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Chapter: 70

The morning started off quite unpleasantly.

"This is a tonic sent by Elder Son Gye-du. It is said to be for your health..."

I opened the door to an unfamiliar servant who was holding a suspicious-looking tonic.

He called it a tonic, but how could I trust that?

"I\'ll decline. Please convey my gratitude for Elder Son\'s consideration."

The servant\'s face crumpled as he left.

This wasn\'t the only attempt to bribe me.

"Elder Son Gye-du wishes to present you with a freshly hunted deer."

Another servant appeared around lunchtime.

"Elder Son Gye-du has sent this. He instructed me to say, \'I have a craftsman under my wing who made this...\'"

This time, it was a bow.

"Greetings to His Highness, on behalf of Elder Son Gye-du. Hearing that Your Highness is a connoisseur of the arts, he has sent a painting of a snowy landscape..."

I was just trying to enjoy a quiet cup of tea when another one showed up.

At this point, I felt like I was under surveillance.

No matter what he sent, I felt no gratitude. Of course not. His intentions were obvious. I\'d have to be an idiot to be grateful.

Even if he offered me the throne itself, it wouldn\'t matter.

Moreover, all the servants he sent were different.

Was he trying to show off how many errand boys he had at his disposal?

"Crazy man."

I wondered what I should do if this continued tomorrow.

What else could I do? I\'d just do the same. However, I did have a small hope that this wouldn\'t reach the ears of the Wolhan Fortress Lord.

I didn\'t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. I hadn\'t made a decision yet, and if the Fortress Lord thought I was siding with Son Gye-du, it would limit my options.

Since I hadn\'t had a chance to meet with the Wolhan Fortress Lord today, all I had done was refuse Son Gye-du\'s bribes.

Despite that, the sky was already dark.

"This is frustrating."

It would be nice to have someone to discuss this with, but Gon, the only one I could trust, had already flown off after dinner, complaining of being cooped up inside.

It\'s lonely not having anyone by my side...

No, wait. It\'s not like I don\'t have anyone. They\'re not here, but I have plenty of allies back in Blood Cloud Fortress.

–Is mere loneliness a problem for you? Endure it. You said you could.

I think I\'m hearing things.

Maybe I should get some fresh air too.

Feeling restless, I opened the door to my room and stepped outside.

Just as I was about to leave the pavilion...

"Your Highness."

I turned towards the approaching figure and saw Heo Seokgyeom.

"Ah, Commander Heo."

Heo Seokgyeom bowed his head and asked, "Where are you going at this hour...?"

"I\'m just going out for a bit."

"Are you going for a walk?"

I nodded.

"I shall accompany you."

"There\'s no need. I went out alone yesterday, and this place is already as secure as the palace."

"I happened to see you on your way out, so I wish to escort you."

There was no reason to insist he not follow me. I agreed and started walking.

Heo Seokgyeom followed quietly, keeping a few steps behind.

His presence wasn\'t intrusive, so I could concentrate on my thoughts.

So... the important thing now is to choose between the Wolhan Fortress Lord and Son Gye-du.

I hadn\'t yet confirmed whether the Wolhan Fortress Lord was willing to help me claim the throne.

On the other hand, Son Gye-du had expressed his willingness to cooperate. Though I didn\'t know if he was sincere.

But if I joined hands with Son Gye-du, it would mean unnecessary bloodshed.

Considering that no one stopped him when he called me a "madman" in the meeting hall, it seemed quite difficult to gain their favor here.

First of all, the atmosphere was completely different from the Central and Southern regions. The fact that he could insult a prince like that and get away with it... it was absurd. Even I was having trouble adapting to it.

Something else unexpected was that I had assumed the other fortress families would be similar to the Baek family of Blood Cloud Fortress, but I didn\'t realize they would be so divided within their own families.

From my perspective, shouldn\'t they be united against a common enemy? Especially when that enemy is a horde of monstrous beasts. They should be sticking together, not fighting amongst themselves.

"Ah."

As I let out a deep sigh, Heo Seokgyeom spoke up.

"Do you have something troubling you?"

"Troubling? Not at all."

I tried to sound nonchalant, but my voice came out heavier than I intended.

"If I may be so bold, I have already heard from Captain Yoo about what happened during the meeting."

That Yoo Geung... he already reported it.

...Well, it was only natural. He was his superior.

"You have every right to be angry, Your Highness."

"I\'m not angry. Don\'t worry about it." I chuckled and added, "It\'s not the first time I\'ve been called a madman. There\'s no need to get worked up about it every time."

Heo Seokgyeom closed his mouth. Silence followed.

Or so I thought, but after a moment, he spoke again.

"It\'s slander."

