Published: January 4, 2026
At night, swaying in the carriage, I made my way along the main street of the capital.
The empire, known as the strongest on Earth, boasted a capital city so bustling at night it was called the Sleepless City.
As I gazed upon the thriving nightscape, my eyes caught Shirley’s tense expression.
She walked alongside the carriage, her face marked by an intensity resembling a firm resolve.
“What’s wrong, Shirley? Are you nervous about something?”
“Y-Yes. I will protect Your Highness’s safety with my life if I must!”
“That’s quite sudden. Tonight, Brother Oscar invited us to a small gathering with Brother Henry. There’s no need to be so tense.”
“That’s precisely why….”
Shirley’s determination only grew stronger.
At a night stall on the main street, a customer dropped some dishes that shattered on the ground.
Shirley immediately spun around, hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to spring into action.
Her nerves were clearly on edge—overly sensitive, even—though I still didn’t know the reason why.
“What do you mean by ‘precisely why’?”
She looked at me and replied in a barely audible voice.
“Given the current situation, it’s clear to anyone: the next emperor will be either Henry-sama, Oscar-sama, or Noah-sama. One of these three.”
“...”
I said nothing.
My silence mirrored Shirley’s quiet restraint.
However, as she spoke on, her voice softened but her words grew more fluent.
“Oscar-sama—the very person involved—has invited Henry-sama and Noah-sama to this gathering… it won’t end without a purpose. We must remain vigilant.”
“I see. I understand your concern, but there’s no need to worry.”
“Huh?”
Shirley was taken aback by how casually I spoke.
“W-Why do you say that?”
“After the Albert and Gilbert incident, His Majesty has become extremely sensitive to any attempts to seize the imperial throne.”
“Ah.”
“Brother Henry, Brother Oscar, and I are the three candidates narrowed down from an outsider’s perspective. Because of that, we can’t openly fight—at least not tonight. There’s no way anything will happen at a gathering like this. In fact, even if something did, Brother Oscar would protect Brother Henry and me with his life.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way… as expected of you.”
I smiled warmly at Shirley.
“Actually, that’s exactly how it is.”
Shirley’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Try carefully sensing the surroundings.”
Taking my advice, Shirley’s sharp gaze began probing the nearby environment.
“Is that… a protective formation from a distance?”
“Exactly.”
I grinned.
Oscar’s men have been trailing us from a distance ever since we left Prince Thirteen’s Residence.
I’m skilled enough and have Shirley, the knight I trust most, by my side.
Still, they provide cautious, distant protection.
“When did you notice?”
“Right after we left the estate.”
“Th-That long ago!? Amazing… I didn’t notice at all.”
“Hmph.”
Shirley’s tension and unnecessary caution eased somewhat.
From the carriage, I stared straight ahead, deep in thought.
I hadn’t told Shirley this, but I’d already partially understood Oscar’s true intentions.
What I told Shirley was simply a reason why “nothing will happen tonight.”
It was not the reason why Oscar insisted on gathering the three of us.
From His Majesty’s perspective, it was best for these three of us—whose candidacies were obvious to all—to appear united.
If we were constantly at odds, there’d be concerns about who would smoothly inherit the imperial throne.
Depending on the level of discord, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone outside the three of us seemed a more convenient choice.
But if we seemed friendly, there’d be no such worries.
Oscar was orchestrating this.
For example, when I recommended Rice Cake for the subjugation of Gyalwan, Oscar fully supported and pushed for it.
People often compare Oscar’s gentle and approachable personality to that of our fifth older brother, Mile Alarate.