Tamed A Blackened Slave Man - Chapter 91: Who’s Side Is Your Highness On?

Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall, Crown Prince Leon glared ferociously at Cassadin.

“I want to talk with Sir Cassadin…”

“But I’m too scared to approach them because of His Highness’s expression.”

Fearful of the Crown Prince, the people inside the banquet hall hesitated to come closer to Cassadin.

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Leon stomped up to Cassadin and grabbed his shirt collar.

“I’ve gone through the trouble to hide it, but you just had to ruin it all, making Aren cover for you and getting dragged away. What were you thinking?”

“…….”

“Talk! With that mouth of yours!”

Leon’s hand trembled as it clenched Cassadin’s shirt collar.

Cassadin, on the other hand, stared dryly back at the man who had grabbed him by the collar.

As he looked at Leon, Cassadin remembered several days earlier, when the Emperor had tested him.

The Emperor had suddenly summoned the busy Cassadin to the throne room and asked him to play a game of chess.

In that loud silence, only the sound of chess pieces moving could be heard.

After a long time had passed…

Clack.

The Emperor spoke up as he moved his black rook.

‘Checkmate. It is my victory.’

Cassadin bowed his head and responded.

‘It was an honor to play with you, Your Majesty.’

But then, the Emperor stared straight back at Cassadin.

‘I know that you have lost on purpose.’

’…….’

‘Why did you move your knight instead of your pawn on the last turn? If you had moved the pawn, you could have easily blocked my attack. Not only that, the pawn would have reached the end of the chessboard and could have been promoted to a higher-ranking piece, so you would have definitely won. Are you trying to deceive me?’

To answer him, Cassadin raised his right hand to his chest.

‘Even if I had changed the pawn to a better chess piece, the pawn could never become a king. Even a queen can only be used as a shield to protect the king.’

’……’

‘How could I ever dare deceive Your Majesty? I merely attempted to understand Your Majesty’s intentions.’

Hearing Cassadin’s response, the Emperor smiled with satisfaction.

‘Hahahah! You are correct. No matter how much a pawn struggles, it can never become a king.’

With his eyes still fixated on Cassadin, the Emperor asked him,

’……What do you think of Lady Serkia?’

‘She is a warmhearted lady who accepted me into her family when I was a mere gladiator slave.’

‘Warmhearted, you say? That is true. Unlike other noblewomen, Lady Serkia is quite quick-witted and yet manages to be kind to an extent.’

The Emperor slowly stroked his beard and continued,

‘How do you feel about arranging for the Grand Duke to be with Lady Serkia?’

Suppressing the fierce urge to kill the Emperor, he answered in a calm voice,

’……I wish to know the reason why Your Majesty wants to do so.’

‘If I compare the Grand Duke to these chess pieces, he is a king, just as I am.’

The Emperor observed his black king standing on the chessboard.

‘Hale, my younger brother, had been given the title of Grand Duke to rule over the northern regions in return for stepping back from the battle for the crown. He, who seemed to reside quietly within his territory, suddenly passed away, leaving a single son. The son Hale left behind is Damian. Though he does not have an official right to the throne, he is closer to the crown than all others.’

After a moment of silence, Cassadin’s mouth creaked open.

‘If it is to keep check on the Grand Duke, then Your Majesty can merely use me, as it has always been. Is there any reason to bother with pushing Lady Serkia together with the Grand Duke?’

The Emperor grinned slyly.

‘I am not trying to push those two together just to keep a check on the Grand Duke.’

‘If not that, then what?’

’…Sir Cassadin. Do you truly believe I am unaware of the current situation?’

It was only after he heard the Emperor speak that he realized.

The Emperor had known about Cassadin’s feelings for Aren all along.

Despite this knowledge, he had offered Princess Bella to Cassadin.

Cassadin had impulsively caused the scene in an attempt to protect Aren before the Emperor or Damian could expose their relationship, but ultimately, Aren ended up protecting him instead.

And he was certain the Emperor would spew any amount of nonsense necessary in front of Aren to turn her into another piece on his chessboard.

Cassadin watched the Crown Prince with a stoic expression.

Much as he loathed to acknowledge it, the man before him was the only one who could resolve the predicament.

This was because the Crown Prince was not only the Emperor’s beloved son but also his sole vulnerability.

In a deep voice, so soft that only the person nearest could hear, Cassadin addressed the Crown Prince.

“Whose side are you on, Your Highness?”

“What?”

Leon frowned at Cassadin, not grasping the implication of the question.

However, after posing that question, Cassadin remained silent.

