She tensed as she expected to hear the sound of the man shrieking in pain as the sound of a sword cutting through flesh rang out, but instead, she heard the sound of metal clashing against one another.

Clang!

It’s clearly the sound of swords clashing against one another! What—?!

Rose opened her eyes.

Perhaps, all along, he had been hiding a sword under his cloak. The man holding Rose's hand with one of his hands held the sword with the other, blocking the knight's sword from striking him.