As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 198

Yes, they had met before. The two had crossed swords in the final round of the preliminary matches at the swordsmanship tournament, where Luize participated to obtain the sword of Lensia. Luize recognized him immediately, having seen his face, while Rante was able to recognize her because he was so shocked that ‘Benny’ was a woman that it left a lasting trauma. A strange silence settled between them.

 

When no one spoke up, Robin, looking puzzled, broke the silence. “The situation is urgent. It seems we need to move tonight. Are you okay with that?”

 

“Oh, yes. Of course, that’s fine. I’m on night duty anyway, so I was planning to be out tonight. I’ll go and get uniforms at the level of ordinary knights from the imperial knight orders. It might be a good idea for Lady Servenia to wear a wig… I think I can arrange that as well.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Robin breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Luize. Finally, Luize also smiled softly and nodded.

 

Wait, if Benny’s true identity is Lady Luize di Servenia, and Lady Luize is Lensia’s daughter… Ah, so she participated in the swordsmanship tournament to reclaim her mother’s sword. No wonder she was so strong!

 

As all the pieces fell into place, Rante found himself welcoming Luize and her group with a lighter heart. After all, if she was the daughter of the hero Lensia, it made sense that he had lost to her.

 

* * *

He wandered in the damp darkness for a long time. When he opened his heavy eyes, the first thing that came into view was a book on imperial history. A page with the timeline of events from the 300s was open. The hand resting on the book was as small as a child’s.

 

“Your Highness, are you perhaps dozing off?”

 

“Haha, sorry about that.”

 

Edward smiled at his teacher. The teacher looked at him sternly but then sighed.

 

As a child, Edward thought his teacher merely found him pathetic, but as an adult, he realized the teacher’s attitude was different. The teacher was worried about Edward. The lessons he was teaching were not easy for a child to follow.

 

All the imperial princes had received the same education at the same age. Edward was in no position to question whether he could keep up with the material. The teacher’s duty was to ensure Edward mastered the basics faster than any commoner, especially those from noble families. It was natural because he was a member of the imperial family. The Imperial family had to excel above all others, care for the people of the empire with love, and work with the nobility to build a glorious history for the empire.

 

The teacher made Edward memorize content too difficult for a child to understand, and if he struggled with memorization, he would be taught repeatedly until he mastered it. Even though the imperial family was human like everyone else, to justify their special status, they had to endure rigorous training from a very young age. The teacher, who had taught many children, knew better than anyone how difficult it was for a child to sit still and learn the same material repeatedly when they should be playing. And that very same teacher was killed on the day the previous emperor passed away.

 

What a terrible dream.

 

Edward was the empire’s only prince. Since there were no other imperial family members to take his place, he had no siblings to share the burden of studying. The only consolation for the teacher was that Edward had a sharp mind.

 

Perfect knowledge, perfect manners, perfect physical condition, perfect athletic ability… Edward absorbed everything he was taught as if it were his own. Such talent might have been a blessing for an ordinary person, but for young Edward, it wasn’t much of a help. The faster he learned, the sooner he had to tackle more difficult subjects, and the more perfectly he performed, the more his mistakes stood out. With every new title like ‘perfect,’ ‘first,’ ‘youngest,’ or ‘best,’ he felt as if the ground beneath his feet was shrinking. A single misstep, and he would fall off a cliff. So, he pretended to be even more perfect, crafting an ideal version of himself.

 

“Your Highness must prioritize the well-being of the empire. Remember that Your Highness’s words and actions set the standard for the empire.”

 

“Your Highness, you must love the people of the empire. Our glory began with the first emperor, but it was the hard work and sweat of the people that paved the strong road that allowed that glory to continue.”

 

“Your Highness, you must focus on making the empire more prosperous. With your talents, you will undoubtedly become a great ruler. I’m already looking forward to the Empire’s greatest golden age.”

 

“The lives of the people and the future of the empire rest in your hands, Your Highness.”

 

From flattery to heartfelt advice, countless words directed at him echoed in his ears. And at the age of ten, Edward, as always, became the ‘youngest’ and assumed his duties as crown prince for the first time. Everyone outwardly praised him, but inwardly, they were horrified. How could they ask a mere ten-year-old child to oversee the affairs of the state?

 

“It’s fine. He’ll start with very minor tasks, and Edward has always been the youngest to achieve everything so far. Then, it would be good if everything he does until he ascends to the throne sets records.”

 

The emperor, whose mind was filled with fanciful ideas, made this decision lightly, but the crown prince himself thought differently.

 

Now, it’s truly beginning. No one could replace him. That fact weighed on him like a massive shackle around his ankles.

 

One day, as he slowly grew tired of the same repetitive days, spinning like a hamster on a wheel, Edward looked at his reflection in the mirror and muttered, “But why do I have to live like this?”

 

Just because he was born a prince, he had to endure more difficult lessons and schedules many times more demanding than those of his peers, and even his meals were chosen for him without regard for his preferences. His life was no different from that of a well-trained pet, groomed for display. The vassals all claimed it was for his own good, but Edward felt nothing but weariness at the predetermined future and the burdens he had to bear from the moment he was born.

 

Did he really owe these people anything when none of them treated him as a person?

 

The crown prince, beloved by the people of the empire. That was the crown prince who led the empire, not Edward himself.

 

“I can’t even watch a festival because it’s supposedly dangerous. It’s ridiculous.”

 

At that moment, he was in the small village of Kavan. He had accompanied the emperor to gain practical experience as they attended a festival held in honor of the hero Lensia. The forces guarding in the castle were extremely limited compared to the capital, so he could use magic more freely.

 

“His Highness is missing!”

 

Thus, Edward had escaped.

 

* * *

Despite the bitterly cold weather, the streets were full of life. Edward walked aimlessly, not even sure what he was looking for. The festival street was filled with curiosities he had never seen before. Most of the items were crude and not particularly useful, but that made them even more impressive. Perhaps it was because everything around him had always been the best, the highest quality, and nearly perfect. This imperfect place put him at ease.

 

As expected, no one recognized me. He was the crown prince beloved by the people of the empire, but ironically, no one actually knew who he was.

 

“Hey, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. Do you know your uncle?”

 

It was then that several burly men, who seemed to be from the north, approached him with familiarity. Edward looked at the men with a puzzled expression.

 

“Do you know me?”

 

“Of course we do.”

 

“Of course. Haha!” one of them said, lifting him with one arm and covering his mouth with the other.

 

This can’t be… His ominous feeling was correct.

 

“These misters definitely know you’re worth a lot of money.”

 

Edward relaxed his body and sighed. He planned to deal with them as soon as they reached a secluded spot.

 

“Haha, smart kid, aren’t you? Quick to give up.”

 

The men skillfully surrounded him and headed into an alley. The narrow alley was as dark as night. As they moved farther from the noise, Edward’s mind grew increasingly cold.

 

The crown prince beloved by the empire? The people of the empire? Live for them? This was the result of all his hard work from birth until now, his tireless efforts to become the emperor.

 

“Let me go.”

 

“Oho, if you scream, I’ll kill you.”

 

“…Ha.”

 

Yet, the very people of the empire were now trying to kidnap and sell him.

 

Human trafficking was a serious crime, strictly prohibited in the empire.

 

A sneer formed on Edward’s lips.