Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 306 : Side Story 6 - Habitual Rudeness

Side Story 6 - Habitual Rudeness

Deep within the imperial palace.

The private office of the Second Prince, Osborne de Adratan.

A faint beam of light seeping in through a small window quietly illuminated the documents scattered over the desk.

Osborne de Adratan sat before the desk, repeatedly folding and unfolding a single order with his fingertips.

Inside the room stood a man with tightly-pressed lips—Robert Krauze, chief minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

"I've heard your report, Robert."

Osborne stopped his movement and looked at Robert.

"Even so, I cannot bring myself to doubt Sir Yulian."

Robert bowed his head briefly, his expression revealing no emotion.

"Your will is understood, Your Highness."

Osborne stared out the window as he continued quietly.

"That man is someone to whom I have personally awarded a medal. He risked his life to defend the empire during the Fourth Prince's Rebellion. I believe he is not someone who would collude with foreign powers."

There was a certainty in his words that went beyond mere trust.

Robert lowered his gaze, never adding personal feelings.

As an imperial administrator, he considered only possibilities and outcomes.

"Still, Yulian is currently heading toward the empire with foreign powers. Furthermore..."

Robert gave a short reply and paused briefly. It did not take him long to speak again.

"Twilight. The Dawn Society has made contact with Yulian—two possibilities come to mind."

"Two possibilities?"

"Yes."

Osborne nodded at Robert, meeting his eyes with a grave expression.

"One, Yulian was sent abroad by Pintel's command. The other, Pintel sent someone to win over Yulian upon his return."

When the name Dawn Society was mentioned, Osborne frowned, as if he was developing a headache.

Robert spoke to him, his face shadowed.

"If, by chance, Yulian joins hands with the Dawn Society..."

"It will lead to something irreversible. Is that what you want to say?"

Robert did not deny Osborne's words.

"As I said before, Yulian is a man to whom I saw fit to bestow a medal myself."

"That was the past, Your Highness. But now..."

"Robert."

Osborne calmed Robert's continued words with a composed tone.

"That's something I can determine for myself, by meeting him directly. Let's not discuss this any further."

As Osborne finished, Robert offered a polite bow and exited Osborne's office.

Robert walked quietly down the palace halls.

His tightly pressed lips betrayed no emotion.

But inside, relentless calculations were taking place.

His Majesty still trusts Sir Yulian.

Trust, belief. Past honors.

But could that alone protect the empire now, in this moment of turmoil?

Robert's steps stopped. Having been on the front lines of power for many years, he knew.

'Doubt' comes before betrayal.

And the moment such doubt is left unaddressed, the empire will crumble.

Silently, Robert raised his head.

He stood at the entrance to the secret passage leading to the palace underground.

* * *

At the palace perimeter—a corridor lined with gray stone walls.

At its end, the 'Crows', agents of the Imperial Secretariat, awaited.

Without a word, they dropped to one knee before Robert. He pointed to one of them.

"Allen."

A young agent in black attire stepped forward.

His posture was immaculate, but deep within his blue gaze trembled a minuscule hint of anxiety.

"I am assigning you a mission."

Robert drew out a sheet of paper.

Pictured was a simple yet distinctive portrait of a man with silver hair.

"Yulian Cryphart Frason. Shadow his every move, never leaving his side."

Allen bowed his head.

"Your orders will be obeyed."

Robert continued slowly.

"Report on all attempts he makes to contact the Holy Kingdom's delegation or the Federation's merchants."

And especially—

Robert folded the paper and went on.

"Investigate his ties with the Dawn Society."

Allen swallowed. But without hesitation, he nodded again.

Robert regarded him for a moment.

How far can you be loyal?

How far can you see the truth?

In a low voice, Robert said,

"Report his every action to me."

Allen answered quietly.

"Understood."

He lowered his stance and vanished into the darkness.

Robert, left alone, quietly exhaled.

Whether His Majesty trusted Yulian, or whether Yulian himself harbored no ambition, was irrelevant.

What mattered to Robert was only one thing: eliminating anyone standing in the way of Second Prince Osborne de Adratan's future.

If necessary, he was prepared to discard even trust, the past, everything.

* * *

In the softly swaying carriage, Conrad gazed out the window, then cautiously cast a sideways glance.

Silver hair and, seeming to be closed, slit eyes.

Yulian Cryphart Frason.

Even with no movement, just Yulian's presence made the carriage's atmosphere taut, like thin ice.

'... Don't pay too much heed. If you're nervous, it'll only show.'

Conrad mumbled to himself inwardly and sat up straight.

On the surface, he feigned composure, but his palms were already wet with cold sweat.

"There's no need to be nervous."

At Yulian's low voice, Conrad gave a startled shrug.

"Huh? Ah, hahaha! Yeah, no need to be tense! Right! Haha!"

Conrad let out an awkward laugh, tapping his knee for no reason. Yulian merely nodded slightly.

"It's just my first time in the Empire... It feels unfamiliar, that's all."

"That's understandable."

The carriage climbed a gentle slope.

Conrad took a quiet breath as he looked out the window.

