ISTV 45

The legitimate heir of the Central Empire.

Prince Leon had just heard something he could hardly believe.

“A woman who has only been learning swordsmanship for three years—a woman from the Dvernon family at that—defeated the eldest son of the Berruck family?”

Leon knew exactly how absurd that was.

“What a joke. Looks like the head of the Queybeck family decided to play some tricks.”

“Experts are also saying the Queybeck lord held the event just to show off his own skill.”

“Ah, the old ‘if I train you, even a worm can fly’ thing, is it?”

Leon smirked as if amused.

“Even so, the Queybeck lord acted as the official witness. To the public, that means an extraordinary genius has appeared. She’s been staying with the Queybeck family for nearly a year now, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Leon also learned that Camellia of the Armagio family had set out to visit the Queybeck estate.

“Armagio going to Queybeck? The last time they came to me asking for a loan, and now they’ve gone all the way to the Eastern Continent to beg? The dignity of Central nobility is in shambles.”

“Shall I eliminate her?”

“No. It’s Armagio who’ll be making a fool of themselves, anyway.”

Leon mounted his black stallion.

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

“To the Eastern Continent.”

“What? Y-Your Highness!”

Leon’s personal attendant, Andrew, was startled.

For someone of a prince’s rank to travel anywhere, a mountain of formal procedures was required—security arrangements, support staff, all manner of personnel deployment.

And yet, as always, this headstrong prince was insisting on riding straight to the Queybeck estate.

Andrew shouted desperately.

“Y-Your Majesty the Emperor will be furious!”

“Tell him I got curious about how beautiful the ‘faceless beauty’ is. That will please him.”

“Y-Your Highnessssssss!”

Leon wasn’t wrong.

He had had his coming-of-age ceremony last year and had just turned sixteen.

Traditionally, members of the imperial family married before nineteen, usually with a fiancée already arranged. Leon, however, had flatly declared that he had no interest in such customs and would remain unmarried, much to the Emperor and Empress’s growing anxiety.

“But taking off like that on the best stallion we have…”

The black stallion was named Black—one of the finest horses in the entire imperial stable.

Catching up to him with an escort and support team would be impossible.

“No choice, then.”

Like it or not, the reason a prince’s personal attendant earned several times the salary of attendants serving even the most prestigious noble houses was because the job demanded it.

The stablemaster, looking troubled, spoke up.

“Sir Andrew, I don’t have a mount quite as fine as Black, but I’ve got one close… Oh, you’re already gone.”

The stablemaster scratched his head.

Andrew was already nowhere to be seen.

“Well, I guess it’s true—he does run faster than most horses.”

Prince Leon’s personal attendant, Andrew, was one of the Empire’s few nine-star knights.

Andrew caught up with the prince in no time.

It was a strange sight—a fine stallion galloping across a green field, perfectly matched in speed by a man running alongside.

“If you keep acting on your own like this, I’ll get fired, Your Highness.”

“That’s a delightful thing to hear.”

Andrew made a vow then and there.

He would not get fired.

He would survive this job to the end, collect his generous retirement bonus and pension, and live in comfort.

“Do you see anyone else who could serve you as I do? No attendant has lasted more than seven days with you except me.”

“Everyone else lacked patience.”

“It’s not about patience—it’s about character, isn’t it?”

The unspoken “Your character, Your Highness?” was perfectly understood by Leon.

“My character?”

“Oh? Your Highness, I see a lake ahead.”

Indeed, a lake was coming into view—Lake Bayern.

“Right. Carry me.”

“What?”

“Isn’t crossing the lake the most efficient route?”

“Ah, so you want me to get a boat?”

“What are you talking about? You’ll just run across the surface using your footwork skills.”

“…Is that a normal thing to ask a servant?”

“If you don’t like it, quit.”

Leon frowned.

“I never thought my personal attendant would be incapable of even this.”

“Can you do it, Your Highness?”

“Of course not.”

“Then how are you so confident about asking it?”

“I’m only sixteen.”

“I keep forgetting because you look so much older.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment on my majesty.”

Andrew made a pained face.

