Chapter 172: Chapter 172

Arsen was always a smiling child. His clear laughter had the power to make listeners smile along with him. Even though he was such a child, even though he looked so lovable, Dilaina felt an eerie chill for some reason.

“What’s the matter? So early in the morning.”

It must be because of the current situation. The Emperor is missing, the princes are engaged in a power struggle dragging the nobles along. Unknown knights are ransacking the palace, so it’s almost like wartime.

‘No. It’s more dangerous than wartime.’

At least during a war, there would be soldiers to protect them. If even the Minister of Imperial Defense was involved in this situation, it was devastatingly hopeless.

The crisis of a lifetime. As Dilaina blankly bit her lip, Arsen approached his mother with a tilt of his head. He softly nestled into her embrace and greeted her.

“Mother. What’s wrong?”

“…Arsen, this is not the time.”

“What happened?”

“Jin. Change your clothes.”

Not into comfortable clothes, but in preparation to flee outside at any moment. Dilaina knelt down and firmly grasped Arsen’s shoulders.

“His Majesty the Emperor has gone missing. Mariv and Gale have rallied forces to secure the royal seal. I don’t know if they’ll come all the way here, but-“

“Ah.”

“…Arsen?”

Arsen smiled even more brightly and patted the back of his mother’s hand. As if to say everything will be fine, so don’t worry at all.

“Of course they’ll come all the way here. Even if brother Gale might not, His Highness Mariv will try to kill us. He knows full well that you sided with brother Gale, doesn’t he?”

However, the words coming out of his mouth were brutal and accurately grasped reality. Even if it was for the balance between the two princes, from Mariv’s perspective, it was as good as Dilaina taking Gale’s side. It would be best for the future to kill and clean up everything on this occasion.

“Arsen.”

“But don’t worry. The factions that didn’t support older brothers will help us. First, let me change clothes. Jin, what should we wear today?”

Arsen turned to Jin with a bright smile. His actions didn’t match the situation at all, even though he properly understood it. Jin bit his lip hard as he stared at Arsen.

“Arsen. This is no laughing matter.”

“Why-y? I think it’s not bad. Mother. Isn’t there a saying that crisis is opportunity? Those who dared to impudently cause chaos in the Imperial Palace will surely be punished.”

The one who survives between the two princes will become the victor.

However, the word victory inherently implies the meaning of sacrifice. The more fiercely they clash, the more their forces will be shaved away. And if they handle it well, they may unintentionally seize an opportunity.

“What will happen if my older brothers are gone and even Father is absent?”

Considering the order of succession, Arsen and Jin had a high probability of becoming the next Emperor. Jin grabbed Arsen’s arm as if it made no sense.

“That’s only if we survive. His Highness Mariv is trying to kill us to prevent that, isn’t he?”

“…Us?”

“Lady Dilaina! A moment!”

“What is it?”

As Dilaina went out the door at the head maid’s call, Arsen hugged Jin and whispered. As if wondering why he thought of it as ‘us’.

“If the twin brother closer to the throne dies, the Imperial family’s bloodline is completely cut off.”

“……”

“If I die, the Imperial family’s bloodline is cut off, so would brother really kill me?”

At Arsen’s whisper, Jin felt like his breath was caught in his throat.

“Brother Gale’s curse is also related to Bariel.”

“I know. So they’ll try to capture brother Gale alive. And then, whether it’s true or not, they’ll announce that the curse has been lifted and deal with him. The trial process for judging treason will be astonishingly short.”

Arsen hugged Jin even tighter. Jin hesitantly placed his hands on his waist. He could push him away if he wanted to, but somehow he couldn’t.

“Jin. My pitiful younger brother Jin.”

“Arsen.”

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. This is for you. Furthermore, it’s to save Mother, and beyond that, for Bariel.”

Arsen carefully examined Jin’s face that looked exactly like his own and muttered. His younger twin brother born with a fate to harm him. That’s why he always lived in the shadows.

“Move for me.”

So stay in the shadows like that.

“From now on, do everything you can to save me in the upcoming situation. When you look at the order of succession or the prophecy, I’m the only one who can turn the situation around once things settle down. If I live, you live too. And Mother lives as well.”

Arsen stroked Jin’s face and emphasized again in a low voice.

“The fact that brother Mariv seized the seal is proof that Father is still alive. Showing Father’s corpse is a more definite way to solidify the position of succession than the seal.”

The bureaucrats won’t needlessly argue over recognizing this or that. Skip to the next succession and frame Gale for treason, and it’s over. However, the fact that he got involved in this dogfight meant the situation had become quite complex.

And that was an opportunity for those other than Mariv and Gale.

“Jin. You have to prove it to everyone. That you’re not one to harm me. Now is the time. If you don’t do well, it’s all over.”

Arsen stroked Jin’s hair and smiled. The intent was that if he’s not trying to kill him, then he should do anything to save and serve him. Jin looked at his brother with a calm gaze.

“I won’t harm you.”

“But others don’t think that way, and that’s the problem.”

“…Arsen. Do you happen to know something I don’t? It sounds like that.”

Kwaaang! Crash!

He was about to say something again, but a commotion was heard from outside. Arsen spun around as if to say let’s stop, and entered the dressing room.

“Then shall we change clothes? Let’s wear the same outfits today.”

Usually they added slight differences, but today it would be best to look identical like a mold. Then, the blades flying toward Arsen might get mixed up and go to Jin instead.

Crash! Crash!

As they were about to change clothes, the maids didn’t come even when called. It meant the commotion outside was no ordinary matter. Arsen, who finished preparing first, grabbed Jin’s shoulders and smiled brightly.

