"Would twice the amount of gold be sufficient?"
"No, thank you."
"Maybe even triple?"
"I'm not interested."
"…"
Verd was the ruler of the Imperial family, and his rank was Emperor. No
matter how much Jaekiel was the key to his plans, he couldn't let himself be
led around.
The Emperor absentmindedly swirled the holy grail.
Jaekiel seemed to have come here fully prepared, but the Emperor was
equally determined. He decided to take this seriously.
"Don't mistake the Audience Room for a pawnshop. There's a limit to the
treasures I can give right now. Once we set the amount of gold, I'll
distribute it step by step…"
"Sun Water."
"…?"
"I want Sun Water. Forget the rest."
The Emperor was momentarily at a loss for words.
To ask for Sun Water so casually was astonishing. Even when the Emperor
sought it himself, he could only obtain a few drops a month at best.
But there was something even more surprising.
'Has he started to realize his exact value?'
Jaekiel had named the exact price that the Emperor had vaguely thought
was right for him.
And there was no way he could avoid giving it to him.
Jaekiel's blue eyes gleamed. His entire demeanor radiated with a
determined will to get what he wanted.
"Look here… Jaekiel."
The Emperor's robes swished through the air, and he ran a hand over his
face.
"I've already given the entirety of my Sun Water to the First Princess. I
don't have any left to give."
"I know."
"Hmm?"
"I know how precious Sun Water is. It must be difficult even for you to
obtain."
"That's right. You understand correctly."
"But I have a suggestion."
"A suggestion? What is it?"
Jaekiel confidently responded.
"Just give me one drop a month. That makes two drops in total. Isn't that
possible?"
"…"
"It seems like a very simple solution."
Simple, indeed. Very simple.
…As if he didn't know that.
Even the Emperor wasn't unaware of that.
"The newly rich quickly forget the value of gold. You're the same. Jaekiel,
have you already forgotten the value of Sun Water after just one taste?"
"I know it's precious, but so am I."
"Hmm."
That's true. He's not wrong.
Even so, the Emperor shook his head. It wasn't about the value; he was
worried Jaekiel might develop bad habits.
"Let go of your attachment to the Sun Water. It's no exaggeration to say it's
the most precious thing in the world. And yet you ask for it every time?
Absolutely not."
At least he wasn't lying.
Sun Water—an elixir that promises immortality—was indeed priceless.
"Then I have no choice."
Jaekiel began to walk toward the door.
"Your earlier tantrum won't work again."
The Emperor muttered as he fiddled with the surface of the apple.
Jaekiel, once like a puppet, was now showing unexpected behavior, but the
Emperor was getting used to it. In the end, it was still the Emperor who
ruled the continent.
There was no reason for him to lose his composure.
"You say you'll write a will and die? Do you plan to leave a deep scar on
the princesses? Isn't that utterly irresponsible? You're full of selfishness."
"I'm not going to the Literary Office."
The Emperor tilted his head slightly.
"Then where are you going?"
"I think I'll wander the world, going from one hard-to-find place to another.
I've always been a drifter, after all."
"Suddenly, you're a wanderer?"
"My life is limited. If the princesses were to see me die, it would be too
shocking for them. I'd rather disappear quietly and die in solitude."
"…"
The Emperor tightened his grip on the apple.
"…You'll disappear without a trace?"
"Yes. You said I was selfish, but this would be a way to protect the
princesses, wouldn't it? It's better they think I went missing than see me
die."
The Emperor took a slow, deep breath.
"This fool…"
Jaekiel disappearing now?
It would be a loss—a massive loss for the Imperial family.
Why were the five conditions created in the first place?
The Emperor had been vehemently opposed to the marriage, but the five
princesses had eagerly accepted Jaekiel's proposal. He couldn't withstand
the wave of their approval.
In other words, they had opened their hearts to Jaekiel. If he disappeared, it
would surely lead to chaos.
'After all the effort I put into raising my children… '
If the Imperial family was a grand mansion on the continent, the five
princesses were its pillars. Whether those pillars stood or crumbled now
depended on Jaekiel.
"Consider the matter with the First Princess a failure. I'll live the rest of my
life humbly and then pass away."
"…Wait."
"Yes?"
"I ordered you to wait."
The Emperor sighed deeply as he spoke.
It wasn't just that losing a valuable asset like Jaekiel would be a problem.
The bigger issue was that the princesses would soon start investigating why
he disappeared.
It wouldn't just be about blaming the Emperor. They would search the
entire continent—or even cause complete chaos—to find him.
It would be an enormous waste of manpower and time.
"I'll grant you two drops."
"Hmm?"
Jaekiel tilted his head nonchalantly.
"Why two drops?"
"What?"
"Your Majesty, it should be three drops."
"Didn't you mention two drops yourself?"
"Upon reflection, I deserve more. After all, I'm receiving it through the
First Princess."
"…"
"No, even three drops won't suffice. I haven't been feeling well lately, and I
need at least five drops to prepare for the next mission…"
"…Make it three drops. Three."
"Thank you."
Crunch!
The apple in the Emperor's hand burst from the pressure. Normally, it
should've been Jaekiel's head, not the apple. What on earth was happening?
