Chapter 2
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 2 - The Princess Does Not Believe
"You must live strongly. Leo..."
That was the last will the Prince, Leopold Minerva, heard from his mother.
After his mother died, swept up in a traitor's conspiracy, Leopold hated everything in the world.
His mother died, but the culprit of the incident was not caught.
Countless speculations circulated, but no one conducted a proper investigation.
Not even his own father, His Majesty the Emperor...
The brilliant prince knew that his mother's death was connected to the politics of the Imperial Palace.
To avenge his mother and to keep her dying wish, the prince decided to live strongly.
There was nothing he could trust in the world.
Everyone around him was a blade that could kill him at any moment.
The servant right next to him, the knight in front of him, the official following behind him could draw a sword and kill him.
'I must become strong... I must live strongly just as Mother said!'
To survive in such an Imperial Palace, only... only he himself had to become strong.
The goal of strength that such a prince dreamed of was not the empire's greatest knight nor the strongest in the North, the Grand Duke, but his 'Mother'.
Even now, the prince would recall it when he closed his eyes.
Over ten assassins swarming toward him; to stop them, the Empress desperately fought with a decorative spear in a woman's body.
At that time, in the prince's eyes, his mother radiated a brilliant light like a 'Golden Light'.
After that, the prince pursued that strength.
Because he thought that if he could also shine with a golden light like his mother... he surely wouldn't have to suffer from the fear of assassination anymore.
However, no matter how much he trained... even if he defeated countless knights and killed countless monsters... he could not emit that brilliant light.
At that moment when he was about to give up on everything and live in despair...
Leo... the prince witnessed that golden light.
"...Please punish me, and please... please come to your senses!"
It was a truly unexpected sight.
The prince did not really like his aide, Edric Noel.
At first, he thought of him as a friend.
So he relied on him a lot and opened up honestly.
However, those thoughts of his were reported to the Count Palatine and his father, His Majesty the Emperor, and they began to subtly manipulate him, causing the prince to close his heart.
And he considered him to be just one of the countless sycophants busy catering to his moods.
He, whom he had thought of like that... risked his life to set him straight.
In this situation where a slight misstep could result in his head flying off for the Crime of Insulting the Imperial Family, he risked his life and shouted at him.
'Edric Noel', who risked his life to offer loyal advice to him, was...
At that moment, shining radiantly with a "Golden Light" just like his mother.
'Ah... this was it... it was this light...'
Watching Edric offering loyal advice at the risk of his life to prevent his mistakes and guide him to the right path, the prince realized.
Self-sacrifice risking one's life... that was the true nature of the brilliant light he had seen...
The prince felt his mind clearing up.
Thanks to his mother's sacrifice, he was alive.
Thanks to the sacrifice of the knights here, he had been able to sleep peacefully until now.
And now, thanks to the advice of this loyal subject and close friend, he was able to realize it.
The prince could not stop his tears.
Why did he realize it so late...
Everything I wanted was already with me... why did I... spend such a vain time?
"...I am sorry. Edric, I was foolish and was causing pain to many people."
That day, thanks to the advice of his close friend and loyal subject, Edric...
He 'came to his senses'.
The bastard who said people don't change needs to come out right now...
After that day, the prince came to his senses.
No... beyond coming to his senses, he 'Awakened'.
What is he, a shounen manga protagonist? An awakening?
Wasn't the genre of this a romance fantasy transmigration story!
To me, whose plan was ruined unexpectedly, the prince spoke with his eyes sparkling brightly.
"Edric, you were right. I was buried in the illusion of strength all this time and ignored the dedication of precious people. From now on, I will fulfill my proper duties as the eldest son of the empire, so please guide me by my side."
"...Understood. Lord Leopold."
When it's just the two of us, I, or exactly Edric, call the prince 'Leopold'.
I was also very flustered by the prince's completely changed gaze.
Did the person really change?
Then should I revise my plan?
While thinking that, I recalled the countless human trash I saw in my previous life.
Ah... right, humans never change...
Kuaaack! Don't call me out for mountain climbing on the weekend, you son of a b*tch manager!!
Almost falling for the prince's appearance, I slightly modified my plan.
I don't know what kind of whim it is right now, but the prince's brain was currently high on intoxication.
Such intoxication doesn't last very long in the face of reality.
"Lord Leopold... are you truly going to bear your proper duties?"
"Of course! I cannot show an ugly appearance to my mother any longer!"
"Understood. Then..."
Clap-! Clap-!
With my signal, the door to the prince's office opened.
And servants brought in numerous piles of documents.
"Th... this is...?"
"These are the documents that Lord Leopold has not looked at all this time."
"Had they piled up this much!?"
