NOVEL WEB Chapter 159
“The comic you handed me is entertaining, but if I had to point out a major issue, it’s the way the nation is depicted almost like a villain.”
Rupert had no room for excuses in response to the Emperor’s words.
Even if the pirates were painted as adventurers, the ultimate antagonist of the story was the World Federation, an alliance of nations and certain privileged classes.
“I’ve come to realize the power of what you create with your pen.”
The Emperor’s words were sincere.
Rupert’s works included creating comic books to help commoners learn to read and fairy tale books to awaken their consciousness.
Moreover, the enthusiastic reaction displayed during the recent card tournament was akin to the atmosphere of a war parade.
Until now, these efforts aided in restraining the power of the nobility, so he had just observed, but he needed to consider the potential backlash if they turned into a blade threatening the Imperial Family.
“I know you have received marriage proposals from Bluewell. Therefore, you must make a choice.”
The Imperial Family or the nobility faction.
If he chose Ioleen and supported the Imperial Family, he had intended to continue his creative activities freely as before.
If not, then it was necessary to eliminate the seeds of danger.
“Rupert, to be honest, I still covet that ability of yours.”
The Emperor had highly regarded Rupert enough to want him as the Crown Prince’s right-hand man, which was why he had not obstructed his artistic endeavors.
However, if Rupert married Bluewell, he would then become one of the Eight Great Nobles, not the Seven, and in the fierce political struggle between the Imperial Family and nobility, even Rupert, who had always been viewed favorably, would not be an exception.
“…May I have a word with Your Highness the Princess?”
“Go ahead.”
Rupert couldn’t arrive at an answer on the spot.
The first thought that crossed his mind was Amelia, who had confessed her feelings for him, and following that was the realization that his choice would determine many future outcomes.
Leaving the court, he pondered as he made his way to Ioleen’s residence.
***
“Come in.”
Creeeak.
At the sound of the door opening, Ioleen paused her drawing and turned around.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Princess.”
“Yes, how have you been?”
“Actually, I’ve come to discuss something important today.”
At Rupert’s words, Ioleen had all the maids leave the room.
“This should qualify as an important discussion, right?”
“Indeed, Your Highness.”
Seeing Rupert’s serious expression, Ioleen felt a bad premonition.
‘What could have happened in the court before I came here?’
Ioleen was already aware that Rupert had entered the palace to meet her father, the Emperor.
Although she couldn’t grasp the details, she figured it would be similar to last time when Rupert visited the court for a private audience with her father.
Rupert’s expression, which hinted at the importance of what he had to say, looked deeply troubled.
“Your Highness, or rather, Lady Ioleen.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think of me, if I may ask?”
“What?”
“I just returned from hearing about marriage with you from His Majesty.”
Ioleen was taken aback by Rupert’s unexpected words. The sudden mention of her father’s interference left her flustered.
‘Did I bring this on myself?’
She had expressed to her father her eagerness to hasten her union with Rupert, and now this direct approach made her uneasy.
“I’ll be honest. I like you.”
With this, the rest was up to her.
“However, I hope you choose me and not just follow your father’s intentions.”
-Just as I chose you out of many potential partners.
Ioleen spoke without wavering, and it was Rupert who was taken aback this time.
He had not expected to hear such a direct confession of affection directed at him, leaving his mind blank as he pondered how to respond.
“Are you saying you like me?”
“That’s right. I thought I was dropping hints, but did you not notice at all?”
“…I apologize, but that is indeed the case.”
Rupert recalled his moments with Ioleen.
What began with a letter expressing dissatisfaction with the story’s ending was the first step that brought him to the Imperial Palace.
Somewhere along the line, Ioleen became a good friend and comrade with whom he could discuss comics seriously.
Her boundless talent intrigued him more than anything else.
Like a protagonist in a sports genre he had come to empathize with, Ioleen made him acutely aware of why directors become engrossed in the growth of the main character.
Rupert honed his craft by watching and learning from modern comics, while she grasped it all through just a simple piece of advice from him.
Now she drew well enough to be rated second only to Rupert for her prowess in battle scenes.
Moreover, they shared many views on comics, making their conversations about them delightful for Rupert.
