Chapter 36

#036 The Rogue Prince of the New Kingdom (2)

The interview venue provided by the emperor was wider than my room in the Juliette Palace.

I was seated on a sofa that seemed to be the seat of honor, guided by an attendant of the Imperial Palace.

As my body sank into it and I immediately felt comfortable, it was indeed a top-quality piece.

Sir Sara Beliard sat opposite me.

"Seems you are close to Princess Cristel de Sarnez."

"No, not at all."

She had made a potentially dangerous statement, and I immediately denied it.

A little while ago.

In front of the emperor's office, Cristel, the prince, Sir Beliard, and I met and exchanged awkward greetings.

Soon, Cristel thanked me for the entertainment and left, and the prince, acting as if it were a matter of course, ignored us and entered the room where the emperor was.

I was a bit tense, wondering how he would get involved, but it seemed to be a chance encounter.

So, as planned, only Sir Beliard, me, and three attendants entered the room.

However, it seemed that Sir Beliard had interpreted Cristel's words on her own.

"You don't know her middle name yet, do you?"

"I won't know it in the future either."

I replied bluntly. I couldn't possibly say that I already knew it, having heard it during our first meeting.

Sir Beliard smiled leisurely and brought up another topic.

"Still... I didn't expect to see the most beautiful women of the continent, the empire, and the new kingdom all in one place. I must be lucky."

Was this some kind of rapid-fire rap?

Even though there didn't seem to be any difficult words, it was hard to understand the sentences quickly.

Reading my expression, she added an explanation.

"His Highness Alexandre, the former Duke of the New Kingdom, was often called the most beautiful man on the continent when he was alive. And His Highness Sedric, the prince, is truly considered the most beautiful man in the empire."

She was referring to the portraits of Prince Sedric, myself, and the late Duke Alexandre that I had seen in the corridor earlier.

It wasn't like an F4 group or anything, but I felt a bit awkward and just let it go.

The prince looked almost identical to the late duke, so it wasn't strange that they were both called beauties.

Even Eunseo, who sang 'Seregi, Seregi,' would be entranced by the prince's illustration.

"I see."

"Do you know why His Majesty the Emperor chose the Imperial Palace as the interview venue?"

Sir Beliard's tone became slightly sharper.

I instinctively straightened my posture.

The interview was taking place in a reception room not far from where the emperor worked.

Was this the first question?

"Perhaps to suppress your spirit. This place constantly reminds you that His Majesty is nearby."

As I answered, Sir Beliard's lips curled up.

She seemed pleased with my response.

I thought her demeanor was exactly like the demanding editor in a movie my brother used to like.

Was it 'The Devil Wears Prada'?

"Excellent analytical skills. But there's one more thing. The Juliette Palace underwent renovation last month."

"..."

"Perhaps he didn't want to show me the site."

The old woman said, her sharp green eyes gleaming.

Of course, she looked much more energetic than when I had seen her through the confessional's crack.

Her white bobbed hair, flowing smoothly, and her red silk dress exuded a charisma that overwhelmed her opponent.

"The renovation is complete. You seem a bit slow on the uptake, Sir Beliard."

I replied, deliberately omitting that it had only finished two days ago.

Sir Beliard then smiled, looking surprised.

The reason the Juliette Palace had to undergo some remodeling was that I had blown up the interior and windows of my bedroom while dealing with the twin assassins last month.

The emperor apparently didn't want to show any trace of that to Sir Beliard.

He must have also been wary of any eyewitness accounts leaking out.

That's why he invited Sir Beliard to the Imperial Palace instead of the Juliette Palace where I was staying.

"I thought he was just a kind person, but it seems he can also be quite sharp."

She openly evaluated me.

Honestly, I was irritated, but perhaps because I had lived 29 years steeped in Confucianism, it wasn't easy to retort to an adult.

I also had no intention of falling for her provocation, so I smiled and changed the subject.

"I only stated the facts. I heard there's a time limit, so it's best to hurry."

The emperor had given Sir Beliard 30 minutes. It was a time that could be considered long or short.

"Then, let's start with the question our readers are most curious about."

The editor of 'Biweekly Liester' opened her notebook and perched her small glasses on her nose.

I reviewed my strategy for today once again: deny anything difficult and answer briefly.

"What do you think of the nickname 'The Rogue Prince of the New Kingdom'?"

"Sir Beliard, that's quite rude to a noble."

Behind me, Bézamain politely expressed his indignation at her blunt question.

I turned my head and mouthed 'it's okay' to him.

After all, she was the person who put together the best-selling publication in the empire, so I had expected such probing questions.

"Hmm, a rogue prince."

I drew out my response. I was actually more curious.

In fact, it had bothered me since the first day of possession.

What kind of life did the real 'Prince Eunseo' lead to be publicly called a rogue prince?

I had often seen articles about him spreading rumors in the New Kingdom and stealing the hearts of countless noblewomen, but I couldn't tell if they were true.

