#004. Do Others Understand Their Place Too?
When I looked up, the handsome man who had just been intimidating now wore a gentle smile as if nothing had happened.
At a glance, his face seemed harmless, but I recognized that look in his eyes. It was the gaze of someone in power who had found a talent they desired.
…I never intended to draw this much attention. But it’s not like I could back out now, so I ordered Tula to bring tea and sat down across from the emperor.
“……Please, do take a seat.”
The only reason I had tried to catch his eye in the audience hall was because I wasn’t confident I could achieve anything more than that.
And yet, now I had surpassed all expectations and was facing the emperor in a private audience. It was a ridiculously rare opportunity and a tremendous honor, but…
My mind wasn’t working.
Whether from fatigue or fever, I couldn’t think straight, but I couldn’t let that show. I barely managed to stop my hand from going to my forehead.
“It is a great honor to stand before the Sky of the Empire.”
“I heard the pleasantries earlier, so let’s skip them.”
That wasn’t for your sake, you brat—it was to buy time.
I was briefly annoyed, but I kept my mouth shut. There was no point in saying anything.
“Earlier, was that the truth?”
I figured pretending not to understand wouldn’t work, so I didn’t even try that route.
“It is the truth.”
What the hell—sacrificing a tongue is no big deal. I still had my hands and could write. If giving up my tongue could save someone else’s neck, then that was a good trade.
Maybe it was my courage or my honesty, but the emperor smiled, clearly pleased.
If only the empress had a bit more sense… At this rate, they might produce a fine tyrant in five years.
While I was having that thought, the emperor spoke again.
“Then speak a little more. I need to decide whether or not to cut out your tongue.”
It sounded like he’d let me off the hook if I showed some wit.
“Do you need a jester?”
I could feel the emperor scrutinizing my face. Though my youthful features made me look barely twenty, my eyes were those of a true ruler—one who categorized people strictly by their usefulness and ability.
…Maybe it would’ve been better if I hadn’t caught the emperor’s eye. A little regret crept in.
“Well, that wouldn’t be so bad.”
The emperor let out a soft chuckle, seemingly having finished his assessment.
“But I’d like something more useful.”
I wondered if he knew I wasn’t really three years old. If a three-year-old simply sat quietly without crying, people would consider it remarkable.
But the emperor was no ordinary man. And I was merely a princess from a weaker kingdom. So I stayed quiet and listened to his nonsense.
“Do you know that I have a younger brother?”
“I was not aware.”
Lying about something so trivial might only raise suspicion, so I answered truthfully.
It had taken me over a month to get here, and the information I had gathered was minimal. No one in my group knew much about the Empire.
Even Tula, who was second in rank after me, hadn’t known how rigid the Empire’s class system was—that said enough.
I didn’t even know how old the emperor was, so how could I know about his family?
“Well, now’s a good time to learn. I have a younger brother who just turned five.”
Ah, that explained a lot. I had wondered how he understood my awkward speech—seemed he wasn’t guessing by context, but had grown accustomed to the accent thanks to his brother.
“In any case, I’m blessed. My brother is very intelligent.”
This was the perfect moment for a bootlicking comment like That’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s virtues, but the emperor went ahead and praised himself.
“Still, a sharp needle will always poke through the pouch, no matter how well it’s hidden. That worries me.”
I thought about waiting for him to issue a command, but given how he was beating around the bush, he clearly wanted me to analyze the situation myself.
So this is what he meant by “move your tongue,” huh? Conveniently, Tula returned with tea, and I waited until she had set it down and left the room, silence settling once again.
“Do you wish for me to be the young prince’s companion?”
The emperor lowered his eyes, savoring the aroma of the tea—though even my underdeveloped nose could tell it wasn’t anything special.
“I hope so.”
In that brief glance, I saw genuine affection for his younger brother.
It must’ve slipped out because he’d let his guard down around a three-year-old. The young emperor’s human side. I quietly lowered my gaze.
If he realized I had noticed, he’d never let his guard down around me again.
