Flower Dream Chapter 17

“What can you do? This is all because Your Majesty is simply too outstanding.”

Hyeok Ryeoa calmly soothed Shin Ryuwon. Frankly speaking, she could not understand why Shin Ryuwon didn’t wish to become Emperor. If he just set his mind to it, would the Crown Prince’s seat even be a question? He would be more than capable of unifying the entire continent.

Some might call it nonsense, but Hyeok Ryeoa genuinely thought so. In her eyes, Shin Ryuwon was a man born to rule over others.

An unearthly appearance that made one wonder if this was what a dragon incarnated as a human would look like; a vast divine power that couldn’t even be compared to that of other Divine Ones; martial prowess that handled and crushed Royal Guards as if they were children; strategic acumen as brilliant as his force of arms; and even the qualities of a commander who could command seasoned veterans hardened by countless battles.

For the past seven years, following Shin Ryuwon as he frequently embarked on campaigns great and small, Hyeok Ryeoa had been deeply moved by the sight of him freely roaming the battlefield in glory.

The spectacle of lightning striking from the sky and a waterspout rising from the earth each time Shin Ryuwon swung his sword was enough to make her shudder even in recollection. Watching the enemies helplessly crumble before the divine feats he displayed filled her chest to the point of madness.

Others must have felt the same thrill as Hyeok Ryeoa. As someone had once said, Shin Ryuwon was the dragon of the battlefield and the god of victory.

Thus completely captivated by Ryuwon, Hyeok Ryeoa had ultimately offered him her sword of her own will and pledged her loyalty. She was not the only one. Mun Sewon and many others followed Shin Ryuwon with all their hearts.

“How naive you are, Captain Hyeok.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you truly believe that Father is pushing for me to become Crown Prince because he cherishes me?”

“What do you…”

“It is true, of course, that he favors me over my brothers. But he does not love me more than himself.”

“…My apologies, but I am too dull to grasp the meaning of what you are saying.”

“I am saying that to Father, I am nothing more than a chess piece to strike down the enemies who dare challenge the imperial authority, in order to maintain his power.”

Startled by Shin Ryuwon’s stronger-than-expected expression, Hyeok Ryeoa swallowed a breath of air.

“Mother is the same. As a mother, she likely does worry for me, her child. But can we truly say no personal feelings were involved in this selection of consort candidates? If she truly had my best interests at heart, she should not have excluded the Baekhwa Tribe, whatever the reason. What if among their Flower Ones, there is one compatible with me?”

Holding the teapot, Shin Ryuwon poured the now cold tea, a sneer on his lips. The Cheongsong Tribe, to which the Empress’s birth family belonged, and the Yu family, led by her adoptive parents who were her political sponsors, had been clearly losing ground to the Baekhwa Tribe and the Yeon family over the past few years. From the Empress’s perspective, they must be thorns in her eyes.

“Chancellor Yeon, and Uncle, are all the same. Both are egging on and manipulating eldest brother for their own desires. That is what I find displeasing.”

Shin Ryuwon spoke with a face conveying deep disgust. He had lost count of how many times a situation had been unfolding contrary to his own will, the person directly involved, because of the greed of others.

“Putting a person up on the fighting ring as they please for their own benefit—from my standpoint, our parents and those people are no different.”

“Such…!”

“Why? Did I say something wrong?”

“…No.”

Hyeok Ryeoa, who had paused for a moment, affirmed Shin Ryuwon’s words. As someone who had guarded and watched over him all along, she could not bring herself to refute the statement that everyone was trying to use Ryuwon to achieve their own ends.

“This is why I didn’t want to return to the imperial capital…”

Shin Ryuwon murmured in a low, subdued voice. Pretending not to notice Hyeok Ryeoa’s pitying gaze, he brought the teacup to his lips.

As an Imperial Prince, Shin Ryuwon was always surrounded by countless people, but loyal vassals like her and Chief Eunuch Baek were few. Most sought to bask in his reflected glory and use his influence to protect themselves.

That was not all. There were a great many who were envious and jealous of Shin Ryuwon. There were also many who wished he would disappear from the world for their own gain. Even his own blood-related family was like that.

Having grown up surrounded by such people, it was no wonder Ryuwon had fallen into a distrust of humanity. This was also why, after his first manifestation phase, he had not remained in the imperial palace but traveled about on various campaigns.

“In any case, I roughly grasp the situation. I also understand why the Eastern Depot views the matter seriously.”

Letting out a small sigh, Shin Ryuwon composed his expression. Having been lost in thought for a moment with the teacup in hand, he slowly parted his lips.

“The biggest problem, as I see it, is Uncle. He is manipulating eldest brother.”

“Are you saying it is not the First Imperial Prince’s own will to stand in opposition to Your Majesty? I had thought he changed after Her Highness the Princess was born…”

Hyeok Ryeoa voiced her speculation with a cautious attitude. Two years ago, Shin Sangwon’s eldest daughter, Princess Cheonhwa, had been born possessing the Dragon Eyes and had become a great topic of conversation. The First Imperial Prince’s faction had grown rapidly from that point on.

