“Nice to see you. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

At Ian’s casual smile, Leonic recoiled in shock, his voice trembling.

“H-How are you here?”

He was certain he had confirmed through the shadows that Ian’s life was in danger. He had heard the bastard had collapsed, and even Ian’s knights had abandoned their posts.

He had seen the wound on Sang with his own eyes. Yet, no matter how he looked at Ian now, he seemed completely unharmed.

‘I… I can’t believe it. What the hell is going on?’

But while Leonic struggled to grasp the situation, Ian remained perfectly calm.

“Why? Were you expecting something to happen to me?”

Ian’s sharp gaze pierced through him. Leonic hesitated and waved his hand dismissively.

“N… no, that’s not it. I was just wondering how you got in here…”

His eyes darted around the room. This was the Emperor’s private chamber—an area even the Imperial Knights couldn’t enter without permission. There should have been no one here but himself.

Regaining his composure, he spoke firmly, “This is the Emperor’s chamber. Even if we are sworn brothers, it’s difficult for you to just walk in—”

“Bullshit. Cut the act.”

“!”

Leonic flinched at Ian’s icy tone. The warmth in his brotherly mask had vanished, replaced by a cold, piercing stare.

“Sworn brother? Don’t make me laugh. Why would I care about the words of a traitor who tried to kill me?”

“What…”

“Why? Are you upset that I didn’t die like you planned?”

“!”

Leonic’s eyes trembled. How does he know?!

‘Did… did Sang betray me?’

No. That was impossible. Sang was his most devoted pawn, someone he had meticulously molded. He had destroyed Sang’s family, making betrayal unthinkable.

Then, realization struck.

‘Of course. It’s this bastard. What the hell did he do this time?’

Sang couldn’t have turned against him. Ian must have staged something. A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Leonic’s eyes.

‘The knights guarding him aren’t here, either. If I act now…’

Casually, he reached for the ornamental sword resting on a nearby bookshelf, keeping his expression composed. He forced a smile.

“How could I ever do that? We’re sworn brothers, aren’t we? Who would try to kill their own brother?”

“Really?”

“Of course. Didn’t we make a promise?”

Leonic’s fingers inched closer to the sword, his movements slow and deliberate. Just a little more—

“That you would make me Emperor, and that Cantum and Kaistein, under my rule, would be eternal allies.”

“Hm? Is that so?”

“Of course. I always keep my promises. Would you like proof?”

“Sure. Show me.”

With a smooth motion, Leonic pretended to offer the Imperial Seal with one hand. But his other hand, now within reach of the sword, gripped the hilt tightly.

Grab.

His eyes gleamed.

“This is the proof!”

Without hesitation, Leonic swung the blade at Ian’s neck.

Clang!

Steel met steel, Ian’s sword effortlessly intercepting the attack. The impact sent Leonic’s weapon flying. His face twisted in shock.

“H-how… how did you know?”

Ian smirked.

“I told you. I know you’re a traitor. Did you really think I wouldn’t see this coming?”

It wasn’t an empty boast. Ian had been watching him from the moment he entered. The way he searched for the Imperial Seal. The feigned generosity as he pretended to hand it over. The subtle glance toward the exit, calculating his escape route.

‘Letting your guard down against someone like this? Impossible.’

A traitor would always betray again. Ian had learned that lesson well—from Duke Garcia, from his past life. He wouldn’t make the mistake of trusting blindly again.

Now, trapped between Ian and the sealed chamber doors, Leonic was visibly flustered. The corners of Ian’s lips curled into a slow smirk.

“Well, now… What should I do with a traitor like you?”

“G-Guards! Is there no one out there?!”

Leonic’s panicked voice echoed through the chamber. He knew Ian’s strength—there was no winning this fight. His only hope was summoning help.

But no one would come. The Emperor’s chamber was soundproof. His cries would never reach the knights outside.

Ian stepped closer.

“Do you really think the knights outside will come? Is that the best you could come up with?”

Leonic instinctively began to back away.

“D-Don’t come any closer! If you take another step—”

“Come closer? And then what? Scream?”

Ian’s smile only deepened, while Leonic’s expression twisted in desperation. Like a wounded beast, his eyes burned with defiance. Then, he suddenly lifted the Imperial Seal.

“If you take one more step, I’ll break this Imperial Seal.”

“What are you even talking about? Do you think if you do that, I’ll say, ‘Oh no, please don’t break it!’? That I’ll beg you?”

“W-What?”

“The Imperial Seal of Cantum means nothing to me. I’m from Kaistein.”

Ian smirked, his expression mocking. But more than that, he raised his sword and aimed it at Leonic’s neck.

Leonic, desperate, shouted, “Don’t be ridiculous! You think I don’t know why you’ve been secretly following me all this time?!”