In the distance, the capital's outer walls and spires came into view. The golden emblems and banners still fluttered in the wind, and the ramparts had lost none of their grandeur.

At a glance, the Empire still appeared to be intact.

'Looks more normal than I thought.'

Though Conrad felt a sense of relief, there was also an odd sense of unease.

The carriage passed through the city gates, and Conrad immediately sensed something different.

The streets were orderly, but the people's steps felt burdened. In the marketplace, merchants displayed goods, but there was cautious vigilance in their eyes rather than liveliness.

Soldiers stood everywhere, and each alley was guarded by sentry posts.

Propaganda posters adorned the walls, and children, instead of begging, merely watched quietly.

'It hasn't fallen yet, but it's only a matter of time.'

That's how Conrad felt. Outwardly, the Empire looked orderly. But within, it was quietly crumbling.

As they passed through the city square, the central area was clamorous. Conrad sat within the carriage, watching the platform quietly.

"The Empire seeks a new savior!"

"We must usher in a new era!"

"The old Imperial Household must fall!"

The old Imperial Household must fall? And no one's arresting these people—what the hell are they doing?

That's what Conrad thought as he looked around. The citizens listened in silence to the speeches.

Ruined, it's really ruined.

That thought flashed across Conrad's mind.

As the carriage departed the square and turned onto the main road,

at that moment, the carriage of the Holy Kingdom's delegation following behind came to a halt.

"We'll part ways here for now."

Through the carriage window came the voice of Priest Orlan. Conrad nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to repay the debt I owe to Priest Orlan and your guards, but the circumstances aren't right!"

"It's quite all right. All thanks to the guidance of SunSolarun, the Sun God."

Priest Orlan replied with a cold smile.

"May the Sun God's grace be with you all on your journey."

Though his words were courteous, Conrad sensed a subtle distance beneath them.

It was but coincidence that they had walked the same road until now, and from this moment on, they would part for separate destinations. It was an unspoken line drawn between them.

"It was a short journey, but thank you."

Up next was Yulian, who opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.

"Sir Yulian."

Conrad called out for him. Yulian paused and turned back.

"What is it?"

"You're the one who saved my life—parting so soon is a shame. Haha!"

Conrad's words sounded customary, but inside, he felt nothing but complexity.

A savior of life.

The man who had saved him from certain death in the Suranun Desert.

Such a debt was certainly not a light one.

'If I say anything more, I might slip up.'

He'd already let slip nonsense like "the Empire is finished" within earshot, making the air awkward between them.

"You've already paid your debt. Thanks to you, I made it safely to the Empire, did I not?"

His tone remained calm, yet somehow it sounded sincere.

Conrad smiled—awkward, but heartfelt.

"I hope we meet again someday?"

"I'm sure we'll meet again someday."

The receding figure, silver-haired. Yet Conrad knew, indistinctly.

Someday they would meet again. Even if their roads diverged, fate would entwine them once more.

That was both a merchant's intuition, and a human premonition.

* * *

Yulian quietly walked, his footsteps soft on the stone, as he took in the views of the street.

This was the very street he'd crossed countless times on his way to work at the 'Blind Eyes'.

The market alleys where merchants vied for customers.

The fountain square where citizens once gathered and laughed.

The grand avenue where nobles and officers held splendid banquets.

Outwardly, it was unchanged. The signboards still flashed, and shops still opened their doors.

But in the air lingered a sense of desolation, difficult to put into words.

'Hmm?'

Then—

Yulian caught a subtle sense of dissonance in the air.

So faint,

a chill creeping along his spine.

He stopped.

To all appearances, nothing had changed.

The street was quiet, and people went about their daily business.

But his instincts were warning him.

'Someone is watching.'

A threat?

Or mere observation?

He couldn't be sure.

About the only certainty was that heading straight to the imperial palace would lead to an undesirable outcome.

'Hah.'

This was why he never wanted to return. Yulian grumbled inwardly.

Yet, since he had come back, there was nothing for it, was there?

Yulian, as if nothing was amiss, quietly turned into an alleyway.

A narrow, dark alley.

Even though it was midday, the sun barely reached this hushed underside of the Empire.

His pace was neither rushed nor slow, but he soon stopped in the middle of the alley.

At that moment, eyes began to appear within the shadow at Yulian's feet.

"Tsk."

But as Yulian clucked his tongue as if admonishing a pet, the eyes shrank back.

Then, slowly,

yet unwavering,

Yulian began to pulse mana through his entire body, asserting control over his surroundings.

"If you're here to talk, it would be best to show yourself now."

Naturally, his hand hovered toward his sword hilt, the intent clear: if you do not appear, the blade comes out.

At those words, the hidden shadow shifted almost imperceptibly. Waiting, Yulian saw a man emerge from the darkness.

"You must not care who's watching, to dare tail me so openly."

Yulian watched him quietly.

A middle-aged man appeared, tapping his cane against the ground. His face stirred vague familiarity.

"Sir Zahard."

"Who's not watching whom now?"

The Blind Warrior, Zahard. As Yulian spoke his name, Zahard let out a small, throaty laugh.

"What's with the pretense?"

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Zahard!

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】