Chapter 151
“Of all people, you asking about this is quite amusing.”
I might not be a Seer like Han Si-hyuk or Yoon Haul, but as a human, I have my own instincts.
That look in her eyes, that tone in her voice—she knows something.
“…Is this related to me?”
“I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”
“Please, just tell me. You know something, don’t you?”
She smiled, slowly removing the dangling earrings from her ears.
The warmth that had initially colored her smile now seemed unsettlingly eerie.
“The son of Han Taesu. May I ask you a question?”
“Yes.”
“If the Empire had to choose between saving a thousand uneducated commoners or you, who haven’t even graduated from the Academy yet, who do you think they would choose?”
The question was vague and hard to interpret.
As I hesitated, she rephrased the question.
“If a thousand commoners had to die to save you, who do you think the Empire would choose?”
“They would choose the thousand commoners.”
“And why do you think that?”
“…”
A novice who hasn’t even graduated from the Academy, or a thousand people—those thousand could be farmers, merchants, or soldiers.
No matter how I thought about it, the conclusion was the same.
“Am I worth as much as a thousand lives?”
“Hmm. You’re right, you do fall a bit short.”
It wasn’t a wrong statement, but hearing it so bluntly was irritating.
I frowned and retorted.
“I’m curious—what do you think of yourself?”
“Me? Compared to a thousand people?”
“Yes.”
“Even if you brought ten thousand, the Empire should choose me.”
“…That’s some confidence.”
I was being sarcastic, but she didn’t seem to catch on. Her expression remained calm.
She addressed me again.
“The son of Han Taesu.”
“Yes.”
“A thousand lives mean nothing.”
“What?”
The death toll in the Katablam Unsolved Case was around a thousand.
I realized too late.
She was referring to the victims of that incident.
“That case… it would be more beneficial for you to stop digging into it.”
The woman, having removed the other earring, smiled a chilling smile.
“It’s not that you’re a noble life worth saving instead of a thousand commoners… it’s that their lives are worth that little.”
“…”
“If sacrificing those lesser lives could stop the dark mages, of course, the Empire would do it.”
A wave of instinctive disgust washed over me.
For the first time, I understood why Adela feared the nobility so much.
I had now seen with my own eyes the kind of people who valued human life less than an ant’s.
Ardel Academy was a place relatively free from the constraints of social class.
But here, in this opulent banquet hall, I was forced to confront an uncomfortable truth.
This is their society.
“Joining your pathetic brother in this investigation is a waste of your time.”
“…”
“So give it up. Han Taesu’s son.”
I had to acknowledge and accept it.
This wasn’t the society I knew.
Even if I tried to impose my values on them, it wouldn’t work, and it shouldn’t.
Challenging their authority would be tantamount to rebellion.
But even if everything she said was true…
How am I supposed to deal with this revulsion?
“It’s kind of disgusting.”
“What?”
“That mindset… it’s a bit repulsive.”
I turned slowly to face her.
“I can’t claim to be more valuable than a thousand lives. So what makes you so sure of your worth?”
“…”
“What kind of life have you led to think you’re that valuable?”
“You…”
“I’m curious—why don’t you enlighten me?”
A boisterous laugh echoed from her.
“Haha… Hahahaha…”
The woman laughed for a long time, as if she found something utterly hilarious, then slowly removed her hat.
Her face, radiant under the chandelier’s light, seemed hideous to me—nothing more than a person consumed by power.
She smiled an inscrutable smile.
“…Han Taesu raised an amusing child.”
For a moment, her gaze locked onto mine.
It sent a chill down my spine—those eyes were terrifying.
Then, from behind, Duke Becken shouted in a loud voice.
“Oh… Oh! Your Majesty?”
What?
“Were you here all along, Your Majesty?”
Wait a second.
What did he just say…?
“…What?”
I turned sharply to look at Duke Becken.
“The Em-Emperor…?”
At that moment, Han Si-hyuk’s warnings flashed through my mind.
‘The Emperor will be attending this banquet, so don’t do anything that draws attention.’
‘Don’t cause any trouble.’
‘And don’t go around grabbing adults by the collar if you get upset.’
I didn’t grab her by the collar…
But I might have done everything else.
And it was the Emperor?
“…”
Han Si-hyuk was staring at me, his face drained of all colors.
If I was going down, I had to say my piece.
Staring straight at the Emperor, I spoke.
This was my only bet.
“With just a few words from Your Majesty, I’ve uncovered the truth behind the Katablam Unsolved Case.”
“The Katablam Unsolved Case?”
Emperor Linia raised an intrigued eyebrow.
“You?”
‘If sacrificing the lives of those lesser beings could stop the dark mages, of course, the Empire would do it.’
I had guessed based on what Adela once said, and the Emperor’s words confirmed it.
“The villagers weren’t cursed.”
I forced the words out, my voice trembling.
