The emperor as if he had expected him not to be able to answer, patted Jason on the shoulder generously.
"Don't worry. I don't abandon my bloodline. Surely I wouldn't let you, my nephew, wander around without a home."
"..."
"I will give you Armandi in the North. Fortunately, the Northern Prince also generously agreed."
Perdiccas II was a warm-hearted family man, concerned about his nephew's situation and generously showering him with favors.
But what he actually gave Jason was trash.
Armandi was one of the largest fiefdoms in the Empire, occupying nearly half of northern Katzen, but it was also an abandoned land.
This is because it was an area where monster waves frequently occurred, so it was not only not prosperous but was not even functioning properly as a territory.
'Besides, the Northern Prince is my uncle's confidant. Doesn't that mean he wants to keep me under his watch?'
Jason's eyes glanced at the Emperor.
In an instant, anger boiled over towards his uncle, Perdiccas II.
That throne and this palace were all his.
Jason hated his uncle who took everything away from him and instead of apologizing, tried to take back even the things Jason had barely managed to protect.
"How is there no answer? Do you still have feelings for Castullo?"
But Perdiccas II was no pushover.
The eyes that looked at Jason were gleaming with madness, but at the same time, they were sharp like a blade.
"Was there any treasure hidden in the territory?"
It was also the stern gaze of a ruler who had guarded the throne for decades, despite the opposition of many, and had given it to his nephew.
'My uncle is wary of me.'
Jason held his breath, for he had read the Emperor's mind.
Perdiccas II took advantage of this opportunity to cut off Jason's hands and feet and completely eliminate any remaining forces that supported him behind the scenes.
When Jason discovered that vivid murderous intent, he bent down as if he were going to cut off his own arm.
"No. That can't be... Go ahead, Uncle. I will follow Uncle's orders."
If you raise your head, you'll be cut. If you raise your body, you'll die. Hold on. Endure. You can't be caught here.
"I apologize again for any harm I may have caused to Your Majesty and Katzen's reputation."
Jason answered calmly and gently as if nothing had happened. No matter how much he wanted to scream like crazy, at least he had enough wits left to not show his weakness right away.
The Emperor's eyes were cold as he watched his nephew suppress his emotions again and apologize politely.
'You sly snake-like son of a bitch.'
He, too, knew that Jason was trying to do something through Valdina.
"I, you nephew, will now step aside. Uncle, please take care of state affairs in peace."
Jason left the office, biting his lips.
In an instant, he lost his fertile lands and came to possess barren lands as his fiefdom.
Jason walked down the palace hallway, his fists trembling and trembling, hidden under his sleeves.
"Your Highness the Archduke of Castulo is welcome."
"Your Highness the Grand Duke."
The people bowed to Jason as he walked by. Jason nodded with his usual kind smile.
He walked down the hallway and past the window.
And when he was finally alone, the smile on his face disappeared like a lie.
Bang!
Jason's fist shattered the mirror.
Blood seeped through the shattered glass. Jason raised his head without even feeling any pain.
The young man reflected on the mirror shard repeated with angry eyes.
"I will definitely rise again. I will definitely not fall like this."
As if God was against me, He took everything I had, one by one, with his fingers pulled away.
"Even if God blocks my path, I will not stop. Jason... Jason..."
He called his name over and over again.
"I am not a Castullo. I am going my own way as the true owner of this land, Katzen."
It was a statement close to an oath.
Just daring to say it out loud was enough to steady Jason's heart and prevent him from breaking down.
One day, he will sit on the throne, and recall the hardships of the present, he repeated incessantly.
But Jason did not realize that the things that were stolen from his grasp one by one might not be Gods.
Because no one ever dreamed of the possibility that someone could hate themselves enough to go against God.
***
The Emperor's Office.
A cold silence lingered where Jason had retreated.
There were only three people in the room: the Emperor, the Chamberlain, and Kensington.
"Tsk, if it weren't for the people's eyes, I could have killed him and taken the worry out of him. He's so tenacious that no matter how many times I send someone to kill him, he always survives."
Perdiccas II clicked his tongue as he looked at the spot where Jason had left off. The sight of his crimson tongue slightly revealing itself seemed to lick his lips.
"There is only one proper demand among the Valdina guys."
He raised the corners of his mouth. His eyes, larger than the whites of his eyes, glowed pitch black, making his madness stand out even more.
With that as an excuse, he was able to take away the territory of Castullo, which he had been eyeing for a long time, from Jason.
If he thinks about it that way, giving the Strait of El Amuz to Valdina wasn't such a bad deal.
"Yes. Thanks to this, our secret interactions with the Regent will also be buried in the possession of the Grand Duke of Castullo. This is a clear advantage, Your Majesty."
The attendant intervened.
"If Archduke Castullo is returned, a new wind will blow through the Imperial Palace. The imperial authority will also be strengthened."
This will serve as a small warning to the neutral and conservative groups who still remember the former Emperor.
