Chapter 18
I was puzzled.
Why did they show such unwavering loyalty when he behaved like this? Even Noah over there hadn’t rushed straight to me because he was thinking of Roxidian.
“What’s with that creepy look?”
“……No, I was just thinking you’ve got good retainers?”
At that, Roxidian snickered.
It shifted into a cold smile bordering on mockery as he closed his eyes and opened them again.
“Maybe. Though it seems I don’t have any family luck.”
……With his sister right in front of him, was that meant to be an insult to me?
I listened to his words with a subtle expression.
Come to think of it, family brought another thought to mind naturally.
Wait, no matter what, this guy and I are siblings, right? And even if he’s a tyrant, he’s still the emperor of a nation.
‘……He must be loaded with money?’
I snapped my head up.
“There’s just one thing I want to ask.”
“What? What is it.”
“Are you rich?”
“…….”
Unable to grasp the meaning of my question, his handsome face crumpled slightly.
Honestly, ever since I’d seen my fiancé’s face, no other handsome man had stirred any interest in me—but this one was an exception.
He boasted an outstanding beauty that made it clear he wasn’t just some side character.
Moreover, his looks were raw and rugged, in a direction entirely different from my fiancé’s godlike perfection.
“Didn’t my presence stop the madness?”
“So?”
“Since I came and made it stop, you should pay me for it.”
Now that the madness was suppressed, he seemed perfect to borrow money from.
Having established the formula ‘tyrant = loaded with cash,’ I grinned.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“What?”
“If anything, you made me show my embarrassing side in front of my retainer, so I should be the one billing you.”
I was dumbfounded. More than that, his retainer? Who saw?
“What are you talking about? Who saw?”
“Him.”
“Ah.”
Roxidian pointed at Noah, and my gaze followed to him.
Suddenly on the receiving end of our stares, Noah wore a troubled expression for a moment.
“You saw it last time too. What are you going on about now?”
“It was embarrassing! That pathetic sight!”
“You’re unbelievable! I saved a drowning man, and now it’s like you’re demanding payment for the favor!”
Are you a thug or what? A thug, right? My voice rose in indignation, and the tyrant glared at me.
I flinched a little and softened my gaze.
Truth be told, even though I’d been given the necklace as a means, the moment he’d held a sword to me was still vivid in my mind.
“If you’re going to act like this, I won’t need your help anymore.”
With the tyrant declaring that, I was at a loss for words.
But I was already struggling to find ways to get money, so I couldn’t let this opportunity slip.
I insisted that I’d saved his life, and that he was being petty over helping one of his precious subordinates.
Incredibly, none of it got through to him.
‘……Violence and madness aside, maybe he’s a tyrant because he just can’t communicate?’
Instead, Noah gazed at me with a sympathetic look.
In the end, I gave up on pushing and changed tactics.
‘From what I can tell, he doesn’t hate me.’
Here, ‘hate’ was measured against how my fiancé treated me.
At least he didn’t look at me with genuine disgust or hatred like my fiancé did.
“Fine. I’ll give up on the payment. I’ll drop it, so can I ask for just one favor?”
For the first time, a flicker of curiosity crossed Roxidian’s face, which had been stubbornly rigid until now.
“What?”
“Lend me some money.”
Roxidian froze.
The look he gave me twisted slightly, a strange nuance passing over it.
My brother tilted his head.
“Money? What are you talking about? Go ask your rich maternal grandfather.”
“……He’s your maternal grandfather too, brother.”
At that, my brother let out a cold, derisive laugh.
“I don’t have a maternal grandfather.”
“…….”
“I don’t need someone who’d discard even his grandson if necessary, someone who’d stab you in the back.”
It wasn’t whining—it was a firm, icy voice.
Realizing I’d touched a nerve, I clamped my mouth shut and glanced sideways.
‘I knew the tyrant and the Altzveit Duke had a bad relationship, but it’s worse than I imagined…….’
Were they family, yet heads of the imperial and noble factions respectively?
From my brother’s attitude, it seemed he didn’t even consider them family.
“What, did you cause some trouble again and get your wallet cut off by the Altzveits?”
Pity flashed in Roxidian’s eyes as he looked at me.
He seemed to have misunderstood, thinking I’d messed up and couldn’t spend money because of it.
