Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Unshakable Confidence
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Eyes brimming with confidence no matter the situation were fascinating. No matter what was happening around him, the way he stuck to his path seemed almost awe-inspiring.
"Huh?"
How could I refuse when such a person spoke to me in a vulnerable, almost whiny tone?
"Don't go out. Let's talk here."
At my words, cooing like to a child, Darsi smiled softly.
"But I have to go. There's something I need to discuss with my little brother."
I heard Ryan scoffing from the side, but Darsi paid him no mind whatsoever.
"I swear, it's not what you think. If you stay here and eat, I'll come back. I'll explain everything then, so wait for me."
When he put it like that, I had no choice but to assume there really was something between Darsi and Ryan.
I decided to trust the Darsi I'd seen so far.
"Got it. Then go talk. Just don't forget the Etwar Marquis House has your back."
No matter how Ryan acted, he wouldn't kill Darsi on the spot. Then I could defend him outright.
This felt like the right move for the current situation.
Darsi's eyes widened at my words before he grinned.
"Feels reassuring. You need to eat well. By the way, I had everything prepared since I wasn't sure what you'd like."
...
The way he said it, as if he'd cooked it himself, made me chuckle. I nodded, saying I understood.
Darsi gripped the knife blade with his hand and jerked his chin.
"Shall we?"
That single short phrase sparked an immense clash of wills between them. Just watching gave me a headache.
Ryan, who had been glaring at Darsi, let out a heavy sigh and muttered,
"Follow me."
Darsi took the lead, and the two left the room.
Creak. The door closed.
I was left dumbfounded.
What on earth was happening?
In the meantime, the servants began diligently bringing in the food. The parade of aromas left my mouth hanging open.
"...The table legs are going to collapse."
There was far too much food for two people. The variety was immense, and salads and desserts came out without regard for timing.
Just as Darsi had said. As if he'd ordered it himself.
Yeah, Darsi would sort things out somehow. Just like how he'd made that magic tool tick-tock on time.
I picked up my fork and put some meat in my mouth. The beef melted smoothly, blowing away my worries.
Knowing it was prepared for me made it taste even better.
"It's been so long since someone thought of me like this."
Consideration is an act that comes from thinking of someone, so no matter how big or small, I was always grateful for it.
...
Was Darsi really a prince?
He hadn't appeared in the book at all, yet he was a prince? The second most important role after the crown prince, but until recently, I hadn't even crossed paths with him.
I recalled what Darsi had said earlier.
"You saved my life."
He'd explain the details later. All I had to do was wait for him.
Come to think of it, he'd never shown a hint of uncertainty. He was someone who knew exactly how to use his abilities.
I should ask how someone who'd supposedly left had returned here.
The Darsi I saw today felt like a complete stranger.
'It's amazing how close we've gotten.'
I took a sip of soup. It warmed my throat. The delicious soup made me smile again.
Next up was a macaron.
The imperial chefs and patissiers were masters in their fields, and their skills were top-notch.
The filling in the macaron was delicate, perfectly sweet yet soft, a harmonious delight. It was the happiest moment I'd had in the imperial palace.
The fact that sweets could lift my mood showed just how simple I was.
How nice it would be to live life that simply in everything.
With a sigh, I glanced at the well-brewed tea and remembered the conversation I'd had with Leti recently.
The dessert Leti had prepared for me was delicious.
'I should buy Leti a box of macarons when I get back.'
I'd nearly finished eating, but Darsi still hadn't returned.
With the meal done and time passing, I started to worry about him.
Most of all, I was concerned about his injury. He couldn't have fought Ryan without getting hurt.
Knowing Darsi, he'd come back to the dining room without showing a hint of pain even if he was injured.
After pondering my options, I made up my mind.
I'd wait in the corridor and catch him off guard. He couldn't hide his pain even in the hallway. Then I'd know without him saying anything.
I'd eaten a lot, so standing would help with digestion too. Killing two birds with one stone.
And later, when Darsi ate, we could share a meal together.
Decision made, I stood up. If he didn't show in the corridor, I'd ask a servant.
Darsi, with a cold expression, stood crookedly and replied half-heartedly.
