Yuder had heard news about Kachian la Orr back in Peleta, right before leaving for the Airik Mountains. But from what Kiole just said, it didn’t sound like anything had progressed much since then.

‘Even considering that bastard’s situation left him unable to access any news outside of Diarca, or care about it, it’s still the same.’

Which allowed for one possible conclusion.

Emperor Keillusa had only gone as far as “confirming the receipt of the complaint” and had done nothing else since—other than spreading whispers throughout the capital.

There were probably multiple reasons behind that.

To slowly tighten the noose around Kachian’s neck and let him feel the pressure.

Or to buy time to secure surrounding forces before making his move.

Or maybe watching over Diarca and Kiole took priority.

But in Yuder’s eyes, this resembled a hunter waiting for the right moment.

More precisely, a hunter with his prey pinned under his claws, simply biding time for his companion to return.

The companion the Emperor was waiting for was none other than «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» his younger brother and longtime ally—Kishiar.

‘And Kishiar is scheduled to meet the Emperor tomorrow.’

A day to prove he handled everything alone and came through unscathed.

A day to share the joy of revenge.

All of it was set for tomorrow.

‘Is this the elder brother’s gift for the younger sibling, who will finally return from the first real rest in his hard life?’

Yuder found himself unexpectedly looking forward to tomorrow’s visit to the palace.

Wiping the smile from his lips, he turned to Kiole and spoke.

“So. What are you planning to do now?”

“What...?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? You just went on and on about it yourself.”

When Yuder looked at him with a face that basically asked if he’d already forgotten, Kiole wore a stung expression.

“I told you, I don’t know! That’s why I came here! I wanted to learn something from you!”

His oldest brother had tried to assassinate him, and his father was bedridden and unconscious. The Emperor had ordered him to investigate the “culprit behind the attempted assassination of the Empress.” So now the only thing left was the choice.

Either admit that the assassin—publicly declared to be the attempted murderer of the Empress—was hired by the Diarca family, and become a traitor by blood...

Or protect the brother who tried to kill him and the family name, by lying and doing everything he could to shift the blame.

‘But... if this were the Kiole la Diarca I originally knew, he would’ve chosen the latter without hesitation.’

Even without his father’s help, he would have done everything possible to protect his family. He’d been dumb enough to not even realize he could be killed the moment the Duke of Diarca was gone and the Emperor’s protection lifted.

What did it matter if the assassin who tried to kill him was repurposed as the Empress’s would-be murderer? If anyone dared to suggest the youngest Diarca son was aligning with the Imperial faction, that guy would’ve gone ballistic, flailing around yelling that they were insulting him.

But surprisingly, he hadn’t acted like the old Kiole. Instead, he had quietly followed the Emperor’s orders, albeit reluctantly. More than that—he had even come to Yuder, seeking some form of protection and advice.

The old Kiole la Diarca would never have done that.

‘I felt it back when we met in the South too.......’

Kiole la Diarca had changed.

Not in the sense that he’d become a completely different person, or any smarter. He still didn’t have a shred of awareness. But something deep inside him had undeniably shifted. Even just the fact that he hadn’t spouted his usual stream of arrogant nonsense today said a lot. And the fact that he’d actually kept his word and managed to send support personnel to the South?

‘Yeah. That really surprised me.’

Remembering that, Yuder thought perhaps he could offer a bit of help.

He watched Kiole squirming in place, then asked quietly.

“Why do you think your brother tried to kill you?”

“...Are you seriously asking me that in this situation?” 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Kiole looked at him like he was facing a heartless demon.

“Then who should I ask?”

“You just think it’s funny that I almost died!”

“Funny or not, I don’t care about you, so shut up and answer.”

Only threats worked. With Yuder’s icy glare pressing him down, Kiole finally looked like he was actually trying to think.

“I don’t really know. But my eldest brother... he never really cared about me. The other siblings were the same way, honestly...”

Yuder suddenly recalled the fact that Kiole had a different mother than the others.

“So are they all close with each other, then?”

“They all seem to respect him, more or less. Hmph, not that they all grovel like the third brother does, acting like a damn servant. Normally, everyone just keeps to themselves. Members of Diarca aren’t interested in worldly affairs. That’s how it is!”

Not interested in worldly affairs, huh. Says the ones scrambling to grasp royal power, backstabbing their own father, and trying to murder their younger brother for a title.

“If my eldest brother wanted something from me, I would’ve done it without complaint. He even came to my room, asked me politely, and I had no idea that... that something like that would happen. Honestly, I keep wondering if maybe it’s all a misunderstanding...”

“A misunderstanding?”

“The investigation concluded it was the assassin he hired! But what would he gain from killing me? Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe it was someone else close to him, plotting something to get rid of me, a loyal knight... Like in those books! You know? That sort of thing might happen!”

Kiole was shouting, veins bulging in his neck, but to Yuder, it was just absurd.

‘So all this talk about his reputation improving lately... yet he still doesn’t have a clue.’

As expected. Still, hearing it from the source made it even more ridiculous.

“You really think Kiorne la Diarca had nothing to gain from killing you?”

“...Are you saying he did gain something?!”

“If he went so far as to hire an assassin, then yes, of course he did.”

Yuder spoke coldly.

“Sometimes the outcome is the clearest evidence. If he tried to kill you, it means there was something he could gain from your death. And he didn’t even bother being discreet. Either he thought you were such an easy target... or he’s just as stupid as you are.”

“W-what?!”

Before Kiole could process the insult and explode, Yuder pressed on.

“While you’ve been dragging your feet with this so-called investigation, what’s your brother been doing?”

“...He suddenly fell ill and went down to the villa...”

“You don’t actually believe that’s real, do you?”

“Father probably told him to do that! Even I can figure that much out! It must’ve been to protect him!”

“Protect him, huh. You think Kiorne la Diarca feels the same way?”

“......”

Kiole clamped his mouth shut, eyebrows scrunched.

“If I were you, I’d start by figuring out what your brother hoped to gain by killing you. Then make your choice.”

“Choice? What are you talking about...”

“Why do you think His Majesty appointed you as the investigator?”

“Because I was there! If I say something bad about Diarca... that would disgrace the family...! That’s why I don’t know what to do!”

“Disgrace? You almost got killed, and telling the truth would disgrace your family?”

“...Wh-what?”

Kiole’s face went blank.

“When you sent Imperial Guard support to the South, did you think that was a disgrace to your family?”

“That’s... that’s different! That was something I did as a knight, even if Father said something! He didn’t even punish me much afterward...”

But even as he spoke, Yuder saw his expression shift.

Confusion. Disappointment. Embarrassment. The traces of what he must have felt when he asked his father for help to send aid to the South.

“So your brother trying to kill you is acceptable for the family, but you revealing the truth isn’t? Just because His Majesty gave you the opportunity, that makes it wrong? Aren’t you a knight of the Imperial Guard, sworn to the Emperor?”

“Uh... uh, um...”

Kiole fumbled for words, jaw opening and closing as his eyes darted around. Judging by the way his gaze swam, he wasn’t fully grasping the conversation.

Well, that didn’t matter. If even after all this he still couldn’t understand, then that was the limit. If he truly cared, he’d revisit the conversation on his own and finally, think.