Ch.13Journey’s End (2)

The morning of exactly nine days after the departure of the two people with a strange connection.

Rodrick paced back and forth, taking three or four steps in each direction, visibly anxious. His nail-biting and furrowed brow betrayed separation anxiety. Muttering to himself as if he’d lost his mind had become commonplace for him.

“Damn it… Hell… Nothing bad will happen, right? No, nothing will happen. Yeah. It has to be that way…”

It was as if he’d been hypnotized. How could he have so easily permitted something he would normally have opposed vehemently? Was it because of that unnecessary comment from that guy? Somehow his mind had slipped away, and he’d lost the will to object.

‘That crazy bastard…’

What child in the world would treat a man who tried to kidnap and sell them as a parent? Damn it, how badly must the deposed emperor and the government have treated the child for this to happen?

But the one who was far crazier than those people was…

‘I’m the crazier one for being happy about hearing that…’

It’s not even funny. As someone who exploited a mere five-year-old child to raid a criminal cartel, receiving such undeserved kindness…

Of course, it’s true that he looked after the child in various ways because he grew attached and felt sorry for them while traveling together. However, he never had the slightest intention of playing parent out of pity. From the beginning, he was unqualified for this twisted relationship.

“I never thought this day would come… I should have lived more honestly.”

Regret washed over him. If he had known he would one day receive such pure goodwill, he would have changed his way of life long ago. Even if he wanted to don the disguise of an innocent sheep now, damp black mud clung tenaciously from his ankles to his shoulders.

“Sigh.”

As Rodrick was wallowing in his sticky sentiments, a woman in light armor approached from the distance, holding the hand of a young girl, both coming forward without hesitation.

“I wonder why our garbage advisor is sighing as if the ground might collapse.”

“Garbage advisor!”

“Don’t learn that kind of talk, kiddo. And you, fix your way of speaking properly.”

Rodrick waved his hand as if bothered to deal with them. Then he secretly frowned at the woman who spoke crude words without filtering. She, understanding his intention, deliberately avoided his eyes and shook her hand dismissively.

Inwardly, he felt a troublesome combination had appeared.

Knight Tesha.

Lady Eshtiel Elenot.

These were their identities.

“The young lady wanted to visit after a long time, so we came… but why is only a gloomy old man left here?”

“Got a problem with that?”

“The young lady might not, but I certainly do.”

“Me too, I agree with Tesha!”

“Shut up. I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

“Is this related to the leader’s absence?”

“Tsk.”

She was a sharp woman. Whether it was her sword or her intuition, every element that made up Tesha was full of keen edges.

“Hmm, I don’t particularly care, but the young lady does. She wants to know the leader’s whereabouts.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t you tell us even when you see our young lady’s sparkling eyes?”

“…”

Indeed, Eshtiel Elenot’s silver eyes were shining like well-polished silver coins. Looking into those round, clear eyes made one want to spill even nonexistent facts. However, even without engaging in a suffocating staring contest, there was little information Rodrick could conceal if he invoked the name “Eshtiel Elenot.”

This was because the deposed emperor’s child had instructed that Eshtiel be given every possible convenience.

Rodrick had to follow their demands, if only because of that order.

“…There was a minor incident caused by members who can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

“An incident?”

Eshtiel tilted her head. Her innocent reaction served as the starting point for a lengthy explanation.

Rodrick launched into a tirade, concealing the fact that the kidnapping victim was the princess. Additionally, he expressed himself as euphemistically as possible, considering Eshtiel’s emotional well-being. Tesha unconsciously let out a genuine exclamation of admiration at his peaceful eloquence.

After grasping the general outline, Tesha remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“But what are you worried about? Even if they became lost, there couldn’t be a safer lost person in the empire.”

“I’m not worried about their safety in the slightest.”

“Then is there another problem?”

“Yes. The problem is with the guy himself.”

“Young lady, let’s sentence this disloyal speaker to death.”

“Rodrick, death penalty!”

Eshtiel cheerfully pointed at him. This young lady probably didn’t even understand the concept of a death penalty. Rodrick’s feelings were indescribably complicated as he faced this unbearable sight.

“You crazy woman, just hand the young lady over to me. It would be much better if I raised her.”

