Chapter 78
That day, the officers of the Empire, thrown into chaos, argued among themselves, ultimately reaching the bizarre conclusion that, “Our children wouldn’t behave like that.”
However, the head of the facility was a rational woman.
According to her, what children absolutely need to grow up isn’t just food, clothing, and shelter.
“We don’t have time to hold or touch each of these children individually. But we can’t favor one child over another either. That’s why they all end up like this. There’s no other way… In a world where just being alive is a blessing, that’s all we can do.”
Back then, they were all young and immature, so they dismissed it as a grotesque joke.
They couldn’t accept that simply lacking a warm, caring touch from a guardian could cause children to break down to such an extent.
Especially for those of them obsessed with notions of toughness and masculinity.
But now, years later, at this very moment, Lavian deeply felt the meaning of those words.
Nina wasn’t a war orphan like those other children.
She wasn’t abandoned in a harsh shelter, surviving on barely enough food to fill her stomach.
The only similarity between those children and Nina was that, until now, no one had ever hugged or coddled her.
And yet, the Nina in front of him was eerily similar to those children in every way.
What did this mean?
“Uh…”
The captain of the imperial guard, staring blankly at the video, let out a small groan.
The footage, which had until now only shown endless, nauseatingly repetitive scenes, suddenly changed.
Nina, with slightly longer hair than before, sat alone on the bed, staring into space and eating something that looked like a muffin.
Crumbs fell onto the sheets, but Nina didn’t care and slowly finished her food.
Then, she suddenly turned her head toward the door.
In the next moment, something leapt out from one side of the video and fell haphazardly onto the bed.
It was a pair of a man and a woman embracing each other.
Their faces weren’t clearly visible, but their clothing revealed they were a guard and a maid.
Lance’s mouth dropped open.
The captain of the guard turned pale as death.
“Th-…this insane…!”
Nina now retreated to a corner of the bed and curled up.
The guard and maid in the video, whether or not Nina was watching, continued to laugh and proceed with their actions without care.
Suddenly, Lavian recalled the first day he met Nina.
Specifically, the moment when he and Serena were goofing around, and Nina suddenly appeared, startling them.
What had Nina said back then?
What had she said…?
“You can just keep going.”
“Look at these lunatics!”
The captain, ready to storm out and execute someone on the spot, was interrupted.
“Hey, Sir Reborns.”
“Huh…?”
At the sudden call, the captain hesitated and turned around.
Lavian bowed his head, hands pressed together, and spoke quietly.
“Have you been here before?”
It was an enigmatic question.
The captain’s gaze wavered slightly.
While the royal guards were responsible for palace security and protection, the imperial guard served as the emperor’s secret police, handling both internal and external security.
Clearly, their jurisdictions were different.
Lavian, a former captain of the imperial guard, certainly knew this.
So why ask such a question…?
“If you mean before the first princess went missing, then no.”
“Then why are you here now?”
“Huh…?”
“I’ve been thinking. Why did my brother assign me to investigate this place and pair me with an imperial guard, rather than the captain of the royal guard? If it’s palace matters, the royal guard would know better. And it would be easier for them to set me up, too.”
The royal guard couldn’t have been unaware of the palace’s deteriorating situation.
Of course, this wasn’t simply due to negligence on their part.
For a young princess’s environment to sink this low, active neglect from the upper echelons was essential.
And those upper echelons were none other than the emperor and empress—Nina’s parents, Leopold and Diana.
No excuse could justify it.
Silence fell.
Amid the frozen silence, Lavian closed his eyes for a moment.
Even what he had seen so far was enough.
It was excessive.
So excessive that his mind felt overloaded.
His head throbbed, then went numb.
He didn’t even know what to think or how to feel.
“Uh, Lavian…”
Lavian slowly raised his head.
Turning around, he saw Lance, pale and trembling, on the verge of tears.
“Lavian… I… I mean… I…”
“…”
“I really… like an idiot, knew nothing… how… how could everyone do that to the little princess…”
Lance seemed in terrible condition.
The imperial guard, who had been watching silently, approached and gently patted his shoulder. Lance finally began sobbing uncontrollably.
“I’m sorry… I swore to protect the princess, yet I knew nothing…”
“Seems like the first princess only has one young royal guard in this palace.”
Lance hiccuped, staring blankly at Lavian.
Lavian stood, paused the footage, and spoke to the imperial guard.
“Sir Reborns, until I tell you otherwise, keep your mouth shut about this.”
The captain’s expression was complicated.
He understood this wasn’t a matter that could be resolved by punishing a few subordinates. The emotions stirred by the video were far more than mere anger.
“Lavian, as your successor, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“I swore loyalty to the emperor as captain of the imperial guard. I would give my life to uphold it. But if you were in my position, what would you do?”
Lavian crossed his arms and looked at the captain’s troubled face.
“What is the first oath of the imperial guard?”
“The first oath of the imperial guard… As loyal watchdogs of the royal family, we do not forgive anyone who threatens the dignity of the royal household.”
“When a watchdog drives away an intruder, do they ask the master for permission each time?”
The captain shook his head and blinked.
A cold smile crept onto Lavian’s lips.
“Exactly. Loyal watchdogs. Now go, and before dusk, draw up the list of the imperial guard.”
“The list…?”
“I want to see if anyone I know is on it. Take that kid with you, too.”
Lance lingered as if he had more to say to Lavian, but the captain pulled him along.
Once they left, Lavian remained alone, quietly surveying the room.
This place held the memories of his childhood.
Though the furniture had changed, the ceiling moldings and the patterned wallpaper remained.
He approached the window and glanced at the corner of the frame. There, the marks he had carved with a knife long ago were still visible.
He had measured Anna’s height and made a mark with a knife, betting that he would grant a wish whenever she grew a little taller.
But as he stared at the traces of his childhood, his gaze was far from tender.
Back then, Anna had him in her life—the one who cared for her even more than her own parents, who perished in the family incident.
But now…
Nina, the current occupant of this room, seemingly had no one marking her growth, even though her parents were alive and well.
