Chapter 94: Deceiving and Being Deceived, Exploiting and Overcoming

“Back then, the legitimate heir, the First Prince, was practically confirmed as the Crown Prince. So, what do you think would happen if he were killed?”

“…The other princes and princesses would have scrambled to seize his empty position.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what happened. The plan was to pick someone among them who could be used as a puppet and place him on the throne, but…”

A blatant laugh echoed.

The Duke, who had lowered his gaze as if recalling the past, suddenly looked up. The Emperor was looking down at him with a sneer.

“How amusing. Did you really think things in this world would go as easily as you planned?”

“…Indeed. It was my arrogance.”

He stared intently at the proof of his arrogance, Eudoardo Deserte, before a smile touched his lips.

“Who would have thought that the insignificant Ninth Prince would suddenly rise to prominence?”

To be precise, he ran wild.

The Ninth Prince, Eudoardo, believing the First Prince’s death was due to the fight for the throne, slaughtered all his brothers who had been eyeing the position and took the throne himself.

There was no mercy. He even killed their children to eliminate any seeds of rebellion.

The Duke watched all of this in silence.

Everything, including Eudoardo declaring the kingdom an ‘Empire’ after ascending the throne and recognizing the First Prince’s children as the Crown Prince and Princess.

Then he laughed. Who was asking whom to protect whom?

“…Strange. Why are you being so provocative today?”

The Emperor raised a hand to his forehead, as if a headache was coming on.

“You carelessly mentioned the First Prince, admitted to the murder you’d always denied, and revealed your own filthy desires.”

“….”

“What on earth are you scheming?”

He was already tired, and he couldn’t understand why the Duke would come all this way just to get under his skin.

Memories of the past, buried by his busy life, resurfaced, and the Emperor’s grip tightened on the armrest.

[I’ll be back. It won’t take long.]

[Please look after Elpidius and Aletea while I’m gone.]

If he had known those would be his last words, he would have never let him go.

When he felt that ominous feeling, he should have held him back.

When he heard the news of his death, he should have investigated instead of reaching for his sword.

No matter how disgusting his brothers who coveted his position were, he shouldn’t have drawn his sword so easily.

He shouldn’t have been so easily swayed by the somewhat credible rumor that his other brothers killed him to seize the throne.

‘Ah.’

His head ached.

A phantom appeared before his eyes, grinning. It circled the Duke below before superimposing itself on his face.

He wanted to draw his sword and cut off that head right now, but the Emperor clenched his teeth instead of rashly revealing his emotions.

He couldn’t repeat the same mistake as back then.

“The assassination of the First Prince, Deon Hart replacing Cruel Hart in the Eight-Year War, the Salvation Church.”

“….”

“You were always behind every incident. Since you wouldn’t say anything baseless, I’m wary of what you’re planning this time.”

“That’s understandable. Though you won’t be able to figure it out right away, no matter how much you think about it.”

The Emperor raised his head. He wore a rare look of surprise.

Just now, the Duke had admitted to two things with those words.

That he was involved in all the incidents the Emperor mentioned, and that he was plotting something this time as well.

Among them was a story that would turn the world upside down if Deon Hart were to hear it.

[The Duke was the culprit who caused Deon Hart to participate in the Eight-Year War instead of Cruel Hart.]

During the Eight-Year War, Cruel Hart was originally scheduled to participate from the Hart family. That would have certainly been the case if the documents hadn’t been swapped out midway.

The Emperor learned that the documents had been switched after the war, during the distribution of honors.

To be precise, it was when Deon Hart wished for the destruction of his family that he sensed something was wrong and investigated.

──The documents were switched, forcing Deon Hart to participate in the war, and the Hart family submitted requests for correction to the Imperial Palace several times in the beginning, but all those documents went missing in transit.

He himself was also trash for knowing all the truth but staying silent and accepting Deon Hart’s request….

The Emperor glared at the even bigger and more vile piece of trash before him.

“Are you admitting to all of that now? Excluding the First Prince’s murder, just acknowledging your involvement in all those major incidents is enough for a death sentence. You must be insane.”

Setting aside the fact that he killed the First Prince, admitting his involvement in all the other significant incidents was a major crime in itself.

The Duke smiled sweetly at the voice filled with intense killing intent, threat, caution, and unconcealed questions.

“As I said before, Your Majesty cannot kill me.”

With an exaggerated gesture, he reminded the Emperor that he had dismissed everyone else.

“There are no witnesses, no evidence. Do you need any further explanation?”

“….”

The First Prince’s assassination was already a closed case, making it difficult to touch him. And unless there was proof that the documents regarding Deon Hart’s participation in the Eight-Year War were stolen directly from the Imperial Palace, it wouldn’t deal him a significant blow. The Duke had only touched the Count family, and that family had lost its power. Who could say anything now?

Moreover, since there was no clear evidence linking the Duke to the Salvation Church, the Emperor had no justification to take the Duke’s head.

“Of course, Your Majesty could personally end this life without any evidence. But you wouldn’t want to. If you kill me without any justification, my honor will remain intact, and Your Majesty will be seen as a petty tyrant who killed the Duke out of fear of his power or because he was annoying.”

“You dare… speak such nonsense.”

