Chapter 28: The Mask and the Pledge

“To return this early? I haven't even received a report yet.”

Emperor Beltar openly displayed his discomfort.

“Of course, since it was Your Majesty's command, I intended to abide by the deadline… But simply idling after finishing everything didn't feel right, so I hurried back. Besides, isn't Your Majesty's birthday coming up soon? As a Marquis, I cannot be absent.”

The Marquis chuckled softly as he spoke.

It meant he had completed all his assigned tasks.

“Hm. Very well, I understand.”

Beltar waved his hand, ending the conversation.

As a Marquis of the Empire, claiming he couldn't sit idle after completing his work and returned—what could the Emperor say to that? He couldn't very well scold him for not resting longer.

‘His timing is remarkable.’

Rohan clicked his tongue.

The Fabian Territory he controlled was known as the granary of the Empire.

The position of Marquis brought a great deal of autonomy, as well as vast private wealth and many personal soldiers.

Moreover, with considerable real power, it was no exaggeration to say that he controlled the prices of the Empire.

Thus, even for the Emperor, it was simply reality that he couldn't just issue orders to him at will.

As Rohan glanced aside, he noticed Empress Sherilda clasping her hands tightly on her lap.

She, too, must not have expected this.

However…

“Father, then I will do my utmost to fulfill Your Majesty's will.”

The topic of succession had already been broached by Beltar himself.

At Rohan's words, Beltar arched an eyebrow and smiled faintly.

“See to it you are not lax in your preparations, Prince. You will soon hear good news.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“This concludes today’s Council meeting.”

And so, Beltar quickly brought the meeting to a close.

Once the meeting ended—

As the Emperor and Empress left the room, Marquis Fabian immediately approached Rohan.

“I heard you successfully completed the Prince’s Examination in the Gerald Territory, Your Highness.”

“Marquis Fabian. I’d heard you were working in a faraway land. You must have had a hard time.”

“Hardship? Not at all. I simply do my duty with responsibility for the Empire, as always.”

He smiled amiably.

‘So, he still doesn't intend to bare his fangs yet.’

Until the Emperor passed, Marquis Fabian always wore the mask of a kindly face.

Even when he offered Rohan the throne, Rohan had followed without suspicion, all because of that mask.

“But my, you’ve grown so much since I last saw you.”

“Have I? It's only been a few months.”

“Not so much in stature as…”

Marquis Fabian smiled faintly, meeting Rohan’s eyes.

“Your gaze. Your eyes have changed a great deal. As if something significant happened in my absence.”

“…”

He seemed gentle, but a sharp blade flashed within his eyes.

“There is a reason His Majesty recognized you as his successor, Your Highness. If you rise to the position of Crown Prince, it will be cause for great celebration. Let me congratulate you in advance.”

He offered his congratulations readily enough.

But that only made Rohan more suspicious.

After delivering his greeting, the Marquis returned to the group of waiting nobles.

‘He’s congratulating me so easily?’

He is by no means an easy man.

If he’s acting this way, there must be something at play…

“Your Highness!”

“Oh, you startled me.”

Rohan was taken aback by Count Needro’s shout from behind.

“Your Highness, I heard what happened in Gerald Territory through Baron. How wise you are!”

Had Rohan not been a prince, the Count might have hugged him and danced on the spot.

“Baron Gerald even sent me a statement of support for Your Highness. How did you manage to win over a man who cares for nothing but ore?”

“Ah.”

Rohan grinned.

So he’d read the note inside the pouch of mithril.

“We went to Lochtercia together, didn’t we? Demico had quite an experience there.”

“Ooh…! Lochtercia, you say. I’ve always wanted to visit.”

Count Needro, despite his wrinkled face, was brimming with energy.

“In any case, this is a tremendous success. The true successor, acknowledged by His Majesty himself!”

“...I don’t think I’m quite there yet.”

“Say no more.”

Count Needro whispered quietly.

“If you ask me, even Her Majesty the Empress seems to be supporting you. As long as you secure your position well, even the imperial authority will not be out of reach.”

“Hoho.”

As expected, a perceptive man.

“Of course, Marquis Fabian must have had his reasons for returning early. I, this old man, will find out more about that matter in detail.”

“Would you do that for me?”

If it were affairs outside the Imperial City, he could entrust them to Lucretia.

But within the Imperial City—especially among the nobility—there was no one more capable than Count Needro.

“I leave it to you.”

“It is I who should thank you, Your Highness.”

With eyes shining with a youthful purity belying his age, Count Needro disappeared.

Around them, many nobles whispered and glanced at Rohan.

‘That's enough for today.’

Building up his power was important, but he couldn’t openly mingle with the nobles here.

Rohan immediately made his way to Boronia Palace.

---

“Your Highness!”

Upon returning to the palace, a familiar face was waiting for him.

“Jenon.”

“I heard the news! You completed the Prince’s Examination with flying colors. Congratulations!”

“Thank you for coming to congratulate me like this.”

