If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 111

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While guiding him through the imperial palace, I maintained a bright smile on the surface, but I did not relax my guard against Emilio Hwibrik for even a moment.

 

“How do you find it?”

 

“A quiet and beautiful garden. This marble pavilion in particular feels like a massive work of art in itself.”

 

“I thought you might like it. It seemed to me that this place’s elegance resembles your atmosphere, Marquis.”

 

“Elegance is too generous a compliment.”

 

“Not at all.”

 

As we finished looking around and were about to leave the pavilion, he descended the stairs ahead of me and extended one hand. “Your Highness, your hand. There are steps.”

 

“…”

 

“Do I make you uncomfortable? Then perhaps your personal knight—”

 

“No. I’ll accept your help, Marquis.” I silently accepted his somewhat excessive courtesy.

 

He lightly held only the first two joints of my fingertips. Originally, I had intended to tour the imperial palace alone with him so as not to arouse Emilio’s suspicion. But instead, Emilio himself had insisted that Regen accompany us during the tour, so now Regen walked quietly three steps behind us.

 

Emilio Hwibrik truly was an extraordinary man. Keeping those you must be wary of close at hand was a textbook strategy, but not something done with ordinary nerve. To place the friend you betrayed behind your own back required courage bordering on recklessness.

 

What is he thinking? It was not easy to read his thoughts or intentions. The calm, scholarly exterior and carefully arranged gentle expression of Emilio Hwibrik were obstacles in many ways. And one more thing.

 

“Marquis Hwibrik.”

 

“Please call me Emilio.”

 

“…Very well. Lord Emilio.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness. What did you wish to say?”

 

“The stairs ended quite a while ago.”

 

“Oh dear, my apologies.”

 

Even his subtly boundary-crossing behavior added to the confusion. There were too many elements disrupting my composure. I withdrew my hand from his.

 

Honestly, this situation was unexpected. I had only anticipated that he would passively accept the misunderstanding I created while remaining cautious. I never imagined he would act so openly attentive toward me, even where the mad emperor could not see. Was this a ploy to throw me off balance and drag me into his pace?

 

As I stared at Emilio, he returned my gaze calmly, eyes settled and quiet. I assumed we had silently agreed to openly probe each other. But perhaps that assumption was mine alone.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“…”

 

“You are truly beautiful.”

 

“…”

 

Speaking so leisurely while the person he betrayed stood right behind him did not align with my common sense. I tried to dissect Emilio’s psychology, searching for the most rational and logical explanation possible. I did not believe for a second that this apparent attempt to win my favor was sincere. There had to be another purpose.

 

What benefit could he possibly gain from this? A practical advantage was hard to imagine. Then, assuming Emilio Hwibrik was still human, I considered another possibility. A psychological benefit. Could he be doing this to show Regen?

 

Just as that thought occurred to me, that perhaps his goal was childish provocation, Emilio smoothly changed the subject. “Come to think of it, the personal knight behind you.”

 

“…”

 

“I heard he is from the eastern region.”

 

If I turned around now, acknowledging Regen, I would only assist Emilio’s provocation. His gaze slid subtly past my shoulder. I did not give him the chance to address Regen directly.

 

“Yes. Being from the same homeland, perhaps you feel some familiarity.”

 

“Yes, a little. May I ask the knight’s name?”

 

“Sir Regen.”

 

“Regen… A fine name.” The way he murmured it softly, eyes seeming lost in memory, was unbearably artificial. But that wasn’t the end of it. “It is actually a very special name to me. A nickname of a long-time friend of mine.”

 

“…A friend?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He had no right to utter that word.

 

I deliberately raised my voice and gaze, preventing them from sinking low. “By friend, you mean the third prince of Lohengrin, correct?”

 

“That’s right. You know of him.”

 

“Of course I do. Wasn’t he the enemy commander whose head you personally severed, Lord Emilio? Thanks to that, the prolonged eastern war ended, and you elevated Lohengrin into an autonomous territory. I know that very well. In fact, I—” I deliberately stepped closer, invading his space. “Have taken quite an interest in you, Lord Emilio.”

 

“…”

 

His ash-gray eyes briefly widened before settling again. “Your Highness, do you truly think so?”

 

“Think what?”

 

“That my friend is dead?”

 

It was a probing question.

 

I placed a finger against my lips. “Shh, Lord Emilio. Please refrain from inappropriate questions.”

 

“…”

 

“The person who must provide certainty on that matter is you, not me. Asking me makes it sound as though the third prince of Lohengrin might still be alive. And if that were the case, the one in the greatest trouble would be you.”

 

“…”

 

“If one were careless, people might even suspect you secretly helped your friend escape.”

 

I deliberately delivered the words in a light, almost sing-song tone, though even to my own ears it sounded irritatingly sharp. I secretly hoped to see even the slightest flicker of agitation. But instead, Emilio gave a fresh, gentle smile that dampened my mood.

 

“This is very enjoyable.”

 

“What is enjoyable?”

 

“Simply conversing with Your Highness. Even just hearing Your Highness’s voice feels pleasant.”

 

“…”

 

…Just now, wasn’t he like Dominic? Even sharing the same air with him was beginning to feel unpleasant.

 

“Your Highness is correct. My friend is dead. Shall we talk about my deceased friend, then?”

 

“Very well. I would like to hear.” I was so eager to hear what nonsense he would say that I nearly let out a scoff.

 

“Regenhart was—”

 

The moment he spoke the first words, I flinched. It was because, without warning, Emilio stepped closer and reached toward me. After removing a fallen leaf from my sleeve, he did not step back. The distance between us remained unchanged. Still standing close, he sank into recollection.

 

“A friend who had been with me since we were old enough to understand the world. People like me mature early, so you could call us childhood companions. In truth, when we first met, I never imagined we would become friends. He was a prince born into light and blessings, loved by the entire world, while I was an illegitimate child of a viscount’s family, forced to tread only in the shadows. But do you know how we became close?”

 

“I wonder.”

 

“Surprisingly, he and I had an unexpected point in common.”

 

“And what was that?”

 

“Our tastes.”

 

“…”

 

The answer was so unexpected that my eyes widened. As if amused by my reaction, Emilio’s lips curved lazily upward.

 

Another small leaf clung to my sleeve. Once again, Emilio displayed excessive courtesy by removing it, but what followed crossed the line. Holding the leaf, his fingertips traced upward along my arm. The dry edge of the leaf brushed against the fabric, the sensation traveling from my wrist up my arm to my shoulder.

 

“He and I shared the same tastes. The artworks we found beautiful, the melodies that sweetly stirred our ears, the foods we considered delicacies, the fragrances that captivated us… As though it were a joke played by God, we shared identical sensibilities. Where I felt moved, he felt awe. Where I felt fondness, he felt longing.”

 

“That’s remarkable. A friend you get along so well…”

 

…And then betray him.

 

“…You have gained someone like that.”

 

The unpleasant curve in Emilio’s eyes deepened. “Yes. It was fascinating. Amusing even. Someone so aligned with me in heart and taste. We grew close with a bond stronger than twins. But that joy and pleasure didn’t last long. At least, not for me.”

 

“Why?”