By Zephyria 
Rubel calmly recounted stories about his parents and siblings.
The most interesting part was the story of how the current Emperor tried to give fair love to his children.
The Emperor rarely met all three of his children together, but he said he spent the same amount of time with each of them on the same day, having various conversations. He added that they didn’t fully tell each other how they spent their individual time.
Rubel said he enjoyed showing his father his swordsmanship or listening to the difficulties that arose in running the country. He also mentioned that Lucilla enjoyed hearing about their father’s favorite foods and culture. He explained that during their allotted time, they would sometimes hunt together, practice swordsmanship, or simply focus on their feelings and receive them.
He also heard stories about Empress Kate Antines, the mother of Rubel and Lucilla.
“My mother is a very ambitious woman. She had her sights set on the position of Empress even before the previous Empress passed away. From the day Lucilla and I were born, she desperately wished for us to inherit the throne, so she did many things.”
“What kind of things?”
“Just things like laying the groundwork for a power base through my maternal grandfather. It’s nothing too grand. She does everything she can as Empress, but she never touches anything dishonorable.”
“Hmm.”
“So, she favors me because I’m aiming for the throne and distances herself from Lucilla. I suppose she thinks the foundation she built shouldn’t flow to Lucilla, who won’t become Emperor.”
“…”
“That’s why I don’t talk about Mother in front of Lucilla. It just feels like I’m taking Mother’s presence away from her.”
It was bewildering that the boy so readily shared his joys, sorrows, and secrets without a single drink. I didn’t know how to offer comfort, so I remained silent. I couldn’t tell if he simply needed someone to listen, or if he considered me a close companion.
After listening quietly, I patted the boy’s hand a couple of times, and Rubel offered a faint, melancholic smile. Seeing his face, a question suddenly came to mind.
“Then, is your desire to become Emperor solely due to your mother’s influence?”
“Not entirely. I mean… Richard and I have very different political ideologies. I also often think about wanting to be an Emperor like my father, whom I respect…”
“Mm.”
“I thought about becoming Emperor before I thought about fulfilling my mother’s dream. This is my dream, not hers.”
Rubel’s expression and gaze were resolute. I had no reply and remained silent. Rubel paused for a moment, then began to talk about the kind of country he wanted to build. I was also very interested in the land where I and my kin would live, so I listened carefully to his words.
As we talked, time flew by, and night deepened. Even though dinner had long passed and I should have been hungry, I felt no hunger. Although I hadn’t trained as much as I’d intended, I had no regrets, having spoken so much with Rubel until our throats were parched. We promised to make time solely for conversation next time and parted ways.
❖ ❖ ❖
On the weekend, I studied in the library without any special events. I usually spent most of my time there with my companions. Rubel briefly came by and lingered, but Marianne and Jenny were already settled with a pile of books next to them, and I had a lot of handouts to memorize, so I promised to meet him another time.
After Rubel left, I shrugged at the gazes directed at me. When Shayden, who was sitting next to me, mentioned that the Prince and I seemed to have grown quite close, I was able to give a different answer than before.
“You think so too? He’s more easygoing and has a better personality than I expected.”
“…Prince Rubel is easygoing? In what way?”
“He’s just quiet, doesn’t dislike many things, laughs a lot, and is quite shy.”
“Are you talking about the Second Prince right now?”
“There can’t be two Second Princes.”
“No… yes. I see…”
“Also, he’s diligent and seems to attend classes diligently, and his conduct is proper, so there’s no harm in being close to him. I understand why you said what you did before.”
“…Child… The Second Prince isn’t an adult yet, though.”
“Mm.”
I hesitated to say that Shayden was speaking in support of the Second Prince in front of other children. Shayden understood perfectly and nodded. If he had attended world history classes so diligently, he would be able to lend me his well-organized notes, and if he had attended throwing knife technique classes diligently, his stances would be proper, wouldn’t they? He was truly a diligent and kind child. Being gentle and well-behaved was better than being fierce and impetuous. His every action showed caution, so wouldn’t the future of this country be bright if such a person became Emperor? His vision for Shierun resonated with me, so even if I didn’t offer much direct help, I supported him in my heart.
Marianne, who had been racking her brain while flipping through thick books for a report on how to increase the speed of magic, suddenly brightened and chattered.
“The Second Prince is definitely the model student type in terms of conduct. He’d be the most likely to look good in glasses at Shierun Academy. Many friends wish he had joined the Department of Magic instead of the Swordsmanship Department.”
“No way! The Second Prince absolutely must be in the Swordsmanship Department. With those shoulders, what a waste it would be to join the Department of Magic!”
