Episode 8

Seeing Aiden’s sullen expression, Sione offered a gentle smile.

“Don’t worry too much. I do have a fondness for dogs, which is why I’m giving you this chance.”

Aiden swallowed a sigh at Sione’s tender smile. He thought he’d be free from troublesome tasks now that his previous master was gone, but this seemingly gentle woman before him was proving to be a formidable opponent.

Moreover, he felt like he was getting entangled in increasingly bothersome affairs. Aiden scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh.

White Shadow, the espionage organization, had deliberately not investigated the emperor’s mysterious death. The only ones capable of targeting the emperor without being noticed were the snake or the eagle. If they had managed to kill the emperor despite White Shadow’s surveillance and the constraints of the oath, they must have used extraordinary means. Without concrete evidence, chasing their tails would likely lead to a messy conflict.

If the snake and the eagle, who already disliked White Shadow, teamed up, the odds would not be in Aiden’s favor. Aiden, who had no intention of wasting his energy on useless endeavors without an emperor to order him around, had thus been idling the empire’s best spy organization.

Now, to prevent the throne from falling into their hands, he needed to marry this woman. That meant engaging in a troublesome power struggle with those two.

He had planned to eliminate them eventually to secure his position once he became emperor. The only thing changing was the order of events, perhaps.

As Aiden’s mind leaned towards accepting his fate, Sione dangled the bait with a smiling face.

“If you marry me, you will become Roktania’s father. Do you think she would want to hold her father’s leash?”

Sione thought privately that Roktania might just do that, but she continued to gently coax the dog.

Aiden didn’t believe that Roktania would give up the mark out of filial piety, but Sione’s words were still pleasant to hear.

In any case, he was determined not to put the leash back on. No matter what happened, he despised the idea. A life bound by commands, forced to risk his life against his will, was unbearable.

The mark of the oath must be somewhere in the palace. The Crown Princess would know where it was. If he could demand its surrender in exchange for sparing her life, it would be a fair trade.

Having completed his calculations, Aiden spoke up,

“Very well. I will find the answer you seek, Your Majesty.”

The dog had taken the bait.

Sione’s eyes sparkled as she praised Aiden.

“Good. I knew I could count on you.”

Aiden, feeling both relief and determination, nodded.

“I’ll start the investigation immediately. But know this, Your Majesty, I will need complete autonomy to navigate this delicate situation.”

Sione nodded, her eyes showing approval.

“You shall have it. Do what needs to be done, Duke Aiden. Bring me the truth, and the path to our mutual goal will be clear.”

With that, Aiden rose from his seat, ready to set his plan in motion. The game had begun, and now, more than ever, he needed to prove his worth and loyalty to Sione while navigating the treacherous waters of the empire’s politics.

“Reliable, indeed. You truly are the leader of the White Shadows, who knows no bounds.”

“Please stop speaking to me as if I’m a child, Your Majesty.”

“I meant every word, Duke Aiden.”

Although Aiden spoke harshly with a scowl, Sione did not lose her smile.

Most would be terrified when he furrowed his brow and growled, but she remained unfazed despite her delicate appearance that seemed like she would break at a touch.

Hiding his awkwardly revealed teeth, Aiden lowered his head.

After he returned to the duchy, the White Shadows, which had been dormant for over a month, resumed their operations.

A secret reinvestigation into the death of Emperor Nerian had begun.

* * *

After parting ways with Aiden, I returned to the Empress’s Palace and called for Tito.

“Tito, I want to know more about the pact between the Luminal Royal Family and the three dukes.”

“Shall I bring the records, Your Majesty?”

“It would be better if you could give me a brief explanation. And bring the books as well.”

“Then I’ll tell you what I know first. The story of Emperor Barbados I taming the three beasts is well-known. The legend says that a snake, an eagle, and a dog made a pact with Emperor Barbados I and became human.”

“Do you mean actual beasts became human? Not metaphorically?”

“By the time the legend was passed down, they were already in human form, so it could just be a metaphor. Many interpret it as the nicknames of the three young men who followed Emperor Barbados I. In any case, they swore loyalty and, in return, received special powers.”

“Special powers?”