“Smile. Like me.”

“……”

“Hurry.”

At Arsen’s urging, Jin had no choice but to lift the corners of his mouth. His cheeks dimpled faintly, but Arsen didn’t notice. He was just staring into his blue eyes.

“Good. You look cool like this.”

“Don’t joke around. Arsen.”

“Ahaha.”

Kwaaang!

“Your Highness Arsen! Your Highness Jin!”

“This way, come this way!”

Then the maids rushed in and opened the door in a fluster. They turned pale, each picking up Arsen and Jin, and fled to an inner room in a panic.

“Where’s Mother?”

Jin noticed blood stained on the maid’s sleeve.

“Where’s Mother?!”

“Arsen! Jin!”

Screech!

Opening the door leading to the garden in the annex of the annex, Dilaina’s voice was heard. She was running over, holding her cumbersome skirt.

“Hurry! Let’s go out this way!”

“Over here! Dilaina and Arsen, Jin are here!”

“Control all exits leading outside!”

“We have to go to the Ministry of Magic. Ministry of Magic! Arsen! Jin!”

“Catch them! Those who committed treason with Gale! Kill them!”

“Hurry, run!”

Faint shouts of unfamiliar soldiers were heard from afar. The front gate must have been breached. Judging from it, they were probably Mariv’s soldiers. Jin tightly closed his eyes as he clung to the neck of the maid carrying him.

‘I never knew the garden was this vast.’

It was the first time running without a horse. Someone’s rough breathing, trampled grass, the occasional refreshing breeze. Everything seemed like a dream. Because he never expected a situation like this even just yesterday.

Crunch.

That’s when it happened. The maid who was running hard stopped.

“Where is everyone going in such a hurry?”

It was Mariv. His tightly tied up hair was the same as always, but he was disheveled to a degree unimaginable normally. His face was covered in wounds, his clothes in blood and dust, a total mess.

The maid held Jin tightly and took a step back. The pounding heartbeats felt between their chests were fierce.

“Mariv! What in the world are you doing?!”

Dilaina walked forward, protecting the princes. Although she was a concubine, in terms of relationship, Dilaina was his mother. Just as Arsen and Jin were Mariv’s brothers.

“Not only did you bring harm to His Majesty the Emperor, but such recklessness! Have you no shame as the 1st Prince of Bariel?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Behind them, the soldiers chasing them came into view. They were surrounded on all sides. Mariv in front, and sword-wielding men behind. It seemed like whichever way they went, they couldn’t avoid death.

“Recklessness. That refers to you taking Gale’s side. Are you hiding Gale?”

At Mariv’s words, Dilaina’s face turned pale. Hiding him, he said. Those words meant the tide of battle was turning in Mariv’s favor, didn’t it?

“No, we have nothing to do with it. We haven’t seen Gale. Think of a prince’s dignity and let us through. Take pity on these young ones…”

“Nothing to do with it?”

As Mariv slowly approached, Dilaina reflexively stepped back. Jin pushed the maid away and stood in front of her.

“B-Brother, please don’t do this.”

Seeing that, Arsen also stood beside Jin. Expressionless twins. Mariv frowned as he tapped his sword. He couldn’t tell who was Arsen and who was Jin.

“Arsen! Jin!”

Dilaina hugged her two sons and crouched down. The maids were subdued by the soldiers and made to lie face down, and a cold wind cut between them. It felt like the presence of death.

“Which one is Arsen?”

“…Why do you ask, brother?”

Mariv didn’t answer Jin’s question. An ominous silence followed. As if gauging, he pointed his sword at the children’s necks.

“Dilaina. You’ll have to pay the price for joining hands with Gale. Hand over one of your sons. If you do, I won’t kill everyone, considering your family.”

Her pupils dilated. Her hands trembled, but her mind went so blank she couldn’t even notice it.

“Or everyone dies here.”

At Mariv’s words, she looked down at her two sons in her arms. With her own hands? Her son? It made no sense, but didn’t this situation itself already make no sense?

“Mother.”

Then, Arsen carefully called her. He signaled with his eyes to think about why Mariv asked ‘which one is Arsen’. An existence that couldn’t be easily killed due to the prophecy hanging over him.

“Mother.”

Following that, Jin called her. Unlike Arsen, his eyes were moist. As if realizing the fate that would befall him, he called that name sorrowfully.

‘I’m sorry.’

Dilaina ended up letting go of Jin’s hand. The child looked at his empty palm that no one held anymore and glanced back. Dilaina, holding Arsen in her arms, was shedding tears. Arsen moved his eyebrows with the same expression as always.

‘Hurry.’

Jin bit his lip hard as he looked at Mariv. He was shedding tears just like his mother, but unlike his usually empty eyes, a clear emotion could be felt.

“So you’re Jin.”

“……”

Anger. For the first time, Mariv felt like Jin was alive. But what could he do? He had already gone past the point of no return, and in order to move forward, he had no choice but to keep swinging his sword.

Shing!

As Mariv drew his sword, Jin closed his eyes. When the tip of his blade was about to strike down on the child’s head.

Bam! Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted from the surroundings. Mariv hesitated and stopped his attack. When he turned his head to look, Ian was standing there.

“…Ian?”

Ian checked the face of the child standing in front of Mariv. A scar running straight from forehead to chin. Blood flowed down, but it wouldn’t be as dark as tears.

“…Sheathe your sword.”

The moment the fate of the twins diverged.

It was the birth of an emperor.