Chapter 47: Omen

“As expected, the chancellor is sharp.”

Only then did the Emperor’s expression soften, a faint smile gracing his lips.

There’s a problem we need to resolve before the war. Until then, it’s best to keep things about the war under wraps.

His gaze lowered to the paperwork he’d been reading moments before.

Scanning the details about the rapidly growing pseudo-religion in the slums, the Emperor mused aloud.

“One can’t do much about pseudo-religions sprouting during wartime, but we should at least clean house before this one begins.”

Pseudo-religions thrive when a nation is in turmoil.

Understandable. When the people are psychologically 불안한 (uneasy), they have nowhere else to turn but religion.

However, a pseudo-religion existing even before the war is non-negotiable. Especially if that religion is growing to a threatening size.

Once the war starts, their influence will only grow, never shrink. They need to be wiped out completely beforehand.

‘Who should I assign this to…?’

He waved away the busy chancellor and paused to think. His deliberation wasn’t long.

“Perhaps assigning it to Deon Hart under the guise of punishment…”

Quelling mere fanatics shouldn’t be too taxing, even for the injured Deon.

If he completes it successfully, it could even serve as a reward.

The thought left his lips without much weight.

After all, Nemesius was the only one listening, and compared to the war, this matter was insignificant, merely something to be tossed out casually.

“Your Majesty, did you just say Deon Hart?”

“….”

In an instant, the Emperor, realizing his slip, fell silent.

He’d momentarily forgotten. Nemesius was vehemently opposed to Deon Hart’s promotion.

Meeting Nemesius’s unwavering gaze, a rare occurrence filled with the unspoken question of ‘Why Deon Hart again?’, the Emperor quietly rubbed his forehead.

***

“Captain.”

“We have to fight tomorrow, why aren’t you asleep… Your face.”

“I had a nightmare.”

“…Don’t do this here, go inside. You look terrible right now…”

“It’s not just a one-time thing. Every night, the people I’ve killed appear in my dreams. In the exact state they were in when they died. Unidentifiable figures dripping with blood approach me…”

“…”

“Please, help me. I killed them cruelly, just like you said. I kept telling myself it was the only way to survive, and because I couldn’t handle it sober, I used the drugs you taught me about. But it’s still driving me insane. I’m in agony. The drugs only work while we’re fighting; after it’s over, the memories come back so vividly…!”

“Calm down. Calm down and try to think about it differently.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t take the drugs to kill them; you killed them because you were under the influence of the drugs. You couldn’t help it because of the drugs.”

“Captain…? That’s some garbage mentality….”

“Pfft, is it? Then how about this? Oh, before that, I forgot to mention, you’re hurt here.”

“Huh? Oh? When….”

“…”

“Ah! Don’t touch it! It hurts!”

“See, it hurts when you’re aware of it, right? Actually, I pressed it a moment ago too. But you didn’t notice.”

“…”

“Pretend you don’t know. Don’t deliberately recall it. You said the memories come back vividly? That’s because you’re consciously thinking about it. Leave the memories from when you were on drugs hazy. Even if they surface, ignore them. It wasn’t you who did those things.”

“…”

“It wasn’t you.”

***

When I regained consciousness, I was back in my mansion.

I was near the border just before losing consciousness, but I woke up at home!

If it weren’t for the throbbing in my shoulder, I would have mistaken it for a dream.

Apparently, the guys who attacked me were dealt with somehow. I didn’t pry further and simply nodded.

Since the Killer Knights were there, they would have taken care of it. Frankly, I don’t want to dwell on it.

The brutality of those guys is known throughout the world, and recalling the arrow that hit me and the searing pain that followed isn’t a pleasant exercise.

A few uneventful days passed, and today, Rememver came to me with a mountain of paperwork, requesting a quiet discussion.

…‘Bearing a mountain of paperwork.’

‘This feels ominous.’

The stated purpose was a discussion, so I agreed, but the sheer volume of paperwork is daunting.

So much so that when Rememver walked in, I thought a walking stack of documents was approaching. I thought the stress of paperwork was making me hallucinate.

Anyway, one can’t have a conversation while holding paperwork. He sets the documents down on a nearby desk. A terrifying ‘thud!’ reverberated through the room, making the desk tremble slightly.

“Cough.”

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Did you happen to cough up blood?”

“No.”

Regrettably.

“That’s fortunate. If you had coughed up blood with your injured shoulder, it would have been truly distressing.”

Is he being sarcastic?

I stared at him with a disgruntled expression, and Rememver offered a gentle smile, taking a step back.

He cleared his throat softly before beginning with a serious expression.

“While you were out on the subjugation mission, Count, we captured a spy.”

“Oh.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t trace it back to the mastermind. My apologies.”

He bowed. His flawless gesture inspired admiration.

More refined than the Empire’s nobles. What exactly did this butler do before? I heard he was from a small, isolated country in the center of the continent… Could he be from a high-ranking noble family?

My suspicious musings were interrupted by his next words.

“I heard you also failed to uncover the mastermind, Count.”

“Ah….”

That’s right, I did hear that. But why bring that up? Is he trying to provoke me?

“This suggests the mastermind is quite formidable. Possible candidates include the Revolutionary Army, a hostile kingdom, or Duke Illuster, the leader of the noble faction.”

So he wasn’t provoking me. My butler is truly capable.

He manages the mansion well, handles paperwork efficiently, observes proper etiquette meticulously, and is even good at deduction.

Isn’t he practically omnipotent? He’d be truly perfect if he were good at fighting too.

‘No, wait, he was quite skilled in combat….’

