Chapter 5: The Prince’s New Clothes

“But why are you suddenly trying to get close to the scribe?”

As soon as they left the Archive, Martin asked cautiously.

“The Archive is like a cradle of information for the Imperial Family, holding all sorts of knowledge. There’s nothing to lose by getting close to someone who works there, is there?”

“……?”

Martin’s eyebrows shot up in confusion.

Of course, it was hard for him to understand.

Someone who’d been holed up in the palace was suddenly obsessed with information?

But to succeed in the tasks ahead, the Archive was absolutely essential.

People who could easily access difficult records or information.

Those were the scribes of the Archive.

Zenon was one of them.

‘So if I can make Zenon take my side, I’ll be able to access almost any information about the Empire with ease.’

In his previous life, Zenon had already been on his side, but it was not as easy to restart that connection as he’d thought.

As they continued talking, before he knew it, the Boronia Palace was right in front of him.

“Are you going to see Her Majesty the Empress?”

“Yes, I should.”

Visiting his mother every day to pay his respects.

It was something he hadn’t done in the past.

“Your Highness.”

As he entered his mother’s chambers, Amanda sat on the bed and smiled brightly at Rohan.

Her long silver curls and the haggardness brought on by illness—yet even that couldn’t hide her beauty.

A noble, radiant beauty.

But that beauty had doomed her to a tragic life.

That was Amanda, Empress of the Schubert Empire and his mother.

“How is your health?”

“Of course. And how is your studying, Your Highness?”

Ever since Rohan became the Crown Prince, Amanda addressed her own son with formal honorifics.

She believed no one should ever slight the Crown Prince, and she would set the example herself.

“Yes, Mother. Of course.”

Rohan hid his bitterness and showed a smile.

At this time of year, there was no cure for his mother’s fragile nerves.

No medicine worked, and even the most renowned physicians of the Capital had shaken their heads in defeat.


—Forgive me, but this is an illness of the heart. No medical skill can cure it.


When Rohan was young, he hadn’t understood.

He didn’t know why his mother had suffered such deep wounds of the heart.

‘I only learned the truth right before I died.’

Even now, thinking of what happened to Amanda two years ago when she entered the Capital still pained him deeply.


—Rohan, let’s go. Let’s meet your father.


When he turned twelve, his mother had suddenly packed their things with a trembling, excited face.

It was after she’d received an old-fashioned letter, something rare in their rural village.

Hearing they were to meet his father, Rohan had followed her with nervous excitement, and they arrived at the Capital.

But even after a month, he never saw the face of his father, the Emperor.

At the time, it had only been a short while since the birth of the Third Prince, Elliot.

Naturally, mother and son became unwelcome burdens, shoved out to the remote Boronia Palace.


—Why, why!


His mother slowly fell apart.


—Did you not promise, Beltar?


Every night, she gazed at the letter sent by the Emperor, soaking her pillow with tears.

‘She never knew it was all a meticulous scheme to drive her away.’

Like father, like daughter.

Empress Emilia, upon Amanda’s arrival, had been extremely displeased.

She’d ordered someone to forge the Emperor’s and Amanda’s handwriting, turning their letters into vicious missives.

Naturally, the real letters had been disposed of separately.

Amanda, knowing nothing, tried to believe in the Emperor until the end, but finally broke—and now they were here.


“Don’t worry about me, Mother. Please only think of your health.”

Rohan took Amanda’s thin hand as he spoke.

“Your Highness, I am already……”

“You’ll get better soon.”

Rohan’s eyes gleamed.

Upon hearing the illness was incurable, Amanda had already lost her will to fight.

But Rohan had no intention of letting his mother go like this.

“I’ll make sure you recover.”

Back then, he’d had no idea what to do, but now things were different.

Step by step, slowly.

He would set right the things that had gone wrong in the past.

If he could return the wayward wheels to their tracks, the future was bound to change.

“But, Mother. Right now, isn’t Reginald managing all the finances of Boronia Palace?”

“That’s right. Why do you ask, Your Highness? Is there a problem with Reginald?”

At Amanda’s questioning gaze, Rohan smiled.

“It’s nothing. Well then, I’ll be going. Even if it’s hard, you must remember to eat and take your medicine, all right? Promise me.”

Amanda let out a soft, small laugh at Rohan’s concern.

“Who does our prince take after to be so kind? I promise.”

“Yes, Mother. You promised.”

Rohan left the room with a smile, but the corners of his mouth soon fell.

‘Reginald Cripps. The next one to clear out among the hangers-on is you.’

Back in his room, Rohan fell into deep thought.

Reginald was like a leech sucking the blood of Boronia Palace.

Even if the Empress and the Prince were neglected, they were still royalty, so a considerable sum was allocated to the palace every month.

Yet Boronia Palace was always short on money.

A clueless young prince.

And a sick Empress.

The ones at the top of the palace had no time to care, so it was all too easy to embezzle large amounts.

When he’d found out later, he’d been consumed with rage.

On top of that, the man had even siphoned off the money meant for his mother’s medicine… truly brazen.

‘If she’d received the proper care, her health probably wouldn’t have worsened so quickly.’

The thought made his blood boil, and he clenched his fists tightly.

“How should I deal with that bastard?”

There was no doubt that Reginald was embezzling the finances of Boronia Palace.

Rohan could remember exactly where the man stashed the gold coins.

His excellent memory truly shone in moments like this.

