Questions and Answers Under the Sunset

‘Good thing I acted quickly…’, Ewan Campbell thought to himself.

A sense of relief washed over him, akin to an old pig having ravaged a cabbage patch all night and miraculously escaping punishment.

Indeed, had Celicia still harbored her former disdain for him, the events of last night might well have led him to become, as Audrich III had suggested, a vengeful spirit at the hands of the haughty princess.

Yet, one thing continued to baffle Ewan.

Why was His Majesty, who had merely observed the entire affair with a detached gaze, so utterly convinced of this outcome?

Was he not concerned that his engagement to Celicia might genuinely falter?

Logically, he should have been most eager for the successful culmination of this betrothal. After all, he needed the Campbell family, or rather, the name ‘Campbell,’ to help him counterbalance the entrenched, decaying noble factions.

‘He is truly unfathomable,’ Ewan mused.

He cautiously stole a glance at the Emperor, the supreme ruler of the empire, who sat directly before him. Yet, Audrich III seemed shrouded in an impenetrable mist.

Even now, Ewan struggled to discern the true purpose of this audience.

‘Surely His Majesty isn’t merely lonely in his deep palace, just wanting someone to chat with,’ he wondered.

****

As Ewan’s mind spun with various conjectures, Audrich III suddenly shed his previous drowsy demeanor, rising from the wide sofa.

“Campbell boy, follow me.”

He turned and walked towards the other end of the room.

Ewan silently trailed behind him.

Just as he was wondering if Audrich III intended to show him something peculiar or introduce him to someone, a sudden brightness filled Ewan’s vision.

They had stepped outdoors, onto a balcony.

Through the railings, intricately carved like white jade, the setting sun descended over the vast western plains, igniting the clouds in a fiery blaze. It bathed the majestic city below in a magnificent crimson glow.

From this elevated vantage point, one could overlook more than half of Belrand.

Audrich III rested his hand on the white jade railing, his profound eyes, into which even the twilight could not penetrate, fixed upon the grand city beneath his feet.

“Ewan Campbell, standing here, at the highest point of this city, what do you see?” he suddenly asked.

“See what?”

Ewan was momentarily stunned.

Just as he began to ponder the deeper meaning of the question, Audrich’s voice resonated beside him once more.

“Answer me now.”

The voice carried an immense authority, seemingly imbued with a peculiar power that scrambled Ewan’s thoughts, causing him to blurt out an answer instinctively.

“The sunset is beautiful.”

“…And what else?”

“And… the rivers flowing beneath the sunset are also beautiful. They remind me of a scene one could never forget in a lifetime.”

Ewan’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes filled with gentle warmth.

“…” Audrich III turned to glance at him, his eyebrow twitching slightly. Then, he tapped the railing.

“I asked you to look at the city.”

“The city…”

Ewan lowered his head, gazing down upon Belrand.

In the reflection of his lake-like eyes, more than half of Belrand was encompassed. From this position, it seemed as if nothing could escape his sight.

What a marvelous sensation it was, to have everything within view, everything appearing so small, like ants beneath his feet.

His expression consequently grew solemn.

“Over there…”

“Over there?”

“On that street…”

Ewan pointed in a certain direction, his expression profoundly serious.

Audrich III, too, leaned his head, earnestly looking towards the famous Queen’s Street Ewan indicated.

“What about that street?”

“On that street…”

Ewan took a deep breath, a glint flashing in his eyes: “That girl in the short skirt, her chest is so big, and her thighs are so white!”

“…” A silence fell, accompanied by a crisp crack from his hand. Audrich III withdrew his hand from the railing, ignoring the cracks that now marred it, and turned to scrutinize the golden-haired youth once more.

Ewan shivered, snapping back to reality, and immediately realized his blunder.

‘What in the world am I thinking? How could I have said such disrespectful words in front of His Majesty… such inappropriate words?’

‘What should I do? Will His Majesty punish me for disrespect?’