Since Jenon worked in the Imperial Records Office, Martin’s report must have made its way in yesterday.

“Well, I mean… Your Highness is someone special to me.”

…He looked a little embarrassed.

‘Was the word ‘friend’ really that precious to him?’

Growing up lonely under a strict father, and working in a place by himself, he must have felt very isolated.

“Don’t just come when something like this happens—come visit often. It’s good to see your face at the palace.”

Rohan said with a gentle smile, and Jenon’s eyes sparkled.

“Truly? Of course! I’d love that too!”

“Your Highness?”

At that moment, the click-clack of heels rang in the lobby as someone came downstairs.

“Ah, Lucretia.”

“The Empress’s dress I was making has been completed. Would you care to see it?”

“All right. Let me finish greeting my guest, and I’ll come by shortly.”

“Understood.”

She seemed to have shadows under her eyes, but she left with a bright smile.

“By the way… who is that lady?”

Jenon couldn’t take his eyes off Lucretia’s retreating figure as he asked.

“Oh, is this your first time seeing her? She’s a tailor staying at the palace to make my mother’s clothes.”

“There are tailors that beautiful?”

“…Heh.”

A man is a man, after all.

He couldn't take his eyes off a beautiful woman.

“You know the Finch family?”

“Ah, yes! I’ve heard of them. They’re very popular among young nobles these days.”

“Lucretia is the founder of that family.”

“Oh, is that so… Wait, what?”

Jenon’s eyes went wide.

“That lady founded the family? I thought it was some long-established lineage of master tailors…”

Lucretia was a clever woman.

She’d built up her fame so that people thought her house was a deeply traditional and renowned tailoring family.

‘Of course, her original family, the Hartfords, did have deep expertise in that field.’

At any rate, her business sense was undeniably impressive.

“To make the Empress’s dress… That must cost a fortune.”

“Her price is indeed soaring these days.”

I’d heard she was refusing all other requests just to stay at the palace.

If anything, scarcity had driven her fee up even higher than before.

“By the way, are you satisfied with your current work?”

“My job? Hmm…”

Jenon scratched his cheek.

“My father insists I should start at the lowest post in the Imperial City, so it’s not really a matter of being satisfied or not.”

So like Count Lorance, who valued proper procedure above all.

“But if you’re capable, you can rise through the ranks faster.”

Rohan remarked casually.

“Well, that’s true. But rising above your superiors is no easy feat.”

“Then just make it easy.”

“Pardon?”

Jenon blinked.

“If I help you, wouldn’t that do the trick?”

“…!”

“After all, the Imperial City is all about power struggles. If I gain real power, I can do a lot for you.”

“T-That…”

Jenon took a deep breath.

It wasn’t that he lacked ambition.

Raised by a conservative father, he’d always played the dutiful eldest son, but it was hard to call that truly his own life.

“This country is in decline. Why? Because most, like you, never even try to learn Imperial affairs and instead live lazily, waiting for inherited titles. It’s a shame.”

“…”

He was right.

For the eldest son of a count’s family to work at the lowest rank in the Imperial City—Jenon was an exception.

“Just think of your peers who do nothing but drink themselves into a stupor from noon onward. What would happen to the Empire if such people were put in charge?”

Nobles who thought only of their own gain, with no care for the Empire’s future or its people.

As Marquis Fabian’s power grew, the tyranny of such men only became more obvious.

Why? Because the fist right in front of your eyes is always scarier than a distant imperial authority.

And all of this would come out into the open after Emperor Beltar’s passing.

‘That’s why I need you, Jenon.’

His family was the most trusted among the conservative houses by the commoners.

And it was a family that lived for the Empire alone—the Lorance family.

“I intend to do everything I can to set this Empire right. That’s why I went all the way to the distant Gerald Territory.”

“Your Highness…”

Rohan smiled as he looked into Jenon’s eyes.

“I believe it’s not too late. Because there are still people like you, quietly working behind the scenes.”

“…!”

Jenon’s eyes trembled.

Among noble youths his age, Jenon was always the butt of jokes.

Thanks to his father, who gave everything to the commoners, their family was always poor, and unlike his peers who enjoyed luxury and leisure, Jenon worked day and night at the Imperial City.

—

That’s the penniless count’s son.

Look at those rags. Haha! So rustic.

Are his shoes worn through already?

—

He hadn’t attended a gathering of noble scions in some time because of such whispers.

His father always said that the power of nobles existed for the people.

He knew his father’s words weren’t wrong, but it was disheartening that no one acknowledged them.

But…

“Will you help me turn the world back to what it should be, Jenon?”

Rohan was different.

“Your Highness…”

He was the first to recognize Jenon’s dedication to the Empire.

Moreover, Rohan himself was willing to act to set this twisted world right…

Jenon’s eyes grew moist.

“This humble Jenon Lorance pledges himself to your will, Your Highness.”

Knowing that what he and his father had done was not wrong—

Just that one thing filled Jenon with deep comfort and ignited a great passion in his heart.