“What are you doing here?”

Careth frowned.

The three boys quickly bowed their heads.

The boys, who looked to be between 10 and 13 years old, were barely wearing underwear.

“Aren’t you the Crown Prince’s servants?”

“Y-Yes, Sir Careth.”

“What’s the reason for causing a commotion in the sacred palace?”

“His Highness suddenly took our clothes and beat us wildly with a wooden sword!”

Unable to contain his resentment, the youngest boy shed tears again.

As if he had expected it, Careth put his hand to his forehead.

“You should have served him well to prevent such unfortunate incidents.”

“You know too, Sir Careth? That His Highness takes out his anger on us. Sob sob.”

“Isn’t it your job to look after His Highness’s mood? Work harder for the honor of your families.”

The boys were not ordinary servants, but noble offspring who entered the palace dreaming of becoming the future emperor’s confidants.

I heard that second or third sons who couldn’t inherit titles sought their future this way.

‘They must all be children raised gently in good homes… Isn’t this child abuse? Violence based on hierarchy?’

Either way, the Crown Prince was no ordinary troublemaker.

Even calling him a troublemaker was too lenient.

It was shocking that no one had stopped the Crown Prince’s outrageous behavior until now.

“Careth. What did the previous education officer do?”

“He resigned due to health issues.”

“He didn’t run away, did he?”

Careth subtly averted his gaze.

The boys rushed to tattle.

“The previous teacher couldn’t last even a month. His Highness put a dead mouse in his cushion!”

“He once poured hot tea on the back of his hand.”

“He stabbed his lips with a silver spoon. The teacher was afraid of His Highness until the day he left.”

Careth sternly rebuked the boys.

“You rascals! Have you forgotten your oath of secrecy? If you keep blabbing, I’ll whip you and chase you out!”

I glared at Careth with a sigh.

I thought Careth had used his wisdom for my sake, having succumbed to the demonic power.

I never imagined he’d arrange such an extreme job that no one wanted.

“Careth. Can you explain this?”

“I’ll give you the highest level salary on the continent. I’ll also provide clothing allowance, dignity maintenance fee, and vacation pay.”

“You seem to have forgotten, but I’m Elizabeth Emster. The richest woman in the capital!”

“Ahem. There are separate tutors for each subject. Lady Elizabeth, you just need to manage His Highness’s overall lifestyle.”

“That’s the hardest part, isn’t it? So much that no one wants to do it.”

They appointed a woman who was neither noble nor had a good reputation as the Crown Prince’s education officer.

There was no opposition from the House of Nobles.

I thought it was strange, but it was natural.

Because I was about to suffer the hardships their children would have endured.

“You want me to eat this trash? Get out now!”

Along with a sharp cry, there was a sound of something breaking.

The ornate oak door opened.

The chef holding a golden plate and maids rushed out of the Crown Prince’s chamber in a fluster.

I burst into a hollow laugh as I saw the miserably ruined dish.

“Why are there footprints on the steak? There’s ink splattered on the salad instead of dressing?”

“It seems His Highness’s picky eating has worsened.”

“Does this look like picky eating to you?”

“His Highness is still young. He also grew up lonely.”

“I suppose that’s why you’ve been indulging him. Though it’s no different from neglect!”

After a moment of silence, Careth defended the Crown Prince.

“We can always make more food.”

“We should discipline him, even if we have to tell His Majesty!”

“We cannot tell him.”

“Why not?”

“His Majesty does not wish to hear about it.”

“What?”

“He ordered that all matters related to the Crown Prince should be handled by the education officer.”

A thug-like Crown Prince, and an emperor who doesn’t even care about his son!

With a father like that, proper education was impossible.

Just as I was about to burst out in irritation, Careth knocked.

“Your Highness, it’s the Minister of Internal Affairs.”

“Get lost.”

“The new education officer has arrived. Would you like to meet her?”

“Tell her to run away immediately if she wants to live.”

It was a cold voice just like his father’s.

Careth turned to me with a bitter face.

“I entrust the Crown Prince to you. Lady Elizabeth is the only one we can trust. No, this is a job only Lady Elizabeth can do.”

“No matter if he’s the Crown Prince, I can’t tolerate this! I’ll thoroughly fix his ill-mannered behavior! Did you expect me to react like this?”

“…Didn’t you?”

“Huh. You’ve dreamed quite an ambitious dream.”

Careth looked disappointed.

Regardless, I patted Careth’s shoulder.

“I’ll be leaving now. I absolutely detest getting involved with people who don’t welcome me.”

“Lady Elizabeth!”

“Handle His Majesty’s precious son yourselves.”

[This is the timeline separator]

It was a night without stars or moon visible.

The north wind blew under the dark clouds.

Though spring was just around the corner, the imperial palace was shrouded in a desolate darkness.

The oversized marble fountain, the weed-free grass plaza, and the perfectly trimmed garden trees couldn’t erase the eerie shadows cast over the palace.

Nikolai dismissed the servants with lanterns and the guard knights.

There was a reason he had to walk alone.

“What do you want?”

It wasn’t a soliloquy.

The goddess’s wolf had been waiting for Nikolai to speak to it.

「Let’s go to the harem, Niki.」

“Do you like those stinking women so much?”

「Wouldn’t it be better to go to that fragrant woman?」

“Elizabeth is not the empress.”

「But she’s yours, isn’t she?」

“She’s not mine either.”

「Don’t try to deceive a friend of 6 years, Niki.」

“Don’t call me that, wolf.”

Nikolai spat out the words.

But the wolf only let out a low chuckle, kuk kuk.

「Be more honest. You want that woman. More than me.」

“Shut your mouth and do your job.”

