I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

005. Solution (2)

The high-end restaurant Anamone in the bustling district of the capital.

The second floor there was quiet.

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It wasn’t because business was bad.

On the contrary, this place had become so popular that it was impossible to enter without a reservation made months in advance.

Especially the second floor with its good view was so precious that even nobles had to fiercely compete for reservations.

Nevertheless, the reason it was quiet now was none other than this.

Crown Prince Callios had reserved the entire second floor.

Kallios’s gaze was directed at the people outside the window.

His expression was full of concern.

The words he had heard from Yuren a few days ago still lingered in his mind.

―What on earth are you doing? Where is your mind wandering?

Those words had clawed at his insides.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

A soft voice pierced Kallios’s ears.

Startled, Kallios turned his gaze forward.

Rebecca was looking at him with a worried expression.

So Kallios forced a smile and said,

“Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

He focused on her.

Her pink hair and green eyes were imprinted on his retina in pastel tones.

Her delicate features, especially her round, large eyes, reminded him of a young bird, stirring a protective instinct within him.

Feeling guilty for causing her to worry, Kallios said,

“Let’s eat. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

He picked up the fork and knife.

It was one of the few days he could be alone with her.

How eagerly he had awaited this day.

‘Yes.’

The Tower Master, who always appears to cause trouble, and the Lord of the Dark House, who constantly picks fights, are not in the capital today.

The Grand Duke of the North has gone for training, and the Saint of the Papal Court is busy with church events.

If not today, when would there be such a cozy moment again?

‘Happiness, this is happiness.’

Rebecca.

The woman who awakened love.

If he lost her, he felt he would regret it for the rest of his life.

She once again made that conviction unwavering.

“Try this too!”

Rebecca took some meat from her plate and placed it on Callios’ plate.

It was an action not befitting a noble’s etiquette, but Callios didn’t think about such things.

“…Why this? It’s good meat.”

“Exactly.”

Rebecca smiled brightly.

“That’s why, Your Highness should eat more!”

Ah, what a kind heart she has.

A pure heart that cares for others without any pretense is beautiful.

It must be her.

No one else, nothing else…

―Can you not discern? How dare you place a mere commoner girl on the same scale as the Crown Prince?

Startled, his fingertips trembled once more.

It felt as if those piercingly cold eyes were staring at him again.

“Your Highness…?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Kallios tried to erase that voice.

He covered his mouth and lowered his gaze.

But it couldn’t be erased.

As if etched into his mind, or perhaps his heart.

Each word he had spoken became clearer with each passing day.

His gaze unknowingly turned towards the window.

Once again, the smiles of the people were engraved on his retina.

The meaning of the crown prince’s position.

It was being reaffirmed.

Kallios was not foolish.

On the contrary, his intellect was so exceptional that even Yuren acknowledged it.

After all, when he foresaw a future where he would ascend to Grand Master through meditation alone, how could his intuition or insight be lacking?

Thus, it was easy for Kallios to imagine the consequences of giving up his position as crown prince.

‘No one can replace me.’

The second prince, who was eagerly eyeing this position, had grand ambitions but a narrow vision.

He lacked the capability to implement policies across various fields.

The 3rd prince? Too weak.

He would surely be swayed by the ministers and lose his way.

Then who else is there?

Many faces flashed through his mind, but none remained.

The scenery Kallios saw was one only he could see.

Leaving aside such grand stories, even up close it was the same.

‘What if I lose the crown prince position?’

It is a battle for the throne.

How supreme is the position of the emperor of a thousand-year empire.

And how fierce is the greed of those who seek to grasp it.

Though it is an underwater war, it is still a war.

War requires funds.

The source of the nobles’ funds?

The labor and taxes of the people.

The war they wage among themselves could develop into a territorial war, or be used as capital for business.

Whatever it is, the moment it is executed, it is the people who suffer.

―Branches may sway in the wind. But the roots must not be shaken. Yet, Your Highness, you are now like a tree with shaking roots.

This choice, this wavering, creates that tragedy.

The more he tried to hold onto her, the more such things began to take on reality.

Kallios suddenly realized such things.

Screech―!

The grip on the cutlery tightened.

Seeing the smiling people before him, the guilt swelled to an indescribable size.

‘I am…’

What should I do?

There is love and there are the people.

He didn’t want to lose either.

But why, why does reality demand a choice?

“Your Highness…?”

