I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 173

This is a story from when I was very young. It takes place in the detached palace where the Second Empress Dustia and the Third Prince Ash resided. Today, Countess Winter Silver and her daughter, Serenade, visited this place. While the Empress and the Countess were having tea and talking, Ash and Serenade were playing in the palace’s inner garden.

“…”

Serenade seemed unusually down today. Ash tilted his head, looking at her.

“What’s wrong, Sister? Did something happen?”

Sister.

No matter how much she begged him not to call her that, it was no use. Young Ash always called Serenade ‘Sister’ and followed her around. Ash asked with an innocent smile.

“Tell me, Sister! I’ll solve everything for you!”

“Ugh, well… actually…”

Serenade glanced around, lowered her voice, and whispered.

“I heard them call me a commoner again…”

On the way here today, while passing through the checkpoint at the palace entrance, she heard the officers whispering.

– That commoner merchant family keeps coming in and out of the palace.

– The Second Empress is also a commoner, isn’t she? Birds of a feather flock together.

They didn’t bother to lower their voices even though they could be heard clearly, so it seemed they were doing it on purpose. Serenade sighed deeply.

“They call me a commoner even outside, and the kids are ostracizing me…”

Serenade had no friends. No noble children would associate with the daughter of a merchant family that bought their title with money. But it wasn’t like she had commoner friends either. Even though they bought their title with money, they were still a count family. No commoner children of the same age would try to befriend a count’s daughter. Somewhere between noble and commoner. The Winter Silver family existed in that gray area. Because of this situation, Ash was the first proper friend of the same age that Serenade had ever made.

“You’re the only friend who hangs out with me, Prince Ash.”

“Hehe, me too! You’re my first friend too, Sister!”

Ash was in the same situation. In this vast palace, no one sided with the Second Empress Dustia, who was a former battle slave. Her son, Ash, was treated the same way. In terms of legitimacy and family power, it was obvious that the First Empress’s son would be the next Emperor, and the First Empress openly disliked the Second Empress. Because of this situation, no one tried to get close to the Second Empress and her son. Except for the people of Winter Silver.

“Don’t get hurt by what those fools say, Sister.”

Ash reached out his small hand and held Serenade’s hand tightly.

“Only people who have nothing to be proud of would judge others based on their family or bloodline, not their own abilities.”

Serenade looked at Ash with surprised eyes. The young boy’s hands were warm.

“I promise you, Sister.”

Ash smiled like an angel.

“I will create a world where you don’t have to hear such things.”

“Create a world…?”

“Yes! A world where it doesn’t matter if your blood is low or noble… a world for kids like us who are ostracized. A world where Mom doesn’t have to cry, and you don’t get bullied.”

Ash’s small finger gripped Serenade’s finger tightly.

“I… will definitely make it happen.”

On Ash’s young face, a faint sadness and a clear determination were present at the same time. At that moment, Serenade sensed it. She would come to love this young boy. Whether this boy kept his word or not… Just by the bright sparkle he emitted at this moment, she would follow this boy for the rest of her life. Looking at the boy’s white smile, she thought so.

***

Serenade suddenly opened her eyes. Looking at the pale sunlight seeping through the curtains, it was early dawn. She felt refreshed. Her body felt light. Serenade quickly got up.

“Have you awakened, Master?”

Elise, who had been waiting outside the door, heard the movement and came in. The tray Elise was carrying had a basin of hot water.

“Good morning, Elise.”

“Good morning. Here is the water for you to wash your face.”

“Thank you.”

Since she had taken a bath last night, washing her face was enough in the morning. Serenade washed her face with Elise’s help.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Elise carefully asked Serenade, who was drying the water off her cheeks with a towel.

“You’re already suffering from overwork, and now you’re giving dance lessons to His Highness every day…”

“…”

“You only slept for three hours today. I’m worried about your health.”

At those words, Serenade covered her mouth with the towel and chuckled. Elise blinked in confusion.

“Master?”

“Elise. Do I look tired?”

“No… you look like you’re in a good mood.”

“That’s right. I’m not tired at all. It’s the opposite. I feel like I could fly.”

Serenade looked at the mirror in front of her. She saw herself with a refreshed face and sparkling eyes. Sleep? It didn’t matter.

‘Is sleep important now?’

Ash had come to her first and asked her to teach him to dance. She didn’t know why this mischievous prince, who was more skilled in social dancing than anyone in the capital, was pretending to be clumsy. But the reason didn’t matter. Lightly putting on makeup and getting dressed, Serenade couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She hadn’t been this happy in the past few years. According to Ash, the Winter Silver family was currently facing the threat of destruction. Serenade was setting up defenses as Ash had instructed. She knew. This wasn’t the time to be foolishly happy. But, to be honest… if she could get close to Ash again for any reason or pretext, Serenade was willing to pay any price.

‘If I can hold his hand and dance today, that alone would be enough for me…’

Bang!

“Young Lady!”