「You should do your duty too. Don’t forget to offer me food.」

“…”

「You think I like sniffing around? I want to eat other fresh scents too.」

“…”

「But what can I do? I was made this way. And you have to coexist with me like this.」

The wolf was the only being Nikolai couldn’t control at will.

The emperor’s authority was insignificant to the hungry wolf.

「Shall I give you some advice? That woman’s sweet scent numbs the sense of smell. It might hinder finding the netherworld flower.」

“Keep your advice to yourself, wolf.”

Nikolai barely suppressed his anger and changed the subject.

“There’s a message from the temple. They say ominous movements have been detected in the south.”

「It doesn’t smell good. It’s really strange that only young women are falling ill. The plague isn’t such a meticulous kind.」

“For now, we need to find and isolate them as soon as possible.”

「If rumors spread that the netherworld flower is rampant, the nobles will start fleeing first. Not knowing they’re spreading the disease to every corner of the country. Those who can’t escape will gather tightly, wailing and shouting, begging the gods? What tiresome foolishness.」

When the netherworld flower first appeared, healers and apothecaries were powerless.

The people faced their fears in their own ways.

Neither folk remedies nor faith were of any use.

The plague spread like wildfire.

As some began to deny the danger itself, the netherworld flower spread uncontrollably.

Nikolai could never repeat that painful past.

“We must hurry. The south. The border of the Inted Islands.”

「Niki. Are you going to work me without feeding me? Go to the harem right now.」

“…”

「What are you hesitating for? I’m just going to inhale the scent.」

“Remember. I will never allow anything more than that.”

「I don’t care, but. Aren’t you sorry for the women waiting for your touch?」

“The stench is particularly strong today.”

「Then take something fragrant. If it’s not yours, make it yours.」

“I’m not a beast like you.”

There were times when that fact was unbearably painful.

Reason and self-control felt like shackles binding his hands and feet.

It was even more so when he was with Elizabeth.

If he sometimes wanted to be a beast, was he going mad?

「No joy in living, no purpose to live for. Poor Niki, more pitiful than a dog on a leash.」

“Shut up, wolf.”

「I’m so hungry I could go crazy. I don’t know what I might do.」

“…We’re almost there now.”

「Good, friend. I can already feel it.」

Nikolai headed towards the harem, dragging his long, dark shadow.

It was a duty that would never end as long as the netherworld flower existed and the goddess’s wolf was with him.

[This is the timeline separator]

What are the knights doing? They can’t even block a dog hole.

I sighed towards the rustling hawthorn hedge.

“Haa… You again?”

The boy who crawled out of the dog hole pouted.

His arrogant tone remained unchanged today as well.

“What an ill-mannered woman. Don’t you know to greet people first when you see them?”

“You should do that yourself. Don’t bother me.”

I retorted without taking my eyes off the book.

I wanted to finish reading the Empire’s founding history before lunch.

The boy, who had been pacing the garden like a puppy needing to pee, asked sharply.

“Hey, woman. I heard you’re Emperor’s concubine?”

“Mind your own business. I’m not interested in your affairs either.”

“How was last night? Was His Majesty satisfied?”

“You little brat, there’s nothing you won’t say?”

I frowned without realizing it.

The boy seemed quite satisfied to have elicited a reaction from me.

“You’re just a toy at best. There’s no way His Majesty would truly like a woman like you.”

My temples throbbed.

I had no intention of being generously understanding towards this kid who crossed the line.

But pinching his cheeks would be too tame, right?

“You, you’re really a pitiful child.”

I murmured with an expressionless face.

The boy who had been acting smug frowned.

“I know kids like you well. Weak kids who pretend to be tough by imitating adult speech.”

“I’m pitiful and weak?”

“Of course. You have no friends, and no family to take care of you.”

“!”

“You might think you’re great, but you’re dead wrong. You’re just a twisted little kid who can’t handle loneliness. You’re just begging for attention by picking fights over every little thing.”

Was it because I hit the nail on the head?

The boy’s lime-green eyes suddenly flipped.

It might have been a bit too much, but facts are usually painful.

The boy needed to know too.

That he’s not the center of the world, and that someday he’ll have to endure alone with nothing.

What he’ll need then is not stubbornness or pretense, but the courage to admit his shortcomings.

“I’m lonely, please look at me, please love me. Stop whining already.”

“I’ve never done that!”

“If you were honest, you might at least get some sympathy, but you don’t even have that courage. Why? Because no one will pay attention no matter how much you make noise.”

“Don’t make assumptions!”

“You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The more you cling, the more people dislike you. But you don’t know any other way. Because you’ve never learned.”

“!”

“That’s why you’re pitiful and weak.”

By the time I said that, a tear fell from the boy’s large eyes.

“H-How dare you…”

Unable to contain his anger, the boy shed tears.

Looking at him like this, he was such a small child.

His trembling shoulders seemed hardly two spans wide.

“Who are you to teach me?”

“I also hate meddling in other people’s lives. You should have watched who you were talking to before saying such harsh words.”

“Shut up! What do you know…”

The boy rubbed his tears vigorously with his sleeve.

It seemed that crying in front of me was hurting his pride.

There were wounds on the boy’s hands that no one had taken care of.

Until now, the boy had barely protected himself with violent behavior and harsh words.

‘He might have cried every night. I did too.’

There were abandoned children in every world.

If you didn’t pretend to be strong, you were ignored. If you didn’t attack first, you were trampled.

But that didn’t justify the boy’s actions.

Being lonely doesn’t give you the right to torment someone else.

I bent my knee to meet the boy’s eyes.

The midday sun sparkled on the high-end shoes that didn’t match his dirty servant uniform.

“I know a little too. At least that you’re Crown Prince Franz.”