#8
“Thank you for the offer. I’ll go with you.”
Judith answered without hesitation.
Kalid burst out laughing at his response.
“Anyone who saw you right now would think we’re starting a business together rather than becoming partners.”
“Ah…”
“Then stay safe and don’t go anywhere. I’ll come pick you up in three days.”
Before Judith could even respond, Kalid placed a hand on his head once and disappeared.
“I’m sorry, Teacher.”
“It’s all right. These things happen.”
Judith bowed his head deeply in front of Bashur.
Bashur waved his hands, telling him not to worry.
“Our promise came first…”
Judith was unusually flustered and broke into a cold sweat.
Somehow, his dinner appointment with Bashur had ended up falling on the same day as the banquet.
But the banquet at Count Craven’s estate was so tempting that, after much consideration, Judith had declined Bashur’s invitation.
Then Bashur apologized instead, saying that perhaps he had unnecessarily troubled Judith by making the invitation.
That only made Judith even more uncomfortable.
“May I ask you one thing?”
“Of course.”
“Your Highness… do you want to become the sun of this country?”
Judith thought for a moment before slowly answering.
“To be honest, I’m not sure yet.”
“I suppose that’s understandable.”
“But I do want to try my best. Whether it’s in the competition or in something else.”
The Imperial Prince competition had not been held during the reign of the previous Emperor or the Emperor before him.
Normally, such competitions were held when an emperor was close to death.
The current Emperor’s chronic illness, which he had suffered from since before ascending the throne, had worsened over the years to the point where he could barely perform his duties.
Rumors that the Emperor had already died often spread throughout the capital, making the atmosphere in the palace tense.
Fortunately, medicine sent from the family of his beloved concubine worked well, and the Emperor recovered.
But the moment he got back on his feet, the Emperor suddenly summoned the princes and announced the competition.
“I see.”
After thinking carefully, Bashur cautiously asked another question.
“Do you know why His Majesty started this competition?”
“Yes, I do. It’s because of Asil.”
“…That’s right.”
Aisa, the concubine who had helped the Emperor recover, had played a major role in this decision.
Aisa was the Emperor’s most beloved concubine and the mother of the Sixth Prince, Asil.
Her family was weak, so she believed that when the Emperor died, she and Asil would be the first to be sacrificed.
It was not simply needless worry. There was a very high chance that it would happen.
Because of this, Aisa believed that Asil needed to become Emperor while the current Emperor was still alive.
He could not simply become a puppet emperor who would be killed and immediately replaced.
He needed to become an emperor whom the people and nobles would rally behind and resist losing.
That way, no one would dare attempt to assassinate him recklessly.
“His Majesty probably intends to create a kind of legend around Asil among the nobles and the people. The competitions from now on will also be carefully arranged for the sake of Prince Asil.”
“I am prepared for that.”
“Prince Reginald and Prince Hiore have powerful maternal relatives behind them. Prince Asil has powerful allies in Her Highness Aisa and His Majesty. What does Your Highness have?”
Judith had not expected Bashur to be this direct, so he was slightly taken aback.
Someone else might have thought Bashur was telling him to give up.
But the Bashur Judith knew was not that kind of person.
Judith almost told him about his conversation with Kalid the previous night but stopped herself.
It seemed that was not the answer Bashur wanted.
After thinking carefully, Judith cautiously gave his answer.
“You asked what I have. I have… the desire to survive.”
“The desire to survive?”
“Ever since I was young, I’ve considered many different possibilities for staying alive. What would be the best way to survive for a long time? What can I sacrifice to gain something more valuable in return? I’ve survived until now by thinking that way.”
“…”
Perhaps he understood Judith’s words, because Bashur clasped his hands together and leaned toward him.
Judith licked his dry lips before continuing.
“And for now, I have decided that participating in the competition is the best way for me to survive.”
Judith was not stupid.
If things began to look hopeless, he had ways to escape.
But this was not the time to run.
“I know Your Highness has survived well until now. But you must also understand that surviving quietly will no longer be enough.”
“I know. I knew there would come a day when that alone wouldn’t be enough. That’s why I asked you to teach me.”
Judith answered without hesitation.
The stiff expression Bashur had worn throughout the conversation finally softened.
“I have known that for a long time… because I’ve watched you from close by.”
Bashur suddenly remembered the first time he had begun teaching Judith.
He first met Judith in the spring of the year Judith turned seven.
Bashur had graduated at the top of his class at the academy and become the emperor’s direct secretary.
However, because he always spoke his mind and insisted on what he believed was right, he became disliked by those around him.
Then, one day, his position was suddenly changed to become Judith’s teacher.
It was called a reassignment, but it was practically a demotion.
His second son had recently been born, and his expenses had increased, so becoming Judith’s teacher was naturally disappointing.
But he was in no position to formally object.
All he could do was wait patiently for an opportunity to improve his situation.
At the time, Judith was a diligent student, but he was still a child who would sometimes become distracted by butterflies outside the window or the shapes of clouds.
It was only after his mother, Sienna, died that Judith began devoting himself entirely to studying.
“Your Highness, studying is good, but you should take a little rest.”
Bashur asked worriedly as he watched Judith study while holding a handkerchief against a nosebleed that would not stop.
Judith had even attended his lessons on the day of his mother’s funeral.
After that, dark circles appeared beneath his eyes, making Bashur wonder whether the boy was sleeping at all.
“I can’t.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Mom told me to live.”
“…”
“But I don’t know how to survive. So I have to keep studying until I figure it out.”
Judith was still so young that his feet could not reach the floor when he sat in a chair.
Watching him struggle every day with stacks of books as tall as himself made Bashur’s heart ache.
Perhaps it was because Judith was around the same age as his eldest son.
At that moment, Bashur made a decision.
He would teach Judith for as long as Judith wanted him to.
Judith’s financial situation was poor, but fortunately, the Imperial Family paid a fixed salary for the education of the princes.
It was an honorary position, so the amount was not particularly high, but it was enough to support his two children.
Bashur’s former Academy classmates would sometimes give him advice out of pity.
They told him to request another position while he still could instead of wasting his time teaching a prince who was destined to die anyway.
But Bashur continued teaching Judith.
And now, after all these years, Bashur did not regret teaching him.
Judith did not possess a genius-level memory, nor was her understanding exceptionally brilliant.
But he was diligent and hardworking.
Even outside his lessons with Bashur, Judith read every book he could get his hands on.
There were hardly any books in the Imperial Library that he had not read.
Among all the princes, he woke up the earliest and went to bed the latest.
Watching Judith, Bashur learned just how valuable hard work could be as a talent.
By the time Judith reached adulthood, he had become someone whose abilities could be shown anywhere without embarrassment.
If there was a problem, it was simply that there was nowhere to show those abilities.
Anyone with a keen eye would know.
They would see how deep and vast Judith’s world was.
And soon, they would feel pity.
Pity for a talent that was destined to fade away without ever getting the chance to shine.
Most nobles thought the same thing.
He’ll die soon.
In the Imperial Palace, which was like a battlefield, the fate of a pitiful omega prince with no faction to support him, no mother willing to sacrifice her life for him, and no love from the Emperor was obvious.
But Judith did not give up.
He quietly kept his head down and waited for his opportunity.
And eventually, that day came.
“To be honest, I was planning to secretly send Your Highness to another country today.”
Judith’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected statement.
Seeing his reaction, Bashur gave a faint smile.
“I lied when I said I was holding a dinner.”
“I see…”
Bashur had rarely asked Judith to meet him privately, so Judith had thought it was strange.
Apparently, this had been his intention all along.
“I planned to put you in my carriage and cross the border with you.”
