I thought that I have posted the chapter already.
Chapter 124: Henry and Oscar
In the afternoon, at the Oscar residence.
While Oscar was admiring the flowerbeds in the garden, a servant hurriedly approached him and whispered.
“That’s unusual. Let him in right away.”
“Yes!”
Oscar was a little surprised.
After saying this to the servant, the servant dashed back the way he came.
A few minutes later, the servant returned again, this time bringing Henry with him.
Oscar greeted Henry with a smile and opened his arms wide.
“This is a rarity; it has been how many years since you last visited?”
“Has it really been that long?”
“Indeed! The last time you came, there wasn’t even—”
Oscar took a half-step aside to show Henry the flowerbed behind him.
“There wasn’t this flowerbed back then.”
“Is that so? Well, I got my hands on some fine sake and thought I would share it with you.”
Henry said this, raising his right hand.
In that hand was an old jar tied to a rope.
The jar itself looked aged, and the seal at the opening seemed ancient, making it clear at a glance that it contained a valuable vintage.
“That’s wonderful! Then let’s quickly set up a place to enjoy it.”
Oscar said, called over the servant who had brought Henry, whispering to him.
With every word Oscar spoke, the servant nodded, mentally counting the commands he received.
“Right away, understand?”
“Yes!”
“Then go.”
“Ah, take this as well. If you break it, you’ll get a kick in the rear.”
As the servant received the order and was about to leave, Henry jokingly pressed the jar into his hands.
The servant hurriedly took it and cautiously left, ensuring not to break the jar.
After seeing him off, Henry and Oscar—brothers—faced each other again.
“Now, brother, shall we take a walk until everything is ready?”
“Sounds good. By the way, I heard rumors about a magnificent ‘Married Trees’ in your garden; I’d love to see it.”
“Haha, you jest well, brother. Our Married Trees are just an item for flowery decoration.”[TN: I like ‘Married trees’ more that Coupled Trees’”
While saying this, Oscar turned his palm upward in a gesture of invitation, leading Henry onward.
“Married Trees” are one of the artistic creations often made in gardening.
They grow by gradually bending two trees planted side by side from a young age, allowing them to intertwine like a spiral.
Due to this intertwining growth, various names have been given over the years, but in recent decades, “Married Trees” has become the mainstream term.
Since they require time and effort, it has become a trend for nobles to showcase their financial power and leisure by having and making them.
“Wow!”
After a short walk, the two arrived in front of a pair of Married Trees.
“This is splendid!”
Henry exclaimed in admiration.
“Not at all, brother.”
“No, no, the quality of the Married Trees is certainly impressive, but what’s remarkable is the process that brought us to this point.”
“The process, you say?”
“Yes, the garden. As you move along the path, the way the view reveals itself bit by bit through the trees creates a tantalizing sense of mystery about the overall picture. This whole arrangement, Oscar, is your idea, isn’t it?”
“Ahaha, you’ve seen right through me. With you noticing it all, it hardly feels worth boasting about.”
Oscar said this with a wry smile, though he didn’t seem to feel bad about it.
The two brothers stood side by side in front of the Married Trees, coming to a halt.
“You really are skilled.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean with this Married Tree. I would place it boldly in a spot that’s easy to see in the garden, but you’ve hidden it deep in the garden.”
“I disagree. I often find myself envying your boldness, brother. With this Married Tree, I’m actually unsure if it’s a mistake, which is why I’ve been hesitant and chosen to hide it.”
“But if that’s the case, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. If you hold your trump card, you can’t lose if you play it at the right moment. Not playing it means you won’t lose either.”
“It might not be a loss, but there’s no win either. I often reflect that results won’t follow unless you first challenge something.”
Henry and Oscar.
The two brothers exchanged sharp banter while keeping their gazes on the Married Trees.
If this were swordsmanship, it would be a series of feints.
Both were exchanging small feints, one looking for the right moment to strike, while the other waited for the opportunity.
Both were clearly aware.
Henry was confident that his intentions and true purpose had mostly been conveyed, and Oscar understood that Henry hadn’t come merely to discuss trivial matters about the garden.
“……”
“……”
A silence fell between the two as their conversation paused.
The wind blew between them, creating a small whirl near the couple’s tree.
“I came today because—”
Before long, Henry spoke up first.
This highlighted the differences in their personalities.
Oscar was the kind of person who could “wait,” while Henry could not.
