I wanted to argue with Cameron, but my mouth was so dry that I couldn’t.
I saw that he was using the same plot as the original. That which he referred to as “the future I know.”
He’s following in Demimore’s footsteps.
I remembered what Sofia had said earlier, to be careful of “similarity.” Sofia is now exiled to Nicor instead of ‘Mary’ in the original story.
She cursed and nearly killed Astina, the prince’s fiancé. That’s why she told me to be aware of similarities.
Yes, I recall Sofia’s animosity toward Astina since childhood.
When Astina asked Sofia directly why she despised her so much on the day I first met her, Sofia had no good answer.
No, it’s more accurate to say that she was unable to provide one.
However, did Demimore become the emperor in the original?
I don’t really remember the original story, but I do remember how it ended.
Demimore and Astina depart for his mother’s hometown because he is fed up with the power struggle within the royal family.
As if sacrificing everything they had for the “true love” they pleaded for throughout the original work.
I feel sorry for Cameron, who, in an effort to emulate Demimore in the original, tried to make Astina, whom Demimore loved in the original, his fiancé, and sent Sofia, who tried to curse Astina, into exile in Nicor, but that won’t make Cameron emperor.
Would he not rethink his engagement to Astina if he learned of this?
“No, Your Highness, there seems to be a misunderstanding in the future I know.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, in ‘The Future I Know’ Demimore doesn’t become the emperor, as you say.”
There, I revealed my cards.
Cameron snorted in surprise, contrary to my expectation that he would be astounded or at the very least scowl at me for saying it.
I was shocked that he went with an entirely different response than what I had in mind.
“Wow, what should I do?”
Cameron displayed genuine surprise on his face.
“Demimore will not become emperor.”
“…….”
“He said this is exactly what you’re going to say.”
Cameron looked down at me with mockery written on his face.
Who could have said those things to Cameron? I wondered. Someone who is as knowledgeable about the original work as if they had read it.
I had the unpleasant impression that nothing I knew mattered when I saw Cameron looking at me so assuredly and almost pitifully.
Will Demimore actually rule as an emperor?
There might have been information regarding that in a side story that I missed. There is someone who is more familiar with the original content than I am.
He is currently supporting Cameron and using him as a pawn in his scheme to remove Demimore and make Cameron an emperor.
Then I remembered the God of the Underworld, who knew the name Ha Sohee.
He even copied the way Demimore’s eyes curved when he smiled. It’s not a hunch, I’m certain.
“Prince.”
I spoke softly when I called Cameron. Cameron made a ridiculous expression in response to my serious call.
He was still laughing at me, I could tell. Such a simple-minded person lusting after the throne…. It’s hopeless.
“Are you in contact with the God of the underworld?”
I asked Cameron bluntly, unable to stand that sight of him.
The mocking expression on Cameron’s face seemed to vanish in response to my direct question. His reaction convinced me that the underworld god was behind him.
“It won’t go over well if people learn that the first prince is working together with the god of the underworld.”
“……You’re talking nonsense.”
“You would be ridiculed not only within the empire but also throughout the continent.”
“Preposterous.”
“Oh, does His Majesty already know? Just like the last dagger incident, he’s going to take advantage of the Grand Duke of Conler, the imperial marionette…….”
“Shut up!”
Cameron lost his cool in response to my provocation. It was the first time he had dropped his facade in front of me.
The genuine anger in his face and voice was a little eerie, but I glared at him undaunted.
Now that I knew that the god of the underworld was behind Cameron, I didn’t want to lose.
“What’s going on?”
Theodore came running out to us when he heard Cameron shouting. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder protectively.
“Theodore Conler.”
Theodore’s name came out of Cameron’s mouth like he had just reconnected with his long-lost foe.
“Your sister is so rude. Educate her properly.”
“I’ll make sure to tell Gilbert. Her education is his responsibility.”
Theodore answered sluggishly. He spoke politely, but it was enough to annoy Cameron.
Cameron’s face twisted into a grimace as he took a step closer to Theodore.
“As soon as I’m Emperor, I’m going to order Gilbert Conler to get your minds reformed properly.”
Uh, who needs the most mental restructuring here?
“I’ll tear down that damn household. I don’t want to see you running around. Do you hear me?”
Cameron started to lose control. It seemed as though a seal had been broken.
Word by word, Cameron expressed his anger, becoming more like himself after having been oddly calm up until this point.
I secretly glanced at Theodore to see what he would be thinking as I watched Cameron let all of his suppressed feelings out.
We briefly locked eyes as Theodore turned to look at me.
Theodore appeared equally perplexed as I did before he narrowed one eye.
The sudden wink almost made me feel bad, but I could see that his ideas were in line with mine.
He seemed to be saying, “Let’s just bear with it because he’s pitiful.”
Yeah. That’s what you do when you feel inferior.
Theodore and I decided to act like adults and listen to whatever Cameron said with one ear and let it out the other.
Oh, how I wish we had a tape recorder so we could catch him doing this on tape.
I stood there and listened to Cameron’s tirade, planning to tell Gilbert about it later.
“I can’t stand the damn demonic blessing. It’s so disgusting that it’s killing me. You’ve been blessed so grossly, that your mother died!”
No, I tried to listen.
Isn’t the talk about our mother going a little too far?
Theodore also appeared to be very upset about it because his hand, which was resting on my shoulder, started to shake.
When I looked down, I noticed that his other hand—the one that wasn’t wrapped around my shoulder—was emitting a black aura.
Theodore’s hand was full of dark energy, so I extended my hand as far as I could and grabbed it.
I can’t allow him to use magic on royalty.
“Apologize.”
“What.”
“For insulting my late mother.”
“Do you harbor feelings of love for a mother you have never met?”
“Prince.”
“Oh, is it guilt? Because it’s no different from killing her yourself?”
“Please stop…”
“Who are you going to kill next time?”
Cameron’s words reminded me of the curse spoken by the god of the underworld. My body stiffened. Theodore, who was standing behind me, reached out his hand towards Cameron without any hesitation.
Before I could stop him, a spherical black figure stretched out of Theodore’s hand and attacked Cameron.
“Argh!”
“Ha, I really tried to hold it in.”
Theodore approached Cameron, who was sprawled out on the ground, and ran his hand through his hair.
Although Theodore was the youngest and cheeriest of the three brothers, he was surprisingly the coldest.
“You bastard, are you crazy, huh, attacking the royal family?”
Theodore replied in the same lazy tone he’d been using, and Cameron clutched at his chest, struggling to breathe.
“Yes, I’ll be sure to tell Brother Gilbert and learn manners.”
“You, keuk, are going to prison, ack.”
“The jail must be very crowded with Sofia inside; are there any available cells?”
“What’s wrong with you, really!”
I hugged Theodore tightly to stop him from continuing to taunt Cameron.
If Theodore ends up in jail because of me again……. Theodore squeezed my shoulder as I wallowed in self-pity. He looked me in the eye and said,
“It’s not because of you. Don’t think it’s because of you. I just wanted to beat him up since the first day I entered the academy.”
“But…”
“Don’t blame yourself for my impatience; even if I go to jail, it will be because I messed up. Got it?”
“Oh, what’s going on?”
Someone approached us. I had never seen that particular man before. Cameron was stumbling around on the ground when he ran to him.
Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Cameron’s aide. Is this a new one?
“No, what’s going on? Did you get your ass kicked again?”
“X?”
Cameron yelled out the man’s name while posing as though he was perplexed by his presence.
X’s eyes were fixed on me as he extended his hand to help Cameron stand up.
“I don’t feel good.”
I hugged Theodore closer in response to the man’s persistent gaze.
