Chapter 41: A Charade in the Slums and a Test of Nerves

‘Tsk… How long has it been since I left that beggar-like detached palace, and now I have to come to a place where actual beggars live…’

Narcissus, once the Crown Prince and now the First Prince, frowned as soon as he entered the slums.

The air that penetrated deep into his lungs was already disgusting from the moment he stepped in.

A musty smell, as if it hadn’t been cleaned or washed for a long time, continuously pricked his nose.

Not only that.

The thought that this was a space where he breathed the same air as commoners, withered like dried branches, was so repulsive it felt like filth was rising from within him.

‘Is it because she’s a lowly-born b*tch? To set foot in a place like this every day, how pathetic for a member of the imperial family.’

Narcissus inwardly sneered at Anastasia, who carried out relief activities in such a dirty place every day.

However, he couldn’t continue to openly show his displeasure like this.

To quickly close the gap that had formed with Anastasia due to his incompetent uncle Kardo.

He was in a situation where he had to quickly score points, even from the paupers living in a place like this.

Therefore, in this space where even breathing was disgusting.

Narcissus decided to endure it and execute his plan.

“Oh dear… this truly pains my heart… To think there are people suffering and living so arduously in the heart of the empire!”

He lamented loudly in his characteristically fake voice, drawing the attention of the slum dwellers.

“What in the world is the Imperial Family doing!? Do they think the people can be satisfied with merely this amount of rations! Seeing those emaciated boys and girls makes my own heart feel like it’s shriveling up!”

Even in the dingy slums, the beautiful voice of the silver-haired, gorgeously featured Prince, crying out as if in anguish, was enough to draw people’s gazes.

“Wh-who is that…?”

“He looks like someone incredibly noble just by looking at him?”

“Wow… How did someone like that end up here…?”

“More importantly, what are those bundles over there…?”

Once a certain amount of attention was focused on him.

Narcissus gestured elegantly, as if putting on a performance, and commanded his attendants following behind him.

“You there! Can you not quickly distribute what we have brought to the people!”

“Yes, Your Highness the Prince! We will follow your command immediately!”

At his command, the attendants moved busily in unison.

When they opened the boxes on the carts they had brought, numerous relief goods were inside.

Looking at just the staple foods, they weren’t miscellaneous grains like oats or barley, but all consisted of high-quality wheat.
Not only that.

“Can you not feed them until they are full at once!”

Following Narcissus’s instructions, the accompanying chefs began to cook on the spot, putting meat and vegetables into large pots.

As abundant goods were distributed and an appetizing smell wafted through the air, the starving people couldn’t help but lose their senses and flock towards him even more.

“Oh! Such precious things…!”

“Thank you so much…!”

The paupers were already grateful for the rations they had been receiving recently.

But now, with even more abundant goods being distributed and excellent dishes, which were usually hard to come by, being provided.

They were so overjoyed that it became difficult for them to make normal judgments.

Narcissus raised his voice further to exploit this.

“I, First Prince Narcissus, will not put on a hypocritical play to win your hearts like the Crown Princess! Instead, I will open my personal coffers to help you! So take as much as you want!”

It was a statement disparaging Anastasia, who had been dedicating herself by directly approaching the paupers.

However, for the paupers who were merely struggling to survive day by day, such political remarks were not very important.

At this very moment.

The one distributing more abundant supplies and offering warm, delicious food.

Was none other than Narcissus.

“Oh…! Long live His Highness the Prince!”

“Long live Prince Narcissus!!”

The people praised him enthusiastically.

Narcissus inwardly sneered as he watched the foolish dogs and pigs cheering for receiving better feed.

‘Training these dogs and pigs isn’t a very difficult task.’

If he could incite them so smoothly, why delay by seeking the help of that insignificant Church?

‘He probably thought of using Sera, that b*tch, to delude the dogs and pigs.’

Thinking that.

‘Hmph, what a foolish uncle.’

Narcissus couldn’t help but feel that Kardo was even more foolish and idiotic.

Those who would incite the dogs and pigs.

Weren’t there already enough of them?

Himself, nobler and more beautiful than anyone, and.

“Amazing, Narcissus…!”

This foolish woman next to him, her eyes shining with admiration.

“What, with just this. Come on, Irene, you join in too.”

“Huh…? Me…? But I’m not good at speaking in front of people…”

Narcissus wasn’t particularly surprised by Irene’s reluctant reaction.

As soon as they entered the slums.

Seeing her expression contort even more than his own, a member of the imperial family.

He had come to understand even better what kind of person Irene was.

‘As expected, she’s an easy b*tch to use.’

It was amusing that she, a commoner, looked down on the paupers, but her excessive vanity and sense of superiority made her easy to manipulate.

Narcissus smiled gently and took Irene’s hand, leading her.

“Don’t worry, I’m here, right?”

“Huh?”

Narcissus raised Irene’s hand high and shouted to the people.

“I, First Prince Narcissus, and Irene, the magician of the hero’s party, will dedicate ourselves to the people! So, spread the word to those starving like yourselves!”

“What? Not only His Highness the Prince but also the magician from the hero’s party?”

“Come to think of it, I saw her during the parade! It’s Magician Irene-nim!”

