tyrant chapter 13

Duke Delcart, having just returned from conquering yet another kingdom, flinched at the sight of Prince Karta steeped in worry. “If you’re thinking of running, I’ll only take one arm. Consider it a special pardon.” The Duke, backpedaling, forced a smile and approached the prince. “Your Highness. I took a shortcut and arrived a bit early.” The prince nodded, his gaze fixed on the knights just entering the palace.

“Do you have any further commands?” the perceptive Duke inquired. Karta nodded, observing the knights. “How many among them are tall, well-built, handsome, kind-hearted, and wealthy?”

“Hmm.” Duke Delcart surveyed the knights with a serious expression. Height and physique were a given, but… “While I’m unsure about the rest, possessing both wealth and a good character is rare.”

Karta gazed at the knights with a look of despair.

“Is something the matter?” At Delcart’s question, Karta nodded.

“Just say the word, Your Highness. I’ll take care of it.” Karta nodded at Delcart’s loyalty.

“I believe you’re the right man for the job.”

“Pardon?” Karta had pointed to Delcart out of the blue.

The two were as close as childhood friends. Karta’s swordsmanship had been exceptional since he was young, and because of that, his training partner had been Delcart, three years his senior.

“Fiogen wants to experience romance.” Karta looked at Duke Delcart with a complicated expression. Delcart, looking utterly terrified, opened and closed his mouth repeatedly.

“Princess Fiogen, Your Highness?”

“Yes. I can’t think of anyone else who fits the bill.”

Romance the princess of a fallen kingdom? Delcart’s situation had become quite awkward. He was, after all, one of the most sought-after men in the empire.

“Why must I romance Your Highness’s… lover?” Duke Delcart asked earnestly. Karta sighed, shaking his head. “Our relationship is far beyond that of mere lovers.” He spoke as if their bond was something much deeper. Delcart quickly nodded in agreement.

“Precisely! Your Highness and the Princess share a bond deeper than that of lovers. I fail to see why I should be involved…” The more he thought about it, the more perplexing it became. There was a saying that lovers’ quarrels couldn’t be settled with a sword. He felt uneasy, worried he’d be caught in the crossfire.

“Fiogen isn’t a ‘lover’ to me. She’s more precious than my own life.”

At Karta’s words, Delcart tilted his head. “More precious than life? …So, why must I meet such a treasured individual?”

“Because Fiogen wants to experience romance.” Karta looked down at the Duke as if he should have known.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, do you even understand what romance entails?” Delcart asked cautiously. While Delcart had a busy schedule, he had experienced romance through a few dates. Prince Karta, on the other hand, was branded as more terrifying than a ghost within the empire. He couldn’t possibly have experienced anything like romance.

“Now that you mention it, I am curious. What exactly is romance?”

Delcart sighed with a troubled expression. “Romance isn’t just about dining and drinking tea.” It was far more complicated than that. The prince nodded slightly.

“Fiogen doesn’t enjoy eating. She’ll take a few bites if I feed her, but not much. She likes tea, but she won’t drink it if it’s cold.” At Karta’s detailed response, Duke Delcart nodded.

“Those are things friends can do. Romance involves… kissing, touching…”

“Is that so?” Karta closed his eyes. Imagining Fiogen and Delcart kissing and touching each other made him feel distinctly unpleasant. “Then you’re out.”

“Glad to hear it. If the Princess truly wants to experience romance, you should allow her to have her own chambers.”

At the Duke’s words, Karta frowned. “That’s out of the question.”

“But… what man would want to… do that in Your Highness’s room?”

Karta scowled at the Duke’s words. Fiogen was still too vulnerable to be left alone. She wasn’t the type to suddenly desire to live just because she met a man.

“It can’t be helped.” At Karta’s uneasy reply, Delcart looked up.

“Surely, Your Highness, you don’t intend to become her lover?” Duke Delcart’s voice trembled. No matter how much the Emperor feared him, this was a different matter altogether. The prince of the empire romancing the princess of a fallen kingdom?

“The empire will be in an uproar.” At the Duke’s words, Karta nodded.

“I know. Fiogen will be furious.” Karta’s every thought seemed to begin and end with Fiogen. Watching him, Delcart closed his eyes tightly. He couldn’t understand how the man who remained unfazed even covered in blood could have changed so drastically.

“Could you bring yourself to kiss Princess Fiogen?”

***

Fiogen continued to gaze at Karta’s face. Having appeared late at night after drinking, Karta kept staring back at her.

“Karta.”

“Yes.” He swayed slightly, his face flushed, as he answered.

“They say when people drink, they become like dogs.”

“Like dogs?”

Seeing Karta’s utter lack of comprehension, Fiogen laughed. She then took his face in her hands and playfully shook it. “You really do become a dog.”

“What?”

He was the picture of a docile puppy. Who could mistake this gentle man for a tyrant? The author who wrote this novel would be flabbergasted. Readers would be clutching their mice in betrayal, searching for the author. That’s how gentle Karta appeared in Fiogen’s eyes.

“Well, you’ve had your drink. You’ve become a dog. Now all that’s left is to pick up a sword and kill me.” Fiogen winked playfully and began searching for a sword. He simply stared at her, then laughed.