Chapter 82
“Shall we go then?”
I checked the time and spoke, and Leonard and Jack nodded.
I looked at Hoyeon. Even without words, she understood and replied.
“I’ll take good care of the children, so don’t worry and go.”
“Then Hoyeon! Let’s sleep together tonight.”
“That’s right. I’ll read you a storybook like last time.”
“Mm-hmm. And the food Hoyeon makes is delicious too.”
“Wow, I love Teacher Hoyeon!”
Sometimes I worried that I might be leaving the children with Hoyeon too much, but seeing their reactions, it seemed they got along well with her.
‘They even seem closer to her than to me.’
With a slight pang of bitterness, I entrusted the orphanage to Hoyeon and headed toward the carriage with Jack.
“Wow…”
Seeing the carriage, I couldn’t help but exclaim.
The Creiman family’s carriages were already imposing, but this one…
“…It’s incredible,” I murmured quietly, and Leonard nodded as if agreeing.
“Of course. It’s Jack’s first tournament; it should be impressive enough to make an impact.”
“Ahaha. Thank you for taking care of it.”
As I spoke, I unconsciously glanced around. Seeing this, Leonard seemed to remember something and spoke.
“He asked me to convey his apologies for not being able to accompany Your Excellency. Originally, he intended to attend as a patron, but an unexpected variable arose…”
“Variable?”
I tilted my head, and Leonard nodded with a serious expression.
“His Majesty commanded you to take charge of the Monster Extermination Corps during Lishan Week. Since it was a sudden order, he is currently attending to urgent matters first.”
“Take charge of the Monster Extermination Corps during Lishan Week?”
Isn’t that a huge deal?
Rather than surprise, I felt more puzzled.
Monster extermination during Lishan Week was a significant matter, and if it were entrusted to Duke Creiman, his contributions would have to be recognized after the week ended. That would strengthen the duke’s influence even further.
Why would the Emperor entrust such an important position to Duke Creiman?
As I pondered, I noticed Leonard’s expression was troubled, realizing this wasn’t a simple matter.
“Is something wrong with His Excellency?”
Hoping it wasn’t true, I asked cautiously. Leonard turned his head and answered quietly.
“I cannot provide details due to the secrecy, but Lishan Week is poisonous to His Excellency. Ordering him to exterminate monsters in that state is akin to sending him to his death.”
“…That’s impossible.”
The gravity of the situation silenced me.
I wanted to hear more, but our departure time was already delayed, so we boarded the carriage.
“Director, is something wrong? You don’t look well,” Jack asked anxiously from his seat, having missed the earlier conversation.
I quickly forced a smile and shook my head.
“No, it’s nothing. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”
‘I can’t let my unnecessary worries disrupt his exam.’
I smiled as brightly as possible.
Jack gave me a curious look but soon nodded and looked out the window.
Leonard, sitting beside Jack, moved his lips.
‘Are you alright?’
‘Yes, I’m fine.’
I mouthed back and smiled gently. Still, Leonard’s worried expression didn’t ease.
I turned my head, unable to keep showing this face.
‘He could die?’
I knew Duke Creiman’s strength well enough to know he wasn’t a man who would die so easily. After all, he had returned victorious even from wars that were almost certain defeats. Monster extermination couldn’t possibly be harder than that.
‘But I have a bad feeling.’
It wasn’t just because of Leonard’s words.
The Emperor’s order was suspicious, and…
‘Come to think of it, in the original story, the Duke collapsed a few times.’
Back then, Cloan had called the empire’s top doctors to identify the duke’s illness but failed. His condition worsened over time, and even by the story’s end, the disease remained unknown.
‘Could it be related to that illness?’
Perhaps I had underestimated it since the collapse happened ten years in the future. I thought there was still plenty of time, that he would be fine until then.
‘What on earth is the Duke’s story?’
I swallowed the sigh threatening to escape. I was worried, but at least until Jack completed his exam safely, I couldn’t show it.
“It seems we’ve arrived at the Imperial Palace.”
After a while, the carriage slowed. I looked out the window.
‘It’s still magnificent.’
The palace lived up to its reputation, inspiring awe just by being seen.
I glanced at Jack. He stared quietly outside, his gaze deep and contemplative.
Seeing Jack’s fixation, Leonard interpreted it differently and spoke.
“How is it, Jack? This is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings on the continent.”
Jack slowly looked at Leonard and then smiled brightly.
“Yes, Master. I’ve never seen a building so magnificent and beautiful.”
“The palace buildings harmonize with each other, each contributing to the overall beauty. That’s why, even when Emperor Geumsang rebelled, he ordered the buildings remain unharmed.”
“Mr. Leonard…”
When the rebellion was mentioned, I tried to stop Leonard from continuing. That event had changed Jack’s life completely.
But as I opened my mouth, Jack looked at me. Seeing his expression, I couldn’t continue.
Jack slowly shook his head, as if reassuring me, then asked Leonard a question.
“Master, I’m curious about which families’ heirs are participating in today’s tournament.”
Leonard smiled, satisfied with Jack’s enthusiasm.
“I don’t know all of them, but the heirs of the central nobility are all participating. But the participant you should be most concerned with is His Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Leonard’s face hardened slightly as he gave a bitter smile.
“This tournament is not just a personal competition—it’s a battle of family pride. So naturally, the royal family will enter the Crown Prince.”
Jack lowered his head at Leonard’s words. I worried that I might be placing too heavy a burden on him.
Jack only wanted to test his academic abilities, yet his family’s prestige was at stake.
But seeing Jack’s smile, I realized I had misjudged.
He lifted his head and smiled.
“I’ll do my best.”
Leonard watched him warmly.
Soon the carriage stopped completely, and we stepped out.
“Your Majesty, participants are beginning to enter the palace. The eldest son of Count Jadeboro and the heir of Baron Riseimun have arrived as well.”
“I see. Those two families are strong contenders. Where is Seid?”
“Well…”
The attendant looked troubled. Then, with a sigh, he continued.
“He skipped class and disappeared. I also searched but could not find him. Perhaps… he disguised himself.”
“Such a foolish boy!”
The Emperor finally exploded with anger at the report.
“What time is this, and he still behaves like an ignorant child!”
“We’ve dispatched palace staff to continue the search. It seems he was frustrated at not being able to go to the Ciela Orphanage.”
“We cannot allow him to act recklessly with the tournament so close. Find him immediately. This tournament is for the honor of the royal family. Has Duke Creiman arrived?”
“He arrived a short while ago.”
“Ensure he does not come into contact with the Crown Prince. You may leave.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After the attendants left, the Emperor exhaled deeply. His dark blue eyes shone sharply as he raised his head.
When he first organized this tournament, he had made it a condition that the central nobility must participate for the first event.
Only if all central nobles participated could Seid’s achievement stand out.
Additionally, the Emperor knew the Creiman family had no successor to enter the tournament. To find a participant, they would have to use a younger son from another family, but the Emperor had instructed in advance that no one should cooperate with the Creimans.
Thus, the Duke had no choice but to send a commoner as his representative. This pleased the Emperor greatly.
‘They’ll only return embarrassed. Sending a foolish commoner as their representative was already the Duke’s mistake.’
“This tournament will yield nothing for the Creiman family,” the Emperor said with a twisted smile.