Even if he was at a disadvantage, Leonic wasn’t a fool. There could only be one reason why Ian, who was supposed to be dead, had faked his death and followed him.

‘He must be after the Imperial Seal—to end the succession war immediately.’

If Ian wanted to eliminate both Cantum’s contenders and Leon, he would need the Imperial Seal.

“It was As, wasn’t it? The prince you’re backing. That guy needs this to become Emperor.”

The Imperial Seal wasn’t just a symbol of the Emperor—it was the key to the throne. The only reason the Second Prince hadn’t deposed the Emperor and declared himself Crown Prince was because he lacked the Imperial Seal. He had been waiting for a new one to be made.

Leonic continued, “It’ll take at least two years to create a new Imperial Seal. But if you have this, you can shorten that time.”

With the Imperial Seal and the rightful claim to the throne, combined with the necessary support, one could secure the position of Emperor. However, the seal itself was not indestructible.

“No matter how fast you are, you won’t be faster than me breaking this seal.”

If he simply threw it to the ground, it would shatter. But Ian just chuckled.

“At least you’re not completely clueless.”

“Then leave this room—”

“Shut up. I don’t need that thing to achieve my goal. I… never forgive those who betray me.”

“!?”

Ian’s sword pressed deeper against Leonic’s throat. He was serious—he was really about to kill him. Panic flickered across Leonic’s face.

“I-I’ll really do it! I’ll break it!”

“Go ahead. It might be a slight inconvenience for me, but for you? It’ll be your downfall.”

“…”

Instead, he would go down in history as the one who shattered the Emperor’s Imperial Seal, a symbol of long standing tradition. As this realization sank in, Leonic clenched his teeth.

Bang!

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“Your Highness!”

“What’s happening?!”

The knights stationed outside rushed in at the sound. The Emperor’s chamber was soundproof—meaning they shouldn’t have been able to hear anything. Leonic realized his luck had finally turned.

“Here! There’s an assassin!”

“Huh? A sword pointed at His Highness?”

“How did an assassin get in here? Stop him immediately!”

Seeing Ian’s blade at Leonic’s throat, the knights sprang into action.

Ian spoke one last time. “Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“Regret? You’re the one who’s about to die!”

“Even so, I’ll give you one last chance. A final chance to apologize to me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I apologize to a dead man?!”

Leonic shouted triumphantly. Then, pointing at Ian, he commanded, “Kill him!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Two knights charged at Ian. But Ian only smiled. Instead of drawing his sword, he calmly sheathed it and stood still.

Leonic’s eyes widened in confusion.

‘What is he thinking?’

Still, there was nothing to worry about. No matter how skilled Ian was, taking on two knights at once wouldn’t be easy.

‘I just need to slip away in the meantime.’

Once he escaped with the Imperial Seal, he could reclaim the throne and exact his revenge on Kaistein. He had already secured Leon’s support—nothing stood in his way.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Clang!

The two knights who had charged at Ian suddenly turned their swords—aiming them at Leonic’s neck.

Leonic’s voice trembled. “W-What are you doing?! The enemy isn’t me—it’s him!”

But the knights only smirked. One of them even snatched the Imperial Seal from his grasp. Smiling, he said,

“Thanks for retrieving this for us.”

The smug expression on his face made Leonic want to punch him.

The knight then turned and presented the Imperial Seal to Ian.

“A gift from the Lord’s right-hand man.”

Ian took the seal, inspecting it.

“Right-hand man? Isn’t that Sir Galon?”

“Th-Then… shall we say the left-hand man?”

Ian sighed. “Sir Nathan, let’s stop with the jokes. Now then, Sir Galon. Shall we finish this?”

“As you command, my lord.”

“!?”

Leonic’s eyes widened.

Those knights weren’t part of the Imperial Army—they weren’t the ones who had let him in. They were Ian’s men all along.

Leonic’s voice shook. “W-When… When did you—?”

He wanted to know when Ian had swapped out the knights.

Ian smirked.

“From the very beginning.”

Leonic’s face paled in despair.

***

(Flashback)

Sang thrust his dagger toward Ian.

Stab!

Blood spurted from the wound. But it wasn’t Ian’s blood.

“What…!”

Ian turned around. Sang stood there, frowning—his own arm impaled by the dagger.

Ian’s eyes widened. “I told you to stab me, you idiot!”

In truth, it wouldn’t have mattered if Sang had stabbed him. Ian wore the Cloak of the First King. A simple dagger—especially one without magic—wouldn’t have been able to pierce it.

He had planned to let Sang realize his mistake when the blade failed to cut through.

‘But he stabbed himself instead…’

Ian quickly moved to stop the bleeding from Sang’s injured arm.

“Why would you do something so foolish…?”

But Sang bit his lip and whispered, “I… I couldn’t do it.”

Sang’s eyes became moist.

“I’ve already been betrayed once. If I betrayed you, too… it would be like betraying myself all over again.”