I stopped in my tracks at his words and turned around. Heo Seokgyeom stopped a step behind me. Our eyes met.

"There is no reason for Your Highness to hear such words, nor to endure such slander."

"Commander Heo..."

What was this?

The original Yegyeong was the definition of a scoundrel. He was a drunkard who would often assault people and cause trouble. He was so incorrigible that even being hung upside down on a clothesline and beaten with a laundry bat wouldn\'t change him. He was completely useless.

But what was this? It had only been a few months since I possessed this body, and he was already defending me... this was serious.

I hadn\'t expected him to be so naive.

Just because I seemed to have gotten my act together for a bit, it didn\'t mean he should change his attitude so easily. Besides, shouldn\'t he be more careful about taking sides?

At this rate, he\'d probably even pay off someone\'s debts if they were nice to him for a few days. Seriously.

I was so shocked that I just stared at Heo Seokgyeom, speechless.

However, oblivious to my bewildered expression, he continued.

"I am aware that Your Highness volunteered to travel north to resolve the situation here."

"...Is that so?"

So what?

Just tell me why you\'re trying to act like a fool.

"Your Highness traveled a long way from the capital to Wolhan Fortress. You even personally inspected the dangerous lands beyond the northern wall. Yet, those people fail to recognize your sincerity."

Heo Seokgyeom spoke with emphasis, his face twitching as he did so. It seemed like he was trying to smooth out the furrow in his brow.

"But all they do is engage in empty talk. They are the ones who abandoned Your Highness and fled to save their own lives while you faced danger."

That\'s right. There was that too.

Since I was still more accustomed to hardship than comfort, I hadn\'t fully realized the gravity of the situation I had faced.

Perhaps this is why they say, "A silkworm should stick to mulberry leaves."

"What are you enduring this for?"

Enduring?

Well, I wouldn\'t know if I were a real prince, but this wasn\'t something I needed to endure.

I let out a small sigh and looked up at the sky. It was dark, and even the moon was hidden tonight. On a night like this, anything could be kept secret. I made up my mind and spoke.

"What do you think I will become?"

* * *

Heo Seokgyeom was taken aback by Yegyeong\'s question about his future.

Although he was the one who initiated the conversation, he hadn\'t expected to be asked a question in return.

He certainly hadn\'t expected such a profound question.

Perhaps he had been mistaken in thinking that Yegyeong was a frivolous and shallow person while he was the serious one.

Nevertheless, as always, Heo Seokgyeom began to seriously consider his answer.

Yegyeong was a prince, the king\'s son, and thus a potential heir to the throne. However, that was just a possibility. In reality, it was safe to say that no one truly believed Yegyeong would become the next king.

Even he, who was serving the prince so closely, had never imagined the person before him ascending to the throne.

This realization filled him with guilt. For someone as upright as him, it felt wrong to even contemplate a bleak future for the person he served.

Therefore, he couldn\'t easily answer the question. Although he was steadfast in answering even the most difficult questions, this was beyond the pale.

Who would dare to speak of the future of a prince destined to fail?

And the impatient, good-for-nothing prince, sensing Heo Seokgyeom\'s thoughts, voiced them aloud, making them seem like reality.

"Judging by your inability to answer, you must think I\'ll be kicked out of the palace soon, right?"

Though his tone was lighthearted, everyone knew it was no laughing matter.

"I\'m just kidding. Don\'t look so serious."

Yegyeong approached Heo Seokgyeom and patted him on the shoulder. Seeing his smiling face, it seemed like he was trying to be playful. It would have been appropriate to at least pretend to laugh along, but Heo Seokgyeom couldn\'t bring himself to do it.

With a stiff face, he said, "Please... retract your words."

"Why should I retract them when they\'re not wrong?"

Heo Seokgyeom\'s brow furrowed. He knew this sentiment was poison, but... he felt sorry for Yegyeong. He suddenly thought of Ye-gyeong\'s mother, the deposed Queen So. The one who had to bear everything alone and leave for a place she could never return from...

He wasn\'t close to the deceased queen, but having risen to the rank of a commander, Heo Seokgyeom couldn\'t be unaware of the circumstances surrounding her death. It was something all the palace servants had gossiped about. Naturally, he also knew about it to some extent.

In fact, he also owed a debt to the late Queen.

Heo Seokgyeom clenched his teeth. But after a moment, he slowly relaxed his jaw and said, "Your words are wrong."

It might have been an impulsive decision.

But he had eyes to see and ears to hear.

He chose to believe what he had seen so far, rather than the source of rumors he hadn\'t witnessed himself.

"Whether it\'s the rumors you\'ve heard, Your Highness, or the question you just asked... your words are wrong. So please retract them."

He had ended up making that mistake after all.