107 Dancing

Artoria felt uneasy about Artorius's twisted method of creating 'humans' through the Third Magic and referring to Mordred as her own daughter. Because of these thoughts, she even ate much less breakfast, barely finishing a few bowls.

Although Artorius whispered to her—"Don't show any flaws."

She couldn't help but sneak glances, acting suspiciously.

After all, she wasn't the kind of actor like Artorius. She couldn't seamlessly play two roles like a split personality, engaging in self-conversations.

'Is this how Artorius sees me? It feels so strange.'

Watching Artorius manipulate 'Arthur', chatting and laughing with the other Knights of the Round Table, Artoria's feelings were weird. It was like someone who watched their own selfie video for the first time and wondered—"Is that really me?"

'Am I really that good?'

Artoria couldn't help but wonder as she looked at Artorius with admiration.

'If Artorius had been the one to draw the sword from the stone at the beginning, perhaps things would have gone more smoothly, and he would have done better than me...'

"Hmph."

At the same time, watching this scene, Morgan couldn't help but let out a cold snort, feeling extremely displeased.

'This jerk is using me as a scapegoat again.'

Morgan scolded Artorius in her mind.

Artoria's appearance, as claimed by Artorius, being another homunculus created by Morgan, with a fabricated tragic background, intensified the dissatisfaction of the Knights of the Round Table towards Morgan. Artoria's innocent and adorable nature, coupled with her being another artificial creation like them, made her feel like a younger sister to everyone.

In a way, this meant that someone was bullying their little sister.

If Artorius hadn't protected Morgan, someone might have already confronted her about it.

Though Morgan didn't really care about how others viewed her, being used by Artorius still made her feel annoyed.

'I'll make that guy explain himself.'

She thought to herself while her legs trembled and her inside became warmer and wet subconsciously.

The situation went even more smoothly than Artorius had anticipated.

With Artoria's arrival, 'Arthur' that was created by him casually said, "Then I can rest assured."

'Arthur' spoke of retiring to a beautiful place after the war, as if he were planning his future.

Under Artorius's control, 'Arthur' would become increasingly inclined to retire. At the appropriate time, he would leave the empire and settle down in a secluded place, disappearing from public view.

Of course, in Artorius's plan, controlling 'Arthur' for a longer time was not a big deal. It was just like rehearsing for when he would manipulate his so-called 'child' in the future.

However, Artoria disagreed.

On instinct, she opposed Artorius's idea, and he didn't insist. It was just a minor pretense in public.

To celebrate Christmas and the series of victories in the empire's territories, a ball was held in Bordeaux.

With Artorius in power and the change of times, balls quickly became popular entertainment, gradually replacing the shallow revelries of ancient Rome.

Similarly, other trends emerged, such as cold buffet dinners, salons, and coffee, which amazed many despite the coffee beans being from the far lands of Africa and Arabia.

During the ball, the first dance with Artorius, as tradition dictated, was still Morgan's. In the absence of an empress, she remained the most respected woman in the empire.

Next was Scathach, his teacher.

After overcoming the problem of the fading of the Age of Gods by using a puppet body, Scathach intended to stay in the empire permanently. As she said, she wanted to witness Artorius's journey to the end. At least until her interest waned, she would stay by his side.

And why she ranked ahead of Mordred and the other noble ladies was another reason altogether.

"Teacher, have you... discussed anything with those Germanic peoples?" Artorius asked, smiling as he held her soft and slender hand.

"It's something beneficial for you, after all..." Scathach replied casually. "Didn't I tell you before? I used to operate in the North for a while."

"Did you?"

"Didn't I?" Scathach's tone remained light. "Well, it's not a big deal, and now you know, don't you?"

"Mm..."

Scathach assumed the guise she had used many years ago during her time in Northern Europe. She then consolidated forces in the Germanic region, and to some extent, took on the role of spokesperson for the Germanic peoples within the empire's territory and facilitated communication.

For Artorius, this was indeed a good thing.

Considering the future trend, the rise of the Germanic peoples was inevitable. Although the Round Table faction in the empire was currently the strongest, represented by Britain, their population was too small, and with the policies of ethnic integration, the Britons (British-Celt) were bound to disappear.

The same applied to the Western Romans or the Latin people, who were also tribes from the Age of Gods but would eventually be integrated into the Germanic. However, due to their large population base, the Latin lineage would be better preserved...

Nevertheless, in the future of Europe, there would be no purely Latin lineage.

In this situation, it was crucial for the empire to communicate and engage more with the Germanic peoples, ensuring their peaceful settlement within the empire's territory.

Originally, marrying the Princess of the Ostrogothic Kingdom to secure an alliance with the Germanic peoples was a good idea. But now, it seemed that Artorius might have even better choices.

"Kid, it seems like you're thinking of something cheeky..." Scathach whispered to Artorius as she leaned close to his ear. Her voice carried a hint of ambiguity and sweetness, making it hard for Artorius to tell if she was teasing him or flirting.

Mordred, who was dancing with Artorius after Scathach, pouted and looked unhappy, but fortunately, she was easily appeased with a few kind words and a gentle headpat.

"I'm really sorry, Little Mo."

"Umu, it's okay. As long as I can always be on your side."

Originally, it was a good idea to marry Mordred to put the Knights of the Round Table at ease. However, looking at it now, Artorius had more and more choices. Mordred, being easy to deceive, quickly slid down from being the top candidate. Instead, there was another woman vying for the hearts of the Knights of the Round Table.

That woman was Artoria.

After finishing the dance with Mordred, Artoria was the fourth woman he invited.

"Artorius..."

"Don't say anything, Father." Artorius gently held the girl's hand, clasping her waist, gazing at her affectionately, while also engaging in conversation. "Don't let anyone see any flaws."

"But, it's so embarrassing..."

Wearing women's clothes was one thing, but being seen by everyone, especially being held by her son while dancing gracefully with him, made Artoria feel shy. She would have blushed with embarrassment and made excuses to run away if she were her past self.

But now, it was different. She really...

Even though they were... but still...

She felt like a puppet in her beloved son's hands, being led around by him.

"This is also for your sake, Father." Artorius smiled mischievously and whispered in Artoria's ear, emphasizing her identity as Artoria the female knight.

"We must enrich Lady Artoria's character. A shy and innocent maiden knight who has never seen the world and a girl who always works hard. How? Do you like that, Father?"

"..."

Hearing Artorius use the term 'Father', even if Artoria was naive, she could detect a strong sense of delight in it.

'It's obvious, Artorius is just teasing me.'

Artoria thought this way and almost wanted to cry. She felt unjustly treated like this by her son, but apart from that, being embraced and treated gently by her beloved son also brought about an unprecedented and strange feeling.

In fact, hugging and even kissing were not uncommon for her. But before, it was always done in her disguise as King Arthur, out of love. So there were no additional feelings involved.

But now, it was different.

Now, she was Artoria, Artorius's maiden knight, a woman.

Under Artorius's continuous teasing both verbally and physically, Artoria felt as if she was about to faint.

Fortunately, just before that could happen, Agravain brought important news.

"Your Majesty, forgive me, but the ball must end." The knight in black armor announced, dispersing the joyful atmosphere.

"It better be important, Sir Agravain." Artorius felt disappointed, and at the same time, Artoria sighed with relief and felt somewhat down, especially after the dance ended. But, he still held her hand, making her feel shy yet happy.

"The fake emperor has reached a peace agreement with Theodoric. He used the title of Imperial Governor, a substantial amount of gold, and a marriage contract to buy Theodoric off. The Ostrogoths have betrayed us, and the fake emperor has freed up his hands."