The memory of him subduing a Revolutionary Army soldier with an over-the-shoulder throw flashed through my mind.

Rememver wasn’t finished.

“In my humble opinion, I believe Duke Illuster is the most likely culprit. However, regardless of who it is, they are forces you shouldn’t engage alone. You should either withdraw or request assistance from His Majesty the Emperor. Forgive me if this is an overstep.”

“No… Thank you.”

I must have sounded too distracted. His enigmatic silver-blue eyes lingered on me for a moment.

A brief silence fell before he offered a smile, seemingly trying to lighten the mood, and turned towards the stack of papers he had placed down earlier.

Oh, wait, hold on, why are you going over there….

“There’s a backlog of paperwork.”

“Uh, um….”

“Fortunately, your left shoulder is injured, so wielding a pen shouldn’t be a problem. You’re right-handed, after all, Count.”

Thud! The same sound and tremor that resonated from the other desk now echoed from mine.

Sweat trickled down my back as I stared at the mountain of paperwork before me. I cautiously glanced at Rememver before picking up the top document.

[Blueprint regarding the construction of a dam in the Hart territory….]

“Ah!”

“Is something the matter?”

“I need to see His Majesty.”

I need to request the return of the Hart territory. I’d temporarily forgotten about it with everything that’s happened.

This is definitely not an escape. This was my intention from the start.

Thinking that if the atmosphere seemed right, I’d also return the Killer Knights loafing around in my mansion, I grabbed my coat.

I completely ignored Rememver’s gaze following me.

***

I looked to my left. The Crown Prince was sipping tea.

I looked to my right. The Princess was clinging to my arm.

Where am I? Who am I?

I only came to see the Emperor, so why am I having tea with the imperial family?

Realizing the situation anew, my throat felt parched, and I gulped down the tea with a half-lost expression.

‘The tea’s aroma is exquisite, though.’

Sigh….

Who can I blame but myself? My timing is just awful.

I should have come earlier or later, instead of arriving when the Emperor was meeting someone else.

Considering how I could always meet the Emperor immediately, being told to wait today was unusual.

He had another guest, but that wasn’t my concern.

I was definitely going to wait patiently. They said it wouldn’t be long, so I really intended to wait calmly….

[Count-niii! Cough, cough!!]

[Y-Your Highness the Princess?!]

[Forgive my intrusion, Count.]

[Your Highness the Crown Prince!]

The Crown Prince and Princess appeared.

For some reason, the Crown Prince was holding the Princess by the scruff of her neck, a strange sight, but it allowed me to understand the situation quickly.

The Princess tried to ambush me again. The Crown Prince stopped her.

Whew, that was close. This frail body of mine can’t handle even the Princess’s full-weight hug, so it’s best to avoid such situations as much as possible.

I expressed my gratitude with my eyes and calmly offered a greeting, but the Crown Prince, who had been observing me, suddenly dropped a bombshell.

[As an apology, I’d like to offer you some tea. Would you accept?]

That was a refusal I couldn’t make.

His gaze seemed to convey exactly that.

He even blocked any potential escape routes in advance.

[I’ll have a servant send for you immediately. Consider this a break before your audience with His Majesty.]

[Ah, well about that….]

[Haven’t you said you’d visit me occasionally whenever you come to the Imperial Palace? Or was that a lie….]

[Not at all. I was so honored that I was delayed in responding. Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness the Crown Prince.]

And now.

I was already on my fourth cup of tea to moisten my parched lips.

…No. This isn’t a break.

How is this a break? This is psychological torture.

“It seems the tea is to your liking.”

“Yes, yes it is….”

“I’ll have some packed for you to take when you leave.”

“Thank you.”

I don’t really need it, though.

Of course, the aroma is lovely.

The taste… obviously isn’t sweet or salty. There’s sugar here, but I’m too self-conscious to reach for it. It’s bland, like drinking perfume-infused water.

In other words, it’s not my cup of tea. I’m just drinking it because I’m thirsty.

The Crown Prince raises his teacup to his lips, tilting his wrist gracefully.

He’s merely drinking tea, but his actions exude refinement and dignity. Truly befitting of a Crown Prince.

Compared to the Princess….

“Count, don’t you get tired of just drinking tea? Please have some cookies.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

Let’s just not think about it.

I accepted the cookie the Princess offered, glancing sideways at the still-silent Crown Prince.

He set down his teacup, looking at his troublesome younger sister with an ‘what am I going to do with her’ expression.

Then, as if resigning himself, he shook his head and turned his gaze towards me.

My reflection was visible in his golden eyes, a trait unique to the imperial family.

“I heard you were injured. How is your condition?”

“Ah, yes, I’m fine.”

I barely stopped myself from instinctively reaching for my shoulder.

The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Your body is already weakened by the curse, so you should be more careful. I don’t understand why you personally went on a monster subjugation mission.”

“…My apologies.”

I didn’t go, I was dragged along.

But they wouldn’t believe me even if I said it. Who would believe that the Count is being bossed around by his own knight order?

“Don’t apologize to me; apologize to your own body. You need to serve His Majesty for a long time to come, don’t you?”

For a long time? Ugh, that sounds awful.

I couldn’t outright refuse, nor could I agree, so I offered a weak smile and raised my teacup.

‘…I’m full.’

My stomach is full of water.

While I was momentarily distracted by the unpleasant sensation of my stomach sloshing, the Crown Prince continued.

“I hope you will serve His Majesty well. I’m saying this because it’s you, but frankly, I don’t want to become the Emperor. Nor do I think I will.”

“…Excuse me?”