Ch.22The Two Overgrown Children (2)

“Thud, thud, thud!”

“Ugh…”

I looked around, extending my senses to check if anyone was nearby. The maze-like garden structure perfectly sealed off the surroundings, blocking others’ gazes.

Still, I checked two, three times before finally feeling at ease.

So I could comfortably wallow in self-loathing.

“Auuugh…! Why did I act like that?”

It hadn’t even been a day since I said I would trust Nepy!

No, no. Nepy is the one at fault for trying to hide and deny something so trivial.

Of course I trust him.

Whatever he was burying in the ground must have been done with good intentions. I just don’t like the fact that I absolutely shouldn’t know about it.

“I was just going to end it with a little sulking… but suddenly my emotions surged like a flood!”

It started as my usual snippy remarks toward Nepy.

But once I began pouting, it gradually led to thoughts like, “Wait, thinking about it, I really am being treated unfairly,” and my emotions intensified on their own.

Coldly rejecting Nepy when he tried to follow me was fine, but what came after was the problem. Now that I’ve regained my senses and reflected, I wonder if it was really something to get so angry about.

“Sigh, Charle is in danger, and here we are fighting over unnecessary emotions.”

Whatever our future plans might be, Charle’s rescue will inevitably center around Nepy and me. If we conflict over personal feelings, even an easy path will become difficult.

“I should… apologize. Apologize. Yes, I need to… apologize… but…”

I twirled my white hair that flowed beneath my ears. Like my curling hair, my heart was spinning in circles.

With a cooled head, I’d already reached a conclusion, but my chest still radiated heat.

“I don’t want to apologize first! When you think about it, it’s not even my fault! Why should I? He’s always hiding things and making me feel bad! Calling me an unreasonable life form or whatever, treating people like monsters! And… he doesn’t even know how to give proper compliments!”

I grew more indignant as I recalled my conversation with Nepy from the previous night.

“What? He unconsciously overlooks things that aren’t impressive? Who’s a cliff?”

Even Nepy didn’t say that last word, but it didn’t matter. That’s exactly what he meant!

Of course… I might be somewhat lacking compared to my sister Charle, but still! He’s the type who would rather die than give sweet talk.

“Besides, for some reason, His Majesty trusts Nepy before me! It makes me feel like I’m the only clueless outsider… and to think His Majesty was the one who originally ordered Nepy’s subjugation! Is it my fault? Am I really the one lacking awareness?”

This ultimately led to the self-deprecating realization that my judgment of people was worse than a knothole.

I gradually faced the reality that standing here wouldn’t solve anything.

Now was the time to enter the main palace and discuss the interrogation of Duke Feita and Charle’s rescue.

I should calm my emotions and think rationally, just like always. Isn’t that how I’ve lived until now? That’s what I must do to fulfill my duties.

“It’s so unfair…”

A complaint escaped my lips without my realizing, leaving a deep resonance.

◇

“Irefi…”

I whispered her name near the main palace. The workers had already finished what I’d asked them to do and disappeared.

‘Sorry, I heard everything!!!’

I placed my hand on my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut.

Netionpis’s senses normally reach inhuman levels. When I activate sensory enhancement, I can detect vibrations even from deep underground.

Like when I sensed the secret passage underground at Duke Feita’s banquet hall.

‘I opened my senses to gather information for when I apologized, but this…’

I found it strange when Irefi suddenly turned toward the garden instead of heading to the main palace.

I never expected Irefi to have composed herself so quickly. That was truly like her—always working on her emotional control.

And that makes me feel even more sorry. I ended up hearing all of her adorable, completely justified complaints.

The Emperor, who had ordered my subjugation, had long since changed his stance using his emotion-reading ability. From Irefi’s perspective as the Imperial Guard Captain who received the order, it must feel absurd.

‘Especially that scathing assessment…’

Always hiding things—even if I have my reasons as a possessor—is certainly enough to make someone feel bad. I think Irefi has been remarkably patient until now.

“But honestly, I feel a bit wronged about being called someone who treats people like monsters.”

I had already excellently shed my human constraints while single-handedly suppressing the Chainlich Phenomenon disaster.

