Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Answer (2)

Anemone, a high-end restaurant in the capital’s bustling district, stood quiet on its second floor.

It wasn’t because business was bad.

In fact, the restaurant had become so popular in recent months that without a reservation, entry was nearly impossible.

The second floor, with its scenic views, was particularly coveted, and even nobles had to compete fiercely to secure a spot.

The reason it was so empty now was because Crown Prince Callios had reserved the entire second floor.

Callios’s gaze was fixed on the people outside the window, his expression filled with worry.

He couldn’t shake off the words Yuren had said to him a few days earlier.

— What on earth are you doing? Where is your mind these days?

Those words had cut deep.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

A soft voice pierced Callios’s thoughts.

He flinched and turned his eyes forward.

Rebecca was looking at him with concern.

Forcing a smile, he responded.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

He focused on her.

Her pastel pink hair and green eyes imprinted on his retina.

Her delicate features, especially her large round eyes, resembled a baby bird, evoking a strong protective instinct.

The guilt of having worried her weighed on him, so Callios spoke gently.

“Let’s eat. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

He picked up his fork and knife.

It was one of the few times they could be alone together.

How long had he eagerly awaited today?

‘Yes.’

The Tower Master, who always appeared at the worst times to disrupt things, was not in the capital today.

Nor was the ruler of the underworld, who frequently provoked him.

The Grand Duke of the North was away for training, and the Saint of the Church was busy with church events.

When else would such a peaceful day come again?

‘This is happiness.’

Rebecca.

She was the woman who had awakened his feelings of love.

If he lost her, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Each time, she reaffirmed this conviction in him.

“Try this too!”

Rebecca took some meat from her plate and placed it on Callios’s.

It wasn’t a behavior befitting noble etiquette, but Callios didn’t mind.

“…Why are you doing this? This is good meat.”

“Exactly.”

Rebecca smiled brightly.

“That’s why you should eat more, Your Highness!”

Ah, what a kind heart she had.

Her pure concern, devoid of any pretense, was beautiful.

Yes, it had to be her.

No one else… nothing else…

“Are you really that unable to discern things? Are you putting that lowly common girl on the same scale as the crown prince’s position?”

His fingers trembled once again.

That cold gaze from that moment seemed to pierce him anew.

“Your Highness…?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Callios tried to block out that voice.

He clenched his jaw and lowered his gaze.

But the words wouldn’t go away.

It was as if they were engraved in his mind, growing sharper with time.

His eyes, unconsciously, turned again to the people outside the window.

The smiling faces of his subjects were etched onto his retina.

The meaning of the crown prince’s position—it resurfaced in his thoughts.

Callios was not a fool.

Even Yuren acknowledged his brilliance.

How could someone who had foreseen his future as a Grand Master through meditation be lacking in intellect or intuition?

Callios could easily imagine what would happen if he gave up his title as crown prince.

No one can replace me.

The second prince, always eyeing the throne, had grand ambitions but narrow vision.

He lacked the capability to execute policies across multiple domains.

The third prince?

Far too weak.

He would surely be swayed by the ministers and lose his direction.

Then who else?

Many faces flashed through Callios’s mind, but none of them seemed right.

The view he saw was one only he could behold.

Even on a smaller scale, it was the same.

What would happen if I lost the title of crown prince?

It would be a battle for the throne, the position of emperor in this thousand-year-old empire.

The desire to grasp such a lofty position was fierce.

It would be a war, even if fought in the shadows.

Wars require resources.

And where do the nobles get their resources?

From the labor and taxes of the people.

Their private battles could turn into territorial wars, or serve as the foundation for business ventures.

Either way, when those plans were executed, it would be the people who suffered.

— Branches may sway in the wind, but the roots must not. But, Your Highness, you are like a tree whose roots are shaking.

This choice, this wavering, would lead to that tragedy.

The more Callios tried to hold onto her, the more real those disastrous outcomes became.

He suddenly realized this.

Creak!

His grip on the cutlery tightened.

The smiling faces of the people outside loomed in his mind, magnifying his sense of guilt.

What should I do?

There was love and there were the people.

He didn’t want to lose either of them.

But why, why did reality demand a choice?

“Your Highness…?”

Rebecca’s worried voice brought him back.

