Chapter 10

They say that even a word without legs can travel a thousand miles.

The deed I committed spread throughout the palace in an instant.

There was no doubt about it, as Amy had openly requested help from the royal guards.

Slap!!

My head turned from the resounding slap.

When I raised my gaze, I saw a woman standing there with a fierce expression.

Queen Liness.

She was the one who had been manipulating the lower priest I killed and now held most of the power in this palace.

"You are truly mad!"

"Mad...?"

"How dare you kill a priest sent from the Holy Kingdom!"

In response to her outburst, I smiled wryly.

"Deacon Bolt threatened my life for his own greed. I punished him according to the law. Is there a problem with that?"

"Even so, you—!"

She raised her arm again, discarding her usual pretense of elegance.

But I spoke before she could.

"Isn't that ridiculous?"

"What?"

"Before I fell into a coma, the palace's laws weren't this chaotic."

She fell silent at my words.

"This incident has the king remaining silent. I've beheaded a traitor who insulted the royal family, yet I'm the one in trouble. The situation is quite amusing. The status of the royal family is less than that of a mere lower priest..."

I smiled and met her gaze.

I wasn't the same person who used to avoid her gaze out of unease.

If I had been, I would have been more cautious. But after three months of recovering and training in secret, I wasn't about to let my efforts go to waste.

I needed the strength to protect myself.

"You dare to mention the authority of His Majesty and the royal family... You are truly mad."

"Perhaps. Whether I'm mad or if this royal family is mad, that's the question."

I continued to smile as I looked at her.

"There's no evidence. No matter what reason you had for beheading him, this is not a matter that can be judged by your shallow and foolish mind. The Holy Kingdom will surely protest!"

"..."

"You... I knew you were foolish like your mother, but to be so reckless..."

Her words deepened my smile.

"It's only natural that I resemble my mother."

"Vulgar. You and your mother are a pair of vulgarity."

"Speaking ill of one's parents in front of their child is not a good thing, Your Majesty."

"Shh!"

A sudden surge of killing intent erupted from her. Unshaped killing intent is uncontrollable, but when mixed with a faint trace of mana, it becomes a formidable weapon.

She retreated, her face turning pale as she looked at me.

The maids, sensing something amiss with Queen Liness's actions, flinched.

None of them moved their hands, having noticed the killing intent and hesitated to draw their swords. This was not the behavior of ordinary maids.

One maid, in particular, exuded an unusually dark aura.

'Hmm...'

"Your loyalty is impressive. It would have been more interesting if you had drawn your weapons..."

I erased the killing intent and smiled.

"Desperate moves hasten one's downfall. This applies to you, Your Majesty, as well as anyone else. The assassination of a fellow royal will not be overlooked."

"You—"

"Choose carefully. I am no longer someone who will just stand by and take it."

I stood up without hesitation and leaned on my cane.

Then, limping, I passed by her.

"I'm feeling tired, so please leave. As you can see, the palace is poorly managed. It's quite a disgrace for someone of your status to visit such a place."

"You—!"

"And please maintain silence in my palace. As you can see, the state of the palace is due to someone's actions."

Turning away, I could feel her confused gaze on me.

My intentions were clear.

I don't like to fight with a hidden blade, covering it with a cloth.

If I had my full strength, I would have overthrown everything on the day it happened. I am impulsive and action-oriented.

She is not so foolish as to not understand the meaning of my words. After staring at me for a while, she turned away with a venomous glare.

The card I can play has a definite expiration date. If I don't use it when I can, it will become a useless card.

Therefore, I boldly hinted at something to her.

I told her that the second prince, Kalus, had shot an arrow at me during the hunting competition six years ago.

She must have realized that I knew the whole story, as she had been uncertain about whether I was aware of it.

She will try to silence me soon.

"Oh, by the way, all the servants who were supposed to work in the palace have fled. Such pranks are not good."

"..."

"You, Your Majesty, are in charge of the palace's internal affairs. I would appreciate it if you could round them up as soon as possible. If this continues, some strange rumors might start circulating."

Her eyes filled with malice at my words.

I made it clear.

I don't like to fight with a hidden blade, covering it with a cloth.

