The Emperor Who Was Chapter 103 : Chapter 103

Chapter . 103

“I am fine, Your Highness. Even if this castle is captured, as long as Your Highness is safe, we can surely reclaim it. So please accept Sir Rolf's escort. I am already worried that Your Highness, who was captured, is leaving as soon as you returned; this way, I will be reassured as well.”

Giuliano said with his chest puffed out. Because of my loyal subjects, I can't even fight with a peace of mind.

Just then, the Count's knight ca to call Giuliano. Saying he would inspect it himself although it wasn't a big problem, he left, and I persuaded Sir Rolf.

“I cannot leave only Giuliano here. As my closest aide who has followed

from the Imperial Palace, you must solidify my presence in the castle I vacated. In a place where there has been a native lord for generations, I need to increase my influence as the new lord; if even you vacate the castle, what will the people here think? They will say we let them be besieged and ran away by ourselves.”

“The initial misunderstanding will be resolved as soon as Your Highness and I capture those who dared to attack you, so do not worry. Also, Your Highness's presence is already overflowing with the blue-gold proclamation that the Count could never have done alone. The people of Montova will know that best.”

“I am grateful for your heart, but do you not know my intention to make you the lord of this castle?”

“I am grateful for Your Highness's favor, but it is an undeserved honor I wish to decline, so please understand my will. I will not leave Your Highness's side. Whether Your Highness is here or returns to the Imperial Palace, I will remain as an escort knight until I truly establish rit. In fact, Your Highness being captured as a prisoner this ti is my disgrace, and even paying with death would not be enough. How could I receive the reward of becoming a castle lord?”

Sir Rolf's face as he said this was hardened stiffly. He didn't seem like my escort knight who always looked at

with a good-natured face and warm eyes.

“Michelon will stay by my side. Even in confinent, he killed the guards, rescued , and escaped. Now Yolande and the others will follow

too.”

“I am grateful to Lord Michelon. However, Your Highness's escort knight is . If Your Highness had not left

at the castle in the first place, even if you were ambushed, you would not have been captured.”

“No, Sir Rolf, I was killing all the guys attacking us, but Leontes was taken hostage so I had no choice! Do you think it would have been any different if Sir Rolf was there?”

As I made up words to persuade Sir Rolf, Michelon also made up words.

“If I were there, even if I died, I would have let the two of you escape safely.”

“That is exactly the problem! Leontes is trying to leave you behind because he is afraid of losing you! Do you not understand that?”

Although I have improved a lot now, before my regression, I lacked social skills and sociability because I was surrounded only by enemies without friends. So I sotis unintentionally hurt people with words. Maybe it’s different when intending to hurt an enemy, but even when unintentional.

Trying to change that wasn't easy because I didn't understand why words with absolutely no such intent caused hurt. Since I myself didn't get hurt unless it was a considerable insult.

And now, I saw that exact example from my friend who grew up in my hands, even if only for a short while.

“…I will decisively not be a burden to Your Highness. If I am holding Your Highness back, I will work harder and beco stronger. Please give

just one chance.”

My knight's firm face, trying not to show any hurt.

“That is exactly the problem—”

I put my hand on Michelon's arm as he grew frustrated. I considered sending him sowhere else for a mont and talking with Sir Rolf alone.

However, even if Michelon didn't intend it, Sir Rolf's disgrace happened right in front of him, so it was right to resolve it in front of him. It shouldn't be handled quietly just between the two of us and covered up.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

Before I could even open my mouth, Michelon objected.

“Isn't Sir Rolf here disobeying Your Highness's order?”

At that, Sir Rolf flinched and gritted his teeth. My ally and friend Michelon didn't just object to

but didn't hesitate to fight with

and tease , yet he was more sensitive than

when it ca to establishing my authority.

“Sir Rolf disobeys

out of love for ; if I do not recognize that loyalty, how can I be qualified to receive it?”

At my words, Sir Rolf's eyes widened. I continued speaking.

“Sir Rolf, when going to Mount Petrafis, I entrusted you with the most crucial mission among my people. Do you agree?”

“…Yes.”

Before coming here, I had discussed with my people what to do if I obtained a territory. Sir Rolf had declined the position of castle lord saying it was too much even then, but he had agreed when I asked who else I could assign.

“How did you perform that mission? Report on that mission.”

“…I perford that mission diligently at first, but upon hearing the news that Your Highness had disappeared, I imdiately abandoned it and arbitrarily returned to the duty of an escort knight. Therefore, I do not have the ability to take on that mission. I apologize for not repaying Your Highness's trust.”

Sir Rolf bowed his head deeply.

“You are right.”