He had dedicated his life to avenging his family. To believe in the promise that no one else would suffer as he had. Leonic’s words had been sweet, easy to fall for.

But Ian was different.

‘He actually cares about me.’

Even after Sang had tried to stab him, Ian was more worried about his wound than anything else. The pain in his arm was nothing compared to the warmth now settling in his chest.

‘Prince Leonic was never like this. He only ever pretended to care. He never truly worried about me.’

Even now, it was the same.

Sang had risked his life for Leonic, but the only thing Leonic had sent was orders—never concern.

‘Come to think of it, my family’s destruction was suspicious, too. Was it really the eunuchs who manipulated the Emperor?’

Wasn’t it Prince Leonic who had controlled the eunuchs all along? If so, wasn’t it likely that he was behind everything from the start?

Determined, Sang spoke firmly, “I will not deceive you. And I will no longer deceive myself.”

With unwavering resolve, Sang looked at Ian, who was tending to his wound. Then, without hesitation, he knelt.

“Please… accept me, despite my shortcomings.”

Ian finished bandaging Sang’s arm and stood. His expression was firm.

“I refuse.”

“…Pardon? Why…”

Sang’s face fell in despair. Was Ian rejecting him because he had once served Leonic? But that wasn’t the reason.

“Promise me. Swear that you will never harm yourself again. Pledge that you will dedicate your life and body to my cause. If you do that—then I will accept you.”

“!”

Sang’s eyes trembled at Ian’s words. He hadn’t expected such a response. After a brief moment, his eyes grew misty, and he lowered his head.

“I swear… I will never harm myself again. From this moment on, I dedicate my life to you, my lord.”

A faint glow surrounded Sang’s body—a light only Ian could see.

With that, Ian had gained something invaluable. Leonic’s most trusted strategist was now his. And beyond that, he had secured an irreplaceable left-hand man.

***

At Ian’s command, Nathan secured Leonic tightly before approaching with an eager expression.

“Is there anything else you’d like me to do?”

Nathan was burning with ambition, determined to become Ian’s right-hand man at all costs. But Ian merely chuckled.

“Wait. Someone will be arriving soon.”

“Pardon? Who?” Nathan asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Just then, the doors to the Emperor’s chamber swung open, and a figure stepped inside—one Nathan immediately recognized.

“Huh? You’re…?”

“So, you’ve captured the Crown Prince, my lord,” the man said smoothly.

It was Sang. But he wasn’t alone.

“Hohoho, it’s an honor to meet you, Prince Ian.”

Beside him stood a man dressed as a eunuch. The moment Leonic laid eyes on him, his expression twisted.

“You… Could it be—Chief Eunuch Jin-gi?”

It was inevitable that Leonic would recognize him. Jin-gi was one of the eleven Chief Eunuchs who controlled thousands of servants within the palace. More than that, he had been one of Leonic’s trusted subordinates.

“How could you betray me…?” Leonic seethed.

But Jin-gi merely gave him a cold, measured look.

“Was it not you who betrayed first, Prince Leonic?”

“Stop it, Brother,” Sang interjected.

“Hohoho. Should I, little brother?” Jin-gi replied with a sly smile.

Leonic’s face contorted in shock.

“W-What? Brother? What are you talking about…?”

Leonic was a man who trusted no one—not even his closest subordinates. He prided himself on thorough investigations, digging into the backgrounds of everyone around him. There was no way he wouldn’t have uncovered such a connection.

But Sang calmly explained, “The Chief Eunuch is my half-brother. We were separated when we were young, but he castrated himself to infiltrate the palace and avenge our family.”

“!”

Their connection had been meticulously hidden. They had been raised apart to ensure secrecy, with Jin-gi’s background scrubbed clean to allow him to become a eunuch without suspicion. That’s why Sang made a proposal to Ian.

“Chief Eunuch Jin-gi is my brother. Prince Leonic will inevitably try to recover the Imperial Seal—so let’s wait and seize both the seal and Leonic himself.”

With Jin-gi on their side, it had been easy to replace the Imperial Army with Ian’s own knights. The moment Leonic entered the chamber, the swap had already been completed.

Leonic’s face twisted in rage.

“You bastards…! You’re humiliating me.”

How many times had he been betrayed now? First by Ian, and now by those he had trusted most. His pride was crumbling under the weight of it all.

But Ian remained composed.

“Now that we have both the Imperial Seal and Leonic, you know what comes next, don’t you?”

“Of course. I will arrange an immediate meeting with the Second Prince—no, the Crown Prince,” Jin-gi replied smoothly.

“Alright.”

Ian smirked.

Leonic would serve as the perfect offering.

Soon, it would be Leon’s turn—the traitor who had deceived Ian, betrayed his homeland, and had driven his mother and sister into suffering—to experience true despair.

Author's Thoughts

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