Chapter 151

“…!”

Frank’s eyes widened drastically. He asked quietly, his voice trembling faintly, unable to contain his emotions.

“When do you plan to make it public?”

“After the Crown Prince and Astell are married.”

“You’re going to permit the marriage?”

“…If it’s what my child wants, what can I do?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to reveal it sooner? The longer you delay, Your Grace, the more opportunities the Emperor will have. Opportunities to put you in danger.”

Duke Ruthius gave a faint smile.

“She’s my child, who lived through twenty years of hell because of me. Shouldn’t I at least do this one thing for her?”

Hearing him speak like that, Frank could no longer insist. He set his anxieties aside.

“…I understand. What shall we do with His Highness, the First Prince?”

The Duke’s somewhat softened expression turned as cold as ice.

“Plant a tracking artifact on him.”

“Do you mean the tracking magic circle inscribed on Hamilton Asla’s body?”

“We can’t tattoo a member of the royal family. An accessory would be best.”

Hamilton Asla, the Emperor’s chamberlain and closest aide, had a child with an incurable disease. The cost of the medication was astronomical.

Having obtained this information through his network, Duke Ruthius proposed a deal to Hamilton.

In exchange for curing his son, he was to testify to the Emperor’s crimes and wear a tracking artifact.

The offer was made in anticipation of Hamilton accompanying the deposed Emperor to Panton Monastery.

The likelihood of the deposed Emperor going elsewhere was almost zero. Panton Monastery itself was a prison for royals who had fallen from power.

The problem was that its security was ironclad, making its location impossible to determine.

After long deliberation, Hamilton accepted Duke Ruthius’s offer. On one condition: if his son died, the contract would be void.

Duke Ruthius assigned his personal physician to treat Hamilton’s son and covered the exorbitant medical costs.

This was why, when Astell had her nosebleed, he had called an outside healer instead of the family physician.

“The Emperor has noticed Hamilton’s betrayal.”

“What? N-No… In that case, what will happen to Hamilton?”

“He’ll be cast aside.”

“So that’s why you brought His Highness, the First Prince, here.”

In the end, the Emperor and Igrid would be in the same place.

“What about the physician? Will you continue to have him treat the chamberlain’s son?”

Duke Ruthius hadn’t made a deal with Hamilton, the chamberlain, because he wanted to.

Hamilton was, after all, the Emperor’s right-hand man.

If there had been even one more witness, if Hamilton hadn’t been the chamberlain destined to be locked away in Panton Monastery with the Emperor, he would never have joined hands with him.

“The moment the Emperor abandons his chamberlain, stop the treatment.”

“I will see to it.”

Duke Ruthius gazed out the window.

Astell’s face flickered in his mind’s eye, superimposed over the passing trees.

* * *

That evening, in the guesthouse of the Ruthius estate.

Igrid, who had been dead to the world, opened his eyes.

“Where… is this?”

His memory was a mess. Until a few days ago, it had been spotty, but lately, entire chunks of time would vanish.

Igrid groaned as he tried to sit up. His head throbbed as if it would burst.

“Your Highness!”

Igrid’s chamberlain, who had been quietly entering with a glass of water, widened his eyes. He hastily set down the tray and rushed to support Igrid.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

“Where am I?”

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I asked where this is!”

Igrid’s expression turned savage. The atmosphere around him was completely different from when he had been out of his mind.

*He’s lucid again.*

The chamberlain spoke cautiously.

“This is the guesthouse of the Ducal House of Ruthius.”

“The guesthouse? Why am I here instead of the Imperial Palace?”

“Do you… not remember at all?”

“I’m asking because I don’t remember! Did Duke Ruthius kidnap me?”

The chamberlain hesitated at Igrid’s irritated response.

“You asked Duke Ruthius, Your Highness. To be allowed to stay at the estate.”

“I asked him? Why?”

“You said… you were afraid of the Imperial Palace.”

“What? Ha!”

How could he be afraid of the Imperial Palace, where he had lived since birth? Igrid couldn’t believe his chamberlain’s words.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Did you conspire with Duke Ruthius to spirit me away?”

“N-No, Your Highness! You were clearly afraid of the imperial family!”

“I am a prince! A prince taking refuge with a noble because he’s afraid of the imperial family! Does that make any sense!”

“To be precise, you were afraid of His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“The Crown Prince…?”

Igrid’s eyes glazed over.

“That’s right… Dante. That monster became the Crown Prince…”

But how could that be?

He couldn’t for the life of him understand why the Emperor would choose a monster over him, the First Prince.

Igrid irritably went to run a hand through his hair but froze. His left arm was severed from the elbow down.

“Wh-What is… What is this! My arm! Who… Who cut off my arm?”

Igrid trembled convulsively. The tangled mess of his memories was beginning to fall into place.

“Th-The monster cut off my arm! All I did was slap that bitch! That insane monster cut off my arm!”

“Your Highness, compose yourself! Your Highness!”

“Aaaargh!”

Igrid shrieked, tearing at his hair. Tears of despair streamed from his tightly shut eyes.

He was the perfect next emperor. He had never dreamed that Dante would usurp his throne.

But look at him now. Reduced to a cripple, doomed to be locked away in Panton Monastery for the rest of his life.

