* * *

‘Do they seriously believe it was just an accident? The entire population?’

This paper was one of the Empire’s major publications, even referenced in From transmigration to Hero, and it circulated across nearly the entire Empire.

‘Doesn’t it scream “foul play” to anyone?’

Even if it was just an accident, a carriage carrying the Marquis and Marchioness of a border region tipped over, killing them both.

Wouldn’t people normally start whispering “What if?” and spinning conspiracies?

‘This reeks of media manipulation.’

“Young Master Shane, may I come in?”

A voice called from outside, and I quickly shoved the paper under the bed.

“Yes, come in!”

Thankfully, I’d grown used to speaking casually with the Pantheon household staff like Mila.

Speaking informally to strangers was still a challenge, though.

“Apologies for the delay, I had something to take care of.”

“It’s fine!”

If anything, it gave me time to read the paper in peace.

“Shall we begin preparations, young master?”

“…Sure.”

Today was the day of the outing.

---

The surface of the lake rippled as crimson autumn leaves floated down, creating small, gentle waves.

The lakeside, surrounded by vividly colored trees, was a perfect vision of autumn.

“Wow!!”

I couldn’t help but exclaim as soon as I stepped out of the carriage.

While I often feigned excitement, this time, my awe was genuine.

Even in Korea, I’d never seen such a breathtaking view.

This was a lakeside area near the Duke’s residence.

I hadn’t expected much when I heard we were heading to a nearby lake, but it completely exceeded my expectations.

Though I wanted to get closer to the water, I had someone to watch over—a ticking time bomb of a child.

I glanced at Raizen, who had just stepped out of the carriage.

His face was as cold as ever, but I could tell now that he wasn’t in a bad mood today.

In fact, Raizen’s mood had been relatively good lately.

He no longer bristled like a porcupine whenever I got close.

‘Let’s see…’

“Hey Hyung, let’s check that out!”

I called brightly, lightly touching his fingertips.

His gaze turned icy, but he didn’t swat my hand away.

Likely because the Duke and Duchess were watching from behind us.

‘Nice…!’

I pulled him toward the lake, but he gently pushed my hand away, speaking carefully.

“Shane, slow down. You might trip.”

He then lightly rested his hand on my shoulder, as if putting an arm around me.

Giving it a brief squeeze, he smiled faintly.

“Let’s go.”

He might as well have said, “Stop bothering me,” but his actions were so natural that even the Duke and Duchess didn’t notice anything strange.

‘Wow, he’s good.’

I stared at him, dumbfounded, before plastering on a cheerful smile.

“Okay!”

‘This is exhausting.’

We settled by the lakeside, spreading out a sizable picnic cloth, though it still felt cramped—probably because of the Duke.

‘He looks so out of place.’

The Duke, sitting amidst a picnic setup on a pale blue patterned cloth, completely clashed with the image of the “Bloody Duke” described in the novels.

Turning away before my brain short-circuited from the contradiction, I focused on the lake.

Mila and the Duchess busied themselves checking the food, while Raizen sat as far from me as possible.

When our eyes met, he frowned slightly, as if warning me to stay away.

‘Do I look like I’m contagious or something?’

I’d hoped this outing would be a chance to hold his hand for more than five seconds.

Judging by his wary demeanor, though, that wasn’t happening today.

‘Might as well enjoy the food and the scenery.’

Just as I was about to shift my gaze back to the lake—

“Your Grace!”

A knight hurried over, breathless.

Whispering something to the Duke, the man’s face darkened.

“My dear?” the Duchess asked.

The Duke sighed deeply.

“It seems someone from the Imperial Palace has arrived. I’ll need to hear what they have to say.”

“Oh…”

Though visibly disappointed, the Duchess quickly helped Mila pack up the food.

Turning to me, she smiled gently.

“Shane, it looks like we’ll have to enjoy our outing another time.”

“…Really?”

Feigning disappointment, I let my voice drop.

The Duchess patted my head sympathetically.

“The Emperor has sent someone. We can’t keep them waiting.”

“I see…”

My expression conveyed reluctant acceptance, earning a proud pat on the shoulder from the Duchess.

‘Guess I’m a natural at acting.’

---

“Wait, the Imperial Palace?”

I dropped the act and asked in genuine surprise.

Thankfully, no one seemed to find my reaction odd.

They were too busy sighing and pinching their temples.

