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121

“……Are you asking about the world I aspire to?”

Serenon paused significantly at my question, looking dazed as he replied. The slight flicker in his eyes seemed to indicate that he had never been asked such a question before.

‘…Is it possible that the second prince, who may become an Emperor, has never heard this question before?’

I, too, was taken aback and wondered what the issue was as I gazed at Serenon. After a moment of blinking as if processing it all, he finally parted his lips with a vacant expression.

“Until now… no one has been curious about my thoughts. I just had to follow the orders of Cypheros.”

“Oh.”

I let out a soft sigh.

What Cypheros desired was a puppet Emperor who would move according to his whims, not Serenon himself.

Helios loved Serenon, yet as an Emperor, his interest in Serenon could easily be interpreted as a political move that jeopardized Diego’s position, thus he couldn’t show too much interest in him.

Tina was perhaps the only one who genuinely loved Serenon, but she was too busy maneuvering to grant him power, leaving no time to care for him.

‘How is it that no one feels pity for him?’

Thinking of Serenon, who had never been able to express an opinion, felt like my heart was caught in a fishing line and painfully tight.

Seeing Diego and Serenon in their forced rivalry for the throne felt like witnessing a tragedy with no winners, only victims.

“In any case, the throne belongs to my brother… so listening to my opinion would be pointless, wouldn’t it?”

Serenon, now devoid of hesitation in his demeanor, replied smoothly. His face bore a mechanical smile, suggesting he felt he shouldn’t voice his thoughts.

I blinked for a moment, momentarily lost for words, then hardened my expression.

“……Still, I’m curious. I want to hear about the world Serenon Solatin dreams of.”

I pushed Diego to be the Emperor, and naturally, I couldn’t support Serenon because of it. However, that didn’t mean I wanted him to turn into a lifeless puppet who couldn’t even dream of ideals.

Dreaming is the right of every living human being. Serenon was no exception.

Serenon gazed at me intently. The dull sky reflected in my vivid pink eyes, creating an unusual violet hue.

“……When I was young, I once read a book in the Imperial Palace library.”

Watching his once-dead eyes begin to shine brought joy at any time.

“I don’t remember the title, but it was a collection of petitions and suggestions written by students attending the Imperial Academy. It was an old book. Honestly, I barely recall the content now… but there’s one thing I clearly remember and can’t forget.”

Serenon continued in a grave voice, looking up at the sky. Stars had yet to rise, yet in Serenon’s eyes, one could swear they already twinkled.

“It was a piece by a student named Anteia Hella, requesting improved recognition of the beast folk.”

‘…Anteia Hella?’

I narrowed my brows at a somewhat familiar name. A strange sensation crawled up my spine, but I brushed it off and nodded.

‘The recognition of the beast folk… definitely worth petitioning about.’

Beastfolk. Among the many ethnic groups and tribes that inhabit this continent, they rank as the strongest when considering average individual strength.

Based on that power, they once thrived across the continent in clusters, demonstrating a tremendous sense of presence, but that was all in the past.

‘The beastfolk massacre incident.’

Human narrow-mindedness produces horrifying disasters. For over a century, terrified of the beastfolk’s might, humans banded together to massacre them, leading to a tragic event where the beastfolk almost vanished from the continent.

‘The only beastfolk to survive that massacre were the silver wolf beastfolk.’

The silver wolves evaded humans during that catastrophe through the cunning of their leader, finding refuge in the northwestern part of the continent, where they have survived ever since.

‘The only beastfolk left are the silver wolves, yet people’s perceptions of them remain poor.’

The Empire’s texts still describe the beastfolk as threatening beings, leading the citizens to harbor disdain towards them. This can only be seen as a perpetuation of incorrect perceptions stemming from faulty education.

“The student’s suggestion to ban overly biased literature against the beastfolk and to implement new education was quite valid. The passage I read in that forceful petition remains vividly etched in my memory.”

Serenon’s eyes turned towards me as he gazed at the sky. Those eyes contained a determined glimmer.

“‘Everything has its cracks. The Empire of the Sun is no exception. These cracks may appear as blemishes, but I believe light seeps in through those gaps. Nothing is perfect without trial and error. If you’ve witnessed light entering through a crack created by mistakes, do not merely try to seal those gaps but instead break down the walls. Embrace the light from outside. Please don’t turn your back on it.'”

The massacre of the beastfolk was one of the worst deeds ever committed by early humans. Yet to this day, that incident remains unresolved, with the surviving silver wolves living in discrimination and without so much as receiving an apology.

The large crack cannot be stopped. It could not be erased. Light will continue to enter ambiguously through those gaps, provoking guilt like a relentless torment.

To break free from the shackles, one had to demolish the walls and confront the light.

“I wish for a world where no one is neglected. I believe my brother will surely create that world.”

