Chapter 12

“The nobles are utterly useless. How could they stand by and watch such an Emperor? It seems they only care about their own safety, no matter what happens to the country.”

Of course, until recently, we were such nobles too.

Nobles who knew about the tyrant’s tyranny against the people but did nothing, and could do nothing.

I cautiously opened my mouth, agreeing with my mother-in-law.

“…There will be more people watching the Emperor’s every move from now on. He even brought a well-established duchy to this state…”

“……”

Her fists trembled.

Our family had been used by the tyrant as an example to other nobles.

Anyway, there was no force in this country that could stand against the tyrant.

Even the parliament was powerless before him.

The army under the tyrant was growing stronger, bolstered by the troops he had seized and absorbed from the nobles.

“How long do we have to live under such a tyrant…”

I let out a resigned sigh without realizing it.

The tyrant would no longer bother me or my family.

We had lost so much that there was nothing left to destroy.

But the fact that such an unscrupulous person existed under the same sky was unbearably bleak.

He would be tyrannizing someone even now.

This house, isolated as it was, felt like a precious hideout, but I couldn’t help worrying about those who would continue to suffer under the tyrant.

“Don’t worry too much, Mother. No tyrant ends well. In history books, heroes always appear in times like these.”

“A hero…? You still talk like it’s a story.”

“Wouldn’t it be great if someone appeared and defeated the tyrant? Then I’d be very happy.”

“You might as well buy a lottery ticket. Heroes are nowhere to be seen.”

Mother clicked her tongue and resumed eating her potatoes. She soon put down her spoon and gulped down some honey water, as if even that tasted bland.

I looked silently at my husband.

“……”

He was quietly watching me.

‘How long has he been looking at me?’

With curiosity, I stared back at him.

He didn’t seem to have anything to say to me.

‘Did I speak thoughtlessly…?’

Even if I wished for a hero, he couldn’t become one, nor even pretend to be one.

I regretted it, thinking I might have added to his feelings of inadequacy.

Choosing my words carefully, I spoke with a gentle smile.

“Speaking of heroes on vacation, Mother? We have our hero right here.”

“Huh?”

Mother looked at me, then followed my gaze to my husband.

I smiled warmly at him.

“Now Alec is our hero.”

I smiled more brightly.

He looked at me, bewildered.

‘He’s confused.’

No wonder, that man…

I wanted to boost his confidence.

I didn’t think he was pathetic, but from now on, I wanted to offer comfort and support rather than resentment.

So he wouldn’t have any more foolish thoughts.

Since he had secured this home and protected me, I wanted to protect him too.

“Well… he is my son after all…”

Mother, still hesitant, reluctantly agreed.

My husband and I exchanged looks for a while, then he averted his gaze.

At that moment, my mother-in-law spoke again.

“Alec? Tell me honestly.”

“Yes?”

“Did you make some kind of unfair slave contract using the house as collateral, based on something you read in a book?”

“……?”

Her unexpected question widened my eyes.

I hadn’t ruled out the possibility that he had sacrificed something of his own.

But what if he really had done something so drastic?

My husband didn’t seem like someone who would do such a dangerous thing, nor someone who would attempt to end his own life.

“Ah…”

Alec looked troubled for a moment, then put down his fork.

Surely, he hadn’t done something terrible and reckless to obtain this house…?

His next words were something I hadn’t expected.

“It’s not like that. The information dealer offered a surprisingly high price.”

“Information dealer…?”

“Information dealer…?”

My mother-in-law looked as puzzled as I did.

“What information did you sell?”

“……”

He was silent for a moment, as if thinking.

Was it difficult to tell us?

Finally, he spoke with some hesitation.

“…Do you know about the missing prince in the imperial palace?”

“Missing prince? Are you talking about Prince Ridit?”

Of course, I had heard of it.

Prince Ridit was the youngest son of the late Emperor and the first in line for the throne when the Emperor died four years ago.

However, Ridit was only three years old at the time.

The current Emperor, Axen, who was the late Emperor’s nephew, suppressed Ridit with force and ascended to the throne.

Officially, he claimed he would only act as regent until Ridit turned thirteen.

Prince Ridit, who had been confined in the palace, eventually disappeared.

No one knew what had happened to him, but everyone assumed he had been killed by the tyrant.

Mother-in-law clicked her tongue softly.

“There’s no way that child is still alive.”

“Most people believed he was dead. But in fact, he has been hiding somewhere.”

“…Is that true? Prince Ridit is alive?”

With a serious expression, Alec continued, despite Mother-in-law’s disbelief.

“Recently, some people have emerged trying to find the Prince. It seems they plan to use him to stage a rebellion.”

“Is that so?”

It was surprising news.

Indeed, there were people who couldn’t endure the chaos in the country and were rising up.

“…I did provide them with Prince Ridit’s location.”

“You did…? How do you know?”

“Yes, Alec, how could you…”

His eyes wavered slightly.

“Well…”

Mother-in-law stared at Alec for a long time. I too watched him intently.

After a brief hesitation, he finally spoke.

“You may not believe it, but I read about it in a book a long time ago.”

“A book?”

He nodded once at my question.

“Yes. It’s a book that can’t be found anymore, but I remember reading about Prince Ridit there.”

“Oh my, that’s fascinating. I wonder what kind of book it was. Maybe a diary of someone from the royal family?”

“I’m not sure who wrote it…”

He seemed genuinely unsure.

Could it be a book with an unknown author?

Mother-in-law found it intriguing as well.

“I see. I’m relieved to hear that you’ve been reading all day. I was wondering if you were lying because your speech has suddenly improved.”

“Anyway, I really hope Prince Ridit is safe. He’s the only rightful heir, isn’t he?”

It was Mother-in-law who answered my question.

“Yes, Louise. But don’t get your hopes up too much. That mad Emperor won’t step down just because of a child.”

“……”

I still wanted to believe in a hopeful outcome.

Mother-in-law continued.

“Anyway, we should have a party tomorrow to celebrate Alec’s recovery. After all, his stutter that wouldn’t go away no matter what has finally healed.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Mother. Isn’t it, Alec?”

I smiled brightly at Alec.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day with cleaning and roasting lamb.

At that moment, a cheerful and cautious voice came from somewhere.

“…Is it tasty?”

My sister-in-law peeked into the dining room from behind the wall.

Yes, it was about time for her to be hungry.

I pulled out the empty chair next to me.

“Come and sit. Next time you say you won’t eat, I won’t save any for you.”

Her lips pouted. There seemed to be more tear marks than before.

Hungry as she was, she came over slowly, looking at the table.

“You’ve already eaten so much…”

“Go ahead and eat.”

Hesitantly, she sat down, sensing something was off.

“Did something happen?”

“No. Finish your meal, Eloise. I should go in now.”

Mother-in-law was the first to rise.

After she returned to her room, Alec dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Regardless, my sister-in-law started peeling a potato. She usually didn’t care about what Alec did.

“Yes, dear. Go ahead first. I’ll clean up and rest soon.”

“……”

I smiled at him like the happiest woman in the world.

Alec silently bowed his head in response.