episode_0012

Emperor of the Mersenne Empire.

Belcreed Suphelator Caldevrion.

He was looking at his son right now.

The first prince, Eos.

With a face that closely resembled the emperor himself.

He was coldly smiling and whispering softly into the ear of the weeping maid.

The maid, pallid with fear.

She trembled incessantly, as if sitting in the midst of a winter wasteland without a coat.

At times, she clutched her left chest and shuddered.

Just by watching, one could gauge the extent of her fear.

It was a shiver of unbearable terror, surpassing even the fear wrought by death.

But ultimately, she only let out small, mouse-like sobs from time to time.

Perhaps.

Undoubtedly, she was hearing some dreadful threat, difficult even to contemplate.

With a face drenched in tears and sweat, the staggering maid finally left.

The prince approached right in front of the desk.

The Emperor was no fool.

He accurately understood the significance of what his son had shown.

It was poison.

Without a doubt, someone had laced his drink with poison.

When did it start?

Who.

For what reason had they plotted such a thing? The vague outlines were beyond grasp.

“Who is behind this?”

His words were calmly spoken, devoid of any hint of anger.

Yet, the Emperor remained an Emperor.

Like someone who had constantly overcome countless battlefields deemed unwinnable and assassination attempts that occurred without warning.

The initial shock had long since subsided.

Thanks to the long-standing habit of becoming calmer in difficult moments, once again, it shone through.

“I don’t know.”

It was an indifferent response that seemed to have been waiting to emerge. Somehow, it felt like he was hiding something.

“Could the court physician be involved?”

“We cannot be certain yet. He probably didn’t know. He likely thought your highness had weakened due to years of excessive drinking and loss.”

Upon hearing the word “loss,” the Emperor’s heart sank at the sudden recollection of a woman.

“But how did you find out that the poison was in the drink?”

Before coming here, I happened to see a maid. She was trembling as she repeatedly checked the medicine bottle, and her behavior seemed suspicious, so I luckily suspected something.

“Hah!”

The emperor let out a chuckle.

It was too easy to tell that it was a lie. Just by looking suspicious, he had realized that the medicine was poisoned. It felt like he was being mocked.

“Just a moment ago, you were shouting about knowing everything, whether it’s a lie or the truth. But now, are you going to make excuses with such unbelievable words?”

The prince casually smiled as if he had never entertained such disrespectful thoughts.

“What can I do if the truth I know is all there is? The important thing is, even though it’s late, from now on, won’t we seek the truth together, Your Majesty?”

His expression was overly composed. It was a demeanor similar to Shurain Duke, the chancellor of the Mersen Empire, who always found fault in everything. And at that moment, the Emperor’s pupils trembled not just because of the arrogant speech he displayed, but also because the resolved doubts resurfaced once again.

“Is he really my son…?”

It was strange. He kept feeling like the young man in front of him might not be his son. That unsettling thought kept bothering him like the flickering tongue of a snake. However, denying the negative suspicion once again wasn’t so difficult. Even that radiant silver hair that reminded him of the woman he loved, the face, the voice, even the slight habit of raising his chin when speaking – everything indicated that he was undoubtedly his son. Of course, even then, explaining the extreme change in his personality, as if he had become a different person, was truly not easy.

“….”

In the end, inevitably, he had no choice but to rationalize it. Because of the life-threatening situation he had survived, it was inevitable to consider that there had been a significant change in his personality. With a troubled expression, the Emperor cautiously opened his mouth.

“Why did you collapse a few days ago?”

Suddenly, as if it were premeditated, I also don’t really know the reason. How about hearing the opinion of the royal physician?

The Crown Prince’s gaze was firm.

It contained a resolute determination not to offer any explanation.

The more they conversed, the more stifling this feeling became.

Somehow, it felt like a lump in the throat.

It was as if he was swallowing several hardened loaves of bread in succession.

I understand that there is something being concealed.

Since there was no way to find out, ultimately, resignation was the only answer.

Feeling such helplessness was truly rare.

The Emperor wiped his face with both hands.

He felt incredibly weary.

Now all he could do was sit quietly and watch over the Crown Prince.

Still, thanks to that lad.

He had managed to escape the fate of being poisoned.

And it seemed that the Crown Prince would definitely uncover the mastermind behind the poisoning.

A bitter smile naturally emerged.

The conviction that unexpectedly arises, bestowing only sorrow and disappointment upon one’s child, evokes a truly peculiar emotion.

It seemed to be due to a swirling confusion, unable to blend a certain amount of relief, apology, and gratitude.

Anyway.

He had sent away the maid who brought the poisoned medicine, fully aware of what it contained.

There couldn’t have been an intention to not uncover the mastermind.

But somehow.

The Crown Prince’s attitude, seeming to overlook everything yet refusing to clearly state anything, felt extremely unpleasant.

Thud!

Finally breaking the suffocating silence, the Emperor’s fist slammed down on the desk.

“Are you daring to deceive me right now?”

“Deceive? I simply wish to seek Your Majesty’s assistance.”

Seeking help while concealing the truth…

The Emperor quickly lowered his gaze. It was to hide his slightly trembling eyes.

He was a son who had shouted that his mother’s death was his fault, even uttering curses, and now he was seeking help.

That too, in the likeness of the woman he had loved so dearly.

One part of his heart quietly warmed, and somehow, he felt a strange sensation.

Due to that, just trying to maintain a composed expression was quite a task.

“Help… Hm. Alright, tell me once. What exactly does Jim need to help with?”

The truth would eventually come to light. What truly mattered at this moment was giving the changed prince a chance and, in turn, instilling faith.

Ultimately, it was such sentiments that governed the emperor’s heart.