"The ones who embezzled the royal funds are not lightly punished. As far as I know..."

I trailed off, pretending to think, then smiled.

"Decapitation, I believe. Ha, surely you're not foolish enough to not know that."

She snorted and walked away.

That was enough.

Satisfied, I lay down on the bed and summoned mana. I saw four circles rotating inside my body.

A magic that moves through the blood vessels, not the heart.

'Search Eye.'

As befitting a command mana symbolizing secrecy, an invisible black current extended from me and attached to Queen Liness's body.

The duration might not be long, but it was a satisfying result for a slap.

* * *

"..."

Queen Liness returned to her room in silence, her face filled with malice.

"Your Majesty."

Slap!!

The maids, who had opened their mouths to speak, were immediately slapped.

"Acting so rashly. Do you really want to die?"

The maids, silenced by her harsh words, only bowed their heads.

"I apologize."

Their faces were expressionless, almost inhuman.

"Kyaa!!"

Angrier at their lack of reaction, Queen Liness began to throw everything within reach, starting a hysterical fit.

Most people in the queen's palace knew that her temper was not good.

Even as glass shattered and wooden tables broke, no one tried to stop her.

They just waited for her to calm down.

"Ha... Ha..."

After a while, she placed her hand on the broken table, her face still fierce.

She clenched her fist so tightly that it bled, growling.

"Insolent wretch!"

In the past, it was different.

He was as foolish and vulgar as his mother.

He was someone who could be easily disposed of if necessary.

But the one who woke up from his coma was different.

As if he had become a completely different person.

"Fine. If you want to die, I won't stop you."

Breathing heavily, she muttered.

"Keep it up. Your reckless actions will be your undoing."

She didn't know that Davey was whistling a tune as he overheard her hysterical outburst.

* * *

The result was as expected.

Rumors began to spread within the palace.

Prince Davey All Round had gone mad.

He was said to have killed people around him in a fit of madness, losing all dignity as a royal.

With more than half of the palace's inhabitants being her people, my image plummeted in an instant.

In the past, I was seen as weak and unsuitable to be king, but kind and good-hearted. Now, I was treated as a madman.

"Your Highness! The herbs have arrived!"

While reading a book, I was interrupted by Amy, a maid, who entered cautiously and made a fuss.

She seemed quite shocked by my display with the sword, but she quickly realized that I had saved her and that I was usually kind, even affectionate, and smiled at me.

It felt good, like looking at a cute younger sibling.

In the corridors, I was always called an older sister, brother, uncle, or grandfather, never a younger sibling.

Here, I was sixteen, and she was slightly younger.

In that sense, she was indeed a younger sibling.

The difference in status was enormous, though.

Isn't it right to protect those who are mine?

"Who brought them?"

At first, only food was delivered, but after I beheaded Deacon Bolt, herbs started arriving as well.

They arrived secretly, so the news didn't spread, but they were quite helpful to me.

I didn't need the herbs, so I just stored them properly.

To be clear, my body had fully recovered.

After five months of dedicated recovery and training, the effects were becoming apparent.

I became healthy in no time as my recovery accelerated.

When I asked about the person who came at night, she smiled.

"Perhaps someone who knows your character is secretly helping you."

"Do I seem like a good person to you?"

"Yes!"

She nodded without hesitation, smiling brightly, which made me chuckle.

It's impressive in many ways that she can act like this after seeing me behead someone.

"Store the herbs properly."

"Shall I boil some medicine for you—"

"I know my body well. The medicine I'm taking now is enough."

Despite her insistence, she eventually nodded, though she looked disappointed.

I'm the type who does what I say I will.

"Is His Highness here?"

While chatting with Amy, I heard someone calling for me.

I slowly stood up and went outside, where an elderly butler bowed to me.

"I greet the kingdom's little sun."

"Cut the formalities. What is it?"

I knew who the old man was. Vesper, the head butler.

He was the head of the royal butlers and had been serving the king since my birth.

"By order of Queen Liness, the people who embezzled the budget of the First Prince's palace and fled have been apprehended."

His firm words made me narrow my eyes and let out a small exclamation.

Looking around, I saw about ten people, all bound and kneeling on the ground, their faces filled with fear.