He turned to face her.

Ah…

She was so lovely and endearing.

Yet…

“…”

The future he had envisioned with her no longer seemed as beautiful.

He felt sick.

He stood, his stomach churning.

“…I’m sorry. Truly, I am.”

He wanted to escape.

He left the room, but the turmoil inside him didn’t subside.

His throat still felt parched.

I need an answer.

I must find an answer.

Callios realized that only one person could provide that answer.

His gaze turned to a mansion on a hill outside the capital.

Yuren Pharos.

Yuren had posed the question, so he would have the answer.

* * *

For three days, unbelievable rumors had been circulating about Pharos Mansion.

“Did you hear? The Young Master hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol in three days.”

“I heard! Is something big about to happen? It’s not just the alcohol! He hasn’t stepped outside in three days!”

“There’s more! He hasn’t shouted at anyone in three days!”

“I heard from the head maid…”

“Emma? Your crush? Still holding onto that, huh?”

“…Anyway, she said the Young Master even thanked her.”

“Wha…!”

The reactions were as if they’d heard some terrifying ghost story.

To some, these might have seemed like minor things, but to the servants of Pharos, they were nothing short of shocking.

How could they not be?

Yuren Pharos was notorious.

He was the undisputed top troublemaker in the capital.

His usual behavior?

Constant verbal abuse toward the servants was a given.

He often got into street brawls or gambled.

As for his duties as the heir?

He paid them no mind.

And then there was his drinking habit—he acted as if he couldn’t live a day without alcohol.

But overnight, everything had changed.

For the servants, it was almost frightening.

Yet they were also relieved.

It wasn’t that they believed Yuren had suddenly reformed.

Rather, they were happy because these changes had restored a smile to Cecilia Pharos, their true mistress.

“Our lady has been sleeping well lately.”

“They say she smiled the other day.”

“Emma said that?”

“…Anyway, she smiled.”

Everyone in the household revered Cecilia Pharos.

She had always treated them with kindness. T

hey were so devoted to her that they would give their lives to protect her if the need arose.

So when she smiled, her dark circles lightened, and she no longer skipped meals, it warmed their hearts.

They had only one wish.

“I don’t know what kind of wind blew through, but…”

“I hope the Young Master stays this way for a bit longer.”

They hoped Yuren would continue to behave.

“So what is the Young Master doing now?”

In response to this question, the man who had a crush on Emma answered.

“He’s in seclusion. He only comes out to have meals with the lady.”

Yuren was in seclusion.

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

Each time I did, mana surged through my body, sweeping away impurities.

The room was filled with a dreadful stench, but even this wasn’t enough.

I began to circulate mana faster, scraping away the accumulated toxins.

Then, at one moment,

Ping!

Mana shot through my spine.

I stopped breathing and opened my eyes.

“…Expert.”

It had taken three days.

Considering what I possessed, it was quite a long time.

I had the insights and mana control of a Sword Master.

Thanks to my overzealous sister, I grew up consuming all sorts of rare elixirs.

And most importantly, the vision.

Before my return, the crown prince had passed on to me the [Imperial Swordsmanship], a technique passed down only to the direct descendants of the royal family, originating from the first emperor.

Not just the basics, but also his own improvements based on his own insights.

Of course, I never fully mastered it, lacking both time and the prince’s innate talent, but that’s another story.

In any case, with that kind of background, this body should have reached the Expert level within a day.

Failing to do so was entirely due to my awful lifestyle.

‘How much alcohol had I consumed?’

Impurities had clogged all the mana channels.

No wonder I had felt sluggish ever since my return.

I thought it was due to insufficient training, but it was actually a consequence of my lifestyle choices.

Stretching, I got up.

I wiped the pitch-black impurities off with a towel and opened the window.

“Emma!”

At my call, Emma promptly opened the door and appeared.

Brown hair, blue eyes, with a simple demeanor and round eyes—she was a striking figure.

“Y-Yes…!”

“Clean the room for me. I’m going to wash up.”

“Do you need assistance…?”

“No, thanks. You must be busy too; I can wash myself.”

“…?”

Emma’s expression twisted in terror.

She trembled all over.

‘What kind of mess had I been?’

I suddenly felt guilty.

