Chapter 99

"Come on, Mabel. Ah, here we go."

"Ugh..."

In a half-asleep state, I opened my mouth, and a small piece of bread slipped in. I chewed and swallowed with my eyes closed, and this time a piece of boiled egg came in. Oscar wiped the corners of my mouth with a napkin and asked,

"What did you do last night?"

"There was... a bad guy... I had to... scold..."

Nod, nod. Unable to resist the drowsiness that was creeping up on me, I started to doze off again, and Oscar's laughter sounded distant.

"...I can't do anything with you, really."

The sound of dishes being cleared away was followed by a feeling of my body floating. Soon, a soft bed welcomed me.

"Sleep more."

"Mm."

As I curled up, a fluffy blanket gently covered me. I had hardly slept last night, thinking of various plans on how to deal with Duke Javier, so I fell asleep helplessly as soon as my head hit the pillow. How long had I slept? The sound of approaching footsteps woke me up faintly. But my body was still asleep.

"Oscar, why is our cute little angel still sleeping? I haven't heard any reports that she's sick."

"It seems she didn't sleep last night and played instead."

"Brat."

A gentle hand tidied my messy hair and pulled the blanket tighter around me. A cool hand touched my forehead and then pulled away.

"No fever."

"If she seems sick, I'll call the doctor right away."

"Alright."

Thud. The sound of my father sitting on the sofa was heard. The occasional sound of something being poured, perhaps tea, was also heard. The sound of Oscar turning pages mixed in, creating a pleasant background noise.

"Oscar."

"Yes, Father."

"How long do you plan to refuse your title?"

"...That's..."

I was about to fall asleep again when I suddenly perked up.

'Title?'

Now that I think about it, it was strange. Since I became emperor, it was odd for Oscar to remain a prince. Everyone thought Oscar would inherit the title of Duke or the Donovan family, and I thought so too. But Oscar only became a knight when I turned nine and never received a title.

"You've held out long enough. Now make a choice, Oscar."

"...Not yet."

"What?"

"I still want to stay in the capital."

"Oscar."

"Mabel is still young. At least until she comes of age. Or, if that's too much to ask, give me a few more years, Father."

I held my breath and eavesdropped on their conversation. The reason Oscar had never accepted a title was a shock.

'It was because of me.'

I knew Oscar cared for me. He always came to spend time with me except during training or study hours. But I didn't realize he was this worried.

'I don't want to be separated from Oscar either.'

However, with Oscar having the right to succeed the throne, staying in the capital could cause trouble. There would be forces trying to manipulate us regardless of our thoughts.

"I understand your feelings, Oscar. That's why I've turned a blind eye until now."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Disappoint? Don't say that. I also feel that every day is precious, and I'm sure you do too."

"..."

"The time I can protect you is not long."

"I understand."

I opened my eyes slightly and saw Father roughly patting Oscar's head.

'It's because I'm young, right?'

Somehow, it felt heavy. It seemed both Oscar and Father were staying there out of concern for me. I couldn't just grow up as I wished.

'I want to grow up quickly.'

*** Duke Javier was waiting for Emily's contact every day. He also had a separate spy. But there was no contact.

"Did it fail?"

Emily, being of the same age and not threatening, wouldn't be easily guarded, and he naturally thought it would succeed. But there was no news of the emperor's death. He became anxious. If he really lost the emperor's favor, he might spend his life rotting in his fief.

"No, no, it can't be."

If Emily failed, he could manipulate Enrique. The emperor seemed to have a good impression of Enrique, so he could use that to his advantage.

'I should have had more children.'

How regretful it was to have no card to play when needed.

"Should I have a child now?"

The duke, who had not remarried since Emily and Enrique's mother died, lacked a woman to manipulate as he wished. He had not considered remarrying, fearing that a new wife might covet the family's wealth, but now it seemed worth the risk. As he was considering a suitable wife, a voice interrupted.

"Your Excellency! It's a crisis!"

"What's the commotion? I've repeatedly told you not to shout."

