TGW Chapter 30 Part 4

 

Sienna summoned Ben to her office.

"Your Highness, I have met with the Marquis and delivered your message. He has given me this to hand to you directly," Ben said, placing the sealed envelope on the desk before stepping back. The seal had been altered since he received it from the Marquis’s residence.

The previous night, Ben had pretended to go home, only to return to the palace under cover of darkness. Instead of heading to the Silver King’s palace, he went to the Crimson King. The envelope he had handed over was then passed to a skilled maid, who carefully unsealed it without damage.

Ben didn’t know what was inside the envelope. The Crimson King had read the contents before resealing it and sending it back.

---

"Well done. If you continue like this, you will enjoy wealth and power."

---

From the moment he began working for the Crimson King, Ben had resigned himself to all sorts of dirty work. He wasn’t harming anyone directly, merely passing information from the Silver King’s palace to his mother. There was no reason to refuse.

Sienna, however, simply stared at the envelope Ben handed her without touching it. Instead, she picked up another envelope and stood.

"Sir Stus, come sit," she said, motioning him to the sofa.

They sat across from each other, and Sienna pulled out a document from the envelope, placing it on the table.

"Read this."

Ben picked up the document. It took only a moment for his expression to crumble. His face turned ashen, and his hands trembled as he held the paper. He couldn’t even finish reading the last page, dropping his head in defeat.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Sienna asked.

"...No, Your Highness," Ben answered quietly, already imagining his future: dragged away, sentenced to a heavy punishment, and eventually executed.

It's over, he thought bitterly. He wondered why he had fought so hard to survive in the first place. In the beginning, he had only wanted to be treated with dignity, tired of the stigma attached to being born in the slums and treated worse than a dog.

When he had gained a new status and walked through the streets, the shock of being treated as an equal was profound. No one had looked at him with disdain. Among others, he appeared just like anyone else—human, with arms, legs, eyes, and a face.

During his knight training, he was shocked again. Even nobles, supposedly superior by birth, often lacked the skills he had. It made no sense that he should be treated like vermin just because of his origins. He had vowed to reach the highest position possible.

"Sir Stus," Sienna called.

Ben slowly raised his head, surprised that she was still addressing him by his title.

"Did you become a knight of the palace through connections?"

"No! I earned it through my own efforts," Ben quickly replied.

Patricia had purchased children from the slums, training them harshly. Ben had survived the training, standing out above the rest. That’s why he had been chosen. He had no idea what had happened to the others—he never saw them again.

As a squire, Ben had pushed himself relentlessly, knowing he would be discarded if he wasn’t exceptional. Patricia wasn’t generous enough to guide anyone from start to finish—she only needed useful tools.

Sienna had many thoughts as she reviewed the documents Kuhn had given her. Initially, she had been angry. But she recognized that Ben had earned his place as a knight and passed the palace’s entrance exams through his own hard work. Even Gilbert had vouched for his skills.

Despite the help from his mother, Ben had abilities. In the future she had seen in her dreams, he had reached that same position through merit.

If Ben had been born a noble, Sienna would have punished him without hesitation. But he hadn’t had other choices.

"You impersonated a noble. That is a serious crime," she said.

"Yes, Your Highness," Ben replied, still tense.

"But considering that you didn’t actively harm anyone or steal your status through malicious means, I will take that into account."

Hope flickered in Ben's eyes, though he remained wary.

"The one who coerced you into this was the Crimson King. I cannot punish my own mother, but neither is it fair to punish you alone. I do not plan to make this issue public. You are to resign and leave the Silver King's palace."

Ben's face darkened again. If he was expelled from the palace after his identity was exposed, it was over. The thought of the Crimson King’s cold gaze made him shiver. They wouldn’t kill him immediately, but his life would be much harder, forced into even more dangerous tasks.

"What was your mission?" Sienna asked.

"To report everything I saw and heard in the Silver King's palace to the Crimson King, and to gain your trust so I could remain close to you."

Ben answered honestly.

"I will give you false information. You will pass it to the Crimson King as if it were true."

Ben’s eyes wavered between hope and despair. He couldn’t understand Sienna’s intentions, and he didn’t dare ask.

"Can you do that?"

"Excuse me?" Ben asked, dumbfounded.

"I’m asking if you’re willing to make a deal with me."

Sienna looked at Ben, certain that he would accept her proposal.

"You approached me under false pretenses, and I cannot trust you. Even if you accomplish great deeds, I will never treat you as a close ally."

Sienna made it clear that she wasn’t offering him a rosy future.

"But if you help me, I will reward you with the status of a commoner. You will be a knight of common birth. You may stay in the capital, or I can write a recommendation for you to join the Duke’s knight order. With merit and loyalty, a common-born knight can rise to the rank of baron. If you wish to become a noble, you’ll have to earn it yourself."