Yet he found himself questioning whether his feelings for her were romantic, which left him confused in that moment.
“I am, in fact, somewhat lacking.”
“What?”
Seeing Rupert’s fluster over his own declaration of affection, Ioleen blurted that out.
‘If you’re lacking, then the rest of the world must be wiped out!’
Rupert thought it utterly incompatible that Ioleen—born into royalty and possessing beauty rivaling Amelia’s—should claim to be lacking in any way.
However,
“I effortlessly acquired everything I wanted and found interesting from a young age.”
The expression on Ioleen’s face seemed serious as she continued.
“People call me a genius.”
There were reasons why people sought to position her as the Crown Princess despite having two older brothers above her.
In swordsmanship, academics, magic, administration—she was the living proof that the saying about mastering ten things just by understanding one was no mere myth.
Yet since childhood, there had been only one thing she truly longed for.
‘A partner who would embrace all of me.’
The reason she took up swordsmanship as a child was that it looked exceedingly fun through the lens of her older siblings engaging in it.
She thought if she learned swordsmanship herself, it would also be as enjoyable for her as it was for them.
‘I will not learn swordsmanship any longer.’
However, that decision brutally crushed others’ spirits.
Even a little learning was enough to leave those who had trained far longer than her feeling deflated upon seeing her.
“I have nothing left to teach you, Your Highness.”
At first, those who had been overjoyed and taken pride in teaching her, calling her a gift from the heavens, eventually grew afraid or envious of her seemingly limitless talent.
Thus, she gradually abandoned the path of learning.
From the beginning, what she wanted was not to frustrate anyone, but to learn in companionship, side by side.
Given that others envied this talent, it felt more like chains binding her than a gift.
But,
“Your Highness, comics are a connection with others. Bridging the gap between what one finds enjoyable and how others perceive it is paramount.”
Unlike before, when Rupert created a fairy tale book that reignited her interest, he continuously produced things she could never have imagined, always satisfying her expectations.
Her fascination with fairy tales and comics stemmed not merely from their enjoyment but from encountering something so superior that the gulf was unfathomable.
“You are someone I have waited a lifetime for.”
Unbeknownst to Rupert, Ioleen was clumsy in her dealings with people.
Deprived of opportunities to mingle, she acted according to protocol, making any step towards exchanging words with someone rare.
At most, only Aiden, the Head Attendant, or her brother Edric would interact with her, and recently, only Jorge, who served in the Dark Guards, was someone she kept close.
For Ioleen to converse and interact directly with Rupert was unprecedented.
“Lady Ioleen…”
After hearing Ioleen’s true feelings, Rupert found himself falling into deep contemplation once more.
Rupert, too, cherished their conversations and sharing opinions about comics with her.
‘Could she, in some ways, be the most ideal partner?’
Someone who could understand him better than anyone and whose true self he was discovering through their time together was undeniably captivating.
“I apologize for not noticing Lady Ioleen’s feelings until now.”
“My clumsiness caused this, so it is not your fault.”
“And my answer is…”
Rupert fell silent for a moment before continuing.
“Before hearing the confession from you, I also received a proposal from Amelia.”
At Rupert’s words, Ioleen’s expression stiffened.
She had worried that someone as free-spirited as Amelia or Jenia might take the initiative before her, and her anxieties had materialized as expected when Amelia got ahead of her.
“And I could not give an answer to Amelia either.”
“You didn’t like her, but you couldn’t respond?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Rupert conveyed to Ioleen the same message he had given to Amelia.
There were responsibilities he needed to tend to first, which made marriage impossible at that moment, and as he said this, Ioleen’s mind was rapidly becoming preoccupied.
‘In ten years, I’ll have to choose one of them, right? Do I need to live in fear until then?’
For Rupert, she was ready to wait to obtain him.
Yet that willingness was contingent on having certainty, and should Rupert choose Amelia instead of her, she feared for the consequences.
‘In that case, I must ensure I gain that certainty.’
Though not the optimal path, she held a backup plan. That was Ioleen’s strategy.
“Rupert, do you perhaps know about ‘that’?”
“What do you mean?”
As Ioleen began to explain to Rupert what that ‘thing’ was, the horror spread across his face.