“That influence likely does exist. They do say one’s mindset changes once one has a child. It is probably also true that eldest brother wishes to become the next Emperor. Before I was born, he was the one naturally discussed as Crown Prince, after all… It would be stranger if he had no ambition.”

“Then…”

“However, what I mean is that there is someone who exploited that situation to steer my brother’s ambition in a twisted direction and to drive a wedge between him and me.”

“You are saying that is Prince Uichin.”

“Most likely.”

Shin Ryuwon answered in a voice full of conviction. Though divine beings, the true essence of the Divine Beasts was, in the end, that of beasts. The Divine Ones mixed with their blood were no different. That meant they were not free from the law of the jungle.

“If the hierarchy among Divine Beasts is determined by divine power, then ours is divided by the concentration of divine blood. Perhaps because of that, my brothers have feared me since we were children.”

Shin Ryuwon clearly remembered the look in his brothers’ eyes as they watched him in their childhood. They were distinctly afraid of their youngest brother. They instinctively sensed that no matter what they did, they could never defeat him.

Because of this, throughout their upbringing, the two of them tried their best to avoid clashing with Shin Ryuwon. It was hard to say they shared good fraternal affection, but their relationship wasn’t hostile as it was now either.

“Honestly, hasn’t second brother changed very little? Only eldest brother has changed to the point of becoming a completely different person. What do you think the reason for that is?”

“You mean it’s the difference between having someone whispering in their ear or not?”

“That’s right. Did you not say so yourself earlier? That stirring people up is Chancellor Yeon’s specialty. The one controlling that foxy old man from behind is Prince Uichin. If it’s Uncle, he is more than capable of manipulating not only my naive brother but even Chancellor Yeon as he pleases.”

“…”

“Prince Uichin’s ultimate goal… would be to make eldest brother Emperor and then become the real power behind the Empire.”

Shin Ryuwon guessed Shin Haeryeong’s objective without difficulty. As the divine blood had thinned, the authority of each nation’s ruling class had greatly diminished compared to the past. The Divine Radiance Empire could not avoid this trend either.

Consequently, some nobles had come to secretly harbor dark intentions, thinking that they themselves were not so different from the imperial family. In the Empire’s case, this was true of the Twelve Families. For imperial family members without the Dragon Eyes and nobles with thick divine blood, the difference in divine power was not that great.

It was obvious that this was a scheme to incite the black hearts of such nobles, form public opinion, and ultimately seize real power for himself.

“Then we must quickly drive out Prince Uichin…”

“No, the time is not yet right.”

Shin Ryuwon shook his head. Unless he had committed treason or something of the sort, dealing with a major figure like Prince Uichin was impossible without substantial justification.

“Meeting with this or that person to make my brother Crown Prince is not a crime, is it? If we find fault without reason, we might face backlash instead. There’s also a high chance the other Twelve Families would protest.”

“Mm.”

Hyeok Ryeoa let out a heavy groan. Coming from the Hyeok clan herself, she understood immediately what Shin Ryuwon’s words meant. The Twelve Families were a group that, though they normally squabbled over limited power, would unite in an instant as if nothing had happened when faced with a crisis.

“Above all, for whose benefit would that be?”

“…Pardon?”

“Do you still not understand? Why would the Eastern Depot give you information on my brother’s side? Surely you don’t think that would be possible without Father’s permission?”

“Ah!”

Hyeok Ryeoa’s eyes flew open as if she had been struck on the back of the head. The Eastern Depot was an intelligence agency composed entirely of eunuchs directly under the Emperor. They were loyal solely to the master of the Empire and moved according to his will. Though they occasionally acted on their own judgment, they would never do anything contrary to the Dragon’s heart.

“Th-then, His Majesty deliberately…?”

“Yes. Father’s intent is obvious. If he steps forward directly, the nobles’ backlash will be severe, so he hopes that I, under the guise of a brotherly quarrel, will eliminate his political enemies in his stead. And at the same time, punish my eldest brother who dared harbor rebellious thoughts against me.”

“…”

“Then, once eldest brother and Prince Uichin’s faction have fallen from power by my hand… He will probably push the Crown Prince’s seat onto me, as if he had been waiting for it. Once those two are pushed aside, there will no longer be anyone to oppose my investiture as Crown Prince.”

“Huh…”

Hyeok Ryeoa, who had been listening intently to Shin Ryuwon’s words with bated breath, let out a sound that was hard to tell whether it was a sigh or an exclamation. Realizing the Emperor’s intention made goosebumps rise all over her in an instant.

“But we cannot just sit still like this. If we hadn’t known, that would be one thing… but Your Majesty could be in danger…”

“Danger? Me?”

Shin Ryuwon raised the corner of his lips as if he had heard something ridiculous. It was a smile that betrayed his absolute confidence that no one could dare harm him.