Duke Richard was momentarily taken aback. He had been agonizing for days, but was there already a plan in place?
“The crown prince will be decided next week. It’s between me and Garion…”
“That’s correct.”
“And you said there’s a banquet before that…”
Duke Richard recalled the schedule. Indeed, there was a banquet where the royal family and the inner circle gathered before a crown prince was appointed.
“If my guess is correct… they will poison my food that day too… The appointment of a crown prince is just around the corner, and they will be anxious if they don’t hear that I’ve collapsed…”
A shadow fell over Zion’s deep honey-colored eyes.
“Duke… What you need to do is, I will give you the list of foods that will be served at the banquet in advance, and you just need to prepare them… You can do that much, right?”
“I will do as you say.”
Duke Richard felt a bit embarrassed.
Having become an adult, he was later than Zion in realizing the situation, and he was in a position where he was expecting a way to overcome the crisis.
“That’s it then…Cough!”
As Zion suddenly coughed heavily, the startled Duke Richard approached him.
“Are you alright?”
“There’s no need to worry… Let’s talk about the details tomorrow.”
The mature child held out his hand to stop Duke Richard from coming closer. Duke Richard awkwardly stopped his body.
Somehow, the child in front of him seemed like an adult, but that must be his imagination.
Duke Richard thought to himself.
****
Today was the day of the banquet.
With a large table at the center, the royally dressed royals and part of the inner circle took their seats in turn.
Zion, who had returned to his original physical state, entered with Duke Richard. Their confident entrance drew everyone’s attention.
The person who was clearly flustered was Empress Camel, the current empress.
“…I heard you were not feeling well… It seems you’ve fortunately recovered.”
“Thank you for your concern. I quickly recovered thanks to Her Majesty the Empress’s worry.”
Sion replied to Empress Camel with a smile. Empress Camel turned her head with an awkward laugh. A subtle atmosphere flowed across the table.
But that moment did not last long.
“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”
When the aide-de-camp shouted loudly, everyone stood up from their seats to greet Emperor Perion.
“Please sit down.”
As Emperor Perion sat down and spoke, everyone sat down again. In front of them was a steaming soup.
“As you all know, the crown prince will be decided in two days. This place has been prepared in the spirit of unity, regardless of who becomes the crown prince, so please enjoy the banquet.”
Despite Perion’s dreamlike words, everyone was smiling faintly.
Their attire was all painstakingly elaborate, but the sight of them hiding their faces behind masks and targeting each other’s backs was more brutal than the beasts of the jungle.
Breaking the tense atmosphere, Duke Richard looked around and spoke.
“Oh, it seems the soup has cooled down. I asked them to heat it up again, so be careful not to burn your mouth.”
At Duke Richard’s caution, the atmosphere cooled as if cold water had been poured.
Duke Richard sneaked a smile. And he looked at the cooled expressions and asked.
“Why isn’t anyone picking up their spoons?”
Emperor Perion also seemed to read the strange air and looked around.
“Duke Richard is right. Please start eating.”
But still, no one moved.
“Ahahaha.”
Seeing this, Zion suddenly burst into laughter.
And he got up from his seat and approached Garion. All eyes were on Zion’s sudden action.
Zion scooped up some soup and brought it to Garion.
“Eat.”
But Garion’s lips, tightly closed like a clam, did not open.
Zion forcibly shoved the spoon into Garion’s tightly closed mouth.
“Eat it!”
In the end, Garion burst into tears.
“Waaaah!”
“What are you doing!”
Empress Camel, who was next to him, jumped up from her seat. She glared at Zion with fierce eyes.
“What are you doing?”
Zion grinned.
“I made him eat even if I couldn’t.”
“This… This!!”
Empress Camel’s eyes bulged. Then Emperor Perion, who realized the seriousness of the situation, stepped in.
“Stop it! What is this behavior at a place where we gathered in good faith!”
At the emperor’s angry shout, the space froze coldly.
“Hmm hmm. Everyone, please sit down again.”
Perion cleared his throat and sat down again. He picked up his spoon as if to return to the original atmosphere.
“Since Zion is still young, I hope you all forgive the earlier situation with a generous heart. Now… let’s start eating.”
And the moment he was about to put the soup in his mouth,
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Zion called Perion. Perion, who had stopped the spoon at his mouth, wore an unpleasant expression.
“If you eat that soup, you will die.”
A very calm voice flowed from Zion’s mouth. Perion wore a dumbfounded expression.
“What?”
“I said, there’s poison in that soup, if you eat it, you will die.”
At the child’s teasing words, Perion frowned.
