episode_0030

“I mean, why are you going this far?”

The Emperor briefly closed his mouth and stared intently at his son’s stern face.

“What is it that you truly desire?”

With the answer held back to the tip of his chin,

the Emperor pondered for a while.

Even if his son had regained the abilities of the elves, could he truly trust the one who had been so obstinate?

Perhaps it would be better to just push forward as originally intended.

That was the thought that crossed his mind.

To tell the truth, he wasn’t certain whether his son would follow through straightforwardly.

This was why he had pushed from the start, keeping in mind the long-standing inertia towards his son, who had consistently faced various accidents while despising himself since his mother’s death.

Yes, inertia.

It was due to the long-standing force of habit that governed much of human life.

Of course, he couldn’t be sure that it was the best course of action.

That was precisely why a moment of contemplation was necessary.

Yet, the conclusion reached was clear.

Whether he trusted his son or not,

ultimately, unspoken words easily festered like meat buried in damp soil. He knew from the experience of losing his wife that unexpressed words would turn into regret.

So, before an unrelenting fate twisted things, it was necessary to speak the truth.

The Emperor straightened up and cautiously opened his mouth.

“I am not serving Serbis, but rather, Eos, I want to pass the empire on to you. I have already sent a letter to the Elven King, so war will not break out. Of course, there will still be risks.”

What he conveyed to his son was a belatedly revealed sincerity.

“…”

The Crown Prince could only look back with trembling eyes.

“If you cannot bear such a level of risk, it will be difficult to rule the empire. So, as my son, bravely endure the danger. It’s not too late. Try to prevent the war and restore what has been lost with your own hands.”

There were certainly anticipated obstacles, but even so, the Emperor was not the least bit worried.

For several nights, he had stayed up planning.

The likelihood of success was by no means low.

Furthermore, Eos had already regained the power of the elves. That’s how he managed to survive even after having his heart pierced by his own sword. Moreover, it’s said that he even made a knight collapse in the royal training grounds. Of course, he may have used unfair means to secretly harness the power of the elves, but still, subduing a knight was by no means an easy task. Therefore, it was inconceivable that Eos, who was once highly regarded as a prince in his youth, couldn’t handle this. However, judging from his stern expression, it seemed unlikely that he would easily accept their surrender. What kind of response could be expected? The emperor, concealing his hopeful gaze, calmly awaited an answer. “I have no intention of changing my reputation.” The response, heard after a long wait, was certainly not positive. Having been disappointed countless times before, there was a vague expectation that things might turn out this way. Perhaps coercion through imperial decree was indeed the answer. It was a moment when the emperor steeled his face solemnly to exchange awkward words. “Nevertheless, I do intend to reclaim what has been lost. Very well. I will go.”

To the unexpected response, the emperor let out an awkward smile with an “Ah” sound.

***

Even after the emperor left, I remained seated quietly in the audience chamber for a while. At first, I thought it meant going to the border to die. But the emperor had a separate real purpose for me. That is, to make me the emperor. Just like I had hoped to survive. Furthermore, if the emperor had already contacted the Elven King in advance, preventing the war was as good as a free meal. In most cases, I wouldn’t have to worry about dying. My maternal uncle, the Elven King, would hand over the Elven army. I would just need to show my face in front of the soldiers. Of course, it couldn’t be said to be completely safe. There were not a few variables. Empress Herpina might intervene to ruin things, and the elves might try to assassinate me without the king’s knowledge. But it was bearable enough to endure all those risks.

The merit of preventing a war was undeniably appealing to me, as someone aspiring to become an emperor. Of course, the more renown I gained, the more intensely the empress would guard against me, so it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It was quite a shame to let go of such a significant achievement that had caused such a stir among the people of the empire. Nevertheless, the empress would still regard me with suspicion, no matter what accomplishments I might achieve. If she could condemn me for my misdeeds, regardless of any merits I might earn, then there was absolutely no reason to hesitate. With this thought in mind, a smile involuntarily spread across my face. Suddenly, Elaine came to mind. It felt like it had been such a long time, so I observed her through Aqua Windt.