“Yeah.”
“I want to hear your honest opinion.”
“My opinion?”
“The previous Emperor went on expeditions multiple times. In the latter part, he brought along all the Princes except Albert.”
“That’s true. Albert was the crown prince at that time, so he didn’t accompany him until the end, and I was the last prince to accompany him.”
“We both accompanied him at least once on expeditions. Based on that experience, I want to know what you think about this upcoming expedition.”
“A mere skirmish.”
Oscar replied instantly without changing much of his expression.
“The barbarian tribes at the borders are causing trouble, but it’s just that. I think it will turn into the usual suppression battle. More than that—”
“More than that?”
“……His Majesty is truly an incredible person.”
With a slight hesitation, Oscar continued.
“It was his first expedition, and he was also the one who followed the great father’s footsteps. Normally, one would want to show their best side at least a little, but he entrusted the entire command of the army to his brother. That’s not something anyone would usually consider.”
“His Majesty has always been completely rational since childhood.”
“They say that a person’s true essence is visible when they are in danger. It’s amazing, His Majesty is.”
Oscar spoke like this, his expression slightly stiffened, but he quickly regained his composure.
“That being said, even though it’s called an expedition, it’s essentially a suppression battle led by my brother. It’s a battle we should win without question. Well, there’s also a chance for my brother to display his abilities, but—”
Oscar shrugged and tried to lighten the mood, but Henry didn’t take the bait.
“I see… it’s a battle we should win without question.”
Henry murmured to himself.
The two who were directly involved continued their conversation, each not revealing their true feelings despite being close enough for their shoulders to touch.
Oscar harbored lingering feelings for the throne.
Henry had sworn loyalty to Noah.
Noah’s expedition could become his greatest weakness.
Henry had come to probe about that.
Oscar was well aware he was being probed.
With that understanding, they engaged in a conversation at a delicate distance, almost touching but not quite.
“……Oscar, how do you view His Majesty?”
“……What’s the intent behind that question, brother?”
Oscar grew cautious and retorted, his face stiffening slightly.
Henry’s inquiry felt like a step further than before—which Oscar sensed.
However, Henry smiled as if it were nothing at all.
“You’re the one who said that a person’s true essence is seen in times of danger.”
“……Mmm.”
“His Majesty’s essence, how do you see it?”
“……”
Oscar fell silent. It was different from earlier.
It wasn’t just wariness; he was carefully choosing his words to respond—hence the silence.
While Oscar pondered in silence, Henry patiently waited without interrupting.
After a moment, Oscar began to speak carefully, still selecting his words.
“If I may speak without fear of misunderstanding…”
“Yeah.”
Henry nodded. His expression conveyed that this was to be a private conversation.
“His Majesty is, in many ways, not very human.”
“Oh?”
“I want you to think calmly as well, brother. Where does His Majesty’s ‘desire’ lie?”
“…………This is a difficult question.”
Henry was taken aback.
After pondering for a moment, he wore a bitter expression.
“That is the answer. The Emperor has almost no desires that one would expect from a man—no, from a human being. This hasn’t just started now; it has been that way since childhood. You, my brother, must know this better than I do, right?”
“That’s true… Honestly, at first, he seemed like an impudent child; then I thought he was a precocious kid; after that—”
“—I can’t find words to discuss.”
Oscar agreed, and Henry nodded clearly.
This sentiment was one they both shared.
Ironically, it was their first moment of unity about their assessment of Noah after a day of tentative conversations.
“You must have heard it from the Emperor as well, but there are words he occasionally utters.”
“Hm?”
“‘Enduring hardship is a privilege of the nobility,’ he says.”
“Ah.”
Henry nodded.
He had indeed heard that phrase from Noah many times before.
It was an expression he often used when discussing nobility.
“I understand what you want to say. It’s a principle that nobility is supposed to be that way. If one is to adhere to that principle, naturally it results in enduring hardship. That’s fine. But the Emperor—”
“Said it was a privilege.”
Now Henry took over the words, and Oscar quietly nodded.
The tentative feeling that had been present until just moments ago was completely gone, replaced by a scene that felt as if the hearts of the brothers had united.
“It’s one thing to say that nobles are supposed to endure hardship, but to call it a privilege—”
“Yes, for us, normally speaking. But the Emperor can assert that, without any strain.”
Oscar paused there, took a deep breath, and looked at Henry earnestly as he summarized.
