Chapter 4

#004 Hou Rides (1)

A week had passed.

"I greet you, Prince Yese Penetian, the first prince of the Penetian New Kingdom."

"Hello, gardener."

"Prince Yese, you're out for a walk quite early today!"

"Yes, I was curious about how the garden looks in the morning."

To the gardeners who welcomed me warmly, I lied with a smile, not even bothering to moisten my lips.

The morning garden was indeed beautiful, but that wasn't why I had come out early.

For the first five days, my morning routine was to eat breakfast, laze around for a bit, and then study the current state of the empire by reading the latest and back issues of *Weekly Liester*.

After lunch, I would sit on the balcony and read history books recommended by Ganael and the young attendants to learn about the roots of the empire. When my body started to feel stiff, I would take a one-hour walk in the garden and then return to my room.

But then...

"The camellias are truly beautiful, aren't they? The rear garden of the Romero Palace is a place His Highness the Prince loves, so we put our hearts into it."

"Yes, they are really beautiful."

Even to my ears, it sounded like a soulless response.

Yes, that prince was the problem. Sedric Liester, also known as 'Seregi.'

The future crown prince and the main male lead of *I Quit My Job and Became a Noble of Another World*.

If he hadn't come to the training ground to swing his sword every afternoon, I could have enjoyed the fresh air during that time.

"Cherry blossoms will soon be in bloom, and the royal gardeners are very busy. Since you're from the New Kingdom, I would like to show you the purple tulips if possible..."

A gardener looked very regretful. Were there no tulips in this garden?

"That's fine, perhaps next time."

I wasn't an expert on flowers, and not seeing tulips wasn't a big deal, so I just smiled it off.

Soon, the gardeners bowed deeply to me and picked up their pruning shears again.

Benzamain had clearly said that the prince only occasionally used the training ground, but since I first saw him from the window, he had been practicing swordsmanship in the training ground behind the Juliette Palace every day without fail.

There was no war, and according to Benzamain, the prince's martial skills were already at the highest level in the empire, yet he seemed to be working too hard.

Was he under a lot of stress?

In any case, I went out for a walk to avoid that time.

I didn't want to even accidentally run into the prince and have an awkward encounter.

But a few days ago, he started coming to the training ground during my walk time.

I didn't know why his schedule had changed, but as a tenant, I had to adjust to the landlord's schedule.

The landlord was always the boss, even in the world of role-playing.

I decided to become a morning walker from today.

"Prince, shall I prepare the tea table?"

"Ah, thank you. Benzamain, you and everyone else should have a cup too."

At my words, Benzamain nodded, though he looked a bit uncomfortable.

Ganael and the children beamed and went to fetch the table and snacks.

When I first suggested having tea together, Benzamain opposed it, saying that the royal etiquette was strict and that it was inappropriate for attendants and royalty to share a meal.

I argued that Ganael and the children were also from noble families and could sit and have tea, and that it would be awkward to drink alone while everyone was watching.

It didn't work.

In the end, the group tea time at Juliette Palace was achieved through my "boss" behavior: "I did this in the New Kingdom, so if you don't like it, go to a different post."

"Prince, today's snack is Madeleines!"

"We also have cookies. They were just baked!"

"Ganael, don't run. If you run, the twins will run too."

Ganael and the children returned with a large picnic basket and a folding table.

I smiled and warned the children, who were excited about the snacks.

Eunseo was just like that when she was young.

My three siblings had good appetites, and Eunseo, in particular, was crazy about food from a young age.

In no time, a proper tea table was set up, and we gathered around it.

"Let's have three cookies and two Madeleines each."

"Okay!"

While Benzamain poured peppermint tea with professional skill, I distributed the snacks to the children.

They would never touch the snacks unless I gave them first, so I had no choice.

"Thank you, Prince."

"We are deeply grateful."

"For just a snack, there's no need to be so formal."

At my words, the children laughed out loud.

It was both touching and cute to see them light up with excitement over the snacks at their age.

They were only in their teens, and I hoped they could feel at ease in front of me.

Among my attendants, Ganael, who was sixteen, was the oldest. Taking care of young children was quite inconvenient.

When I saw the sleepy faces of the children who woke me up and helped me wash my face in the morning, I sometimes felt guilty.

I wondered what time they started preparing.

"These snacks are for the gardeners. Ganael, take them and share later."

"Prince, you are truly a warm person."

No, it feels wrong to enjoy a snack while elderly people are doing physical labor right in front of me.

I couldn't say that, so I just smiled awkwardly.

The morning group tea time was quite pleasant.

Benzamain explained the architectural styles of the Juliette Palace where I was staying and the prince's Romero Palace in front of it.

I thought to myself that the Romero Palace completely blocked the sunlight for the Juliette Palace.

The children, who had eaten the snacks, flattered me, saying, "We haven't had nightmares since you came."

It was peaceful.

The past week had been calm, and I thought it would be great if it could continue like this.

"Then, I'll go and share the snacks with the gardeners."

