The Emperor Who Was Once a Tyrant Returns Chapter 140 : Chapter 140

Chapter : 140

“Imagine it. If I killed you—the one my mother once tried to kill—and then ascended the throne. Even Armatia, accustod as it is to a succession struggle that is a complete ss, would revolt against it. If I leave you alive, a rebellion would rise around you. Things that would not be a problem at all if Maximilian killed you. And even if I killed Maximilian, I would still carry the stigma of having killed the brother of the prince my mother tried to murder. I would pay the price for my mother’s failed plot—the plot I tried to stop.”

After saying that, Alexander added bitterly, mocking himself.

“In the succession struggle, the only one I can kill is Desmond—my full brother.”

For a mont, I wondered if he had co simply to lant. His circumstances were pitiable, but I had carried my own circumstances since birth.

At this point, feeling sorry for a man who blad the victim did not help advance anything.

‘He is frustrated and suffocating over sothing that is not even my fault, with no way to resolve it—so he is clinging to .’

And Desmond, of course, he avoided—because this ti he might truly kill him.

“Even if I told you the truth, how do you intend to use it? Knowing it would not help you break out of your current situation.”

“…I would have to hear it to know.”

But he knew I was right. He simply could not let go of the thin thread of hope that perhaps it might be a way through.

A blind weapon stood before .

Without hesitation, I reached out my hand.

“Rather than obsessing over a story that will be of no use to you even if you hear it, focus on what brings real benefit.”

“Are you advising now?”

“Advice? I would not give it even if you begged. Do not mistake yourself for soone worthy of my precious counsel. Duel .”

“What did you say?”

“Duel —and if you win, I will return the Lauderdale dukedom to you.”

“…Do you think you can defeat in a duel?”

“We will only know if we try.”

“I see. You intend to rely on your mages’ help as you did just now, or to put forward Michelon as a warrior to fight in your place.”

“There is no reason to reveal my strategy in advance.”

My dream—to beco a battle mage who could defeat a Sword Master in close combat without long-range magic—still had to remain hidden. Another goal had been born. If my teacher, before my regression, could see assigning myself tasks even without instruction, how impressed he would be.

“Then what if I lose?”

“Take my hand. Let us strike Maximilian together.”

“…What?”

“No one can offer you a better proposal than I can. Desmond will make the sa offer, but taking the hand of a man who will be followed for life by suspicion of attempted assassination is suicide. Maximilian will not offer it at all.”

“…This is not an alliance proposal.”

“Of course not. When I ascend the throne, I will make you Supre Marshal of the Army. And you will beco a Grand Duke, able to pass the title of Grand Duke down to your descendants. As you know, after the late emperor’s death, that is sothing only a prince can do.”

If there was any brother I would spare, it was Alexander. He had not brought in foreign powers as Maximilian had, and he had not committed atrocities as Desmond had.

He had used like a madman before, and he clearly ant to keep doing so, but he had saved during Maximilian’s kidnapping attempt.

“…I still have not abandoned my dream of becoming emperor.”

“After you lose to , your mind will change.”

“If I win, then instead of returning the Lauderdale dukedom, how about you beco my subordinate? I will make you my chancellor.”

“Do not even dream of it. This duel is, regrettably, necessary, but even so, it is my hand of pity extended because I find you pathetic—taking out your frustration on , the victim. If you are so shaless that you cannot even be grateful for the chance to reclaim your dukedom and you demand more, then you are not worthy to duel . I will withdraw the proposal so I do not lower my dignity by dueling such a man.”

“……”

Blood loss flushed Alexander’s face bright red. But when I glared at him, he lowered his eyes.

“I will not ask for more, and I am deeply grateful for your proposal. Then is it still valid?”

The mont he raised his eyes again, he asked.

“It is.”

“Then when?”

“It is too turbulent to duel imdiately. How about in a month—no, in three months.”

“Do not say sothing insane. Neither you nor Michelon has even held a coming-of-age ceremony yet.”

“But we are already knights!”

“You and I are imperial blood and must undergo a coming-of-age ceremony. Even if you send Michelon in as your champion, I have no desire to duel a younger brother who has not even co of age. Do not even think of driving the honor my mother already tarnished straight into the ground.”

