Karl had thought Milton wouldn’t be much more help than a crutch, but unexpectedly, Milton turned out to be a tremendous asset.
It went without saying, but as the imperial physician, Milton had already combed through the imperial library once before. Because of that, he was able to pinpoint exactly what Karl needed.
“Medical texts won’t be of any help.”
That alone saved Karl from having to pretend to sift through useless medical books.
So he briefly acted as if he were thinking things over, then subtly changed direction and began approaching the problem from a different angle.
If he happened to find what he was looking for himself, that would be ideal. But even if not, it would still be good if he could run into the Third Prince Ilias.
Since Ilias had no interest in medical books, that alone made Milton a huge help.
And Milton didn’t stop there. He faithfully followed Karl’s vague and hard-to-understand requests, bringing him books, and even reading through countless volumes himself and checking them on Karl’s behalf while Karl slowly flipped through pages.
There was, however, one small but significant problem. Karl didn’t know the treatment method in detail.
He only knew the item required for the cure, along with its characteristics and name. That was because Han Chang-in had only skimmed through the novel.
So while Karl could identify it precisely, he couldn’t “naturally” arrive at it on his own.
And so, he could do nothing but rummage through the library in what felt like hellish time.
For four days straight, Karl spent every moment in the imperial library except for sleeping and washing. He even took his meals there, using his privilege as a prince. It wasn’t an issue anyway, since all he could eat was bland soup.
While Karl slept, collapsed from exhaustion, Cecil would change his clothes, wipe down his body, and massage his weary limbs.
Without Cecil, Karl wouldn’t have even been able to get back up.
Unable to even speak with him, Cecil was constantly anxious. But seeing Karl give it his all gave her a sense of hope.
Whenever Karl went to the library, Cecil would tidy up the room, then kneel by the window and pray to the gods. She believed that Duren, who watched over all things, loved those who made an effort and would surely grant an answer.
Damn it! Where the hell is Ilias?!
Meanwhile, Karl was growing increasingly impatient.
He had thought he would see Ilias within a day or two, but he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of him. Who knew where he was or what he was doing?
Then again, Ilias was never the type to sit still in one place, so perhaps it would have been stranger if he had appeared so quickly.
In the end, rather than relying on Ilias, whose arrival was uncertain, Karl threw himself even more intensely into searching for the answer on his own.
To an outside observer, Karl looked truly bizarre. It didn’t seem like he was searching for a cure to his illness, but rather immersing himself in knowledge for its own sake. The criteria for the books he chose were erratic and all over the place, leaving people tilting their heads in confusion.
Still, there were quite a few who found themselves oddly moved by the sight.
The librarians who loved books felt sorry for the books in the imperial library that had long gone untouched with no one seeking them out.
“Sir Karl.”
“……”
Flip.
“Sir Karl.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
On the fifth day, one of the librarians called out to Karl with a smile, then politely held out a book.
“Would you perhaps find a book like this useful?”
Though startled, Karl immediately took it and examined it, knowing his life depended on this.
“On the Mysterious and Wondrous Creatures Encountered in the Great Dietrich Wilderness.”
It was a book the librarians had selected after putting their heads together to figure out the pattern behind Karl’s choices.
“Ah, th-thank you.”
Karl accepted the book, his voice trembling slightly in surprise.
So close!
The direction was impressively accurate. But unfortunately, it missed the mark…just slightly.
The Great Dietrich Wilderness was a place scorched by intense heat, making it somewhat different from what Karl was looking for.
Still, this is good. If we keep narrowing it down like this, we’ll get there soon. At this rate, I might even find a clue today!
As expected, the librarians of the imperial library truly had an uncanny ability to pick out the right books.
Karl quickly flipped through the pages, searching for the information he needed. Whenever he found something that seemed even remotely helpful, he carefully wrote it down in his notes without skipping anything.
His handwriting was messy due to his lack of familiarity with writing, but as long as it was legible, that was enough. All of this would later serve as proof that he had reached the answer through a proper process.
Along the way, Karl gained a vast amount of knowledge he hadn’t expected. The imperial library was truly magnificent. It had everything.
From Karl’s perspective, all this knowledge felt like secretly reading a detailed setting book for a fascinating novel. It was full of intriguing information, which allowed him to keep going with what seemed like a pointless task despite his anxiety and impatience.
