Sinclair arrived at the Imperial Palace late at night.

However, as he always did, he sought out the palace where the Emperor resided without even receiving permission for an audience.

Nevertheless, the maids who served the Emperor, the soldiers standing guard, and even those who guarded the Emperor could not dare to stand in the way of the ruffian Sinclair.

Of course, one middle-aged knight who guarded the Emperor, who cherished Sinclair like family – in other words, considered him more important and truly trusted him more than his own son – did ask.

“I’m terribly sorry, but did you speak to His Majesty the Emperor before visiting?” he asked.

But that was an utterly stupid thing to do. Instead of answering, Sinclair glared at him as if he would kill him.

Even on a regular basis, Sinclair’s behavior wasn’t good, but today the atmosphere was much more hostile. It was an unavoidable situation. Unfortunately for the knight, Sinclair was in a very bad mood.

The foolish and pitiful Imperial Knight lost all the trust and respect he had earned from the people of the Imperial Palace overnight, just because he had built up merits by rolling around on the battlefield for decades.

He was so overwhelmed by Sinclair’s fierce eyes, looking as if he would kill him at any moment, eyes that couldn’t be seen even on the battlefield, that he couldn’t utter another word.

In any case, the ruffian Sinclair was able to meet the Emperor without anyone’s permission.

“I will be marrying Elaina Aswald next week. Keep that in mind.”

Even at Sinclair’s words, which were a notification in itself, the Emperor made no reply.

He just looked at his son with fearful and disgusted eyes.

At that moment, when he brought up the name of a woman who was treated worse than a commoner in the name of a wish, the Emperor thought. This was too much of a good deal.

And it was also obvious that Sinclair was overjoyed like a dog, as he had told Elaina.

“Hister and I have nothing to lose.”

The Emperor could not understand Sinclair’s foolish act of taking a useless, flawed woman as his wife, but it was still good news for the Emperor and Hister Butler.

He was skeptical, but since Sinclair said he would hold the ceremony next week, there was no need to elaborate.

“Yes, go ahead and do that.”

So the Emperor gave a very simple answer. As if he had just heard the news of a complete stranger’s marriage, with indifference.

However, there was one thing that needed to be clearly addressed.

“Other than Elaina Aswald, you must have something to say to me about the rest of the Aswald family and Duke Hank, Sinclair.”

No matter how favorably one tried to look at it, what Sinclair did was an abuse of power, plain and simple. Of course, it didn’t matter if Melvin Aswald and his family were ruined, but the story was different for Duke Hank.

“Ah, you mean that?”

But Sinclair replied with a usual expression as if spitting out the words.

“I just did what you, the aged Emperor, should have done instead. You are old and not in good health, so you should rather thank me, shouldn’t you?”

Sinclair retorted brazenly.

“If you were going to say thank you, well, never mind. I just did what I was supposed to do.”

“That is an overreach of authority. You are not the Emperor, nor are you the Crown Prince. You just have the nice facade of being a prince. But by what right did you give orders to dispose of them, Sinclair!”

“Then let me ask you this time. What was the dream you wanted to achieve all your life, Your Majesty?”

At Sinclair’s sudden question, the Emperor’s brow furrowed.

“It seems your memory is not good as you have aged. This is a big problem. I guess I did the right thing by stepping in.”

Sinclair laughed.

“Wasn’t Your Majesty’s long-cherished dream to strengthen imperial power?”

Sinclair’s words were not false. From the moment he ascended to the throne as Emperor, his father had constantly yearned to make imperial power even stronger.

But the quick-witted nobles saw at a glance. The person currently occupying the throne was not a very bright individual.

Judging that his position would be in danger at this rate, the Emperor changed his behavior. To give the nobles what they wanted and join hands with them.

For example, reducing taxes for specific nobles, that is, the most influential families in Edenbell, or secretly pulling them out of wars where everyone had to participate.

“I did my best to fulfill Your Majesty’s dream. Aren’t I a truly helpful son? To think of my father so much even after being cast out.”

“What do you mean by that!”

The Emperor, who finally became enraged at Sinclair’s sarcasm, shouted loudly.

“As Your Majesty said, I am a prince only in name, but you cannot deny that imperial blood flows through me as well.”

“So what does that have to do with…”

“Your Majesty’s comprehension seems to be much lower than I expected. It makes me think, so that’s why you joined hands with the nobles like that.”