"Are you serious?" Ben asked in disbelief.

"Have you heard of the maid who helped me in the Crimson King's palace?"

"Yes, I’ve heard a little."

"I promised her a reward, and I kept my word. I will not break my promise to you."

"What I mean is… will you really allow me to become a noble?"

"That depends on your efforts."

"I'm from the slums. Doesn’t the idea of someone like me aspiring to nobility disgust you?"

"What I despise is not someone’s background, but a lowly character."

Ben was stunned, bowing his head in silence before slipping off the sofa to kneel before her.

"If Your Highness is willing to use me, I will gladly become your tool."

"This is a transaction," Sienna replied.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will serve you in any way I can."

As Ben knelt there, he suddenly recalled the lessons on chivalry he had once found so dull during his knight training. He had never connected with those teachings, but now, he felt he might finally understand what it meant to be a knight.

 

***

 

While Kuhn was under house arrest at his mansion, visitors never ceased coming to the Ivy Mansion. No one seemed to care that the Marquis of Rad was serving a punishment.

No one believed Kuhn's position would be weakened by this incident. On the contrary, people sought the opportunity to make themselves known to him.

Kuhn met with most of his visitors, which only fueled rumors, drawing more people to his doorstep. The sense that everyone needed to be there added to the momentum.

In the afternoon, a carriage from the imperial palace entered the mansion's grounds. Several other carriages had already arrived and were parked in the courtyard. The nobles who stepped out whispered among themselves.

"The Iron King has arrived."

"Not surprising, is it? Everyone knows about their relationship."

"It would be something if the Silver King showed up instead."

Dian enjoyed the privilege of meeting Kuhn first, bypassing the waiting guests.

"When is this house arrest going to end? Should I speak to the Emperor about it?" Dian asked casually.

"Today," Kuhn replied.

"What?"

"A messenger from the palace came earlier today with the Emperor’s message. It’s over now."

"I see. Looks like I missed the timing," Dian said, chuckling awkwardly. He stood abruptly and walked toward the balcony, staring out at the unremarkable view.

"Kuhn, do you plan everything, or are you just incredibly lucky?"

"What do you mean?" Kuhn asked, puzzled.

"The house arrest. Most people agree the Emperor overreacted. So, those who spoke poorly of you because of the scandal have lost their influence."

Dian turned to look at Kuhn.

"There’s even a conspiracy theory that you and the Emperor planned this outcome from the start. Which is it?"

Their eyes met, and they held each other’s gaze for a long moment. Kuhn leaned back on the sofa, responding with a light tone.

"The Emperor wouldn’t go that far just for me. Even at the party at Ivy Mansion, I think His Majesty was more focused on curbing the Crimson King’s influence than helping me personally."

"…That’s true," Dian muttered, turning back to the window, as if watching something of great interest. He remained motionless for a long time.

Kuhn observed Dian’s back in silence. Perhaps because he had been weighed down by his own concerns, Dian’s posture seemed heavier than usual.

After some time, Dian returned to the sofa and sat down.

"If I had lived in the imperial palace since I was young, would my relationship with His Majesty be different? I always feel this unbridgeable distance between us. I never know what he’s thinking."

"Who knows. Understanding others is impossible from the start, isn’t it? I barely understand myself," Kuhn said.

Dian let out a small laugh.

"You’re right. That’s quite a profound statement."

Even so, it’s incredibly lonely to realize that the thoughts of someone close to me are so different from mine. Have I been harboring unrealistic expectations of what family should be? Dian thought to himself, the weight in his chest growing heavier as he reflected on his uncle.

"I didn’t come here for any particular reason today. Coming here was just a cover. I actually came out to meet my uncle," Dian finally admitted.

"I know."

"…"

The sudden statement left Kuhn silent, but Dian gave a soft, resigned smile. He figured Kuhn knew all along that his uncle was secretly meeting with the Emperor.

"Would it be better to visit him after dark?"

"Probably. How many knights will you bring?"

"None. I don’t want anyone to know I’m away."

"Understood. After you meet with him, I have something important to discuss with you as well," Kuhn said.

Dian instinctively knew it was going to be something serious. He nodded slowly, sensing that the day ahead would be a long one.

---

Dian hadn’t visited the Black House in a long time. He always felt a mix of joy and excitement when he went to see his uncle, often so eager that he had trouble sleeping the night before.

But today was different. Today, Dian was saddened by how his feelings had changed and by the inevitability of the situation.

“What brings you here so suddenly, without even sending word in advance?” Jeffrey exclaimed, clearly surprised but delighted.

“I just wanted to see you, Uncle. You won’t send me away, will you?”

“Of course not! Come in, come in.”

“Can I have something to eat? I haven’t eaten yet.”

“You haven’t eaten at this hour? What are your people doing if they’re not taking care of that? I’ll have something brought out immediately.”