“……”
“……”
So absorbed was Karl in his reading that he didn’t even notice Milton quietly rising from his seat beside him. Milton silently straightened his chair, then stepped back and stood behind Karl with his head slightly lowered.
Flip.
The soft sound of pages turning echoed quietly.
As Karl turned another page, he blinked, then rubbed his dry eyes before finally noticing that someone was standing in front of him.
“Do you want to go on an adventure too?”
Hearing the gentle voice ask him kindly, Karl unconsciously clenched his fist.
He’s here!
When Karl looked up, he saw a tall, handsome young man smiling at him from across the table.
The first thing that caught his eye was the beautiful golden hair, as if made from melted gold, followed by his refined features and slightly reddish-yellow eyes.
He wore no accessories, and his clothes were completely unadorned. It was hardly what one would expect of the imperial family. Yet the mere cascade of his golden hair alone made him strikingly beautiful.
Karl hesitated for a moment at the sight.
I thought Ilias would look a bit more… rugged.
But the thought passed quickly. Come to think of it, Ilias wasn’t even twenty yet. And Karl had never actually seen him before.
Just as Madius had turned out to be completely different from how he’d imagined, Ilias could be different too.
“Ah, as for adventure… I’d like to try it someday, once my illness is cured.”
“Really? Well, for a man, it’s not a bad dream to have.”
Ilias chuckled softly.
His smile was beautiful beyond the boundary of gender. He had the kind of appearance that captivated anyone just by existing.
“But is that really okay? I thought you were looking for a cure.”
“Ah, well…”
Snapped out of his daze, Karl stammered in embarrassment.
He swallowed, steadied himself, and began speaking as he had planned.
“I heard from Milton that medical texts wouldn’t be of much help, so I’ve been trying a slightly different approach.”
“What kind of approach?”
Ilias slowly walked around the table and came to stand beside Karl.
Seeing Ilias’s gaze fall on what he had written, Karl tried to calm his nerves.
“If there’s an illness, then there must be a cure somewhere, right?”
“That may be true.”
“My condition causes a high fever, so I thought… maybe there’s something that could cool it down…”
“Hahaha!”
Amused by the childish reasoning, Ilias burst into laughter. His golden hair fell slightly out of place, brushing over his eyes.
“Right! That makes sense! You’re not wrong!”
Still chuckling, Ilias placed a hand on Karl’s shoulder.
For a brief moment, Karl felt something he couldn’t quite identify, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
“So, you check with Milton to see whether it’s actually useful or not?”
“Yes. If it’s something found in medical texts, Milton would tell me it’s not.”
“Hahaha!”
It was a completely absurd, nonsensical idea.
Nevertheless, for Karl who had spent his entire life shut away in his room and unable to step outside, it was a reasonable excuse, albeit a rather clumsy one.
Ilias laughed cheerfully, as if he had just heard a very amusing story.
Karl thought that Ilias’s laughter and smiling face seemed far more lively than before.
“Hmm, hmm… I see. So, have you made any progress?”
“No, not yet…”
“Hmm…”
Without warning, Ilias picked up the sheets Karl had written on in his crooked handwriting and began flipping through them.
Karl swallowed hard, his tension rising.
He had tried his best to make the direction clear, but if Ilias failed to notice or didn’t know about the item, then it would all be for nothing.
“……”
As he flipped through the pages, Ilias’s eyes suddenly shifted and looked down at Karl.
Karl couldn’t tell what was swirling within them. Perhaps it was because all he wanted was for him to give the answer quickly.
“…I see, you’ve been working hard. I hope you find a cure as well.”
“…Ah, yes…”
This is the worst! So Ilias doesn’t know either!
Karl felt a deep sense of disappointment.
Is it not possible? Is this where it all falls apart?
“How about seeking help from someone else?”
“…Someone else?”
At Ilias’s words, Karl asked weakly.
The disappointment of failure seemed to drain what little strength he had left.
“Yes. From the looks of it, the librarians seem quite willing to help you.”
“…I see.”
Karl gathered the fading embers of his hope.
Right, it’s too early to give up. He didn’t know how much time he had left, but he could still move.
