TOPWL 77

“Yes. Since Your Highness can’t take a bath, they will only assist with a simple wash,” Wendrel said.

At his command, servants entered with a basin. After washing his face, Yudit searched for the clothes he had worn the day before.

“That outfit had too much blood and dirt, so it’s been washed. It’s still not dry, so I’ll bring you something else,” one of the servants said.

Yudit quietly changed into the clothes brought by the servant. His body was covered in numerous small wounds, and bandages wrapped around his torso, so he needed assistance in dressing. A thick cotton shirt, wide winter trousers, and a robe made him feel comfortable and warm. Wearing slippers, Yudit made his way to the place Wender had directed.

“Sorry for being late,” Yudit apologized.

Khalid was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. There were only a few types of bread on the table, perhaps he was waiting for Yudit before serving.

“Did they keep you up all night at the palace?” Khalid asked.

“…Not exactly,” Yudit replied.

“Well, with assassins showing up every day, it’s hard to get any rest,” Khalid said nonchalantly, spreading butter on the bread. Yudit stared at him for a moment.

“You’ve let your hair down…” Khalid commented.

Unlike usual, when he always kept his hair tied up, his hair was damp and hanging loosely. Khalid ran his fingers through it as he spoke.

“It must’ve come down since it’s wet. Does it look bad?”

“You look younger,” Khalid said.

Yudit gave him a strange look, as though he were unsure whether he should be pleased or not by the comment. At that moment, the servants entered with more food: freshly baked bread, corn soup, and strong black tea.

“Thank you.” Yudit said.

He spread jam on a slice of white bread and took a small bite. As he chewed, Khalid asked,

“Are there others who know you associated with the people in the slums?”

“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?” Yudit raised an eyebrow.

“I want to know how many people are aware of your weaknesses,” Khalid said.

Yudit thought for a moment before replying.

“Reginald… and Empress Katarina, I suppose. The Emperor knows too, anyone who wants to know have heard about it.”

“Katarina Crowe? She managed to survive, huh?”

Katarina, the Empress and Reginald’s mother, was ruthless in her efforts to make her son the Emperor. She wouldn’t have let someone like Yudit, who frequented the slums where Aldrich resided, go unnoticed. Yudit smiled bitterly.

“What did you do there?”

“I was either receiving lessons from Aldrich… learning foreign languages, or sometimes I taught people.”

“You? What did you teach?” Khalid asked, looking at him curiously.

“How to speak like a noble,” Yudit answered casually.

“I taught etiquette for royalty and nobility. That’s all I had learned at the palace back then,” he added.

“Did they enjoy those lessons?”

“They weren’t exactly for enjoyment. They had practical purposes. They would pretend to be nobles and trick people. Sometimes I’d get a cut when they did well.”

Khalid chuckled softly.

“So, the Prince got pocket money from con men in the slums?”

“I needed the money,” Yudit said nonchalantly.

“That’s reckless. That kind of behavior could come back to bite you one day.”

Khalid’s tone was more concerned than critical. Yudit shrugged.

“At the time, I was just trying to survive day by day.”

“You’re not still doing that, are you?”

Yudit shook his head.

“I haven’t visited the slums since Aldrich’s death.”

“What happened then?” Khalid asked.

“You already know, don’t you?”

“I’d prefer to hear it from you, rather than from a document.”

Yudit paused, his gaze wary as though weighing whether or not to speak.

“It’s a long story.”

“It’s fine. I don’t have any appointments today,” Khalid assured him.

After a few moments of hesitation, Yudit carefully asked,

“Do you remember when the Empire’s Exhibition was held?”

“Yeah, I was too busy killing relatives to attend,” Khalid answered dryly.

Yudit was silent, and Khalid gave a sheepish smile.

“I’m joking.”

“Originally, they were planning to demolish the slums. They wanted to clear it up because it didn’t look good. But right next to the slums was the red-light district, and many of the people there had ties to the slums. There were even courtesans involved, which caused a lot of debate about whether or not the slums should be cleared,” Yudit continued.

Although the slums were unsightly, the brothels and entertainment districts brought in substantial profits, making them indispensable when hosting the Empire’s Exhibition. Politics and economics tangled, and many discussions ensued.

“Eventually, they decided to demolish the slums. It looked like a rundown place, but there were buildings that paid taxes, and contracts were in place. There wasn’t much reason to forcibly remove people, so they planted spies to incite a rebellion.”

“Classic method,” Khalid remarked.

“Exactly. The plan was to provoke a rebellion, deal with everyone, and clear the slums. But there were a lot of intellectuals in the slums, including Aldrich. When they didn’t fall for the trick, they arrested all the intellectuals, including Aldrich.”

Aldric was the former Emperor’s teacher and a renowned scholar, authoring numerous works. However, his advocacy for the Lirutians and criticism of imperialism had made him a target of the royal family. His books, once required reading, were banned, and his wealth confiscated.

Despite being in opposition to the royal family, Aldrich survived due to the respect many in the government and society had for him. Even when Aldrich lived in the slums, wealthy nobles would occasionally visit him in their carriages, seeking his advice. Even the late Emperor, who had exiled him, sometimes regretted his actions, and his will even included a request to leave Aldrich alone.

“When the intellectuals, including Aldrich, were arrested, the spies went wild. People, confused and panicked, began demanding his release. This worked out according to the royal family’s plan. Since Aldrich still had strong influence, the Emperor didn’t want to keep him imprisoned for long, but then things took a turn,” Yudit explained, gesturing toward himself.

“They found out I had been frequenting the slums, so Reginald tried to involve me in the plot.”

The Emperor had been willing to show Aldrich some respect, but things changed once Katarina intervened. To force out the notion that Aldrich was involved in the rebellion, she began torturing Aldrich and the intellectuals. However, Aldrich remained silent, as did the others.

When word spread that Aldrich was being tortured, the people in the slums erupted in outrage. Simultaneously, those who respected Aldrich among the neutral and noble factions began subtly pressuring the Emperor to release him.

“At the time, the Emperor was dealing with several ongoing wars, and public opinion was already unfavorable, so he wanted to resolve it quickly. But Katarina, backed by the Crowe family, wanted to finish what she started. The Crowe family owned land near the slums, and she seemed determined to settle it once and for all.”

As protests grew, casualties on both sides began to mount, and the situation worsened. People who were already dissatisfied with the royal family joined in, swelling the ranks of the protests. Just before civil war could break out, the Emperor ultimately decided to release Aldrich.

Aldrich, despite suffering from the aftereffects of torture, helped calm the crowd. But as soon as the situation settled, the royal family shamelessly demanded that someone take responsibility for the deaths of dozens of people. When no one volunteered, Aldrich stepped forward, claiming responsibility. His reasoning was simple: he knew he didn’t have long to live, and it was better to sacrifice himself.

Though others tried to stop him, Aldrich’s resolve was unshakeable. He took all the blame and committed suicide, for the sake of those who remained.

“I loved Aldrich deeply. Sometimes even more than Lilia. But when I saw his body… I was terrified. I touched his hand, and it was cold and stiff. It felt as if… I were touching my own sin.”

Though the story ended in tragedy, it allowed the slums to remain standing a little longer. However, someone still needed to be blamed. During a drunken conversation, one of the intellectuals who had been imprisoned with Aldrich accidentally mentioned Yudit’s involvement in Aldrich’s death. As a result, Yudit, who had been hiding in the slums under the name Yuli, was soon forced to leave without even a moment to grieve.