He sets his shoulders, lets forth an exhale, and makes sure his posture is firm before finally approaching Rudolf. He had been mostly avoiding the man, but... He stands before the Emperor despite his desire to just run away, then presents him with... a little box. "... To be honest, I don't really know what you'd have liked." He starts, gaze flickering to the ground and back up to his father. "Might as well fix that now. This is... for you."
It would take an utter fool to not see how tense Alm happens to be. His words are met with the faintest of smiles etching themselves onto aged features, even if it does little to lessen the suffocating air Rudolf has long been aware he carries. It must have taken some courage, the father thinks, for his son to have gone out of his way to do this. His composure, for now, remains, deviating very little from his usual demeanour, and yet his heart cannot help but quicken in pace– to almost lurch uncomfortably at the thought of his son, his only child, deeming him worthy of a gift. Perhaps just this once, this would be enough to make her smile upon them both, rather than the boy alone.
“You did not need to give me anything, Alm,”
The response leave his form with only the intention to give his son a reason to relax– to not fret over whether or not he would like whatever lies within the box–, yet they also happen to be the truth. Although showered with riches, the emperor has never been one to place much importance on gifts– or, at least, not unless they involved his now-deceased wife. To put those thoughts into words, however, would be impossible for the man, lest he wishes to sound unintentionally cold or lacking in gratitude. Rudolf moves to take the box from his child’s grasp slowly, and with a uncharacteristically large amount of care, not yet opening it– or, at least, not until he has made it clear that the gift inside will filly him joy, regardless of what it is.
“There is no gift that could compare to having the chance to speak with you. Your presence alone is all I could have hoped to ask for.”