Chapter 113: Unwilling
At night, I told Alice that I would send a pickup for her later in the day, and went to Oscar’s place.
Oscar’s Palace, the 8th Prince’s Palace.
Among the many residences of the imperial family in the capital, it appears to be a moderate residence, both in terms of size and construction.
If anything, the mansion of his brother, Dustin, the Tenth Prince, is a few ranks above it.
I headed for the main gate of Oscar’s mansion.
There was a gatekeeper by the bonfire, and he did his job faithfully.
“Stop, who are you?”
He didn’t look familiar, but I got close enough to catch his face in the bonfire and said.
“Me.”
I introduced myself.
Even though he was a gatekeeper, he was a member of the Eighth Prince’s residence, so I decided that there was no need to use Livyathan’s sigil.
I was right.
The gatekeeper stared at me for a few seconds, then dropped his weapon and prostrated himself before me.
“Y-your Majesty, I am sorry I didn’t recognize you!”
“Good, it’s good to be faithful to one’s duty.”
“Y-Yes”.
“Is Oscar here?”
“Yes, he’s in the garden – I’ll notify him right away.”
“Okay, stay where you are. The garden then?”
“Y-Yes!”
Leaving the prostrated gatekeeper behind, I strode inside.
After entering, I passed several people.
The gatekeeper did not immediately recognize me, but the servants inside the walls recognized me at first glance.
Some of them had been frequent visitors since my days as the Prince, and I recognized their faces.
Each time they tried to contact Oscar, I stopped them with a gesture of my hand.
And so I come to the garden of Oscar’s mansion.
There is a pond in the open area of the garden and a small island in the middle of the pond.
There is a bridge to the islet, and an Azumaya stands over it. [TN: In this context, simple, rustic hut of thatch found in rural areas during the Asuka, Nara, and Heian periods, particularly in the eastern part of Japan]
The place is not luxurious, but it is elegant and serene.
Oscar was playing his flute there.
It was a simple flute, probably made of bamboo.
It would have cost less than a reen if bought in a store.
Oscar was playing the flute.
I listened to it for a while.
I clapped my hands when the calm melody had completely died down.
“You’ve got some surprising skills.”
“–! Your Majesty!”
Oscar turned around and was astonished, his eyes wide.
He rushed out of the azumaya, hurried across the bridge, and knelt before me in a fluid motion.
The Imperial Prince bowed in the manner of an audience with the Emperor.
I accepted it without hesitation.
“I am deeply honored by your presence, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for not welcoming you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“You guys, why didn’t you notify me?”
Oscar looked behind me and threw a few words with slight anger in them.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw a number of servants from Oscar’s mansion a short distance away, all of them watching from a distance.
Oscar’s reprimand made them all fall prostrate at once.
“Hahaha, I told them not to notify. They are not to blame.”
“Is that so? –Even so, why don’t you serve something to His Majesty as soon as possible?”
Oscar continued to rebuke them.
I let this one slide because it was not my responsibility.
“Please, Your Majesty. This way, here.”
“Yeah.”
Oscar led me into the Azumaya.
There was a set of chairs and a table carved out of stone, and I sat down first.
“Have a seat, Oscar.”
“Yes.”
Oscar may be the master of the mansion, but the Emperor is the master of this Empire.
Formally, I was the master here as well, and Oscar was waiting for my orders.
Such Oscar also sat down and faced me.
“When did you get back?”
“Just a while ago. Did you not keep track?”
“…… Yeah, Your Majesty was still in Sarraluria. I had expected His Majesty to arrive by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.”
I see, so he was aware of the rebellion.
Well, of course.
Although military affairs are not directly under Oscar’s jurisdiction, war expenditures and the like cannot be said without going through Oscar, who is the Finance Minister.
So to speak, in a backstage preparation sense, Oscar is also a party to the war, so it is only natural that he was aware of the rebellion.
“I see. So, you were blowing the whistle on the assumption that there would be no more news for a while.”
“I apologize deeply, sir.”
Oscar bowed his head.
He must have thought I was blaming him.
“I’m praising you. There’s no point in being hasty when it can’t be helped. That’s why you’re my trusted advisor.”
“Thank you for the compliment, sir.”
“As you are aware, I was in Leararat. I came back in a super-express because of what happened.”
“Super-express?”
Oscar’s expression changed.