At the center of his voice was a solid gemstone. A gemstone that could shine and become a jewel.

“I want to see such a world too.”

I smiled with satisfaction.

Before I knew it, the sun was precariously hanging at the horizon’s edge. As the gradually cooling wind dried the sweat on my body, I felt it was time to get up.

“I think I should be leaving soon.”

“Oh, are you leaving?”

Serenon, who had also risen, wore an expression of disappointment. Suppressing a laugh at the view of Serenon, who looked like a puppy getting left behind by its owner, I extended my hand toward him.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

“You as well, Master.”

Serenon grasped my hand, shaking it with familiarity. In that brief moment of gazing into his eyes, a deep sense of connection spread between us.

‘It must be somewhere around here.’

After parting from Serenon, I made my way out to the garden, excusing myself with a claim of taking a stroll, clutching the letter I received from Tina as I searched around.

It was not easy to meet royalty. One had to be called by the royalty in person or possess a definitive invitation.

‘But Tina… sent me a discreet letter instead of an invitation. There’s not even a royal seal on it.’

Without an invitation sealed with the royal crest, one cannot meet royalty. There’s no way Tina wouldn’t know this, so her calling me in this manner undoubtedly indicated she didn’t wish for a public meeting.

However, the letter mentioned neither the place nor the method for meeting. After pondering Tina’s intentions all day, I made a guess about her plausible intent.

‘Tina sent the letter as a postcard.’

Nobles, especially those of royalty, do not use postcard paper. It feels too trivial.

Even so, Tina using a postcard must mean the illustration on it carries significance.

‘The fountain in the garden next to the Empress’s palace.’

The location depicted on the postcard.

I had never been to the garden next to the Empress’s palace, and at first, I was puzzled when I only saw the fountain. However, upon noticing that the palace was behind the fountain, I made an educated guess about its location.

‘It should be around here.’

In a deserted area where no one was present, I searched for the fountain from the picture, and soon I was certain that I had found my way upon feeling a presence ahead.

As I walked a bit faster, the fountain from the postcard soon came into view, along with a figure draped in a black robe. I couldn’t help but smile.

“I greet Her Majesty, the Empress.”

As I politely bowed and greeted, the figure quietly pulled down the hood of the robe.

By now, the sun had set, and the garden was enveloped in darkness, illuminated only by the bright moon. Perhaps it was the time of year when lilacs bloomed, for a deep lilac fragrance seemed to emanate from her light purple hair under the moonlight.

Even wearing a dark, assassin-like robe, her elegance and presence could not be concealed.

The woman who invited me to this moonlit secret meeting was Tina Cypheros.

Her pale blue eyes, more suited for the moon than the sun, gazed at me with a regal dignity. Those eyes seemed like those of a predator that could subdue its prey with just a glance.

Before her, I maintained a smooth smile.

‘…She came without even a single guard.’

Quietly observing my surroundings, I reached this conclusion. Despite calling me discreetly, I had expected her to have guards hidden nearby, yet I felt no presence at all.

‘Does she… trust me?’

I slowly wiped a hand over my mouth.

Even though Tina should have inferred from my ability to smoothly carry out the role of Serenon’s swordsmanship teacher that I wasn’t weak, her coming to meet me without a single guard felt suspicious.

‘She suddenly calls a supporter of the Crown Prince, telling me the Empire is in danger… What could this be about?’

Although I had come here without hesitation upon hearing the urgent claim about the Empire’s peril, the truth was I had no idea what she was about to say.

I was close enough to Diego that I could be considered one of his close aides. Knowing that Tina had been relentlessly trying to eliminate Diego, I felt there wasn’t likely to be anything good coming from her.

‘But it’s strange that I still don’t get a sense of impending danger.’

Even until now, Tina exuded none of the ominous energy characteristic of a dangerous person.

Unconsciously trying to calm my nerves, I maintained a polite smile as I waited for her to speak.

The one who invited me to come here was Tina herself, yet she had remained silent since my arrival.

How long had I patiently waited, watching her wear a perplexed expression as she kept her lips sealed?

With a sigh that seemed to speak of resignation, she finally fixed her gaze directly at me. There was resoluteness in Tina’s eyes, revealing whatever it was she wished to say.

“……Actually, I’m still not sure if I can tell you this. However, there’s no one else to whom I can disclose this.”

Tina’s heavy tone made me solemnly match my expression. My curiosity piqued, I scrutinized her, yet her face showed only sincerity.

“I don’t expect you to wholeheartedly trust me. After all, I am known as the greatest villain of the Imperial Palace. Yet, I hope you’ll still listen to me.”

Her words, beginning in self-deprecation, concluded with a solemn request. As I stared blankly at Tina’s unwavering gaze, her lips slowly parted.

“On the upcoming Foundation Day, at the festival in the Capital, a major terror attack is set to occur.”

 

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