IBML 26

Chapter 26

Violles watched Rasha as she stepped forward.

He swept back the hair that had been mussed when he pushed his robe’s hood down.

A deep fatigue lingered in his eyes.

The shadow spread beneath Violles’s feet twitched slightly for a moment, but at his silent warning through a glance, it quickly settled again.

She was bold in many ways. It was almost as if she didn’t realize that showing disrespect could easily earn her an execution for insulting the Emperor.

Of course, Violles disliked throwing around accusations of lèse-majesté so casually, and since she was Recalin’s aide, she was surely smart enough to understand that much.

Still, Violles wondered if it might have been better to send the letter through the shadows—or simply hand it over directly at the next regular meeting in a few days—instead of entrusting it to an aide.

But there had been a reason for the test, and more importantly, the information contained in the letter…

No—information itself depended on speed. Whoever claimed it first decided everything.

His father had failed to do so, and died for it.

Violles recalled the time he had spent at Hraen’s imperial villa.

This particular trip had required him to move quickly and quietly, avoiding others’ eyes, because there was something he needed to investigate.

That was why he had returned immediately after obtaining the information he wanted.

His loyal shadow guards had urged him to rest longer, but they could not defy his decision.

Under the artificial lighting of the library, Violles found himself remembering the sunlight of Hraen.

Unlike the capital’s imperial palace, tinged with red hues, the villa’s outer walls were finished entirely in white.

So under the dazzling midday sun, the whole palace looked like a single radiant star.

At the very center of the villa lay an open-air bath.

Steam rose from the hot water, and rose petals had even been scattered across its surface.

From statues beside the bath, fresh water poured endlessly.

The bath was completely exposed, with no large trees for cover—hardly suitable for protection.

But with shadows present, there was nothing to fear.

What was the Emperor most afraid of?

Losing the throne? The Empire being plundered? Nobles gnawing away at imperial authority?

Violles reached back and traced his own spine. A rough scar ran long across his well-built back.

It was a wound from childhood, one that would never fade.

His father had inflicted it.

Even now, Violles remained bound to that scar—more precisely, to the memories of youth that it carried.

Erasing the scar would not erase the memories.

Still, whenever he came to this villa, those painful recollections dulled somewhat.

The villa had originally belonged to his father.

Violles would walk its halls alone, surrounded by traces of the man, repeating to himself that he was alive—that he had become the final victor.

His father’s body had rotted beneath the earth in misery, while his own walked above ground as the supreme ruler.

That thought pleased him.

In any case, the information he had sacrificed such precious rest to obtain was, naturally, tied to his authority.

If he did not remain Emperor, he could not even use this villa.

He had no choice but to give up rest.

And the information he gained…

It was truly worth it.

Violles was genuinely curious how Recalin would react upon reading the letter.

Would he be angry? Would he laugh?

Though known as cold and ruthless, his friend was far more emotionally expressive in private.

After finishing his thoughts, Violles watched Rasha emerge from the archives.

She carried two thin books:

Understanding Ancient Administration and The Transmission of Creation Myths.

They hardly seemed valuable enough to warrant digging through storage.

She’s hiding something.

Yet there was no particular abnormal reaction from her.

Her boldness—meeting his intense gaze head-on—made Violles lift the corner of his smiling lips a little higher.

He had deliberately pushed Recalin’s aide into an unexpected situation to see how she would respond.

No one before had ever dared to demand compensation first when given an imperial command.

And yet, she stared straight at him without caring about others’ eyes.

It was amusing.

Rude and arrogant, but she never quite crossed the line.

So Violles decided he would uncover whatever she was hiding later.

It didn’t seem like it would threaten him.

It might even prove useful.

If so, it was an entertaining little trick.

“Thank you for your help, Your Majesty. I won’t forget this kindness.”

Still, one thing intrigued him—

beneath her bold gaze lay unmistakable fluster.

That confusion he had sensed ever since she realized his identity.

Was it connected to what she was hiding?

