30 – I Was Watching Everything.
“Why are you going this far?”
The emperor closed his mouth for a moment and stared intently at his son’s determined face.
“What do you really want?”
Keeping the answer confined to the tip of his tongue.
The emperor pondered for a while.
Although his son had regained the abilities of an elf, could he really trust him after all the evil deeds he had committed?
Perhaps it would be better to just push him away as he had originally intended.
That was the thought that came to mind.
He wasn’t confident that his son would follow his lead if he told him the truth.
He had started from the beginning with the intention of keeping his promise.
After his mother’s death, it was the long-standing inertia towards his son, who had always caused him trouble and disdain, that had been at work.
Yes, inertia.
It was done according to the law of habits that governs the entirety of human life.
Of course, even that couldn’t be said with absolute certainty.
That was why a momentary hesitation was necessary.
Nevertheless, the conclusion reached was clear.
Whether he believed in his son or not.
In the end, keeping the words held within, like meat buried in wet soil, was easily prone to being hurt.
He knew from the experience of losing his wife that unspoken words would turn into regret.
So, before the merciless fate could complicate matters, it was necessary to speak the truth.
The emperor straightened his posture and cautiously opened his mouth.
“I am not Serbis, Eos. I want to pass the empire on to you. I have already sent a letter to the Elven King, so there will be no war. Of course, there will still be dangers.”
What he had conveyed to his son was a belatedly revealed sincerity.
“……”
The Crown Prince just looked at him with trembling eyes.
“If you cannot bear even that level of danger, it will be difficult for you to rule the empire. So, as my son, bravely face the risks. It is not too late. Try to prevent the war with your own hands, restore the lost things, and restore your tarnished reputation.”
There were expected obstacles, but even so, the emperor was not worried in the least.
It had been planned for several nights.
The chances of success were certainly not low.
Moreover, Eos had already regained the power of the elves.
That’s why she was able to survive even after her heart was pierced by her own sword.
And in the Imperial Martial Arts Hall, it was said that she had even defeated a knight.
Of course, she must have used unfair means to secretly use the abilities of the elves, but still, subduing a knight was never an easy task.
So, there was no way that Eos, who had been highly praised since her childhood, couldn’t accomplish this much.
Of course, judging by her still stern face, it seemed difficult to expect her to accept willingly.
What kind of answer would come out?
The Emperor, hiding his youthful anticipation in his gaze, calmly waited for the response.
“I have no intention of changing my reputation.”
The answer that came after a long wait was, as expected, not very positive.
Having already been disappointed countless times, I had a vague suspicion that it might turn out like this.
Perhaps, forcing it with imperial authority was the answer.
In order to say difficult words to each other, it was finally the moment when the Emperor sternly hardened his face.
“However, I do have the intention to regain what I have lost. Very well. I will go.”
At the unexpected response, the Emperor made a sound of surprise and awkwardly smiled.
***
Even after the Emperor left, I remained seated in the reception room for a while.
At first, I thought he was telling me to go and die at the border.
But the Emperor had a separate purpose for me.
That is, to make me the Emperor.
In order to survive, I too had hopes.
Moreover.
If the Emperor had contacted the Elven King in advance.
Preventing the war would be no different from eating a free meal.
For the most part, I would not have to worry about dying.
My step-grandfather, the Elven King, would take care of the Elven army.
There would be no need for me to do anything, and the war would not happen.
It would be enough for me to just show my face in front of the soldiers.
Of course, I couldn’t say that it was completely safe.
There were not a few variables.
Empress Herpina could intervene to ruin things, and the elves could try to assassinate me without the king’s knowledge.
But it was worth taking all those risks.
Preventing the war and gaining recognition for it was quite attractive to me, who wanted to become the Emperor.
Of course, as I gained fame, the Empress would become even more suspicious of me, so I couldn’t be completely happy about it.
It was a very regrettable situation to let go of this level of achievement that would make the entire empire talk for a while.
Anyway, the Empress would still think that I was addicted to her.
After a few evil deeds, she had firmly established herself as a woman who attributed any achievement of mine to luck.
So there was no reason to hesitate.
With that thought, a smile naturally formed.
Suddenly, Elaine came to mind.
It felt like such a long time had passed, so I observed her through Aqua and Wint.
***
“This is the Prince’s bedroom….” Elaine looked around with a slightly flushed face.
On the clean and polished floor.
There were high ceilings, chandeliers, and golden candlesticks.
Yes, this was the same place I had been to before.
I couldn’t examine it closely because I came late at night and was too flustered even after waking up.
From various furniture to small and large pots filled with exotic plants.
There was nothing missing in this quite spacious area.
Everything was well organized without a single flaw, just like the Prince’s handsome face, making the room look as neat as can be.