“And even if I gave you money, you’d just blow it on nonsense.”
“On what?”
“You’d splurge and never pay it back. I’m not falling for it.”
“How would you know? I’ve never borrowed from you before, brother.”
“Don’t you remember last time your wallet got cut off? You seduced a high priest, squeezed money out of him, and bolted. The imperial family had to clean up the mess.”
“…….”
That one was unfair. It wasn’t me……
But since I was in this body, I kept my mouth shut obediently.
‘He’s so stubborn.’
In any case, Noah had brought me here to calm the madness, and that goal was achieved. I considered just leaving it at that, but……
“You need to be sent somewhere that’ll drill some financial sense into you. Among the marriage proposals that came in, Childga is the most decent, so just go there.”
‘If Grandfather finds out I lied to him like this, he’ll definitely say he’ll find me a new fiancé who makes good money.’
That would obviously lead to a death ending. His words echoed in my mind, rooting me to the spot.
Unfortunately, the brother right in front of me was the lifeline I held—and could grasp.
“Then how about if I offer collateral?”
I grabbed the necklace around my neck.
“I’ll give you this necklace as collateral, so lend me some money.”
Roxidian’s expression hardened.
No, the mischievous glint that had lingered until moments ago vanished from his face.
He stared at me intently now, as if finally noticing something off.
“Did you kill someone?”
“No?”
“Well, even if you did, the Altzveits could cover it up.”
“I didn’t kill anyone.”
Typical of the tyrant—such a brutal example.
I shook the necklace in my hand lightly.
“So, will you lend it to me? You need this, right?”
“…….”
I unclasped the necklace from my neck entirely and dangled it.
Roxidian, who had been staring at me, nodded toward Noah.
“Hey, Noah. Try grabbing that.”
“Yes? Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And do what she did.”
Noah muttered the key phrase under his breath with a somewhat serious expression, but nothing changed with Roxidian.
‘When I recalled Charlize’s memories, I suspected only I could use it.’
Roxidian seemed to have expected it too, as he didn’t look disappointed.
I took the necklace back from Noah.
“Why give it back? Even if it’s not Noah, you could just hold it yourself and shout it out. Not sure if it’d work, though.”
“When the madness hits me and reason flies out the window, do you think I’d even be able to see that necklace?”
Fair point. Madness meant losing all reason completely.
“Then leave it with Noah. He’s your aide, brother.”
“……Would you entrust something like this to someone else? And you saw it doesn’t work for anyone but you, yet you say something so stupid? Or are you actually an idiot?”
“Why are you talking like that, picking a fight?”
“Try handling state affairs yourself. You’d be seething with anger all the time too.”
I was speechless. I hadn’t expected such a reasonable remark from Roxidian.
Maybe because of those words, his face suddenly looked a bit fatigued.
But that was that, and Roxidian continued mocking each of my proposals as idiotic, until my anger finally boiled over.
Having rejected my repeated requests, Roxidian ran a hand through his hair.
“Don’t you know you shouldn’t mix money with family relationships?”
My pleading stopped for a moment.
Perhaps because just before, he’d firmly drawn a line declaring the Altzveit Duke wasn’t family—my feelings grew complicated.
On the other hand, it was absurd.
So you do think of me as family?
“……Fine, since you put it that way, brother.”
I straightened my posture. With things having come to this, I decided to see it through and bowed my head deeply.
Silence fell.
“It’s a request. I really need money right now.”
Letting my engagement change like this would be as good as suicide.
I didn’t regret helping the flood victims. But I couldn’t die like this, right?
“Please, lend it to me.”
“……What do you need it for?”
“It’s a secret.”
I answered that way, worried the tyrant might think something weird if he knew why, but no reply came. I quickly added,
“I’ll tell you if you need to know to lend it.”
“No, never mind.”
After a brief silence, Roxidian spoke.
“I’ll lend it to you.”
I snapped my head up.
“But on one condition.”
“……What condition?”
Not so cool after all. Still, beggars can’t be choosers, so I composed my expression.
Roxidian spread his fingers.
At the same time, a savage smile spread across his ruggedly handsome face.
“Abandon the Altzveits and become imperial family.”
“……Huh?”
I blinked. It was a condition I’d never anticipated.
