HRB 144

The intruder succeeded in entering the room quietly.

After Arthur’s attack, the Emperor put great effort into Eddie’s protection. The palace where Eddie stayed was equipped with all sorts of sorcery and Artifacts, making it impossible for unauthorized individuals with ill intentions to even approach, let alone gain permission to visit.

“This is not easy to breach, even for me.”

It was a grand undertaking that even Marquis Rivalt marveled at, but the Emperor did not hesitate.

Yet now, an unauthorized individual had opened Eddie’s door as if it were their own and walked into the room.

The intruder strode in as if it were their own room. As if they knew exactly where Eddie’s bed was, their unhesitating steps soon stopped right before Eddie’s bed.

Eddie wasn’t particularly a light sleeper to begin with. While the other party was skilled at masking their presence, he was meant to sleep peacefully unless something exceptionally loud occurred.

“……”

The intruder remained still for a while, gazing at Eddie as he slept, then cautiously extended a hand.

The touch that gently caressed Eddie’s smooth cheek then traced his prominent nose, and brushed against his well-shaped lips.

The touch, more lingering than when it had caressed his cheek and nose, hovered over his lips for a long time before carefully probing into the slight opening.

“Mmm……”

Perhaps it was due to the intruding finger, but Eddie let out a soft groan. The intruder, who had carefully inserted their finger, withdrew it and continued to gaze at Eddie for a long time before letting out a small sigh.

“……Eddie.”

The voice that softly called Eddie’s name was filled with indescribable emotions.

Hoo, the intruder let out a small sigh and slowly sat down on the bed. Their body, full of firm muscle, was large and heavy, causing the edge of the bed to inevitably sag under the weight. However, the oblivious recipient showed no sign of waking, and the intruder smiled as if even this was endearing.

The intruder, who had been gazing down at his face, lowered their head.

“……Mm.”

Their lips met instantly. Eddie’s soft lips parted, and a tongue lightly traced the inside of his mouth. But the kiss quickly deepened, as if it had never been light, becoming as desperate as tasting life-giving water after a long time.

His lips tasted sweet. Though in reality, they likely had no taste, the greedy lips and plump tongue were so sweet that he couldn’t let go.

“Nnngh.”

It was only after Eddie let out a soft groan that the intruder’s desperate kiss finally stopped.

Of course, the act was not meant to end there.

The intruder wiped his saliva-slicked lips with the back of his hand, then, with slightly hurried movements, shed his clothes. The small sound of clothes falling to the floor echoed, and as the large body covered Eddie, pinning him down, Eddie, gasping, tried to open his eyes.

The intruder quietly covered Eddie’s eyes with their hand. A small surge of Magical power rippled from their fingertips.

“Shh…… Sleep more.”

Because I’m not here right now.

As the whispered words faded, he removed his hand, and Eddie, as if he had never intended to wake, began to sleep soundly again.

Soon, Eddie’s clothes also slipped under the bed, and the intruder hesitated no longer.

Pakirius Belloran Kaldes was a Prince who rarely showed himself to the public.

It was understandable, as he had lived his entire life without revealing himself, earning him the epithet ‘the Hidden Prince’.

His demeanor, much like his actions, was considered similar to the Late Emperor, who had lived his life hidden within the Imperial Palace.

Of course, the difference was that while the Late Emperor had hidden himself by his own will, Pakirius’s situation was largely beyond his own volition.

The Emperor was always the one in the spotlight, and Prince Pakirius always played the role of a shadow, avoiding the forefront… this was the ‘setting’ the public knew about the hidden Prince Pakirius.

He had no intention of adhering to that setting, but the fact that he was a Prince felt so awkward that Eddie had no desire to appear at banquets or engage in social activities as royalty. Thus, rumors about this hidden Prince abounded.

The only fragmented information available was from those who had seen him during his time running the inn: he was handsome, as if he had stepped out of a painting, and had a cheerful personality. Among the influential nobles, only Count Demays had visited Eddie’s Inn, resulting in a lack of information.

Even Count Demays did not possess any significant details.

Therefore, nobles had very little information about this young and handsome Prince.

