There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 178

Unlike his current self, brimming with fiery rage and murderous intent, Eustis was once just an insignificant prince with little influence.

Born to a mother of humble status, overshadowed by numerous prominent siblings, his place in the line of succession was precariously low.

It was a harsh and difficult period, one he couldn’t simply dismiss as ‘just a phase.’

As he inhaled the rich aroma of freshly brewed tea, a wave of sentimentality washed over him.

His memories gently drifted back to those bygone days.

* * *

“It’s cold.”

These were the first words the young prince uttered as he stepped down from the carriage.

“Well, it is the northern region in winter,” Dale replied soothingly, draping his coat over the boy’s shoulders. “Come, let’s hurry. I sent a messenger ahead to inform the innkeeper of our arrival.”

Urged by Dale, Eustis reluctantly walked towards the inn, reputed to be the best establishment in the small town.

“It is an honor to our family to receive the noble, Your Highness, Prince Eustis… !”

The inn manager, who had never anticipated such a distinguished guest, bowed deeply, his face a mask of frozen nervousness.

Even a prince with a faint presence and a low position in the line of succession was still a member of the imperial family, someone most commoners wouldn’t dare to look directly at.

Moreover, the visit was quite sudden, so it was no wonder he was so flustered.

“Um, excuse me, but please lower your voice. It would be problematic if His Highness’s identity were to be revealed,” Dale requested.

“Of course, of course. I understand perfectly.”

The manager nodded vigorously at Dale’s words, then glanced at the boy. “I am the only one in this inn who knows that His Highness will be staying here. I’ve told the others that he is merely a young nobleman from a distinguished family, so please don’t worry.”

What does he mean by ‘don’t worry’ when he keeps repeating ‘Prince, Prince’ like a parrot?

Eustis clicked his tongue and turned towards the door, prompting Dale to ask, “Oh, where are you going?”

“It’s stuffy. I’ll be in the lobby.”

“But your room is ready, so it would be better to go straight up there.”

“That’s right! We have prepared the finest VIP suite in our inn for Your Highness!”

The manager eagerly agreed with Dale, but Eustis left the manager’s office without another word.

Not long after, Dale, having finished his conversation with the manager, hurried after him and stayed close by his side.

“It can be dangerous where there are many people.”

“I know, I know,” Eustis retorted irritably at his whisper, stopping abruptly.

He was well aware that there could be people after his life at any time.

Eustis’s half-brother, the Crown Prince, was constantly seeking to eliminate any siblings who might pose a threat to his succession.

It had only been a month since the fourth prince had died after drinking poisoned tea.

An investigation was conducted, but only the palace servant who had served the tea lost their life, and the culprit was never found.

However, everyone in the palace suspected that the Crown Prince and his supporters were behind it.

Eustis had fled the palace as soon as the investigation concluded.

His destination was the territory of Count Orleta, who had frequently proposed an engagement between Eustis and his daughter.

The fourth prince, whose maternal family was a fairly wealthy merchant family, had also been eliminated.

Then what about him? Eustis’s mother was a maid who had briefly caught the Emperor’s eye with her beauty, but she had succumbed to illness and died at a young age.

It was safe to say that there was no one to protect the seventh prince, the son of a maid-turned-Empress.

At least Dale, a servant who had served the Empress early on, cared for the young prince, but as a commoner, he didn’t have much power either.

It would have been better if he had been so insignificant that the Crown Prince wouldn’t even consider him a threat.

Unfortunately, the seventh prince possessed a significant amount of divine power, even at the young age of ten.

Proof that he had strongly inherited the Emperor’s blood.

Although he was young and relegated to the back of the line due to his mother’s humble origins, it was unlikely that the Crown Prince would leave his potentially threatening younger brother alone for long.

No, even if it wasn’t the Crown Prince, his mother, the Empress, and his half-siblings who supported him, or even other supporters of the Crown Prince, could easily target the seventh prince, who had no one to protect him.

Between a rock and a hard place. In this situation, the only thing Eustis could rely on was Count Orleta, who wanted something from him.

He didn’t know the Count’s exact intentions yet, as they hadn’t had a deep conversation, but he had to cling to the only lifeline he had left.

Haa, a heavy sigh escaped the boy’s lips.

How long would he have to live like this?

How long would he have to spend sleepless nights, fearing death, just to stay alive?

‘Probably for the rest of my life.’

Even if he was lucky enough to get engaged to Count Orleta’s daughter and receive the Count’s protection, his safety wouldn’t be completely guaranteed.

Could the Count really stop the Crown Prince’s clutches? Would he really not change his mind along the way?

Others might say he was blessed to have such noble blood, but the boy’s life was always accompanied by the shadow of death.

His wish was to become a commoner, so he could at least sleep peacefully at night without worry.

“Your Highness.”

Eustis was shaken out of his thoughts by Dale’s hushed voice.

“Please, let’s go to your room.”

In fact, whether it was the lobby or the room, both places were equally stifling and filled with worries for him.

Nevertheless, the reason he insisted on going to the lobby was a form of rebellion in his own way.

He was already running late to reach Count Orleta’s territory, but the road to get there was blocked by a sudden outbreak of monsters, which made him even more anxious.

He wanted to break through the monsters, but that was realistically impossible.

Due to this unexpected situation, Eustis and his party decided to stay in this small town for the time being and observe the situation.

Since the monsters could move, they had to take a long detour to ensure their safety, but that would take too long.

The imperial army was fighting the monsters, so it seemed best to wait in this city, where a certain level of safety was secured.

Thanks to its proximity to Angelium, where the Magic Tower was located, many wizards resided in the northern city.

They were also a fighting force in case of emergency.

“… Okay. I’ll go to my room.”

As Eustis spoke in a subdued voice, Dale’s face brightened.

“You’ve made a wise decision. Please come this way.”

It was foolish to be petulant with someone who worried about him so much.

But just as Eustis was about to turn around and follow Dale,

“Are you kidding me right now?”

A sharp accusation pierced the boy’s eardrums.

The boy reflexively looked towards the source of the voice, where a man was arguing with an employee in front of the lobby counter.

“I’m telling you nicely, give me my room back.”

“Sir, you can’t do this!”

“I’m the one who’s in trouble here! Why can’t you give me the room I reserved?”

“Haven’t I explained it to you repeatedly? Someone else has to use that room.”

“Why is some other guy using my room? You didn’t say anything like that when I made the reservation a few days ago!”

“Th, that’s because of an error on our part, resulting in a double booking…”

“Then give the other guy a different room and give me that room.”

“I, I can’t do that! He reserved it first!”

“Or create another VIP suite exactly like that one right now!”

“No, even if you ask for such an unreasonable request…”

The employee’s face turned pale as the man banged threateningly on the counter.

Is he a wizard? Although he could only see his back, he could tell from the robe he was wearing.

Not all wizards were skilled, but for ordinary people, just being a wizard was enough to be frightening.

“Create it! If you don’t want to, go to that guy and convince him to give up the room!”

Anyway, Eustis shook his head at the sight of the thug-like man’s behavior.

The VIP suite that he had reserved was the room that the manager had prepared for him.

As the manager, he had no choice but to give the best room to the prince, but it was understandable that he would be upset at having his reserved room taken away.

Of course, such behavior was extremely ugly.

Eustis looked at Dale and ordered.

“Bring that man here.”

“Yes?”

“Tell him I’ll switch rooms. It’s not good to attract attention because of this commotion.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Yes.”

In this situation, it was best for the more mature party to concede.