The King Has Collapsed?!

Ian couldn’t send Charlotte back immediately. The question of how she was found could raise suspicion, so he had no choice but to place her—still fast asleep—near the police bureau headquarters. He even found a blanket to cover her, concerned she might get cold.

From a distance, he confirmed that someone passing by had discovered her. Soon, police officers arrived and took her away. Afterward, Ian returned to the bureau as though he had just come from elsewhere and was able to serve as the witness who confirmed his sister’s safety.

Charlotte’s disappearance stirred considerable suspicion. She’d been drugged and kidnapped—and then suddenly returned. It all seemed strange. But once her identity as a princess became known, the conclusion was inevitable: the kidnapper, fearing her royal status, had quietly let her go.

At the hospital where she was taken, Ian stayed by her side. When she finally woke up, she was understandably confused. Ian had to explain carefully so she wouldn’t be too shocked.

Only then did she burst into tears at how close she had come to tragedy, and Ian did his best to calm her. She stayed hospitalized for a week to recover. During that time, classmates visited her, and for the first time in a while, their mother was granted leave to visit as well.

When mother and daughter hugged and wept together, Ian couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret—had he killed the kidnapper too easily? But he found comfort in the fact that the man had died in agony. On the side, he also heard something else.

It made the papers—someone believed to be the serial killer “Jack” had been found torn apart by cats. The story shocked the nation. Those already fearful of cats began to call them “killer cats,” deepening public aversion.

There were now cries for extermination. As a result, cat-hunting efforts spread across the capital’s districts. Ian couldn’t help but feel sorry. Because of him, innocent cats were dying.

He could do nothing about it—only watch with guilt. Still, the cats couldn’t be completely wiped out. They hid too well and were clever, often avoiding even poisoned bait. While their numbers did decline, they remained.

What shocked the nation even more was that the man eaten by the cats was likely the infamous serial killer Jack. The tools in the room were clearly medical instruments, and there was no reason for such a setup otherwise.

Naturally, the conclusion was unavoidable.

Eventually, Charlotte was discharged safely and returned to the palace. Thanks to this incident, she now enjoyed the luxury of having three bodyguards assigned to her.

September came. Charlotte was able to resume school. Life began to return to normal. Around this time, Ian returned to the palace for the first time in a month to attend the royal family’s routine dinner.

As expected, royal dinners were intense. They were battlegrounds for succession. Sitting among the gathered family meant enduring constant scrutiny. Ian, still famous, continued to draw wary eyes.

Especially lately—his increasing interactions with the nobility made the tension even stronger.

“I wonder if this is alright.”

Approaching them was the Eighth Prince. Though his war injuries—sustained because of Ian—had long since healed, a faint scar on his chin still hinted at the severity of the accident. Ian, sensing provocation, responded coldly.

“What do you mean?”

“Charlotte. I was so worried after her kidnapping incident.”

‘You? Worried? What a joke. You’re here to mock us.’

Suppressing his inner sarcasm, Ian forced a smile.

“Thank you for your concern. But before that, shouldn’t you greet someone first?”

“Greet?”

“My mother is sitting right beside me. Since you’ve come to speak to me, it’s only proper to address her as well.”

“Why should I?”

“Because that’s royal etiquette.”

Even if he didn’t like it, Ian still greeted other concubines when approaching them. But this guy walked up, spoke to Ian, and ignored his mother sitting right there? Of course Ian was offended.

The Eighth Prince looked momentarily flustered.

‘He doesn’t want to do it. But I brought up etiquette—he can’t refuse now.’

If he didn’t do it, it would look like he was disrespecting the royal family. With so many eyes watching, retreating wasn’t an option. Ian waited, watching him as if to ask, What will you do? The prince’s face twitched with anger, but he finally turned to Ian’s mother and gave a slight bow.

“Greetings to you, Your Grace.”

“Yes, thank you.”

It was the first time she’d been greeted by the Eighth Prince. She was flustered but not displeased. Meanwhile, the prince, irritated that Ian had cornered him, tried to regain composure.

“Well then, little brother. Are you satisfied now?”

“Yes, I am. And since Charlotte is fine now, I’d prefer it if you didn’t bring up the incident again. It was deeply traumatic for her.”

“…Alright. If you say so.”

He sounded reluctant, but Ian’s words left no room for argument. The Eighth Prince had clearly changed. In the past, he would’ve just lashed out—but Ian was no longer a nobody.

After the war with the Doicheun Empire, perceptions had shifted. Ian now had substantial influence. That alone made others think twice before provoking him.

Still, Ian wasn’t satisfied.

‘It’s all just a name. I have no real power behind it.’

“Is there anything else you wanted to say?”

“No… ahem.”

He had clearly come to provoke Ian over Charlotte, but Ian’s words shut him down. As the Eighth Prince walked away, Ian looked at Charlotte, sitting quietly beside him, and asked softly,

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But… are you okay, Brother?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. More importantly—”

Just then, an attendant’s voice rang out.

