Chapter 28

Kalarin immediately reached for his waist. But it was just a reflex. Since he had already been disarmed before entering the office, he didn't grab anything. Tashir smiled weakly despite the situation, but Latil was a bit worried. Tashir, if he goes back to the harem, he might get beaten to death by Kalarin right away...

'In any case, both of them are doing dangerous things.'

Still, when Latil waved his hand, both men immediately stopped fighting. Once the two men calmed down, Latil pointed at the door with his finger.

"Kalarin, you go out first."

"Master!"

"Go out."

When Latil firmly repeated his order, Kalarin's lips twitched, but he walked out of the office with no choice.

"Sir Sern. Come in."

Latil sent Kalarin out and then had Sern come in, closing the office door firmly.

"Now, speak."

Tashir looked at Sern and asked,

"Is he okay to be here?"

"Yeah, Sern is the person I trust the most."

"If you say so, then it's fine."

Sern, who didn't know what had happened before, looked puzzled but stood properly next to Latil. Tashir started explaining again.

"The reason we initially suspected the late emperor as the mastermind behind the assassination was due to an order given before that."

"Order? What order?"

"The late emperor, before he was assassinated, instructed us... ahem. I apologize, Your Majesty. He instructed us to investigate you, who were the crown princess at the time."

What's there to apologize for? Latil, who was listening in confusion, felt a shock as if he had been hit on the head with a fist. What? Who investigated whom?

"Father ordered an investigation on me?"

Perhaps because he was too surprised, his voice trembled involuntarily. Latil pressed his lips anxiously.

"What did he tell you to investigate? Why did he want you to investigate?"

"He didn't tell us the purpose of the investigation."

Tashir added, watching Latil's reaction.

"Perhaps it was a simple reason. As the crown princess, he might have wanted to understand you better before you ascended to the throne."

Just to understand, he ordered a secret assassination group to investigate?

"..."

"However, not long after, the late emperor was assassinated. Given the timing, we couldn't help but suspect Latil."

Latil's head was still numb. It was hard to accept his words. Lies. Maybe he was lying about everything. Maybe the fact that the Black Forest had been handling secret matters since the first emperor was also a lie?

'I've wondered before if our country had a secret intelligence organization... Wow, this is crazy.'

Latil sighed deeply. This part could be verified by instructing someone to bring the documents. Besides, the Anges Trading Company was deeply entangled with the Tarium Empire. The heir of such a company wouldn't risk being caught in a lie that could be exposed immediately.

"But why did you suddenly enter my harem? At the coronation, I could understand if you didn't trust me. But you could have come through other means."

"After investigating from various angles, the Black Forest became convinced that Your Majesty was not behind the assassination of the late emperor. We then naturally looked for a way to approach you... Yes, that's how it happened."

If Tashir hadn't brought up the harem first, Latil might have suspected that the person who mentioned the harem was on Tashir's side. But Latil himself had introduced the harem, contrary to the expectations of the ministers.

"Was all of this ordered by the head of the Anges Trading Company?"

"No, that's not the case. My father doesn't know about the Black Forest."

"What?"

"The Black Forest is not part of the Anges Trading Company. While it is a group our family has managed, the leader who passed the position to me is a different relative."

Tashir added, watching Latil's reaction.

"While we have followed the orders of successive emperors, the Black Forest is not entirely under the emperor's control. To be precise, we have a close cooperative relationship."

Latil pressed his hand to his heavy head and closed his eyes. The situation was as complicated as when he received the letter accusing him of killing his father. But the most complicated part wasn't that Tashir was the leader of the Black Forest. It was that his father had ordered them to investigate him. This was the hardest to understand.

* * *

That evening, at Latil's command, Tashir brought the Black Forest's loyalty documents to show him. Latil carefully checked the seals of the successive emperors on the documents.

"It's real."

As expected, the documents and seals were all genuine. The seal of the first emperor and his father's. After Latil acknowledged the documents, Tashir asked confidently,

"Do you believe me now? I was misunderstood, but the Black Forest is absolutely not involved in the late emperor's assassination or any dishonorable acts. That's why I revealed my identity."

But Latil shook his head.

"I know what you say is true, but that doesn't mean I believe everything you say."

Tashir frowned slightly, as if questioning such an illogical statement. Latil handed the documents back to Tashir after checking them.

"Just because Father allowed the Black Forest to exist doesn't mean they didn't betray him."

Isn't that right? Latil smiled and sought agreement, and Tashir narrowed his eyes as he took the documents, seemingly disagreeing.

"Do you still suspect the Black Forest of assassinating the late emperor?"

"Not exactly."

"?"

"I don't just suspect you; I suspect everyone. Everyone, in general."

"!"

"If even I, his favorite child and official heir, am a suspect, then I have to suspect everyone who didn't earn Father's trust as much as I did. Don't you think?"

Tashir's expression became peculiar, filled with complex emotions that were hard to describe. Instead of specifying exactly who he suspected the most, Latil took a letter from the drawer and handed it to him.