A territory is given to the prince to let him experience running a state.
Naturally, the current state of the territory was a mess.
Checks on the power of the nobles, tax collection from the merchants, the plague problem among the people, and so on; the territory was ruined in proportion to the number of these documents.
"First, we must begin processing these documents."
"Phew... Understood! I will begin processing them immediately!"
The work the prince hadn't done all this time was like a mountain.
I thought that if he suffered from being buried in this work, he would realize his identity again and return to the previous prince.
'With this much, he won't even last three days and will quit, right? Then I'll commit a rudeness again at that time and go into exile!'
Imagining that, I threw the workload at the prince.
Such an imagination of mine... was miserably shattered.
One week later in the prince's office...
The lights were kept on there until late dawn today as well.
"It is done. Edric, I ask you to verify it."
"...Ah, yes, understood. Lord Leopold."
My calculations missed terribly.
The prince digested all those murderous documents with his eyes flashing.
And doing that while performing all of his duties as a prince, at that!
The prince rather said he lacked time and devoted himself to the work, even reducing his sleep.
The problem was that I, the aide, also had to stay awake together by his side.
"......Your Highness, perhaps you should sleep a little now...."
"No, Edric, I cannot sleep yet for the sake of the empire."
No, it's because I'm tired.
Did this person really take drugs... is it okay for a person to change this much?
While trying to make the prince come to his senses back to his previous state, it felt like I was going to collapse and die from overwork first.
To escape, I needed another... a different method from this.
"Did you hear the news?"
"Of course I heard! That His Highness the Prince has finally come to his senses."
"Now the empire is finally running properly."
The rumor that the prince had come to his senses spread throughout the entire Imperial Palace in an instant.
The officials finally rejoiced, shedding tears and saying, "The dawn is shining upon the empire!"
However, when everyone was praising the prince's change, only one person was keeping an eye on this situation with cold eyes.
The most beautiful place in the Imperial Palace, the "Princess's Palace".
That was the residence of Her Highness the Second Princess, Camilla Minerva.
The princess was listening to a report from her servant today as well.
"Yes, Lumiel. Did my brother stay up all night in his office again today?"
"Yes, Lady Camilla. Today as well, His Highness the Prince handled his work in the office."
With sharp eyes and gorgeous pink hair, she was called the flower of the Imperial Family for her beautiful appearance and received everyone's praise.
However, inside such a beautiful appearance, sharp thorns were sprouting.
She looked at the prince's office where the lights were not turning off and spoke.
"Lumiel... do you think a person can change overnight?"
"Lady Camilla, it seems His Highness the Prince has definitely changed."
"Is that really so?"
Camilla did not believe it. No, she couldn't believe it.
Over the past few years, the prince's eccentric behavior had troubled the Imperial Family.
Even when His Majesty the Emperor handed down punishments...
Even when countless officials submitted appeals...
Even when she herself cried and shouted...
The prince did not change.
But he changed overnight?
Thanks to the tearful, loyal advice of his aide, Edric?
The princess could not believe it.
And the biggest reason she couldn't believe it was something else.
'Even if... my brother came to his senses, as long as he is next to my brother, there is no future for the empire.'
The aide assisting the prince, 'Edric Noel'.
Everyone is sending praise that he opened the prince's eyes with life-risking loyal advice, but the princess could not believe it.
It was because she had seen it.
The secret conversation held by him, who had red hair and snake-like slit eyes...
"If it's me, I can use the prince."
That was a remark she had overheard by chance.
Camilla, who was passing by, coincidentally heard the secret conversation Edric Noel was having with his father, Count Palatine Albert Noel, in the garden of the Imperial Palace.
It was just that one sentence, but she was able to fully grasp the situation.
Ah... that father and son are trying to devour the empire...
That red snake-like sycophant is trying to ruin the empire by using her brother...
The princess wanted to impeach them immediately, but that father and son usually showed the appearance of subjects devoted to the Imperial Family with perfect acting skills.
Eventually, she trusted no one and prepared.
She investigated their corruption and waited for the stage to perfectly impeach them.
And to think this happened right at the moment she thought the preparations were finished...
Princess Camilla thought this was all her mother's grace.
'Do not worry, Mother. I will definitely turn my brother back.'
Having organized her thoughts, Camilla folded her sharp fan with a snap sound.
And she spoke to her servant, Lumiel.
"Tomorrow, I will visit my brother's office, so please prepare."
"Understood. Lady Camilla."
Princess Camilla headed toward the prince's office harboring a chilly murderous intent.
In her eyes, Edric was not a loyal subject, but the most dangerous venomous snake that would lead the empire to ruin.
Taking care of the venomous snake for the sake of the empire and her brother, that was her job.