Chapter 167: Times of Hardship

“I decline.”

Bang!

Ian forcefully shut the carriage door, causing everyone to jump in surprise, their eyes widening in shock.

“What are you doing? He’s the one carrying the royal decree from His Majesty.”

But Ian didn’t even snort.

Instead, he gazed coldly at the people outside the window.

Just then, the chamberlain hurried over.

“What kind of disrespectful behavior is this in front of all these people?”

“So what?”

“Pardon?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Why should I go inside? Explain it to me properly.”

“What on earth…”

The chamberlain appeared puzzled.

He couldn’t understand why an explanation was needed for the royal decree.

“Unless you intend to defy the royal decree, you must enter the palace immediately.”

“Is that so? Then show me the decree.”

“Excuse me?”

“If it’s a decree, there should be a seal, shouldn’t there?”

“!”

A decree is a directive issued by the king, and the seal is the mark of authority on the decree. According to royal protocol, the term ‘decree’ should not be used lightly, and typically, a seal accompanies it.

While it might be omitted for minor matters involving non-royal or state officials, Ian smiled.

“What’s the matter, why don’t you give it to me?”

“…”

Seeing Chamberlain’s silence, Ian smiled softly, as if he had been expecting this.

“Perhaps you were in a rush and forgot it. Go retrieve it.”

“Pardon?”

“I have all the time in the world. I won’t budge until you return with it. So make it quick.”

Chamberlain’s eyes trembled, but he quickly regained his composure and addressed Ian.

“Since His Majesty has summoned you, could you please wait inside? I will bring it for you immediately.”

“How amusing.”

“Pardon?”

“You didn’t blurt out the decree without the seal, did you?”

“!”

The chamberlain shook his head fervently.

“That’s a misunderstanding. I would never make such a mistake!”

“Really? Then hurry and show me.”

Under Ian’s piercing gaze, the chamberlain looked anxiously around.

In front of the palace, a crowd of citizens had gathered, likely drawn by the unusual sight of the Seventh Prince’s carriage, usually a focal point of attention.

Any further delay could lead to rumors reaching the king within the palace.

For the chamberlain, this was the worst possible scenario.

‘I need to get inside and inform the queen right away.’

Otherwise, he could face allegations of misusing the king’s authority, a situation that would spell disaster not only for him but for his entire family.

The chamberlain, his forehead glistening with sweat, had no option but to reply.

“Well then… I’ll return shortly.”

Anxiously biting his lip, he hastened inside, his expression resolute as he aimed to retrieve the royal decree.

His urgency startled everyone in the carriage, particularly Elaira, who observed with curiosity and inquired, “Brother, did the chamberlain make some kind of mistake?”

“No.”

“Then why are you putting him through this?”

“I find it dubious.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

Ian locked eyes with Cain, or rather, with King Eloin, with a meaningful look.

“Aren’t you curious if His Majesty truly uttered those words?”

“Impossible. Even the chamberlain wouldn’t dare fabricate a royal decree; such an act would bring ruin upon his entire lineage.”

“Exactly. That’s what I think too.”

“?”

Elaira looked puzzled, but Ian remained convinced.

‘With His Majesty here, how could they possibly create a false seal?’

No matter how much the king relied on his shadow warriors, it remained the same.

The ring on Cain’s—no, King Eloin’s finger was the royal seal of the Kaistein family.

As long as he was here, a fake seal could not exist.

It was a fact known only to the king and his successor.

‘Without the royal seal, they would resort to counterfeiting.’

While it seemed unlikely that they would go to such lengths, it was worth confirming.

‘Besides, they’re about to meet their end soon, so I don’t even need to intervene.’

This was shortly after the Northern Expedition had concluded in his previous life.

Suddenly, a bloodbath erupted within the royal family.

‘At that time, I was hiding in the Duke Garcia’ mansion. I didn’t know all the details, but it was certainly the case this time.’

This had been the turning point that shook the position of the First Princess, who had been on the rise due to the successes of the Northern Expedition.

Most of her power came from the nobility, but all those noble families related to that incident were wiped out, leading to a significant loss of her influence.

However, this time felt different.

‘This time, it will be my own initiative to strike at those guys, rather than rely on the Third Prince or Garcia.’

It wouldn’t just be a matter of insulting the royal family; he would exact vengeance on those who had humiliated and dishonored his mother and sister.

Thus, Ian could afford to smile, even as he looked at Cain—no, King Eloin—who wore a bewildered expression directed at him.

***

King Eloin, disguised as Cain, was in a rather sour mood. That was to be expected.

“You’re too close. Please move aside.”

“You should move. Isn’t the escorting meant to occur outside the carriage?”

“The fundamental principle of escorting is close protection.”

“As far as I know, you—no, you were supposedly acting as an undercover escort, correct?”

“!”

It wasn’t just the persistent interference from Duke Lavaltor beside him; the fact that these men were mentioning his name right in front of him was equally problematic.

“The king’s decree…”

“Defying the king’s will…”

He didn’t need to hear the end of it.

It was his own chamberlain who was speaking the king’s name in front of him in disguise.

‘The chamberlain. I suppose you were involved as well.’

However, he was not alone in this.