'I can't believe I'm really going to end up raising this brat like my son-inlaw.'
The Emperor was generally indifferent to most things.
When he discovered Jaekiel in the Penitence Palace, he had thought of him
as nothing more than a finely crafted puppet—a tool to be replaced
eventually. That was all.
But Jaekiel was changing many things.
He had changed himself, changed the princesses, and now, perhaps… he
was even influencing the Emperor.
The Emperor looked down at his robes, suddenly feeling a sense of selfawareness.
'…Am I really being influenced? Me, of all people?'
It was something he was experiencing for the first time—a truly unfamiliar
change.
Regardless, it was now something that couldn't be undone.
"Ilaref, reveal yourself."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The air in the Audience Room shimmered like a mirage, and a tall man
appeared. He was Ilaref, the silent servant who acted as the Emperor's
hands and feet.
"Draft a contract. Over the course of three months, we will provide a total
of three drops of Sun Water."
"Three drops? You're granting a full three drops?"
"Don't question it."
"…My apologies. I will obey."
As Ilaref quickly vanished, Jaekiel nodded in satisfaction.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's great generosity."
"I never expected your schemes to become so intricate."
As humans gain honor and power, they become more concerned with
appearances. Eventually, their pride becomes a shackle, preventing them
from doing anything that might damage it…
…But Jaekiel had nothing to lose. As a man with a limited lifespan, his
boldness made him difficult to deal with.
"Thanks to the Sun Water, your lifespan will be greatly extended. You'd
better be prepared to be worked to the bone."
"I'll do anything for the Sun Water."
"Hmm."
The Emperor slowly sipped from the holy grail.
'Yes, even three drops are a bargain.'
The truth was, even after Jaekiel, the Emperor had tried to create other
weapons, but no masterpiece as extraordinary as Jaekiel had ever emerged
again on the continent.
It was true that Sun Water was extraordinarily precious, but Jaekiel's
growth was just as remarkable. If he lived long and continued to work, it
would bring the Emperor considerable benefits.
'Come to think of it, this isn't such a bad deal after all.'
Just as the Emperor was thinking that…
Ilaref reappeared.
"Your Majesty, I've finished drafting the contract."
"Good work."
"Additionally, here is the elixir you promised earlier."
The Emperor's hand, which had been fiddling with the apple, suddenly
froze.
'Elixir? Of all things, the ones stored on the third floor of the Royal
Treasury… '
Ilaref had selected only the finest elixirs from the vast supply available. In
this moment, the Emperor couldn't decide whether to praise or scold him.
"Since I've already agreed to give the Sun Water, there's no need to grant
him the elixirs as well. Return them to their place—"
"Thank you."
Before the Emperor could even finish speaking, Jaekiel snatched the elixirs
out of Ilaref's hand.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Jaekiel drank them all in one go, as casually as a drunkard chugging wine,
without giving anyone a chance to say anything.
"I feel much stronger now. Thank you."
"…Right."
At this point, the Emperor just wanted to send Jaekiel away.
The Emperor's robe swished in the air as if gesturing for Jaekiel to hurry up
and leave.
"You've got the contract; now go. Let's not see each other for a while."
The massive stone door of the Audience Room swung open.
"Looking back, it wasn't such a bad deal. But remember one thing: as you
gain a longer lifespan, you'll need to bear a heavier sense of responsibility."
"Understood."
"Work hard to meet the five conditions and think carefully about the
princesses. You talk about disappearing? There isn't a place on this
continent my eyes can't reach. Today is the last time I'll tolerate your
tantrum."
"I understand."
However…
Even though the door was open, Jaekiel didn't leave.
"But I have one more request."
"…?"
Jaekiel waved the princess's time check in his hand.
"You've already received elixir and Sun Water… what now?"
"I'd like four more of this, please."
Bang!
The Emperor immediately used his mystical power, and the check in
Jaekiel's hand multiplied to five.
Jaekiel was surprised by how quickly the Emperor agreed.
"…You granted this without even hearing me out?"
"Yes."
"Hmm?"
Jaekiel saw this as great news.
Having only one check had been a headache, but now, with five, he could
give one to each princess. Things had just gotten a lot easier.
It was as if the Emperor had read his thoughts when he spoke.
"Jaekiel, I can already guess what you're thinking. You believe that giving
one check to each princess will solve everything, don't you?"
"Yes. Thanks to Your Majesty, it's now possible."
"You really don't understand women, do you?"
The Emperor began to smile faintly.
Up until now, Jaekiel had gained nothing but benefits from his visit to the
Audience Room. But now, he started to feel a little uneasy.
"What do you mean?"
"When one check becomes five, each woman will expect all five to be spent
on her. It won't go the way you're expecting."
"Hmm?"
"Now, whether you get wrung dry or torn into five pieces, that's your
burden to bear. It's your karma."
Jaekiel quickly held out four of the checks.
"Your Majesty, let's just pretend these don't exist…"
"Get out."
Thud!
With a loud bang, the door to the Audience Room slammed shut.
Jaekiel stared blankly at the five checks in his hand.
Uh…
Uh…?
Everything had been going well, but it seemed he had made a mistake at the
end.
…A colossal mistake at that