Alexander spoke firmly.

“I know how much of an old man you are inside, but others will say I provoked my young brother into making a reckless mistake, overflowing with youthful blood. I cannot let my honor be cracked any further. You, with that cold face of yours, also do not want people saying you are reckless despite appearances.”

“Fine.”

“Then train hard until then. You know, and I know, that the rumor Michelon is a Sword Master is not true.”

“And you should co to your senses too. What good is dreaming of becoming emperor if you cannot even find your way? If you disgrace yourself like last night again, there will be no duel this ti. You will not beco emperor, nor Supre Marshal, nor Duke of Lauderdale. Die as a marquess.”

“…Understood.”

“First, prove tomorrow that you are a man whose honor will not be damaged by dueling you, by publicly apologizing in front of others.”

That was how we agreed to a duel. We would duel within three days after I completed my coming-of-age ceremony. If I coaxed him into doing it on the very day itself, then the guests at my coming-of-age banquet would acknowledge that I was more “passionate” than even the First Prince. And if I won, I would surpass his popularity.

Even though Alexander had bled quite a bit, he left with a calr expression than when he arrived. There was now a possibility he could reclaim the Lauderdale dukedom, and at the very least, he had found direction in his suffocating, stifling situation.

“Get up! There was definitely an intruder!”

But the mont Alexander left, Michelon, Yolande, and Jero burst in.

“What is all this commotion? What happened?”

I had stroked Harald, who kept watching us after Alexander left, and fallen straight back asleep.

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up. Perhaps a proper fight was the perfect cure for insomnia, because though it was brief, I had slept well. I looked at the clock—barely ten minutes. If they had not woken , I would have slept longer.

“Is this the ti to sleep? Who ca? It was Alexander, was it not?”

“I think it was that bastard too! The First Prince Faction would not stir up trouble on the eve of their own celebration.”

“And the Illegitimate Prince Faction ran early because their leader already caused trouble and left.”

As Michelon, Yolande, and Jero rattled off their words in rapid succession, Rolf and Vincent, who had hurried over as well, added their own.

“In truth, I also woke earlier because I had a bad feeling. I dared to slip into Your Highness’s room to check, and when I saw you sleeping, I left at once.”

“ as well. I felt sothing strange, so I rose and inspected the barrier, and I can sense traces of mana use. Was there an intrusion attempt that failed?”

“It is not sothing I know. I slept well for the first ti in a while.”

“Do not lie! Who do you think you are deceiving? What are you hiding?”

The more Michelon barked at , the more I felt I had to hide it. If I said I was going to duel a Sword Master, he would rush forward insisting he would do it himself. Even I, who had been beaten from all sides before my regression, now liked fighting.

“No, but if it is as Vincent says, it is possible His Highness truly did not know.”

“Unfortunately, Your Highness is not soone who sleeps deeply. If a Sword Master had truly intruded, you would not have slept so soundly.”

“Rolf is right.”

“What is right about it? Look at that shaless face.”

“He looks angry because he was woken after finally sleeping well….”

“I know. That is the face he makes when he is lying to a friend!”

“Well, between friends, there is a friend’s intuition.”

“It is not.”

“See? That is the face of, ‘I did lie, but you are being unfair to your friend.’”

Everyone seed more inclined to believe Michelon’s claim—which had no basis at all—than to believe .

My loyal subjects. Betrayal.

“You wake a sleeping man and cause this uproar. Are you trying to wake Nanette as well? All of you, go back and sleep.”

When I spoke as though I were angry, they did leave, but even as Rolf dragged him away, Michelon kept grumbling. Jero even smacked the back of Harald’s head for no reason at all, though Harald was stubbornly pretending to doze on his perch.

And then it was the next day.

“Your Highness, have you been well?”

Giuliano, insisting that we had to display our faction’s power at the coming-of-age ceremony, sohow managed to make ti to co.

We had restored the village and the fields first with magic, but there were many farr casualties, and he had been busy dealing with the aftermath.

“I am very glad you ca.”

“Giuliano!”

“Giuliano, my friend!”

Nanette and Jero greeted him warmly. Giuliano had brought many gifts and distributed them to all of us, but the gift Nanette received was special.