“To all members of the royal family: There will be no dinner today. Please return to your residences.”

Murmur murmur…

Everyone in the dining hall began murmuring, confused. Ian was no exception. It was so sudden.

He stood.

As everyone began leaving, Ian’s gaze caught the First Prince slipping away quietly through a side hall.

‘Why is the First Prince going off alone? That’s suspicious.’

Even the Second and Third Princes watched the First Prince with wary eyes.

‘Should I look into this?’

With that thought, Ian left the dining hall with his mother and younger sister, heading toward the concubines’ quarters. Many others were returning to their own residences, and before long, they too arrived at their usual residence. Their maid Leni looked puzzled at the sight.

“Leni, would you prepare a meal for us? Ian, you’ll stay and eat dinner with us, right?”

“Of course.”

Answering as such, Ian couldn’t help but be suspicious about what had happened earlier. Why had everyone been dismissed so suddenly without explanation? To find out, he would need to use his network inside the palace—people who had been placed under Mental Manipulation.

Soon, they were seated at the dining table in the secondary palace, waiting for food to be prepared. It would take a bit of time since it was a sudden request, so they began talking in the meantime.

“About earlier in the dining hall—weren’t you a bit too harsh on the Eighth Prince?”

“He disrespected you, Mother. I had to step in.”

“Still, provoking him like that… I worry he might try something.”

“I have some standing now. He won’t be able to act rashly. Don’t worry.”

Ian then changed the subject to divert attention, bringing up the canceled dinner.

“More importantly, why were we dismissed like that? And now that I think of it, Father wasn’t present either.”

“Yes, you’re right. I wonder what happened. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“It probably isn’t. There was likely just something going on that we weren’t informed about, so they canceled the gathering.”

To reassure his anxious mother, Ian downplayed the matter. She tried to calm herself, but in a palace full of schemes and political maneuvering, she couldn’t be completely at ease.

Whatever it was, Ian knew he’d find out through his network. For now, he focused on sharing a peaceful dinner. The meal was soon brought in, and for the first time in a while, the three of them were able to dine together.

Though the meal had been quickly thrown together and lacked variety, the fact that the three of them could eat in peace was more than enough. In fact, not having to eat among the rest of the royal family made the experience more pleasant.

After the meal, Ian bid his mother and sister farewell and left the palace. As he walked through the corridor, he frequently passed servants and maids who bowed their heads in his presence.

Among them, a slip of paper tucked into a maid’s collar subtly floated into Ian’s pocket. No one noticed—it was done swiftly and silently. Ian boarded his waiting car and left for his estate.

As the car sped along, Ian pulled out the paper. The dim evening made it hard to read, but every time they passed under a streetlamp, the words briefly became visible.

And when he finally read them, Ian’s eyes widened.

–The King has collapsed.–

His father… had collapsed? Suddenly? Why?

Though his father had lived a debauched lifestyle, this was still unexpected. Sure, health could suddenly decline—but at his age, not yet even elderly, it was shocking.

‘So that’s why the First Prince slipped away earlier?’

If that were the case, it was clear the First Prince was already controlling the palace. Ian had his own people inside, but they were few. In truth, he could take over the palace right now using Mental Manipulation—but only temporarily.

To gain long-term control, he’d need time to manipulate minds slowly and thoroughly. If he acted rashly, his abilities could be exposed, which would provoke resistance and countermeasures.

‘Maybe the Second and Third Princes already figured it out too.’

They must’ve found something strange as they left the dining hall. If they had enough influence, they would have already begun to act.

The most urgent matter was the King’s condition. If he died, chaos would erupt. But if he recovered, this could all blow over.

‘It seems I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to know for sure.’

With that in mind, Ian returned to his estate and began mobilizing every resource he had to prepare for a possible upheaval. If the princes started a civil war, the kingdom’s strength would be shattered.

And with the possibility of a global war looming, a weakened Polia Kingdom could become a target for foreign interference or invasion. Ian didn’t want to imagine such a future, so he prepared.

Morning came.

By now, many would be awake. And with it came an update:

His Majesty the King has regained consciousness.

Ian breathed a sigh of relief.

Had the King died before Ian was fully prepared, it would’ve been troublesome.

‘At least he’s not dead.’

It was some relief—but the news didn’t end there. The King’s health was too poor for him to govern. In one night, he had become a man who couldn’t even sit up on his own.

At barely fifty, such a collapse was devastating. Ian felt nothing for his father—no sympathy, no grief. To him, it was simply karma.

‘The real problem is that the First Prince now has complete control of the palace.’

Even though the King had woken up, he was bedridden. That meant the only one tending to him would be the Queen—the First Prince’s mother. The palace was effectively in his hands.

‘Something is going to happen soon…’

And Ian’s instincts were right. The admiral of the 1st Fleet had summoned him.