"Here. Check it out."

"What is it?"

"Check it out."

Tashir carefully took the letter. His eyes moved quickly, and his eyebrows raised. The letter Latil gave him was the one found at his father's grave, accusing Latil of killing the late emperor.

"This is...?"

"Did you leave this? Or did the Black Forest?"

"Did you show me this to ask that question?"

"Only you and the person who wrote this letter spoke to me like that."

"It's not from the Black Forest."

Tashir frowned as he answered and returned the letter to Latil. Latil put the letter back in the drawer while keenly observing Tashir. It didn't seem like Tashir was just making excuses; he genuinely seemed surprised by the content of the letter.

"Clearly, someone is trying to pin 'everything' on us."

"Everything?"

"The assassination of the late emperor, the desecration of the grave, and even accusing Your Majesty as the culprit."

"Have any idea who it might be?"

"Many enemies."

Tashir shrugged.

"Since we acted under the late emperor's secret orders, we have many common enemies with the royal family."

"Right."

Latil sighed. He had enough to worry about, like how to strengthen the country and improve the quality of life for the people. Being involved in such matters since his ascension was giving him a headache. As he pressed his temples and fell into thought, Tashir's gaze kept falling on him. Latil lowered his hand and looked up. Tashir was quietly watching him with his lips tightly pressed.

"Why? Do you have something to say?"

Latil asked, thinking he might have thought of something. Instead of answering, Tashir approached Latil's desk, leaned on it, and crouched down. It was an informal action for a subordinate. Latil, wondering why he was acting this way, looked at him, and Tashir quietly protested.

"Aren't you treating me too much like a subordinate?"

"What?"

"I'm also Your Majesty's man, regardless of how it started."

"!"

"Since I revealed that I'm the leader of the Black Forest..."

Tashir's eyes narrowed as he watched Latil.

"You keep treating me like a subordinate."

"Do you want to be treated differently in this situation?"

"I'm afraid you'll take the information and give your affection to someone else."

Latil, bewildered, watched as Tashir suddenly smiled and stood up from his crouched position.

"Regardless of what happened with the late emperor, this time I made a contract as Your Majesty's man, not as the leader of the Black Forest."

Latil blinked and then chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"So, what do you want me to do? What does 'treating you like a man' mean to you?"

Tashir's face, bent over, was close to Latil's nose. Latil looked into his dark eyes. He always thought they looked drugged, but up close, they were clear, with no hint of cloudiness.

"A kiss? A caress? Or something more if you want?"

Latil sighed and reached out to rub Tashir's black hair, which stuck to his fingertips.

"...No affection. Is my head a sponge?"

"You asked for a caress."

Tashir laughed and straightened up. * * *

Unable to sleep due to the complexity of recent events, Latil slipped out alone in the early morning to take a slow walk in the garden. Only Sern followed him. Latil walked silently and then glanced at Sern. As always, Sern followed without a word. When their eyes met, he finally smiled and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just noticed. Sir Sern, you don't usually speak first unless I talk to you?"

"Not always."

"But you often do."

Why? Latil tilted his head, and Sern moved to Latil's side, laughing.

"I always follow you, so I thought you might find it annoying if I talked too much."

"I don't find it annoying."

"You haven't heard me talk much yet. If I keep talking, you'll find it annoying."

"Maybe not?"

"Then can I keep talking from now on?"

"Hmm... No."

Latil suddenly changed his mind and laughed mischievously, making Sern burst out laughing.

"Playing with people's hearts like that is mean."

"Do you really get affected by that?"

"Maybe you don't know, but I have a very light heart."

Latil laughed again. Exchanging light-hearted banter with Sern had eased his complex feelings. Latil deliberately stepped on the white pebbles, making a crunching sound, and asked,

"If you have such a light heart, why haven't you married yet?"

The moment he asked, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy. Latil, who had been walking playfully, stopped and turned around. Sern, with a heavy expression and a forced smile, slowly followed from behind.

'He was next to me. Why did he go back again?'

"Sir Sern?"

Did I say something wrong? Curious, Latil called out, and Sern finally changed his expression and answered casually.

"It's because my first love hurt me."

First love? Latil tilted his head. Did Sern have a first love? He had never heard of it. The Sern Latil remembered always followed his father. During breaks, he was with Lean or came to find Latil. A first love for such a Sern...

"Who was your first love?"

"That person is already married."

Latil, curious, raised his eyebrows at Sern's matter-of-fact answer. Married, huh. There were many nobles who didn't care if their love interest was married, and some even became more determined. But the Sern Latil knew wasn't that type. Latil nodded. Normally, he would have let it pass as a joke, but Sern looked very serious and a bit hurt. It didn't seem right to treat someone's painful love as a joke.

"I hope a better person comes along."

Latil hesitated but said it sincerely, but Sern laughed painfully again.

"There isn't, such a person."