27 – Dark Spirit
After the knight ordination ceremony all finished. With no reason to stay in the Empire any longer, I accepted the call of the princess before returning to Highlan and headed to where she was.
The place she called me to was the imperial library located in the corner of the imperial family. She often enjoyed reading here when she didn’t want to be noticed.
Smart-
Arriving at the front of the library, I slowly opened the door by knocking on the library door and went inside.
In a place where countless books form a forest, a girl with silver hair is loftily reading a book. The 5th princess who called me was enjoying reading under the warm sunlight.
“Imperial Third Knight Commander, Aran von Robertein. I have been called by Your Highness.”
Somewhere away from her. Not allowed to get close to her without her royal family’s permission, so I stepped away and greeted her.
“Ah..”
At the sound of my voice, she closed the book she was reading and slowly lifted her head and started looking at me.
“Come closer.”
She checked my face and looked at me and said. Following her words, I slowly moved her steps and headed towards her.
As I slowly approach her, a chair is set in front of her. This means sit in front of it. Even so, I couldn’t sit down blindly, so I kept my geography by standing behind the chair.
Before long, after confirming my appearance, she nodded her head. Not knowing what this meant, I sat down in her chair facing her.
“Recently, the atmosphere in the imperial family is not good, so I took refuge for a while.”
“So you were reading a book here?”
This is something that has always happened. She used to come here often when her mind was troubled.
At my question, the princess didn’t say anything and turned her gaze to the book she was reading. Accordingly, my gaze also naturally turned to the book she was reading.
‘Should I steal it?’
Looking at the book she was reading, what if she was looking at a strange book like her old days, the book she was reading was unexpectedly normal..
‘Medical books..’
She was reading a medical book that was difficult to read. This would not be normal in any other sense.
However, there was another reason why she was reading her medical books.
“Brother.. No, His Highness the Crown Prince is not in very good shape.”
The prince who is not feeling well. This is what most people in the Empire know.
“More. More than the known facts.”
However, it seems that his recent condition cannot be said to be good even with empty words. At the last ceremony, he saw that the second prince had come and expected it to some extent.
The only family she talked to openly was the Crown Prince. Of course, as his condition worsened, that also became impossible.
‘So, he was reading a medical book.’
To be of some help to his older brother. This girl had come all the way here and she was reading a book.
Before long, she closed her book again and looked at me and said.
“Do you know what this means?”
“Of course.”
The state of the crown prince, who cannot guarantee how long he will live in the future. This means that the position of crown prince will soon become vacant.
“The 2nd Prince is enslaving the nobles.”
That’s why it’s a field of opportunity open to anyone. If the crown prince disappears, any member of the imperial family is given a chance to become emperor, and the second prince is at the forefront.
“If he becomes the crown prince…”
The princess shuddered as she said that. Her temper is tyrannical and she values lineage. If he becomes the emperor, the fate of this girl cannot be guaranteed.
“On behalf of the military, I will protect Your Highness.”
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However, it is not the father who will be watching it quietly. Her father is the godfather of the princess. It didn’t lead to blood, but it was still a father-daughter relationship, so the father would desperately stop it.
“Yes. The godfather believes. I believe that Youngshik will protect me too.”
At my words, the princess, who had been shaking her body, said with a bright smile. She didn’t want to see her bright and pure smile ruined by her brother who was trying to kill her.
“Aran Youngsik.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Youngshik, if I said I wanted to become emperor, what would you do?”
I was dumbfounded for a moment at her bombastic remarks that followed. She is a girl who has always had no interest in imperialism. A girl like that, she was asking what she would be like if she approached the imperial realm.
“I am only following Your Highness.”
However, even so, my answer is the same. Whether she is aiming for the imperial power or not, I will probably give the same answer.
It was then that her smile deepened after hearing my words.
She is the princess who is still looking at me and smiling brightly. But I don’t know her so much that I don’t recognize her hidden sadness in her smile.
The reason she is interested in Hwang Kwon is because she just wants to live. Because the fate of those who did not become emperor is always obvious.
The smile of this girl looking at me seemed to represent those words, and her heart ached without my knowledge.
“Oh, yes. Does Youngshik know about an organization called Heukyoung?”
