Chapter 43

"Do you get jealous too?"

The wind made Kalain's hair tickle Latil's neck, causing him to shiver reflexively as he asked. Kalain pressed her body even closer to Latil's and whispered,

"I always do. Master, every moment you don't think of me."

* * *

After confirming that Kalain seemed better than expected, Latil calmed her down and then immediately left the harem for the prison.

"I'll go in with you."

"No, I'll go in alone. Sir Seun, wait outside with Duke Sablé."

Latil instructed Seun, who wanted to go in with him, to wait outside, and then went down alone to find the captives. Inside the prison, as Latil had ordered, only the attackers were tightly bound and locked up separately, with no one else around, not even the guards. They had been struggling to dig through the floor or slip through the bars, but when Latil appeared, they stopped and glared at him. They seemed more angry than afraid, despite showing fear when they were captured. Latil clicked his tongue and kicked the bars hard. The clanging sound made the prisoner in that cell look a bit more docile, but the others remained hostile. Latil clicked his tongue again, took a small folding chair from the corner, and sat down.

"Alright... Before we start the real interrogation, I have a proposal. I'm a kind emperor, you see."

"..."

"Anyone want to confess?"

When Latil made a gesture as if to raise his hand, the prisoners clamped their mouths shut even tighter. He had expected as much but still shook his raised hand a few times, asking again,

"Why did you attack that man at my celebration party? Anyone want to make an excuse?"

"..."

"You all know I'm a kind and benevolent ruler. I might let it slide if you give me a plausible excuse. Confess, and you'll get extra points."

Latil then smiled kindly, but no one fell for it.

"Doesn't work well, huh."

After waiting a bit, Latil shrugged and lowered his hand. Maybe they were just too used to his tricks. It didn't matter, though. He had only asked to make things easier. One of the prisoners, however, sneered and mocked him,

"None of us will speak. No matter how you interrogate us!"

"Yeah, no. Ten out of ten will speak if interrogated."

"!"

"Want to try resisting? If you resist..."

Resist? Was he going to show mercy to those who resisted? The prisoners watched as Latil walked to a mysterious black toolbox and opened the lid, swallowing hard. Latil took out a vial of unknown purpose, turned around, and grinned.

"I'll tell the next prisoner that nine out of ten speak."

"!"

* * *

When Latil finished the interrogation and came out, the chief steward and Seun, who had been waiting anxiously at the prison entrance, quickly approached.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's not my blood, Duke."

"Did they talk?"

"Sort of."

"You didn't have to do this yourself..."

Seun muttered, and Latil grumbled inwardly. Of course, I didn't want to do it myself. But only Latil and the High Priest knew that the target of the attack was the High Priest. So, he had to do it himself. If he had wanted someone else to interrogate them, he could have just given orders on the spot. Keep them talking until the party ends.

"But I heard something incredible."

Latil took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face and handed it to Seun, who naturally passed it to the chief steward.

'He naturally gives me his trash...?'

The chief steward, bewildered, took the blood-soaked handkerchief but didn't say anything in front of Latil. Latil, unaware of the situation, took out another towel to wipe the remaining blood and, walking towards the palace, said in a low voice,

"The prisoners mentioned Tella as the mastermind."

The chief steward, walking with the blood-dripping handkerchief in his fingers, was so startled that he dropped it.

"What do you mean?"

Seun also looked shocked as he stared at Latil.

"Are you talking about Prince Tella?"

"Yeah, that's what they said."

The chief steward immediately objected.

"It must be a lie."

Seun also agreed with the chief steward.

"I agree with the Duke. Many people witnessed Prince Tella's execution. He can't be alive."

Prince Tella, being of royal blood and the son of a different mother, was Latil's brother. While he wasn't publicly executed with full honors, there were many witnesses. Even if some of Tella's people were present, they couldn't have prevented the execution. Yet, the idea that the dead Tella had ordered the attack on Latil was absurd. The chief steward thought for a moment and then asked,

"Or perhaps a command given by Prince Tella before his death..."

"No, it was a recent command."

"!"

The chief steward and Seun looked at each other, both worried that Latil had fallen for the prisoners' lies. But Latil was certain they weren't lying, not because of their words but because of their thoughts.

'Why? I heard their thoughts again this time.'

Of course, if he hadn't heard their thoughts, he might not have believed the results of the interrogation. According to them, they had found the High Priest among the many people because a man called 'Lord Fox,' who acted as Tella's advisor, had placed a strange bead in one of their heads, saying, "If you have this, you'll react when you're near the High Priest." They were skeptical at first but said they felt a severe headache when they were near someone, confirming the bead's effect. However, the story was absurd. Latil himself thought so, and he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't heard their thoughts. But strangely, he could hear their thoughts, and thanks to that, he knew that, at least to them, it was the truth.

