Chapter 48

"What are you doing here."

He endured the frowning of his eyebrows, but a trembling voice came out.

Emperor Jovanes hurriedly coughed and corrected his words.

"I mean, why did you come to this place?"

“Just like that.”

Lulak said with a smile, making wrinkles around his eyes.

"It's been 3 years?"

The Lord of Lombardy never left Lombardy's territory.

That was a good thing for Jovanes, but that's also annoying.

The old man knows all the stories of the Imperial Palace, but the Emperor himself just knows a little what's going on inside Lombardy.

"That's it."

Jovanes returned to his composure and responded, naturally sitting at the seat.

“You've been a lot desperate.”

But it's also for a while. At Lulak's words, Jovanes's thick eyebrows wriggled once.

It was incredible that he treated the Emperor as if he had met a town child after a long time.

"How many times did this old man want to come to the Imperial Palace. The last time I met you, I remembered the words of His Majesty and turned around in front of the Imperial Palace gate."

“…… what are you heard, I think I already consider the Lord of Lombardy to be my uncle.”

“I have no confidence to lead this Empire from the Imperial Palace so Lombardy can in and out as if it was your house if you want to get me out of the throne, keep your face on the meeting.... "

"Hmm…."

Jovanes had nothing to say.

It was a natural reaction because it was actually what Jovanes said to Lulak.

“At that time, I was struggling with hard work……”

Lulak, who smiled and looked at Jovanes, who was making a demeaning excuse, said.

“Even though I had endured so much, today I couldn't help but see Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

".... What the hell is going on. From this dawn."

Jovanes was also curious and couldn't stand it.

To come to the room and wait like this without giving a word in advance, wasn't like Lulak.

“It's a surprise, but do you know what's going on with Second Prince Perez?”

"Perez?"

It was an unfamiliar name to call.

It took a few seconds to realize that it was the name of his son, who had soon forgotten.

“If it were that child, the Empress would be taking good care of it. Are you saying that the reason you came today is because of that child?"

Unexpectedly, Jovanes tilted his head.

"I would like to ask your Majesty one thing. Did you really believe that the Empress will properly take care of the Second Prince and you entrusted her to take care of Perez?"

Lulak honors the Emperor, but not with the Empress.

It was their distinctive way of saying that the Lombardy states were unrivaled.

Jovanes responded whimsically to Lulak's speech, which seemed to be punishing him.

Unlike the late Emperor, Jovanes was a relatively quiet Emperor who had never been openly hostile to Lombardy, but he was quite wriggling when it comes to the heirs.

"I'm not saying to Your Majesty about the responsibility for your children. What's the use of such a thing to the Imperial Family? But...."

Lulak shook his head sadly.

"The seed sown by Your Majesty is not an excuse for Your Majesty's pleasure? "

"You're kidding me...?"

Jovanes's attitude has become quite serious.

"What do you mean now? Explain correctly."

To Jovanes, who is impatient, Lulak smiled leisurely and said.

But the words flowing out of his mouth weren't light at all.

“Angenas reported this year's estate revenue cut in half by half.”

"Half?"

The fact that Angenas, the Empress's Family, was taking tax evasion to some extent, was not new to Jovanes either.

However, the fact that it was half was embarrassed him.

"But there is something else that Your Majesty should pay more attention to."

“What is it?”

"The person who found something strange in the tax statement reported it, but strangely, no action."

It was as Lulak said.

The expression disappeared from the Emperor's startled face.

Lulak poured oil regardless of the Emperor's reaction.

"Isn't it true that quite a few people are working for Angenas with the money of the Imperial Family?"

It was also poured out.

“Isn't paying taxes important? You can't see it as an easy thing and close your eyes once. Even when the officials of the imperial family are cooperating in the matter...… Isn't that obviously a scratch on His Majesty's circle?"

"Well...."

The emperor rubbed his forehead as if he was having a headache.

Watching it as if it very enjoyable play, Lulak threw the second stone he brought.

This time, hoping for a bigger ripple in the lake.

“I apologize to your Majesty. Do you remember the mine located on the offshore of the Serves River?"

"...I remember."

“The iron mine that the Late Emperor left to Lombardy in case of emergency was sold to Baraport Family by my son.”

"Baraport....?"

"They are one of the best family members of Angenas."

In case Durelli Family was deposed from the throne, they put their assets little by little and left them secretly to Lombardy.

