Chapter 3

I felt my mind clear as I made up my mind.

“I told you I’m meeting other royals today, right?”

Rudi nodded.

“Yes, Your Highness. They’re the usual people you meet. Just earlier, I received a message from one of their maids while bringing breakfast. They asked to meet as soon as the knights get back.”

“Can you cancel it? No, you must cancel it.”

“Yes, that’s not difficult.”

Rudi showed a look that suggested he had something to say.

“Your Highness, if it’s not too rude, may I ask why? They’re people you usually meet and discuss governance with, right?”

“Nothing too special. I just want to live a bit differently.”

I looked at the shelves filled with books.

Anyone could see that a royal with great ambitions was trying to learn about the art of ruling.

I glanced at the sword placed on one of the shelves.

The ebony handle gleamed with wear.

It was obviously the sword of a swordsman who had trained diligently with ambition.

I suddenly realized just how young I was at seventeen.

What kind of thoughts did I have living so upright?

Perhaps a wish for support.

Even if I were the emperor, I would have certainly doubted my intentions.

“Rudi.”

“Yes?”

“Call someone and sell all these books. You can donate them to the imperial palace library or let the other maids take them.”

“What? You cherished them so much. Didn’t you say that people create books, and books create people?”

“That’s enough now. What does a piece of paper matter in the grand scheme of things?”

“Your Highness!”

“Sell all the books and bring me some wine.”

Rudi hesitated.

“The wine is only given in limited quantities. If it disappears, it will be immediately noticed.”

“Cooking wine is fine. Bring it. Buy wine with the money from selling the books. If possible, something strong.”

“Why the sudden change? You usually don’t drink.”

Rudi trembled.

I’m sorry.

Is today too confusing for you?

To be honest, I find this situation funny as well.

Just a few hours ago, I had resolved never to live as a bandit again, and on the very first day of my return, I’m acting like a bandit.

“Will you bring me the wine or not? If not, I’ll jump out.”

“I’ll bring it! I’ll bring it! Just wait a moment.”

But there was nothing that could be explained right now.

It was embarrassing to show her this side of me, and it hurt that I couldn’t apologize.

I could only feel sorry for myself.

I watched Rudi dash away with rapid footsteps.

Around lunchtime, Rudi returned.

He was carrying two bottles of wine and a bottle of cognac.

“I’ve informed the merchant who delivers supplies to the Crimson Crescent Palace about selling the books. I’ve also told the other maids, so they should all be out in a few days.”

“Thank you.”

“The other royals were quite surprised. Some were even coming to visit… What should we do?”

“What should we do about what?”

With my past experience, I skillfully popped the cork from the wine bottle with my bare hands.

As I poured the fragrant dark purple liquid into a wide glass, I continued speaking.

“Don’t let them in. If they try to break in, call me then.”

“Yes, yes.”

Rudi stuttered, clearly bewildered.

“Rudi.”

“Yes?”

I mouthed “I’m sorry.”

For a moment, a spasm flashed across Rudi’s face.

Seeing that expression, I took a sip of the wine.

As expected, it was just good for cooking; it smelled nice but lacked flavor.

I quickly finished both bottles of wine and the bottle of cognac.

The tipsiness spread throughout my head like a fog.

I sprawled out on the bed, making a mess of the room.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

* * *

“Lord Valen! Lord Valen! What is going on?”

Here we go.

Rudi glanced at me and made gestures.

I think she was asking, “What should we do?”

“Don’t let them in.”

Rudi nodded.

“Lord Valen! Open the door!”

The large, thick wooden door shook as if it would break.

“You’re not in there, are you?”

“Did you perhaps receive orders for self-infliction?”

“Self-infliction? What does that mean?”

“No, there’s a possibility. As long as Lord Valen is alive, he will always pose a threat to Jeilliris’s claim to the throne.”

“I see. After all that, he’s definitely her brother.”

“Then shouldn’t we go in? Maid! Maid! Open the door! Hurry!”

Hearing that voice, I quietly said, “Open it now.”

Rudi scurried like a squirrel and opened the door.

“I apologize, but Lord Valen is not in a state to receive guests right now.”

“Get out of the way! I need to see if he’s safe.”

“How dare a mere maid block my way!”

A bear-like man entered the room.

The room seemed packed.

It didn’t take long for him, who was looking at me with a delighted expression, to frown.

“Wine?”

The skinny man who followed murmured.

“What’s this all about?”

I spoke in a slurred voice.

The royals who had rushed in all wore bewildered expressions.

The room looked like it had been ransacked by two sword masters fighting.

The room, with its curtains drawn and candles extinguished, was dark despite it being daytime.

Broken glass pieces lay scattered on the floor.

Spilled wine soaked into the carpet, filling the air with the scent of alcohol.

Books that were neatly arranged on the shelf were now strewn across the floor.

The drawers were open, and secret compartments were exposed.

Burnt letters were flying up the chimney.

I, the owner of the room, lay face down on the bed, reeking of alcohol.

“What’s going on here?”

“How could you, who were once so dignified, display such shameful behavior!”

The royals rushed in to try and lift me.

I staggered like a corpse rising from the grave and fell onto the carpet.

My white shirt, which had soaked up so much wine, was now closer to purple.

“I heard you’ve given away all the books.”

“Why is the drawer open? Did her knights come in and out?”

I prepared a sentence to irritate them.

“Her? Watch your words. She is the emperor!”

At my words, they clicked their tongues.

“Clearly drunk.”

“Tell me what happened so I can help you.”

A royal man gripped my shoulder to sit me up.

I shrugged off his touch and replied.

“I have made up my mind. And I propose to you all: just give up. It’s a lost cause. Accept it now. The emperor of the empire is Jeilliris.”

