Initially, because Arthur’s room wasn’t far from the Empress’s room, despite Bertan’s care, they soon arrived at the Empress’s room.
“Oh, Mother…”
Arthur quietly called out to the Empress, who was so overcome with anger that she was throwing everything within reach.
At that small voice, the Empress, who was about to throw a candlestick, suddenly stopped.
Clang! The candlestick she was holding fell helplessly to the ground.
“Arthur!”
The Empress, with a face full of joy, rushed toward him as if she would embrace him.
“I don’t know how long I’ve been searching for you.”
She hugged Arthur tightly, repeatedly stroking his back and fixing his long hair.
“My poor Arthur, oh, my poor child. How much your heart must be aching.”
“………”
“His Majesty has truly been indifferent. He has never treated you like his own child, always favoring the Crown Prince.”
As the Empress vented her sorrow in a tearful voice, Arthur remained still, unable to move.
“This cannot be. If there is a god, he could not be this cruel to both Arthur and me. If not for his hair and eyes, the Crown Prince wouldn’t even be able to stand in comparison to our Arthur!”
The Empress’s voice, trembling with resentment and anger, gnawed at something inside him.
Listening to the Empress’s words, Arthur felt as if he would never be recognized by the Emperor.
Unlike his older brother, Arthur did not possess the golden hair and eyes, the symbol of the Emperor of the Lutinas Empire, and instead was born with black hair, considered to be a curse from the gods.
Just like the Empress had said, the Emperor had always been indifferent to him.
Even when he was sick, the Emperor would visit the Crown Prince but send only flowers to Arthur. He assigned Duke Gray as a mentor to the Crown Prince, but Arthur was left to find a mentor on his own.
Each time, the Empress would plead with the Emperor in tears, but nothing ever changed.
“Arthur, this is all because of my incompetence. Please, blame me.”
“No, Mother. You have done nothing wrong.”
Arthur hurriedly consoled the Empress. Although he feared her, he loved the mother who had given everything for him.
Knowing that his very existence pained her deeply, Arthur could never blame her.
“That’s right. Mercy is something that should be part of an Emperor’s heart. But, Arthur, before that, you must have the strength to ruthlessly eliminate anything that threatens your position.”
The Empress’s expression hardened instantly. Her blazing eyes glinted coldly, as if they could tear Arthur apart at any moment.
“Just as I would go against the gods for your sake, you too must do the same. Do you understand?”
“..…Yes.”
Seeing Arthur obediently follow her will, the Empress smiled as though she was pleased.
“Then, Arthur.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Go to the Crown Prince’s palace immediately and request to join the transportation mission to the Lowes Mountains, by any means necessary—whether by collapsing, throwing a tantrum, or whatever it takes.”
“……..!”
Arthur’s eyes widened in surprise. As he swayed, Bertan, who had been silently watching the conversation, quickly supported him.
Despite Arthur’s state, the Empress continued speaking without a care.
“If the Crown Prince refuses, it will make him seem as if he’s trying to hinder you, which will stir up public opinion among the nobles. If he agrees, that’s fine as well.”
“Mother, this is a task His Majesty personally entrusted to the Crown Prince. There is no way he would allow me to join.”
“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to go to the Crown Prince, not His Majesty! Make sure there are plenty of witnesses and appeal to him with tears if necessary to put the Crown Prince in an awkward position. Do you understand?”
“….…Yes.”
Arthur eventually lowered his head weakly. His posture was so pitiful that the Empress glared at him with dissatisfaction.
“Don’t test my patience any further, just go!”
At the Empress’s order, Arthur turned around feebly. As Bertan moved to follow him, the Empress held him back.
“Bertan, didn’t the third son of Baron Cortis recently join the Gray Knight Order?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
A chilling smile spread across the Empress’s face.
“It worked out well. Since Baron Cortis came to the capital to meet His Majesty, I must meet him before he returns to his estate.”
The Empress, now seemingly regaining her composure, no longer raged wildly. Watching her, Bertan smiled deeply.
“You are indeed wise.”
***
After meeting the Emperor and the Crown Prince in the imperial palace, it didn’t take long for me to learn why the Crown Prince had sobbed so desperately, looking as if he were on the brink of death.
[…The knights escorting the Crown Prince during the Lowes Mountain crisis lost their lives. The investigation team confirmed that it was due to the brave efforts of two renowned knights from the Emblem Order, who prevented hundreds of monsters from leaving the mountains.]
The entire Lutinas Empire was shaken by the tragic news from Lowes Mountain. The Crown Prince’s party, who had been on a covert mission ordered by the Emperor, was caught up in the crisis that broke out there.
The Crown Prince lost his escort knights, his attendant who had served him since childhood, and even the merchants he had carefully nurtured.
‘Please, do not speak of laying down your life for me, Dame Emblem. If you think that being part of the Emblem Order means you must be loyal to the royal family, it’s best you abandon that thought.’
It seemed that was why the Crown Prince had said those words to me.
That day, the Crown Prince had lost his people and crumbled.
Enoch appeared to have noticed something at that time, which was probably why he had criticized me for being oblivious.
However, I was relieved that my words of comfort seemed to have helped the Crown Prince regain some strength.
After the news broke, a memorial service was held for the two knights who sacrificed themselves fighting the monsters from Lowes Mountain, preventing the devastation from reaching Baron Cortis’s territory.
“The two swords of the Lutinas Empire, who upheld the spirit of the Emblem, have now entered eternal rest.”
My mom personally presided over the memorial service for the two knights from the Emblem Order.
The Emperor had wanted to hold a grand memorial for the Empire’s heroes, but the families of the knights opposed the idea, preferring a more humble service.
Their reasoning was that the knights had only done their duty and that a grand memorial might spread unnecessary fear and sorrow throughout the Empire.
Thus, the only attendees were members of the Emblem Order, the families of the two knights, and the Crown Prince.
Enoch had also expressed a desire to attend, but the bereaved families, who were at odds with Gray, refused, so Enoch did not come.
“Servin Asmod and Roston Kroff were exemplary knights of the Emblem. They would have been proud to fulfill their duties until the very end.”
The Crown Prince, who attended the memorial and listened to my mom’s speech, did not shed a single tear.
His bloodshot eyes and his body, on the verge of collapsing, told another story.
‘I will become a ruler who ensures that the sacrifices of the Emblem’s knights are not in vain.’
It seemed as though he truly intended to uphold the words he had spoken to me.
“But those two should have survived. They should have lived to see the fruits of their protection with their own eyes.”
Listening to my mom’s continued speech, I resolved to become stronger. In the upcoming extermination and the Crown Prince’s transport mission, I had to survive.
I still didn’t know whether I would truly become a knight for the Crown Prince, but one thing I knew for certain—I did not want to be the kind of knight who left my lord with such a face.
The Crown Prince reportedly stayed at the site until all the mourners had left, and even after I returned to the estate.
