If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 96

Bemon was dragged out.

 

From the center of the tidied execution platform, Marquis Osbond spoke again. “Let me introduce you to the next prisoners. Pernan, charged with murder. Perion, also charged with murder.”

 

A short interrogation was conducted. Pernan, who had murdered his parents over an inheritance, was shown with jeers and curses. Perion, who had fed poisoned milk to his younger sibling because he could no longer bear to watch them suffer from an incurable illness, was met with sympathetic sighs.

 

“We must show what kind of judgment an authoritative judge delivers. Duke Arondit, you can do it.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” A middle-aged man with a gentle-looking appearance, who bore little resemblance to Dominic, pretended to deliberate as he looked at the two prisoners.

 

I had no expectation of that old, authoritarian man who curries favor with the mad emperor. He made the decision exactly as I expected.

 

“I will pardon Pernan’s crime.”

 

He pardoned the monstrous man who had killed his parents for money. Naturally, the people erupted. Boos surged from all sides like a tidal wave, yet Duke Arondit didn’t bat an eye.

 

“I merely exercised the power of pardon granted to me by His Majesty. There’s no room for dispute.”

 

The mad emperor smiled as if amused.

 

At that moment, I heard a trembling voice close to me.

 

“…Why in the world?” Regen revealed his confusion as he couldn’t understand. “Even if it’s hypocrisy, couldn’t one at least show compassion? Even the mad emperor did so.”

 

“Are you wondering why Duke Arondit is being this thoroughly evil?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Understanding the root cause of a problem often has the effect of calming confusion.

 

I explained to him. “Compassion is easy. Anyone with a human heart can show it. But pardoning a criminal is difficult. Only a being with transcendent authority can do it. In other words, Duke Arondit pardoned a heinous murderer in order to savor the sense of omnipotence, as if he were a god.”

 

“…”

 

“You look like you didn’t understand a single word. That’s fine. Someone as good-natured as you isn’t supposed to understand a villain’s psychology. It’s normal.”

 

“…How does Sasha know something like that?”

 

“Dominic explained it to me before, so I memorized it. Honestly, I’m just reciting it now.”

 

“…”

 

Regen stayed silent, but he seemed to have regained some composure. Even if he didn’t understand, the conversation itself seemed to have a calming effect.

 

At that moment, the mad emperor straightened his posture, removing his hand from where it had been propping up his chin. “The people are not convinced. Count Gawain, what is your opinion?”

 

“Pardon? I…” Raval flinched at the sudden call.

 

It was an opportunity to overturn the right of pardon, but Arondit’s dog wagged his tail submissively in front of his master.

 

“I believe Duke Arondit’s judgment is perfectly sound.”

 

“Boooo!” The boos that erupted were far louder than when Duke Arondit had made his ruling.

 

As Raval’s shoulders shook pathetically, a dangerous glint flashed in the mad emperor’s blue eyes. “You were the one who brought in that unfortunate young man without showing him any mercy, weren’t you, Count Gawain? You’re essentially killing him twice.”

 

“T-That’s…”

 

“Well then, the fate of the young man named Perion has been decided. Now, shall we move on to something more entertaining?”

 

I had a gut feeling. It’s beginning.

 

The mad emperor gave his command. “Count Gawain, stand at the center of the execution platform.”

 

“Li-Like this?”

 

“More to the right. Yes, next to the murderer. Perfect.”

 

“I-I’m standing.” Raval stood beside the parricide who had killed his parents, smiling awkwardly as he awaited the next order. But there was no ‘next’ for him.

 

“People of the empire, speak now. Between the murder and Count Gawain, which one shall be pardoned?”

 

“Yo-Your Majesty?!” Raval’s panicked cry was drowned out by the roaring voices of the citizens.

 

“Execute Raval Gawain!”

 

“Execute him! Execute him!”

 

“Cut off the head of the incompetent and immoral captain of the capital guard!”