It was a question laden with significance.

Whose side was he on? Of course, he was…

“On Aren’s side.”

Upon hearing this, a subtle smile graced Cassadin’s face.

“But isn’t Your Highness on His Majesty’s side?”

“Did you not hear me? I am on Aren’s side.”

“The heavens cannot brook two suns.”

The heavens cannot brook two suns.

Cassadin’s words were enigmatic—an exceedingly ambiguous and abstract notion.

When Leon cocked his head, puzzled, Cassadin clarified.

“Your Highness, there can be only one sun.”

There can be only one sun.

What Cassadin was trying to convey was that no matter how much the Crown Prince struggled, he would not be able to defeat the Emperor, who wielded the true power.

Leon released his grip on Cassadin’s shirt collar and responded.

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“If Your Highness remains passive like this, then Aren may become a pawn of His Majesty. From a previous conversation with His Majesty, I’ve learned that he wishes to arrange a relationship between Aren and the Grand Duke.”

“……What? Is that true? Has His Majesty gone completely out of his……!”

When Cassadin raised his left index finger to his lips, Leon let out a deep sigh and lowered his voice.

“Then how can I save Aren?”

“…….Does Your Highness wish to protect her at all costs?”

“Is that even a question? His Majesty is trying to pair Aren with that despicable Grand Duke!”

Cassadin looked calmly at the man, who was angrily responding to his question. He then whispered into the Crown Prince’s ear.

“There is only one way that is possible.”

“……What is it?”

“Your Highness must drink poison. If possible, a lethal poison that no physician can cure.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes flew open as he yelled at Cassadin.

“You insane fool! Do you realize what you’re suggesting? If you hadn’t engaged in that outrageous behavior in the first place, Aren wouldn’t have……!”

“Please be quiet, Your Highness. There are many ears around us.”

The Crown Prince clenched his teeth and fell silent.

Cassadin was correct; the banquet hall was filled with people who could overhear their conversation. Even at that moment, there were some who feigned engagement in their own discussions while sneaking glances in their direction, curious about their exchange.

With a sense of helplessness, Leon thumped his fist against his chest.

As Leon observed, Cassadin spoke calmly.

“The reason I did that earlier was to prevent a future, larger commotion.”

“Prevent a larger commotion, you say?”

“Indeed. When Your Highness interrupted His Majesty, it only further agitated him. Enraged, he would have tried to separate me and Aren, whom he already intended to part, even more. I decided revealing my true feelings and protecting Aren was preferable, even at the cost of my reputation.”

Cassadin’s thoughts turned to Aren. Merely reflecting on her for a brief moment made his heart ache. The image of her being taken away was indelible.

’……If anyone should be blamed for this incident, it’s me. Cassadin is the victim.’

Aren had spoken as if she were responsible for his actions. She had bravely taken the blame upon herself and smiled as though she were the happiest person alive.

Once Aren had exited the hall, Cassadin pondered the dilemma again.

He needed a way out of this predicament.

To make the Emperor reliant on Aren, he had to devise a plan.

The solution he arrived at was to have the Crown Prince ingest poison.

If the Crown Prince willingly consumed a poison beyond the cure of any physician, then the Emperor would be compelled to summon Aren to save his son.

This was the same tactic he employed six months prior, covertly poisoning the Crown Prince’s glass.

And just as he had done then, he’d called for Aren immediately after the Crown Prince fell, spewing blood.

However, the success of this plan hinged on the Crown Prince’s cooperation.

The scheme would only work if the Crown Prince sided with Aren, not the Emperor, and trusted her enough to risk his life.

“Your Highness simply needs to drink the poison. By doing so, Aren will be saved.”

“Are you actually out of your mind right now?”

“No, I am not.”

“……”

Leon just quietly stared at Cassadin for a moment, his eyes shining brightly.

Seeing Cassadin stare back at him with such certainty, Leon couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.

“I’ve felt this before as well, but you truly are insane.”

“……”

“And it seems…”

Trailing off, Leon’s eyes curled into crescents.

“I have also gone insane.”

“You have not only sacrificed your family’s reputation but were also prepared to be imprisoned, all for the sake of love.”

The Emperor smiled coldly as he gazed at me.

“It seems that Milady’s outstanding healing abilities come from that remarkably strong mentality of yours.”

The Emperor shook his head as if exasperated, then suddenly leaned down towards me. His deep voice fell directly into my ears like weights.

“Does Earl Zigen also know of this?”

“……”

The Emperor clicked his tongue at my silence.

