The Emperor's Uninvited Intervention
"Wait, why are you here?!"
Hairel, who had been scheming her plot, was stunned by the appearance of this unscheduled intruder. Even Ares and Nemeth, in the midst of their filthy family squabble, were taken aback.
"Who is that?"
"…."
"My lord?"
The Death Knights, who had no idea who Viol was, showed no reaction. And then there was Seres, still clutching his head.
"Y-Your Imperial Majesty, the Sun of the Empire."
A moment later, Hairel finally snapped out of it and tried to greet her, but she was completely ignored.
"Out of my way."
Viol brushed past Hairel, who had been attempting to bow, without a second glance and headed straight for Seres.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"…Your Majesty?"
"Don't 'Your Majesty' me now."
Viol smirked and extended a hand to Seres.
"Let's go."
"…Where to?"
"Anywhere's better than this godawful place."
There was no way they'd just let Viol drag Seres off somewhere without a fight.
"Hold on. What do you think you're doing!"
Ares hurriedly stepped in to block Viol.
"This is Seres's home—where do you think you're taking him…."
"Home? Please. Can you really call a noisy dump like this, full of all that 'stepson' crap, a home?"
"…How did you know that?"
"What do you take me for? Do you think the emperor wouldn't have intel on something this blatant?"
Viol glanced briefly at Hairel and Nemeth before turning back to Seres.
"I figured things would be a mess here, and I was right. That kid looks rough—I’m taking him with me."
"What!"
"You wanna leave him rotting in this shithole? Can't you see he's in agony, clutching his head like that?"
Called out by Viol, Ares rushed over to Seres and tried to support her son.
"Seres, don't worry. I'll handle everything, so you just…."
That was when it hit.
'That's enough! I can get to my room on my own without your help. Just leave me alone!'
"Stop!!"
Another inexplicable memory flashed through Seres's mind, and he shoved Ares away.
"S-Seres?"
"…I think if I stick around here, this confusion's just gonna keep piling up."
Triggered by Ares, the strange memory made Seres decide to leave the house for a bit.
"I'll stay somewhere else until things calm down."
"But!"
"It's fine. I'll come back once I've settled down a little."
Seres replied with a calm tone that brooked no argument, despite seeming gentle. Then he took Viol's outstretched hand.
"Mind if I impose for a bit?"
"Impose on me forever if you want. I wouldn't mind."
Viol said it with evident satisfaction as she led Seres away, but
"Who are these clowns tagging along?"
"My guard knights."
"Tch!"
The Death Knights hurriedly followed Seres, and Viol had no choice but to let them come along. But before leaving,
"Even so, I can't just beat you to death right here, right? Too quick and easy. We'll settle this later. If you don't wanna die sooner, don't do anything stupid in the meantime."
She left that final warning for Hairel and Nemeth.
"You bastards…."
And with just three people left, Ares glared murderously at the remaining two. Hairel knew instinctively.
'I'm dead.'
No matter how things played out from here, she was finished.
I returned to the Imperial Palace after a long time. A place where not only the original Seres but even I had been confined in the past. Not exactly a fond spot, but for some reason, today it felt peaceful.
"Stay as long as you want."
Was it because Viol hadn't brought me here to imprison me this time, but as a refuge from that clusterfuck?
"Come on. I've prepared a room that'll suit you."
Viol took my hand and started leading me deep into the palace, then suddenly stopped.
"You lot can't come."
She halted the Death Knights who were still trailing me.
They'd been following the whole way. Niobe, their leader, spoke up in confusion.
"But you allowed us to follow—why now?"
"You think I'd let an armed group like you into the inner palace? Even if you're Seres's guards, there's a limit."
"Mm, but then who's guarding our lord?"
"You think anyone's in the palace who could touch Seres? I've got a place for you to stay—go wait there."
Viol, uncharacteristically not resorting to violence, laid out proper logic, leaving the Death Knights flustered. They looked to me as if asking what to do.
She had a point.
"This is the palace—no danger here for me. Don't worry and get some rest."
"…Understood."
Niobe reluctantly led her subordinates away.
"Remember the room the imperial family used when you collapsed before?"
Viol walked right beside me, perhaps worried I'd keel over again.