“But he has black hair and black eyes. Doesn’t that automatically mean he should be in the Department of Magic?”
“No! What could be more superficial than judging someone by their genetics? It’s as cliché as the saying that men with black hair and red eyes are all cold and cruel!”
As someone with a father who had black hair and red eyes, I had nothing to say. I had only just learned about the saying that people with red eyes were cold and cruel, so I was dumbfounded.
“There’s such a saying?”
“No, well, it’s not about the Ernhardt family, but…”
“It’s just a cliché. Because fair hair is often considered the standard of beauty, you hear things like that sometimes…? Honestly, it’s ridiculous to distinguish between beautiful and not-beautiful people based on hair color alone.”
“And with a classic handsome man right in front of us, we can’t really say it’s not true.”
I sighed softly at the attention focused on me. In the end, Marianne had corrupted even the gentle and timid Jenny. I really should have chosen my friends more carefully. They were talking about my appearance right in front of me. I had never thought of flattering someone to their face as an enjoyable game, so I found it hard to understand why the children were giggling.
The conversation turned back to hair color. Ever since I learned about my parents’ marriage in class, I had been aware of the fact that my pink hair stood out. Still, this new topic was quite fascinating. Marianne, Jenny, and even Shayden joined in, debating whether blonde hair was better, or if red hair wasn’t bad, or if black hair was proof of a classic handsome man, or if red and brown hair were for supporting characters. They were so engrossed that they neglected their studies. I understood half of what they were saying and half I didn’t. They said these kinds of things mostly appeared in plays or romance novels, so I decided not to pay too much attention.
“Young Master Ernhardt? Do you have a preferred hair color for your ideal type?”
“If I had to choose…”
“If you had to choose?”
“…I think black hair might be better.”
It didn’t hold much meaning. It was simply what I was used to seeing. In the Central Plains, skin as white as jade and black hair like ebony were considered the standard of beauty. They preferred a slender, long neck like a deer’s and a graceful, floating gait as if walking on clouds. I, for one, thought people with strong bones and wide hips were the most beautiful. At least, women who looked so delicate they might break from childbirth made me afraid to even speak to them. Because of this, among the daughters of the Namgung family, those who were close to me were always the bold and spirited ones, like boys. Thinking of them brought a wistful feeling.
Come to think of it, Mikael, the second son of the Ernhardt family, also had black hair. With hair that resembled his father’s and a complexion that resembled his mother’s, his bright and lively disposition was clearly visible. Thinking of the cute boy brought a smile to my lips. Thinking of Mikael Ernhardt made my time at the academy feel worthwhile.
Instead of responding to the playful voices of the children, I picked up my handouts again. I let a few questions drift in one ear, and the children also returned to their books. The handouts contained information about the imperial family that we had learned in the previous class. It was said that one should not judge the Emperor of the current era. Professor Calypse Agrigent did not discuss the current Emperor’s strengths and weaknesses during class. He only told us to remember them well so we could evaluate him ourselves later.
To Rubel Anti Searon, the Emperor was a kind and wise father. He said that the Emperor diligently tried to listen to many people’s stories and that he made an effort to spend as much time as possible with his children, even when he was busy. However, I didn’t think his method was right. Meeting his children separately, telling them they were most precious, and doting on them. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if he were to gather all those children in one room.
In the Central Plains, there were separate doctrines for direct and collateral relatives, and for the eldest and younger sons. Words that could not be spoken in front of one’s father should not be spoken behind his back. Younger brothers were taught to respect their elder brothers, and elder brothers were taught to look after their younger brothers. However, if one thought deeply, there had been many younger brothers who surpassed their elder brothers in the past. I didn’t know how they felt. Perhaps the Shierun method would sound sweeter to them. It was difficult and distant, with nothing entirely right or entirely wrong.
I read the handouts a few more times to memorize them. At the very end of the handouts, there were densely written sections about the Marquisate of Antines and the Kingdom of Floyd. I memorized not only the names of the direct descendants of the imperial family but also those of their collateral relatives. The Kingdom of Floyd was the country of Princess Marissa Floyd, who had once caused the price of yellow dye to skyrocket. I thought that if he inherited that lineage, Richard Flo Searon’s personality would likely be quite eccentric. It was only after reading the handouts that I learned that 1st Prince Richard Flo Searon had blonde hair and blue eyes. The document stated that he was a pale and frail-looking handsome man who studied law at Shierun Academy. It also mentioned that he had taken a few magic classes but had not discovered any talent for magic. The gentle disposition of Rubel, who possessed the qualities of a First-Rate Martial Artist, naturally came to mind. I could vaguely understand why Shayden had spoken so confidently about the qualities of the next Emperor.