I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 2

I couldn't believe it. Or maybe, I didn't want to believe it.

To die by hanging, a sacrifice for the nobles to appease the wrath of the angry citizens—who in the world would want to believe it upon learning of such an end?

‘…It’s not real. It can’t be.’

But why? I had a feeling that my end, written at the end of the , would come true.

‘And… come to think of it, it’s not wrong. Most powerless crown princes who lived quietly because they didn't want to die eventually get used by the nobles and meet a bad end.’

I knew that fact, as I knew history better than most—though not enough to be called a history buff. But, just as it was written on the last page of the diary, I hadn't thought of that obvious fact until now.

‘…No, I was refusing to think about it. Because I had neither the courage nor the will to stand against the nobles….’

Because I was an ordinary university student until just a few weeks ago, who, without any particular dreams or goals, wanted to become a civil servant, the goal of most public administration students.

Because I was a ‘commoner’ who wished for such a life that flows like water, I did not want to stand against power.

So, without even realizing it, I had found an excuse for myself to not confront power.

Because humans are bound to find a way if they want to do something, and find an excuse if they don't.

‘Even so… I hope this isn't true. I really hope it's not true.’

After looking at the last page of the a few more times, I flipped back to the front.

Then I saw that new content had been added.

…In the , I saw the ending where I am executed by hanging. I desperately wished it wasn't true, but for some reason, I couldn't deny that it was the coming future.

My head was a mess. How could I remain calm when such an ordeal was given to me, an ordinary university student who had aimed for an even more ordinary life?

‘Even so… I hope this isn't true. I really hope it's not true.’

With that thought, I read the beginning of the diary again. New content—or more accurately, my current thoughts and situation—was written there again.

As I was reading the book, Elly called me, saying it was lunchtime. Her unusually bright expression was curious, and the reason for her bright expression was that she had prepared a rather splendid lunch today.

Elly, who always felt sorry for me having to eat meager meals, seemed to be feeling joy at being able to serve a meal befitting a crown prince.

The menu for today, Elly said, was ‘steak’. And not just any seafood, but a steak grilled from the meat of the ruler of the seas, called a ‘Sea-Drake’.

According to Elly, the chef had cooked it himself and told her to give it to me.

I was looking forward to it, as it was a food I had never tried before.

And when I ate it, it was quite delicious.

But that night, I had a terrible stomachache. For this body—‘Crown Prince Leonardo’—which was already weak, a stomachache was not something that could be simply endured and overcome.

I couldn't sleep properly for over a week….

It was written again. My current situation, exactly as it was.

‘But the part about lunch is something that hasn't happened yet—.’

Just as I was thinking that.

“…Your Highness!”

I heard Elly’s cheerful voice from behind me. Lost in the book, I flinched in surprise and turned around.

Elly’s expression was unusually bright, but she quickly bowed her head, perhaps feeling sorry for startling me.

“I-I apologize. I called out, but there was no answer.”

“Ah… It’s alright. Is it already lunchtime?”

“Yes, it is. And, Your Highness! You can look forward to lunch today!”

Look forward to it?

…No way.

“I was lucky enough to obtain some ‘Sea-Drake’ meat and grilled a steak. It’s truly precious meat, and the new chef cooked it and gave it to me, telling me to give it to you, Your Highness!”

“……”

“Your Highness?”

Elly, perhaps thinking I would be happy, just stared at me blankly when my expression hardened.

Leaving her be, I read the diary again.

…My goodness, this was real.

Elly had prepared a steak made from a ‘Sea-Drake’ for me.

At that, my expression hardened, and Elly stared at me with wide, bewildered eyes.

From Elly's perspective, she had done her best to prepare it for me, but I'm sorry to say I had no appetite at all.

It wasn't because I knew I would get a stomachache if I ate that ‘Sea-Drake’ steak.

It was simply because I had confirmed that this was real. This diary, of all things, in which my terrible death was set in stone.

‘…What should I do.’

I closed the book and thought. I.

…….

Thud.

As soon as I read that, I closed the book and thought.

‘…What should I do.’

I don't want to believe it, but this is real. And it contains the ending where I am used by the nobles and die.

Knowing that, I can't just do nothing. I have to move. Just as ‘the future me’ thought with regret at the end of the diary, I have to seize power and set this kingdom right.

That's the only way I'll live.

“…Elly.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“I'm truly grateful for your efforts on my behalf, but I don't have much of an appetite. I'll skip lunch.”

“…Yes? Y-Your Highness. What's wrong?”

“Don't ask for the reason, Elly, just make me a simple snack with the ingredients you usually use. A sandwich would be fine, or even just some bread.”

“Your Highness, if you only eat like that, your health will suffer. You are already weak—.”

“Elly, this is my command.”

“……”

“And please dispose of that steak. You can leave it if someone else wants to eat it, but you must absolutely not eat it yourself, Elly.”

“You’re telling me to just dispose of the Sea-Drake steak…?’

Elly asked me with wide eyes, as if she couldn't understand. Seeing her reaction, it seemed the meat of a ‘Sea-Drake’ was extremely precious.

