Episode 151:
Silence and stillness.
Baan’s face was frozen as if he had been hit on the head.
‘Maybe I heard wrong now?’
‘What is he talking about now?’
I could clearly see him thinking things like, ‘Aren’t you crazy?’
Then, slowly, color returned to my eyes.
It was only then that Baan realized that I was serious and not joking as I stared at him without saying anything after asking him if he wanted to become emperor.
No, he already knew I was serious.
Even before I said this, I shared a secret and approached it with a serious attitude.
Nevertheless, the reason he doubted my words was because of his fear of the emperor and his prejudice that he should not say such things.
Having been brainwashed from a young age that the emperor’s word was the law and the world, he may have felt fearful of being asked whether he would become emperor.
It may have felt blasphemous to say and think such things.
Above all, the crown prince had already been decided, and even if that were not the case, he had no confidence in becoming the crown prince despite his prominent brothers.
With no one on his side except the knights supported by the emperor, he had long since given up on the idea of becoming emperor in his own right.
“Why are you saying that?”
Baan said he didn’t understand and asked what he was thinking when he said that.
If you are caught saying something like this in the empire, you will be put to death immediately.
Fortunately, this was a kingdom, not an empire, and safety was guaranteed in the Millennium.
Nevertheless, it was natural to be careful with what you say.
“That’s…”
He quickly looked around as he said those words.
It seems like they’re trying to make sure no one is watching them.
“it’s okay. “I’ve confirmed that no one is there, so you can speak comfortably.”
That being said, I checked several times to make sure there was no one around.
In addition, I even used the Silence Scroll I brought from the Magic Tower just in case.
Unless you have the same power as an archmage, you don’t have to worry about eavesdropping.
Even if those people are together, I know that the Count, who knows their danger, will not just sit by and watch.
“Didn’t you see me tearing up the scroll? “It’s a silence spell taken from the Magic Tower, so if the two of us don’t say anything, the information from here won’t leak out.”
“….”
Despite saying that, Baan was still afraid to speak.
It may be true at first, but if it continues, it will be difficult.
I may have been scared at least once, but I still felt scared even after it was confirmed that I was safe.
The contents that come out here do not circulate in the market unless they are revealed by the people responsible for them.
‘He felt sorry for thinking this way, but he said that he was a loner in the imperial family and had no one to talk to except the knights and servants.’
Even if he wanted to speak, he couldn’t, and it didn’t occur to him that the knights who had already sworn loyalty to him would do anything to threaten their master.
Although there were some who were stupid or were attached by the emperor’s orders.
That was a problem that could be solved if Baan didn’t tell them.
Or make it your own person.
Despite his strong exterior, he was extremely weak on the inside, so it seemed difficult for him to make them his people.
There are three things to which knights pledge allegiance:
First, ambition. When that person has tremendous ambition and potential that they fall in love with.
Second, when you receive grace. In some cases, knights swear loyalty to repay a debt of their hearts.
Thirdly, if it is the son or daughter of someone who has received the knight’s loyalty.
This was Baan’s third case, and most of the articles that came in that way were.
He was knighted simply because he was the emperor’s child, but he had no merit of any kind.
Unlike other royal family members, he had no ambition.
If he couldn’t do anything because he had no ambition, he would push himself into a corner.
Who would feel good about such a person and want to pledge loyalty to him?
Nevertheless, the reason for helping him was feelings such as sympathy and pity.
And those emotions are often abandoned when a crisis occurs.
So, except for a very few people, some people don’t even bother to talk to him.
Although that is his weakness.
‘In times like this, it’s an advantage.’
Where can I go and talk about this when I have no one to talk to?
That was a big part of what prompted me to say this to him.
Although it is difficult to trust people, you can trust the situation.
“I will ask you again. “Do you have any intention of becoming emperor?”
“….”
He still didn’t answer, so I decided to go out strong.
“If you don’t have one, I will pretend that what happened today never happened. In addition, I will try to distract the prince.”
“…!”
“Why are you so surprised? I think you can expect this… but it’s strange that you can still be close to the prince after saying something like this. On the contrary, if you show signs of discomfort when we are nearby, people around you will become suspicious and they will know that this has been said.”
“….”
“yes. The prince must be feeling unfair. I just listened without saying anything. That’s why I’m going to give it to you.”
You may think that I am selfish. They might look at me like I’m crazy.
However, since we have mentioned the emperor, we must go out strong.