“Is this not the lace that was on the clothing Federico wore during the temple rite? Grandmother said it was specialty lace from her maiden family and that she brought it as part of her dowry.”

While Michelon and I were missing, Nanette had ford a close bond with the countess. Her sister and brother-in-law and Rolf had been there, but the three of them did not return to the castle at all during the search.

Especially since the countess had cared for her since before she reunited with her sister, my disappearance must have been a trendous shock to her young heart.

For the countess, she supported the search while also struggling desperately to protect Montova from the Empress’s pressure. She had not even had ti to see her son’s face.

With such a disaster, she believed her son would not be able to escape responsibility, and I had heard she had even braced herself for the destruction of her house.

Caring for a young girl who hid and cried alone, the countess steadied her heart—and Nanette, too, was greatly helped by the countess’s care.

“As expected, our Nanette is clever. Mother misses you very much. Federico too.”

“I miss Federico. He always smiled at !”

“Then co anyti, and visit Grandmother and Federico as well.”

“Yes, I will!”

As Nanette and Giuliano embraced, Yolande and I t eyes over their heads.

The Countess of Montova was on our side, but she was also a seasoned noblewoman. She truly adored Nanette, but there was no way she did not understand Nanette’s value—as a count’s sister who was beloved by a prince.

‘Surely she is not planning to make Nanette baby Federico’s fiancée?’

In political marriages, age was not an issue. Usually the man was old enough to be her father, but there were occasions when the woman was older as well.

That way, even if Giuliano remarried and had another child because he could not leave the estate without a lady for long, baby Federico’s position would remain secure through a fiancée beloved by the prince his father served. And the old lady could keep Nanette close as a granddaughter-in-law, living together.

Of course, it was common for an elderly woman to seek companionship in a young girl, and perhaps I was overthinking it.

But to give a dowry heirloom as a “gift” to a little girl who was not even family….

‘…Fine. If that is truly what you an, then wait and see. You will have to wait a very, very long ti!’

“Ha-ha, our Nanette is quite adorable!”

Only Michelon was at ease, clueless.

“Then, Michelon. If you and Nanette, as siblings, wear this fur—Petrafis Mountain’s specialty—side by side, it will look even better.”

“It really will? I like it, Giuliano!”

“And for the Chief Mage and Deputy Chief Mage couple, Mother chose this silk especially. It is black fabric, but when it moves, the subtle blue sheen is beautiful.”

“Oh, it is truly luxurious. It is a great honor, Count. Please convey my sincere thanks to the Countess.”

“Thank you very much, Count. Please be sure to tell the Countess that we are grateful for her kindness.”

He treated Yolande and Vincent well too, not only Michelon—though at our first eting he had not even looked at them.

“Mother asked to tell all of you that you are welco to visit anyti, and that she will greet you with her whole heart. Federico is especially waiting for Nanette, she says.”

“Ha-ha, our Nanette is popular with everyone.”

Dragons had it easy. They could be oblivious.

“Everyone, stand before one by one. If you do not pass , change your clothes again.”

As always, dressed under Michelon’s sharp aesthetic eye, we went to my brother’s coming-of-age ceremony with the prettiest Nanette in front.

“It is the Prince Faction. The Count of Montova has co too.”

“Today, Prince Leontes is holding Lady Nanette’s hand. Her other hand is held by the Count of Petrafis, though.”

“To receive so much love from the two n growing the fastest in court—Lady Nanette is enviable indeed.”

“I look forward to the day she grows up and enters society.”

“Even now, she can be invited to children’s gatherings. It is nice that the Count of Petrafis also shows his face when he cos to take his younger sister. Though it feels as though he cos a bit early.”

“The Count of Petrafis and his sister are truly close. And he is close with the Count of Montova as well.”

“He should be. That entire region belongs to the Prince Faction. The relationship between the two count families—Petrafis and Montova—will only deepen.”

‘No matter how you chatter, there will be no political marriage for Nanette.’

“His Highness Leontes feels even more untouchable than usual today.”

“He cannot be in a good mood. Yesterday, Marquess Steiner… I was there too.”

That was when Alexander appeared.

So—how would he act today?