“Ooooh!! Thank you, Magician-nim!”

At Narcissus’s declaration, the people also cheered for Irene.

Irene was flustered as the gazes focused on her as well, but she soon felt an overwhelming thrill.

‘Indeed… this is where I belong…’

Irene thought as she waved to the people.

That she was currently shining brilliantly beside someone nobler than anyone.

---

Narcissus and Irene continued to incite the people as they went around the slum districts.

Telling them to kick aside the meager supplies Anastasia provided and take the relief goods they were bestowing.

That they were the ones who truly cared for and looked after the people.

If people with discernment had heard it.

It was obviously a malicious slander against Anastasia, who had started direct relief activities first and dedicated herself.

It was natural to feel repulsed and find the sophistry unbelievable.

However, there were too many who had lived impoverished lives even before the Demon Lord army war.

They couldn’t help but praise Narcissus, who was simply showering them with abundant goods before their eyes, even louder.

“Long live His Highness the Prince!”

“Ah, to give us such precious things! Your Highness is truly a wise ruler!”

Narcissus was satisfied that things were progressing smoothly according to his plan.

And Anastasia’s people couldn’t help but be intimidated by the group he led.

Moreover, some of those who had received supplies from them were quite shameless.

“How dare you treat us like fools!”

“Take this back! We won’t accept it! We will only accept what His Highness the Prince gives us!”

They forgot the kindness shown to them and even acted with audacious ingratitude.

“Khekhek… Keuheup…”

Narcissus barely suppressed the laughter that threatened to burst out as he strode through the slums.

Irene, by his side, also linked her arm with his and watched the flocking people.

‘How truly foolish. Forgetting all the good done for them and turning coat like that.’

Although they were succeeding in turning public opinion as planned.

Irene felt displeased by the sight of the shameless people.

It was then.

A man caught her eye, and she couldn’t help but stop walking.

“Hmm? Irene, what’s wrong?”

When Irene released his arm and didn’t move, Narcissus turned his gaze to where she was looking.

And he immediately realized.

‘Hoo… so it’s that one.’

He knew well from what he had heard.

That there was a rat trying to climb the social ladder by clinging to that lowly b*tch.

Seeing Irene’s expression harden and her anger.

‘It seems that one is that adventurer b*stard.’

Convinced of this, Narcissus slowly moved towards where he was.

“Narcissus?”

Irene was startled but immediately followed him.

---

“Hmm… Are you the one named Logan who follows my sister around?”

“Yes, I greet His Highness the Prince.”

“Hoo…”

Narcissus looked surprised upon seeing Logan for the first time.

He had heard that Logan had spoken rudely to Kardo.

So he had expected him to be arrogant and presumptuous, not knowing his place, but he had immediately bowed respectfully.

‘Is it because Anastasia, that b*tch, isn’t here?’

No, he didn’t look like someone who relied on another’s authority.

If he were such a coward.

Given this situation where his own people were winning the favor of the paupers and they were cheering, and then seeing him, the Prince, in person, he should have been flustered and intimidated.

But this one was very calm.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Since he was someone who followed that lowly b*tch instead of him, he was someone who needed to be dealt with eventually.

To assess what kind of person he was.

Narcissus decided to test Logan.

“Yes, as you can see now, what you all are distributing to the people is so insulting it can hardly be called rations! So get lost at once!”

Narcissus raised his voice as if to make sure everyone heard and shouted loudly.

This was an overt insult to Logan’s master and a statement to incite the people.

However, Logan didn’t waver in the slightest and bowed politely.

“Yes, I understand. We will withdraw now.”

Narcissus clicked his tongue as if he found Logan’s compliant attitude uninteresting.

‘Tsk… Then how about this?’

He decided to provoke Logan once more.

“Truly regrettable.”

Narcissus didn’t know much about the relationship between Logan and Irene.

But seeing Irene’s reaction, he judged that there seemed to have been something between them.

“Irene is supporting and serving me like this, yet you are betraying a fellow member of the hero’s party.”

“Nar-Narcissus!?”

To get on his nerves, he deliberately pulled Irene into an embrace.

And.

“Did you cling to that lowly b*tch thinking she would become emperor? She’s only in that position temporarily, in my stead. How truly pitiful.”

He even insulted Anastasia.

Despite that.

“…”

Logan showed no reaction and retreated with his people.

“Tsk…”

Narcissus clicked his tongue at that sight, thinking he was indeed an uninteresting fellow.

And Irene.

‘Lo… Logan…?’

She couldn’t help but be incredibly confused.

Despite her showing such an affectionate display with another man, there was no change in his expression.

And he didn’t spare her even a glance.

He treated her as if she didn’t exist.

Three years ago.

It was a completely different attitude from when she had first fallen for Lian.

Had she been completely erased from his heart?

Irene grew increasingly confused by such thoughts, but.

“Now, let’s go somewhere else, Irene.”

She quickly came to her senses at Narcissus’s voice.

“Uh… Yes…”

She thought to herself.

‘He’s just pretending not to know.’

‘Later, after finally driving out the Crown Princess.’

‘The moment Narcissus becomes emperor, and I become empress.’

‘He will eventually return to me.’

‘His heart will still be directed towards me.’

…So she thought.