One of the concubines who had been silent spoke up. Although she pretended to be concerned for me, her real intention was to undermine me. With her words, the other concubines began to join in one by one. They claimed to be concerned for my welfare, but in reality, they were condemning my actions.

I turned my eyes back to Zetak. His hair covered more than half of his face, giving him an appearance that was both suffocating and sinister. This was probably due to his grotesquely disfigured features. Had he shown his face, everyone would have panicked and demanded that he be thrown out before they had even finished their meal.

“He may be tainted by evil, but he is still human.”

“If you continue to be so stubborn, there’s nothing more I can do. As long as he remains human, I will make sure no rituals are performed in the temple. So, send him to the temple. This is your final warning. And just so you’re aware, I’ll also have the paperwork from the administrative palace discarded.”

“You’re being too one-sided. This isn’t the kind of behavior one would expect from the emperor of a nation. The selection of a personal attendant is a distinct privilege of the nobility. Regardless of His Majesty’s feelings, you have no right to interfere.”

“You’re insolent!!”

For the first time, my father raised his voice, having reprimanded me until now without true anger.

“It seems I’ve been far too lenient with you until now! Do you think there are no consequences for your actions? I attempted to handle this calmly, but clearly, that approach won’t work. I will give you one month. If you do not sincerely reflect on your behavior, I will consider deposing you!”

“Your Majesty!”

My mother was shocked by my father’s words. She gasped in surprise. In contrast, the other concubines and their sons had bright eyes. Bapharos, in particular, glowed like a predator stalking its prey. It was a fleeting moment, but it was unmistakable.

“A true ruler is not just one who is good at politics. A good king understands his ministers and can empathize with the lives of his people. Such a ruler is virtuous. But you lack the most important quality. You must know for yourself what that is.”

“…”

“If, when you return from the academy in a month, you have not changed, I will consider deposing you.”

“Your Majesty! You are being overly emotional. Please reconsider…”

“Empress, remain silent!”

“But Your Majesty! To speak of deposing Jaibid! You cannot treat me this way!”

I understood why my mother reacted that way. The other concubines speaking out like that would make it seem as if my father was serious about his threat. But I knew this wasn’t truly his intention.

In the future I had seen, I was already the Emperor. My father’s harsh words were probably just meant to scare me, in the hope that I would become more human in my behavior.

… Wait. Does this mean that I will remain Crown Prince and eventually become Emperor, as the predicted future shows? Would twisting that future increase my chances of survival even a little? By the time I had these thoughts, I had already opened my mouth.

“There’s no need to wait a month. I will resign from my position as crown prince effective today.”

There was an instant silence in the room at my sudden declaration. My mother, who had been clinging to my father, and my father himself, who had put on a stern face, both looked at me in shock.

“Even if I waited a month, you wouldn’t get the answer you want. People say I’m just clumsy at expressing emotions, but you know the truth. I’m not clumsy in expressing feelings.”

“I have no emotions.”

“As you said, Father, I will not be a good ruler. I may be able to imitate a virtuous king, but I will never be a true emperor. If I’m to be deposed anyway, it would be better to settle it early. It might even help in the power struggles between the noble factions.

“Jaibid!”

“I need to return to the academy by tomorrow, so I’ll excuse myself first.”

“Jaibid! Sit down! Where did you learn to leave while your father is still speaking?”

I ignored his call. As I began to stand, Zetak removed the napkin from my lap and pulled my chair back for me. Despite the five years that had passed, he assisted me perfectly, just as he had done so long ago.

“Are you saying I should sit back down?”

“What am I supposed to do while I sit here? Are you suggesting that we should discuss together who would be a suitable next Crown Prince?”

My father’s face twisted in anger at my words. Humans are truly fascinating. How can they be so full of emotion? With that thought, I continued to speak.

“I think Bapharos would be a suitable next Crown Prince. Although he’s not the son of the First Empress, he has the skills and virtues to lead the nation. He also has the support of many nobles. If he doesn’t become arrogant with his talents, he will do well.”

My father glared at me, his lips trembling with anger.

Seeing him like that made me wish I could experience human emotions too. What is it about emotions that make people so vividly alive?

I turned away, having witnessed a display of emotion that could never be found in a monster. My father made no further attempt to stop me. Given his nature, I would undoubtedly be deposed. He usually listened well to his advisors, but once someone fell out of his favor, it was over. That was the way he was. I had openly disobeyed his orders, especially in front of the concubines, which would undoubtedly have hurt his pride. And my father was a man who would not tolerate the slightest mistake.

I paused for a moment and looked back at Zetak.

“I know you’re angry, but try not to kill my father.”

“…”

“Your strength is still lacking. If you recklessly kill a member of the royal family, you won’t escape unscathed. Compared to enduring the frustration of keeping me alive, isn’t it easier not to go after my father?”

If he were caught trying to kill the Emperor, he would undoubtedly face execution. That would defeat the purpose of bringing him back from the temple. If he died by execution, he would certainly come back ten years later to hunt me down with his severed head in his hand.

I had to keep him by my side at all costs. To do this, I had to ensure that he remained as quiet as possible. Given that he was already a child tainted by evil, it was clear that he would be under constant surveillance from the Temple. Zetak looked at me for a moment before turning his head away. Though he didn’t give a definitive answer, I could sense his understanding.

[Do you dislike His Majesty, Your Highness?]

The question the child had asked me long ago came to mind. It was probably just a few days after he became my attendant.

[I neither like nor dislike him. Why do you ask?]

[You always have a blank expression when you meet His Majesty… I thought perhaps your relationship wasn’t good.]

[…You’ll get used to it soon.]

I had told him that my expression was simply that. I thought this child would soon see me as others saw me, a walking corpse, whispering behind my back. That was what I believed at the time. But that wasn’t the case. This child had not changed from the beginning.

Or had he? He had followed me more and more blindly. In another sense he had certainly changed. Why did he follow me so devotedly? A question arose in my heart that I had not considered before.

***

As I had expected, my father dismissed me without hesitation. The official announcement of my dismissal would come in two months. This was only to delay the announcement and prevent sudden chaos; the paperwork had already been completed. With that, my chances of becoming Emperor were effectively over. Just as I was contemplating this, I heard a knock followed by the voice of my nurse.

“Your Highness, is this a good time for you?”

“Has my mother come to visit again?”

I remembered her bursting in just a few hours earlier, shouting that Zetak had ruined me and accusing him with a pointed finger. Little did she know, the reality was quite the opposite. I wondered if she had come back, but then the nurse mentioned an unexpected name.

“His Royal Highness Bapharos has arrived. Should I tell him you’re unwell and can’t see him?”

“…No. Since he has come at this hour, he must have something to discuss. Let him in.”

After she left, Bapharos entered. He seemed rather cheerful, his expression brighter than ever. As the man who wanted the throne more than anyone, it was no surprise that he was pleased with my imminent deposition.

“Are you already preparing to leave?”

“I’m thinking of leaving before Mother wakes up.”

“Ah, I heard rumors that she collapsed after visiting you. Is the Empress well?”

“Are you here just to inquire about her well-being?”

With that, he fell silent, understanding my intention to cut through the unnecessary formalities. He looked at me with a discerning eye and came straight to the point.

“Why did you recommend me as the crown prince?”

“Is it strange for me to recommend you, brother?”

“I didn’t expect you to recommend a half-brother when you have a full-blooded brother.”