“People who didn’t have to die were buried on Your Majesty’s orders, weren’t they?”
“What?”
Han Si-hyuk’s brow furrowed deeply.
A premise so unimaginable that even Han Si-hyuk, who must have thought it an unavoidable disaster, was caught off guard.
The investigation file stated that those who were cursed had no choice but to be buried.
But I was here to present a different perspective on this unsolved case.
That’s wrong.
These were people who didn’t need to die.
“Wasn’t it Your Majesty’s direct command to bury that village? To sacrifice the lowly, the worthless?”
“So I did say something like that… to you.”
Emperor Linia burst into laughter.
“Yes, it’s something you could have guessed. Your mind works rather quickly.”
“This isn’t the end of it.”
“Oh?”
“Your Majesty gave the order to bury them, but someone else must have carried it out.”
“What are you saying?”
Emperor Linia turned to me, her expression hardening.
I slowly closed my eyes.
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I finally understood why Adela had to kill me.
I looked up to meet the Emperor’s gaze.
“…Was it my father who did it?”
—
This time, even Emperor Linia seemed genuinely shocked, remaining silent for a moment.
Han Si-hyuk, of course, was speechless as well.
The silence hung heavy, broken only after what felt like an eternity.
“…How did you know?”
“My intuition.”
“You… didn’t hear it from your father, I presume.”
It must have been a matter of utmost secrecy.
Even if it was just a nondescript village, the burial of an entire village wouldn’t have stayed hidden if it became public knowledge.
Even if Han Si-hyuk had investigated, it wasn’t the kind of case where a culprit could be apprehended.
Because the person behind it was the Emperor.
You can’t arrest the Emperor.
Han Si-hyuk seemed profoundly shaken, unable to speak.
I looked up at the Emperor.
“It only took five minutes. That’s how long I spent with Your Majesty.”
“….”
“And in those five minutes, I found out more than I ever thought possible.”
“Hahaha….”
“If you’d given me five more minutes, who knows what else I might have uncovered. Aren’t you curious?”
“…Han Taesu truly has an interesting child.”
Emperor Linia once again couldn’t contain her laughter.
After laughing to the point of breathlessness, she finally stopped, her amusement lingering.
“You’re brazen, but I like your honesty.”
Three minutes had already passed.
My head was still firmly attached to my neck.
I waited calmly for Emperor Linia’s next words.
“I wasn’t planning to kill you. I owe a lot to your father.”
“Is that so?”
“But isn’t it amusing? Your father followed my orders, and now you find that revolting. How about it? Does it still disgust you?”
“….”
Han Taesu’s words echoed in my mind.
‘Looking back, there are so many things I regret.’
‘Don’t make choices you’ll regret.’
At the time, I thought he was talking about his issues with Han Si-hyuk.
Was this the regret he meant?
I spoke with a bitter smile.
“He might regret it now.”
“You really don’t care about who I am, do you?”
Emperor Linia cursed under her breath with a sigh.
Then, she abruptly stood up and began rummaging through her study.
Han Si-hyuk, who had finally regained some color, staggered slightly as he watched.
The Emperor pulled several documents from a drawer and laid them on the desk, selecting one.
With a gesture, Emperor Linia beckoned Han Si-hyuk.
When he approached, she gave him an inscrutable look and ordered,
“Finish the investigation into the Katablam Unsolved Case with your own hands. There’s information in there that even Han Taesu doesn’t know.”
“W-What…?”
“Do not report to anyone. Use your discretion.”
“I-I will…!”
“There’s something in there that you need to see.”
Han Si-hyuk’s look of confusion only lasted a moment before he reverently accepted the documents from Emperor Linia.
“You come here too, Han Taesu’s son.”
Then, Emperor Linia gestured toward me.
I half expected her to play more games with my life, but surprisingly, she handed me a small fountain pen.
“What’s this?”
“Usually, you’d express gratitude first. It’s a gift from the Emperor, after all.”
“…Ah.”
Well, it’s not like I’ve ever met an emperor before.
Given that I’d already back-talked plenty, I figured a bit of formal etiquette was long overdue.
I bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle.
Was that right?
“Thank you.”
“Han Taesu really raised his children… to die young.”
Emperor Linia clicked her tongue but didn’t push any further.
Was my show of respect still not enough?
Well, at least I was still alive.
Emperor Linia sighed and asked me,
“So, why do you think I gifted you that pen?”
For a moment, I was scared she’d start another three-minute countdown.
This crazy Emperor.
She was really testing my nerves.
Taking a deep breath, I cautiously replied.
“I doubt it’s just so I’ll take diligent notes in class… Is it some sort of artifact? Maybe with some rare abilities?”
“…!”
“Is it something to use against the dark mages?”
Emperor Linia frowned in surprise at my musings.
After a moment, she sighed and spoke again.
“Considering your big mouth, you’ll probably need it. Keep it with you.”
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