The capital of the Britannia Empire, the Imperial Palace.
‘They said she was a princess, so I had high hopes…’
A window without even a single thin curtain.
Lloyd awoke in the bedroom as sunlight pierced his eyelids.
His back ached due to the uncomfortable bed.
“Ugh.”
Lloyd stretched as he got out of bed and looked out the window. The sight of buildings adorned with luxurious gold leaf caught his eye.
Even the white marble pillars used in construction—each one would cost as much as a commoner’s entire estate. The mere thought of the amount made him feel the grandeur instinctively.
“As always, unnecessarily extravagant.”
That was Lloyd’s impression of the Imperial Palace’s buildings.
If only he could take just one piece of that gold leaf.
He could buy his freedom immediately.
Extravagant royals.
Muttering this to himself, Lloyd tidied up his bedding.
Though he wished he could laze around in bed all day…
“I can’t afford to commit a crime against the royals. Especially not in the Imperial Palace.”
This was the private residence of the Third Princess, Yulia Estrid.
And yesterday, she had clearly stated.
— “For now, get some rest. We’ll talk when the sun rises tomorrow.”
It was a command from the princess.
In the Imperial Palace, no less, there was no room for disobeying the princess’s orders.
Hah.
Taking a deep breath, Lloyd dressed himself. Even the servants’ uniforms in the Imperial Palace were unnecessarily luxurious and uncomfortable.
Lloyd made sure his appearance was presentable enough to avoid accusations of ‘insubordination.’ Of course, he was only going to meet the princess who lived in the same building… but it was better to make a good impression.
Yulia Estrid.
The new master who had purchased him for a billion Krone.
“She was supposed to be a villain, according to what I know.”
After meeting Yulia, Lloyd was beginning to doubt that she was as evil as he had been led to believe. Her demeanor and attitude were not what he expected…
“It’s largely because she has the Arcane Eyes.”
The Estrid bloodline of the Empire had two kinds of mutations. One was Madness, represented by Ortega, who was sealed within Lloyd’s consciousness.
The other was the Arcane Eyes, a trait of the Estrid lineage that had sealed Ortega.
If Madness was ‘evil,’ then the Arcane Eyes were ‘good.’
This meant it was unlikely that Yulia was inherently evil.
‘Well, that could be a curse in itself.’
The real issue for Lloyd would be if Yulia turned out to be perfectly ‘good.’ She was aware that Ortega was slumbering within Lloyd’s consciousness. Which meant that if Yulia were truly good, she would undoubtedly seize another opportunity to try to kill Lloyd again.
“I have no choice but to be obedient.”
Lloyd let out a deep sigh.
The fully risen sun brightly illuminated his quarters.
Lloyd creaked as he rose from the bed.
It was time to go attend to the Third Princess.
— Thud.
The door, once a storage room, closed roughly.
◆
The corridor leading to Yulia’s reception room.
Even though it was the residence of the Third Princess, several knights stood guard with vigilant eyes.
It was only natural that Lloyd attracted attention as he walked down the corridor.
“Hold on.”
In front of the princess’s reception room, a knight standing guard stopped Lloyd.
Lloyd flinched instinctively.
The knight was one of the White Knights, clad in white armor.
It reminded him of Arno, who had tried to kill him at the Duchess’s estate.
“What is it? I believe the Third Princess has already informed you about me.”
“A body search. Put your hands on the wall.”
The knight thoroughly patted down Lloyd’s body, inspecting every inch.
Each time something sharp was found, the knight would nitpick, and it wasn’t until several minutes later that Lloyd was released from the harassment.
“…”
Even though he had entered the Imperial Palace as a servant of the princess, he was still treated like this. If they found even the slightest flaw, they would swarm him like angry bees.
‘This is creepy.’
Lloyd frowned as the knight conducting the search deliberately squeezed his grip, showing off his strength.
It suddenly hit him again just how dangerous the Imperial Palace was. Here, a servant was nothing more than a disposable tool. It was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, leaving the Grey Dukedom’s estate only to end up in the Imperial Palace.
Still, being treated as a disposable tool here might be better than being seen as mere ‘resources’ back there. But the danger was the same.
‘There’s no way to escape from here.’
Not that he couldn’t escape if he tried. But the real issue would be what happened afterward. If he were falsely accused of plotting treason and then fleeing, he’d be better off dead than enduring the relentless pursuit and torment of the Empire’s investigators.
In the end, there was only one solution.
‘Let’s make the princess leave the Imperial Palace.’
If the princess left the palace, he would naturally accompany her.