“Oh my. How dare you try to monopolize her.”

“The world’s turned upside down, damn it.”

Rodrick sighed, but it was true that Tesha was perhaps the only one who could understand his hardships, which made him feel bitter.

If he had to name the people closest to the leader besides himself, it would certainly be these two before him.

“Let’s stop joking around… What are you worried about?”

“I told you. The problem is with the guy himself.”

“Hmm?”

Tesha didn’t seem to empathize easily. Rodrick added more to help her understand.

“As you know, he’s abnormal. Both externally and internally. The former isn’t shameful, but the latter can become serious depending on the circumstances.”

“Well… his personality is certainly unusual. But is it that bad?”

Tesha shrugged her shoulders, and Rodrick clicked his tongue sharply.

“Unusual? That’s putting it mildly. Have you ever seen him get angry?”

“No.”

“What about sad?”

“Never seen it.”

“Or jealous?”

“I can’t even imagine it.”

“That’s the problem.”

Tesha finally frowned slightly. She seemed to understand something was wrong but had difficulty grasping the exact point. Rodrick observed this and directly provided the answer.

“He treats himself as if he were someone else. If someone held a knife to his throat, survival instinct would make him knock it away, but that’s it. He doesn’t hold grudges, let alone any desire for revenge. It’s similar with others, though to a lesser extent. If someone were to explode and die right in front of him, he’d think ‘that’s sad’ and forget about it seconds later.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s not to say he doesn’t have genuine emotions of his own. He can be purely happy when he’s happy, and he can feel compassion, and trau… no, never mind.”

Rodrick was about to mention trauma but quickly withdrew his words. He judged that they didn’t need to know that much.

The fact that a child who appeared emotionally sparse had an obsessive attitude toward the concept of “being alone” was a secret only Rodrick knew.

“Anyway, except for positive emotions, he’s excessively insensitive to everything else.”

In the past, even positive emotions were sparse. In fact, when he was five years old, Rodrick sometimes wondered if he wasn’t an intricate doll crafted by the hand of God.

Therefore, the current leader could be considered Rodrick’s educational masterpiece, created with blood, sweat, and tears.

“Can you imagine what emerges when a child like this grows up consistently?”

“I’m not sure.”

“The completion of a super-grade pushover who wouldn’t even curse if stabbed on the street. How appetizing would he be if he remained insensitive even when stripped naked in the public square? Unless his mask was stolen.”

“Hmm, I definitely see your point now. Those who haven’t had the chance to meet him closely wouldn’t understand, but…”

Wearing a mask had been a divine move.

With that eerie appearance, most people wouldn’t dare think of taking advantage of him.

Even casually spoken words would branch into countless possibilities from the other person’s perspective.

It gave him dignity and mystery, which could otherwise make him appear simple-minded.

‘Even so, if they travel together for nine days… it’s bound to be revealed. Especially with a princess raised in a high-level place like the imperial palace—the calculation would have been completed within half a day after departure.’

It was a very accurate prediction, but Rodrick had little opportunity to confirm it.

He could only pray.

Hoping that the incomplete child thrown into the world would safely return to his nest,

Wishing for a journey as unwavering as a straight bamboo.

‘Please… just don’t get eaten. You fool.’

◇

“Lian! I’m tired. Open wide quickly.”

“It’s too… too big, Serin.”

“Are you going to force it in?”

“Force is bad.”

“But that’s what makes it fun.”

Compromise is unnecessary when it comes to goodwill. I stood up and gently pushed the ice cream toward Lian’s mask. Concerned that his mask might get dirty, Lian slightly lifted it, revealing his sculpture-like lower face.

Crunch!

The echoing sound of coldness filling my favorite person’s mouth resonated. The satisfaction of watching my favorite person obediently bite the ice cream I fed him… it’s a feeling that transcends a mother bird providing food. To define it more deeply, it’s the taste of a shooting star mixed with happiness and transgression in a ratio of three to seven.

“Hmm.”

I bit into the same spot where Lian had taken a bite, cooling myself down. Lian, who had been watching me intently, covered his eyes with his hands and buried his face.

“Serin… I have plenty of money, so it’s fine to buy you a new one.”

“Mmm.”

I can read two emotions in Lian’s gently persuasive voice.

