Chapter 53

"Alright, Father found out about the misfortune."

"So, I'll start the bullet tour of the area where I live."

"…………There's nothing."

"Why, why are there no personal belongings?"

"Well, the things given by His Majesty are all in the closet."

The room I'm in now is the gold room's bedroom, and when I open a small room, it's entirely a closet.

There are a lot of clothes I've received so far……

"These were given as birthday gifts…… Wait, why are there clothes that no longer fit?"

"Since they were given, it would be wasteful. There's plenty of space, and there's no need to dispose of them quickly."

Honestly, I didn't know how to dispose of clothes here, but even so, they were too luxurious to just throw away.

Is it weird to keep so many clothes?

Father is holding the clothes that no longer fit, looking like he's about to cry.

"Your Highness, let's move on to the next place quickly. It's better to fold things up to minimize the damage."

"We can't hide it, and it will take time to stop at each one."

At the urging of Helcoff and Wearrel, I move to the blue room.

Ikt will wait in the gold room's salon with others.

The only one with us is the bob-cut girl.

Then we move from the blue room to the red room, where Father and the Empress are flustered again.

"There's nothing……"

"Not even a carpet……"

Every time we move, His Majesty and the Empress say there's nothing.

"Um, well, this room has more things. It's where I use the alchemy tools that Wearrel brought from the Lukisaria Academy."

I didn't really want to go there, but since they kept saying there was nothing, I headed to the emerald room.

This room is full of things on built-in shelves, and the floor space is used abundantly to arrange the tools.

Surely they won't say there's nothing here!

"Contrast……"

In the end, Father became depressed.

The Empress, however, frowned and compared the emerald room with the other rooms.

"What are you spending your annual allowance on? To have a more dignified appearance as a prince…… Did you receive them?"

She was about to complain but then seemed to notice something and turned to me.

"No, but I did get coffee and such. If I can get such luxuries, then……"

"Ah, those were gifts from someone I know."

At Helcoff's words, the Empress's eyes, which had been glaring at me, darted around.

I had only ever seen her with a calm face, so this was the first time I saw her with such expressive eyes.

Father swayed and looked at me.

"That's right, the annual allowance. Asha, don't you have a report on how you used the annual allowance?"

I was at a loss for what to say, and it was a question I couldn't answer.

I thought if I answered honestly, Father would be hurt again, so it was hard to say.

Looking down at my silence, the bob-cut girl sighed.

"Your Majesty, I will answer, though it may be presumptuous. There is no report. The first prince has not been given an annual allowance, so there is no report."

"That's ridiculous! I clearly……. Besides, it's a rule of the imperial household to give princes an annual allowance, and I had one too!"

Father is the emperor's biological son but was not publicly acknowledged.

Still, he had an annual allowance that was given to Nistaff Earl.

This was proof of being the emperor's son.

And why do you know, bob-cut girl?

Did you investigate it?

"……Your Majesty, the generation is not the issue, but the annual allowance given to princes is only for legitimate children of the empress."

"Asha is my legitimate child."

Father argues with the Empress, who seems reluctant to speak.

"Your Majesty, I am indeed the legitimate child of your lawful wife and Your Majesty. However, am I recognized as the emperor's legitimate child?"

"Of course, you have the right of succession, so you are recognized."

"Is that a requirement for the disbursement of the annual allowance?"

Father is silent at my question.

It seems he thought he was giving me an annual allowance.

Then, I realize the Empress is shedding tears, and even the bob-cut girl is raising her shoulders.

Moreover, the Empress collapses to her knees in front of me, looking shocked.

"I, to such a pitiful child, what have I…… What have I done……. I was foolishly jealous, fearing you would take the emperor from me……. I have separated the father from the child so much that I couldn't even appeal for help……"

Oh, it seems she's driven by self-reproach and misunderstanding.

And I can't tell her that I've been secretly making alcohol to earn money.

I can't say that I've even built a factory and been doing it openly.

"Asha, what did Father and Nistaff Earl do?"

"……Nothing?"

I clearly tell Father.

It's a shock, but I have to say it.

"Actually, before Harty left me, she went to the Nistaff Earl's house and confronted him about his disloyalty."

I tell him about the embezzlement of the viscount's gifts and the fact that I was deemed unnecessary.

"So, I haven't met him or even corresponded with him since moving to the palace."

"Ridiculous……. I entrusted Asha to him, and he said he could handle it, so I……"

Father, shocked, took a step back and covered his face with his hands.

I'm shocked too.

I thought he was a cold-blooded professional, but he would do such deceit?

Leaving me alone and saying he could handle it, it means don't interfere, right?

Thinking this, I realize Father's face is now filled with anger.

"That's the kind of people they are, the kind of people they were. Yet, when I was told I would become emperor, I mistakenly thought they had feelings, and I shouldn't have entrusted Asha to them."

It seems Father's family was also dry.

The first time he was entrusted, he had a dream.

Yeah, I understand.

I understand, and in the end, he was disappointed and hurt.

I feel down too.

"……I'm sorry, Asha. It's my fault."

"It's not something for which Your Majesty should apologize. I know you were concerned about me."

When I try to comfort him, Father looks troubled and frowns.

"Because you are so reliable……"

Does he want to say I was deceived?

Yeah, I was deceived.

But through this, I realized I have a position to stand up to Duke Lukaios, so a mere earl is nothing, right?

"Your Majesty, as a prince, I have shortcomings. The recent turmoil is also due to my lack of virtue, and I deeply reflect on it."

"That's not true. You did help Fer, didn't you?"

Unexpected support came from the Empress.

Huh? Wait, could it be?

"Did you figure out what was poisoning Fer and Werner?"

"Yes, apparently, you told Werner when you made him vomit. You said that if Werner could eat it, it was safe. That child was desperately trying to protect Fer by testing the food himself."

As a result, Fer's recovery has been faster than usual, and he hasn't relapsed, even though he used to.

The final piece of evidence is my data.

We know what Werner was doing and have narrowed down the allergens to three, which we have removed.

"That's good."

"You really were worried about him."

"His Majesty asked me to be a role model for my brother."

"That was, well, not to make you endure so much……"

Father is disheartened, but that's not the main point I wanted to make.

"Still, it's a fact that I have shortcomings. As punishment, please cut off the guardianship of the Nistaff Earl's family."

Smiling, I tell them that I no longer have to worry, and Father and the Empress look stunned.

My declaration of severing ties, disguised as reflection, makes the bob-cut girl worry, but I decide to leave it alone.

Regular update

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