Episode 34
The nobles in the capital were starting to find it strange that the Emperor hadn’t returned to Rubeo yet.
Every year, Kaien only came to the palace when absolutely necessary and usually rushed back as soon as he could. But this time, his stay was unusually long.
“How odd.”
Duke Nigel said, putting down his wine glass.
His wrinkled face was calm as always, but his eyes showed annoyance.
“What’s an emperor, who only knows how to fight barbarians, doing hanging around here?”
After the former emperor went mad, Duke Nigel had basically taken over the government.
Though not officially a regent, everyone knew he was the real power behind the Empire.
“Surely he’s not aiming for my position now, is he?”
“Duke, even if he’s royalty, he grew up in the wilderness. What could he possibly know?”
Marquis Seil, one of the Duke’s loyal men, responded with a sharp tone.
Despite Kaien’s noble blood, most nobles in the capital thought little of him.
“Still, it’s only been about two weeks. Maybe he’s just enjoying the comforts of civilization for once.”
“All of a sudden? And now of all times?”
Nigel was extremely suspicious by nature, which was probably why he still held power.
“The Emperor was abandoned by his father at the age of seven. He knows nothing of the palace and should continue not knowing. He’s always been like that—until recently.”
“What exactly are you worried about, Duke?”
Nigel let out a vague sigh as he refilled his glass.
“When you lead an empire long enough, you develop a sharp instinct.”
Though Duke Nigel basically saw Kaien’s throne as his own, he wasn’t some greedy fool.
He was considered wise and had the support of the nobles, keeping the Empire running smoothly.
“Something’s been off from the start.”
“But the Emperor’s visits to the palace once or twice a year have always been normal.”
“This one feels different.”
His frown deepened.
“Even on his wedding night, he left right away for Rubeo. But now, he claims he came back because the Empress had a fever?”
“I think it was just an excuse.”
Nigel nodded at Marquis Seil’s remark.
“How old is the Emperor again?”
“Twenty-five, I believe.”
“That explains it.”
Seil didn’t quite follow, but the Duke, who had sons that age, understood very well how troublesome young men with strong emotions could be.
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“That’s the age when you start having ridiculous ideas—thinking you can make the world better with passion and justice.”
Tsk, Nigel clicked his tongue.
“Sometimes, it’s harder to deal with my son’s stubbornness than leading the whole council.”
Kaien was a powerful warrior with the charisma and strength passed down through the Darius royal bloodline.
“And Darius’s stubbornness is even worse.”
If the previous emperor hadn’t gone mad and tried to kill his son, Kaien would’ve probably already been recognized as the greatest ruler on the continent.
“Even if he has the bloodline, who really accepts him as royalty?”
“But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. That’s wisdom.”
Nigel leaned back in his chair.
“We have no real legitimacy, and he has all of it.”
Even with Nigel’s power, the people of the Empire wouldn’t accept any ruler who wasn’t from the Darius line.
“I still think you’re worrying too much.”
“I hope I am.”
“Didn’t you see how he acted at the last great council? All he did was get angry. He doesn’t know how to govern.”
No matter what the nobles thought, Kaien’s rightful bloodline forced them to obey him publicly.
“Putting on a show is easy. But something feels different this time. It’s like… he came back because he realized news from the capital wasn’t reaching Rubeo properly.”
Nigel’s guess was spot-on. Kaien had returned because he noticed something was off—like the Empress’s condition not being properly reported.
“Even if he did figure that out, he didn’t show it. Maybe it really was just a coincidence.”
Nigel shook his head. He agreed Kaien could be rough, but he was no fool.
“Hiding information isn’t hard, especially in a place like Rubeo. Anyone could’ve done it—not just us.”
After thinking for a while, Nigel spoke again.
“The Emperor used to hate the palace. He even left at night just to avoid staying. But this time, he came back and immediately killed the informants I planted in the palace.”
He had spies in the palace as a safety net.
Kaien discovering them and killing them made sense—but that wasn’t the part that bothered Nigel.
“Yet, those palace workers who were killed were disguised as sudden illness victims. Their bodies were cremated and returned to their families with full respect.”
Now Seil also realized something was off.
“That’s not something a wild beast of a man would normally think to do.”
“At the time, I thought it was just a one-time thing, but with how long he’s stayed, I can’t overlook it anymore.”
Now more than ever, they needed intel—but all the spies were already dead.
“It’ll take time to plant new ones. At the last council meeting, he was loud and aggressive as usual… but something still felt different.”
Kaien had always been an obstacle Nigel had to watch out for. But now, he seemed even more unpredictable.
“Today, I received another letter from Lucan’s Great Sage.”
Seil picked it up and read it.
“Poor Lucan. Their daughter was sent as Empress, only to end up sick and confused.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Seil looked surprised and waited for Nigel to continue.
“Even if the Empress was completely out of her mind, why would the Emperor suddenly take her side and order Lucan to stop sending letters?”
Kaien had always hated the Great Sages of Lucan and everything they stood for. The fact that he defended the Empress against them didn’t make sense.
“The Emperor was only allowed to take the throne if he married Lucan’s daughter and kept her wisdom close at all times.”
That condition must’ve been a deep insult to Kaien.
So why would he now protect the very person who symbolized that humiliation?
“Maybe… the one we should really be watching isn’t just the Emperor.”
“Who else? Count Hayer is dead, and he had no allies left.”
“Who knows. Maybe the so-called ‘foolish’ Empress is the hidden threat.”
Seil laughed, thinking it was a joke—but shut his mouth when he saw how serious Nigel looked.
“We lost our spies, but we learned one thing. After her fever, no sage or healer ever went into the palace.”
“Because she’s useless now—no need for treatment.”
“Or… because she doesn’t need treatment.”
Looking back, there were more odd things.
Like how Kaien had suddenly started behaving so politely at meals—even following etiquette perfectly.
“Bloodline and legitimacy can never be taken. But we can’t let him gain anything more here.”
Seil gave a meaningful nod.
“I understand. I suppose our Emperor should return to Rubeo and show off his skills again.”
Nigel nodded, pleased.
“Don’t worry. Even if he’s a beast, give him some new weapons and mercenaries, and he’ll have his hands full again.”
Rubeo would be soaked in blood once more. Kaien would be forced to leave the capital.
The Empress could be dealt with later.
“It’s a shame the Lucan Empress isn’t fulfilling her role… Maybe we need a new Empress.”
Seil’s face lit up at that.
“Wait—do you mean…?”
“I don’t have a daughter, but you raised yours well, didn’t you? Let’s see how things go.”
“Yes, Duke! The Seil family will fully support your noble plan.”
Nigel smiled calmly. After ruling the council for so long, he had become an expert at manipulating people.
Achoo! Alicia sneezed, and Agnes quickly handed her a handkerchief.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty? Could it be a cold…?”
“No. Maybe someone’s talking about me? My ears are itchy too.”
“Your ears are itchy? I’ll call a physician—”
“No, no. Agnes, it’s just a saying.”
Since her fever, Alicia had started using all kinds of strange jokes and sayings no one had heard before.
“Ah… another one of Your Majesty’s new jokes.”
Alicia smiled playfully.
It was much easier to just be known as the Empress with a quirky sense of humor than to explain every little thing.