***

“This is the prince’s bedroom….” Elaine glanced around with a slightly flushed face. The floor was meticulously polished. High ceilings, chandeliers, and golden candlesticks were visible. Yes, this was the same place I had visited before. I had come late at night and hadn’t examined it closely after waking up, so various furnishings and exotic plants in large and small pots had escaped my notice. There wasn’t a single thing out of place in the quite spacious area, which looked as immaculately arranged as the prince’s handsome face. Sunlight streamed through the spacious windows, bringing a gentle smile to my lips. In front of me was the bed where the prince and I had lain together. Thump! Thump! Right here, I had saved the prince from near death for the first time. And the next day, I had awakened beside him on this very bed. The vivid memory of that day flooded back, engulfing me in a rush of intense emotions, making it hard to maintain composure. “To think I would come back here…!” It was an intensely personal place for the prince, and I felt a deep sense of embarrassment. Like a thief sneaking in to steal something precious, expectation and anxiety intertwined fiercely within her. Elaine cautiously gazed at the closed door as if stung by something. Was it Glentyno? At first, I was quite surprised to see her face, which seemed battered as if she had been severely beaten. She flattered herself as the prince’s mother, but she was not someone who gave off a good vibe.

For a while, I tried not to make a fuss and avoid going out, which made me feel quite awkward. Anyway, I no longer sensed the man’s presence. Elaine cautiously headed towards the prince’s bed. After pacing outside the door and window a few more times, she finally sat down carefully. The bed was so soft that she immediately felt like lying down. Thump! Thump! Thump! It seems it’s human nature to want to lie down as soon as you sit. It was clear that she was indeed human. Elaine smoothed her trembling heart and slowly lay down. Where the prince had slept. Just recalling this fact made sweat pour from her hands and feet. Unconsciously, she rolled over and naturally turned over, catching a whiff of the prince’s scent. Even the noisy chatter of the maids passing by the window seemed to fade into silence as her mind went blank. Elaine buried her bright red face deep into the pillow. She even lightly brushed her cheek against the softness. It was unbearably thrilling to be lying like this in an empty bed. And at the same time, she felt somewhat anxious for some unknown reason. What if the prince were to see her like this? Suddenly, she felt a strange gaze and was startled. “Could it be, Your Highness…? No, it can’t be…” For a moment, she was so shocked that she couldn’t breathe, but she couldn’t just stay still. Helplessly, she raised her head, only to find a water otter standing confidently on its hind legs, grinning right in front of her. It was the very creature that had healed her knees back at the viscount’s place. Somehow, she felt relieved. Phew—anyway, it wasn’t the prince. Carefully getting up from the bed, she saw a faint eagle hovering vigorously right in front of her. When Elaine reached out her hand, the eagle landed on it. It felt weightless, as if it were some formless wind maintaining its shape. In response, the otter swiftly ran up Elaine’s body and stood proudly next to the eagle, grooming its feathers. However, both the otter and the eagle…

With a suspicious gaze fixed on her, as if she had caught a guard’s eye, Elaine couldn’t help but feel uneasy. “Did you see…?” She blurted out in frustration, unintentionally stung by her own words. She hadn’t expected an answer, let alone the clear response that came. First, the otter nodded, then the eagle followed suit. Elaine felt her bones turn to jelly. These creatures understood human speech. Surely they weren’t communicating with the prince or anything like that. Her face flushed deeply at the thought of them reporting her habit of burying her face in pillows to the prince. It might seem odd to him, and it would certainly make facing him more difficult for her. So, an excuse was undoubtedly necessary.

“Um, well, you see, I just really love pillows! I even eat my meals on them. And if the prince’s pillow wasn’t so much better than mine, I definitely wouldn’t have done that. Don’t misunderstand. I’m definitely not a weird person. Haha.” Even to herself, it sounded like a feeble excuse. No, it was more like utter nonsense. Fortunately, the otter and the eagle chuckled brightly and nodded in agreement, which eased her mind. Then suddenly, her stomach grumbled loudly. She was hungry. Despite the considerable time that had passed, she still hadn’t eaten lunch. Her stomach growled again, and both the otter and the eagle turned their heads toward her. They seemed so human-like that she felt even more embarrassed for no reason.

“It’s, it’s nothing, haha. I just haven’t had lunch yet. I’m just a little hungry, that’s all.” That was when the prince entered. “Then let’s have a meal. Together,” he said as the door opened, almost as if he had been eavesdropping from outside.

Sitting on the bed, Elaine met eyes with the prince, wearing a disgusted expression. It was for that reason.