The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

In truth, it started gradually.

And then all at once, as more and more people couldn’t help but perk up the moment they witnessed such an interesting and heart warming scene.

Emperor Xavian Solaris was one such spectator. He had been in the middle of taking a sip of his wine when he had to blink three times just to make sure he was seeing things correctly.

His gaze slid from Duke Leander’s beaming, borderline unhinged expression to his own son’s oddly attentive posture, then to Luca, who was still faintly flushed and holding something eye-catching like a proud child showing off treasure.

Hmm...

As expected of the man who quite literally helmed the Empire of Solaris, his ability to pick up cues was frighteningly sharp. A flutter here. A glance there. The way Leander looked charged as he offered that unusual thing to his wife.

Then there was the way Xavier seemed to monitor the supposedly simple exchange.

In the Imperial leader’s mind, it all suddenly added up.

And so, very smoothly, Emperor Xavian excused himself from their own table just as everyone else seemed absorbed in witnessing Duchess Amelia’s surprised expression.

The Emperor, however, moved with purpose.

He walked slower, attracting the attention of his own son.

”Cadet,” he said calmly. ”Any chance you can guide this old man?”

Xavier inclined his head without hesitation. ”Yes, Your Majesty.”

They moved toward a quieter corner, with the Emperor’s composed son leading the way. It was an area shielded from most wandering eyes and so the Emperor wasted no time as a spiritual barrier was put up.

”Those things,” he said. ”The ones Duke Leander and Luca were holding.”

”Yes?”

”What are they?”

Xavier hesitated for exactly half a second.

Then he answered honestly.

”In essence, they’re tokens. But I suppose you’d likely hear of them as tokens of love from now on. It’s a special service we’re providing to our patrons.”

The Emperor’s brows lifted despite himself.

”A service,” he repeated. ”I suspected as much.”

Xavier gestured slightly, guiding him just a bit farther. Hidden from the main dining flow was a compact stall, modest in size but anything but modest in display.

The Emperor stopped short.

In front of them was an impressive spread.

Thanks to prior exposure, his gaze was no longer untrained. Now that he was looking right at the spread, he could tell what the items held by the Kyros men were composed of.

Fruits cut into intricate flower shapes. Strawberries carved into roses. Apples folded into blossoms. Citrus arranged like petals caught mid-bloom. There were sweets shaped into hearts and stars, small bottles with elegant tags, plush toys tucked between trays, charms, ribbons, and little trinkets designed to be held onto.

It was overwhelming.

”This token,” the Emperor said slowly, ”is it only meant for spouses?”

”No, Your Majesty.”

Xavier’s tone was even, but there was something knowing in his expression that immediately caught the Emperor’s attention.

”It can be tailored for loved ones in general. Regardless of gender, age, or relation.”

”Oh?”

The Emperor paused, then asked carefully, ”Are you saying that even I can purchase something like this?”

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

Xavier gestured toward the entire display.

”You may choose from any of these. And by choosing yourself and adding your own personalizations, it would in turn be a meaningful token.”

The Emperor inhaled.

Then exhaled.

He suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that if he didn’t restrain himself, he would absolutely hear about it from his wife later.

He was still weighing his options when his eyes landed on something right under Xavier’s palm.

A book.

Thin. Elegant. Bound neatly.

”Hm?” the Emperor murmured. ”What is that?”

”This,” Xavier said, opening it gently, ”is a printed photo book, Your Majesty.”

He turned a page.

The Emperor’s eyes widened.

Another page.

Wider.

Photos filled each spread. And they were photos of the young cadets he knew. Candid ones, in fact. There were photos of the children mid-laughter. Members of DG while huddled around a table, eating. Cooking mishaps, focused expressions, and smiles exchanged when no one thought they were being watched.

They looked like memories he could touch.

”!”

The Emperor straightened after coming to the conclusion that it was perfect.

”This,” he said slowly, ”is available?”

”Yes.”

”But the photos,” he pressed. ”Where would they come from?”

The realization struck him all at once.

He didn’t have many candid photos of his wife. While he could probably look for candid photos of them everywhere, they likely wouldn’t reflect the same feeling he got from seeing DG’s photo book.

But instead of the look he usually got from his son whenever he thought of a bad idea, Xavier simply met his gaze steadily.

”As part of the agreement tied to the invitation,” he said, ”if there are no personal photos you wish to print, we can provide a selection taken during your experience here.”

”...What?”

The agreement tied to the invitation? Sure, there was a clause about allowing and understanding that photos and videos of the attendees could be taken save for selected areas...

Oh.

”!”

Xavier turned a few more pages.

And sure enough, he saw photos of the members of DG that were certainly taken today.

Then as if in understanding, Xavier showed a holo projection with other photos.

And there they were.

Emperor Xavian and his wife talking. Standing side-by-side. Laughing during an arcade game. Working together in the kitchen. Looking at each other when they thought no one noticed.

Then came another photo of them that was definitely new as it showed them enjoying the taste of roast beef and wine.

But what really caught his attention was one where Xavier stood close by as he assisted Nina with something.

The Emperor felt his throat tighten.

It was a must-buy.

At all costs.

”Your Majesty,” Xavier said calmly, closing the book, ”may I assume you are interested?”

The two Solaris men stared at each other.

In that moment, understanding passed between them without words.

Truly.

They were father and son.

And the son knew how great of a customer his own father could be.