The wide windows were bathed in bright sunlight, making a smile appear unintentionally.
In front of me was the bed where the Prince and I had lain together.
Thump! Thump!
Right here, I had saved the Prince who was dying.
And the next day, I had woken up on this bed.
The vivid memory of that day rushed back, heating my body to the point where I couldn’t control myself.
“To come back to this place…!”
It was the Prince’s very personal space, making me feel so embarrassed.
Like a thief sneaking in to steal something precious, anticipation and anxiety intertwined within her.
Elaine cautiously gazed at the closed door as if it were piercing her.
Was it called Glentino?
When she first saw his face, bruised and battered as if someone had beaten him severely, she was quite surprised.
Although he flattered her by calling her “Princess Consort,” he didn’t give her a good feeling.
He talked incessantly without taking a break for a long time, making her feel quite uncomfortable.
Anyway, she no longer felt his presence.
Elaine cautiously made her way toward the prince’s bed.
After hesitating several times, she finally sat down cautiously.
It was so soft that she felt like lying down immediately.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
It seems that when one sits down, the desire to lie down arises.
She must have appeared human, for sure.
Elaine calmed her trembling heart and slowly lay down.
The place where the prince slept.
Just thinking about that fact made her hands and feet sweat without her realizing it.
Without knowing it, she naturally rolled over and lay on her stomach, and the prince’s scent wafted in the air.
Even the noisy bustling of the maids passing by the window suddenly became muted, and her mind turned white.
Elaine buried her blushing face deeply into the pillow.
She even lightly brushed her cheek against the soft touch.
The fact that she was doing this on an ownerless bed brought about an irresistibly thrilling feeling.
And on the other hand, I felt a restless unease, as if something unknown was lurking.
What would the Crown Prince think if he were to see me like this?
Suddenly, I felt a strange gaze, and I was taken aback.
“Could it be, the Crown Prince…? No, it can’t be…”
In an instant, I was so startled that my breath caught in my throat.
But even so, I couldn’t just stay still. I had no choice but to reluctantly raise my head. And there, right in front of me, was an otter made of water, standing confidently on its two hind legs and staring at me with its head held high.
It was the very creature that had healed my knees back at the Marquis’s estate.
Somehow, I felt a sense of relief.
Phew… At least it wasn’t the Crown Prince.
I cautiously sat up on the bed.
Hwahak- Hwahak-
A faint eagle, no bigger than the palm of my hand, flapped its wings vigorously and hovered in the air right in front of my head.
As Elaine reached out her hand, the eagle landed on her palm.
I couldn’t feel any weight, as if it was maintaining its form through some unknown power.
In response, the otter scurried over, climbing up Elaine’s body and perching beside the eagle, standing on its hind legs with its upper body straight.
However, both the otter and the eagle.
They were looking at me with suspicious eyes.
It was as if they were soldiers in the patrol unit, spotting a suspicious person.
A strange discomfort welled up, and I couldn’t help but ask.
“Did you happen to see…?”
In a moment of impulsiveness, she blurted out those words without meaning to, and it stung her unexpectedly.
She didn’t expect or hope for a response.
But the answer, which she didn’t anticipate at all, came back so clearly.
First, the otter nodded.
Then, the eagle nodded.
Elaine felt her scalp tingle.
These creatures understood human speech.
Surely, they couldn’t communicate with the prince or anything like that.
Elaine’s face turned slightly dark, her blush intensifying.
“If, by any chance, they were to inform the prince that I buried my face in the pillow…”
The prince might find it strange.
And she might find it difficult to raise her face confidently in front of him.
In that case, an excuse was undoubtedly necessary.
“Uh, well, you see, it’s just that I really like pillows! I even put my food on the pillow and eat it. And if the prince’s pillow wasn’t better than mine, I would never do such a thing. Don’t misunderstand. I’m definitely not a weird person. hahahahaha.”
Even she thought it was a lame excuse.
No, it was more like a crazy statement than an excuse.
Fortunately, the otter and the eagle laughed brightly and nodded their heads.
Somehow, she felt relieved.
Then, her stomach growled suddenly.
She was hungry.
It had been quite a long time, and yet she still hadn’t had lunch.
Growl-
At the sound that came again, both the otter and the eagle perked up.
Both of their gazes were fixed on Elaine’s stomach.
For some reason, they felt more and more human-like, making her feel unnecessarily embarrassed.
“Oh, it’s nothing, hahahaha. I just haven’t had lunch yet. My stomach is just a bit hungry.”
That was when the prince came in.
“Let’s have a meal. All of us.”
As soon as the door opened, the words that were blurted out seemed as if they had heard everything from outside.
Elaine, sitting on the bed, met the prince’s gaze and made a disgusted expression.
It was because of that reason.