Lexion strode over and plopped down noisily on the sofa across from the Crown Prince. This was the imperial palace, where even breathing had to be done with caution.
Ignoring all etiquette, Lexion loosened his choking tie, while the Crown Prince, unbothered, kept reading his papers.
From the moment Lexion stepped into the drawing room, the Crown Prince had already cast a barrier of magic over the space. It was a subtle and high-level concealment spell, one even the court magicians wouldn’t notice.
Running a rough hand through his silver hair in clear irritation, Lexion said,
“Been with a woman all day again?”
The informal tone, devoid of any respect, didn’t faze the Crown Prince as he replied indifferently,
“Well, that’s my job, isn’t it?”
“Disgusting.”
Overwhelmed by the cloying scent in the room, Lexion washed his mouth with the strong rum placed on the table.
“Why the attitude, comrade? I hope you’re practicing proper contraception? We’re both living like scoundrels, aren’t we?”
“I don’t actually sleep with them like you do. I only pretend.”
“A healthy adult is entitled to some fun.”
Nonsense. Would someone who truly enjoyed it gather information and brainwash each woman he brought into his bedroom? Every woman he spent a night with was handed off to his subordinates afterward.
If someone expressed mutual interest, he would arrange a match. Spending a night with the Crown Prince wasn’t even considered a stain on one’s reputation in this empire. If such women from influential families ended up marrying each other and creating useful alliances, that was good; if not, no matter. The Crown Prince used them to foster goodwill toward himself and the empire.
“Still, I’m a little hurt. I thought we’d stay single together forever.”
“You sound just like him.”
Both men, solidly built, let out a harsh, high-pitched laugh as they recalled the man who liked to play the madam, always talking nonsense. The Crown Prince shrugged and took a sip of deeply brewed, blood-red tea.
“So? What kind of woman is she?”
“Come on, satisfy my curiosity. I’ve been patient long enough, haven’t I?”
That’s what the golden-haired Crown Prince’s gaze seemed to say. Lexion replied nonchalantly,
“What do you mean, ‘what kind’?”
“What’s it to you?”
At Lexion’s challenging look, the Crown Prince shook his head slightly.
He was a bold and audacious subject, which was exactly why the Crown Prince favored him. Lexion was a precious comrade in their shared cause. Smiling faintly, the Crown Prince looked at his partner.
“She’s the Grand Duchess’s younger sister. A murderer who killed her own sister, trying to steal her sister’s husband. A depraved woman. Her reputation matches yours. And yet, you brought her.”
He tapped the stack of reports beside him and added, as if to test Lexion’s intentions,
“That Lexion Silbert did.”
He was not someone who moved without a plan. His actions might appear spontaneous, but they were always driven by careful strategy. He never acted without reason.
“She’s an interesting woman. Helped take the Grand Duke down a notch, too.”
He said this deliberately to keep the Crown Prince from becoming too intrigued.
Her actions were unpredictable. His eyes, his body, and now even his heart were being drawn to her. But he hadn’t defined those feelings yet.
This longing wasn’t normal. Defining it would make it uncontrollable. And losing control was a nuisance. He had too many responsibilities, and until the head of his family recovered, he couldn’t afford to give his heart to anything.
He was simply content with being tied to Milena as husband and wife. It wasn’t so bad to enjoy this for a while. The comfort she brought was satisfying.
“Hm.”
The Crown Prince’s gaze seemed to ask, “That’s all?”
Lexion merely shrugged as if he had nothing more to say.
“It’s time to settle down.”
“Is that directed at me?”
“That applies to all of us.”
A storm that would shake the empire was approaching fast. With the current emperor’s influence gradually weakening, all the efforts made behind the scenes were beginning to bear fruit. It was time for the Crown Prince to bring everything from beneath the surface into the open.
The Crown Prince, with a disinterested air, changed the subject without replying.
“The Grand Duke has vanished.”
“He’ll resurface—he disappeared to find his wife.”
“If we’re talking crazy, the Grand Duke of Callion takes the prize. Thanks to him, we might finally push through the reduction of military power in the North. But enough about that. Have you found the emperor’s illegitimate child?”
“I don’t believe we need to worry about that anymore.”
