Chapter 32
Saren was still smiling, yet there seemed to be a strange shadow cast over his face.
“I didn’t expect you to figure it out, my lady. You really are impressive.”
“Then do you know who the culprit is?”
“It’s better if you don’t. If you get involved for no reason, you could end up in danger too.”
“Is it the Empress?”
My heart sank coldly.
Was she pretending to care for him while feeding him poison?
The memory of the evil dragon that fed me poison to test it came to mind, and my mood soured.
“No. It’s me.”
I knew Saren was insane, but I didn’t think he was this insane.
“You mean you weren’t tortured— you willingly drank poison?”
“I wanted to live.”
With just those few words, I understood the situation.
In the fierce struggle for the throne between the First and Second Princes, the only reason the Third Prince, Saren, had survived was simple:
He had no chance of becoming Emperor.
He had no influential relatives to back him, nor could he wield magic.
Somehow, the foolish grin he always wore looked different now.
“Does it seem strange?”
The corners of Saren’s mouth trembled.
“……It’s just that, Your Highness was doing your best to survive in your own way.”
After all, he was only seven years old.
An age when a scraped knee could feel like the end of the world.
What must have gone through such a child’s mind as he swallowed poison of his own accord?
“I don’t think it’s wrong or strange.”
It’s not like I grew up in a pristine environment myself.
“Oh! Don’t tell me that bet you made with me was also to turn yourself into a laughingstock and make the other royals lower their guard?”
“That part was real. I really thought you’d win. I even wagered my mother’s keepsake, you know?”
Ah, right.
That’s true.
“Still, you’re really amazing, my lady. How did you know? This is such a rare plant—no one should know about it.”
“Just because.”
The evil dragon had once fed it to me.
To observe the way my magic reacted depending on the amount of Krapta ingested.
“Is it a secret? Then why don’t we share one secret each?”
“I won’t tell the Empress.”
If I did, Saren would die.
“In return, put some Megani into the medicine you’re taking now and drink it.”
“Megani? Why?”
“It’ll neutralize the poison in the Krapta. It won’t harm you, so try it. If you can’t trust me, then there’s nothing I can do.”
“No, I trust you. I told you, didn’t I? Love at first sight.”
And that’s supposed to be believable?
Even under my cold stare, Saren kept grinning from ear to ear.
I didn’t care much for the shadowed look from earlier, but this constant grinning wasn’t exactly appealing either.
“You don’t believe me. Then will you marry me?”
When my face twisted up even more than before, Saren burst into loud laughter.
After Ariel left, Saren murmured while looking at the spot where she had been sitting.
“I meant it. Why won’t she believe me?”
From the first time they met until now—
Every word he had spoken to her had been sincere.
He already knew the rumors about the heir adopted by Duke Clasta.
“The duke is such a strange man. Suddenly adopting a commoner with no connection whatsoever.”
“A mere commoner won’t be able to endure the training meant for nobles. She’ll leave on her own soon enough.”
“Apparently, the duke doesn’t care much either. I heard he said it doesn’t matter whether she lives or dies.”
Adopted on a whim, a commoner who could be stripped of her position as heir at any moment—
Even as the duke’s daughter, her position seemed dangerously unstable.
Something about that reminded him of himself.
The title of prince sounded lofty, but in truth it was nothing more than walking on the edge of a blade.
On the day he secretly slipped out, concealing his identity, he had seen Ariel defeat a spider-shaped monster.
Strong and free—
If he was a bird trapped in a cage, she was one that broke the cage and escaped.
He had been drawn to her, and he wanted to talk to her.
He just hadn’t expected Inev to get in the way.
A servant brought in fresh medicine.
Saren stared at the bowl in front of him, lost in thought.
It was a rare medicine he had learned about from his mother, who came from a small ethnic minority.
But how had Ariel known about it?
“Will you not drink it, Your Highness?”
Even at the servant’s question, Saren simply gazed at the yellowish liquid.
He had taken this medicine because of his mother’s dying wish to protect him.
“Saren. You… you must live… and be free. And… lay me to rest in my homeland…”
His mother, who once danced so freely, had been caught by the Emperor and turned into a caged bird.
A bird that could no longer fly at will had eventually been killed by the mistress of the cage who despised her.
“Somehow, I don’t feel like drinking it.”
“Is this because of that young lady?”
Saren only smiled in reply.
When he lifted his head, the sky beyond the window was as blue as Ariel’s hair.
“I want to be strong.”
The servant’s eyes widened at the words he had never heard before.
