Payback: Isekai

To Glory

"The coronation is in three days," Radia reported her countdown as usual, delivering it during their lunch as a greeting.

It might be silly, but this royal couple very much needed that reminder every time. The nature of events left them with so many works and responsibilities even before officially made the rulers, so much so that their coronations were kept being pushed back. From quelling unrest to investigating the nobles, making emergency policies about the victims, and dealing with separate issues of runaway perpetrators. They also wanted to proceed with the two Princes' trial.

The first thing they did after Jay came back was to flood the man with updates. But true to his unbeatable prowess, there was not a drop of distress on his face. Then they had to finally tell the citizens about the death of the Emperor and the Empress, as well as hold memorials, since there were no bodies for a funeral. They had decided to not entirely fabricate a story and just told them that both royals fell victim to a demon's attack that fortunately got subdued by the Sacred Knight and the Prince of Carnage. Which was not a lie either, so even if the real story went out somehow, nothing could be used to undermine them. 

And now Jay had to restructure the entire advisory council and reexamined his own faction, because it was clear that not all of them were as loyal as they thought. Yoohan, fortunately, got relieved of all that problems now that everything had shifted to Jay. But he also immediately faced the duties of the Empress that had been neglected since her death—no, actually since her coronation, probably.

So, not even crowned yet, the new Emperor and Imperial Consort were already filled their schedule with works upon works. And with the procedure of moving into the main palace, the royal couple had no leeway to think about timetables.

"Why do you want to be an Emperor again?" Yoohan narrowed his eyes while stuffing his mouth with meat. He did want to feel useful, to be able to do something that mattered. Something—not everything.

Why was it that movies and stories always made it as if being a King was a nice thing where they could act all they want and drown themselves in splendor and comfort? There was nothing splendor or comforting in ruling a country. None.

But then the previous Empress, at least, looked like she was drowning in riches and luxury. Perhaps because there was a difference between having a title and embodying it. Between being a King and a Ruler. Between being a symbol and holding a true power.

And with Jay and Yoohan's personalities and work ethics, it was clear that they were the manifestation of what it meant to be a Sovereign.

While Yoohan was whining, Jay, on the other hand, looked at the younger man with a wide smile. Or rather, at the assortment of food in front of Yoohan. Seemed like not only was his appetite back, but it also multiplied, because Yoohan ate at least two portions every meal now. He already gained back his weight, and looked as adorable as ever.

"It's not that I want to be the Emperor,"

"You just want to screw them over?" Yoohan tilted his head, finishing his first plate and asked for a second.

"Inevitably, it placed me on the throne as a consequence," the Prince—no, the Emperor—shrugged and reached out to tuck Yoohan's hair behind the ear so it wouldn't get in the way of his meal.

Yoohan pursed his lips, mind wandering into the stacks of two decades worth of reports he needed to review. "I feel like a collateral damage," to which Jay just laughed, wiping sauce on the corner of Yoohan's lips with his thumb.

Radia looked at her papers, scanning over words of reports. She had grown immune to the royal couple's public display of affection now. "Security...mmm, ah, we already secured enough mana stones for the image projecting orbs. They were already on the way to the regions." She paused and looked at them, "We'll really show the coronation to the whole empire? What do you call it?"