"Your Majesty, should we have experts interrogate them again?"

"No, that won't work, Duke Sablé. I gave them a drug to prevent them from speaking further."

"Why...?"

"To avoid noise."

'Actually, to prevent them from talking about the High Priest.'

Latil repeatedly said it was fine and went into his bedroom's bathroom.

"The water has cooled a bit, Your Majesty. If you wait a moment, I can—"

"It's fine. Everyone, please leave."

Latil dismissed the maids waiting to assist him and submerged himself in the bathtub, immersing his head in the water.

'Tella is alive... Did he use dark magic to come back? Was he a dark mage from the beginning?'

Regardless, Tella's survival was a matter that needed cautious handling. Latil kept his face underwater for a long time, then came up for air and washed his face.

'In such matters, I need to be cautious. There's an enemy within. The problem is, I don't know who it is.'

Investigating Tella was even more delicate than investigating dark mages. But to whom? Who could he entrust with this task?

'Damn. Can't I make this mind-reading ability permanent?'

If he could, he could immediately identify the loyalists and traitors and order an investigation into Tella. But the ability kept appearing and disappearing. He could hear the prisoners' thoughts but not those of the chief steward, Seun, or the High Priest.

'I'll send a message to my brother tomorrow, asking him to visit with the Great Sage. The Great Sage might know methods to exorcise dark magic.'

* * *

The next day. As Latil sent someone to fetch his brother, the High Priest was led into the harem by the chief steward. The High Priest, with his muscular arms exposed, looked like a god of war in the sunlight, but people generally resist change and don't easily welcome strangers. The courtiers in the harem, standing straight, watched the new arrival and whispered among themselves.

"He was a casino dealer. A VVIP dealer, no less."

"Wow. He's risen in status so quickly."

"Indeed. His life was a gamble, and he hit the jackpot."

"He apparently caused a commotion to catch the Emperor's attention. He was quite the show-off, they say."

"He openly sent hearts and winks to the Emperor. The Emperor fell for it."

"Our Emperor likes that kind of thing, I see."

The courtiers' whispers were loud enough for the High Priest's entourage to hear.

'Embarrassing.'

The priest, pretending to be a servant, blushed to his neck and bowed his head. He wanted to shout, "This person is not what you think!" but the great secret couldn't be revealed. Because of this, he had to endure the obvious gossip, making his face burn. Especially since he was the epitome of a typical priest, the situation was even more awkward.

'High Priest... Even when you were a dealer, I thought, why always this kind of thing...'

"Here we are."

Meanwhile, the chief steward stopped in front of the newly prepared concubine's room and smiled.

"May only good things fill this place, Zayshin."

The High Priest nodded and entered the room.

"Nice."

The room, hastily prepared in a day, was clean and bright. Although it only had basic furniture, all of it was expensive and shiny, making it feel cozy. It was even brighter because Latil, considering the High Priest's identity, had ordered everything to be white, partly as a joke.

"I'm still scared, High Priest. The casino was scary, but the harem? Is this really okay?"

"To avoid enemies, one must seek a broad shadow. His embrace is wide and strong. Besides, he is the most powerful person in the world, so he will protect me."

"But the harem is still..."

"Unknown enemies are after me, so I have no choice."

Just as the priest was about to say that the harem was still not right, the door suddenly burst open. The priest quickly crouched down and pretended to unpack his bags.

"Sorry, Zayshin."

The person who entered was the chief steward who had guided them earlier.

"It's fine."

The High Priest smiled warmly, and the chief steward thought, 'He's more serious than I thought. His dance was playful, though,' and informed him,

"His Majesty will visit you tonight, Zayshin."

The priest, hearing this, clutched the clothes he was unpacking and widened his eyes. Tonight? As soon as the chief steward left, the priest, frightened, asked the High Priest,

"H-High Priest, you're not really going to... do that tonight, are you?"

* * *

'I said I'd hide in the harem, but I didn't mean to actually be a concubine.'

That night, Latil, believing the High Priest had understood his message perfectly, went to the room assigned to him. He held a small book, which was actually a cover for several notes with questions for the High Priest. Could someone suddenly gain strange abilities? Did the High Priest have any trustworthy informants he could use secretly? Was bringing the dead back to life a form of dark magic? He had many questions. But as he entered the bedroom after passing through two doors,

"Ah!"

Latil was startled and dropped the book. It hit the floor with a thud, and the notes scattered, but Latil didn't even notice. The High Priest was completely naked, lying on his side on the bed, waiting for him.

"What, where are your clothes?!"

"Come, Your Majesty. I am ready to fall."

"!"