To add to that, in the original story, I was the one who destroyed the Eld Empire. Moreover, Irefi during the Destroyer era was the strongest boss in the world setting, even during her decline period.

All of this came to her without any special connection—she was simply born that way. It wouldn’t be strange to consider her an anomaly of the world.

“The old man inside me obtained this level of power only after all sorts of nonsense.”

And lastly, about proper compliments… Should I have pretended to be embarrassed when I saw her chest at that time?

With a bit of flattery added?

I don’t understand it, but if that’s human nature, I suppose there’s nothing to be done.

“Sigh. Now I’m even more confused about what to say.”

I embraced my confused feelings and entered the main palace.

Troph Feita was being detained in a spacious, clean room in the main palace, in consideration of his status as the head of one of the four ducal families.

Before seeing him, I first knocked on the door of the Emperor’s office.

“Enter.”

The Emperor was sitting upright in his chair, looking tired. It was understandable, having experienced a major incident at the banquet and staying up all night.

“Your Majesty, regarding Troph Feita’s interrogation…”

Just then, there was a knock from outside the door.

Knock. Knock.

“Enter.”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”

Irefi approached with an extremely businesslike greeting.

“Ah, um, welcome, Marquess Justitia.”

The Emperor awkwardly welcomed her. And for good reason—Irefi’s current appearance was remarkably surprising.

She had always maintained her dignity to avoid embarrassment in front of others. But how was her attitude now?

‘I know why, but…’

Her gait was awkward, and she deliberately averted her gaze at an angle to consciously avoid looking at me. The way she twisted her white hair beneath her ears was extremely unnatural.

Whenever her eyes accidentally started to turn toward me, she would quickly turn her head away.

‘If I didn’t know anything, I’d be shocked too? I’ll take the function of my hearing to my grave.’

They say hiding things is wrong, but this is something I can’t confess even as a joke. If it were discovered, that day would become the day of the Founding Noble’s resealing.

“What are you two… doing?”

The Emperor asked with apparent disbelief. I could immediately understand his intention.

‘Even without Irefi’s foolish gestures, her emotions would be obvious to him… I wonder how we look in the Emperor’s eyes?’

Even knowing his intention, there was nothing else I could say. It would be strange to grab Irefi’s hands and make up with a silly game right here.

Irefi seemed to be thinking the same thing, as her poor hair was becoming increasingly curly.

“I don’t know what happened between you two while I wasn’t looking…”

The Emperor trailed off. He seemed to be choosing appropriate words during the brief silence.

The word that came from the Emperor’s mouth when he spoke again was rather crude.

“Are you two perhaps… idiots?”

“Huh.”

“Ugh.”

We both flinched at the Emperor’s quiet condemnation. It was a simple word but one that accurately pierced the current situation.

“Honestly, looking at you two marquesses makes me feel like I’m watching ten-year-olds.”

“Y-Your Majesty…?”

“That’s not…”

The Emperor firmly cut off our words.

“Should I personally hold your hands together and comfort you like children at a reflection meeting? Please, I beg you, show some restraint in these critical times.”

“Yes… I apologize.”

“Your Majesty, I apologize.”

Irefi and I could only apologize shamefacedly. The Emperor’s words were so completely right that we had no will to refute them.

I glanced slightly at Irefi standing to my right.

‘Ah.’

Ironically, at that moment, Irefi also turned her eyes toward me on her left.

When our gazes accidentally met, we both sharply turned our heads away out of embarrassment.

Irefi turned away so forcefully that her soft hair fluttered and brushed against my arm.

Looking at our behavior, it was no different from a childish fight where we were demonstrating our sulking to each other.

“They say men only change the price of their toys as they age, but Marquess Justitia… I never imagined she had this side to her.”

“Ugh… I have nothing to say.”

“Saying more would only hurt my ears. Reach an amicable agreement between yourselves.”

“Yes…”

“I will do so…”

Only after hearing our deflated responses did the Emperor bring up the main topic.

“Now let’s go meet Duke Feita. Several imperial investigators are already waiting, so let’s get going.”

◇

The place where Duke Feita was detained was one of the five largest and most splendid rooms in the main palace.

Judging by appearances alone, one would never guess that Duke Feita was under detention—rather, he seemed to be receiving excellent treatment.