For example, five thousand gold bars sleeping in the deepest part of the Lombardy bank vault.

Or, externally, it is known as a 'small and invisible mine', but in fact, a mine with iron was an example.

It was a long-standing pledge that 'Durelli and Lombardy do not turn their backs against each other'.

"Although the documents have Baraport's seal stamped on it, it is very clear who the real mine owner is."

Of course, it was Schults Family who took the mining business, but Lulak didn't dare to comment on that.

"Angenas may not have known what kind of mine it was, but the cave has grown enough to reach out to iron ore."

Iron ore was a very important military resource.

Iron, which is the material of weapons, was a resource possessed by very few families, including the Imperial Family and Lombardy.

And it goes without saying that they were only families who had been loyal to the Imperial Family for a long time.

Although Angenas were the Empress's Family, they were originally more aristocratic than Imperial Family.

Iron ore was not a property allowed to them.

"And it is His Majesty that made them able to dream presumptuous dreams."

“It's my fault! That doesn't make sense! I just....!"

"Don't you give Angenas strength? You didn't even care about your first son and threw the second son to the Empress. Rabini Angenas didn't even care about killing or saving the maid's child... "

“Whether she left him or kill him?”

Jovanes was not a stupid Emperor.

First of all, it was in Lulak's evaluation.

He was bright, and quick to read the lines of people and words.

Just like now.

"Then, are you saying that the Empress hurt Perez…… The Second Prince?"

"Fortunately, he still alive. I think he had eaten the poison."

"Ha!"

Jovanes lost his words and burst into laughter.

The affection for the son of a maid that he couldn't even remember his name was definitely zero.

Rather, it was caused by the resentment and anger toward the empress, who dared to touch his veins.

Lulak said while pushing the glass of water in front of the Emperor.

“Of course, it was a very good number to empower Angenas with words to fight against me, Your Majesty.”

Jovanes, who read the meaning, flinched, but Lulak smiled happily when he saw it.

It was close to the look of the teacher's well-bred disciple.

"You gave me too much. That was the problem. I don't even know my ship is going to burst, and I'm still greedy..... Now it's time to take the power."

"However...."

"Your Majesty doesn't have to do anything."

Jovanes's hand that pressing hard on his greasy forehead, stopped.

Lulak laughed at the Emperor.

And he made an offer that the Emperor would never refuse.

“I will be the villain.”9

* * *

I and Perez sat face to face on the bed.

The one sofa was piled up with dust, and the floor was like a cold bone, so it was an unavoidable choice.

The black hair still covering the nape, the white skin, and the eyes as red as the lips looked at me.

"Perez, you..."

His long eyelashes trembled a little in one blink.

"Are you a little taller?"

“I think...”

Perez replied, nodding his head with a grim face.

"Because..... Your head was bigger than others."

I muttered, recalling the appearance of the guy in my previous life.

Standing in a crowd gathering crowded with words that the new Prince was delivered, that was all I saw once from a distance.

The figure of Perez, who looked down at everything with his cold eyes, swinging his cloak with a more angular body than the knights around him, captivated the crowd at once.

"Who?"

"Huh? Oh, no."

But it's hard to imagine that the guy in front of me is growing up as such an adult.

Compared to Prince Perez, who was like a big wolf with black fur and gloss, this guy is.

"Who are you thinking about now?"

They are equally expressionless, but now Perez is a little more...…

"Puppy?"

He tilts his head at my unexpected words.

Look at that, like a real dog... No, it's like a Puppy.

"Do you have any puppy you have?"

"Uh, no. I'm going to raise one now."

"Do you like a puppy? I like it too. I haven't seen it, but I'll definitely like it because you like it."19

It was Perez muttering words of unknown meaning.

“Did you do well with the homework I gave you?”

"Eat food, take medicine when the maid comes to lie down, and practice swordsmanship."

He replied right away, sticking his fingers one by one.

"Okay......"

"I did it. As you tell me, everything!!."

Is it my imagination that the dark tail flutters behind his bright face?

“Shall I show you?”

Perez asked like wanted to grab a wooden sword and swing it right now.

"No. That's not important now. You have to get a prize because you did your homework well. Isn't it?"

"Prize?"

While I took my bag, I laughed.

I don't know that Perez's gaze will follow my hand while I untie the knot on the lid of the bag that is tied.

“Now, I will give a prize to a good child.”

Am I a Santa?

I said while opened my bag.