“─But he is my brother, after all. I can’t have just anyone by his side. Surely you understand?”
I really didn’t want to.
And I especially didn’t want to hear what would come next.
“So, Princess. Show me what you can do.”
The emperor was smiling, but his expression had become devoid of emotion.
…Logically, I knew this was a huge opportunity. If I could befriend the archduke, no one among the other hostages would dare touch me.
But I couldn’t help but wonder. Was this emperor—who engaged in political talk with a three-year-old—truly sane?
And could it really be safe to stay near a powerful madman?
Maybe dealing with the other hostages would be better for my lifespan?
“I am honored by Your Majesty’s favor, but I have no noteworthy talents…”
“Princess.”
The emperor cut off my excuse.
“Think carefully. If you become my brother’s friend… just think about what I could give you.”
I did think. And I realized.
The only thing the emperor could bestow upon his brother’s friend was wealth.
How laughable. I barely held back a scoff.
Luxury? I had shared the same possessions as His Majesty. I had ridden in his carriages, eaten from his silverware, and worn clothes sewn from the silks he gifted me.
When he returned triumphant from war, he once lined my entire path with silk carpets just to welcome me home.
In my previous life, my wealth had rivaled the emperor’s, my authority had commanded the entire court, and my family’s reputation was second to none.
And yet, my end had been miserable.
I ended my life by hanging myself with the very silk the emperor had gifted me—because he had cast me aside.
To someone like me, who knew just how fleeting riches and power could be, the emperor’s offer held no appeal whatsoever.
“……I just wish to live a quiet, peaceful life.”
If I could go unnoticed, I would gladly choose that path.
“Do you know how many people currently share the Emerald Palace?”
Of course, what the emperor could give wasn’t always pleasant.
I looked at his finger, now pressing against the back of my small, pudgy hand.
My tiny fingers could barely wrap around his. The difference in hand size mirrored the difference in our power—making our unequal positions all the more real.
I had no interest in the riches he could offer, but I was very interested in the hardships he could bring.
Such as Tula’s life.
So I kept my mouth shut.
“There are currently four people in the Emerald Palace. You, Princess Gianel of Tattien, Lady Wishian of Chivecha, and Princess Carnic of Gernia.”
Just as I suspected. I hadn’t had the chance to find out who or how many shared the palace with me due to my illness, so this was valuable information.
“You seem to understand your situation well, but do the others?”
In other words, the emperor had thrown a bunch of royals into one space, knowing full well they would rip into each other like venomous insects.
Well, with such an overwhelming power imbalance between nations, even if they did fight, the Empire wouldn’t be held responsible. In fact, they’d benefit from it.
They could even use it as an excuse to accuse others of rudeness.
Seriously, my life… Why is nothing ever easy?
I sighed quietly. Even if it was silent, the emperor probably noticed—but he let it go.
“Do you need time to think?”
I’d already finished thinking about what the emperor could give me, so now I considered what he wanted from me.
Ultimately, he wanted a playmate for the archduke. But he also wanted to test me first. So what would that test be?
If it were simple intimidation, he would’ve just threatened to punish me or kill Tula.
But instead, he was talking about the other royals sharing the Emerald Palace. That meant he wanted to test me in relation to them.
“I am but three years old. Do you wish for me to unify the other royals?”
Then the test could only be one thing—make me the final venomous insect who rules over all the rest.
“Well, I’m not saying a three-year-old should control dozens of royals.”
‘All of them.’ That word had a very ominous ring to it.
“Just establish some discipline in the Emerald Palace. If you can do that, I’ll give you an important role.”
Important, my ass. I swallowed down the curses rising to my throat.
If you can’t listen to a ruler’s nonsense with one ear and let it out the other, you have no business being a minister.
“I will do my best.”
“A fine ambition.”
The emperor smiled, eyes crinkling kindly. But I remembered the gaze hidden beneath those lids.
As someone who had spent 65 years observing people, I could guarantee—those eyes would kill you if you turned against him, and crush your life if you stood with him.