"You can stay there for now."
"I'm not imperial family."
"Then become one."
"…Don't hit on me in a situation like this."
I couldn't help but snort at Viol indirectly proposing marriage. She snickered too—it must've been a joke from the start.
"Need anything? Tell me if there's something you wanna eat."
"Hmm."
She asked what I wanted, so I thought about it. What did I need right now?
Then it slipped out.
"Soju."
"What's that?"
"Booze, booze!"
On a day like this, I wanted soju, but no way it existed in this fantasy world, so any liquor would do. When I asked for booze, Viol frowned.
"No."
"You acted like you'd give me anything—why not?"
"Ask for a whole castle instead. Booze with that body of yours?"
In her head, I was still the sickly mess.
I insisted my body was fully healed and a little alcohol was no problem, trying to convince her.
"You really gotta drink?"
With my persistence, Viol sighed in resignation and led me elsewhere—not the room we'd been heading to, but a bar.
A bar stocked with liquor and a bartender.
"Why's there a bar here?"
"I made it."
Shocked by the random bar in the palace, Viol replied nonchalantly.
"Going out for a drink was a hassle as emperor. Retainers freaking out 'Where are you going?' and even at the bar, everyone staring whether I was customer or owner."
"So you built your own private bar in the palace?"
"Convenient and nice."
"Future emperors are gonna be baffled."
"It's fine. Mix in some of your cheeky, thick-skinned blood, and they won't flinch at much."
Was that a joke or shade?
I shot Viol a side-eye and headed to a table. Surprised by the palace bar, sure, but like she said, it was convenient. Meant I could get properly wasted as I wanted.
"Anything. Something strong, please."
I ordered strong stuff to get hammered quick, but
"Ignore him. Give us something fruity, like barely alcoholic juice."
Viol shut it down immediately.
"What the hell!"
"That's what I wanna ask. I let you drink, and you go straight for the hard stuff?"
Viol scolded as she leaned on the table. That's when I noticed. Meeting me after so long, she'd dolled up more than usual. She gazed at me primly and said,
"Why do you wanna get so wasted? Shocked that hard you're a stepson? Even after saying your head injury made old memories fuzzy."
"…I don't know."
Why was I so rattled by that fact? I couldn't understand it myself. I wasn't Ares's real son—just a possessor. No reason to be shocked, so my state was weird.
Was it that vague memory from earlier? Fragmentary, so no full context, but it sure looked like the day I tumbled down the stairs.
But here's the issue: Why was I remembering it?
Except for the language I use to communicate, none of this body's original memories had surfaced since possession.
So why this one? Did the body associate it with a similar situation and pull it up naturally? Or…
"Was I laboring under some fatal delusion?"
"Huh?"
"…Never mind."
I couldn't voice the sudden possibility to Viol, so I brushed it off.
"Memories are still jumbled. …But even if I can't remember, isn't it normal to be shocked hearing you're a stepson?"
I sniped back at her offhand remark, but
"Is it? Sorry, hard for me to get. I killed my own mother, the former emperor, and cut ties with my one sibling over it—no biggie."
She dropped that bombshell casually, making me flinch instead.
"Ah, sorry…."
"Nah, it's fine. I really don't care about it. As a dragon descendant with extreme individualism, I'm even weirder than most royals brain-wise."
Viol said it like it was truly nothing, then fixed me with a serious gaze.
"But you're different. In all my life so far, you're the only one who's ever felt that precious to me."
"…Yeah?"
"So your status doesn't matter to me—stepson or whatever. Actually, good. Keeps that annoying Ares bitch from meddling."
Sure for you.
In the original story, to lure Seres to her, she'd pretend to go along with Nemeth's bullshit to separate him from the Huferions—or make him desperate enough to beg her for help.
But when Seres didn't come to her and headed to the temple for Hames instead, that's when she regretted it.
Now it was reversed: She'd shown up to save me from Nemeth's mess and even brought me to the palace. Her actions were total opposite—fascinating. As I stared, Viol moved.
"Seres, remember where your room is? Drink moderately, get satisfied, then crash there."
"Where you going?"
"You said memories are still messy. Time to call someone who can help."
Viol headed out of the bar.
"Wait. I'll bring Sibylius back."