His brow furrowed and his expression tightened.
“Yeah.”
“I’m afraid I must tell you something. It is not a risk you should take, your Highness. I hope you won’t do it again.”
Oscar said the same thing as Henry.
Or rather, he warned me in a tone even stronger than Henry’s.
“I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Haa. ……”
Oscar sighed.
He sighed because I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it.
Of course, Henry and Oscar were right, that was not a risk the Emperor would generally take.
If I admonished him for it and he didn’t go through with it, I would have sighed as well.
And that is the main reason I am still wary of Oscar.
Oscar decided that, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be hearing from me tonight, so he took a little breather.
And by essentially the same token, Oscar can be ambitious and still say the most important words as a loyal retainer in a situation like this.
Oscar is the one who can separate loyalty from ambition, ‘until the time comes’.
“That’s why I trust you.”
“What does …… mean?”
“I’ve spoken to Henry, and I’m going on the expedition.”
“It’s–no, that’s what Your Majesty has decided, it’s not my place to intervene.”
“It’s helpful to have this conversation so quickly. I am sure that my presence in the expedition will result in a better outcome in this case.”
“Yes …… but what about the guardianship? How about asking His Majesty the Emperor to come?”
Again, these were the words of a loyal retainer.
Indeed, the Emperor – my father – is still alive and well, and there is no better choice in terms of getting him to behave while I, the Emperor, am away.
“If we can’t stay away from our parents forever, Father will be disappointed with all of us brothers.”
“I agree. ……”
Oscar smiled wryly.
“I didn’t think that far ahead, as expected of Your Majesty.”
“Uhn, I think I’ll have Shem as my absentee.”
“The Crown Prince!? There’s no way –“
“I want Oscar to be King Regent.”
“–!.”
Oscar gasps and took a deep breath.
“I’m …… King Regent ……”
“While I’m away. Aside from father, Shem is more natural in the title, and you, Oscar, are the most qualified in ability.”
“I cannot thank you enough for your kind words.”
Oscar stood up fluidly and got down on one knee and bowed to me.
“Can you do it?”
“Yes, even at the cost of my own life.”
“Ha-ha-ha, don’t bet, don’t bet. The crown prince can be replaced, but Oscar Ararat cannot.”
“You’re wasting your words, sir.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it.”
“Yes!”
Oscar bowed down on one knee, and his shoulders were trembling a little.
I don’t know what this trembling means.
As expected, I can’t tell from just this.
{Lord.}
In my head, Livyathan spoke to me quietly.
The tone was quiet, but there was a hint of anger in it.
There is only one time when Leviathan is ‘angry’.
When someone is disrespectful to me.
The mad dog Livyathan never forgives my enemies.
Of course, if I order it to stop, it stops, and it has that kind of loyal dog nature.
The loyal and mad dog is what Livyathan is.
And Livyathan’s attentions made it clear.
Oscar had shown unusual feelings, though they may have been slight.
A slight wavering that probably no one else would notice, but which sprouted in Oscar’s chest.
In this world only I – only I, with my loyal dog Livyahtan at my side, could notice it.
That’s dangerous.
Aside from normal times, I’d like it to be separated entirely now.
“Well, stand up, I have one more thing to discuss with you.”
“Yes, What is it?”
“I’m sending the Imperial Guard to reinforce Jessica. Since I will not be returning for a while, so it’s familial love in case of emergency.”
“If you wish, I will send some supplies.”
“Yeah, you may.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll work out the details later. I’m just here to let you know.”
“Yes”
Oscar bowed his head again.
No advice from Leviathan.
Oscar still doesn’t seem to get it.
Either he just doesn’t get it because he’s not a military expert, or he’s not a …….
Just when I was about to give him another push.
Oscar’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment as he looked up.
And so did Livyathan’s,
{Lord.|}
You noticed, huh.
{Obvious. As expected of the Lord.}
Leviathan’s approval was gratifying.
Oscar’s heart was again wavering – in other words, he had noticed something.
As expected of Oscar at this.
This level of delay can be said to have been noticed “immediately.
I knew he’s a …… talent. ……
I continued to rack my brain to see if I could somehow dissipate the ambition that was still sleeping deep in his heart.
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Thanks for the treat.
Hhh
Thanks for the chapters. Man i hate when i catch up in chapters