I said I’d let it slide.

Violles placed his gloved hand on her shoulder and patted it a few times.

Her expression soured visibly.

Violles smiled innocently.

He would have to tell Recalin about this too.

The Emperor left after thoroughly turning the Infinite Library upside down.

The people around me rushed over, ready to hurl insults and envy at the one who had received the Emperor’s attention.

No—

they were about to, but I slipped away quickly before they could.

Swallowing my ragged breath, I headed back to the duke’s estate.

I had been flustered, but I’d achieved my goal.

I pulled out the book I had hidden using my concealment ability.

Everything About Spirits — Tom En Jeo.

A thick volume, like an encyclopedia.

[That was truly impressive. How did you even think of deceiving the Emperor?]
[I thought you were really going to end up in the palace’s underground prison.]
[Honestly, Riventa, you exaggerate too much. They don’t throw people in prison over something like that!]
[Have you experienced it? One never knows. It is always the “surely not” that kills people.]

Listening to the spirits’ chatter, I smiled in satisfaction.

Unlike mana or aura, spirit power didn’t manifest directly, so it could be hidden.

That’s why I brought out two thin books as decoys—

and smuggled out the real one.

This was true strategy.

Chuckling, I apologized silently to the librarians.

I needed to read it quickly and return it.

Better yet, I should make a copy by hand.

Still… this book is way too thick. And the title is honestly kind of… tacky.

That might be why it hadn’t sold well.

It seemed Shyuban’s former contractor had lacked taste in that department.

“Duke.”

After leaving the book in my room, I went to find Recalin.

As always, he was in his office, finishing up work.

Didn’t he deserve to rest on weekends?

“You really seem to love working.”

I tossed him the access pass I’d used up.

It could only be used once.

A shame, but if I asked again later, Recalin would probably grant another.

“Does it look that way?”
“Completely.”
“But doesn’t my aide also love working?”

Recalin narrowed his eyes slightly.

I jolted up from my chair.

“Love it? Me?”
“I’ve never seen you take much rest.”

Now that he mentioned it…

I worked six days a week, trained with spirits—

and if that counted as work too—

then even the one weekend day left was half-spent talking with my boss.

Was I really living that busily?

“Take it easy,” he said.

“…You too, Duke. Your dark circles seem deeper every time I see you.”

His handsome face was still handsome, but the dark circles made him look sharper.

Still, in private he was expressive.

In that way, he was the opposite of the Emperor.

People said the Emperor was charming and kind, but after speaking with him alone…

he couldn’t have been less gentle.

Maybe that contrast was why they became friends.

They could fill in what the other lacked.

I pulled out the letter Violles had told me to deliver.

“What is that?”
“Actually, I met His Majesty in the library.”
“His Majesty…?”

Recalin blinked twice in surprise before taking the letter.

He hardened the wax seal, cut through the imperial stamp with a knife, and unfolded it.

It was only one page.

I turned my head away, trying not to peek.

Fwoosh—

The sound of paper burning.

Recalin had used magic.

“W-Why did you burn it?!”
“? His Majesty instructed me to read it and burn it afterward.”

Come to think of it, letters in novels were always burned after reading.

To prevent leaks.

I couldn’t help but stare at the ashes drifting in the air, curious about what had been written.

With a snap of his fingers, Recalin made even the ash disappear.

His expression had noticeably hardened.

Just what could have been in that letter?

“Are you curious?”
“I’d be lying if I said no.”
“If you wait, you’ll find out.”

I nodded.

Trying too hard to uncover things like this was how people ended up dead without a trace.

And considering the Emperor’s implication that he had planted shadows even in the duke’s estate…

it was even more so.

I was doing all this to live longer.

No need to rush my own death.

“Oh, right. Duke… how have things been with Ripe lately?”
“Do you mean Kallian?”

So they were close enough to use first names now.

That was good news.

I smiled brightly and nodded.

But my smile vanished at Recalin’s next words.

“He seems to like you a great deal.”

“…What?”