The Duke, ignoring the investigators surrounding him, was leisurely drinking tea and reading, exuding an air of dignity.

The eyepatch covering his right eye concealed much of his face, but couldn’t hide his distinguished appearance.

Duke Feita spoke to us first as we entered.

“Well, I see Your Majesty. And Marquess Justitia and Marquess Alteon… though it’s been barely a day since we met, it feels like such a long time.”

The Emperor and Irefi frowned at Troph Feita’s composure, which they found vexing. In contrast, he seemed pleased by their reaction and smiled smugly.

“The Duke is quite bold. Be aware of your position.”

“Why should I act like a petty man when I have nothing to hide? The incident at the banquet hall was indeed due to lax security… but I wonder if that warrants detaining a descendant of a founding contributor.”

Troph Feita leisurely sipped his tea.

“The ‘tiny’ commotion of a count’s daughter being kidnapped is regrettable. Who would have known that such an insignificant family’s daughter would be the target? Even among count families, there were many daughters from wealthier houses with more territory—it’s truly lamentable.”

‘This bastard… he’s deliberately provoking the Emperor.’

Troph Feita was clearly provoking the Emperor. Whether it was confidence that he wouldn’t be caught or that he had nothing to lose, I couldn’t tell.

As a result, Irefi had to restrain the Emperor, whose temple veins were beginning to bulge.

“To persecute a descendant of the oldest family devoted to the imperial household like this—I wonder if other families wouldn’t feel wronged as well. I worry that Your Majesty might lose the nobles’ trust.”

‘Wow, what astounding sophistry. I wish Netionpis would come out right now and lecture him.’

Listening to his one-sided provocation naturally made my anger rise. While pretending to be respectful and concerned for the imperial family, he was essentially threatening them.

I stepped forward toward Troph Feita and said:

“Duke Feita, you seem very confident.”

“With nothing to be ashamed of and much to boast about, isn’t that natural?”

Troph Feita shrugged his shoulders. I looked at him mockingly.

“For example, your family?”

“My ancestors’ virtue has protected the empire until now; I merely follow their example.”

“The virtue of the first head, Lorian Feita. In my view, if she saw you now, I don’t think she’d be very pleased.”

“What would you know?”

For a moment, a crack appeared in Troph Feita’s composure. At that point, I guessed at his infinite reverence for his ancestors. That’s why I continued to speak brazenly.

“Hmm, probably more than what your entire ducal family knows combined?”

This body is your ancestor’s companion.

I wanted nothing more than to switch personalities with Netionpis right then and confront him.

“Pfft.”

The Emperor’s expression, which had been full of anger, was now tinged with amusement.

Irefi also found it funny and covered her mouth with her hand. Judging by her curved eyes, I could guess the shape of her hidden lips.

From the perspective of someone who knew the situation, Troph Feita’s reaction was like putting on airs in front of a pupa. Of course, it would be impossible for him to understand the meaning behind the Emperor and Irefi’s smirks, even if it took a lifetime.

Unaware of our circumstances, Troph Feita sneered and counterattacked.

“Huh, Your Majesty’s judgment has deteriorated. To keep a rootless honorary marquess who knows nothing of the world by your side.”

“Snrk…”

At his condemnation, the Emperor and Irefi’s cheeks loosened again.

‘My body is the foundation of the empire, and inside is an elder of the imperial family…’

To say that a Founding Noble, who existed above the first heads of the four ducal families, had no roots. He was unknowingly disgracing his ancestors.

“I, with no.roots.at.all, dare to! Show such disrespect to the Duke! How can I possibly apologize for such impudence?”

I conveyed my apology with theatrical gestures, reading it like a textbook. By now, even Troph Feita could tell I was openly mocking him.

“You… aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”

“It’s not me who should fear consequences, but you.”

“Why should I?”

‘I’ve prodded enough, haven’t I?’

I smiled pleasantly at him and said nonchalantly:

“If I bring Zikharun before your eyes, that’s when a ducal family with five hundred years of history will fall. Not under anyone else, but during your generation.”

“You?”

As soon as I mentioned the keyword “Zikharun,” Troph Feita’s expression completely darkened.

Inwardly rejoicing, I clearly declared to the man before me:

“I will make it happen. Without fail.”