“…That’ll drain an enormous amount of stamina. And carrying a grown man like you—”

“If you can’t do it, just say so. It’s not shameful to fail—it just means you’re useless.”

“I never said I couldn’t.”

“Good. Then let’s find a boat.”

In the end, Andrew walked down to the lakeshore.

“Get on my back!”

With that, he hoisted Leon and began running across Lake Bayern.

That day happened to be thick with fog, and before long, rumors began to spread among local fishermen that they had seen the lake’s very own immortal spirit.

“Hff… Hff…”

After crossing, Andrew collapsed in exhaustion.

“See? I told you I could do it.”

“You look utterly worn out.”

“I can’t even lift a finger.”

“Perfect.”

“…What?”

“Everything’s going according to plan.”

Before Andrew knew it, Leon had vanished—mounted on another black stallion prepared ahead of time.

In fact, it was Andrew himself, via communication crystal, who had arranged for a groom to return Black to the palace and for this second horse to be waiting here.

Now, in his depleted state, Andrew couldn’t possibly catch up.

“I swear, this is so underhanded…”

But quitting? Not an option.

“I’ll serve him well.”

No way he was giving up this cushy retirement for this.

Besides, the destination was the Queybeck estate—he already knew the route.

Not long after recovering, Andrew caught up to the prince again.

When they reached a certain village, they stumbled upon a rather clichéd incident.

“How annoying.”

A handful of obvious thugs were causing a scene inside a restaurant, smashing furniture and demanding “protection money.”

One of them shoved the owner hard, sending him crashing into Leon’s table.

The bowl of noodles in front of Leon toppled to the floor.

“Bring me their heads.”

That day, five gangsters lost their lives.

It was far from the first such incident.

“Looks like the Eastern Continent’s safety is overrated.”

“I think the real problem is you, Your Highness.”

One of Leon’s defining traits was [Endless Trouble Magnet].

“Your tone is insolent.”

“For the record, insolence is not grounds for dismissal.”

“I’ll make sure it is at the next contract renewal.”

A few days later—Queybeck family territory.

Leon encountered something utterly unacceptable at a dessert shop.

“I must have an apple pie.”

“I told you, no! Today, this shop has been reserved entirely for the young lady of the Empire’s wealthiest family and the youngest daughter of the infamous Dvernon household!”

Leon scowled.

“And? I’m the prince.”

“Yeah, right.”

The two burly men guarding the entrance also scowled.

“If you’re the prince, I’ll cut off my—yeah, right!”

“Who’s this lunatic pretending to be royalty?”

Whenever there was a commotion at the entrance, I tensed up.

What do you mean the shop’s closed?!

Then what about those young ladies inside?

We traveled an hour by carriage just to eat here!

In truth, this place wasn’t supposed to be reservable at all.

But Camellia had made the impossible possible.

She even left me with a memorable quote:

“There’s no such thing as something that can’t be done. If it ‘can’t be done,’ it just means you didn’t have enough money.”

Then, after a short talk with the owner, she had pulled off the miracle.

She actually managed to reserve it…

Still, with this shop being so popular, people kept showing up and causing a fuss at the door.

The owner had hired two large, rough-looking men to guard the entrance.

I found the whole situation deeply uncomfortable.

Feels like I’m racking up bad karma…

Given that I was living with a constant looming threat of death, I had to be wary of even falling leaves.

So whenever a commotion broke out, I got edgy. Camellia, though, seemed to find my reaction a little odd.

“You don’t have to worry about the rabble’s noise. Let’s just enjoy our tea.”

“…”

Wow. Even in a world like Gyeogeu, where the class system was ironclad, I was starting to think I shouldn’t get too close to her.

I took back what I’d said about her being like a sister.

Another commotion?

This time, though, it felt different.

It was as if that constant, creeping threat of death inside me was stirring.

In the end, I rose from my seat.

“I’ll just take a quick look.”

“If that’s what you wish, my lady.”

Camellia pulled out a hand mirror and brush to touch up her makeup while I walked toward the entrance.

Gasp!

I almost screamed.

Why on earth was the male lead from hell here?!

If it weren’t for my self-control, I would’ve widened my eyes and shouted aloud.

And then I heard his voice—

“And? I’m the prince.”