“.. This is the first organization I have heard of.”
“Hmm..Isn’t it?”
“Has the organization contacted Her Highness?”
“Oh no! Please pretend you didn’t hear me.”
When I asked about the organization, she waved her hand. It was clear that he was hiding something from me.
“Now, let’s go again.”
After the meeting with the princess, I decided to say goodbye to my parents before leaving for Hailan.
My father came to the mansion just in time for me to return to the mansion, as if he hadn’t overcome her mother’s torch this time as well.
“Yes, take care of yourself.”
Since the mother was talking about this and that from a little distance away from Ariel, she was naturally left alone with her father.
“Father be careful too. I heard that the atmosphere in the imperial family is not good lately.”
“.. You knew that. Anyway, for the time being, it would be better not to make any noticeable movements.”
Although we did not speak directly to each other, we could easily grasp the meaning of each other’s words.
Like his father said, for the time being, the 2nd Prince will not make any noticeable movements either. A time bomb that explodes if anyone touches it. Because that is the current imperial family.
I also have to refrain from violent behavior in Hailan for the time being. It is unknown what effect my actions will have on the princess.
“Ah, father. There is something I would like to ask you.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Is it because I thought of the princess? I remembered the name of her organization that she had given me earlier.
“Do you know anything about the organization called Heukyoung?”
I wonder if my father, who worked for decades as an imperial official, knows something. That was the reason I questioned my father.
“How do you know that name?”
It was then that the air around me instantly froze right after I brought up the name of the organization. The father’s face also became quite serious, it seems that he knew something.
“I don’t know the details yet. I have only heard the name.”
“… “
It was then that my father, who heard my words, began to get into trouble.
There was a moment of silence that followed. However, that silence did not last long.
“Where there is light, let there be shadows.”
The father’s words continued after a while. As soon as my father said that, I looked around and started to be wary.
“.. Father. That means.”
“Yes. This is something you should never say in the Empire.”
In the past, just before the kingdom of Prodentea, the predecessor of the empire, declared the empire, the last words left by a man who rebelled against the first emperor of the empire.
I have learned that because of his existence, the empire almost collapsed at the same time as the empire was declared, so all records about him were obliterated.
“Heukyoung is an organization established by the remaining remnants. Although their identities have not yet been clearly identified, there are rumors that they are involved in numerous incidents in the empire.”
From small incidents in the empire to big ones. My father said that there might be an organization called the Dark Spirit behind all of this. Perhaps, even the fact that the prince’s physical condition deteriorated.
“Don’t try to know about them, don’t even try to dig into them. The moment you step into the shadow, being eaten by the shadow is only for a moment.”
After that, my father didn’t say anything more. Maybe, even my father doesn’t know much. If I guess based on my father’s story, they’re just an illusionary being.
However, one thing is certain, it is the fact that they approached the princess.
I don’t know why they approached the princess. However, they said that they approached the princess for some reason, and it could even be related to the deterioration of the prince’s physical condition.
‘I’ll have to tell Ellen.’
If they exist, they are dangerous. Because they are the descendants of the remnants led by the most terrible man in the history of the Empire.
That’s why, I was the one who thought I should convey her request to Ellen, who is in charge of escorting the princess.
“What are you two talking about?”
Before long, Ariel’s mother, who was talking with her, came over.
Ariel couldn’t take her eyes off her face as she blushed, having heard what her mother had said.
“What, can I say more than take care of yourself? By the way, what did you tell Aran’s servant that this child’s face turned so red?”
After confirming that the two were approaching, the father’s face had lost the same seriousness as before, as if it had never happened.
“I just said to take good care of Aran. Yes?”
“Ah, yes… “
Still lowering her head, Ariel spoke in a crawling voice. She glanced up and looked at her, like a puppy.
“Yes, Aran. Even when you go, take care of yourself. Also, if you come to the Empire, come home anytime.”
“Yes.”
After saying goodbye to her mother one last time, Ariel and I got into the carriage. Just before leaving for Hailan, the father looked through the window of the carriage.
It was then that the father’s mouth, seen through the window, began to move little by little.
[The shadow exists.]
My father definitely said that to me with his mouth.