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Chapter 42
“Do you know how hard the ‘Shadows’ work to protect you when you leave the imperial palace?”
The advisor, who never held back from speaking the truth, offered his counsel.
The Shadows were a secret guard unit assigned to protect Prince Julian.
“That’s exactly it,” Julian replied in a languid tone.
“…Excuse me?”
“Even now it’s like this. What do you think will happen when I become emperor? I won’t even be able to step outside the palace.”
“….”
“So that’s why I enjoy breaking the rules once in a while, even just a little.”
Faced with such a relaxed answer, the advisor had no words and fell silent.
A man whose slightly vacant, bland smile always made it impossible to guess his thoughts.
Yet one fact remained: Julian was an exceptionally capable crown prince.
From the start, the imperial palace was a minefield.
A stepmother empress always eyeing the throne.
A second prince committing all sorts of reckless acts behind his real mother’s back.
Even the youngest princess brazenly causing chaos right in front of everyone.
On top of that, most nobles were opportunists, ready to stab allies in the back for political or financial gain.
In such a tense political environment, Julian always maintained his position with a calm smile.
Ever since his mother, the empress, passed away.
‘As I thought. Acting a little crazy from time to time is all a strategy to keep my rivals off guard,’
the loyal advisor nodded in understanding.
“Of course, I have no intention of going out like this all the time.”
At that moment, Julian casually put on a disguise ring on his long fingers.
His golden hair remained unchanged, but his eyes turned purple.
‘That’s probably a strategy too. To avoid being noticed…’
“…That’s quite the peculiar hobby,”
the advisor finally couldn’t hold back and spoke his mind.
“Why? What is?”
“Why you’re going out incognito, pretending to be your cousin, Duke Roderick.”
“Well… it’s fun, isn’t it?”
Julian gave a lazy, catlike smile.
Even the mischievous glint in his purple eyes was utterly feline.
“…Huh.”
The advisor thought that this was probably Julian’s way of releasing the pressure of being heir to the empire.
Rumor had it that someone in society thought his cousin was the big catch. Couldn’t they see it was inappropriate for a crown prince? How audacious.
…Or maybe it was just a prank.
Julian smiled faintly at the advisor’s wavering loyalty and added,
“I heard my cousin is planning a new beverage business.”
“Is that so?”
“How much richer does he think he can get? That’s a bit aggravating too, isn’t it?”
“Yes…”
“So, I’ll go check what my cousin is up to.”
Julian flashed a bright, charming smile, his purple eyes sparkling, and left the room lightly.
Dozens of Shadows silently followed him through the darkness.
I pressed myself against the wall, peering toward the building through my round-tinted glasses.
This time, I was wearing a real disguise ring, not the cheap ones that only change your lower face.
“Knowing this belongs to the Empress… going there is risky…”
Three years from now, Julian Croighton, the crown prince who would become emperor, was merciful in public but ruthless and cold to his rivals.
When the Empress’ rebellion occurred, anyone even remotely involved was exterminated across three generations.
That was also why Eileen, the daughter-in-law of a minor villainous family, became a casualty.
‘Better not get involved with the Empress…’
The problem was, the only place to get this coffee bean was here. I had no choice!
Biting my thumbnail nervously, I muttered,
“If only that man were here…”
“That man?”
“Yes… that low-level employee…”
Wait. Who’s this?
I stopped mid-thought and jumped in surprise.
“Wh—who are you?!”
A blonde man grinned and asked,
“What man? Have you met someone here?”
I didn’t answer, keeping a wary expression as I studied him.
This man… his appearance was extraordinary.
Golden hair shining like the sun.
Purple eyes like amethysts.
And above all, a face that screamed, “I’m the protagonist of a novel!”
I knew immediately. If I didn’t recognize him here, I’d be a fool.
‘I can’t believe my luck!’
My eyes sparkled in excitement.
He was none other than Duke Taion, whom I had been longing to meet!
At Duke Roderick’s mansion:
“Achoo!”
A loud cough echoed through the office.
“Do you have a cold? You hardly ever sneeze, like a machine.”
Andreas, carrying documents, asked curiously, as it had been nearly five years since he’d seen Taion sneeze.
“…Not a machine, just not quite.”
Taion replied sheepishly, flipping through the papers he was reviewing.
“I guess someone’s talking about you, Your Grace.”
Andreas shrugged.
“They say if someone talks about you, your nose tickles. Especially gossip!”
“….”
I expected a dry, “You mean ears, not nose,” but Taion, as always, ignored the pointless joke.
He simply concentrated on his documents.
Watching him, Andreas muttered internally, “Boring, boring!” and added aloud,
“By the way, Your Grace, the engagement you mentioned last time is arranged.”
“…Is it?”
Andreas laid a photo of a young lady dressed elegantly in a sky-blue gown on the desk.
“This is Lady Chloe of the Emington family. She’s known for her gentle and intelligent nature.”
“….”
Taion said nothing. Andreas continued chatting casually, as if used to it.
“Choosing based on the person, not wealth or family—truly a Roderick-like choice.”
“….”
“Of course, the lady hopes Your Grace will personally meet the woman she intends as her future daughter-in-law.”
“….”
“Why the silent treatment! You, the duke, ordered this meeting, after all.”
Finally, Taion gave a slight nod.
“…Alright. I’ve heard everything.”
It was strange.
He never second-guessed his decisions—but this one made him uneasy.
Why did he keep thinking… of the silver hair swaying in the wind and those round-tinted glasses?
Hiding his discomfort, Taion quietly commanded,
“The meeting with Miss Heiton will be in one week.”
“Emington, sir.”
“…Arrange it at a place where her privacy will be respected as much as possible.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the Roderick Company’s new product development department, at the same time:
“Have you ever met anyone here?”
Julian asked the woman in front of him again.
She was peculiar.
Wearing ridiculous tinted glasses, sticking to the wall in front of the department, muttering to herself.
When asked whom she was looking for, she quietly approached him, lowering her voice.
“Is it… him?”
“What do you mean?”
With a triumphant smile, she whispered confidently,
“Duke Taion Roderick… isn’t it? Right?”
Julian paused to think how best to respond.
He had only come out for a brief amusement, after all.
He decided to give the answer that would make this situation most entertaining.
“Yes. How did you know?”
He mimicked his cousin’s tone, and the woman beamed proudly.
“Of course… I’m just perceptive!”
Julian barely suppressed a laugh.
Then, in the same blunt tone as his cousin, he asked,
“…So you came looking for me?”
“Yes. Your Grace, are you here to check on the Empress?”
She whispered right into his ear, so close he could feel her breath.
“The Empress…?”
“Don’t worry. I heard from a black-haired man working here.”
The strange woman lowered her voice further, glancing around.
“He’s just a low-level employee… but I think this is… where the Empress is running her coffee business…”
“…Hmm. Why do you think that?”
Julian probed for more information.
He knew that when Taion went out incognito, he disguised himself with plain black hair.
Her conclusion:
‘This woman is seriously mistaken. That Taion Roderick as the Empress’ subordinate? A low-level employee?’
‘How amusing! She has no idea!’
Julian, delighted at the absurdity, asked,
“So, why exactly did you come here?”
She glanced around briefly and whispered,
“You… plan to run a coffee business, right?”
…Oh?
Julian’s disguised purple eyes flashed strangely at that.
