"Wow! Amir struck down the enemy commander!"
"Amir did it!"
"Oh, thank the gods!"
Everyone rejoiced, praising the name of the knight Amir and reveling in the joy of victory.
The appearance of the genius knight who overturned the unfavorable situation and even killed the enemy commander was welcomed by all.
And watching this, Prince Kendrick Evaristo was seething with anger.
'After Ipartak fell from his horse, I should have been called to strike that bastard's neck!'
It was his first campaign at the age of twenty-four.
He had intended to make a significant contribution in this war to firmly establish his presence as a prince, but the problem was that the most outstanding knight in the entire army was an uncouth rustic who knew neither how to flatter nor how to negotiate.
Amir Swens, the third son of the Swens house, was an exceptionally skilled knight to the point that one would wonder what he had been doing until now, but he was a tightly sealed man who didn't know how to praise or how to deal.
"Such a guy will become a headache if left alone. He'll surely try to climb up."
But it wasn't appropriate to punish the knight who led his first campaign to victory.
After the victory celebration, Kendrick immediately whispered to his father, the emperor.
"With such an outstanding knight, Your Majesty, he could drive out the barbarians from Pervaz. Please grant him the noble title of 'Count of Pervaz'."
And the emperor, who loved his son, followed his words exactly.
"Amir of Swens, I bestow upon you the title of Count! The territory to be granted is Pervaz, the northernmost region of the empire, which suits your bravery!"
A moment of murmurs and commotion ensued.
Astonished gazes and muttering lips.
Kendrick was rather angry at the signs of criticism seemingly directed at him.
'These arrogant people! How dare they harbor dissatisfaction with the emperor's decision?'
But when his eyes met the eyes of Amir, who had received the emperor's decree, Kendrick froze like a mouse facing a snake.
"Pervaz?"
The same green glint was flowing from Amir's eyes as when he struck down Ipartak's neck.
"Repaying a favor with enmity?"
"W-What are you talking about! You fool…!"
"After winning the war instead of you trembling in the rear barracks, now you want to send me to my death?"
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened, and a chilling aura spread.
"Uh, wha…"
Kendrick looked around in confusion, but there was no one around.
"N-no one's here! Seize him!"
However, there was no answer.
And in the meantime, Amir was slowly approaching him.
"You cowardly and despicable bastard. You will live in a curse where you can trust no one and you will die miserably!"
A chilling voice echoed all around. It was like a messenger of death pronouncing a sentence.
"Go away! Don't come near me!'
Kendrick waved his hands and backed away.
But Amir raised the sword in his hand high and swung it down at Kendrick.
***
"Uh, agh!"
Emperor Kendrick, who had been groaning while shaking his head from side to side, suddenly screamed as he jumped up from the gigantic blade falling towards him.
"Cough, cough…."
As Kendrick's cries and rough breathing echoed, the attendant who had been guarding the bedside rushed over to assess his condition.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
"Where am I…?"
Looking around, Kendrick realized that this was his bedroom.
Amir was nowhere to be seen, and he had safely become the emperor and was living quite well.
"It seems like you had a nightmare."
"Ah…! It was a dream…?"
"Shall I call for a physician?"
"No, water! Get me water."
Kendrick urgently snatched the cup of water offered by the attendant and gulped it down eagerly.
His parched throat was relieved, and he felt his breathing ease a bit.
"Good grief…!"
His heart was still beating fiercely.
As if a creature with gleaming eyes were going to leap out from the darkness, Kendrick ordered the attendant to slightly brighten the light in the room.
In the midst of this, a letter haphazardly thrown on the bedside table caught his eye.
"It's because of that! Because of that, I had such a nightmare…!"
The letter was from Carlyle.
… The departed palace, the throne where father sat twinkles in the eyes. I hope father is well.
… After our marriage, we stayed in the palace and now I send you the portrait we were supposed to draw right after our wedding.
When the Igram tribe attacked, I was impressed by the sight of me and my wife annihilating the enemy, so I had it painted.
It's different from a typical couple's portrait, but I think there's no better picture to represent us as a couple…
At first glance, it was a letter explaining a delayed greeting and a couple's portrait sent, but Kendrick felt fear between the lines.
