TPOSAWB 72

The Price of Saving A Wicked Beast

Translator: Rae

Fabian showed an awkward smile, as if troubled.

“I seem to have misspoken. That was not what I meant.”

“No. It is exactly as you saw. I am different from my parents.”

Roem turned toward the direction his father had left and continued in an expressionless voice.

“Being consumed by grief alone solves nothing. Such things are not too late even after revenge is over.”

“Revenge? What do you mean by that?”

The startled Duke Vilethym lightly tapped Roem’s arm as if warning him to mind his words. He knew well how deeply the Afort Family grieved and raged over the current situation, but he had not expected Roem to reveal hostility toward the present imperial family in such a public place.

The expression of Fabian, standing opposite Duke of Vilethym, had changed markedly from before. His eyes shone as he looked at Roem.

Roem Effort. Certainly the fact that he was Adelaide’s elder brother played a role, but in Clayton, which he had visited as part of the delegation, he was being recognized for his abilities by the most prominent figures.

Upon returning home, he had been pointed out as the figure who would serve as the next focal point of the crown prince’s supporters. And now that very Roem openly turned his back on the imperial family. It was the moment Fabian had long desired.

“What is the matter? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

At the somewhat insolent retort, Duke of Vilethym’s mouth fell slightly open.

“Good heavens, this man! If even you act like this, what are we to do? Hm? Please, consider the weight carried by each word you speak.”

For the duke, the stability of noble society was most important. Though it was all but an announced fact, there were still those who could not accept the crown prince’s d*ath. Roem needed to help persuade them and settle the unsettled atmosphere in the imperial capital.

However, far from being discouraged by the duke’s attempt to dissuade him, Roem only grew more indignant and raised his voice.

“Yes. That is why I always hesitated to act. And the result was my sister’s death. With Adelaide reduced to this state, what more is there for me to consider?”

What, exactly, had noble society ever done for his sister? At the resentment-laden tone in Roem’s voice, Duke of Vilethym finally fell silent.

“If it concerns that matter, I believe I might be of help to you, young count.”

Fabian smiled gently at Roem. A look laden with many meanings passed between them. Roem’s attitude, which had ignored Duke of Vilethym’s attempts to stop him, gradually softened.

“As you wish.”

At Roem’s suggestion to speak again somewhere without interruptions, Fabian readily nodded. It was exactly the situation he had been hoping for.

*** 

It was not long after that when Roem visited Fabian’s residence.

“Yes. You said you wished for revenge. What kind of help do you need that you came to find me?”

Having arranged a private, secret meeting, Fabian probed Roem’s true intentions. He had already learned painfully through Katarina’s case how a trivial mistake could ruin a nearly completed plan. Approaching cautiously was troublesome, but it was a necessary procedure.

Instead of answering Fabian’s question, Roem asked one in return, as though he had been waiting for it.

“If Your Highness the Archduke’s son assists my revenge, I will promise to lend you my full strength in return. But before that, there is one matter that must be made certain.”

"What is it?"

“The truth regarding my sister’s d*ath.”

Sitting upright, Roem clenched his fist tightly. He looked like someone struggling desperately to suppress surging anger.

“I kept thinking after hearing that, by coincidence, the first person to arrive at the accident scene that day was Marquis Brundell. To be frank, I wondered whether it was Marquis Brundell who harmed my sister.”

Though he said ‘whether it was,’ Roem’s voice was full of certainty. At his words, Fabian hesitated briefly—whether to speak honestly and cast aside Marquis Brundel to gain Roem’s trust, or to protect him.

After sinking into thought, he slowly opened his mouth.

“I do not know the events of that day exactly either. However, I can tell you that there are suspicious circumstances regarding Marquis Brundell’s actions. I apologize, young count. It was a measure to protect the Marquis, Katarina’s father, but truthfully, at the time he was known to have been with me, he was outside the imperial palace.”

Roem’s face darkened. At Fabian’s words, which subtly fueled suspicion toward Marquis Brundell, he nodded.