For the first time, the two sat down together for a meal. The atmosphere was warm and cheerful.

Dian spoke about his daily life, and Jeffrey listened as though it was the most fascinating story in the world, laughing heartily. It was the kind of harmonious family meal Dian had always dreamed of.

After the meal, a middle-aged man quietly brought out two cups of tea and left without a word. He had been as silent as a shadow while attending to them.

“He’s always so careful. He seems well-suited to your personality, Uncle,” Dian commented.

“He’s not one for frivolous talk,” Jeffrey agreed.

“The Marquis of Rad sent you a good man. He’s put a lot of thought into helping you in many ways.”

“Yes, but he’s still the Marquis’s man.”

Dian swallowed a sigh. Jeffrey had been increasingly hostile toward Kuhn lately.

“Uncle, I can’t wait any longer. I need to hear it today. Why did the Acheron family have to disappear like that? What happened between my grandfather and the late emperor?”

Dian had made up his mind before leaving the palace. He wouldn’t back down until he heard the full story from his uncle.

Perhaps sensing Dian’s resolve, Jeffrey stared at him for a long time before sighing in resignation.

“This will take a while,” Jeffrey said.

“I have plenty of time, Uncle.”

Dian had arranged for it to seem like he was in deep discussion with Kuhn at the Marquis’s mansion. He hadn’t even informed the knights who had accompanied him of his real destination. His extended absence might cause some minor issues, but he trusted Kuhn to handle them.

“Do you know why the Acheron family was declared traitors and wiped out?” Jeffrey asked.

“I know the official reason. It’s said they conspired with rebel forces to overthrow the empire.”

“Treason,” Jeffrey scoffed, repeating the word bitterly with a cold sneer. “Anyone who knew my father would never believe such a baseless accusation.”

Jeffrey stared into the distance, his eyes filled with a deep longing. Dian guessed that his uncle was thinking about his late grandfather.

“It’s not just because he was my father—I truly respected and loved him. If anything, I didn’t fully understand his greatness because I was his son. The retainers and the people of the duchy followed him with their hearts. He was a man of perfection. He possessed sword skills that could match any knight and was learned enough to debate with the finest scholars of his time. His character was unparalleled—always striving to better himself and never straying from the right path. He empathized with the suffering of his people and never judged anyone based on their status or position. His only flaw was…”

Jeffrey grimaced in pain.

“…he was too perfect. More perfect than his lord.”

Dian couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of Jeffrey’s words. His grandfather’s lord would have been the emperor at the time—the late emperor?

“The late emperor, Mad King, envied my father. It was that man’s ugly jealousy that ultimately led to my father’s death.”

Dian’s expression turned uncertain. He didn’t feel particularly attached to either his maternal grandfather or paternal grandfather, having never met either of them in life.

It wasn’t that he wanted to take his grandfather’s side, but his uncle’s words seemed too far-fetched. The downfall of a noble family over mere jealousy?

Dian had imagined some grand and terrifying conspiracy behind the fall of the Acheron family, so his uncle’s explanation left him unsettled.

Jeffrey noticed Dian’s expression and chuckled softly.

“You find it hard to believe, don’t you?”

“…”

“You’ll understand as you live longer. Many of the world’s most significant events stem from trivial causes.”

“Do you have any evidence to support that, Uncle?” Dian asked cautiously, careful not to imply that his uncle was being paranoid.

“Did you know that the late emperor and my father were childhood friends?” Jeffrey asked.

Dian shook his head.

“I suppose no one talks about it these days. My father practically grew up in the palace. Your great-grandfather, the emperor at the time, wanted my father to be friends with his son.”

The young Lord Acheron—Jeffrey’s father and the last Duke Acheron—and Mad King—the late emperor and father of the current emperor—grew up together, playing and studying like brothers.

The Duke of Acheron’s coming-of-age ceremony was even held in the grand ballroom of the imperial palace, a first for a non-royal.

At that time, the Acheron family’s prestige far surpassed even that of the present-day Rimone family. Comparing the Rimone family to the Acherons would be an insult to the Acherons.

The Rimone family gained power by making enemies, extracting blood and tears to secure their current influence.

But the Acheron family was universally respected. The emperor’s most trusted ally was Duke Acheron. If the Duke had had a daughter, the emperor might have made her his daughter-in-law.

With both the Duke and his son—Lord Acheron—favored by the emperor, and with Lord Acheron being the closest confidant of the future emperor, Mad King, no one doubted that the Acheron family’s future was secure.

In just a few decades, the radiant glory of the Acheron family was utterly crushed. Lord Acheron and Mad King had been inseparable friends. Whatever their true relationship, this was how it appeared to the world.

“My father never told me the details. But I suspect that the more time they spent together, the more the late emperor’s inferiority complex was provoked,” Jeffrey speculated.