Eventually, the golden armrest was crushed.

The Emperor leaned forward slowly, looking down at the Duke with a smile that revealed his teeth.

“How long do you think you can live, erasing and hiding all the evidence?”

─Indeed,

“Try to hold out until the end. The moment a flaw is revealed will be the day of your execution.”

And the day everything you’ve built will be plunged into the abyss.

The meaning of his life, which had been fading, became clear once more.

His purpose in life was strongly imprinted upon him, and a trace of attachment grew in this life he had thought he could give up at any moment.

Until the moment he could destroy everything the Duke, Starbe Illuster, had built and watch him die miserably.

The Emperor vowed not to die.

***

Daniel, unaware of what was happening while he was away, stopped in front of the closed door and checked his appearance.

Fortunately, he had changed his clothes, so no trace of his tattered state upon returning remained. The injuries he sustained in the battle there were hidden beneath his clean clothes, and even the faint smell of blood was masked by perfume.

Perfect.

A brief frown flickered across Daniel’s face as he recalled the fierce battle with the Killer Knights in Ireon, but he quickly composed himself.

He couldn’t show his mother a bad side of himself.

-Knock knock.

“Mother, it’s Daniel.”

“Come in.”

Opening the door, the first thing he saw was the woman smiling and reaching out her hand.

It was probably a welcoming gesture, but Daniel strode forward, knelt on one knee before her, and respectfully took her hand, bowing his forehead to it.

Instead of pulling her hand away, the woman raised her other hand and gently stroked his head. Her gentle voice flowed like water.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I returned safely.”

“You’re wearing perfume.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think you usually wear perfume.”

“I tried it this time. Do you like it?”

“Son.”

“….”

Startled, Daniel raised his head.

Seizing the opportunity, the woman naturally withdrew her hand and cupped his cheeks, making him look up. Their eyes, so alike, met in the air.

The woman didn’t delve deeper into the inconsistencies in his words, nor did she scold him.

She simply stared at him.

After a silence that felt both short and long, Daniel was the one to lower his gaze first.

“…There was a clash with the Killer Knights in Ireon. I sustained some minor injuries in the process, but they weren’t serious enough to mention to Mother. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, what right do I have to scold my son?”

“No…!”

His rebuttal to her sighing words was cut short.

Daniel blankly looked up at the soft touch of the cloth around his neck. The woman, who had just finished wrapping a scarf around his neck, was smiling faintly.

“Winter is almost over, but I thought it would be best to give it to you now that it’s finished.”

“…This is….”

“I won’t say anything about what you do or where you go, son. I don’t have the right to. However, if I may make one request…”

A warm voice, like the spring that melts the snow, settled in his ear.

“Take care not to catch a cold, son.”

Don’t get hurt, don’t be sick, and definitely don’t die.

Please take care of yourself, son.

This mother still cherishes the gift you gave me.

***

“Are you really leaving right away?”

“Yes.”

“Without even changing your clothes?”

“The Duke is plotting something again. The fact that he came to me so confidently means it’s too late to do anything by investigating now. It’s better to hurry before things escalate.”

He could change his clothes once he arrived.

Wearing his cumbersome attire, the Emperor strode across the hallway with long strides. The chancellor, following behind, spoke with concern.

“The guards….”

“They’ll only be a hindrance. It’s fine.”

“You’re traveling to a battlefield in cumbersome clothes and without guards? Are you in your right mind?”

“Who knows? It might be nice to just die.”

“Your Majesty!”

“It’s a joke. How can you not distinguish a joke from the truth, being the chancellor?”

A clear sigh escaped the chancellor’s lips at the obviously joking tone. The Emperor glanced at the chancellor before returning his gaze forward and muttering.

The faint smile that had been on his lips vanished as if it had never been there.

“What is so great about the king’s position? My brothers used to flatter our father to get his attention. I still remember it.”

“….”

“One older sister said she wanted to make the kingdom wealthy, and one older brother said he wanted to make it an empire that no kingdom could ignore. I don’t remember who, but there was even a brother with the grand ambition to unify the continent.”

“….”

“It’s a good thing they were so greedy. Thanks to them, I’m so busy.”

A dry laugh echoed in the hallway.

Leaving the laughter in the hallway, the Emperor, who had just exited the building, continued walking without stopping, his feet crunching on the well-maintained grass. His voice continued.

“I intend to burn brightly until the very end. So, don’t think about a meaningless death like suicide.”

Unless it was an unavoidable death beyond his control, there was no way he would willingly choose death. He had too many things to do and too many responsibilities to bear. Besides, he couldn’t even think of anyone he wanted to die because of right now.

Having arrived at the stable, the Emperor stroked his horse’s muzzle before suddenly exclaiming, ‘Ah’.

“Thanks to you, I remembered something I had forgotten. I should have said this earlier.”

“…?”

“I don’t place any value on a soulless body. So, if I die….”

“Your Majesty.”

Sensing something ominous, the chancellor hurriedly called out to him.

He wanted to stop him from speaking. Especially because he knew what was coming next.

However, his call didn’t stop the Emperor’s words.

“I hope you won’t waste military force to retrieve a mere lump of flesh.”

“Your Majesty!”