Chapter 159

One of the two knights guarding the office door asked cautiously.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince?”

At the sudden voice, Dante slowly opened his eyes. His head was throbbing.

‘Why did I come here?’

“Your Highness, you’re bleeding… Are you alright?”

“Ah…”

The world, which had been flickering like a broken television, gradually took shape and came into focus.

Only then did he remember where he was and what he had come to do.

Dante wiped away the blood from his nose.

“His Majesty?”

“He is in his office, but…”

“Announce me.”

“My apologies, but that is not possible. His Majesty is currently occupied.”

“I don’t like to repeat myself…”

“His Majesty has ordered that no one be admitted while he is working. If you return to your palace, we will contact you through a—”

The knight’s words were cut short. His massive body shot into the air and was slammed against the wall.

“Ugh! Keuk!”

The knight, embedded in the wall, crashed to the floor. He clutched his chest, coughed up blood, and then went limp.

“What, what was that! Sir Grant!”

The eyes of the other knight, who had witnessed the scene, widened as if they would tear.

He had a feeling Dante was responsible, but he couldn’t understand how.

How could a grown man be thrown like a doll when Dante hadn’t so much as lifted a finger?

Even a dark mage would need to cast a spell to perform such magic. But Dante had done nothing of the sort. It was a power no human could possess.

“Mo-monster…”

Dante, who had been staring blankly at the office door, slowly turned his gaze.

The knight froze, transfixed by those jet-black eyes.

His legs were forced to buckle, and his knees slammed into the marble floor.

*Thud!*

“Ugh!”

The knight’s face contorted in pain.

No matter how hard he struggled, his body refused to obey his will. It was as if a colossal force had seized his limbs and was controlling him. He couldn’t even lift his head.

Dante calmly walked past the knight, who was prostrate on the floor, groaning.

There was no need to open the door. Before he even reached it, the office door shattered into a thousand pieces.

*CRACK!*

With a dull roar, the two thick, solid wood doors splintered apart like toothpicks.

The emperor, who was inside the office, shot to his feet at the sudden explosion. Hamilton, the Lord Chamberlain, stood before the emperor, his face a mask of shock.

“Your-Your Highness? What is the meaning of… This is His Majesty the Emperor’s office! If you do not turn back at once, this will be considered treason! Halt right there!”

Dante slowly swept his hair back. A low, languid voice slipped from his smooth lips.

“Go ahead.”

“Your Highness!”

Dante smirked at the chamberlain’s shriek-like shout.

It was amusing to see him standing his ground, consumed by fear, despite not being particularly loyal to the emperor.

‘Should I kill him?’

He’d never killed the chamberlain during his twelve regressions…

Well, what did it matter? Killing a few extras who weren’t even important characters wouldn’t affect the scenario in the slightest.

Besides, no one could come here even if someone died. Dante had designated the entire office as his domain.

Within his domain, Dante was a god. He could control any being that possessed a shadow.

He could travel through others’ shadows or use them to attack. And of course, he could kill without lifting a finger.

[Lord of the Umbra]

It was the ability he had received from the Administrator upon being chosen as a medium of destruction.

Just as Dante decided to kill the chamberlain and moved to command the shadows, a voice cut in.

“Enough. You may leave,” the emperor said, tossing his pen aside. He appeared perfectly composed as he wiped his hands with a handkerchief, even with the murderous Dante standing before him.

“Your Majesty, it is too dangerous!”

“That boy cannot harm me. Leave.”

“But… my apologies, Your Majesty.”

Hamilton, intending to exit, fumbled at the doorway. The door was gone, leaving a wide-open space, yet he could not pass.

Hamilton’s hands groped at the empty air. There was clearly nothing there, but he could feel an invisible barrier.

“Wh-what is this…”

The emperor, watching this, glared at Dante.

“Is this your doing?”

Dante shrugged nonchalantly, as if asked the most obvious question.

“Just let him go. He is a necessary man to me.”

“Anyone would think you cherish him, Your Majesty. You’re just trying to get rid of him because you don’t want him to hear what I have to say.”

“…”

“If you were so afraid of having your weaknesses exposed, you should have lived a better life. You lived like a dog, so what’s the point now?”

“Crown Prince! Will you not shut that mouth!” the emperor roared, the veins on his neck bulging. Dante opened his mouth.