“What does that mean!”
At Perion’s outcry demanding an explanation, Zion let out a relaxed voice.
“Most of you here probably know, but since it seems that only His Majesty the Emperor does not know, I will explain the situation.”
Perion looked at Zion with an unpalatable expression.
“I’ve been very sick since I came to the palace. But soon I realized. Something was wrong.”
“…”
“I sprinkled sugar on the food I was eating and sprinkled it on the wall, and all the ants that ate the soup were dead. Something was put in my food.”
“Is that true!”
Perion shouted in an excited voice. Emperor Perion, who had almost been poisoned, reacted very sensitively to poison.
“And when the news of my death did not reach them, I thought the anxious mastermind would not miss today.”
Zion looked at the soup in front of him.
“Today, the only food provided individually is soup. I deliberately prepared the main food and dessert on one plate.”
That’s right. Zion had asked Duke Richard to adjust the meal course in advance.
The soup was served in individual bowls, and the turkey dish and cake that came out later were all served on a communal plate for everyone to help themselves.
So if they had to poison the food, they had no choice but to use the soup.
“Probably, there was poison in the soup placed in my seat. So I mixed the soup under the pretext of reheating it, and Duke Richard informed me of that fact before eating.”
Zion’s gaze was fixed on Empress Camel.
“Probably, the mastermind knew that fact and couldn’t lift the spoon. Because they knew that the poisoned soup was also mixed in their soup.”
Perion, who had learned the situation before and after, slammed the table.
“Is this true!”
But everyone was silent. Instead, the person who answered was Duke Richard.
“Probably, there is more than one mastermind. Everyone here, except His Majesty the Emperor, couldn’t lift their spoons.”
At his words, feeling unjust, the white-haired earl stood up from his seat.
“It’s unfair! I did not participate! This is purely an act committed by Empress Camel alone!”
At the earl’s exposure, Empress Camel also jumped up from her seat.
“What are you talking about, Earl!”
“Is my word wrong! I definitely advised Empress Camel!”
“Ha, it’s not even funny. When did you all give me various opinions and now you’re trying to pull your feet out.”
As the argument grew, Perion intervened.
“Stop! Stop!”
And he spoke to the aide-de-camp.
“Call the guards! And imprison everyone here!”
“What should the charge be?”
“The crime of assassinating the crown prince.”
At Perion’s firm voice, Empress Camel rushed in.
“Your Majesty! It’s a misunderstanding!! How could I have tried to harm His Highness Zion!!”
“Take her away quickly!”
Empress Camel was dragged away by the guards, her arms seized. Her angry voice could be heard.
“Zion!! You cunning thing!! Who do you think will acknowledge you, born from a lowly mother!! You will never become an emperor!!”
People were taken away one by one. In the end, only Emperor Perion, Duke Richard, and Zion were left at the table.
Emperor Perion spoke to Zion in a mumbling manner.
“Zion.”
“…”
“I’m sorry.”
Perion slowly met Zion’s eyes.
“I’ve always been afraid to face you. Because every time I see your face, I think of her and it hurts.”
“…”
“But I was foolish. It was something I shouldn’t avoid…I’m sorry to you…”
“No, I’m glad you said that.”
Perion’s eyes, moved, twitched. Soon an excited voice popped out.
“I will announce to the whole country tomorrow that you have been appointed as the crown prince.”
“I won’t disappoint you.”
At the firm words, Perion seemed to smile happily. And he firmly grasped Zion’s hand once and got up.
“I have to go and clean up.”
“I understand.”
“See you later.”
And Perion left the banquet hall.
Zion, who was left alone with Duke Richard, muttered as if he had never done so, erasing his smile.
“Fool.”
Duke Richard was startled and covered Zion’s mouth.
“What does that mean to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Despite the duke’s reprimand, Zion’s expression was cold.
“When I become emperor, I will drive out Emperor Perion first. Such a fool is only harmful if he stays in the palace.”
At the venomous words, Duke Richard sighed.
“Duke, I will become an emperor.”
Duke Richard raised his head and looked at Zion’s small face.
The beast with a set goal was ready to jump.
“And I will pay back, everyone who drove me and my mother out and ignored us.”
The atmosphere emanating from Zion was intimidating. It was really unbelievable that he was the same age as his son, Royden.
“Just watch. I will have this Croyden Empire under my feet.”
Duke Richard was even scared for a moment. It seemed like he had brought in someone he couldn’t handle.
But the deed was already done, and it couldn’t be undone.
“I will follow.”
All he could do was pray that this young crown prince would grow up right.