At that moment, Serenade’s door was roughly opened, and another maid rushed in. Startled, Serenade looked at her.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“The Count is having another seizure! Hurry…!”

“My father?!”

Serenade stopped what she was doing and quickly ran out of the room. Elise followed closely behind her with a stiff face.

Count Winter Silver was having a seizure in his bedroom. Fortunately, by the time Serenade arrived, the resident priest had already cast a spell to stabilize the Count.

“Father!”

As Serenade shouted and entered the bedroom, the Count, who was lying on the bed, lifted his trembling chin and looked at his daughter.

“Se, Serenade.”

The Count’s face was marked with the signs of illness. His yellowed face was gaunt, and age spots were scattered all over. The Count reached out his bony hand, and Serenade, who approached him, took her father’s hand.

“I’m here, Father. Are you okay?”

“Serenade, my daughter… my beloved daughter…”

At the Count’s following words, Serenade’s face hardened.

“The seed? The imperial seed?”

“…”

“Did you receive it? Did you receive the grace from Prince Ash?”

Serenade pressed her lips together. The Count urged her.

“Why aren’t you answering? How much money did we pour into the imperial family just to get that one seed…”

“…Father.”

“Don’t forget, Serenade. The humiliation and insults our family has endured…”

The Count looked up at the ceiling and muttered to himself.

“Even when we became barons, they insulted us for buying our title with money, and even when we became counts, they pointed fingers at us for being commoners. No matter how much money we make, we can’t erase this mark engraved in our blood.”

“…”

“There’s only one way to erase this mark. We have to mix the noblest blood in this world into our family.”

Serenade closed her eyes tightly. Her grandfather, and her father as well. They had a huge complex about status and bloodline. They wanted to climb up by any means possible. That’s why they chose money. The merchant guild was thriving, and they got the title they wanted. But the contempt did not disappear. They even made connections with the imperial family and got engaged, but even though Prince Ash had come of age, the actual marriage did not happen. Serenade already had a premonition of the broken engagement. Then, her father said.

– Even if the marriage falls apart, we still have to mix blood with the imperial family! Blood!

– Beg Prince Ash! Get his seed!

What was the point of that? What was the point of getting the seed of a good-for-nothing third prince who could not become Emperor, especially in a situation where the broken engagement was obvious? But the obsession with status and bloodline that had been passed down through generations had already gone beyond the realm of rational thought. The imperial bloodline, the imperial bloodline… Her father shouted every day, and eventually, Serenade had to go to Ash and tell him. To give her the price for what her family had devoted to him. To give her his seed… To have to beg a man who no longer even looked at her like this. In the misery of having her last remaining pride torn to shreds, Serenade just wanted to die. And what she got back from Ash was a cold, contemptuous gaze.

– In the end, you’re no different from the others.

But she got the promise. When Serenade returned home, swallowing her tears, Serenade’s mother… Countess Winter Silver, was trying to leave the mansion, defying her husband’s objections.

– How could you make our daughter do such a thing, you’re crazy!

– What’s truly low isn’t your family, but your heart.

She only left a word of apology to Serenade, and then her mother left. After her mother left, her father fell ill and was bedridden, and Serenade took over the management of the Winter Silver merchant guild. Prince Ash did not keep his promise. And so, time passed again to the present.

“Your mother, she doesn’t understand.”

The Count muttered, breathing heavily.

“Because she’s a noble lady of noble birth, she doesn’t understand our pain, we who are outsiders from the bloodline…”

“…”

“Serenade, you understand, right? If you have the same low blood as your father, you can surely understand.”

Serenade, who had been silent, squeezed her father’s hand once more and then got up.

“I’ll go out, Father. Please rest.”

Behind Serenade, who was leaving the room, the Count’s labored muttering continued to be heard.

“We have to mix the imperial blood into our family. Only then… can we escape this curse…”

Serenade covered her mouth and walked down the hallway. She couldn’t breathe. It felt like black tar was flowing through the blood vessels of her entire body instead of red blood. She couldn’t breathe at all.

***

Winter Silver Merchant Guild Building. 4th floor. Serenade, who had rushed in, panting, opened the door with a bang, and

“Huh?”

Ash was sitting there.

“What, why are you here so early?”

In the bright morning sunlight, the Third Prince of the Empire was dazzling. His dark, lustrous hair. His clear gaze that met hers. His smile that looked like it was drawn in a picture. It was like the scene in the detached palace from her childhood. Serenade’s heart ached.

– I promise you, Sister.

Yes. The reason I loved you… was not because you were a prince, nor because your blood was noble. It was simply because you were suffering the same pain as me. And because you embraced and comforted my wounds.

‘Ah.’

Serenade slowly lowered her head. Why couldn’t I say these words back then? What I needed was not your bloodline, nor your seed, but just. A piece of your heart…

“Serenade?”

As Ash asked in confusion, Serenade quickly composed herself.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Her eyes quickly became red because of her tearful nature, but she believed that the morning sunlight would hide it. With a smile, Serenade said.

“Shall we dance, my lord?”