Chapter 1175: Requirements
At dusk, Hesta returned to the residence, her steps as steady as ever. She looked pleased.
That afternoon, she had visited Kovishik's estate and unexpectedly encountered His Majesty as a child. The young emperor was clearly very familiar with Kovishik and often visited his residence, so he knew the ducal manor inside out, as though it were another royal garden.
Kovishik made no attempt to hide this and was quite pleased to display his closeness to the royal family before Hesta.
The emperor was exceptionally mischievous, even more so after leaving the palace. Several times, he imperiously demanded that Hesta perform tricks that only Quicksilver Needles could do—catching bullets barehanded, leaping over buildings and towering trees, and so on. His tone was flippant, as if he regarded Hesta as a circus clown. Kovishik listened in terror, afraid Hesta would lose her temper and force him into an awkward position between them.
Yet Hesta was not angered. Instead, she asked what the emperor could offer her if she performed those feats. The emperor boasted that she could have anything she wanted, so Hesta whispered something into the child's ear. The emperor immediately agreed and asked when she would begin performing.
Smiling, Hesta replied, "Whenever His Majesty has the time to visit the residence again."
Kovishik breathed a sigh of relief.
When Hesta was leaving, he could not help asking, "What did you ask His Majesty for?"
"I asked whether he would let me play emperor for a day too," Hesta answered solemnly.
Kovishik immediately burst out laughing, but once he had finished, he looked at Hesta with some restraint. "...Did you really ask that?"
This time, Hesta laughed at him.
Even after Hesta left, Kovishik still had no idea what reward she had asked the emperor for. Yet