“In that sense, I think His Majesty is not like a human.”
The discussion came full circle there.
Henry nodded.
At first, he wondered what that meant, but once explained in a logical manner, he realized it made sense with an honest acknowledgment.
“That’s true…”
“On the other hand, the Emperor understands human emotions. He places the law above all, yet he has a clear understanding of human feelings. The most emblematic instance was when the assassination plot against Gilbert was uncovered.”
“Did he do something at that time?”
Henry tilted his head in clear confusion.
“Gilbert conspired to assassinate the previous Emperor, and the present Emperor exposed it. Assassination of an emperor typically warrants only execution—at that moment, the Emperor, acting as the Minister of Justice, answered that way.”
“Ah, that’s very much like the Emperor.”
“Simultaneously, since it was discovered before the act was carried out, it could be considered an attempted crime. In that case, while the death penalty would not be avoided, he suggested to the late Emperor that a suspended sentence could be applied.”
“…Hmm?”
Henry tilted his head, appearing puzzled once more.
Oscar smiled softly.
“It’s understandable; such reasoning wouldn’t be reached without being a legal expert. I stumbled upon it myself one day while investigating something else.”
Oscar switched back to a serious expression.
“If a suspended sentence is applied, when to carry it out is up to the Emperor’s discretion.”
“…Ahh!”
Henry suddenly realized something.
Oscar smiled gently.
Almost as if to say that he had felt the same when he understood.
“And the Empire’s law does not specify a deadline for execution. In other words, if the Emperor is inclined—”
“…He can maintain him in a life of imprisonment forever.”
“Exactly. ‘What can be done tomorrow should not be done today.’ I heard that phrase at some point and it clicked. I researched imperial law thoroughly and came to understand this.”
“I see… Even someone like Gilbert is still a son. Moreover, he’s the eldest son.”
“A decent parent would hesitate. Furthermore, the previous Emperor had a slight debt to Gilbert.”
“He wasn’t made the crown prince simply because he was the illegitimate child of a concubine.”
“Exactly. When those conditions come together, brother, could you carry out the execution?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Ah, neither can I. Of course, neither could our father. Even if he discovered the assassination plot, he would still consider his child, especially since he felt indebted. The Emperor surely took that into account and presented the possibility of a suspended sentence. A person who is merely strict about the law would never come up with such an answer.”
“That’s right.”
Henry nodded clearly. Both he and Oscar felt the same way.
Now they were approaching middle age and had sons of their own.
Therefore, the idea of how to deal with a son as a “father” became something they could relate to more than when they were younger.
Whether he could carry out the execution when he found himself in that position was uncertain—no.
It was likely he could not.
“Of course, the initial word was what we discussed earlier, but what I can clearly understand is largely because I have had a child.”
“Yeah.”
“Thus… the Emperor is amazing. At that time, he did not even have a child, let alone a lawful wife.”
“That’s true.”
“So it’s complex. He has no human-like desires, yet he understands human emotions very well. The essence of such an Emperor is—”
“…”
Henry deeply resonated with what Oscar was saying.
“That’s why—he is fundamentally not like a human.”
Three times, Oscar uttered the same words.
“Not human-like.”
At this point, it felt almost impossible to think otherwise; the critique fit perfectly.
“If it’s not human-like, then what could it be?”
“If I had to say… maybe a god.”
Oscar shrugged and tried to make a joke.
“That’s a laughable joke.”
“But it’s the ideal image of a god, right?”
“Still, it’s not funny.”
Henry smiled wryly; even Oscar, the one who initiated it, shrugged and laughed again.
While forcing a wry smile, Henry was secretly impressed.
Oscar understood that Henry had come to probe.
Henry himself wasn’t hiding that much.
It was a well-known secret that Oscar was still aiming for the throne.
Before the campaign, Henry had come to investigate various things.
Oscar skillfully dodged it all. Initially, the atmosphere froze over the “not human-like” comment, but he changed the reason to “because he seems like a god.”
At this point, whether it was serious or a joke, he could escape with “I think of him as a god.” Oscar had outmaneuvered him.
(He truly is a talent… If only he could pledge loyalty to His Majesty…)
The mission failed, but Henry secretly felt regret as he reaffirmed Oscar’s capabilities in his heart.
There is –>discord<— to get update notifications and releases? I am lazy af these days.
Thanks for the treat. 🖖