Three days earlier—
After settling Rozia's business, Liser left the trading company and headed straight back to the castle.
The carriage rolled steadily along the road, the sound of hooves filling the silence. Inside, Liser glanced at the man sitting across from him.
"Vice Captain," he said casually, "you've been held back for a long time. Your ability far surpasses Lucas, the current captain of the guards."
Ultas gave a faint, restrained smile. "You flatter me, Your Highness. But I was born into a minor knight family. Promotion… is not something I can expect."
In the Kingdom of Jiran, knights were little more than half-nobles. They held no land, no real authority. Just enough status to stand above commoners, and not much else.
Liser leaned back, his expression thoughtful.
"You have a sick younger brother at home, don't you?"
The air shifted.
Ultas's body tensed instantly, his gaze sharpening. "Your Highness… what are you implying?"
Liser chuckled softly. "Relax. I'm offering you a deal."
From his pouch, he took out a small vial filled with a pale yellow liquid. It shimmered faintly under the light.
"This," he said, holding it up, "is the cure for your brother's illness. Agree to my terms, and it's yours."
For a brief moment, Ultas forgot to breathe.
Is this really an eleven-year-old?
He lowered his head slightly. "What does Your Highness want from this lowly servant?"
Liser's gaze turned cold.
"You already know my situation," he said. "I stand in a dangerous position. If I want to survive… I need power."
He paused, then spoke clearly.
"You will become my sword."
Silence filled the carriage.
Ultas frowned. "Your Highness… this is no small matter. Such words—if heard by others—could bring disaster upon you."
To him, this sounded like reckless ambition. The prince might be clever, but at the end of the day… he was still a child.
Liser saw through his hesitation immediately.
Honestly, doing this kind of negotiation in a child's body was irritating. No matter how he spoke, people would always underestimate him.
And this wasn't a simple request. Becoming his "sword" meant tying one's life—and family—to him completely.
Still…
Liser was not someone who backed down.
"Don't refuse so quickly," he said calmly. "I am the Fourth Prince. And you… are already a man who has fallen out of favor."
His voice dropped slightly.
"Don't you think… accidents can happen?"
Ultas's pupils shrank.
The meaning was unmistakable.
Then, just as quickly, Liser smiled again, as if nothing had happened.
"A bit of pressure, a bit of reward," he said lightly. "Follow me, and I'll make you the captain of the guards."
Temptation flickered in Ultas's eyes.
Status. Power. Security for his family.
And the boy sitting before him… did not feel like a child at all.
After a long moment, Ultas bowed deeply.
"Your Highness," he said, voice steady, "from this day forward, I will walk through fire and blade at your command."
Only then did Liser let out a quiet breath.
That had been riskier than he liked.
"Good," he said with a faint smile. "Then let's get to work."
His expression sharpened.
"With the First Prince dead, the Queen's faction will lie low for now. That gives us a window."
A pause.
"Our first target… is Lucas."
After returning to the castle, Liser summoned Silia.
"Tell me about my father," he said. "What kind of man is he?"
Silia hesitated for a moment before answering.
"In one word… foolish. But kind-hearted."
She spoke carefully.
"He has no talent for governance and leaves everything to his officials. Over time, they've grown powerful… and corrupt. In truth, he is little more than a puppet."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"He loves luxury. New things. Entertainment."
Then her expression turned more complicated.
"But he can love deeply. When the former Empress was alive, he cherished her above all else. After her death… he came to resent you."
Her voice hardened.
"And then she appeared. That woman used his grief to entangle him. Through her, the Rolond family rose to power. Now, nearly half the court answers to them."
Liser nodded slowly.
So his weakness is emotion…
"Then my elder brother?"
Silia's expression dimmed.
"He was named Crown Prince at the age of seven. But later, he was accused of… crimes. Violating a noble lady, among other things. His title was stripped, and he was exiled to your mother's homeland."
She paused.
"Two years later… he died."
Liser frowned. "Why exile him? Why not kill him in the capital?"
Silia shook her head.
"Your mother's homeland is far away. Difficult terrain, many races, unstable control. The Florilian family—your mother's family—once held great influence. Their patriarch even served as Prime Minister."
Her voice lowered.
"But he was dismissed last year. Since then, their faction has fractured."
Liser's eyes narrowed slightly.
So the pieces are still there… just scattered.
If he could gather them—
Power.
But first, he needed to fix the most immediate problem.
His father's hatred.
The next day, Liser dressed in a formal suit and boarded a carriage.
This visit would determine his standing in the capital.
When he arrived, the palace was draped in black.
The Jiran royal estate was massive—spanning nearly the size of a small city. Gardens, noble residences, concubine quarters, servant halls, even farmland… all enclosed within towering walls.
At its heart stood the main palace, grand and imposing.
Its pillars were made of solid gold.
Liser's eyes lingered on them for a second.
If I could chip off a piece of that…
He suppressed the thought.
Barely.
As he walked through one of the inner gardens, he noticed a girl standing among the flowers.
Her presence was cold, distant. The kind that made others instinctively keep their distance.
Liser might have ignored her—
Until he saw her face.
He froze.
His pupils shrank.
…Impossible.
That face…
It was carved into his memory. From childhood to adulthood, it had never faded.
At the same moment, the girl turned and saw him.
She froze as well.
Her icy expression cracked.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Then something far deeper.
It was Jianwan.
His long-lost love.