Chapter 124 – The Fire? That Was My Doing.
I was promptly escorted to the room.
As I stepped inside, Count Kaiman was perched on the windowsill, staring at me intently.
‘Now that I know what kind of guy he is, just looking at him makes me want to beat him senseless.”
Steeling myself, I opened my mouth to speak.
“I kept my promise. Now, isn’t it about time for you to leave?”
“Hahaha.”
Suddenly, this lunatic burst into laughter. Not only that,
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“Oh, Your Highness, you’re so naive. Did you actually believe what I said?”
Moments later, Count Kaiman rose from his seat.
“As a matter of fact, Duke Kairos stopped by earlier to ask me whether I’d truly made such a promise to Your Highness.”
“......”
“I told him no, of course not.”
The smile on Count Kaiman’s face quickly shifted into a feigned look of sadness.
“Oh, dear. Don’t make such a scary face. I was just curious, you see.”
“......Curious about what?”
“Your reaction. I was really looking forward to seeing you struggle.”
As he spoke, Count Kaiman licked his lips with his tongue.
“So please, don’t misunderstand my affection. This is all part of life experience, isn’t it? If you go through something like this when you’re young, you won’t fall for scams when you’re older.”
“You crazy bastard. I knew you’d pull something like this.”
“......Huh......?”
For a moment, Count Kaiman tilted his head in confusion. Clearly, my unexpected response had caught him off guard.
“But what are you going to do? Thanks to the confirmation from not two, but three......”
Trailing off, I reached into my coat and pulled out the item I had prepared.
“......I’ve even got a royal decree.”
“......!”
It was an official edict, stamped with the seal of the King of the Hart Kingdom.
“With the kingdom’s only three dukes and an additional two marquises in agreement—five out of eight grand nobles have united to denounce you as a threat. How could the King turn a blind eye to the pleas of his loyal subjects?”
“......”
From the beginning, I never trusted any promises made with a lunatic. That’s why I had planned this meticulously.
When the landlord says to leave his house, what can the tenant do but leave?
“Now get out of our house.”
“......Haaaaa......”
At that, Count Kaiman, who had been silent until now, let out a deep sigh.
“Your Highness always exceeds my expectations.”
“Enough of your bullshit.”
“At this rate, even I can’t hold back, can I?”
I didn’t bother replying and simply waved my hand dismissively. With a faint chuckle, Count Kaiman picked up the royal edict.
“But...... While I can see how you persuaded that bat-like old Duke Kairos, how on earth did you convince Duke Serin?”
It takes one eccentric to recognize another. Count Kaiman looked genuinely curious.
“What will you give me?”
“Pardon?”
“If I tell you, will you grant me one favor before you leave?”
“A favor......?”
Count Kaiman blinked in surprise.
“You’re the reason I’m being kicked out of this comfortable home, and now you want a favor?”
“Weren’t you the one demanding justification earlier?”
“Hahahaha!”
Soon, Count Kaiman let out a hearty laugh.
“That’s true. I was the one who intended to break my promise. So, what is this favor?”
“I doubt that bat-like geezer will stop his scheming just because of this.”
“Oh?”
“So, if you have any shred of conscience, make sure to tell him as you leave, it was because of me that you were kicked out.”
“In other words, you’re asking me to support you, Your Highness.”
Count Kaiman once again let out his characteristic laugh and nodded.
“......Hahaha. If Your Highness dies, I’ll be sure to open you up. Surely, you have at least two hearts?”
The prince simply shrugged.
“Debt must always be repaid in full, right?”
***
After concluding my talk with Count Kaiman, I returned to my quarters, where Duke Serin’s parting words echoed in my mind.
‘How did it feel, seeing someone just like you? Duke Serin.’
Yes.
For someone like Duke Serin, I prescribed ‘mirror therapy’.
‘Someone who’s lived a life like yours—me. I’ll endlessly continue down the path you took and reflect your every move. But if you still don’t feel anything, then......”
There would be no other choice. On a lifeboat with limited space, not everyone could come aboard.
‘......I’ll have to kill you.’
***
That evening, Duke Kairos paid a late visit to Duke Herman.
“The prince lied to us.”
“Pardon?”
“You said Count Kaiman wanted ‘justification’ to return. Yet the count himself acted as if he knew nothing of it.”
Duke Kairos grimaced, deeply displeased.
“I believed the prince’s words and lent him my support. Now I’m caught in a precarious position, risking enmity with the Empire in my old age.”
Watching him sigh deeply, clearly agitated, Duke Herman frowned. Ultimately, this worn-out snake would’ve supported Ancelot, anyway.
The king’s stance toward the Empire was still crucial, and Duke Kairos would prioritize loyalty to the crown.
With Duke Serin’s agreement, opposing the prince would achieve little, and defying the king would be disastrous.
“The promise from before is also concerning.”
“......What do you mean?”
“The royal decree guarantees Count Kaiman’s return to the Empire. But wasn’t the original agreement more than that?”
Catching the arsonist behind the fire at the Twilight Palace—this was the promise Ancelot had made.
Duke Kairos highlighted this failure.
“Stop beating around the bush. What’s your point?”
“It’s nice that you’re quick-witted.”
Duke Kairos’s sly smile grew as he revealed his intent.
“Since I’ve been stabbed in the back, and the prince failed to uphold his promise......”
The words that followed were audacious enough to stun even Duke Herman.
“......The half of Black Swan that the prince requested—I’ll take it for myself.”
***
“......Is what that senile fool said.”
Duke Herman stormed into my room later that night, huffing with anger.
“The fact that he’s a fellow noble is an embarrassment!”
“Don’t get so worked up. I’m fine.”
“But I’m not fine, you rascal.”
“Well, I anticipated this and already made preparations.”
“What......?”
Duke Herman looked puzzled.
By the next day, he understood exactly what I meant.
“Thank you for your hospitality. We’ll take our leave now.”
“Safe travels, Count.”
“Yes. Then, we’ll be going back to the Empire.”
The three dukes and I escorted Count Kaiman and his entourage to the gates. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the count turned back.
“Oh, right! Before I forget, there’s something important I must tell you......”
True to his word, the count had kept his promise, though in his usual madman fashion.
-The fire at Twilight Palace? That was my doing.
“......What!”
“This lunatic......!”
“......!”
Duke Kairos, Duke Herman, and Duke Serin responded in turn. Judging from their reactions, I wasn’t the only recipient of this revelation.
Should I say it was fitting of a Master of the Empire?
He used a sophisticated method of conveying his will to multiple specific targets simultaneously.
“That lunatic.”
I couldn’t help but curse out loud. I asked him to push me a little, and he nearly hurled me off a cliff instead.
* * *