I also nodded. Regardless of whether Michelon glared from the side or not.

“However, I entrust that mission to you again.”

Sir Rolf looked so devastated…….

“Do you know why?”

“…I-It must be… because I failed to perform the mission Your Highness entrusted to

with trust… so you can no longer trust … and thus cannot take

with you…….”

Only then did I realize why Sir Rolf wanted to follow

so badly. He was of course worried about , and he didn't want to beco a guardian knight wandering in search without knowing where I was, separated from

ever again.

And on top of all that sincerity, he noticed that I was hiding sothing from him. So he thought I wasn't taking him along. Even while taking others, I had no intention of revealing that secret to him… because I didn't trust him that much.

“If I truly did not trust you, why would I entrust this crucial mission back to you?”

When Sir Rolf couldn't answer, I continued.

“The answer is obvious. There is no castle lord who leaves the castle when it is besieged and preparing for a siege. No matter how much I trust Giuliano, it is not as much as you who have served

the longest. Therefore, you must remain in this castle as my first knight, a symbol of the new power that is .”

After all, it was persuasion I had already done, words Sir Rolf knew in his head but didn't want to accept in his heart.

However, this ti I drove the wedge in.

“Also, because there is no one else to entrust it to. Mages, commoners, and the noble t only after coming here are impossible. So I have no choice but to entrust it to you again. Even if you failed the mission, I entrust it again. Since there is no one else, there is no choice. That is the weakness of

who has just started building power.”

Sir Rolf's face turned red then pale white. In fact, it wasn't Sir Rolf, but I who had no choice.

“Nevertheless, don't I have to start from that weakness and beco strong? For I must start with the lord here sohow and grow my power within the country.”

When I finished speaking, Sir Rolf shut his eyes tight and opened them resolutely.

“…I, swept away by emotions and pursuing only what I wanted to do, failed to give the service Your Highness needed. Forgive , Your Highness. For trusting

once again…….”

Sir Rolf's voice trembled. What thoughts did my first knight have while searching for

all week? While blaming himself even though it wasn't his fault, he must have resolved never to leave my side again once he found . While gritting his teeth that he would never forgive those who hard .

That's why he was so stubborn and disobeyed my decision for the first ti.

“…If you give any order, I will follow it with my life…….”

“I trust you. Because you trust . After all, you made such a request because you believed I would understand your heart if you spoke with all your sincerity.”

When I spoke softly, he couldn't continue speaking and only nodded heavily.

“So, Sir Rolf. I respond sincerely to your sincerity. You shall uphold my command here and protect my castle, and I will catch the enemies and crush the conspiracy targeting . After that, you may ask

what you wanted to ask.”

“Your Highness?”

“Right now, we all have things to do and people to protect. Also, because we trust each other, we can fight apart from each other. So when we et again, what is there that we cannot talk about together?”

Tears fell from Sir Rolf's eyes.

Even when I first returned, he never asked

about his doubts. Even Yolande, Vincent, and Jero, who knew the fact that I was a mage, looked shocked and had faces full of questions.

But Sir Rolf, who must have had the most doubts, swallowed his questions and stopped others' questions too. Even when Yolande, who didn't seem capable of magic at all, succeeded in mass teleportation magic. Co to think of it, even before that, when I saved Vincent from Desmond, there must have been sothing fishy.

‘Even though he served

the longest and knows the least, instead of demanding the truth, to serve .’

Silently serving harder, believing that soday I would tell him too.

While fearing that the secrets would increase if he was away from .

It pierced my heart to think with what mind he asked nothing…….

“I do not deserve such trust from Your Highness…….”

I was a Prince. If I trusted my knight, it was ultimately a belief that he would protect my people. A trust that cannot be given lightly.

“You trusted

first and tried to earn my trust. If I do not repay your trust, I would be the one undeserving of your trust.”

“Your Highness…….”

“I swear on the love of my Royal Mother, which was the occasion I gained you. You shall receive the answer to your question. For you have proven yourself worthy of receiving my trust.”

Sir Rolf knelt on one knee before . In the hand extended to him was only the Portrait Ring left by my mother.

As he kissed that ring, my mother's death, which I thought had severed my human relationships from the beginning, was no longer just painful.

***

The next morning, only Michelon and I moved to the mountain. Yolande and Vincent said their fatigue was relieved and offered to co along, but instead of leaving with them, we decided to just pretend to do so.

They rested in my room with a double barrier, and only Michelon and I left. Harald tried to follow too, but I told him to watch Montova Castle. Although I had set up a detection barrier on the castle, to share vision whenever a problem arose.

“Are you really going to tell him the truth?”

As soon as we moved to Mount Petrafis, Michelon asked.