Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Venting (1)

Looking back, I had quite a lot of pent-up resentment toward this man.

How much had I suffered because of the Crown Prince?

To the point where, if someone asked me who the person I despised the most in the world was, “Callios van Ortaire” would roll off my tongue without even passing through my brain.

It was because of this man that I ended up in prison.

It was because of this man’s training that I was physically tormented in that prison.

It was also because of this man dragging me along that I ended up wandering through battlefields after being released.

Of course, I had gotten my apology.

By middle age, Callios had softened somewhat in character, and he was a fool who knew he was one.

But, let’s be honest.

If everything could be resolved with an apology, why do we even have a police force?

Sure, there are those who argue, “Why even apologize if it doesn’t end with that?” But there’s a limit to what an apology can settle.

The emotions people harbor can be truly frightening.

Even dreaming of the moment when your life hits rock bottom brings back all the frustration from that time.

So, my words might have gotten a little harsh out of anger.

“Well done, really! You don’t attend banquets, you neglect your studies, you don’t even think about training, and the only thing you do is sneak out in secret. Truly, you’re the very model of a virtuous ruler, deeply interested in the lives of your people.”

I lifted one corner of my mouth in a sneer, and the prince’s expression twisted.

“Watch your tongue, you—”

“Oh, sorry. It’s not my mouth; it’s my ass.”

“What on earth…?”

“I can’t stop farting. Please excuse me. Or… does that hit a nerve? Frankly, you probably lack a conscience if it doesn’t bother you.”

This prince, of course, had no conscience.

This is something his future self would also confirm.

— I didn’t realize I’d become so lazy. Looking back now, I was indeed the picture of an idle royal. My mind was completely consumed by her, and I couldn’t even think about what I was supposed to be doing.

What a hopeless romantic he was.

But that’s in the past.

It’s none of my concern.

Based on what I knew, what I had heard, and all the rumors and stories I had gathered, I laced my mockery with facts.

It was a full-force insult.

“The way people in high society view Your Highness these days is quite amusing. The Crown Prince who neglects state affairs, a tyrant in the making, the Empire’s black sun… or perhaps the Empire’s last emperor… in the making.”

At that moment, the Crown Prince’s body stiffened.

How satisfying.

It felt like a twenty-year-old burden had been lifted.

But I couldn’t stop there.

“Even today’s events speak volumes. Come on, what’s my name? Yuren Pharos. Heir to the great Pharos family. A name that testifies to the legitimacy of this Empire.”

I really did pick a good family to be born into, didn’t I?

Though, during the war, my house was already long gone.

But that’s just a sad chapter of the past.

I had to focus on the present for now.

“So let’s break this down. You threatened me, the heir of a great house, just because you slapped some commoner woman. Word travels fast in society, as you know. Or maybe one of your knights will spread today’s gossip. ‘The Crown Prince, obsessed with a woman, threatened the heir of a noble house…'”

I wasn’t making this up.

Today’s incident actually became one of the key reasons he was eventually deposed and imprisoned.

It’s all about political leverage.

Those factions aligned with other princes who weren’t fond of the Crown Prince, or those who held a grudge against him, were always looking for a reason to bring him down.

Even a prince, once crowned, isn’t beyond reproach.

This incident would later serve as a major political liability for him.

Of course, his many other heinous deeds didn’t help either.

“Your Highness, you’ll lose your standing. Even those who currently support your legitimacy will start to turn away in disgust.”

The Crown Prince was at least smart enough to understand what I was saying, and it showed on his face.

‘Now, how do I land the finishing blow?’

I pondered how to make this wretch as miserable as possible.

Several sentences fused together, leading to a cathartic revelation.

I found the words he would hate the most.

“You… what are you doing? Where is your mind?”

The Crown Prince’s face hardened.

“Are you really so incapable of discernment? Are you actually putting some lowly commoner woman on the same scale as the crown itself?”

His fist clenched, veins bulging on his hand.

“A tree’s branches may sway in the wind, but its roots must remain unshaken. Yet, Your Highness, you are no different from a tree with its very roots trembling.”

I took a deep breath.

Then, I delivered the final blow.

“Look behind you. Look at the expressions of those knights. See how they are looking at you.”

— I was surrounded only by those who admired me. That’s why I lost my senses. Their reverence intoxicated me.

I showed the Crown Prince the reality that his future self would only realize too late.