“Hm. Still, you never know. One might pop up somewhere and aim for my throat.”
“I’ll stay vigilant.”
“Don’t look at me with those disgusted eyes. Try having thirteen half-siblings.”
Thirteen of them were still alive. The rest were all killed by the Crown Prince. The ones he spared had been politically neutralized—unable to step foot in the imperial family again.
“You know, my father—he’s got the emperor’s crown on his head, but he still acts like a forked tongue in someone’s mouth. Seducing women, enticing nobles, preaching equality. Equal love? What a joke.”
Once he’d fathered over thirty children in the name of ‘equality,’ a hellish war for succession broke out. After years of blood, violence, and intense political battles, the current Crown Prince took the throne.
Twenty years ago, the Crown Prince had been abducted as a child in the infamous “noble child kidnapping incident.” That was the turning point. After enduring horrific experiments, he returned fueled by hatred. Anyone who tried to kill him, he killed first. Anyone who threatened him, he struck down before they could act.
“Even after getting rid of the seeds, new ones pop up. Even fakes appear, sniffing around for scraps. The one dragging down the dignity of the imperial family is my father.”
The current emperor, in his delusion of spreading his superior genes, even laid hands on married women. If a woman pleased him, he didn’t care if she was a loyal vassal’s wife. Sick of such depravity, the Crown Prince secretly began feeding the emperor contraceptives and even drugs that reduced male functions.
It took over ten years to build his own power base and to break the loyalty and morale of those faithful to the emperor.
He masked his cruelty with debauchery. Sleeping with women daily? In comparison to the emperor, it was laughable. The emperor was even pleased to see his heir following in his footsteps.
“I hope you understand me.”
Lexion Silbert had to play the libertine for the sake of his family and his brother. But as Lexion said, they only looked alike—what they did was very different.
There was a big difference between actually doing something and merely pretending. That’s why Lexion still hoped the Crown Prince wouldn’t fall too far and offered him sincere advice.
“Ease up on the contraceptives. You’ll kill your manhood.”
The Crown Prince lifted his blood-like tea and replied cheekily,
“Then I’ll just adopt an heir.”
“As if a man who trusts no one would do that.”
“Why not? If it were your child, I’d consider it.”
“Ha! As if I’d give you one.”
Give my child to the imperial family? Ridiculous. Unthinkable. But Lexion flinched. His thoughts came to a screeching halt, and his body stiffened.
My child…
He had naturally imagined a child with Milena. Was he insane? Gérard’s nonsense was turning into reality.
“So it’s that serious between you two?”
The Crown Prince’s knowing look made Lexion click his tongue inwardly. Rising from his seat, he said,
“I’ve delivered all the reports. I’ll take my leave.”
“Meet the princess before you go.”
“I’ll pass. I’ve promised my wife to stay faithful.”
“Oh dear, my sister will cry. I thought you two would make a great match.”
“Were you serious?”
The Crown Prince shrugged, relaxing into the sofa.
“Well, she’s my sister, but she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
Indeed, the princess was known for her air-headed charm. That’s why the Crown Prince hadn’t killed his half-sibling yet—she posed no threat and was still a useful pawn.
“So, if you could just—”
Lexion cut him off by pulling a document from his inner pocket and holding it out.
“Your Highness, I need your approval for this.”
“Ashdel Luxen?”
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow as he read the guardianship form. Legal guardian? Knowing how much Lexion Silbert despised Callion Luxen, the Crown Prince looked at him in surprise.
“Is there another purpose behind this?”
“The child is innocent.”
At Lexion’s indifferent tone, the Crown Prince, though aware of the real reason the child had been brought, didn’t press.
“True. What fault does a child of that house bear? The Grand Duke’s the real problem.”
The Crown Prince stared at the document for a moment before calling out,
“Number Two.”
It was a code name—used to summon one of the emperor’s illegitimate children who had been stripped of royal status. From the shadows, a man stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“Take him. I heard your guild members were recently hit by a magician. He might come in handy. Magic doesn’t work on him.”
Lexion’s eyebrow twitched.
“I’ve already dealt with that.”
In other words, he didn’t need him. Even in polite refusal, the Crown Prince didn’t know how to give up.