 

Murderous intent poured toward Raval Gawain. Overwhelmed by the deafening cries, he stumbled backward and fell onto his backside.

 

“So that’s their answer.”

 

“Shall we proceed with the execution?” Dominic asked, prodding the mad emperor for his will.

 

Raval, who had fallen, seemed unable to stand as his legs gave out. He pleaded while lying face down. “Yo-Your Majesty! Why are you doing this to me! I am Raval Gawain! Your Majesty’s loyal servant!”

 

When the mad emperor didn’t even pretend to listen, Madam Gawain clung to him. “Your Majesty! Raval is my son! I-I don’t know what he has done wrong, but please, for my sake at least—!”

 

“Oh my, Verche. It’s precisely because he’s your son.”

 

“…What?”

 

The mad emperor ordered Dominic to bring a painting. It was an oil painting depicting three figures that told a story. Against the backdrop of the silhouettes of a man and woman entwined in a bedchamber at the back, a black-haired young man was stealing a crown.

 

“Subversive art seems to be in trend in the capital. It depicts the emperor’s adopted son coveting the throne. If I hadn’t discovered it during today’s procession and ordered Sir Dominic to look into it, I might have overlooked it.”

 

“I-I had no idea such blasphemous things were circulating! I-I’ll immediately hold those responsible strictly to account—”

 

“I’m holding you accountable for it right now.” After scrutinizing the black-haired young man in the painting, the mad emperor spoke. “But you know, no matter how I look at it, the protagonist of this piece resembles you, Raval Gawain.”

 

“Yo-Your Majesty…?”

 

“Come to think of it, if I cherished your mother and treated her as an imperial consort, wouldn’t that make you, in a way, my son?”

 

“…!”

 

At that moment, everyone in the square must have recalled the same phrase.

 

-The mad emperor’s son will kill his father and seize the throne.

 

“Yo-Your Majesty! That’s not true! Absolutely not, Your Majesty!”

 

The mad emperor remained consistently ruthless. “Marquis Osbond.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Make Gawain Raval’s execution entertaining. I’ll give you a week.”

 

“I shall obey.”

 

The death sentence was declared.

 

“Your Majesty, Count Gawain is quite useful. Killing him now would leave a gap in maintaining order in the capital…”

 

“Duke Arondit, are you defying me?”

 

“…No, Your Majesty.”

 

No one dared to show loyalty beyond that.

 

“Your Majesty! You can’t do this! I’ve been so loyal! You can’t treat me this way!”

 

“N-No! No, my son!”

 

Raval screamed until his voice broke as he was dragged away like livestock. Even Madam Gawain, clinging to the mad emperor’s feet, was only to be discarded like a piece of baggage.

 

The mad emperor spoke as if bored. “That concludes the special pardons. Behead all the remaining criminals.”

 

Regen’s palm covered my eyes.

 

✦

The execution of Raval Gawain was carried out slowly over six days. Under the pretense of honoring the former captain of the capital guard, Marquis Osbond put considerable effort into his final moments. Even the prepared execution site was meticulously arranged.

 

Raval Gawain was placed in the capital square, surrounded by a small shack. It was nothing more than a crude structure with walls, a roof, and windows, merely imitating the form of a house. Leaving the shack was, of course, impossible, and no food was provided.

 

Raval Gawain could only survive on the mercy of others who brought him food and drink, and even Marquis Osbond did not block external supplies. However, the citizens surrounded the shack as if laying siege, thoroughly preventing anyone from delivering food or water.

 

One night, as Raval writhed in burning thirst, cursing the sky that refused to rain, something unexpected happened. A woman managed to break through the blockade of citizens and knocked on the window. She had fiery red hair and green eyes. The moment Raval saw her face, resembling a camellia blooming vividly in the dead of winter, he was utterly shocked.

 

Smiling like a goddess of mercy, she placed a drink on the windowsill. Then, she calmly revealed the nature of the drink to Raval, whose eyes wavered, and leisurely observed his choice. In the end, Raval died of dehydration that night.