“Father.”

At the title, the emperor’s eyebrow twitched instantly.

A smile crept onto Dante’s face at the undisguised disgust. He let out a hollow laugh.

What a consistent man.

In his thirteenth life, not once had the emperor acknowledged him as a son.

The emperor had always wanted Dante dead. It was rare to find someone so unchanging.

At least in this life, he had a palace and the freedom to move about.

In his first life, he had been locked in a dungeon from birth and lived like an animal. All because he had foolishly displayed his ability to control shadows right after he was born.

Because of that, he never even met *her*, enduring for thirty-eight years before taking his own life. He had wasted his first life so pointlessly.

After that, he tried his best not to fall out of the emperor’s favor. He had no choice, as the emperor was one of the people he could not kill.

Dante didn’t think of the emperor as a parent. He and the emperor were merely actors playing the roles of father and son in a film.

“Father.”

Dante repeated the word, deliberately provoking the emperor. A grim voice seeped through the emperor’s clenched teeth.

“Who is your father?”

“Oh, am I mistaken? Well, that’s a relief. It would have been a bit difficult for me to say this to my own parent.”

“What did you say?”

Dante placed his hands on the desk and leaned slightly toward the emperor.

“Why are you doing something so out of character? It makes me want to kill you.”

He couldn’t kill him, but he could cripple him. Just as he had done to Igrid.

The emperor flinched at the casual threat. But he quickly feigned ignorance, a look of confusion on his face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The fire at the Ruthius estate—it was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“Gasp!”

Hamilton, who had been fidgeting, unable to leave, slapped a hand over his mouth.

He had thought it strange when Igrid’s chamberlain had a private audience with the emperor the other day… He never imagined it was connected to the incident at the Ruthius estate.

Conscious of Hamilton, the emperor deliberately slammed his fist on the desk.

“Insolence! Have you been dreaming? Duke Ruthius lost his life in an unfortunate fire. What nonsense are you spouting! Are you suggesting that I, from the imperial palace, set fire to the Ruthius residence? With what power?”

“The debris hasn’t even been cleared, so it’s not certain who died… yet Your Majesty has already figured out that Duke Ruthius is dead. It seems you’ve awakened the gift of clairvoyance.”

“…!”

News that the Ruthius family’s main estate had been burned to the ground had already spread throughout the capital.

It was impossible not to know, with black clouds of gray smoke billowing from the Ruthius mansion all through the dawn.

However, no one knew how many were injured in the process, or who the victims were.

Even the employees of the Ruthius estate only suspected the duke’s death; they dared not speak of it until a body was found. It was only natural, as the debris had yet to be cleared.

The emperor’s face twisted with irritation and dismay.

He had finally killed that thorn in his side, and what a relief it had been. He’d felt so good all morning that it had been an effort to suppress his laughter.

And now, the elation that had been at its peak just moments ago was dragged through the mud by Dante.

The emperor’s murderous gaze turned to Hamilton. Hamilton, who had inadvertently learned a terrible secret, began to tremble before collapsing to the floor.

“Y-Your Majesty! I-I… I didn’t… I didn’t h-h-hear anything!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Yes! Please, spare my life! I will cut out my own tongue if you wish!”

The emperor watched with arrogant eyes as Hamilton groveled, his hands and feet scrambling on the floor.

‘It’s about time I get rid of him, too.’

He had kept Hamilton around, knowing of his betrayal, for fear that Duke Ruthius would notice. Now that Duke Ruthius was dead, the man’s usefulness had come to an end.

“I would never kill you. I am well aware of how deep your loyalty runs.”

“…A-Are you serious?”

“Of course. Now, get up.”

“I am humbled! Humbled, Your Majesty!”

Hamilton was completely fooled by the emperor’s cunning act. He scrambled to his feet and bowed to the emperor with a moved expression.

‘Fool.’

The emperor, who had been mocking Hamilton inwardly, finally spoke.

“Fine, I killed him. I gave Igrid an explosive artifact and ordered him to set the fire.”

Dante’s lips twisted into a smirk.

“You have too much faith in me. What will you do if I reveal your statement to the world?”

“You won’t do that.”

“Is that what you think? How unexpected.”

“Of course. The moment you make it public, your marriage to the princess will be null and void.”

The smile vanished from Dante’s face without a trace.