The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 40

The Emperor of the Hail Empire paced back and forth in his chamber, clutching his aching stomach. Standing respectfully before him, Count Gargoyle looked equally grim. They were in the same sinking ship—a ship destined to go under.

“Count Gargoyle, have you still not found her? The woman who anonymously tipped off the Hail Times!”

“We are doing everything we can to locate her, Your Majesty, but with public sentiment in such turmoil, sending imperial knights to raid the newspaper directly would be dangerous.”

“Dangerous or not, we must find that woman! She’s the one who exposed the banquet and royal affairs, humiliating me like this!”

Massaging his throbbing neck, the emperor reached for water. Lately, even the smallest outburst left him parched, a clear sign of his declining health—a punishment, perhaps, for a lifetime of ignoring his physician’s advice and indulging in rich foods.

“This is all because the Harmonia Necklace has disappeared.”

According to Eastern mysticism, sleeping with a young woman who had just come of age was said to bring great mental and physical balance. They claimed that the harmony of yin and yang could restore youth.

While it was impossible to verify, there were stories of individuals who had extended their lives by hundreds of years through such practices.

Taking this dubious theory to heart, the emperor gifted the Harmonia Necklace to Lady Gretzel, a young maiden as pure as a lily, believing that lying with her would cure his longstanding ailments.

But what began as a selfish desire quickly spiraled out of control.

“Count Gargoyle! First, issue a rebuttal denying every claim in the Hail Times as baseless lies!”

“Your Majesty, there’s a problem with that….”

“Out with it, man! Stop hesitating and speak up!”

“My informants tell me that the anonymous source has threatened further exposés if we refute today’s report.”

“What?!”

In his fury, the emperor hurled a vase from the desk. The fragile porcelain shattered into pieces with a piercing crash.

“Who is this wretched woman?!”

The possibility of additional exposés was alarming. He had no way of knowing whether she truly had more secrets to reveal or was merely bluffing. Either way, it was a gamble he couldn’t afford to take.

“Count Gargoyle, forget the exposés for now and deal with the immediate crisis. Haven’t you heard about the mob gathering at the palace gates?”

In the end, the emperor had no choice but to make a foolish decision, and Count Gargoyle bowed his head in obedience.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, Verdellevan, who had been watching the scene unfold like a theater play from the corner of the room, stood up and brushed off his coat.

“Well, if the discussion is over, I’ll take my leave.”

With a polite bow, Verdel left the room, but instead of heading to his quarters, he walked to the chambers where his sisters resided. Due to a supposed lack of space, the princesses had been crammed into a few shared rooms.

“As if space is the problem. They just don’t have the money to maintain more rooms,” Verdel thought bitterly.

Entering one of the rooms at random, he found ten of his sisters there. These were the daughters born of his father’s many dalliances after the death of the wise Empress, their mother.
Despite their noble lineage, the princesses lived without complaint in dormitory-like conditions. In truth, they lacked any sense of their royal status, and Verdel enjoyed spending time with them for that very reason.

“I’m here.”

“Brother! Come over here. We’ve prepared a new wig for you today!”

For over a decade, the princesses had found amusement in dressing up their brother, the Crown Prince, as one of them. Today was no exception.

Verdel sat still, letting them play with his appearance, while his thoughts wandered.

“…What will become of the Hail Empire?”

A candle flickering in the wind—that perfectly described the state of the imperial family. As Verdel read and reread the latest edition of the Hail Times, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the end was near.

“The only reason the royal family has lasted this long is because of Chaield’s financial support.”

If anyone asked when the emperor began his obsession with women, Verdel could answer without hesitation—it was after the death of the Empress, his mother. He despised his father for forgetting her and filling his chambers with countless women.

“How could he…?”

Perhaps it was an attempt to forget the Empress, but Verdel couldn’t agree with his father’s methods. The only things they had brought were extravagant expenses to appease mistresses, the fall of the royal family’s honor, and a multitude of half-sisters.

“Brother, don’t frown like that! The powder won’t stick properly.”

“Alright, alright.”

Plastering a gentle smile on his face, Verdel continued to mull over his thoughts. He hated his father, but he had cooperated with the emperor’s reliance on Chaield’s funds for one reason:
If the royal treasury dried up, his motherless sisters, who lacked noble titles, would end up on the streets.

“Though that’s not the only reason,” he admitted to himself.

There was another, more personal motivation behind his decision to drain Chaield’s wealth dry: Kyleian Chaield. Verdel despised him far more than his father.

The Chaield duchy was the wealthiest in the empire, owning the most fertile lands. Their fortune was already immense, yet they had only sought more after the Empress’s death.

“How could they exploit the empire’s instability for their own gain?”

Within a month of the Empress’s death, the senior Duke of Chaield had ensured that most key positions in the government were loyal to his family. The emperor was left with fewer allies than Chaield had.

And the heir to this detestable house was none other than Kyleian Chaield—a man who ruled over the emperor like a king thanks to his vast fortune.

“…He’s utterly repugnant.”

Verdel hated everything about Kyleian. His composed demeanor, his towering stature, his fighting prowess, his overflowing wealth—everything.

And to top it off, he was loved by Amelia Diane, a stunning and virtuous woman.

“Why does he get everything?!”

Verdel glared at his reflection, dressed in feminine finery, and muttered, “…Girls, what would you do if a friend only stayed around for your money and left when you stopped giving?”

Nadia, the princess applying blush to his cheeks, replied simply, “I’d think they were trash.”

“…Your dad is the emperor, and you call people ‘trash’? Besides, all this is for you lot, you know?”

Before Verdel could continue grumbling, one of the princesses perked up and ran to the door, which had just opened to reveal Hield, Chaield’s steward.

“Your Highness, the Duke wishes to see you.”

Verdel reluctantly followed Hield, his mind racing. If Kyleian had come in person, it could only mean trouble.

“Or perhaps he’s here to finish us off.”

The imperial family was teetering on the brink of collapse, and Kyleian surely knew that now was the perfect time to strike.
When Verdel reached the meeting spot, he found Kyleian sitting by the lake, gazing at the water.

“You’re here. What’s this about?” Verdel asked bluntly.

Kyleian turned his crimson eyes—hallmarks of the Chaield lineage—toward him. His tone was as detached as ever.

“Verdel, the emperor doesn’t have much time left. Are you ready to take over?”

The question struck Verdel like a blow. He clenched his fists and snapped, “Kyleian Chaield, if you plan to treat the empire like your pet, why not create your own? Why play games with people’s lives?”

Kyleian’s previously stoic face softened, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. He looked away, his voice unexpectedly gentle as he replied,

“My fiancée doesn’t like it when I waste money.”

The fate of the empire, it seemed, mattered little to him.