“If the Empress finds out, she’ll try to kill me… but my life could end any day anyway. I can’t live like this forever.”
“…A wise decision, Your Highness. That wretched Empress who killed your mother—”
“Contact the Magic Tower.”
Now that he wasn’t taking the medicine, he could feel the magic in his body more vividly than ever.
“And ask if they’d be interested in taking one more person.”
A rare meeting was held with the Emperor and high-ranking nobles in attendance.
Though summer was approaching and the weather grew hotter, the conference room was as frigid as midwinter.
“Why don’t you speak up?”
“How am I supposed to butt into that mess?”
The nobles exchanged glances and stole peeks at Duke Clasta and Duke Vianev.
Everyone knew the two had a poor relationship.
The Vianev family was a prestigious old house that had been with the Empire since its founding, producing many Popes and Empresses over the years.
Even the current Emperor’s grandmother had been from House Vianev.
In contrast, the Clasta family was a newly risen power.
They had gained fame and expanded their influence through monster subjugations, backed by the duke’s formidable martial strength.
“The Vianeves, clinging to tradition until it kills them.”
“The Clastas, rude and violent.”
The bet between Ariel and Inev had only poured oil on the fire between the two dukes.
“I hear the Clasta young lady and my daughter made a bet.”
Duke Vianev spoke with a pleased expression.
“So it seems.”
“I also heard that if my daughter wins, she gets the Clasta girl’s wrist. I’d hate to cause you trouble, Duke—ha ha. You went to the trouble of appointing an heir, and now you might have to look for another. If you’d like, I could even recommend some fine children from our cadet branches.”
“My daughter’s not going to lose. Shouldn’t you be the one worried, Duke Vianev?”
A mocking smile played on Duke Clasta’s lips.
“I heard that if your daughter loses, she must kneel and bow in apology to mine. Knowing Lady Inev’s personality, I worry she may never pick up a sword again. Ah, but then again, you have cadet branch children, so you don’t have to worry about succession. How fortunate.”
“Are you implying that my daughter could lose…?”
“I’m saying exactly that.”
Duke Vianev snorted.
“It seems you’re unaware, Duke Clasta. Everyone’s betting on Inev this time—that shows just how little faith they have in your girl’s skills.”
“You only see as far as your own ability allows. With poor skill comes poor judgment. I hope this gives you a chance to improve your discernment.”
“You’re arrogant, Duke Clasta. Are you saying the other children’s skills are lacking?”
“That’s right! Even so, these children have trained for years!”
Other nobles echoed Duke Vianev’s outrage—no parent could quietly accept someone saying their children’s skills were subpar.
“They’re all weak, aren’t they? Is there anyone here stronger than me?”
At Duke Clasta’s confident smile, no one could say a word.
Those who had once tried picking a fight with him had ended up with their joints bent in bizarre directions.
“Damn it. If only the duke’s skills had declined a little…”
“That monster just gets stronger with age.”
“In any case, the Clasta girl isn’t even your real daughter, is she?”
Determined not to lose, Duke Vianev played his trump card.
“A cub born of a mutt can never be a tiger. Inev carries the blood of the hero Regan, slayer of the evil dragon, from the Vianev line.”
Duke Clasta leaned back in his chair, looking bored.
“If that blood is so great, I wonder why you’ve never beaten me, Duke Vianev.”
“You…!”
Duke Vianev’s face flushed red, but he couldn’t argue.
He had lost to Duke Clasta every time they crossed swords.
Even after the meeting ended, Duke Vianev’s anger did not fade.
When he returned home, he went straight to find Inev.
Entering the training grounds, he saw her chatting with a knight, wiping sweat from her brow as if training had just ended.
Instead of training hard to defeat the Clasta girl, she was idling like this!
“Inev!”
At his call, Inev ran over to him.
“Father, what is it?”
“I met Duke Clasta! Do you know what that arrogant man said?!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll win.”
“And you say that while wasting time chatting? What will this father of yours do if you lose? Do you take Duke Clasta lightly?!”
Unable to contain his fury, Duke Vianev barked,
“From today, double your training load!”
“Yes, Father.”
“And leaving everything to you alone is not what a father should do.”
“What are you planning?”
“The preliminaries have always been team matches, haven’t they? If your team is a mess, no matter how good you are, what good will it do?”
Hearing her father’s plan, a satisfied smile spread across Inev’s face.
“That’s a good idea, Father. I have no doubt I’ll win… but it’s always better to be sure.”