“In the name of the king…”

“Under the king’s command…”

With each mention of the king’s name, King Eloin’s eyes turned icy and cold. And then, crucially,

“Bring me the royal decree. If you bring it, we will move.”

“I… I will get it right away.”

As the chamberlain hurried off to get the royal decree, his gaze was as cold as ice.

Just then,

[Didn’t Your Majesty say that if we keep staying idle it could make us easy targets?]

A voice reached the king’s ears.

It was Lawrence, the third seat of the Black Lion Knights, tasked with covertly safeguarding him. Lawrence possessed the ability called [Whisper], enabling discreet conversations.

Eloin responded with a voice tinged with irritation.

[Just be quiet, Lawrence.]

[But Your Majesty, did I say something wrong? I, Lawrence, only serve with loyalty…]

[Shut up.]

However, the voices reaching his ears were not just one.

[I share the same sentiment as Lawrence, Your Majesty.]

[You too, Umtina?]

[It seems like it may be necessary to advance Your Majesty’s plans a bit sooner.]

[Hmm…]

Eloin’s eyebrows twitched.

Whether or not Umtina noticed this, her voice continued.

[Frankly, while this aligns with Your Majesty’s intentions, the blatant disregard for royal authority poses a serious issue.]

[To what extent are they involved?]

[So far, we’ve confirmed that both the Queen and the Deputy Chairman are implicated. It seems some of the ministers are involved as well.]

Eloin, who had planned to sweep away those people before relinquishing the throne, had planned for them to deliberately approach the royal decree and the royal seal.

Until they were caught so perfectly.

And he hadn’t had a chance to do it in a while, and the youngest one was the one to pull it off.

[It seems it’s time to restore order.]

At King Eloin’s cold voice, Lawrence exclaimed happily.

[I have been waiting for those words.]

[Have all the Black Lion Knights and Blood Lion Knights ready for action.]

[As you command.]

It seemed a bloodbath was about to sweep through Kaistein.

Thanks to Ian, he would have solid justification and evidence.

No matter how powerful the noble families were, they would not be able to stop him.

However, there was one thing troubling him.

‘Why does that guy seem to act as if he knows everything?’

Could it be that he was aware of the existence of that item?

Such behavior would not make sense otherwise.

But what was more important to him at the moment was something else.

‘This time, I will crush everyone who has disrespected the royal authority.’

Once the Council of Elders was drenched in blood, they would never dare to lay a hand on Lila and Elaira again.

His eyes shone with ferocity.

***

Considerable time has passed.

A crowd began to form around the carriage of the Seventh Prince, Ian, which had come to a quiet stop in front of the royal palace.

Though most were citizens of the palace, several high-ranking nobles also approached near the carriage.

“What’s happening here?”

“The seventh prince is refusing to enter the palace and is halted outside.”

“Prince Ian?”

“Is something happening again?”

“Could it be that he had a fight with His Majesty?”

Curiosity painted the faces of everyone present. Given Ian’s standing:

[The King of Bahara]

[The hero who saved the country from the terror of the Fifth Prince, Haverion, and Cardinal Cesare]

[The sworn brother of the former Crown Prince of Cantum who was dethroned]

His remarkable deeds earned him the respect of anyone in Kaistein.

Naturally, everyone was eager to learn the current events.

Then, a man’s voice in the crowd sparked speculation.

“Or perhaps… Could it be that he’s planning to leave Kaistein and go to Bahara?”

“What in the world are you saying so boldly?”

“That’s right! The prince is leaving us. What does that mean!”

The citizens’ murmurs intensified.

They began to make all sorts of conjectures about Ian’s actions.

So much so that the guards had to step in.

“Everyone, step back!”

“If you come any closer, we will arrest you all!”

However, they couldn’t quell the angry citizens.

“What’s going on?”

“Surely the prince isn’t abandoning us!”

“Is he truly protesting to leave for Bahara?”

No matter how skilled the royal guards were, they couldn’t wield their weapons directly in the face of so many people.

They were overwhelmed by the sheer number of citizens.

The flustered captain of the guards shouted urgently.

“Get inside and request reinforcements! Hurry!”

“Uh… but what do we even say to call for support?”

“That… that’s…”

At that moment, the captain found himself at a loss for words.

He couldn’t very well say that the citizens had gathered because Prince Ian was waiting for a royal decree.

After all, he himself had just mentioned that decree.

‘If my words reach the king, I might really be done for…’

But at that very moment, as citizens began to crowd dangerously close to the carriage, he stepped forward.

Creak.

The carriage door swung open, revealing bright red hair spilling out.

The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight.

“It’s Prince Ian!”

“The prince has come out himself!”

In response to the people’s cheers, Ian waved his hand. Then, in a confident voice, he shouted.

“People of Kaistein! Fear not! I am Ian Kaistein. I shall not abandon you.”

The citizens roared back in approval.

Rumors about Ian spread rapidly across Kaistein.

The chamberlain, newly arrived, couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by the sight.

‘I tried to end this quietly. How did this all happen…’

But his troubles were far from over.

“Ah, do you have the royal decree? Give it to me.”

Ian had suddenly seized something from Chamberlain’s grasp.

And at that moment, Ian’s expression turned cold.