One is embarrassment about the indirect kiss. And the other is… sympathy? No, that can’t be. I must be misreading. There’s no reason for Lian to pity me.

In the end, whichever it is, the answer is predetermined.

“I’ll order another one if it’s not enough.”

“It’s not insufficient. There’s still plenty left, you know?”

“But there’s no reason for you to eat ice cream that I’ve put my mouth on…”

“Come on, this is when you’re supposed to share. Are we strangers?”

“We are strangers with zero margin of error.”

“Really now.”

But we’re about to become family, so we’re not complete strangers, are we, Lian?

Who do you think I participated in a succession dispute that wasn’t even in the original story for?

Everything was to become emperor and marry the deposed emperor’s child!

‘You’ll never know, even in your dreams, my terrifying obsession.’

I’ve sympathized with and supported the deposed emperor’s child since my previous life. As the story progressed, he gradually became my favorite character.

If it were just fandom for a fictional character, it would have ended there… but for some reason, I came to share the same world as the deposed emperor’s child. So I blindly wanted to meet him since I was a baby, and when he escaped the system at age five, I tasted perfect despair.

As a princess, it was impossible for me to even approach him. Even if we became close, it was obvious that our surroundings would tear us apart. But if I left him alone, he would cling to the original female lead, suffer from gaslighting, and be in pain.

Don’t make me laugh.

It’s been about 14 years since the deposed emperor’s child escaped the system. After a long time, we’ve reached the present.

The density of time that can erode mountains was enough to transform simple fandom into stubbornness and obsession. The trajectory of the life I’ve run in this world has been filled solely with the deposed emperor’s child.

Yes, I’ve come to a realization.

The only way for me, reincarnated as the princess of this era, to reach out to the deposed emperor’s child—that is through the power above all people.

The power of authority that can completely crush the opposition of old-fashioned nobles.

To connect with someone who has been politically ruined, what I needed was absolute power alone.

I worked hard to obtain that one thing.

I studied harder than during my high school senior year and built a reputation in social circles through a thorough persona. Additionally, I constantly trained in the practice field to surpass my father, the male lead of the previous work. Since he wasn’t just any protagonist, it might take a bit more time to surpass him, but…

With the summit I’ve been climbing for over a decade right before my eyes, I steeled my heart.

Well… metaphors aside, the summit really is right in front of me now. After all, our prospective groom is sitting right next to me in this café.

“Don’t reject me so coldly. Lian, do you see that couple over there?”

I pointed to a young couple sitting in the corner.

“Yes, I see them.”

“Watch carefully. See what they’re doing.”

“Hmm…”

They were obviously a young couple. I’m not sure if Lian can distinguish between lovers and others, but he’ll probably go along with it if I insist. He seems like such an innocent person.

“Ugh.”

Lian let out a groan. It was a reaction to directly observing their affectionate behavior. It wasn’t sexually explicit behavior from a third-party perspective, just the sweet act of feeding each other snacks.

Even though it was just that much, it was enough to persuade Lian.

“See? This is normal in places like this.”

“But those people seem to have a different degree of intimacy…”

Look at that. He’s surprisingly perceptive.

But you still have a long way to go, Lian.

“Different? I felt super close to you!”

“Of course, I feel the same, but that’s…”

“I guess I was the only one being sincere. I was so excited because you’re the first person I’ve gotten this close to…”

“That’s… ugh.”

“But it can’t be helped. I should respect you as much as I like you… since the one who gives more heart is the weaker one…”

“No, I, well.”

I twisted my lips asymmetrically behind my palm. It was transparent what would come next.

“We are… very close…!”

At that moment, his features, which had been precariously balancing on the verge of tears, suddenly brightened.

“Really? You’re not just saying that?!”

“Of course… not.”

“As close as those people sitting over there?”

“Yes.”

And so I extracted from Lian an intimacy comparable to that of lovers. It was truly a dramatic change.

My goodness, the original female lead played with this mountain hare of a man. I’m finding it harder and harder to forgive her. She didn’t even logically persuade Lian like I do.

This is why I should love this man sincerely, right?

“I really, really like you too, Lian!”

Declaring this, I tightly hugged his arm affectionately.

Vowing again and again that I would never let him go.