‘Or will he report me to Celicia, only for her to kick my backside again?’

But as Ewan grew increasingly uneasy, Audrich III suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hah, haha… ‘chest so big, thighs so white’? This is the first time I’ve ever heard such a thing.”

It was the first time Ewan had ever seen such genuine laughter from the man perpetually shrouded in mystery.

His eyebrows, strikingly similar to Celicia’s, arched sharply, like a sword drawn from its scabbard.

It was as if the entire world trembled with the Emperor’s boisterous laughter.

“Ewan Campbell, you are far more interesting than I had imagined.”

“Huh?” Ewan wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow.

“I don’t understand what Your Majesty means.”

“Even within this palace, I’ve heard many tales of your exploits,” Audrich III paused, “Not exactly good exploits…”

“Rumors! Those are merely malicious rumors! Your Majesty must not believe them so easily!” Ewan retorted, his eyes wide with indignation.

He might have been like that in the past, but the current him bore no resemblance to those so-called ‘bad exploits.’

“However, not long ago, someone lodged a complaint with me, claiming that you, relying on your status as a duke’s son, acted wantonly at the academy, engaging in scandalous and unbecoming behavior for a noble… such as streaking.”

“Pfft…”

Ewan nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

‘What the hell? Why would such a trivial matter reach His Majesty’s ears, all the way in the palace?’

‘Is Your Majesty truly that bored?’

“There were also reports of you arbitrarily oppressing other noble scions, leading a debauched private life, and juggling a dozen or so lovers. I won’t list them all; suffice it to say, they were tales I’d grown weary of hearing.”

Audrich III spoke casually: “But just recently, I heard different news. It was said that you had turned over a new leaf at the academy, studying diligently, and that your conduct had begun to align with that of a true duke’s son, as if you were a changed person.”

“…Bearing the hopes of my family… and my parents, one must always try to strive, mustn’t one?” Ewan replied with a smile.

“Heh heh, is that so?”

Audrich III remained noncommittal, continuing: “Such a sudden transformation in a person naturally piques my curiosity. So, I decided to summon you, wishing to see for myself whether the rumors were true or false.”

“…And has Your Majesty discerned anything?”

“…” Audrich III turned back, offering a faint smile.

“You guess.”

Pfft…

‘Your Majesty, must you be so mischievous!’

Ewan felt a sudden surge of frustration, a breath caught in his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable by Audrich III’s unexpected playfulness.

But then, a flicker of understanding ignited in his heart.

‘Is His Majesty… testing me?’

‘Or rather, testing the Campbell family?’

“Ewan Campbell, I will ask you one last question.”

Audrich III no longer gazed down at the city below, instead looking up to stare at the setting sun.

“What do you desire for your future?”

“My future?”

“Precisely.”

Audrich elaborated: “You are currently the son of a duke, the fiancé of a princess. You possess noble status, inexhaustible wealth, and power within easy reach.

It is imaginable how bright the future awaiting you will be.

And when you step into that radiant future, possessing things that ordinary people could not attain in a lifetime, what will you desire then?”

“I…”

Ewan was taken aback.

‘What do you want for your future?’ This was truly the most difficult question in the world to answer.

For no one could truly predict their future self.

However, for Ewan, the answer to this question had long been settled.

Thus, under the gentle sunset, Ewan scratched his cheek, a hint of childlike shyness in his expression, as if a child declaring their dreams to a parent. He softly said, “I wish to live… happily.”

Indeed.

To live happily.

This had been his ultimate goal since transmigrating to this world, through all he had experienced, all he had faced, and all his brushes with death, it remained unchanged.

He was the villainous ‘yellow-haired’ character in the story.

He was coveted by an evil god, hated by fate.

But he still wanted to live.

And to live happily.

It was that simple.

“Is that so?”

But Audrich III suddenly turned, looking at him with pity:

“For you, that truly is the most difficult thing in the world to obtain.”