The Prince’s Mercy is a Cold Blade

The Crown Prince, looking at my bloodless face, kindly—no, damn-near graciously—informed me: “The bleeding won’t stop on its own, so make sure to keep it pressed firmly.” He added that the Imperial family’s swords are plated with a special metal called Pesket, which prevents wounds from healing naturally. I was so touched I practically had tears in my eyes.

Fortunately, though my jacket was a bit soiled, its dark color hid the blood on my shirt. Since it was a high-collared style that buttoned to the neck, the wound wasn’t immediately visible. As I entered the Fourth Prince’s palace, my faltering steps quickened again. If I ran into the servants after coming all this way, everything would be for nothing. Ideally, I wanted to run straight into Erkel.

Luckily, while it wasn’t Erkel, I saw a familiar face: Adeloa, the Head Maid. Seeing her neatly pinned hair and her calm, navy-blue dress made me feel a surge of emotion.

“Your Highness, I’ll take my leave…”

I tried to make a cool exit, but I stumbled. My head spun so violently I couldn’t tell up from down. The Crown Prince caught me before I could fall. I stood there, head bowed, with my arm firmly in his grip. My vision blinked out for a moment, and when it returned, I saw the handkerchief on the ground. The pale blue cloth was now so soaked in crimson that its original color was nowhere to be found. Slowly, feeling as if I were drifting closer to the floor, I closed my eyes.

He had been holding the boy’s arm, but the body simply slumped forward. The sound of the fall wasn’t loud, but it was enough to echo in the quiet palace. Melenik Adeloa, the Head Maid of the Fourth Prince’s palace, was quick to notice the disturbance.

Normally, seeing someone trampling through the garden—where every branch was checked daily and trimmed with care—would be reason enough to scream, but the identity of the intruder was even more alarming. Adeloa hurried forward upon seeing the reddish-gold hair, a trait shared by only three people in the Empire, including the Emperor himself.

What is the Crown Prince doing here again? The mind responsible for the palace’s management raced. There had been unexpected visits before, but those were extreme exceptions. The Crown Prince was not a generous or affectionate brother who visited his siblings out of genuine concern.

As she approached, Adeloa recognized the figure collapsed at the Crown Prince’s feet. Pale platinum hair and a small frame. It was the boy who visited the Fourth Prince’s palace almost every day.

Pretending not to see what was seen and not to hear what was heard were the basic virtues for surviving long in the palace. Seeing the Crown Prince waiting for her composedly, Adeloa gathered her skirts and bowed. Her greeting was so poised and refreshing it was hard to believe a person lay unconscious right in front of her.

“I greet His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Where is Erkel?”

“He returned a moment ago and is in his room.”

“Fortunately, I won’t have to commit the discourtesy of entering an empty room.” Making a joke that didn’t sound like one, the Crown Prince pulled the arm he was holding upward. As the torso was lifted, the unconscious boy’s head lolloped back. The cat nestled in the Crown Prince’s arms let out a “meow.”

Adeloa took the limp, doll-like body into her own arms. For a woman used to walking in heels while carrying heavy books and ornaments, a single child should have been light—but he wasn’t. A completely unconscious body was heavier than expected. After a short breath, she braced him against her hip and lifted him. The Crown Prince smiled, his brilliant looks on full display.

“Avoid any watchful eyes.”

“Your Highness… are you leaving now?”

“Is there any reason for me to stay?”

It’s always easier not to talk back to high-ranking officials. Keeping a tight lip and a deaf ear was how Adeloa had risen to her position.

My eyelids were heavy. A high ceiling, an impossibly wide bed, and thick curtains. Luminous stones placed around the room glowed faintly, acting as mood lighting. I tried to sit up in the unfamiliar bedding but immediately lay back down. My head throbbed just from that small movement.

I wiggled my toes, trying to clear my head. My body felt so powerless that even the blanket felt heavy. Like I had a severe flu, even the slightest touch against my skin was painful. Was all this really just from a scratched neck? I had to force my eyes wide, fearing I’d fall back into a deep sleep if I closed them. While flailing about with the intent to crawl out if necessary, I spotted the “Levrant”—the symbol of the Fourth Prince’s palace—carved into the bedpost.

Confirming I was in the Fourth Prince’s palace, I stopped struggling and lay still. It seemed Adeloa had taken good care of me. I slowly let go of my flickering consciousness again. I couldn’t go home in this state anyway, so I planned to rest properly and come up with an excuse later. Erkel would handle things in the meantime.

Speak of the devil. Before I could fall completely asleep, the curtains were drawn back.

“They said the wound wasn’t as deep as it looked.”

Erkel, seeing that I was awake, sat by the bed. I couldn’t see his face clearly; the image kept splitting and merging, making me dizzy.

