Searching for the Emperor (2)

Was this before the Crown Prince put the Emperor into a comatose state?

It was an obvious thought, but now that I was actually facing the Emperor, my mind wasn't working properly.

I'd wanted to meet him, but I never thought it would happen so quickly.

'But when is this?'

Was this when the Crown Prince told the Emperor about regression, or was it before that?

To pin down the timing, I spoke first.

"I was thinking about Mirne."

The first keyword I needed to bring up to figure out the timing: Mirne.

I could infer the point in time based on how the Emperor reacted to Mirne.

Just as I waited for the Emperor to speak...