Chapter 23

Surrounded by the rushing guards, Alpheios shouted.

“Yeah, go ahead and try that. It’ll just make the sight of you two grabbing each other by the collars even more ridiculous!”

As if it didn’t matter at all that he was being caught red-handed as a prince.

Or rather, it seemed more humiliating to him that he had been counterattacked by a foreigner born a slave.

Alpheios screamed and was dragged away.

The attendant led Riorem to a lounge room he had never seen before. It was a very splendid and antique-looking place.

‘Hmm.’

After the attendant left, Riorem carefully examined the surroundings.

Normally, he wasn’t often allowed into lounges, but this was the first time he had been “attended to” in such a lavish space.

It was probably a place only royalty could enter.

‘Instead of wallpaper, they hung tapestries… this isn’t bad at all.’

Riorem scanned the decorations and furniture filling the room one by one.

Many things were unfamiliar to him.

When he was granted Dinamis Castle, he took time to study its interior decoration thoroughly but still never got used to it.

Of course, in the past, he wouldn’t have inspected every detail so closely.

Buying expensive things and just having the right sets was enough to look splendid.

But… now there was a woman who fit only with such things in his bedroom.

Of course, Chernea never judged Riorem’s bedroom.

She thought it was natural since every piece of furniture and decoration was of the finest quality.

But looking at this room now, all his confidence disappeared.

His own bedroom did not have a huge tapestry that could cover the walls, nor even a fresco painting.

The ceiling was only overlaid with white marble.

There was no lively ceiling painting or even decorative beams.

‘I should replace the candlesticks with gold-plated ones as soon as I return to Dinamis. The bathtub should be decorated with turquoise mosaics. And… the sofa. What kind of leather was used for the sofa?’

Even while the priest came in to check the wounds on his arm, Riorem’s mind was full of thoughts about redecorating the mansion.

‘If the lounge I sometimes visit is this splendid, the bedroom must be even more luxurious… Is there any way to see it?’

If he were a slave or servant, it would have been easier.

But now that he was a general of Arete, there were many risks to overcome to enter the bedroom of royalty.

‘I have to get close to someone. Whether a loyal subordinate or a concubine.’

Riorem frowned. Either option was something he didn’t really want to do.

While observing the interior decorations, time flew by quickly.

Riorem stayed in the lounge until the regular meeting ended.

It was more convenient for achieving his original purpose this way.

Today was the nobles’ regular meeting day, but it was also the day Riorem was to receive rewards for the expedition.

Normally, he would have had to announce the rewards he sought in front of all the nobles because the king had said he would listen in the meeting hall.

It was a crafty plan befitting the cunning king.

The hall where all the high-ranking officials of the kingdom gathered was not a place to ask for personal matters.

Besides, if he asked for something too extravagant, the other nobles would revolt.

Since Riorem wasn’t on good terms with all the princes, they would also support the opposition.

But if they could talk here in this lounge, the story would be different.

‘Of course, the story depends on who comes to see me.’

Given what happened earlier, the crown prince might come personally, or the head attendant might come.

But Riorem had only one person in mind to bring up that topic.

He hoped that person would come.

Even he thought it was shameless of himself.

An anxious wait followed.

How long had he waited like that? He heard the footsteps moving in unison outside the door.

A short and quiet commotion passed, and then a sharp, clear voice echoed beyond the door.

“Everyone rise! The ruler of this land is entering!”

Riorem stood up and quickly knelt down.

He forced back the laughter bursting inside him.

‘All of them, Rani. Knowing well that I am alone.’

Still, he couldn’t show it.

He was also relieved that King Arete himself was coming to meet him.

Soon, the door silently opened.

In Riorem’s kneeling, bowed vision appeared the long train of a robe.

It was an outer garment made of flawless, fine silk.

The king spoke.

“Raise your head, Riorem Velik.”

Riorem slowly lifted his head.

Ruby-red eyes were looking down at him.

The king gestured toward the back of the room.

The door slid smoothly closed.

Thunk.

The air inside the room was completely sealed off from outside.

Sak, sasak, sak.

Quiet footsteps continued behind the door.

Probably the sound of installing soundproof barriers.

This was an act only possible with the belief that no harm would come from being alone with the king.

“Anyway, I guess I am somewhat acknowledged.”

Riorem felt the king’s trust anew.

Of course, that trust did not come from respect.

“Oh dear, there’s not even a glass of water here.”

The king joked as he sat down on the sofa.

Riorem swallowed a sneer and stood up.

Though allowed to use the lounge meant only for royalty, he was not even given an attendant to serve him, let alone water.

It wasn’t the first time the king treated him like this.

“But the king never said it outright. If he had, it would mean he was irritated by me.”

The king had orchestrated the situation so that Alpheios had to be punished, and so that Riorem would have to discuss compensation alone.

Which of these angered the king, Riorem did not know.

Still, Riorem was accustomed to receiving an offended master.

Unlike Chernea, the king only got angry for reasonable causes.

It was not hard to endure his irritability.

Riorem quietly stood before the king, his posture straight like a beautifully carved statue.

The king looked at him and slowly leaned back on the sofa.

“Alpheios has been sent back to the battlefield. As part of his discipline, he was ordered to inspect all border areas. It will take months to cover all regions bordering the empire.”

“So you decided to handle the Dinamis lordship separately.”

“Yes. The crown prince insisted strongly.”

The king pushed a stool in front of the sofa with his toe.

Riorem obediently sat down. He was not living a life that would find sitting on a stool degrading.

“Besides, I’m not the only one you treat this way.”

The king smiled wryly, a look so much like Alpheios it was almost disgusting.

“Normally, I wouldn’t consider such a request. But since you seem to have grown close with my eldest son, I decided to listen. If he’s a friend of my son, I can be more lenient.”

“I’m not taking the crown prince’s side in particular.”

The king showed open disappointment at that reply.

Riorem calmly met his gaze. It was no secret the king wanted to attach a good retainer to his eldest son.

“Maybe he thinks he can coax me a bit more.”

Since the king was two-faced, he might be quietly relieved.

True to the guess, the king brought up the matter lightly.

“Anyway. For that reason, I will give you one more gift. Choose it.”

“Two rewards — the expedition’s compensation and the damages from the Shanghai incident?”

“Yes. As I said, the crown prince strongly requested it.”

The king bluntly implied that Riorem should become the crown prince’s ally.

After a moment’s hesitation, Riorem decided to partly agree.

“To smooth over countless problems that may arise from my chosen compensation, it’s better to have more power.”

Of course, all the princes except the crown prince would more fiercely keep an eye on Riorem, but maybe

it was better to endure that.

Riorem slowly spoke.

“The first is to receive the spoils I desire.”

“Spoils?”

The king tilted his chin.

“Yes. I brought something from the Duchy of Peroa. Receiving that is the compensation I want.”

“Just to be clear, is the second reward related to that, General?”

Riorem smiled.

As expected of a man with a fox in his belly.

Before hearing what the spoils were, he already suspected something.

Now it was time for this man to confirm what his cunning had produced.

“I captured a survivor from the Duchy of Peroa alive. I have already made him my slave and brought him to my bedroom.”