The Crown Prince slowly turned his head, his gaze creaking as it did.

The knights accompanying him, dressed for stealth, flinched.

They had been trembling throughout my entire speech, their faces showing shame and fear.

They hadn’t had a moment to collect themselves.

They were too shaken by my words to recover from the shock.

“……”

Even though I could only see his back, I knew it.

He must have felt as though he’d been struck.

For the first time, he would realize that not everyone admired him, leaving him dazed.

I was right.

When his eyes returned to me, they wavered.

Unlike his future self, who remained unshaken by any temptation, the Crown Prince before me seemed pathetic, as if a mere breath would topple him.

I spoke.

“Release me. If you do, I’ll forget about today’s events.”

“Your Highness…!”

The knights, now truly worried about the future, finally spoke up.

The Crown Prince clenched his teeth.

His eyes were bloodshot.

The shock seemed to have been substantial.

But that emotion wasn’t anger.

It was confusion, pure and simple.

Finally, the Crown Prince spoke.

“…Release him.”

His voice was fractured, tinged with metal.

I was released from my bindings with the help of the knights.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

Leaving the frozen Crown Prince behind, I casually walked out of the abandoned warehouse.

The outside air was incredibly refreshing.

I felt a wave of satisfaction rise all the way to my head.

I stretched.

‘How long has it been?’

How long since I had felt such refreshing air?

In prison, the air was stale; after becoming a soldier, I lived in the stench of death.

Memories long buried deep in my mind began to stir, dusting themselves off.

‘…Yes.’

This is what the capital was like before the war.

‘It’s beautiful.’

Even at night, the streets were lit.

Guards patrolled late into the night to ensure security.

The empire’s spirited young men roamed the streets, drunk, and old men smiled as they watched them.

“Haha…”

I chuckled.

It was my own idiotic past that came to mind.

What had made me so dissatisfied that I lived as a wild brute despite living in such a world?

What had angered me so much that I acted like a delinquent?

But regrets are always too late.

I shook my head to dismiss those thoughts.

‘I’m still in a dream. So, I can enjoy it a little longer.’

After this comes death.

It will either be rest or punishment.

So, I should savor this moment to the fullest.

I walked through the night streets of the capital.

I sold a ring to buy some cheap rum and drank with the citizens of the night.

“Come on, let’s enjoy. It’s a peaceful night.”

“Woohoo! Lord Pharos! You truly have a big heart!!!”

“You’re too kind.”

I drank until I passed out, completely intoxicated.

The next morning arrived.

The hangover was brutal.

‘…Why am I still in this dream?’

The dream had not ended.

It was then that I realized something had gone terribly wrong.

The imperial palace wakes early.

This means more than just people moving busily—it’s literal.

Sunlight hits the palace first.

It’s the tallest structure not just in the capital but in the entire empire.

Among the palace’s structures, the Dawn Palace of the Crown Prince is second only to the Sun Palace, where the Emperor resides.

It’s the place where the rising sun is most visible, and today, standing on the terrace of its highest level was a man with a striking appearance gazing at the dawn.

That man was none other than the palace’s master, Crown Prince Callios.

There were dark circles under his eyes.

He hadn’t slept a wink all night.

From dusk until now, Callios had stood on the terrace, silently watching the celestial bodies.

No one dared disturb him.

Except for one person.

Thud! Thud!

Someone approached with particularly angry footsteps.

Callios’ sharp senses picked up the sound.

—Y-Your Highness, the princess! Please wait…!

—Step aside.

Finally…

Bang!

The door to the top floor opened.

Callios glanced toward the door.

A woman with a sharp, irritable expression, golden hair like his, blue eyes, and wearing an extravagant dress, was his sister, the 1st Princess, Erilda.

“…Why are you here so early?”

“Why? Why?!”

She stormed toward Callios with the same fiery steps as always.

Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the collar.

“Callios, you stupid bastard.”

Her voice resembled the growl of a wild beast.

Although she was often quick to anger, this level of rage was unusual.

“How many eyes and ears do you think the imperial family has? Didn’t you tell me to always be cautious in my actions from the moment I wake up to the moment I sleep?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“You really have no idea after provoking a Great Family? Are you out of your mind?”

Erilda sneered, her face twisted.

Callios frowned.

‘Has the news already spread?’

A sense of displeasure rose within him, soon becoming a choking sensation.