The Emperor’s wrinkled eyes trembled at Sinclair’s following words.

“They kidnapped a woman who is clearly the prince’s wife on paper, even though the ceremony has not been held yet, and exchanged something of value. And they sold her off. They even used drugs to make her pass out.”

Sinclair, who had been full of ridicule a moment ago, hardened his face and spoke in a cold tone.

“Isn’t this something that cannot be done unless they look down on the imperial family? Or it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s tantamount to challenging imperial authority.”

“……”

“This time it happened to Elaina Aswald, but who knows what will happen next. They may kidnap the wife of Hister, whom Your Majesty cherishes and loves so much.”

The Emperor let out a strange groan that could not be described. As if he had stumbled somewhere and stubbed his toe hard.

“You… you’re not trying to do that, are you? Sinclair.”

“Who knows?”

Sinclair replied with a chuckle.

“Life doesn’t always go as planned. I’m not sure how to answer that yet.”

“……”

“Anyway, if you think I did this excessive act simply because the woman I love was in danger, that’s a very wrong idea. Of course, I had such feelings, but above all, it was a choice out of concern for my old and weak father and genuine care for the future of my beloved younger brother.”

Unfortunately, the Emperor could not make any counterattack to Sinclair’s words.

Although they were utterly rude remarks, the excuses were good and there was logic to them. If he had just killed them on the spot, it could have been an issue, but the clever Sinclair did not cross the appropriate line either.

Moreover, if they were to be exact, they weren’t wrong either. That was the biggest losing point.

The Emperor gritted his teeth.

“You better not think of restoring Hank’s noble title. Then our imperial family will become an easy target for all the ruffians in Edenbell.”

The ruffian, one of the most notorious in Edenbell, finally relaxed his expression and said with a smile.

“Seeing that you have no answer, it seems you have nothing more to say. Or maybe you’re tired because it’s too late at night.”

“Hah……”

“Then I will take my leave now. I’m worried that Your Majesty, who is already unwell, will be shocked by Hank’s actions and your health will deteriorate further. So leave the rest to me. You already look drained of energy, so don’t do anything that will waste your strength.”

Having said what he wanted to say, Sinclair roughly paid his respects and started walking away without looking back.

Until the Emperor mumbled something.

“No matter how much you scheme, nothing will change, Sinclair.”

Sinclair stopped in his tracks.

“Do you know what animal dies first when you go hunting?”

“……”

“The animal that runs away in a hurry? The animal that is so scared that it can’t even move? Both are wrong.”

The Emperor said in a resolute voice.

“It’s the ones who rush in first without knowing their place.”

Well.

Is that really so?

Sinclair quietly thought.

“Such creatures always die first without exception. Remember that fact clearly.”

“I see.”

He turned to face the Emperor and replied.

“But I’m terribly sorry, isn’t that because those animals rushed in without any plan?”

“Wh… what?”

“And in life, this happens and that happens. There are animals that die by hunters, and there are hunters that get bitten to death by animals.”

Sinclair said with an ominous smile.

“Anyway, I will keep in mind the words of the Emperor who worries about his son for a long, long time.”

“……”

“Then rest well.”

That was the entirety of the greeting. Sinclair left the Emperor’s bedroom without being intimidated at all by the Emperor’s threat. Then, walking along the wide corridor, he thought.

That damn old man’s nonsensical babbling will come to an end soon.

It was the very moment Sinclair completely left the Imperial Palace.

“I never expected to see you here.”

He encountered someone he didn’t really want to face.

“Seeing you narrow your brows at me like that, it seems you’re not very happy to see me.”

“Well, isn’t that mutual? If there was a mirror, I’d like to show you too. How distorted your face looks right now.”

“Well, I was thinking of visiting you at least once anyway. Shouldn’t I congratulate my only brother’s marriage?”

“Instead of wasting time, why don’t you send a letter of condolence to Hank? He must be waiting for your contact like a dog waiting for its owner, craning his neck.”

“But I was a little worried, brother. Why did you take a crippled, half-blooded, bastard woman as your wife?”

“……”

“So out of concern for you, I looked into it, and it’s a wench I already knew about.”

Sinclair hesitated, uncharacteristically.

“That wench, right?”

“…What?”

“The one you secretly met outside the Imperial Palace a long time ago, hiding your identity and name. The one who lost her leg because of you.”

Hister Butler said with a grin.

“But does that wench know about this fact?”