But before she could laugh, she heard the Emperor's voice again. "It's a fascinating era, isn't it?"
"Your Majesty..."
"If this so-called Second Conquest War ends as anticlimactically as the last Galactic War, it would be such a waste of this grand era. Galli, I once had high hopes for Victoria Lee, but his early death disappointed me. Fortunately, another has come along. Earth truly is a treasure trove!"
"So you have high hopes for that young man because he reminds you of Victoria Lee?"
"No. Because he reminds me of myself."
"..."
"Besides, he's hardly the only one slowly making his way to me. There are so many ghosts of ages past, and one by one, they're all coming alive in this era. A grand age where heroes gather?" The Emperor's gaze was tinged with nostalgia, but the corners of his mouth slowly lifted into a satisfied smile. "It's a pity Victoria Lee couldn't live to see this era. But you have to understand: dumplings are a delicacy that takes time to prepare. Kneading the dough, rolling out the wrappers, and mixing the filling are all part of the enjoyment. The waiting is part of the enjoyment, too."
Duke Gallebeyan felt that she was, at times, a bit of a lunatic. Compared to the ruler of the Galactic Empire, however, her mind was remarkably stable. At least her words and actions followed some sort of logic.
Of course, perhaps her logic was merely mortal, while His Majesty had ruled the Galactic Empire for two hundred years and stood beside Truth for just as long. Perhaps he had the logic of a god.
The Emperor put away his madness and explained in all seriousness, "Oh, right. Little Galli, dumplings are an Earth delicacy. Mr. Qi taught me about them. You