At the chamberlain's words, Perdiccas II looked down at the map as if thinking about something.
"That's why. I think it would be a good idea to take back Romagna and Alphanon while we're at it."
The attendant paused for a moment.
Kensington, who was still standing on the red carpet, also doubted his ears.
"Are you talking about His Highness the First Prince's... territory?"
The chamberlain asked back. He swore that he was not asking because he did not know the owner of the land, as Cesare had been an enemy of the imperial family his entire life.
Romagna was an inheritance given to Cesare by the Empress Dowager's faction to protect the young Cesare, and Alfannon was a meritorious territory Cesare acquired through his victory in the continental war.
It could be said that this was the origin of the First Prince's power, which was a combination of the old faction that traditionally supported him and the new faction that was fascinated by Cesare's personal abilities.
Even after Cesare was given a death sentence, his power continued to endure in the imperial palace, withstanding pressure from all sides.
But if the Emperor takes back the two territories now, the First Prince's forces will not be able to hold out any longer.
It was bound to collapse as spectacularly as Jason.
"Yes, after Cesare dies, the hyenas will be after his power, so the imperial palace will be in chaos. Rather than being torn to pieces and not even a single shape remaining, it would be right for me to take it all in advance and utilize it. Yes, that's right."
Perdiccas II, who could not have been unaware of this, was desperate for his dying son's last breath.
Kensington, who had been listening to this silently, couldn't hold it in any longer and opened his mouth.
If the first Prince, lying in his sick bed, heard this news, he might vomit blood and die on the spot.
"Your Majesty, the First Prince's health is not good, so he will not be able to endure his grief for long. Romagna and Alphanon are matters that Your Majesty will ultimately deal with after the First Prince's death, so please take your time and proceed slowly-"
"The child has no hope anyway. Would it be a problem if I bring the timing forward a little?"
"..."
Both the chamberlain and Kensington were speechless.
Just a moment ago, Jason's situation seemed to have improved. Wasn't he rather the Emperor's political enemy?
Jason is not the biological son of the Emperor and has never done much for the Emperor.
But the first Prince, Cesare...
"Could this be for the sake of me personally? It's all for the sake of the empire. If I am strong, Katzen will be strong, and if I fall, this country will fall as well."
"..."
"Cesare would understand. I only care about and hope for the survival of this empire!"
The Emperor, knowing that it was a weak excuse, stopped rationalizing and immediately burst out in anger.
"It belongs to my son, so it should belong to me too. What's wrong with that? The First Prince's flesh and blood were all given to me!"
Feeling dizzy for a moment, Kensington closed his eyes for a moment and tried to calm his racing heart.
My lord felt very unfamiliar to me.
Behind the veil that I couldn't see, I felt like I was witnessing the true nature of the human being I had been loyal to.
'Even if he had ambition, he was not this ruthless. Is it the lofty power of the throne that has changed His Majesty like this?'
"Your Majesty, the attention His Highness the First Prince has received has long surpassed that of Grand Duke Castullo. As the eyes of the world are upon him, I beg you to show your great generosity."
Yet he only gave advice to him.
"Kensington. Are you rebelling against me for the sake of the Empire or for the sake of the First Prince?"
The Emperor's paranoid gaze turned to Kensington. A meaningful question. Kensington bowed in surprise.
"How could that be! My master is Your Majesty the Emperor, and there is only one."
The Emperor's fingers tapped his sleeves impatiently. It seemed as if he could no longer hear her words.
"Tsk tsk, let's stop talking so much and be honest Kensington. You've let me down more than once on this trip to Valdina. Am I wrong?"
"..."
"It was a lot of work, not like you. How can you handle things so carelessly?"
"I am ashamed, Your Majesty. If you punish me, I will gladly accept it."
Kensington answered politely.
"I told you to pull out the pillars so that Valdina would collapse. But you ended up giving them wings."
The Emperor scolded Kensington sternly.
He didn't hide his displeased expression as he looked up at Kensington.
Even though he knew that this incident, and the Princess' duel, were not Kensington's fault at all.
"Furthermore, you refused my imperial command and settled down in the Valdina castle. Did you perhaps catch the eye of another lord? Even when Valdina suppressed the rebellion, you remained in the castle, didn't you?"
At the Emperor's repeated suspicion, Kensington quickly got up and fell flat on his face. The cold teacup spilled over onto the table.
In fact, from the moment he entered the Emperor's office, Kensington intuitively realized that his treatment had changed.
'Your Majesty always had private conversations with me.'
There was no way to meet anyone, whether Jason or his servant.
The Emperor was already doubting him.
"No. How could I serve two masters, including Your Majesty?"
"I am so disappointed."
"I was negligent. Forgive me, Your Majesty. Trust in my sincerity. From the beginning to the end, I have never entertained any other thoughts-"
Kensington paused as he spoke. Red blood was dripping down in front of him.
He looked up. His eyes were filled with disbelief.
His eyes met with the ruthless Emperor looking down at him.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
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