Objectively, it seemed affectionate and exemplary, but it was read entirely differently by Kendrick.
Father sitting on the throne that should be mine always irks me. You don't seem to show any signs of fading yet, do you?
I'm sending you a portrait with the woman who stabbed you in the back.
You seem to have forgotten, but she and I are the demons who survived in this battlefield. Wouldn't it be wise to look after your health?
Kendrick crumpled the letter that had been placed on the table and angrily threw it to the floor.
'This was clearly sent to threaten me! Damn bastard!'
At the time when Carlyle briefly stayed at Zyro, Kendrick had finally thought that this arrogant guy was finally noticing him, but upon seeing the portrait and letter this time, he realized that Carlyle's essence would never change.
Carlyle feared nothing and no one. He was like someone who didn't know how to fear.
'Why doesn't he notice me when I have his damn leash in my hands!'
The heart that had been pounding from the dream now thudded from anger.
"Ugh…."
"Y-Your Majesty! Shall I call for a physician?"
As Kendrick clutched his chest and groaned, the attendant who anxiously watched over him suggested bringing a physician.
"Tsk. It's nothing! Everyone, leave."
Kendrick let out a long sigh and lay back on the bed. It was fortunate that he wasn't with Viviana today.
"Viviana's enthusiastic clinginess is fine, but… it drains my energy, it's… exhausting…"
He used to wish for nothing more than to roll around in bed with Viviana every day, feeling his vigor and strength surge, but now that it had become a reality, it seemed like his energy was being sucked away.
The mid-twenties Viviana didn't seem to know fatigue and even seemed impatient, which exhausted Kendrick.
Perhaps even these nightmares were a result of his weakened state.
"I should make some medicine soon to boost my vitality."
He pondered over such simple thoughts as he drifted back into sleep.
And a few days later, Beatrice shook the emperor awake with such words.
"It's already been a year and a half since Carlyle got married."
Suddenly, when talk about Carlyle arose, the emperor frowned as he wasn't in the mood.
But Beatrice pretended not to know anything.
"It's been well over a year since they got married, and yet there's no news of a child. This is a very serious matter for the royal family."
"They've been busy with the war. How can an heir come during such times?"
"Children are born even during wars, Your Majesty. Especially with Carlyle and the Countess of Pervaz being so remarkably healthy, it's strange that they still have no children."
Beatrice's face was filled with concern, so much so that it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask why a normal person would worry so much.
"So what do you suggest?"
Finally, the question Beatrice had been aiming for came out.
After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously brought up the main point.
"It is said that if you send a priest to give a blessing for conception, you will have a child soon. Your Majesty, no matter how unpleasant Carlyle may be, shouldn't you see your grandson?"
"Is there no other son who can have a child except that bastard? Wouldn't it be better for you if Carlyle couldn't have a child?"
"How can you say such a thing? As a parent, you should support your child who cannot have children."
The emperor had a look of annoyance on his face.
It was a good sign that it would soon lead to the answer of "You do as you please," so Beatrice smiled even brighter.
"Leave this matter to me, Your Majesty. Don't worry about it."
As expected, the emperor nodded his head in abog way as if to say good.
And soon after, the emperor's approval was given to the document that allowed High Priest Gabriel to travel to Pervaz to give the blessing of conception to the Carlyle couple.
* * *
Gilles, who had been to Zyro with Carlyle, pestered Dorothea every other day.
Today, too, she felt like she was suffocating from listening to her father's nagging.
"I can't believe nothing gets done when I'm not here! What have you been doing while I was away! You should have at least found out what's wrong with Cecilia Dupret!"
He seemed to believe that Dorothea should have found some weakness in Cecilia.
In fact, Dorothea knew what kind of things her father would like, but she didn't want to do them. Snooping around and finding people's weaknesses to blackmail them…
"I didn't have time to spend with Lady Dupret."
"You have to make time! How can you expect to become the crown princess if you're so relaxed? Didn't you see what Cecilia Dupret is doing?"
"But, Father…!"
"Since when did you start talking back to me!"
"…I'm sorry, Father."