"I get the gist of how you feel, but let's talk inside the room. Knife fights in the corridor aren't ideal."
"Watch your tone first. It's utterly rude."
"Too bad, can't do that. You know who made me hate honorifics pathologically."
It was a far cry from how he'd openly asked Marso earlier if she liked polite speech.
Darsi opened the door to the room next door.
The way he grabbed the handle and entered looked all too familiar. His ease in the imperial palace was disconcerting. My instincts screamed danger.
Still, I needed to hear what he meant by "brother." Ryan furrowed his brow and followed into the room.
"To commemorate the day we first meet as blood kin, I've prepared a very special gift."
I've caught your lackey.
Darsi tightened the rope in his hand and smiled. Ryan's gaze followed the rope to the woman collapsed on the floor.
"...How."
There lay Leti, bound tightly.
Ryan was genuinely flustered.
Why was she collapsed here? Who did this to her? Or had Marso found out—
"Like it, little brother?"
Darsi tilted his chin up and asked in a chilling voice. The look on his face as he stared was ferocious.
Ryan hesitated. Should he deny Leti's existence? But Darsi had already caught her.
Given how confidently he spoke, it was better to come clean and negotiate.
Above all, he couldn't just abandon one of his own.
Ryan admitted it readily.
"How did you find out?"
"I dug into the source of that pathetic rumor you were about to spread. Shameful for a prince."
...
The scandal he planned to spread to block the engagement with Marso Etwar. Knowing even that made the man's identity even more suspicious.
"Time for her to wake up, I suppose."
He pulled the rope taut, and Leti groaned before stirring groggily. Spotting Ryan, she gritted her teeth.
In a parched whisper, she said,
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't expect to get caught like this."
"No... It's fine."
"You treasure your subordinates that much, huh? If you care, come closer and untie her."
Darsi muttered indifferently, still holding the rope.
Strands of hair fell over his face, revealing sharp features softened only by his gently curved eyes.
His beauty clashed with the room's tense atmosphere, creating a strange vibe.
"You'll hear about me straight from the emperor's mouth tomorrow. No need for me to waste breath, right? Too bothersome."
Darsi muttered casually as he opened the window for ventilation.
"Now, what will the esteemed prince choose?"
This was clearly a prompt directed at Ryan.
Ryan wrestled with indecision.
This was a trap. Darsi's hostility toward him was obvious without words.
He'd caught Leti, so no way he'd let him off easy.
And hadn't Ryan himself held a sword to this man's throat first?
But suspicions aside, Darsi was far too defenseless.
His clothes were a fine uniform, but he carried no weapons.
His left hand held the rope, and his right was empty.
'A trap?'
Clang. As he swung his sword close to untie the rope, something slammed into his head. Something cold pressed against his forehead.
Ryan was stunned.
'...What?'
"Brainwashing lacks visual terror, which is a shame. It ends with a few words, so it's useless for threats. That's why I prepared something else."
"..."
"My favorite weapon."
Click.
"Dad was thrilled, but what about you, little brother? Like it?"
"...Where did you even get that?"
"Want a little taste as a teaser?"
Darsi twisted the gun embedded in the center of Ryan's forehead, then leaned in close, grinding out the words.
"A dog that lived shuttling between forbidden palaces for Kies. The truth of Saisen Palace, which you ignored, is me."
His face, filled with bone-deep hatred, was savage. Ryan's eyes widened.
'Saisen Palace.'
The taboo space he was set to inherit soon.
"...Are you the existence Father was hiding?"
I'd always suspected something was hidden in Saisen Palace.
I just never imagined it was a prince like this.
Darsi pressed the barrel harder, speaking in a low voice. Their gazes locked.
"You don't even remember the grace of saving your life as a child."
"What are you..."
"Ryan Streugen. That was the last mercy he showed you."
"Mercy?"
Darsi's gaze pursued him relentlessly.
In that fleeting moment, Ryan recalled a childhood memory.
He couldn't even remember why he'd forgotten it, but it all came rushing back in an instant.
As a child, Ryan had boldly entered Saisen Palace to uncover its secrets.
And there, he had met this man.
...
Yes. He had met this man before.