Everyone said that one can get their neck cut off even if they only make eye contact with âimportant peopleâ. To see such important people looking at him right now was very⊠very⊠scary.
Tommy, whose brain had gone blank, immediately fell on his face and begged.
âP-Please forgive me. I have made a grave sin! I-I am so thirsty. I must have lost my mind because I havenât drank water for so longâŠâ
It was Leon who was rather embarrassed.
He actually found it difficult to comprehend straightaway what he had heard.
What does it mean to be thirsty enough to lose your mind?
It must be difficult, right?
Leon quickly found water.
But the water was too close.
Here, isnât this large container full enough for me to splash in the water?
For a moment, Leon, who bit his lip as if to cry without realizing it, put his hand into the water, shook his head, and looked for something else nearby.
When Leon jumped up and tried to get out of the wooden barrel, Elisha quickly put her hand under his armpits and lifted him.
As she carefully lowered him to the floor outside the barrel, Leon ran to the side, took the glass of water that Dorian had brought for him and held it to the child.
The childâs eyes widened, then he took it and poured it into his mouth.
Even though his body is small, he licked his lips with his tongue as if it was not enough even after emptying a glass of water at once.
Leon, who was looking for more water, felt the child looking at the water bottles placed in a row on the wall and quickly approached it. There was no shortage of water in the wooden barrel, and the bottles prepared to set the temperature were quite large, so there was no way Leon could hold them.
Dorian quickly noticed and helped Leon. When Leon brought the water in front of the child, the child quickly drank with his face half-submerged in the water.
Drinking that much water. What if his stomach explodes? AndâŠ
Leon looked up not only at the child, but at the boy standing next to him.
âAre you not thirsty? Would you like some water too?â
It didnât seem like the boy would be all right, still, the boy said it was okay and looked down.
The child, whose face brightened as he had drunk a lot of water, raised his face and said thank you to Leon. Then he hesitated again and said to Leon.
âB-By the way⊠Your Highness.â
âThis⊠C-Can I take the rest of it?â
Leon nodded his head at the child, who was still holding the bottle of water he was drinking with both arms.
âIf you donât have enough, take the one over there, too.â
When Leon pointed to the remaining water bottles, the child smiled broadly.
Then he closed his eyes again.
When Leon spoke to him this time, it took the boy a little more time to answer.
The child pointed to the wooden barrel Leon was bathing in.
âW-What are you going to use that for? You canât drink that. Itâs dirty.â
âItâs not dirty! It can be drunk! The prince is clean and noble. That water smells good, too. Itâs not stained at all, itâs veryâŠâ
The boy next to the talking child grabbed his shoulders hard.
The child, who groaned in pain, finally realized what he had done and bowed his head again.
âI-Iâm sorry! I-I deserve to dieâŠâ
Leonâs face turned red at the sniffling sound. The child cried even more sadly because he thought Leon was angry, but Leon had other thoughts. It was seen by Elisha. Leon was ashamed.
The fact that someone didnât even have water to drink, but he took a bath and played with the water.
But from the beginning, life was unfair.
As Elisha reached out her hand, Dorian placed the thick, linen cloth she had been holding.
Elisha put the cloth around Leonâs body so that it did not cool down.
âYou can think of them. Itâs not a bad thing. Theyâre the ones you need to take care of. But donât unfairly compare them with what you enjoy. Itâs the result of my hard work for you, and it is something you have to protect yourself.â
It means that a person in such a high position is ignored if they are deemed unworthy of it. It is not mere contempt. It is both a direct threat and an attack. So, even if one does not enjoy their rights, they need strength. No matter when or for what reason, even if itâs the kind of thing that breaks them down even moreâŠ
Freedom comes with a price.
âIs it still difficult for Leon?â
Elisha bent her torso and placed her cheek against Leonâs top, as if to tell him that it was okay if he didnât understand. She stares at the boy and child in front of her in that posture.
And she opened her mouth.
âLetâs do this.  Leon, you should do what you can in your place. Letâs show them that you deserve to eat something delicious and take a warm bath in front of them.â
âThereâs something that only Leon can do.â
At Elishaâs words, Leonâs blue eyes widened.
What is Mother talking about?
As he was curious, the upset expression he had just before faded a little. Leon slightly pulled his motherâs sleeve.
Facing that rare petulance, Elisha smiled softly, breathing warm air into Leonâs hair.
âYouâre already good at it. Youâre doing very well. You just have to stay like this.â
Elisha murmured, holding Leonâs cheeks with her hands and directed them toward the children opposite her.
