Chapter 10
Of course, that favoritism hadn’t brought Eden any peace or benefits.
“I was sure he had died in battle…”
In the end, the Empress had driven Eden to the battlefield.
One day, a request for aid came from the Kingdom of Osiria on the continent of Mandalia, with whom the empire had made an agreement.
It was a battle destined for death, but since a treaty had been signed, there was no choice but to send troops.
“If the Kingdom of Osiria loses, it could escalate into a war between continents. Besides, Osiria is a crucial ally for our empire.”
At the Empress’s words, the retainers all nodded in agreement.
“At times like this, the empire’s strongest heirs—Prince Eden and Prince Lucius—must set an example. When the Manua Empire was at war, the Prince of Osiria personally joined the battle to honor his alliance with us. Shouldn’t we do the same?”
However, everyone knew that this “should” only applied because someone had already been preselected.
“To prepare for the worst, one of the princes will stay, and only the other will go to war. Instead, whoever returns from the battlefield will be granted first succession rights.”
Eden had no noble family backing him.
Though he claimed to volunteer for the mission, he was practically pushed into it by the many eyes watching him.
After he departed, several reports came indicating the tide was slowly turning in Osiria’s favor. Eventually, news of their victory arrived. But Eden did not return.
The Emperor waited, but his son never returned to enjoy the glory of a war hero.
The Empress demanded that his death be officially acknowledged, but the Emperor refused, convinced Eden was still alive.
And so, five years passed.
“Everyone believes he died. But… a slave? A puppy? What is going on?!”
“Lord Russell, lower your voice. Please? If someone hears you, we’re really in trouble.”
Eden treated Russell casually, as if none of it had ever happened.
He quickly covered the old man’s mouth, who was about to shout again.
“It’s been a while, old man. I wasn’t thinking straight earlier.”
“Mmph! Mmmph, mmm!”
“You still shout when you’re worked up. Even with all that white hair, your temper hasn’t changed.”
“Mmmph!”
“I already know everything you’re going to ask, so I’ll answer it all. But you have to stay quiet. Got it?”
“Mm-hmm! Mm!”
Russell nodded hastily. Once Eden removed his hand, he quickly wiped his lips with his sleeve.
“…If you’d covered my nose too, this old man would’ve died on the spot. So, why are you here? You said you met the Duke three years ago—then what have you been doing since? More importantly, why didn’t you notify the empire you were alive during those two years? Even the Kingdom of Osiria searched high and low for your body…”
“Isn’t it obvious? We lost the battle, I was captured, and after that, I was passed around as a slave.”
“Pardon? But if you’d just shown your imperial identification tag, no one would have dared…!”
“I lost it. The tag, my memory—everything. For a while, I lived without knowing anything. By the time my memory returned, it was too late. And the one who saved me then… was Daphne.”
“Why didn’t you tell the Duke your identity?”
“Think about it, Russell. If word got out that I was alive… do you think the Empress would rejoice? I know the Emperor’s health is failing. The palace is completely under the Empress’s control now. If I go back, I’ll be killed no matter what. Why bother returning?”
“At the very least, you wouldn’t be living as a slave.”
“Russell, my days as a slave were far more peaceful than those in the palace.”
“And what about your hair? That beautiful blond hair of yours…”
“I dyed it. Doesn’t black suit me better than blond?”
“…Lady Arnea would be heartbroken if she heard that.”
“She’s dead. The dead can’t hear the words of the living.”
“……”
Back when he lived in the palace, not once did Eden feel at ease.
Because of the Empress and her family—who viewed him as a thorn in their side—he barely escaped death several times.
After his coming-of-age ceremony, he had to sleep with a dagger by his pillow every night in case of assassins, and he always had to taste-test food for poison.
It wasn’t living. He once thought it would be better to die on the battlefield than to be murdered by the Empress’s hand.
“You know what I was to them in that place.”
“So are you planning to stay hidden even though you’re clearly alive?”
“…Are you curious about my plan?”
“Of course I am.”
Then Eden grinned and asked again.
“Should I tell you?”
“Yes.”
Russell nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling.
“Then you’ll have to help me.”
“Pardon?”
“Help me keep living here in Steren Castle… as ‘Puppy.’ Try persuading Daphne for me.”
“…Pardon?!”
Weren’t children supposed to lose interest quickly?
They were supposed to be simple and fickle, easily distracted by something new—and I’d believed I could just divert Dio’s attention and she’d forget all about Puppy. That was clearly my arrogance.
Just like Russell said last night, I had gathered everything I thought Dio would like and presented it as a surprise this morning.
Porcelain dolls, a sandcastle-building kit, a rocking horse—countless things packed into the carriage. But instead of joy, I was met with resentment.
“Go—mo—me—an!”
“Wh-why is my little Dio so pouty this morning?”
“Where’s Puppy?”
“This is the porcelain doll set you wanted last time! It was hard to get, but I found it just for you. Isn’t it pretty? You wanted this, remember? Go ahead, unwrap it.”
“Where’s Puppy? Did you kill Puppy? Is that it?!”
“Look here! This doll looks just like you—crafted strand by strand and painted by an artisan’s hand.”
“Hmph! You’re only doing this to make me forget Puppy. I know it! You think I’m stupid or something! This won’t work!”
Despite claiming it wouldn’t work, Dio was already hugging the doll tightly. What a greedy little thing, trying to keep everything.
“You haven’t killed Puppy yet, right? You can’t kill him.”
“Dio, if you keep this up, I’ll be in trouble too. That man isn’t ‘Puppy.’ He’s not a slave. His identity is unknown, so I judged it unsafe for him to stay near you. I’m not someone who kills people on a whim.”
“…Aunt Daphne, Puppy is a good person. He’s not unknown.”
Hugging the doll and drooping her shoulders, Dio defended the man, even using words she couldn’t pronounce properly.
“Why are you defending him so hard? Is it because he’s too handsome?”
“……”
“I knew it. You can’t judge people by how they look—especially not when you’re just a kid!”
“N-no! That’s not it! Dio isn’t that kind of… prejudice person!”
“Prejudiced, dear. So what, then? Is there another reason?”
“…Puppy… saved me.”
“What?”
“…When it rained… and I fell in the water, he saved me.”
“What…?”
“You didn’t kill Puppy yet, right? He’s a good person. He told me not to tell, but I have to now. I have no choice. I’m sorry, Puppy… Puppy is the one who saved me when I almost died. He saved my life!”
I grabbed Dio and asked again, stunned.
“What are you saying, Dio?”
“You know, that time when it was raining really hard, and it was super cold. The river was like this, like, whoosh! And Dio was like this!”
“You’re saying the one who saved you then was… the man locked up right now?”
“He’s not that man, he’s Puppy!”
Dioana’s face, puffed up with anger, looked serious. It didn’t seem like she was lying to save him.
I remembered everything about that day.
It had been a nightmare—the day I nearly lost her forever.
Even now, I can still vividly recall pushing through the underbrush barefoot, screaming her name until my throat was raw.