“Figures. That slippery snake wouldn’t approve it so easily.”

“Honey…!”

The Duchess, startled, scolded the Duke.

Yet even she seemed to agree, whispering something into his ear that made him smirk faintly.

‘Ah, the picture of marital bliss.’

There wasn’t even a sliver of space for me to interrupt their conversation, so I shifted my gaze to Raizen.

The face of Raizen, who I thought wasn’t all that bad during our outing, was now completely frozen over.

‘The Emperor…’

The Emperor depicted in From transmigration to Hero was, as the Duke had described, a sly and cunning person.

He acted as if he knew nothing while, in truth, knowing everything.

He’d smile casually, but he was not someone to be underestimated.

The Emperor appeared more frequently in the story than I had anticipated, mainly because his son, the Crown Prince Hamuel, became an ally to Kim Minsoo.

‘An ally, huh… but in reality…’

He was just a walking purse. Shortly after Kim Minsoo found himself in Karon Luavis’s body, Karon was cast out of the Luavis Ducal House.

At first, Hamuel treated the suddenly unrecognizably changed Karon with disdain and tried to crush him like he used to.

However, he ended up being humiliated.

Vowing revenge, he doggedly trailed after Karon—who was now inhabited by Kim Minsoo.

Eventually, during a quest, Hamuel inadvertently helped Kim Minsoo raid an illegal auction house and ended up aligning his goals with him.

The Emperor took an interest in Karon, who managed to humble his self-centered and arrogant son.

Later, he greatly aided Kim Minsoo in his rise to becoming a hero.

‘But I’m not sure what the Emperor thinks of the Pantheon Ducal House.’

The Pantheon Ducal House was regarded as a potential rebellion risk—a “bloody house” that could explode at any moment.

While Karon Luavis was part of the Luavis Ducal House, by the time he began his hero’s journey, he had nearly severed ties with them.

‘That’s why the novel didn’t delve much into either the Luavis or Pantheon houses.’

Especially not the latter.

To sum up the information from the novel: the Sinoa Empire currently had two ducal houses.

The Luavis Ducal House, to which the transmigrated Kim Minsoo belonged, and the Pantheon Ducal House, where I currently was.

In the novel, the Pantheon Ducal House was described as having military power, whereas the Luavis Ducal House held political influence and the authority that came with it.

Unlike the barren western lands where the Pantheon estate was located, the Luavis estate was near the capital, with their townhouse situated right in the city itself.

The Emperor wouldn’t be able to ignore either house.

The question was, what were his thoughts on the Pantheon Ducal House?

And…

‘Why did the Emperor summon not only the Duke and Duchess but also specifically Raizen and me?’

He said he wanted to see our faces, but could the Emperor’s just once ever mean just seeing faces?

“We have to go, don’t we? You know that, right?”

The Duchess’s voice pulled me from my thoughts back to reality.

Her coaxing words made the Duke swipe his hand over his face.

“Yes, we have to.”

“Indeed. No matter how inscrutable that snake may be…”

I pretended not to hear.

Turning my attention from the couple, I quietly observed Raizen.

Normally, he would’ve noticed my gaze and looked back at me, but this time, he didn’t react at all.

‘It’s clear now…’

He’s definitely not on good terms with the Crown Prince, is he?

∗   ∗   ∗

The day after we received the summons, we began preparing for the journey and departed.

The Pantheon ducal carriage, which I boarded with full mental faculties intact, was the epitome of luxury.

But spending several days inside it left my body aching all over.

Thanks to the Duke and Duchess prioritizing my and Raizen’s comfort, we reached the capital in relative ease.

The townhouse of the Pantheon Ducal House in the capital wasn’t quite on par with the ducal mansion but was still stunningly grand.

Owning such a residence in the heart of the capital?

It was a testament to their wealth.

Still, I didn’t have the energy to appreciate the townhouse.

Exhausted from the long journey, I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed.

When I woke up, it was time to eat and then head straight to the Imperial Palace.

‘Wow…’

The palace was far more resplendent and magnificent than the famous French palace I’d seen in photos.

The trees in the garden were pruned to uniform perfection, and at the center was a massive fountain adorned with a golden statue of an angel.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but marvel.

The ducal mansion was impressive, but the grandeur of the palace was overwhelming.

Mouth slightly agape, I stared at the fountain until the Duke’s voice reached my ears.

* * *