âAsk them: What should I do for you?â
âIf you want to do it after hearing it, you can just ask this mother. Only Leon can do this in the empire. Oh, we left out your older brother. Itâs only possible for you and your older brother.â
Leon, who had only licked his lips like a crucian carp, bent his eyes at the mention of Ascencio.
But he didnât do anything that Elisha mentioned just now. Elisha could guess what Leon was thinking with that tiny head.
âJust hear them out for now. If you think itâs going to be hard after hearing it, why donât you reject it? Even this mother wonât accept anything that could endanger you.â
Itâs not easy for a kind-hearted Leon to listen to other peopleâs difficult circumstances and reject them, but itâs something that needs to be continued in the future. Although he is still a child, he is the younger brother of the Crown Prince and the biological son of the 2nd Empress who has begun to gain power.
People will constantly flock around Leon. It would be better for him to set his own standards early.
When his center of gravity goes awry, he will not let himself be swayed by others, and he will not allow others to act recklessly. That doesnât mean there wonât be any problems, but he can exert some deterrence. He is the best thing to protect himself and others.
If itâs going to have a bad influence on Leon or Ascensio, thereâs no way Elisha can just leave it alone.
It will be better if they can grow up and live in peace.
âDo you think being rejected would hurt them? But Leon, if you donât listen, they wonât even get a chance to say what they want. Which would hurt them more?â
As soon as she finished saying those words, the older boy on the other side fell to his knees and shouted.
âPlease, just listen! If it doesnât work, I wonât be greedy. I wonât force it! Other important people have never even listened to me!â
âThatâs right, Leon. What would you do?â
If Leon said he couldnât do it, Elisha would accept it as it is. She gave Leon a choice, so itâs okay if the outcome isnât what she wants. If necessary, Elisha can talk to the boy separately.
âI want to hear it, Mother.â
Then he got away from Elisha and went to the boy who was lying on the floor. Leon, who had lifted the boy up, looked at the boy and asked.
The boy who had been biting his molars slowly opened his mouth.
When the bath was over and time passed and the surrounding area became quiet, the back door of the village chiefâs house was gently opened.
A few people came out the back door and headed somewhere.
Two black shadows hiding around them pursue them.
âWhoa, where are they going? It doesnât look like a simple night walk.â
Despite Perryâs grumbling, Hein just moved silently. He wished it had been his best friend, Miller, but that ogre-like guy had a different mission. But, seriously. Why did Leader put me together with this gloomy guy? Iâd rather be comfortable alone.
While Perry grumbled, the 2nd Empressâ party, which had been moving continuously, stopped at the outskirts behind the village where the village chiefâs house was located.
[T/N: If it is not clear enough, the âfew people came out the back door and headed somewhereâ are Elisha and some other people. I put this here because it took me a while to realize.]
The sight was so terrifying that even Hein, who is normally quiet when not holding a sword, could spit out some words. Half-collapsed houses and trash were dumped here and there. The rotten smell from all sides poked the nose.
If they are like this, what about the 2nd Empress?
No matter how insensitive she is to anything, she will have a hard time enduring it.
Besides, what are they trying to see, or are they waiting for someone?
People appeared one by one from the nearby crumbling houses. As they approached the place where the 2nd Empress was, they couldnât stay still any longer.
Perry reached out for his sword and was trying to run right away to where the 2nd Empress was.
Perry frowned and tried to turn to Hein, but his eyes were caught by what was in front of him, making him unable to move.
The 2nd Empress stood alone with no sign of reluctance or withdrawal from them.
âIs she going to kill them all?â
Perry spoke his thoughts without even realizing that he was talking like Rohan.
In the meantime, as she stood still, those people, who were crawling like bugs, suddenly noticed her, and started bowing their heads while hugging their bodies.
The 2nd Empress looked around her and knelt on one knee regardless of the filth. She then slowly lowered her open hands.
The transparent water glistened between her hands and the dirt floor. The light was slowly absorbed into the ground and disappeared.
However, the movement of energy did not disappear. It took root deeper and farther to find something.
The 2nd Empress was emitting light alone in the dark night, where even the moonlight could not reach.
Wetting the ground and touching peopleâs hearts.
Itâs not warm, but it washes down coolly.
Only then did Perry realize what the 2nd Empress was trying to do.
âI really want her to be our empress.â
Despite the fact that he is not usually close to Hein and that it is a sensitive story to talk about as a member of the 1st Knights under the direct control of the emperor, Perry seemed to be unable to bear it without saying it at this moment.
Hein was as quiet as ever, but somehow it felt as if he had heard an answer.