Dian couldn’t take his uncle’s words entirely at face value. He had to consider that Jeffrey’s personal feelings about his father might influence his perspective.

But if what Jeffrey said was true, Dian could at least understand the late emperor’s feelings.

Could it be similar to the way I feel about Kuhn?

He had always owed Kuhn. The number of times Kuhn had saved his life was countless. Even their deals were less like true exchanges and more like desperate pleas for survival on Dian’s part.

True deals only happen when both sides have something to offer. If one side is entirely weaker, they can only bow and beg.

Though Dian often played the fool, he still had his pride. Despite being called a “half-prince,” he was of noble blood. After being recognized as royalty, he had no one to bow to except the emperor.

And yet, bowing to Kuhn never made him feel humiliated.

The difference between Dian and the late emperor was their mindset. Dian didn’t let his dark emotions consume him. He acknowledged his weaknesses and wasn’t ashamed to seek help when needed. He also accepted the strength of others without envy.

Even now, Dian sometimes envied Kuhn. Kuhn lacked nothing—he was even lucky. But envy never turned into resentment. He knew that no matter how much he envied Kuhn, he could never claim what belonged to him.

“Uncle, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Throughout history, rulers have often been jealous of capable subordinates, fearing they would threaten their position. But the empire is different. The Holy Tree ensures that only royal blood can rule the empire.”

No matter how petty the late emperor might have been, wiping out a noble family over jealousy seemed excessive. No matter how powerful a noble family was or how brilliant its leader, the ruler would always be the emperor.

Without a personal grudge, there was no logical reason to eliminate the Acherons.

“Yes, as you say, it wasn’t merely jealousy. The late emperor feared my father.”

“What do you mean?” Dian asked, confused.

Jeffrey’s expression darkened. He was about to reveal a truth known only to his late grandparents, parents, and himself. It was a secret he had kept buried in his heart for all these years.

“Your grandfather… was born with the physical traits of a royal.”

Dian’s eyes widened in shock, his mind going blank for a moment.

“…What?”

"Why are you here so suddenly, without even a word in advance?" Jeffrey asked, surprised but clearly pleased.

"I just really wanted to see you, Uncle. You’re not going to send me away, are you?"

"Of course not! Come in quickly."

"Could I have some food? I haven’t eaten yet."

"At this hour, and you haven't had a meal? What are the people around you doing? I'll have something brought out right away."

For the first time, they sat down together for dinner. The atmosphere was light and cheerful.

Dian chatted about his daily life, and Jeffrey listened, laughing heartily as if everything Dian said was the most interesting thing in the world. It was the family meal Dian had always dreamed of.

After the meal, a middle-aged servant quietly placed two cups of tea on the table and left without a word, his presence barely noticeable, like a shadow.

"He’s always so careful. He suits your personality well, Uncle," Dian remarked.

"He's not one for frivolity," Jeffrey agreed.

"The Marquis of Rad really sent someone good to you. He's been quite considerate."

"Perhaps, but he's still the Marquis's man."

Dian swallowed a sigh. Jeffrey’s hostility towards Kuhn had been growing.

"Uncle, I can’t wait any longer. I need to know today. Why did the Acheron family have to disappear like that? What really happened between my grandfather and the late emperor?"

Dian had resolved to hear the truth before leaving the palace. He wouldn't back down until he got the full story from his uncle.

Perhaps sensing Dian’s determination, Jeffrey stared at him for a long time before letting out a resigned sigh.

“This will be a long story,” Jeffrey said.

“I have all the time we need, Uncle.”

Dian had made it seem as though he was in deep discussion with Kuhn at the Marquis’s mansion. Even the knights who had accompanied him didn’t know the truth of his outing. His prolonged absence might raise concerns, but Kuhn would handle that.

“Do you know why the Acheron family was declared traitors and exterminated?” Jeffrey began.

“I know the official reason. They were accused of conspiring with rebels to overthrow the empire.”

“Treason,” Jeffrey repeated bitterly, a cold sneer forming on his lips. “Anyone who knew my father would never believe such a ridiculous charge.”

Jeffrey gazed off into the distance, his eyes filled with longing. Dian guessed that his uncle was thinking about his late grandfather.

"It wasn’t just because he was my father; I truly respected and loved him. If anything, being his son made it harder to see how great he truly was. His retainers and the people of the duchy followed him with their hearts. My father was a man of perfection. He had swordsmanship that could match any knight and was learned enough to debate the finest scholars. His character was unparalleled—he constantly worked to improve himself and never strayed from what was right. He shared in the pain of his people and never judged anyone by their status or position. His only flaw was…”

Jeffrey grimaced in pain.

“…he was too perfect. More perfect than his lord.”

Dian couldn’t immediately understand. His grandfather’s lord would have been the emperor at the time—the late emperor?

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