Eunseo didn't talk about Prince Eunseo's past and mainly spoke about how affectionate and devoted he was to Cristel.

"I don't really think about it."

"So you don't think about it."

For difficult questions, I always deflected. Besides, I was genuinely unaware.

She then wrote something briefly in her notebook with a quill pen.

"Do you think it's a smear campaign?"

Sir Beliard slightly bowed her head and looked at me over her glasses.

I was still reeling from the 'married women's love triangle' attack.

"The story of how the Duke of Bernhard, the New Kingdom, tried to tarnish the prince's reputation in every way to protect the future of his country is well-known in the empire. Do you think this scandal is also part of the Duke's scheme?"

For a moment, my eyes widened. My mind felt refreshed, as if mint chocolate had been poured into it.

Her words made sense.

Bernhard Penethian, the Duke of the New Kingdom and the husband of Queen Krista.

He had sent Prince Eunseo Penethian, the king's illegitimate son, to the empire as a hostage and even attempted to assassinate him to protect the position of his daughter, Princess Elissa, who was the legitimate heir.

Despite Elissa being the eldest and having legitimate rights, he had been wary of Prince Eunseo's growing popularity.

If that man had been spreading dirty rumors to tarnish the prince's name, it all made sense.

I also understood why Eunseo had felt sorry for Prince Eunseo.

A man who suffered from all kinds of contempt and scandals despite having done nothing wrong, fell in love with Cristel but couldn't win her heart, and ultimately died for her.

"His Excellency the Duke is deeply concerned about the future of the New Kingdom. How could I possibly know his true intentions?"

I finally spoke after a long pause.

My voice naturally lowered due to the complicated setting, but Sir Beliard seemed to take it as my genuine sentiment.

"The future of the New Kingdom... It sounds like you're saying the Duke pulled the prince down for Princess Elissa's sake."

"The prince has already answered. Please move on to the next question."

Kanael spoke up for me. I smiled slightly and looked up at the boy.

Kanael had a slightly angry face, but upon feeling my gaze, he began to manage his expression.

What a good kid.

"Then, may I ask a slightly sensitive question?"

Sir Beliard removed her glasses and placed them on the table.

The notebook, which I could see at a glance, was already filled with writing.

"The questions so far have been quite sensitive."

At my words, she laughed out loud. I didn't back down and lifted my lips.

This was ultimately a battle I would win.

Though the conversation was undoubtedly uncomfortable, I had gained new information from the previous exchange.

I had been so tense that I had momentarily forgotten she was called an 'expert on the New Kingdom.'

If I used today's interview well, I could extract a lot of knowledge from Sara Beliard.

Armed with my ignorance of the world, I had nothing to lose.

"This time, a political question."

"Interesting."

"The reason the prince came as a hostage is because the New Kingdom violated the non-aggression treaty and invaded the northern border."

"That's correct."

"There's a rumor that this physical conflict originated from Princess Elissa's solo action."

...Huh?

*

Sedric Liester, who had just left the emperor's office, paused for a moment.

He turned his head and gazed down the corridor.

The flow of aether was as vast as the southern plains and as gentle as a spring breeze, clearly perceptible.

Though he had felt the aether of countless priests, including Cardinal Aurel Bute, only one person gave him this sensation.

"Seems the prince's schedule isn't over yet."

"That's right."

David, the attendant, confirmed his words.

The prince quietly looked at his left hand, clenching and unclenching his fist.

His physical condition today wasn't bad.

No, ever since the prince entered the palace, his condition had always been good.

He had only felt like a child when the prince had overexposed his power.

But it was wise to fill the water jug to the brim if there was a well nearby.

Even if there was a small crack in the jug.

"Let's rest for a moment."

"The room next to the reception hall is available. It was used by Prince Eunseo as a preparation room this morning."

The quick-witted David suggested the best option.

The prince nodded once and moved.

Though he couldn't directly receive the prince's aether, just being near him made the flames inside his body calm down clearly.

It was a power that couldn't be compared to the aether in the church's confessional.

The prince and the attendant soon reached the room next to the reception hall.

David thought about preparing coffee for the prince and gently opened the door.

However, there was a guest in the room.

"..."

"Princess Sarnez is here."

"I greet you again, Your Highness."

Cristel de Sarnez, with her luxurious pink hair tied up high, rose from her seat and greeted him elegantly.

The prince immediately felt a sense of suffocation.

He had heard that she was visiting the Imperial Palace today, but he didn't expect her to still be there.

He was seized by a childish impulse to leave.

"David, coffee."

"Yes. What would you like, Princess?"

"Ah, I'll have a light coffee with ice, please. Thank you."

Her water-attribute aether always irritated the prince.

Being in the same space, especially indoors, made his nerves stand on end and an instinctive discomfort overwhelmed him.

She likely felt a similar emotion due to his fire-attribute aether.

"The view from this room is nice."

As David left, Cristel spoke with a sensitive tone.

Their gazes met.

Her eyes were as cold as ice.

Indeed, they were incompatible.