Only fragmented rumors existed, such as that he was in a relationship with the Hero, that he built the inn to live with the Hero, or that the Hero was the Prince’s subordinate.

Even those were unreliable and not to be trusted.

“Please, everyone, take your seats.”

Nobles were seated densely in the vast conference room.

This was the Noble Council, held for the first time since the last one before the expedition.

Prince Pakirius also occupied a seat at this council, held for the first time since the one just before the expedition.

It was as if he were taking the place the Hero had occupied in the previous meeting.

Several old nobles marveled inwardly upon seeing Prince Pakirius’s face. It was a face that bore a striking resemblance to the Late Emperor.

“The Late Emperor also disliked appearing in public; has he inherited that trait?”

“He must have. Their faces are so alike.”

“Who knows? Seeing him appear like this, he doesn’t seem entirely reclusive.”

“But isn’t he frowning as if uncomfortable? They say he used to smile a lot when he ran the inn…”

“Rumors circulating among commoners are easily fabricated. Isn’t it obvious he’s displeased about being summoned here?”

“Is that so?”

The nobles murmured amongst themselves.

Contrary to the rumors of him being cheerful, the young Prince’s face, etched with a slight frown and a stiff expression, was a stark contrast to the stories of his easy smile.

The nobles whispered amongst themselves, assuming the Prince was displeased, having been dragged to this place at their request.

Of course, Eddie wasn’t frowning because he was unhappy.

The reason he was frowning was simply that the chairs, which he usually found comfortable and plush, were all incredibly uncomfortable today.

Of course, it wasn’t the chairs that had changed, but rather his own physical state felt particularly strange today.

……Did I not sleep well? My backside hurts. My back hurts too. As if I’d been folded in half for a long time.

Eddie had memories of experiencing similar physical sensations before. Eddie’s cheeks automatically flushed a faint red, like a lit incandescent bulb.

But, as obvious as it was, Ketron wasn’t here, so there was no reason for such a thing to have happened. Therefore, this was most likely just a figment of his imagination.

“Hoo.”

Besides, this wasn’t the time to be thinking about such things. Eddie steeled himself.

Eddie, groaning as he clutched his throbbing back, forced his expression into place as he felt gazes directed his way.

Though it hurt, it wasn’t unbearable, and he knew it was best not to give them any reason to criticize him here.

Before Eddie’s eyes now were a pack of jackals, their eyes gleaming, eager to find fault with him, as if they intended to devour him.

Eddie had received the request to attend the Noble Council just last night.

Of course, the nobles would not have called him for purely benevolent reasons. No, to put it bluntly, one of the agenda items for today’s meeting was explicitly about ‘Prince Pakirius’. It was akin to a hearing.

The very existence of a ‘hidden royal’ seemed like a provocation from the royal family to the nobles, and not a single high-ranking noble belonging to the noble faction looked upon him kindly.

Is this it? Now that they can afford to live comfortably, they’re starting to poke at things they overlooked when they were in a hurry?

Amidst the piercing gazes, Eddie thought with a sense of calm.

For some reason, these gazes didn’t feel particularly frightening.

“Let the meeting commence.”

Before long, the Consul announced the start of a rather tedious meeting.

The Emperor struggled to hide his discomfort as he watched the pressure and interrogation of his brother, conducted under the guise of a meeting.

It had been ten years since he ascended to the throne, no, eleven years now.

Though he had ascended at a very young age, he was not old enough for a regent, and the circumstances were unfavorable, forcing him to expose himself to a relentless wave of trials.

It had been a brutal era. Being the ruler of the Empire in a world dominated by the Demon King.

His capabilities were quite outstanding, allowing him to endure, but the Late Emperor had been an incompetent, reclusive hermit, and the Imperial Authority, which had plummeted to unknown depths, offered no help to the young Emperor who had just ascended.

When everyone should have been united to overcome the crisis, the noble faction ran rampant, and even amidst that, they continuously pressured the Emperor, who wished for the authority of the nobles to be firmly established.

They will surely demand blood.

Seeing the noble faction cross the line, the Emperor made up his mind and found his brother.

From that day, the purge of blood began.