The image of the man he had met the night before, his face cold and expressionless, flashed before his mind.

—Rumors travel fast in society. Or perhaps one of Your Highness’s knights might spread the word. They could say, ‘His Highness is madly obsessed with a woman, even daring to provoke a Great Family…’

Amidst his thoughts, Erilda’s words continued.

“You touched the Great Family. Do you not understand what that means? Why did it have to be Pharos? Why?! Out of all the families, why Pharos?!”

Her voice, now raised, had become a full-blown shout.

Anger and resentment were clear on her face.

Callios recalled what he had tangled with.

‘The Great Family, Pharos.’

A family that had existed even before the founding of the empire, and one of the founding families alongside the first Emperor.

The family whose ancestor served as the first Emperor’s Taishi (Grand Tutor).

They had no title.

They had no official position.

Because nothing could limit their achievements or the accomplishments they were yet to make.

Thus, Pharos was simply referred to as ‘The Great Family.’

Moreover, they were the only family that could reconsider the Emperor’s decree.

That was the family Callios had provoked.

So her anger was justified.

The faction that Erilda and Callios were allied with would suffer significant damage if he fell from grace.

This was a decision that would drag not only him but her down into ruin.

Once again, Yuren’s words flashed through Callios’ mind.

—Can you really not see reason?

He felt a sense of despair.

Erilda’s fury showed no sign of subsiding.

“The noble faction is searching for any flaws in you. So are the dogs of the 2nd Prince. You’re surrounded by enemies. Those bastards are still eyeing the palace even now.”

“…….”

“And yet, what are you doing? Huh? Why are you showing weakness, obsessed over some commoner woman? That? Fine, I can understand. You’re at an age where love seems good. I thought that experience would make you mature. But what is this…?”

Her grip on his collar loosened.

“Why did you go so far? What is it about that woman? Why go against the Great Family because of her? Why…?”

What would the old him have said in response?

Callios quickly found the answer.

‘A fool has been dealt with. A failure that the Great Family has never produced before. I simply made a decision for the future of the empire.’

He would have genuinely thought so.

He would have said that right to Erilda’s face.

She would have ground her teeth in frustration but, ultimately, would have respected his decision and found a way forward.

Just as she always had.

But now, he couldn’t say that.

Above all, Erilda’s expression, beginning to show disappointment, drove the memory of the previous day deeper into his mind.

—Your Highness will lose your position. Even those who once supported your legitimacy will start to turn away in disgust.

Not even a single day had passed.

Just one night had turned into morning.

Yet, the words spoken to him were already coming true.

Callios felt confused.

‘…He was a fool. Without a doubt.’

Yuren’s previous behavior had been that of a fool, and even when he was captured, he had acted the same.

Screaming about whether they knew who he was, demanding to be released.

But, as soon as Callios revealed his identity, Yuren’s demeanor changed.

In that moment, he was no longer the foolish Yuren Callios had thought he was.

His words were cold and sharp, each one like a piercing dagger, making Callios question himself.

How should he describe Yuren’s attitude?

…Yes.

‘I was being evaluated.’

As soon as he realized this, Erilda sighed and spoke again.

“…This situation can be covered up easily. After all, the citizens of the capital saw the young master of Pharos drinking on the streets throughout the night. The kidnapping will end up as a conspiracy theory.”

But that wasn’t true.

Callios remembered Yuren’s final words.

—Release me, and I will erase today from my memory.

In other words, it was a clear message.

‘He…’

He had created a perfect alibi.

An alibi so flawless that no one could use that night to threaten Callios.

Callios asked himself.

‘Was he really just a fool?’

No, that didn’t make sense.

It made more sense to think that Yuren’s foolish behavior had been a mask.

Once a person starts doubting one thing, they begin to question everything.

Callios was no different.

‘Why did Yuren Pharos slap her?’

Was it intentional?

Was it to create a moment for the two of them to speak privately?

If that was the case, then delivering that message was the goal.

If that was the goal…

‘He had already seen through all my actions.’

And then, another question arose.

‘…Am I doing something wrong?’

Callios was confused.

He felt like he couldn’t move forward unless he resolved this unsettling feeling.

He lifted his head and looked outside.

But even the brilliant morning light of the eastern palace couldn’t clear away the shadows that lingered in his heart.

Those shadows were named doubt.

———