“That is enough. Marquis Brundell demanded the price of the life of the marquis’s daughter who d*ed in the accident from my sister. This time, it is the marquis who must pay that price.”

After saying so, Roem took a drink of tea. The hand holding the cup trembled with anger. Fabian watched, pretending not to notice.

After quenching his throat, Roem silently gazed out the distant window. After seeming to sort through his tangled thoughts for a while, he soon revealed his plan for revenge to Fabian.

“I kept thinking about what would be the most miserable revenge against Killian Nachtman, that ruthless bastard. He toyed with my family and my sister while using the position of crown prince. Therefore, I will take away what he valued most.”

“How, exactly?”

“I intend to bring down the current imperial family—the Emperor.”

Fabian’s eyes widened. It was what he had wanted, yet the expression was far more resolute and direct than he had expected.

“To depose the Emperor… then the throne would be left vacant, would it not?”

“Surely not.”

Roem let out a faint, scoffing chuckle.

“You still don’t trust me, Your Highness.”

The expression he used in the North passed from Roem’s lips.

“The throne that was originally seized from the late emperor will simply return to its rightful owner.”

Their eyes met. Fabian tried to read his inner thoughts, but from Roem’s calm eyes he could read nothing except unwavering sincerity. He slowly closed and opened his eyes. In the gentle gaze that had moments ago pretended to be that of a good-natured man, a cold light now flickered.

“I don’t think you are a man of empty words. If you intend to pull down the Emperor, you must have a detailed plan as well?”

Though Fabian’s tone had changed to that of someone commanding a subordinate, Roem paid it no mind and silently nodded.

“Of course. We will make the Emperor appoint Your Highness the Archduke’s heir as Crown Prince. Afterward, on grounds of health, we will confine the Emperor and transfer power through the process of you, Lord Fabian, serving as regent.”

“Confine the Emperor? Without killing him right away?”

Convinced there was no longer any need to probe Roem’s intentions, Fabian’s attitude became exceedingly bold. At his question, which spoke openly of the Emperor’s death, Roem responded without even a hint of surprise.

“Yes. Now that the Crown Prince has died, killing the Emperor as well would only provoke their faction. That would merely create unnecessary conflict between the central nobles and the North.”

“You propose a troublesome path. The military strength of the North is far more formidable than you think.”

At Roem’s words, Fabian subtly implied that even if a frontal war broke out, the North would likely prevail. At that, Roem smiled faintly.

"I'm not saying so because I underestimate the North.”

"Then?”

“I believed you were not someone who would be satisfied with becoming merely Killian Nachtman’s replacement. Am I mistaken?”

At Roem’s words, Fabian’s expression hardened.

The succession of power must occur in a manner everyone can accept. Roem was saying that if he failed to achieve that, he would end up no better than Killian.

Roem’s simple comparison provoked Fabian’s inferiority complex. Having grown up constantly compared to Killian, the suggestion that he might not surpass the dead man was nothing short of touching a dragon’s reverse scale.

"What would you do?"

“Very well. Your words seem correct. But the Emperor will not appoint me Crown Prince. He still believes Killian might be alive.”

At Fabian’s remark, Roem again blinked as if it were nothing and nodded slightly.

“Of course. But before he is someone’s father, he is the Emperor of the Empire. If even the Crown Prince’s faction signs in support of you, Lord Fabian, would he truly be able to ignore it?”

He pulled out a petition from his coat. Next to Roem’s name, which had been written first, the names of young nobles were densely listed.

“As you can see, they were all part of the Crown Prince’s faction. They drafted this petition as proof that they share my cause.”

After showing the petition long enough for Fabian to examine, Roem placed it back inside his coat.

“Arrange a meeting with the Emperor. After seeing this, he will not be able to persist in stubbornness. Ah, and one more thing.”

"What is it?”

“Entrust the confinement of the Emperor to Marquis Brundell.”

Roem gave a faint, knowing smile as he said so.

***

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