“The head of the House of Zernia gained the ability to bind with words, the Duke of Kidmillan received eyes that see through everything, and the Duke of Tilender…”

Tito paused, searching for the right words, then shrugged and continued.

“Becomes a mad dog.”

“A mad dog? You mean he goes insane?”

“More like a berserker. He becomes an unbeatable warrior with overwhelming strength, never tiring or losing. It lasts for about a day, but in that state, no one but the master of the pact can control the Duke of Tilender.”

“That’s hard to imagine.”

“I’ve only seen the previous Duke of Tilender in that state once… I never want to see it again.”

Tito shook his head vehemently.

If Tito spoke of it that way, it must have been an incredibly dangerous state.

If even now, the dog was baring its fangs at every opportunity, the thought of it going mad…

I didn’t even want to imagine it.

And it wasn’t just the dog. The power of the snake was equally dangerous.

They say that if you fall under the snake’s word-binding spell, you would unknowingly follow the snake’s commands.

It was a form of brainwashing, and those affected wouldn’t even realize they were under the spell.

This meant that Lian could enthrall me and take the throne whenever he desired.

The eagle’s eyes were equally troublesome.

“What does it mean to see through everything? Can they see into people’s hearts?”

As I listened to Tito’s explanation, I was startled and asked in surprise. The elderly chamberlain nodded with a grave expression.

“I haven’t personally seen how the Eagle’s Eyes are used, but that’s what people say. The first emperor’s eagle is said to have read the mind of a distant enemy commander to thwart an ambush.”

Though it was a story passed down like a legend, if it were true, it would be more than just troubling.

If the eagle could read my mind and discover that I had allied with Aiden… the thought alone made me dizzy.

I placed a hand on my forehead as my vision blurred, and Tito hastily spoke up.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s extremely rare for the three dukes to actually use their powers.”

“Why is that?”

“The cost of using the power is fatal.”

“Fatal? As in, it endangers their lives?”

“That’s right. While the specifics of the snake and eagle are unknown, the Tilender dogs have gone mad and died throughout history.”

The previous Duke of Tilender, who had become a berserker twice, suffered from madness for five years before ultimately committing suicide in a horrific manner.

Tito added that the heads of the three ducal houses generally had short lifespans.

Come to think of it, Aiden was the 27th Duke of Tilender.

In the Belphator Empire, which had been founded a little over 300 years ago, being the 27th meant that the title changed hands roughly every ten years.

If he had become a duke at twenty, he would die around thirty. Even the more fortunate Vitren was the 21st, and Lian the 23rd.

Unless the beasts inherently had short lifespans, the cost of their powers was indeed fatal.

Knowing that using their powers would consume their lives, they must have done so because of their master’s orders.

I began to understand why they were so desperate to break free from the pact’s bindings.

With that thought, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the beasts.

“Still, you must be very careful when you meet them.”

Lost in thought, I raised my head at Tito’s voice.

His face was full of concern for me.

Right, now wasn’t the time for me to feel sorry for them.

My life was at stake too, and compared to these beasts who possessed special powers, I had nothing. I was in even more danger.

I steeled myself and continued my questioning.

“There’s said to be a token of the pact, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The beasts offered it as a symbol of their loyalty to Emperor Barbados I.”

“Do you know what it is? Is it possible to destroy or transfer it?”

Recalling Aiden’s words about needing to get rid of the token, I asked. Tito’s face showed reluctance.

“Only the master of the beasts knows what the token is and where it is kept.”

“Only the master? So, not even Lothania knows?”

“You would need to ask Her Highness the Crown Princess. I apologize for not being able to provide an answer.”

“It’s alright. You’ve been helpful. Thank you.”

Tito left, leaving behind a book on the pact.

I considered visiting Lothania but, given the late hour, prepared for bed and climbed into it.

Before sleeping, I read the book Tito had given me. However, it mostly contained stories of the beasts’ feats rather than details about the pact.

As I read through how the beasts had shown their loyalty to their masters, my mind grew more complicated.

What were they thinking as they sacrificed their lives for their masters?

Were they glad to protect their masters with their deaths, or did they resent the masters who did not protect them?