Their expressions hardened.

“I’ll take that as drunken ramblings.”

“No, it’s even less likely to be something I’d say if I were sober.”

The bear-like man grabbed me by the collar and stood me up.

“Watch your mouth, Valenciaunos. My brother died for her.”

I shot him a chilly look.

“Your brother invited her in and forced her to drink poisoned wine.”

The royals pretended not to have heard what I’d said.

“This guy is completely useless.”

“Is he serious? Valenciaunos.”

“Think about it. You and I are in the same situation. We’re trapped in this cramped room in the Crimson Crescent Palace.”

“Staying like this, we might die any moment without anyone the wiser!”

“What’s the difference if you flatter her? Do you think that murderer will give you anything more?”

Just then, a royal woman spoke.

“She might give you more.”

All eyes turned to her.

“She and we are half-siblings. But Valenciaunos and she are full siblings, twins born on the same day.”

A moment of silence followed.

The skinny man cautiously opened his mouth.

“I have to ask this. My brother Valenciaunos. Did her knights come to you? Have you seen our letters? Did you speak of our discussions?”

I saw his hand sneak down to an undisclosed dagger at his waist.

I shook my head.

“I’ve had no knights come. This is solely my decision.”

“How can I trust that?”

“You just called me ‘brother,’ didn’t you? That makes you my brother too.”

“But you are a full sibling to her.”

The royal man and woman narrowed their eyes.

“Traitor.”

Someone spoke up first.

“Traitor!”

“Traitor!”

Yes, this was who they were.

I smiled bitterly, recalling events from forty years ago.

They dreamed of escape and revolt, yet couldn’t trust their comrades.

Amid the chaos that had disrupted the line of succession, all they thought about was clawing their way to the throne for themselves.

The reason the rebellion in my past failed even before it began lay in infighting and betrayal.

I leaned back on the bed with a sigh.

The rising intoxication made my whole body feel warm.

“I thought you were a man of great ideals.”

The bear-like man lifted me up once more.

“To believe in nothing but blood ties and abandon your comrades.”

“Don’t talk about comrades around me.”

I said coldly.

“Did you ever trust me from the start? You traitorous scoundrels.”

“What did you just say?”

“You’re definitely a traitor.”

“Cut off his tongue and hands! We must prevent him from squealing.”

“It’s already too late. Kill him!”

A scream filled with madness echoed through my room.

Rudi sent me a frightened glance.

I smiled back at her.

Don’t worry; I knew this would happen from the start.

These royals are all like this.

Strong but greedy and suspicious.

I am too.

I picked up an empty wine bottle next to me.

“It’s pointless for me to say, ‘I am a bandit.'”

I murmured softly.

“Huh?”

“What did you just say?”

“Others should say, ‘That author is a bandit.'”

They must have been furious.

They’d surely return to their rooms to complain to the maids.

And like red blood cells circulating through the imperial palace, the rumors would spread.

I hope my bad rumors spread quickly.

“Get out of my room! You filthy traitorous scum!”

I swung the wine bottle hard at the head of the bear-like royal man.

It was an action I had practiced far too many times against innocent people during my bandit years before the return.

The glass bottle landed precisely on his forehead, making a sharp sound as he fell to the floor.

“What a madman!”

“Catch him!”

I laughed maniacally and picked up a second wine bottle to swing it.

“Bring it on if you dare!”

They’ve never killed anyone themselves.

Would I lose, having fought on battlefields?

I swung the wine bottle at their temples and jabbed at their hands with a fork.

“Run away!”

“That insane bandit.”

The royals rushed out of the corridor in chaos.

“Lord Valen. What should we do with these people?”

The bear-like man collapsed from the blow to my wine bottle.

One royal slipped on the spilled wine on the floor and fainted.

Several other royals fell to the ground, struck by my wine bottles, or got tangled up as they rolled around.

“Ugh…!”

“…My head.”

I drew back the curtains and threw open the window wide.

“Let’s throw them out.”

What, would they die?

“What if they do?”

I smiled and responded.

“Either way, in a month, we’ll all be dragged out. Whether I die today or then, it doesn’t matter.”

* * *

“Keep a close watch. You never know when he might squeal.”

“Indeed, he is truly one of my blood.”

“That guy will soon be framed and killed. Surely, she wouldn’t allow anyone with a higher claim to the throne to remain alive.”

“You madman. To stab someone’s hand with a fork and throw them out the window!”

“My arm is broken.”

For days, the royals gathered outside my room, engaging in scattered discussions.

They were not only monitoring me but also each other.

Distrusting one another, they came together like ants around a piece of sugar candy.

“Is there a problem?”

Mercenaries and soldiers were coming to check on us from outside the palace courtyard.

As a few more days passed, the knights began patrolling regularly in front of my room.

Thanks to this, I no longer had to worry about someone opening my door and stabbing me in the neck while I slept.

“Can you deliver some books?”

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

“You were right. What good would it do me to study? I just want to live my life on the royal stipend.”

“You’ve made a wise decision.”

“Yes. I have a house, food, and money; why should I harbor any ambitious dreams?”

The knight smiled with a satisfied expression.

It seemed like a load was off his shoulders.

“But.”

“But?”

“How about you cut back on the drinking?”

“Shut your mouth before I crack your head open with this wine bottle! No one can speak to me like that.”

“The head chef of the Crimson Crescent Palace has said there’s no more cooking wine.”

That bastard.

I tripped the knight as I went down the stairs.

“Oops!”

“It was an accident. I’m sorry.”

I could see him grinding his teeth in frustration.

It was unfortunate that he had to endure such treatment for meeting the wrong person.

But I couldn’t help but hope that he would see me as more of a trash character.

That way, I would be harmless to her.