“Publicly announce that there is no fault on the part of my scribe, Glentino. Also, release him immediately. Furthermore, I hope you will entrust that maid from earlier entirely to me.”

Even if it was unavoidable to investigate the maid for hidden motives.

Releasing the scribe who failed to properly oversee the prince without holding him accountable was a demand not easily accepted.

Nevertheless, the emperor intended to comply. It was the first favor he had asked for since the death of his consort.

“Is that all?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The emperor swallowed a sigh.

There were still many things he was curious about, but it seemed unlikely that his son would ever divulge them.

In the end, he had to resign himself to his son’s resolute attitude.

Of course, there was still lingering regret.

“Just tell me one thing.”

“…”

The prince remained silent, but the emperor did not withdraw his question.

“Was it thanks to Elaine that you managed to survive just before death?”

The emperor was very fond of the girl named Elaine.

Her quiet and somewhat shy demeanor, coupled with her beauty, was evident at first sight.

It seemed fitting for his son.

Of course, he had immediately grasped the fact that she was a foundling upon hearing her name.

Social status was not important at all.

To the emperor, who had already stood at the pinnacle of power, titles and such were hardly significant.

When necessary, bestowing titles by the emperor’s authority was all that mattered.

Instead, he was deeply moved by her generous nature.

It was something that could never be acquired and was as rare and invaluable as any other talent, something that money couldn’t buy.

There was nothing more to see or do.

He had met his son, who had lived, enduring all sorts of depravity towards those around him, for a staggering four years, despite his young age and everyone else giving up on the lad.

Truly remarkable, indeed.

And the most astonishing thing was.

Right after Elaine arrived at the palace, the prince miraculously revived.

The circumstances were clear.

There was no mistake.

It seemed that the existence of Elaine was deeply connected to the miraculous recovery of the prince.

Of course, there was no evidence, so one couldn’t be certain.

But if by some chance,

that child truly possessed a divine power surpassing even that of high-ranking priests,

it was a situation that absolutely could not be overlooked, no matter what measures had to be taken.

However, the prince…

He seemed unwilling to reveal even that one truth.

“Could it be that she has healing powers?”

“I’m not sure. I was unconscious, so I don’t really know. It just sounded like nonsense.”

The prince with a natural air about him never did speak the truth.

“Release her immediately. Is there anything else you desire? If not, then leave at once.”

Clack.

After the prince departed,

in the empty study, the emperor smiled alone.

Even though the prince hadn’t given any answers,

the moment he mentioned Elaine’s name, the nonchalant expression on his face vanished completely.

When he mentioned healing powers, even his eyebrows twitched.

It was as if he had let slip an unwanted secret and was now pretending not to notice out of embarrassment.

Leaning back in his chair, the emperor pictured Elaine’s face.

“A child with healing powers greater than those of high-ranking priests.”

If only he could marry that child to his son.

He could then solely wield the immense power of the temples that spanned across the entire continent.

Then,

it might even be possible for his dethroned son to be reinstated as crown prince.

“A saint…”

A noble woman loved by the gods more than anyone else in this world.

In order to save the world in crisis, it was the saint who descended once every thousand years that the gods had bestowed upon. There was no doubt about it. She had undoubtedly saved a dying son. Elaine was clearly the saint from the legends. And becoming her spouse meant erasing countless infamies that clung to the prince’s body as cleanly as if they had never existed. A truly satisfying smile appeared on the emperor’s face, which had been closed for a long time. Then, quickly adjusting his posture, the emperor hurriedly took out a piece of paper. He then dipped the sharp tip of a white feather pen into the black ink and wrote enough.

The recipient was Marquis Bart.

***

After leaving the study, I leisurely made my way towards the imperial office. The maid who brought the poison would soon reach the empress’s palace. I had instructed her to go as quickly as possible, so she might already be facing the empress. By the way, I had placed the water spirit, Aqua, in her heart. I had explained it well, just as I did with Glentino, so she would have no choice but to follow my orders in order to survive. Perhaps upon seeing the empress, she would meticulously enumerate the reckless acts the crown prince had committed in front of the emperor. That was my command. The empress, who had recently been suspicious of my behavior, would undoubtedly feel great confusion. She might have thought that the poison she had been taking for many years had been detoxified. However, when she suddenly acted as if she were poisoned, she would want to scrutinize me more closely. And Glentino’s release was no different. If Glentino, who had failed to properly supervise the crown prince, was released without any punishment, the empress would be unable to understand the reason, and would inevitably doubt what she had seen and heard. The clouded empress would summon Glentino and inquire about the whole situation. Glentino would deceive the empress with the prepared words we had discussed. In the end, the empress would have no choice but to let her guard down. And by digging through that small gap, I would trail behind the empress. That was why I had come here.

Once again, she felt a sense of relief by indulging in wickedness, further loosening the empress’s guard.

In the training grounds, numerous knights were engaged in personal drills. Among them was Astia Levoln, a childhood friend from Eos. Despite being a nineteen-year-old woman, she possessed a notably tall stature. Her hair, tied up like a horse’s tail, was vividly red and sharp, resembling freshly spilled blood. Despite her debutante-like figure, her fierce movements mirrored those of a man wielding a blade. Suddenly, her gaze locked onto me, catching me off guard. In that fleeting moment, her eyes held a fierce animosity, akin to a wild beast facing its archenemy. The intense, piercing stare unmistakably harbored deep-seated resentment. While not entirely unexpected, facing it was more than I had imagined, despite the considerable distance between us. Unconsciously, I even took a step back. The terrifying desire to immediately tear apart her mother’s enemy was conveyed through her eyes, slashing at my flesh like sharp claws. It was an intense fear unlike anything I had ever experienced before, as if she and I were the only two beings in the world, creating an illusion of being frozen in time.