"Sure, good job."

After Ganael, who had finished his cup and plate, stood up, the other children followed to help serve the drinks.

Soon, only Benzamain and I were left at the table. It was a bit awkward in the silence.

I lifted my teacup to my lips. Benzamain spoke first.

"How was your morning walk?"

"It was good, it helped me wake up."

I felt the content of the books would sink into my mind if I read them right after getting up.

Of course, the best morning was rolling around in bed, but coming out to enjoy the fresh air wasn't bad either.

"You seem to read a lot. I heard you read everything from magazines to history books and the Holy Scriptures of the Divine Faith and their commentaries."

I was thinking about books, and the topic of books came up, which was a bit eerie.

But I understood why Benzamain chose this topic.

I was essentially a test-taker living in a super-luxury dormitory called the royal palace.

I underlined the books brought by the attendants, summarized the key points, and even quizzed myself to study the various settings of the retired duke.

Information that matched what I heard from Eunseo was marked with five stars.

Without the genius memory or skills given by the "author" or "system," I could only rely on my own brain.

Sometimes I felt self-loathing and pain about what I was doing, but the thought of surviving kept me going.

Except for the hour-long walk, I had no outings or intense exercise, and the only people to talk to were those working here.

"I don't have a proper hobby, so I just stay quiet."

"Especially, you even look for back issues of *Weekly Liester*."

What, is that wrong?

*Weekly Liester* was a magazine that covered gossip and news in the imperial social circle, but it wasn't a tabloid.

It had many public contributions and interviews by nobles, making it an excellent source of information for someone like me.

"Since you are so interested in the imperial social circle, may I ask why you avoid important meetings?"

Ah, that could spark curiosity. I chose my words carefully.

"I'm a bit introverted."

This was true.

"I prefer to read about things."

I should have read the retired duke's work once.

"Your known preferences in Liester are very different from this."

"Rumors can be exaggerated, you know."

"You're right."

A short answer came back. Benzamain's wrinkled eyes stared at me directly.

"Prince, my duty is to serve you to the best of my ability. It doesn't matter to me that you are from another country or that you came as a hostage."

"R-right."

He had never used the word "hostage" before.

The atmosphere suddenly became too serious.

"Moreover, 'serving' includes protecting you."

"I see."

"However, if you hide something from me, perfect protection is impossible."

"Excuse me?"

Does this mean I'm hiding something from him?

My face showed my confusion. But Benzamain just stared at me silently.

I had only moved between my room, the dining room, and the garden, and Benzamain knew this better than anyone.

There was no time or space for me to cause any trouble.

"......Benzamain, I'm not hiding anything."

There is, but it's that this is a novel world and you are a character in it, so let's move on.

"You know, I'm the one who can't even get permission to enter the royal archives. I've never been out of your sight. In the New Kingdom, I never received or sent any letters."

"Yes, I know."

"Then, why are you suddenly saying this?"

"......"

Benzamain finally lowered his gaze.

His face looked much older than usual.

"You may not know, but I am a devout follower of the Divine Faith."

He suddenly changed the topic. I recalled what I had learned.

The Divine Faith was the state religion of the Penetian New Kingdom and the religion believed by 80% of the Liester Empire's population.

Yese Penetian was also a priest of the Divine Faith.

"I didn't know, I thought only Ganael was."

"Juliette Palace is openly called a 'cold palace.' Most of the attendants here have been demoted. But this time was different because of the news that you were coming."

I couldn't follow the flow of the conversation.

Benzamain, who had always been calm and reserved, was now pouring out sentences like a burst dam.

"The children of devout families lined up to become attendants at Juliette Palace. Not only the Count of Kalamar, who produced martyrs, but also my family, the Viscount Girardin, wanted a family member to be assigned to you. The other children who follow you were also selected through rigorous screening as believers."

I didn't understand why he was telling me this, but through his words, I understood the unconditional kindness the children had shown me.

To the children, I must have been a fascinating foreigner, a celebrity whose name appeared in magazines, and a representative of their faith.

"I am prepared to be a martyr."

"No, why are you saying that?"

I waved my hands in surprise. Martyrdom.

It was a heavy and shocking topic for a 21st-century Korean office worker.

Benzamain continued, looking at me.

"But what do those children know? They will be incredibly weak in the face of death. They won't be able to endure even with the power bestowed by the Divine."

"Benzamain, calm down. The children won't be in danger."

I glanced at the teacup he had drunk from.

Why was he saying such extreme things? Had something happened?

"I humbly ask you. Promise to be a responsible priest to the believers."

"Yes, I promise."

"Swear it to the Divine."

[I swear to the Divine.]

Suddenly, I was startled and shivered. My voice resonated as if a microphone had been turned on.

Then, the table began to glow with a golden light.

"Goodness......"

Benzamain looked down at the floor in amazement. I quickly followed his gaze.

The source of the light was not the table.

A circular, glowing golden circle was spreading out widely, centered on me.