Chapter 17

Just before boarding the royal carriage, Rian straightened his brother Kaion’s collar and whispered one last time.

“Brother, when you enter the Imperial Palace, never act like you know anything. You are only a loyal retainer who brought the family’s herbal tea. Say that regarding herbs, ‘All I learned was over my grandmother’s shoulder when I was young.’ They don’t want answers so much as a believable excuse.”

“Understood.”

Kaion answered briefly and climbed into the carriage. His heart pounded with nerves, but seeing his younger brother’s calm eyes, he quickly regained his composure.

Passing through the grand gates of the Imperial Palace and arriving at the Crown Prince’s chambers, Kaion faced an overwhelming authority. In the room waited not only Sir Allen, the royal guard, but also the imperial physician, ministers, and Julian, the Crown Prince called the Sun of the Empire.

Having been free from pain for the first time in months, the Crown Prince was still pale, but his gaze was sharp and deep, befitting the heir of the Empire.

“Are you Kaion of the Aster family?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Kaion Aster, I greet you.”

Kaion knelt on one knee and bowed formally.

“Raise your head. Thanks to the tea you offered, I have found peace for the first time in a long while. Tell me: what exactly is that tea? Did you say it was a family remedy?”

Julian’s question drew every eye in the room to Kaion. As Rian had instructed, Kaion answered without the slightest hesitation.

“I am sorry, Your Highness, but calling it a family remedy is too grand—it is a humble folk remedy. Our estate lands lies close to the monster forest, and many places there are beyond the reach of the priests. So for generations people have passed down the wisdom of treating illness with herbs, and I myself only learned by watching my grandmother when I was a child.”

His answer was perfect. He did not boast of any achievement and displayed only loyalty toward the Crown Prince. The physician and ministers still eyed him with suspicion, but the Crown Prince’s thoughts were different.

‘Humble, with no greed. His eyes are also straightforward.’

Julian liked Kaion. He wanted to reward this country knight who had eased his tormenting headaches. But if he rashly granted a title or a large reward, the scrutiny from other nobles, including the Marquis of the Reinhardt family, would be obvious.

“Very well. Valuing your loyalty, I will give you a special duty.”

Julian rose from his seat and placed a hand on Kaion’s shoulder.

“From today you will be my personal sparring partner. Also, unofficially serve as my guard at my side. After the Academy’s training ends, you must come to the Imperial Palace every day to receive my sword.”

It was a bold offer. It meant making Kaion his man and keeping him close, securing a steady supply of herbal tea while watching him. It also meant placing him under the Crown Prince’s protection, where other nobles could not easily touch him.

“I gladly accept Your Highness’s command!”

Kaion replied with a voice full of emotion.

The news spread through the capital’s social circles in an instant. At word that a country-born knight cadet had become the Crown Prince’s closest aide, some were envious and others hurried to curry favor with the Aster family.

Of course, the most vehement reaction came from the Reinhardt family.

“How dare they…! Not only did they soil my son’s reputation, now they try to blind His Highness as well!”

A roar of anger echoed through the Marquis of the Reinhardt family’s mansion.

That evening, after returning from the Imperial Palace, Kaion told Rian everything. Rian nodded quietly. Everything was proceeding according to his script.

“Brother, now the real beginning starts.”

Rian handed his brother a newly made bundle of herbal tea.

“The Imperial Palace has far more eyes and ears than we think. No one must learn the source or recipe of this tea. Just say it’s ‘made by an old maid in the household.’ And remember everything you see and hear in the Palace. Do not miss even the smallest detail.”

Kaion, newly admiring his brother’s meticulousness, accepted the bundle of herbs.

Now the Aster family had gained the most powerful shield in the Crown Prince. But at the same time, they had become a target of the Empire’s most dangerous enemies.