A Madman’s Performance

Expectations for the Emperor’s only legitimate son—a prince who inherited a blessing as powerful as the founding emperor’s—were immense.

The entire continent had supposedly been in an uproar.

But unfortunately, Prince Kaian, far from performing miracles with that grand blessing, struggled even to contain it.

The Imperial family and officials moved heaven and earth to cure the prince, but to no avail.

It was not a disease. Kaian was simply weak.

Ultimately, Kaian’s treatment was halted when he was thirteen. That was also when Kallios was adopted.

Anyway, half of Kaian’s life was spent on treatments, and the other half was spent on life-extending measures.

Since keeping him breathing was the priority, he never received a proper education.

…At least, there was no one in this ballroom who didn’t know that.

That is why these people prattling on about republicanism are so contemptible.

They are looking down on me right now, assuming I know nothing.

Whether I am truly a fool who knows nothing or a bookworm who did nothing but read is not important.

What matters is that these so-called delegates and the nobles of my own country are playing me for a fool—mocking the First Prince of the Empire.

If it were just me they were ignoring, it would be insulting; if they are ignoring this country, it is a blatant diplomatic discourtesy.

Well, they won’t start a war over the pride of a prince who is about to die.

But it is a sufficient excuse to crush the northwesterners who are eager to take their territories and defect to Apellion.

The Apellion fellow was now going back and forth with the Margrave’s eldest son.

The Margrave’s son asked how republicanism was introduced and glanced at me once, while the Apellion fellow explained it in simple terms and looked at me.

The smile he wore looked incredibly vile.

“Is it not fascinating?”

Yes. The size of your audacity is fascinating.

By the way, why did Kallios bring me to a place like this?

I cannot do grand things.

My heart wants to beat them up right now, but with this fragile body, hitting them would only hurt me more.

Winning with words has no merit either.

I would just go from being a prince who lost the throne because he was weak to a prince who is somewhat smart but lost the throne because he was weak.

Moreover, if I were to reveal the meager knowledge I gathered while lazily flipping through pages… I would become a tragic sage of misfortune.

It would only provide more ammunition for those attacking Kallios.

I toyed with my loose ring, spinning it around as I pondered, before deciding on a path.

“It is not fascinating.”

“Pardon?”

“It is not even interesting…”

I turned my head toward Kallios.

His face, catching the scattered light from the crystal chandeliers, was beautiful as always.

I smiled at him.

I decided not to consider what might be going through that small, beautiful head of his.

From the start, the only thing we agreed on was to clearly demonstrate that the three imperial siblings share a close bond.

Though I had expressed my support for him in my own way within the spire, words coming from Isaac’s mouth instead of mine lacked weight.

I wanted to stop people from using my name to stab Kallios.

To do that, everyone had to know.

That I, who am [loved by the Dragon God], cherish Kallios very much…

“Truly annoying.”

…And that I am a degenerate who must never hold the position of Crown Prince.

There is a reason I did not blame Kallios for throwing me into this situation.

I was also planning to do something we hadn’t agreed upon.

The original plan was to be a dim-witted but kind older brother, but I suppose I’ll have to be a dim-witted brother with a bad personality.

It was a sudden change of plan, but I left the important keywords even in this outburst, so I have no regrets.

I picked up my drink and threw it.

If I was going to cause a scene, it was best to be thorough, so my target was the man from the Apellion delegation.

Crash!

So that is the sound a glass makes when it hits a face.

I thought calmly while reaching for the next glass.

“Wh-What is the meaning of this!”

I threw another one at the Apellion man who was shouting in shock.

Ah, he dodged this one.

The glass that brushed past his face shattered on the floor.

The loud noise began to draw everyone’s attention.

“They keep saying things I cannot understand… Kallios. Do they think I am a joke?”

“Shall I kill them for you?”

I was fiddling with the next glass when Kallios interjected.

Hearing “Shall I kill them for you?” from the main villain of this novel…

I felt a chill for a moment, but I didn’t show it and smiled with my mouth open.

As if I were truly delighted by Kallios’s words.

Perhaps I have a talent for acting.

To find that out just before dying. I wonder if I can use it effectively in the next life?

“Is that allowed?”

“If that is what you wish, Brother.”

I don’t wish for that. Take your hand off your sword. Don’t overdo it.

“I—we are an official delegation! What is this rudeness?”

“Rudeness.”

“Since when has Apellion’s neck become so stiff?”

Kallios stepped forward, shielding me with his body.

Wow, this kid has grown a lot.

As he stood in front of me, a head taller than I am, my vision was completely blocked.

He is only nineteen, so he will probably grow more, right?

I looked at his broad shoulders and neatly trimmed hair before quietly shutting my mouth.

In the first place, I wasn’t truly angry; I was just annoyed by their pathetic behavior, and my mood had cleared the moment the glass hit his face.

Besides, the point of making such a scene was to elevate Kallios while lowering myself, so there was no need to act like more of a nuisance.

I hummed and moistened my throat with the glass I was holding.

Cherry wasn’t my favorite flavor, but it tasted good.

Good enough that the glass I threw at the Apellion guy’s face felt like a waste.

“Are you so proud of your republicanism?”

“Your words are excessive, Your Highness.”

The Margrave’s son interjected anxiously, trying to stop Kallios.

The man from the delegation, whose face was red with rage, was so tactless that he ranted about how [Apellion is not a vassal state of Caprese-na].

Well, I became curious about what kind of expression Kallios was making… but it was probably the same as usual.

It was a confrontation between a mere noble delegate and the Crown Prince of the Empire.

Naturally, the conversation did not drag on.

He immediately issued an order for them to leave, and the delegates and the traitors stomped out of the ballroom in a huff.

“Hmph. He should have just killed them.”

I spoke loudly toward their backs as if talking to myself, but loud enough for the people around to hear, and then I picked up a snack brought by a servant.

The shrimp on top was fresh and delicious.

The surroundings were silent.

So silent that the sound of me crunching on the cracker felt loud.

It felt like sitting on a bed of needles, but I couldn’t back down now.

I finished my palate-cleansing drink and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

Only then did I check the faces of the nobles who were staring at me in silence.

I couldn’t memorize them just by looking once, and there was no need to, but it was more impactful that way.

“If it were me, I would have killed them… Kallios is just too kind.”

Kallios looked at me with his dried-rose eyes and asked.

“Shall I kill them?”

Stop it. That will start a war. I shook my head sincerely.

It was a war that would happen someday.

The expiration date of the Arneb-s Imperial family, which is built on myth, has ended.

Right next to Caprese-na is Apellion, where a republican regime has replaced the fallen royal family.

To maintain this Empire, we had to prove that Caprese-na is better than Apellion.

Can’t we just have republicanism?

I would welcome it with both hands if it functioned as well as South Korea, but right now it is absolutely impossible.

With low public education levels and wealth concentrated in the nobility, a republican system would end up like Apellion.

The reality of Apellion is an aristocracy that uses the name of a republic, setting up a puppet Prime Minister instead of a King.

What authority or responsibility is there in a public vote held by drunken nobles snickering among themselves at a party?

The Prime Minister receives some financial gain in exchange for filling the seat, and the nobles gain their freedom.

A mad system where only the commoners die out.

I didn’t know I would end up advocating for absolute monarchy. Life is truly unpredictable.

A single pink flower separated from a group of noble ladies.

Watching her run toward me, I opened my arms.

“Brother!”

I tightly embraced Sierra as she lunged into my arms.