‘Come to think of it, I think I read about it in the monster encyclopedia. It said that drakes are known as descendants of the mythical divine beast—the ‘dragon’—and that their hide and bones are top-quality materials for arms and armor, and their meat has a taste that transcends imagination.’

Thinking about it, there was no way the chef would give me a normal ‘Sea-Drake’ meat unless he was crazy. The chef probably knew the meat was spoiled or had a problem, and since it was a waste to throw it away, he gave it to Elly, pretending to be generous—or perhaps at the instigation of the nobles to mess with me.

Perhaps the nobles intended to enjoy watching me, the crown prince, suffer from a stomachache after delighting in a precious ingredient I had never tasted before.

‘I can overlook that kind of prank. No, I could have. But it's different now.’

I had lived by suppressing my pride in order to survive.

Even in the Republic of Korea, I grew up in a poor family and was subjected to all sorts of power trips since I was young, whether at school or at part-time jobs, and even then, I lived quietly to survive.

But if the result is being framed as the nobles’ sacrifice and dying by hanging, then that's a different story.

‘…I have to change the future. I don't want to die. I'd rather live like a maggot than die like an idiot. It’s better to roll in dog shit in this life than to be dead.’

The thought was long, but the decision was quick and simple.

So, what I had to do now was to seize power based on the method the future me had told me.

I looked at Elly, who was still standing there blankly, and said.

“Elly, I am truly grateful that you cooked for me with such precious ingredients. But this time, you must trust my words.”

“…Your Highness.”

“And more than the chef's cooking, I want to eat your cooking. It suits my palate. So please, cook for me.”

At my words, Elly’s eyes widened and she blinked. Her expression was strange.

Then, avoiding my gaze, she spoke in an awkward voice.

“Ah, I understand. Then I will cook again and bring it to you…!”

Tap tap!

Like a girl who had confessed her feelings to her senior, Elly hurriedly left the place. As soon as I saw that, I opened the and read it.

‘The ending… hasn't changed.’

It seemed that my not eating the ‘Sea-Drake’ dish didn't change the future, as my end was still to be executed by hanging.

The ending hadn't changed, but wondering if any new content had been written in the middle—I quickly scanned the middle part of the diary.

Then, surprisingly—in a part that was clearly blank just a moment ago—something was written. A few short lines.

…….

A way to check the nobles and build my power.

I sat in the library and pondered, but I couldn't come up with a suitable method. It was only natural, as I was a sickly crown prince with no power whatsoever.

So I decided to go to the only person I could trust, at least to some extent, the ‘King’, and ask for his advice. Fortunately, the King gave me sincere, and necessary, advice.

‘Sought advice from the King, huh….’

I didn't know what advice the future me got from the king. But the future me evaluated the king's advice as something I needed.

In other words, no matter what, I had to go see the king too.

“Hoo… I'm tired.”

My head felt hot and my body was uncomfortable from thinking too much. It could be because this body was so weak, or maybe it was a burden for the mind of a twelve-year-old to have such thoughts.

But I couldn't rest because of that.

I had to think. A way to seize power.

Before that, I should probably go to the king and ask for advice first.

Time passed like that.

***

About 20-30 minutes later.

Elly brought me a meal. It was the same bread, soup, and fruit juice she usually prepared.

As I devoured it, being very hungry, Elly spoke in a hesitant voice.

“Um… Your Highness. I’m sorry to bother you during your meal, but I felt I had to tell you this.”

“Yes.”

“I was preparing Your Highness’s meal in the dining hall, and the chef asked. He asked what happened to his dish and why I was cooking.”

“Continue.”

“Ah… yes. So I told him that Your Highness said you wanted to eat my cooking instead of the chef's. Then he got angry. He said, 「“How dare you forsake my dish, made with ingredients bestowed by Count Talon, to eat the cooking of a mere maid!”」….”

The chef got angry, huh.

“At me? Or at Elly?”

“…At both of us.”

For a chef to get angry at the crown prince's decision was something that would be unthinkable in a normal kingdom. But in the Plank Kingdom, it was possible.

‘It means even the servants disregard me. I knew it, but I really have no power at all.’

In a situation like this, what should I do to regain power? Any ordinary method would be far from enough.

In any case, for now, I had to hide my claws and fangs. There was no need to alert the nobles that I had changed and arouse their suspicion.

Gulp―.

Downing the juice in one shot, I said to Elly.

“Later, please tell the chef that I said I was sorry. That I wasn't feeling well today, so it was difficult to eat a heavy dish like steak.”

“…Your Highness. Even so, for you to apologize to a servant is—.”

“Please do so. This is not a request, but a command.”

Elly bit her lower lip hard, then bowed her head in distress.

“I under… stand. I will do as you say, Your Highness.”

“Thank you.”

By the way.

‘So that Sea-Dragon meat was from Count Talon. I've never heard the name before, but he must be a die-hard noble faction member.’

Strictly speaking, there was no royalist faction among the nobles of this kingdom. They were all in the noble faction.

This was not new information.

‘Still, I should remember the name.’

After thinking for a moment, I ate the last piece of bacon and asked Elly.

“I intend to see His Majesty. Would you please guide me?”