As she worried about him again, Kallios turned his gaze away.

‘Ah…’

She is such a cute and lovely woman.

Even so,

“……”

The future with her no longer seemed beautiful.

He felt terribly unwell.

It felt like what he had eaten would come back up.

The crown prince stood up.

“···I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”

He wanted to leave this place.

So he left, yet the confusion showed no signs of abating.

It still felt as if his throat was burning.

‘I must find the answer.’

And Kallios decided that there was only one person who knew this answer.

His gaze turned towards the mansion on the hill outside the city.

‘Yuren Pharos.’

Since he was the one who posed the question, he must also seek the answer from him.

* * *

For nearly three days, unbelievable rumors had been circulating around Pharos’ mansion.

“Did you hear? The young master hasn’t had a drink in three days.”

“I heard… Do you think something big is happening? It’s not just the drink! He hasn’t stepped outside for three days!”

“Oh, I heard that too! The young master hasn’t shouted even once!”

“I, I heard it too! The young master’s personal maid said so…”

“Emma? Your crush? Still not over her?”

“…Anyway, they say the young master said ‘thank you’ to the maid?”

“Gasp…!”

Reactions as if they had heard a terrifying ghost story kept pouring out.

To some, these might seem like trivial matters, but not to the household staff.

It couldn’t be helped!

Who was Yuren Faros?

If you were to name the worst scoundrel in the capital, he would undoubtedly be the top choice.

Verbal abuse towards the servants was a given, and it was common for him to get into street brawls or gamble.

As for his duties as the young master, they were thrown far away, and his drinking habits were just as bad.

He acted as if he couldn’t live a day without alcohol.

Such a person changed overnight.

The servants were quite terrified by this.

Yet, despite that, their expressions were bright.

It wasn’t because they thought Yuren had come to his senses.

It was simply because his actions had brought back the smile of Cecilia Faros, the acting head of the family and the master they served with their hearts.

“The lady has been sleeping well these days.”

“I heard she smiled.”

“Emma did?”

“…Anyway, she smiled.”

Everyone in the family revered Cecilia Faros.

It was because she had always treated them so well.

Their devotion was so immense that they were determined to save her even if it meant burning their bodies.

Such a person was smiling.

The shadows under her eyes were diminishing day by day, and she no longer skipped meals.

This warmth in the servants’ hearts made them wish.

“Ah, I don’t know what kind of wind this is, but…”

“If the young master could just keep this up a little longer…”

Please, let Yuren behave a little more quietly.

“So, what is the young master doing now?”

To someone’s question, the man who had a crush on Emma answered.

“They say he’s in seclusion? The only time he comes out during the day is for meals with the lady.”

Yuren was in seclusion.

* * *

Inhale and exhale.

Each time, mana sweeps through the body, clearing away impurities.

The room is filled with a terrible stench.

But even this is not enough.

I began to sweep away the impurities more quickly, wrapping myself in mana.

Then, at some moment,

Piiing―!

Mana pierced through the spine.

I stopped breathing and opened my eyes.

‘…Expert.’

It took three days.

Considering what I have, it took quite a long time.

I possess the enlightenment of a Sword Master and the ability to manipulate mana.

Thanks to my overly enthusiastic sister, I grew up consuming all sorts of elixirs.

Above all, the vision.

Before the regression, the Crown Prince imparted to me the [Imperial Swordsmanship] of the first emperor, which is passed down only to direct heirs of the royal family.

Not just any version, but the final edition, improved through his own enlightenment.

Of course, I didn’t have the time or talent to reach his level, but that’s another story.

Anyway, with such a background, I should have reached the expert level in a day.

The reason I didn’t was entirely due to my terrible lifestyle habits.

‘So, this is how much the alcohol has accumulated.’

The impurities were blocking all the mana pathways.

No wonder my body felt heavy ever since the regression.

I thought it was just because I hadn’t trained enough, but it was a disease caused by my lifestyle.

I stretched and got up from my seat.

After wiping off the blackened impurities with a towel, I opened the window.

“Emma!”

At my call, Emma immediately opened the door and appeared.

Brown hair and blue eyes.

She had a plain atmosphere and round eyes.

“Yes…!”

“Clean the room. I’m going to wash up.”

“Shall I assist you…?”

“No need. You must be busy too. Can’t I wash my own body?”

“?”

Emma’s face twisted in terror.

Her whole body was trembling violently.