“Tell me, Chamberlain! Why do I have to suffer this? This shouldn’t be happening!”

“Your Highness… Please, calm down…”

Igrid ruthlessly slapped away the chamberlain’s hand as it rested on his shoulder.

“Let go! This is because of that monster! That bastard took everything from me! I’ll kill him! I’ll tear that monstrous bastard to shreds!”

“Your Highness, please… Try to forget what’s past. Dwelling on it will only worsen your affliction.”

Igrid, who had been struggling, glared at his chamberlain.

“So, you’ve taken his side too?”

His eyes held an unnatural sheen. He had thought Igrid had come to his senses, but he was wrong. Igrid was still mad.

The chamberlain was too afraid of Igrid to even meet his gaze.

“N-No, Your Highness! How could I… I was merely thinking of your well-being…”

“Will you shut up?”

*Smack!*

Igrid struck the chamberlain across the face. The brute force of the blow sent the man sprawling to the floor.

“Agh!”

Paying no mind to the tears of the chamberlain who had served him his entire life, Igrid shot up from the bed.

This was all Dante’s fault. But there was no way that bastard could have done this alone.

*Does she think I don’t know? Astell, that devilish bitch, she’s the one pulling Dante’s strings!*

She probably shed a few crocodile tears and seduced him into taking revenge for the slap Igrid gave her.

Thinking of his current state, his rage wouldn’t be sated even if he tore apart not just Dante, but Astell and Duke Ruthius as well.

“And to think I walked into the Ruthius estate of my own free will… How absurd. Does my father know?”

“I informed him. And so…”

The chamberlain, still kneeling on the floor, took a card from within his clothes.

“What’s this?”

“A card from His Majesty. He said you should read it when you are alone.”

Igrid snatched the card.

*Open the box.*

*It is the last gift your father will give you.*

“Did Father give me something?”

“Yes, here…”

The chamberlain held out a palm-sized box. Inside, upon opening the lid, were two red jewels and a small pouch.

Igrid picked up a red jewel.

“What is this?”

“Gasp! I-Isn’t that an explosive artifact?”

“What?”

“I heard that if you place it at the desired location, it will detonate after a set amount of time. Y-Yes! That’s what it is!”

“Be quiet!”

Igrid barked at the chamberlain and scowled. Why would his father give him this now?

*Is he telling me to blow up Dante with this?*

Would a monster that couldn’t be killed by any means die from a mere explosion?

“Who does he take me for?”

*Crumple!* The Emperor’s letter was mercilessly crushed in Igrid’s hand.

Igrid chewed on his grimy fingernails, not bothering to hide his irritation.

*Dante’s weakness is Astell. He’s so insane he cut off his own brother’s arm just for slapping that bitch.*

Therefore, the way to get revenge on Dante was to kill Astell.

*But how could I possibly kill her!*

The difference in their strength was vast, but she was also surrounded by too many people. The chances were high that someone would notice the artifact before it could even be planted.

*It would be much easier to kill Duke Ruthius instead of her…*

The frantic train of thought came to a sudden halt. Igrid narrowed his eyes.

*I heard the Ruthius father and daughter have gotten closer recently, haven’t they? So close that they went to a boutique and bought out the store…*

He didn’t know if they were actually close, but Duke Ruthius was Astell’s closest confidant and staunchest supporter.

Without Duke Ruthius, Astell would never have made the Guardian as successful as it was now. That was an immutable fact.

*Oho, so that’s why Father gave me this now.*

He’s certainly got a sharp mind.

“What’s in the pouch? It looks like powder.”

“It seems to be a magic powder that temporarily hardens objects. I once saw it sprinkled on a carriage wheel, and the carriage wouldn’t move no matter how much the horses struggled.”

“…So if you sprinkle it on a door, it won’t open?”

“Uh, I suppose so.”

Igrid recalled Astell mocking him, openly calling him an idiot.

*Fine. Let’s see if you can still smile like that in front of your father’s corpse.*

Grinding his teeth as he stared into space, he turned to his chamberlain and asked affectionately.

“Chamberlain, are you my man?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I am your humble servant.”

“If I go to Panton, you will have to follow. But I don’t want that. You’ve served me your whole life, so I want you to live the rest of your days in peace.”

Chamberlains assigned to the imperial family were bound to serve their royal until death. The only exception was if the royal personally dissolved the master-servant relationship.

A glimmer of hope appeared on the face of the chamberlain, who had thought he was doomed to follow Igrid to Panton.

“A-Are you serious?”

“However, I need proof. Proof that you are my man. Only then can I trust you enough to let you go.”

“H-How can I do that?”

Igrid whispered in the chamberlain’s ear. The chamberlain’s expression slowly twisted into one of horror.

“You can do it, can’t you?”

“B-But if I’m caught…”

“Then don’t get caught! If you’re scared, then forget it. There are plenty of others who can prove their loyalty.”

“N-No! I’ll do it!”

“That’s my man.”

Igrid rose to his feet with a satisfied smile.

“Use the mealtime.”

The chamberlain squeezed his eyes shut.

*Is this really okay?* But there was no other way to escape Igrid.

“I understand, Your Highness.”