"But, Your Excellency, a massive debt collection notice has arrived in your name!"

"Debt?"

Unlike the pale advisor, the duke, who did not fully grasp the situation, suddenly became furious.

"Just a debt? Pay it off, and it will be fine!"

Although he was now confined to his fief, the Javier family's power was still intact. But the advisor shook his head firmly.

"We can't pay it off...!"

"What?"

"The loan document is signed with your real name, not the Javier family's, so you must pay it yourself."

"What nonsense..."

Suddenly, a memory flashed in the duke's mind. Ace, the low-level employee from Evil, had once offered help when he was in trouble. In his haste, the duke signed the loan document without considering the interest. Now, years later, the existence of the debt, which he had forgotten, made him feel dizzy. Moreover, it was the only time he had signed the loan document in his own name, making it even more vivid in his memory.

"Let's pay off the debt first and think about it. Contact—"

"It's impossible, Your Excellency."

"What?"

"The council of vassals has decided to withdraw from this matter."

"...Are they mad?"

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency."

"Huh."

The duke let out a hollow laugh. The vassals' decision to withdraw from the matter was clear.

'How dare they abandon me, the head of the family?'

Anger surged, and his vision turned red. The duke gnashed his teeth and glared at the advisor.

"Tell Enrique to punish all the vassals who withdrew from this matter! Parasites who live under the shadow of Javier, how dare they!"

"That's... "

The advisor hesitated, and the duke slammed the table.

"Bang!"

"What now?!"

"The acting head... will follow the vassals' decision."

"..."

The duke, now devoid of energy to be angry, slumped into the sofa. After Emily, the vassals, and finally Enrique.

"Haha. Hahaha...!"

A bitter laugh escaped him. He was clearly abandoned. ***

[Mabel. What are you doing?]

"Uh. Pest control."

[Again? Didn't you finish it last time?]

"I threw it in the sewer, and it started breeding there. So I'm going to stomp them to death."

I looked proudly at the well-written debt collection notice. It was to be sent in the name of the master of Evil, 'Ethan.'

"Does it look like an adult's handwriting?"

[It's a huge improvement from before.]

I glanced at Yang, who seemed to be teasing me, and handed the notice to Ethan.

"Give this to Casey."

"Understood."

"And ask Casey why I can't contact him through the communication magic tool. I suddenly can't reach him."

"...Understood."

For a moment, Ethan's eyes twitched, but was it just my imagination? *** On the day Emily entered the palace, I invited her to my bedroom for the first time, not the greenhouse.

"Here, no one will hear, so you can talk freely."

"But someone might hear, right?"

"It's fine. Ethan is guarding us."

Emily nodded, as if she understood. If she had seen Ethan's duel during the swordsmanship tournament, she wouldn't doubt his skills.

"By the way, I was surprised. Your Majesty knows the master of Evil."

"Hehe. Really?"

I laughed awkwardly. Linking the guild's loan document to dealing with Duke Javier was a brilliant idea, even to me. I never thought I would retrieve a trap I had set long ago. I told Emily about it, tying up all of Javier's economic power. Enrique seemed to be swayed by the vassals and eventually joined in depriving Javier of his authority. Javier was placed under house arrest in his fief and went to trial. Having already been stripped of his personal wealth during the Mitelon incident, he would not be released unless someone paid his debt.

'Even if someone pays it, he will have lost his standing in the family.'

"The acting head is now Baron Calfus, a vassal of the family."

"What about Enrique?"

"Brother said he was not fit to be the acting head and stepped down."

"I see."

The Javier family, having lost its leader, Javier, began to wobble.

"But that's something Brother and I have to solve."

"You two will do well."

"It's an honor to hear you say that, Your Majesty."

"Hmm."

I looked at Emily with a dissatisfied face. She tilted her head with a sweet smile, as she always did.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Emily, what's your real personality like?"

"Huh?"

"You don't call Enrique 'Brother,' do you?"

"Does Brother say that?"

"I never talked to Enrique. Anyway, don't change the