…Well, if it really came down to it, he could just deal with the consequences later and ask for it directly.
That would be better than dying right away, wouldn’t it?
“I had fun. I’ll be going now.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“How polite. It does seem you’ve lost your memory…”
Ilias smiled with his eyes curving.
“Do you perhaps know me?”
Karl asked in a somewhat awkward voice. It was his own attempt at acting, after all.
“Of course. I am your brother, after all.”
“Brother?”
Karl’s eyes widened, already knowing what would come next.
The Emperor’s third son, the Third Prince Ilias….
“That’s right. I’m your second older brother Eingir. If there’s a chance, let’s meet again next time.”
…What?
Ilias…no, Eingir tilted his head as if finding the dazed Karl strange, then turned around and left the imperial library with light steps.
Karl stood frozen, his lips trembling.
…You insane psychopath bastard!
Karl nearly screamed as if coughing up blood.
A chill ran down his entire body, raising goosebumps from sheer terror and shock.
After their mother Minerva died, Eingir had lost all human emotions. He lost anything resembling affection.
He was a runaway locomotive with no brakes, charging only toward his goal. He was a cold-blooded, iron-willed emperor who would not hesitate to purge even his own siblings who had barely learned to walk, all while already planning his next move.
And that same Eingir had laughed brightly like a child, placed a hand on his shoulder, and carefully read through everything Karl had written, from beginning to end.
Damn it! Of course! It must’ve seemed suspicious!
Eingir was thorough. A year and a half after Minerva’s death, he had already reached the truth.
Madius had killed Minerva. It had been a politically necessary death, and he had done it without batting an eye, even killing the empress who had given him a son.
By now, Eingir was likely eliminating every obstacle, planning to kill Madius, and working behind the scenes to become emperor.
Until the plan was set in motion, he was merely pretending, as before, to have no interest in power. He was acting a little kind, a little gentle, a little lazy.
So in a situation like this, if the dying Fourth Prince suddenly began dragging his frail body back and forth into the imperial library with unusual enthusiasm, of course he would want to take a look…if only to see his face once!
Was there something suspicious? No, that can’t be…! …Or is there?
While Karl had been rambling carelessly, Eingir must have been deciding whether to kill him or not.
What on earth had he seen in Karl? Had he noticed something, like Madius had?
Afraid there might be something suspicious, Karl quickly looked over what he had written.
“Oh! It really is here!”
At that moment, a voice that seemed to heat the air just by being heard rang out. Karl grew startled and dropped the papers onto the floor.
“Sorry, did I scare you?”
At a glance, the young man, clearly sturdier and more well-built than Eingir, strode over with a grin, then casually crouched down to pick up the papers from the floor and firmly placed them into Karl’s hands.
“How long has it been? How are you feeling?”
“Uh, um, who…?”
Karl asked cautiously. Having just been badly shaken by Eingir, he couldn’t help but be careful.
“Hmm, right. You said you lost your memory, didn’t you?”
A trace of concern briefly crossed the man’s masculine face, marked by a strong jaw and thick eyebrows. But soon, a hearty smile spread across it.
“Then I suppose I should say it properly. Nice to meet you. I’m your brother, Ilias.”
Extending a large, thick hand covered in calluses, Ilias flashed a dazzlingly bright smile.
“Take good care of me from now on, new Karl.”
Seeing that smile, Karl let out a sigh inwardly.
Even to himself, he couldn’t believe he had mistaken Eingir for Ilias.
Ilias was the kind of man who seemed to have torn his way straight out of a fairy tale. He was a perfectly drawn, heroic figure.
Compared to Ias, Eingir was nothing more than a vile sinister goblin!
“Yes, I look forward to it as well. …I-Ilias…”
“Call me whatever’s comfortable. Ilias, or big brother.”
“Yes, big brother.”
“Hahaha! I tell you to call me that and you go straight to ‘big brother’! Well, it’s not like I’m saying you shouldn’t. We are siblings, after all.”
Ilias burst into laughter, clearly amused.
He was like the sun, someone so impressive that Karl could tell the moment he saw him, even outside the novel.
It was hard to believe that someday, he would lose everything, fall into misery, and become a bloodthirsty avenger.
And depending on how things unfolded, Karl might have to stop that from happening with his own hands.
…By killing him.
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