That way, he won’t go around talking about what happened here.
He looked at me blankly and hurriedly opened his mouth.
“why…?”
“Why are you asking? It’s simple. The prince has no merit. It’s difficult for me to get something through the prince. I would have given it to you, but in my current state, it is difficult to get anything. No, it’s impossible. I hate a life that only gives to one side. “I like a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit each other.”
“….”
“Is there anything the prince can give me now? no. doesn’t exist. “Rather, if you remain as stubborn as before, ‘that’ situation will be created.”
Baan bit his lip tightly.
I felt anxious, as if my lip would tear at any moment and bleed.
“You can yell at me for being rude. It doesn’t matter if you punish me. But I hope you know this much. “Even if it’s not me, other people will be the same.”
“But…”
“But, there is nothing that is not there when you sleep. Let’s take an example. “The prince likes Daria, right?”
He flinched at the word ‘Daria’ and slowly nodded.
“The prince probably knows that although he likes Daria, Daria does not. It’s strange that you reacted so strongly and didn’t know. Then, prince, do you know why Daria hates you?”
“….”
“For Daria, the prince is just a kid who carries his father on his back and runs wild.”
“…!”
He widened his eyes, as if he was offended by my words.
Ignoring it, I continued speaking.
“Let’s assume that the prince is not a member of the royal family. But the behavior is the same as now. So what do you think? “I can already see the results.”
“Ah…”
Baan opened his mouth blankly.
Unlike his blank face, as if something had occurred to him, his fists were shaking.
“What you guessed now is probably correct. Let’s assume that the current crown prince has become emperor. So what do you think the crown prince will do with the other royal family members? As far as I know, the current crown prince’s personality is not that good… If you think about it based on that, it’s simple. He will not leave behind any regrets that pose even the slightest threat to him. “They will send them into exile or kill those they don’t need.”
“….”
Even though he was cursing his brother, he couldn’t say anything.
Because I know that what I say is not wrong.
He is still receiving the worst treatment, and there was no reason for him to remain in the imperial family after the emperor changed.
The reality was that if you couldn’t prove your worth, you would be dealt with.
“If the outcome is already decided, who would want to become friends with someone whose outcome is unlikely to be good? If there are, they are probably due to the prince’s current status. Even though he cannot become an emperor, being a prince itself is of great benefit right now. “If you drink the sweet water and no more comes out, the prince will be thrown away.”
“….”
He spoke a little harshly.
He openly told him that if nothing changed, he would eventually die.
Baan, who heard those words, was surprisingly calm.
Rather, he appeared calm as if he knew.
I was a little embarrassed by that sight.
I continued talking to him without revealing my feelings.
“I will ask you one last question. Would you like to become emperor?”
“…I am.”
He, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth.
“Am I able to do it just because I want to?”
There was moisture in his voice.
“Is it possible to do it just because I want to? I am! “Just because you want to be an emperor, does that mean you can become an emperor?”
Baan spoke without stopping, as if venting out all the anger that had been building up for a long time.
“I was always alone. Whenever someone came to me, I lost them because of my brothers. Even if I tried to do something, I was monitored, and I was banned from entering the training hall, and there was a designated area where I was not allowed to leave. If I want something, can I achieve it when my hands and feet are cut off? no. I can’t. Even if I tried to do something, I failed. Even if I tried to do something, it got blocked before I could, so I couldn’t do anything. All I can do is act like a little bitch and rebel a little. How can I hope for something like this? “There was no other way but to endure and endure.”
In the end, I let out a small sigh as he shed tears.
What would I have done if I were stuck in one place and unable to do anything?
It must have been difficult. I may have felt like giving up on everything because it was difficult, but I wouldn’t have given up.
Because I didn’t want to die.
Still, hearing his inner thoughts made me feel somewhat at ease.
At least I could tell that he wasn’t lacking any motivation.
Because I could see that he was not in a state from which recovery was impossible.
“You said you couldn’t hope for it.”
“….”
“Then you can wish for it from now on. “I will help you.”
“…!”
He looks up at me. He strongly supported his shoulder and continued speaking.
“I will help you no matter what your prince desires. Instead, please make a promise. “Even if a situation comes where I feel like giving up everything, I will become emperor.”
Baan, who was looking at me quietly, opened his mouth.
He looked hesitant as if he was thinking about something, but then spoke as if he had made up his mind.
I will become an emperor.