Especially towards Emma.

‘She’s a capable one.’

From what my sister had told me during my time in prison, Emma would eventually rise to the position of head maid.

I had heard many times that she was an intelligent girl.

But because of me, she couldn’t even spread her wings now.

I ought to treat her better.

I patted Emma on the shoulder in gratitude.

“You’re working hard. Thank you.”

“Hiii!”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears as she cowered.

…That hurt a little.

“…I’ll be off then.”

I hurriedly left the room.

As I washed up, I began organizing my thoughts on what needed to be done.

‘I have to protect the family.’

The more I thought about it, the colder my heart grew.

In my previous life, I never got to the bottom of why Pharos fell in flames.

Why did no one survive?

‘This is strange.’

Even if it was the chaotic early stages of war, the fire that consumed Pharos made no sense.

The royal family allocated about 20% of the empire’s total military resources to Pharos.

Because of its political importance, that was a principle that never changed.

The security around here was supposed to be ironclad.

So, how did no one manage to extinguish that fire?

No, that’s not quite right.

‘The guards around the area were all killed too.’

Who hated Pharos enough to go that far?

‘If there’s someone like that…’

I’ll kill them.

In the most horrifying way I know.

As my killing intent surged,

Crack!

The bathtub split.

‘Ah.’

Damn it.

I scratched my cheek.

I shouldn’t delve too deep into this kind of thinking right now.

‘My mana is still unstable. I guess my body hasn’t caught up with my enlightenment yet.’

I’ll think about this later.

I have time, and as long as I’m here, I’ll make sure nothing like that ever happens again.

But before I could focus on that, a more urgent issue arose.

‘What do I do?’

I remembered what happened a few days ago.

Right after I returned, I cursed out the crown prince.

If it were a dream, I’d think it was cathartic and laugh it off, but this was real life.

I had committed a crime worthy of severe punishment.

‘Oh, I really should have watched my words.’

My personality is the problem.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

In the future, the crown prince and I would be able to joke and laugh off something like, “Didn’t your mother have an affair with the prime minister?” But the current crown prince wasn’t like the man who had weathered all the future storms.

At this point in time, he was still obsessed with some commoner girl and had lost all sense of judgment.

Considering the rampage he would go on once he was distanced from her, he might already be plotting to bury me behind the scenes.

Or he might be planning to come at me directly.

‘What do I do?’

If I were alone, I’d just run away.

Or maybe I’d beat the prince half to death and then flee.

But I had things to do.

I needed to restore Pharos’ tarnished reputation.

I had to bring back my sister’s smile.

‘How…’

Just as I was deep in thought, I heard Emma’s voice.

Knock knock.

―M-My lord, you have a visitor.

“A visitor for my sister?”

―No, sir, the visitor is here to see you.

Who would come to see me?

“Who?”

There was a moment of silence before she replied.

―…It’s the crown prince.

“Oh.”

It’s the kind where they come at you directly.

My heart pounded.

My brain buzzed as it raced.

‘A way to avoid severe punishment.’

Or a way to make peace.

I got out of the bathtub and used mana to dry myself.

I quickly wiped my hair and dressed neatly.

“I’ll go.”

I strode into the reception room.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw him.

I bowed my head in greeting.

“I greet Your Highness.”

There he was, the immaculate Callios.

Even now, knowing his future, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.

“No, that’s not what’s important right now.”

I snapped back to my senses.

The crown prince, flanked by two knights, stood there with a stern face.

A single misstep here, and I’m done for.

I should apologize first.

“I apologize for that day.”

And then…

“…I had a drink.”

I wasn’t in my right mind.

Even if it didn’t justify my actions, maybe it would earn me some leniency.

That was the desperate logic behind my words, and the crown prince opened his mouth.

“…Leave us.”

He was speaking to the knights.

“But, Your Highness!”

“Leave. I wish to speak with him privately.”

The knights looked at me, clearly uneasy.

But not enough to defy the prince’s order.

Thud!

The knights exited, and the door to the reception room closed.

It was at that moment. Up until then, the crown prince had been standing there with a hard expression, but then,

“Can you stop pretending to be a rascal now?”

He laughed weakly and said it just like that.

“…?”

What on earth was that about?

———-