‘Karma.’

How much of an idiot had I been?

I feel a sudden pang of guilt.

Especially towards Emma.

‘She’s a capable one.’

From the news I heard from my sister in prison, she eventually rose to the position of head maid.

I heard many times that she was a clever one.

But because of me, she can’t spread her wings now.

I should treat her well.

I patted Emma’s shoulder in appreciation.

“You’ve worked hard. Thank you.”

“Eek!”

Emma curled up, tears welling in her eyes.

…That hurts.

“…I’ll be going.”

I hurriedly left the place.

As I washed, I organized the tasks I had to do from now on.

‘Protect the family.’

The more I think about it, the colder my heart becomes.

In my past life, I could never unravel it, but why did Pharos perish in the flames?

Why did no one escape?

‘Strange.’

No matter how chaotic the early days of the war were, the fire at Pharos makes no sense.

The guards allocated to Pharos by the imperial family alone account for about 20% of the entire system.

This was an unchanging proposition due to Pharos’s political position.

That meant the security around here was certainly tight.

But why couldn’t anyone stop the fire that day?

No, it’s not that they couldn’t stop it.

‘Even the nearby guards were all killed.’

Who harbored such a grudge against Pharos to go that far?

‘If such a person exists…’

They must die.

In the most horrific way I know.

At the moment when the killing intent surged.

Crack!

The bathtub cracked.

‘Ah.’

A mishap.

I scratched my cheek for no reason.

I shouldn’t dwell on this thought too deeply right now.

‘The mana is still unstable. Well, my body can’t keep up with the realization.’

So let’s think about this problem gradually.

There’s plenty of time, and as long as I’m here, I’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Moreover, there was a more urgent problem.

‘What should I do?’

I recalled what happened a few days ago.

As soon as I returned, I cursed out the Crown Prince.

If it were a dream, I would have thought it was exhilarating and moved on, but this is reality.

I’ve committed a crime that deserves more than just severe punishment.

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‘Ah, this is why I need to watch my mouth.’

This damn personality is the problem.

I closed my eyes tightly.

If it were the future Crown Prince, I could have said, ‘Your mother had an affair with the chancellor,’ and we would have laughed it off, but the current Crown Prince is not the same as the one who has experienced all the ups and downs.

He’s in a phase where he loses his senses over a commoner woman.

Considering the level of mischief he caused after distancing himself from that woman, he might be plotting to bury me from behind.

Or he might be coming at me head-on.

‘What should I do?’

If I were alone, I could just run away.

Or beat the Crown Prince to the brink of death and then flee.

But I have a duty to fulfill.

I must restore the honor of Pharos, tarnished because of me.

I must bring back my sister’s smile.

‘How…’

As I was deep in thought, I heard Emma’s voice.

Knock, knock—

―”S-Sir, you have a visitor.”

“Hmm? A visitor for my sister?”

―”No, sir, a visitor for you.”

Who would come looking for me?

“Who?”

A moment of silence passed.

Then came the answer.

―”…His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Oh.”

Is it the side coming to crush me from the front?

My heart pounded.

My mind raced.

‘A way to avoid the extreme punishment.’

Or a way to reconcile.

I rose from the bathtub and used mana to blow away the moisture.

I roughly shook my head and dressed neatly.

“I’ll go.”

I strode to the reception room.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw something.

I bowed my head in greeting.

“Your Highness.”

The immaculate Callios.

Even seeing him again, his face made me pity the future crown prince.

‘No, that’s not what’s important.’

I pulled myself together.

The crown prince, flanked by two knights, was staring at me with a stern face.

If I say the wrong thing here, I’m screwed.

First, let’s apologize.

“I’m sorry for that day.”

So…

“I had a drink.”

Even if it was hard to consider it a mitigating circumstance, wouldn’t it at least reduce the sentence?

It was a desperate judgment, and the Crown Prince opened his mouth.

“Everyone, leave.”

It was directed at the knights.

“But, Your Highness!”

“Leave. I wish to speak privately.”

The knights looked at me with unease.

But it seemed their unease wasn’t enough to defy the Crown Prince’s order.

Thud!

The knights left, and the door to the reception room closed.

It was right after that.

The Crown Prince, who had been wearing a stern expression until then,

“Can you stop pretending to be a scoundrel now?”

He said, smiling weakly.

“?”

What the hell is that sound?

End

ⓒ papapa.

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