Though it might sound like his idea, this would actually be beneficial for the Third Princess too. The Imperial Palace was full of the First Prince and Second Princess’s factions. To have any chance at the throne, the Third Princess needed to build her power base outside.
A new goal was added to Lloyd’s mind.
◆
When Lloyd arrived at Yulia’s reception room, he was taken aback.
‘…Why is there so much stuff here?’
The room was far too lived-in to be a typical princess’s reception room. One wall was lined with books, and a large desk was piled high with documents.
The only thing that made it somewhat resemble a reception room was the rickety table and wooden chairs in the middle of the room.
— Creak.
“You’re here.”
A voice came from behind as the door opened.
Lloyd stood up and bowed his head.
“Let’s not bother with those tedious formalities.”
Yulia said, waving her hand as she sat in the chair behind the desk.
Noticing Lloyd’s slightly bewildered look, she added.
“Oh, this is my reception room and office.”
“…How modest of you?”
“Pfft.”
Yulia’s lips curled up in a half-smile, a sarcastic yet oddly charming expression.
“You see, not much money is given to the Emperor’s offspring. If they have too much, they might buy a blade to stab the Emperor with. Besides…”
“…?”
“Someone recently spent a billion Krone to buy someone else. Looks like I’ll need to tighten my belt even more for a while.”
Lloyd swallowed his response that the purchase had been made only yesterday, so it had nothing to do with this office. After all, a billion Krone was indeed a hefty sum, even for the Imperial family.
“Thank you for purchasing me.”
“That’s surprising. I thought you’d respond more sharply.”
“I’ll only argue with your words after I’ve proven my value.”
“Why? Because in the palace, you never know when your head might roll?”
Yulia asked playfully, but Lloyd knew it wasn’t just a joke.
In the palace, a servant’s life was worth less than a bug on the wall. It was always wise to be cautious.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Yulia muttered under her breath.
“You must hear that your reactions are boring all the time, don’t you?”
Lloyd merely kept his head down.
He found Yulia curious. She seemed a bit more lively and girlish than when he had seen her at the Grey Duchess’s estate. Perhaps she had been tense in a foreign place.
“Well, anyway.”
Tap tap. Yulia asked after lightly tapping the desk a few times.
“So, care to explain now? How you’re going to make me Empress? That’s why I paid a billion Krone, after all.”
Lloyd quietly looked up at Yulia.
A hint of doubt flashed across her face.
Instead of answering, Lloyd stood up.
He glanced around the room.
The modest room seemed to declare that its owner was a good person. In contrast, the opulent marble and gold-leaf buildings beyond the window were a stark juxtaposition. Lloyd’s lips slowly parted.
“It’s impossible.”
“…What?”
“Your Highness cannot become Empress.”
Yulia’s expression showed shock.
Or was it a bit of hurt?
Her lips twitched as she mumbled, and then she grumbled in a low voice.
“Swindler.”
This time, Lloyd was the one taken aback.
What kind of reaction was this?
And the way she pursed her lips was oddly… cute.
‘No, get a grip.’
This was a stark contrast to the professional demeanor she had when using her Arcane Eyes at the Duchess’s estate.
Momentarily flustered, Lloyd shook his head to clear his thoughts.
It might be an act.
After all, Yulia was a calculating princess who knew how to hide even her ambition for the throne.
“… No. Well. I expected this to happen to some extent.”
Yulia muttered to herself with a small huff before regaining her usual composure.
Lloyd, still a bit stunned, finally spoke.
“Huh?”
“You cannot become Empress as long as you remain here in the Imperial Palace.”
“…So, you’re saying the problem is that I’m staying here?”
It was a problem.
A very big one.
“I’ll skip over the fact that countless spies operate within the palace walls, as I’m sure you’re well aware. However, you likely haven’t planted any spies among the other heirs, have you?”
“…That’s true.”
It was only natural. Loyal spies were expensive to both recruit and maintain.
“Moreover, your faction is the weakest. Many people look down on you.”
Lloyd thought back to the knight who had searched him in the hallway. If the Third Princess had sufficient authority, he wouldn’t have been subjected to such treatment.
“And living in such a dilapidated building means you’ve failed to attract even the Emperor’s attention. Expanding your influence within the palace is nearly impossible since the First Prince and Second Princess have already divided the power among themselves, leaving only scraps.”
“Indeed… Hmm…”
Yulia nodded slowly, her expression indicating that she found his reasoning sound.
It was a relief that she was so receptive.
After tapping her lips thoughtfully, she asked.
“But how? Those with Estrid blood require a legitimate reason to leave the palace.”
Lloyd was already aware of that.
“You need to create an organization.”
“…An organization?”
Yulia tilted her head in curiosity.