The only issue was how to handle Reginald and make him pay for his crimes.

He’d spent many years in the palace, building a wide network and a decent reputation.

If he were to punish or dismiss Reginald out of the blue, surely some would seize on it to cause trouble.

“Ah! That’s what I’ll do.”

A good idea popped into his head.

Rohan jumped up and hurried out of his room.

“Where are you going, Your Highness?”

Martin, standing guard at the door, asked. Rohan grinned in reply.

“I’m off to see the steward for a moment.”


---


Reginald was happy.

“Lululu.”

He was humming a tune in the Boronia Palace Steward’s office.

“Aaah, it’s dazzling, dazzling.”

His eyes were sweeping over a piece of paper gilded with gold trim.

He couldn’t help but feel elated.

Every month, nearly 120 gold crowns—a small fortune—was falling into his hands.

It was enough to buy a nice house near the capital.

“To think such a wonderful opportunity would come in my twilight years. Oh gods, thank you!”

He kissed the budget allocation document issued to Boronia Palace by the Financial Management Department.

A year ago, when he’d been assigned to this remote place, he’d thought everything was over.

He’d made a careless remark to the Minister of Finance at a drinking party, which had basically resulted in his exile.

But it turned out to be a great opportunity, not a failure.

That was when Empress Amanda, previously perfectly healthy, began to lose her wits.

“If I just hold out until the end of this month, I could even emigrate to another country.”

Reginald stroked his mustache, a sly grin on his face.

His dream was to save up a fortune and live it up abroad.

Originally from a once-prosperous but now-ruined noble house, his steward’s salary was a pittance.

With the connections his father left him, he’d barely managed to enter the Capital and devote twenty years of his life, but had never achieved the life he wanted.

“But now it’s possible.”

As the manager of finances, he had the authority to distribute all the funds of Boronia Palace.

Normally, the budget reports needed to be checked by Empress Amanda, but due to the current special circumstances, he was handling everything alone.

He’d never be able to save up such a fortune even if he worked as a steward until he died, but now he could stash away a small fortune every month—how could he not be pleased?

“Hmm, this month I should squeeze out even more than usual. Where can I save some money?”

He was humming as he opened the household ledger.

Bang!

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Reginald hurriedly slammed the ledger shut in shock.

“What is this? Who dares…”

“Steward. It’s me.”

“…Your Highness?”

Reginald’s eyes went wide.

The one who’d stormed in was none other than Prince Rohan.

“Ah, ahem, well. What brings you here unannounced?”

He discreetly slipped the ledger into his desk drawer.

“Do I need to report to you in advance before coming here?”

Rohan sat cross-legged on the sofa and shot back.

“Eh? Oh, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Did the prince eat something strange today?

‘Why is he so confident all of a sudden?’

The Rohan he knew was a timid fellow, so he felt a strange sense of disconnect.

But that was all.

“I don’t know what brings Your Highness here, but please, have a cup of warm tea first.”

Ding!

He pulled a cord hanging on the wall, and soon a maid entered.

“Bring a sweet tea for His Highness.”

“Yes, Steward.”

The tea was quickly prepared, and Reginald sat down across from Rohan with a gentle smile.

“I never imagined Your Highness would come to the steward’s office in person. Is there something you’d like to request?”

He wore an exceedingly pleasant expression.

Rohan snorted inwardly, but outwardly spoke with an innocent face.

“Actually, I need some money urgently. Since you manage the palace finances, could you set aside a sum for me from the palace budget?”

“Money, Your Highness?”

Reginald coughed in surprise at the unexpected request.

He felt uneasy.

Depending on the amount the prince wanted, it could cut into the money he was pocketing.

“Uh… may I ask what you plan to use it for?”

To Reginald’s cautious inquiry, Rohan lifted his collar and answered.

“I need to get some clothes made. I’ve grown so quickly, nothing fits anymore.”

“Ah! Is that so! You should have told me sooner!”

Reginald broke into a wide grin.

What the prince wanted was a far more manageable sum than he’d feared.

“Then, I’ll immediately summon the tailor to have your clothes made. Shall I call the same one as before?”

“No.”

“…?”

Rohan smiled brightly.

“Not the usual one. This time, I’d like to use a tailor of my choosing.”

“Hmm.”

Reginald scratched his cheek unconsciously.

‘Who on earth does he want to call? It’s not like he knows any tailors.’

The only people the prince associated with were a few members of the royal family and the staff at Boronia Palace.

He knew well enough that Rohan had barely ever gone out.

As Reginald was about to ask, Rohan spoke first.

“Martin told me about a tailor. Apparently, he’s quite popular among the nobles lately. I’d like to give him a try.”

Reginald’s lips curled up again.

Of course. What tailor could the prince possibly know?

Martin was the prince’s escort knight.

A provincial noble’s second son—what would he know about recommending tailors?

At best, it would be a tailor popular among rural nobles.

“Haha, is that so? If Your Highness wishes, of course it shall be done. Please summon the tailor, and I will take care of the cost afterward.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Rohan beamed and offered his thanks at Reginald’s ready agreement.

“Then, I’ll be going!”

“Yes, Your Highness. Take care, haha.”

No sooner had Rohan’s back disappeared than Reginald shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, well. Even if he is a prince, he’s still a child—he must want to dress in fashionable clothes like everyone else.”

Reginald stroked his mustache, mocking Rohan.

He had no idea he was walking straight into a trap.