Published: January 4, 2026
Using the presence distraction technique, I diverted the attention of the gatekeeper at the entrance and was able to infiltrate the palace without difficulty.
At night, the palace was devoid of any signs of life, completely silent.
The area near the lobby right after entering consisted of stone corridors, and when I took the first step, the sound of my footsteps echoed louder than expected. This made me more conscious to move with stealthy footsteps as I proceeded further.
For decades, ever since I was reincarnated as Noah, I have been visiting this palace regularly.
Not only when Father was the emperor but also after he abdicated and became the retired emperor, I visited daily whenever I was in the Imperial Capital.
I navigated through the palace so familiar to me that I could find my way even with my eyes closed.
My first destination was straight ahead, Father’s chamber.
Though he might not be there due to illness, that was where I headed first.
In hindsight, it was an unnecessary worry.
When I arrived at the door of the chamber, there was no gatekeeper.
But pressing my ear to the door, I heard voices conversing inside.
Two voices, both belonging to elderly men.
One was unmistakably Father’s voice.
“Next, I have compiled Your Majesty’s words into a collection of sayings.”
“Words of mine? That can wait. They are not as important compared to other matters.”
“I anticipated Your Majesty would say so. However, there is already a draft prepared.”
The other voice, the one Father was speaking with, sounded quite familiar as well.
Alone, I might not have recognized it, but I had prior information, so I immediately knew.
It was the voice of Noisehill, who served as the First Prime Minister under Father for thirty years.
No other voices could be heard, no presence felt.
Since there was no gatekeeper, it seemed Father had sent others away and was having a secret conversation with a trusted confidant.
“A draft, you say?”
“Yes, it was compiled by the current emperor.”
“Noah? Ah, yes, I recall he was working on something like that.”
“The current emperor sincerely admires Your Majesty. He has been compiling Your Majesty’s achievements for some time now.”
“I knew he was doing that, but—let me see it.”
Inside, I heard Father receiving something from Noisehill and flipping through papers.
“…I never thought I needed my own words, so I didn’t check the details. But he has researched this thoroughly.”
“I was surprised as well.”
“This ‘Ruler should not harbor hatred against anyone’—I only said that a few times when I was young.”
“When I first served Your Majesty, I remember you said that. I had completely forgotten until I saw this.”
“Me too. Impressive, Noah.”
Father and Noisehill were talking about me.
I hesitated.
Should I stay here, or leave?
It didn’t matter that they were talking about me.
My hesitation came from the fact that Father sounded quite lively.
Even through the door, I could tell by his clear tone and forceful speech.
This was not the voice of a seriously ill man.
Knowing Father was not bedridden was a relief.
So there was no reason to overstay, but at the same time, I was curious about what he was thinking.
Should I leave or stay and listen further?
I was torn.
“How is Noah now?”
“He seems to still be holding a secret meeting with Lord Oscar.”
“Oscar, huh…”
I flinched briefly.
Since the conversation turned to this topic, leaving immediately was no longer an option.
I held my breath and listened intently to the exchange inside.
“Since I am now an outsider…”
“...Hmm?”
“If ‘that law’ had been reinstated during Your Majesty’s reign, it might have been useful to the current emperor, who strictly adheres to the law.”
“The one about killing brothers?”
“—!”
I gasped, startled.
Though the phrase ‘that law’ was vague, I immediately understood what they meant.
Centuries ago, the previous dynasty of the empire had a law allowing the emperor to purge his brothers upon ascending the throne, justified by law.