“How unfortunate. The Earl must be quite shocked once he hears of this.”

I did feel extremely sorry for my father.

Since not only had I damaged the family’s reputation, but he was also going to hear news that I had feelings for Cassadin.

‘He will indeed be shocked.’

But it could not be helped. This was the best I could do.

Serkia’s healing ability was a blessing, but they did not have the ability to heal themselves.

A healer from the Serkia Family couldn’t heal a person with the same Serkia blood.

Because of that, I was able to cure those who were on the brink of death, but I was unable to heal my own father.

It was indeed such a selfless ability.

If by any chance my father fell ill after learning of this situation, then I could nurse him with my knowledge of herbs and medicine.

‘But he may not want to see me for the time being.’

While I was thinking of my father, the Emperor stood up straight again and began to speak to me.

“It is a shame, but I have decided to terminate the promise that continued between the Serkia Family and the royal family for the past several hundred years.”

“Your Majesty!”

When I looked up at the Emperor in shock, he simply stroked his beard and smiled.

“Since Milady’s reputation has already plummeted, it will be quite troublesome if you continue to visit the palace as you previously did.”

“……”

“But thanks to Milady’s efforts, Cassadin’s reputation has escaped the danger of completely crashing to the ground. I do have to give my salutations to Milady for that.”

After judging that I was no longer of use to him, he threw me away without hesitation.

“Since Milady has also cured my illnesses in the past, I will not imprison you.”

“……”

“However, I must say that it will be difficult for Milady to find the royal family’s support in any future matters.”

My entire body trembled with anger at the Emperor’s behavior.

“Why don’t you change your mind now? It is not too late. If Milady agrees to meet the Grand Duke, then I will reconsider my decisions.”

“Why is it that Your Majesty wants to connect me to the Grand Duke so much?”

“The Grand Duke has remarkable swordsmanship abilities. However, even he was unable to compete with Cassadin’s swordsmanship. There is just one thing that Cassadin has that the Grand Duke does not. What does Milady think that is?”

Something that Cassadin has, but not Damian.

What sort of question is this now?

“I am not sure.”

As if he hadn’t expected an answer from me, the Emperor curled the corners of his lips and spoke up.

“It is Milady’s heart.”

It was hard to understand what he was implying.

Seeing my frown, the Emperor clicked his tongue and spoke again.

“I had known for quite some time that Milady had feelings for Sir Cassadin. Who in this world would smile so brightly while speaking of the warmth of a family?”

‘I wanted to show him the warmth of a family. His status didn’t matter to me.’

The Emperor had seen through my feelings from that moment on.

So, with full knowledge, he attempted to separate me and Cassadin.

An indescribable surge of fury welled up inside me.

“I assure you, but the Earl must also be aware of this.”

“……!”

“Perhaps, he may have realized it even before I did.”

Father knew about this?

Then why hadn’t he said anything?

Reading my thoughts, the Emperor responded.

“The Earl likely wished for Milady’s happiness.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it a pity to sacrifice your entire family for a fleeting love? It will not be difficult for me to restore your family’s reputation. Therefore, meet with the Grand Duke. Based on what I observed at the banquet hall, the Grand Duke seemed to harbor feelings for Milady. Sir Cassadin has the Princess as his partner now. What better offer could there be than this?”

Offer? Hardly. This was a threat, using my family as leverage.

Telling me to meet with Damian was a way to divert attention.

Pairing the Princess with Cassadin was a tactic to ensure he remained forever under his thumb.

The Emperor was a cruel man.

Perhaps it was in their blood, but Damian and the Emperor were identical in that regard. That same blood allowed the Emperor to treat people as mere tools.

“I will ask you one last time, Lady Serkia. Will you accept my offer? Or…”

The wrinkles around the Emperor’s eyes deepened. His golden eyes gleamed like a well-sharpened blade.

“Are you prepared to lose everything you’ve worked for until now, all for that single emotion?”

‘Fucking bastard.’

Just as I was internally cursing the Emperor, the thick iron doors swung open with a loud ‘thunk’. As soon as the door opened, several imperial knights rushed in at once.

They appeared to have run all the way here, as the knights were all breathing heavily. Looking at the knights who dared to intrude on the Emperor without permission, the Emperor shouted loudly.

“Impudent fools! Do you realize where you have dared to enter!”

The imperial knights bowed, and one of them spoke up.

“Y-Your Majesty! We apologize for the intrusion, but His Highness has collapsed.”

“What?”

The Emperor’s face suddenly turned ashen at the knight’s report.

“His Highness has drunk poison!”