“They used a whole bottle of potion to stop the bleeding, and poured in more to supplement the lost blood. The doctor was practically crying.”

“Yeah…”

“Phel?”

Erkel called Pherion “Phel.” For context, Pherion was Pherion Akareon, the one and only Crown Prince of the Empire. I pictured the Crown Prince’s face. He looked non-human in many ways. To think Erkel gave that guy such a cute nickname. I wondered if this was the power of being the original author. I wasn’t jealous.

Instead of agreeing, I kept my mouth shut. I knew that for Erkel, no matter how much of a piece of trash “Phel” was, he was a character Erkel had created and cared for. Knowing Erkel’s personality, he would surely apologize on the Prince’s behalf, but I didn’t want to hear it, nor did I have a reason to accept it. A hand reached out and gently stroked my hair.

“The kids?”

“I sent them back. I told them you left early. Lewis said he took care of your assignment.”

“And my house…”

“I made up an excuse, but I’m not sure about that side. Cale is so sharp, after all.”

I felt relieved to hear the immediate crisis was over. I was confident I could talk my way through the aftermath.

“Adeloa… the Crown Prince, that bastard, he brought me here. They met.”

“Yeah. Adeloa brought you in.”

“I tried so hard to stay hidden… so no one would see. I worked so damn hard to avoid everyone… it’s so unfair.”

My voice trailed off. I wasn’t thinking before speaking; words were just falling out, but Erkel understood and replied perfectly.

“A few people might have seen you coming in, but Adeloa likely handled them.”

I see… I thought blankly, but then I caught the word “handled.” In these situations, doesn’t “handled” usually mean getting rid of people?

“Don’t worry. She didn’t kill them.”

“No, you crazy bastard…”

“She didn’t fire them either. It’ll end with a warning and a few days of vacation.”

Erkel patted me reassuringly.

“My goal is to live a long, quiet, unremarkable life. People dying would draw too much attention.”

“I guess so.”

“Anyway, the others will keep quiet. Phel has no reason to talk about it either. Well… though Annette probably knows.”

Why was Annette suddenly being mentioned? My head was foggy, and thoughts were just floating around. When I didn’t respond, Erkel spoke lightly, as if it were no big deal.

“Adeloa is someone Annette planted, after all. She probably knows what I eat and when I sleep.”

“…What?”

This time, I was wide awake. Erkel pressed me back down as I tried to bolt upright.

“Are you joking? Are you insane? You—you knew that, and yet, why is she still… No, you’re crazy.”

“Shh. Calm down. They said stability is the top priority.”

“Is stability the problem? Do I look like I can be calm? Hey! You!”

I didn’t have the strength to grab his collar and shake him, so I just slapped his arm repeatedly. It probably didn’t even hurt, but his reaction—”Ouch, ah”—only made me angrier.

“But…”

“But what? Can’t you explain this properly?”

Being scolded, Erkel whimpered and explained. Apparently, Adeloa had entered the palace with a letter of recommendation from Annette’s family, and ever since, she had served Rowena while acting as Annette’s eyes and ears. I nearly hyperventilated when he added that in the original story, it was Adeloa, the Head Maid, who had forged the evidence that Erkel tried to assassinate the Crown Prince when he died.

How could he keep her around knowing all that? I understood when he said Rowena knew too but couldn’t refuse. Even if Rowena was frail, it was true she loved her son. The fact that she couldn’t say a single word meant the hierarchy between her and Annette was that absolute. In that situation, Erkel speaking up wouldn’t have made things any better.

But understanding it with my head and my heart were two different things. I felt a sense of unnecessary betrayal. Of course, there was nothing I could have solved even if I had known, but shouldn’t he have explained something this important to me? I didn’t want to find out this way. Honestly, what if I had trusted Adeloa, whom I saw often, and let slip something critical?

As I stayed silent, processing a mix of anger, unfairness, and sadness, Erkel stood up. A pungent yet sweet scent spread, as if he had lit some incense.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to give you something else to worry about.”

“…Whatever.”

“I was afraid you’d just be stressed out by something you couldn’t fix… It was my fault. I’ll make sure to consult you next time. Okay?”

As Erkel apologized repeatedly, I actually started to feel embarrassed. It made me look like I was just sulking. Well, to be fair, that was the most accurate description, but it was a word that made me bristle to admit. Finally, only after I said, “Fine. Just tell me next time,” did Erkel peek through the curtains and smile.

“Sleep more. I’ve already told them you’ll be staying at the palace today.”

I can’t sleep because of you. However, contrary to my mind, my body slumped as if it had heard a magic spell. My thoughts drifted away, and my consciousness sank.