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I thought it would be handled fast enough, but it was just my guess.

"Where's mama?" I welcomed Eldest with that question while laying on my bed, an elbow resting on my pillow and my chin rested on my palm, facing her sideways.

She grimaced, eyes narrowed at me, before she staggered by the door as if not expecting what she had seen. "...what a sight to behold, prince."

"Any problem?"

"I just thought this is a part of your messed up seduction plan—" she coughed. "I mean, you might be using me as an eye watcher for the Empress."

I rolled my eyes at her drama, signaling for her to close the door. She looked hesitant but obliged, closing the door and locked it before entering my room. She plopped down the silver chair where Klydeur sat earlier, in which I was fast to point out.

"That's where my brother sat awhile ago." I commented, in which she reacted just as fast as the flash of light. In a blink of an eye, she's already seated to my seat earlier. That made me chuckle.

"The Empress and the other heads of the noble family are all having a little bit of a dilemma." Eldest stated, answering my question earlier. "She wanted to execute those who participated in the charade."

I blinked my silver eyes, amused at the thought that Aureus is still the same as ever. A tyrant is the best shield. But I wonder why they didn't went along with her idea?

"Were there some of those nobles in her meeting who took part in the charade? Is that why they're against to her idea of executing them all?"

Eldest nodded, taking a piece of chocolate cookie on a plate. "Yep, it seems so, given their reaction."

Ah, then that must be why they are against it. Just how many of them wants to challenge the Imperial family? Wouldn't it better to strip them off with their titles, banish them from the empire, or just execute them for having the guts to bare their fangs on us?

"Besides, if she execute them all, only 1/3 of the noble and aristocrat population of the Empire will be left."

I choked on my own saliva when I heard Eldest's words. I'm taking back what I said about a tyrant being the best!

Is the Empress originally this impulsive?

Well, not her fault but maybe I got surprised by the number of nobles opposing us.

I never had an idea that there were so many nobles who is now openly showing that they oppose and are against us. But why did she announce about executing them? Won't that spark more problems?

Is what I would normally ask, but I know it now better than anyone.

I grinned, in which Eldest noticed as she glanced at me. "You have an idea in mind, do you?"

"You said it yourself, the other heads of the noble families were against her idea." I responded, sitting upright on my bed. "She wouldn't have known that they may not like her reasoning, or simply because they also took part in the charade."

"Which means she mentioned it to set a trap and lure her targets." Eldest continued, snapping her finger. "And then voila, they took the bait. It's going to be easy for the Empress to narrow down whoever is the ringleader of all this mess."

I nodded, feeling proud of our combined theory. This kind of conversation is not something to trigger suspicion since I'm not the subject, so I had to purposely let Eldest continue my words so she won't have a clue whether I've known it fully or we had just formed that theory today.

And wow, I never knew Aureus was this cunning to set a trap! I thought she was just as impulsive as Klydeur, but I guess she's a meticulous person like me.

....oh wait. That's right!

Did she like me because I'm cunning like her? And wait, come to think of it, I only know one ability of the Imperial family which is mind reading. Was there ever an instance where the Empress had read my mind?

Like when I kept thinking of my plan to desperately live and avoid my fated death?

About my competition against Klydeur?

About my reincarnation?

About my embarassment of having to act like a mama's boy?

.....

.....haha, shit.

"I wonder how you can change moods like how you blink your eyes." Eldest snickered at me as she finished maybe three cookies in total.

"Shut up, I'm having an existential crisis right now." I groaned, almost giving in to the urge of pulling all my hair out.

Askdjfkshdlajsksksjsksis—

Eldest scoffed, before standing up from her seat. "If you're going crazy because of the Empress, I advice you take it easy." I whirled my head towards her, and she gave me a shrug. "She's someone who can wrap up problems like how you can clap mosquitoes."

"But mosquitoes are difficult to handle." I retorted, huffing out a sigh.

She nodded. "Exactly. But what I mean is, she doesn't need to chase those mosquitoes to clap them dead. All she needs is to wait for them to go near her and voila, they'll end up dead."

"Why do I feel like you're talking about a lot of nobles and not the problem itself?"

"Because the rootcause of all this mess is the nobles, duh."

Then there was silence. I tried to think of a topic so we can continue our conversation, not until she initiated another one. Well, that's good.

"What's your favorite color?"

I blinked my eyes at her question. "Huh? I mean, I like red, I guess."

She nodded her head as she remained standing infront of the large window, staring outside. Eldest frowned, before shooting another question with a snap of her fingers. "How about a number?"

"Uh, 15?" Then I thought deeply about it. "Actually, not my favorite, but I have mixed feelings about it."

If you don't know why, that's because there's a 15 seconds difference between me and Klydeur when we were born. He just ended up getting pushed out by the Empress' magic somehow in an attempt to wrap up the labor.

No matter how I don't want to destroy the 4th wall, I still advice you look at Chapter 3 about this dreadful 15 seconds, if you're still curious tho.

Eldest chuckled, something I didn't believe she was capable of. I mean, sure, she laughs here and there. But this laugh of hers seems sincere, as if she really found my answer funny or something.

"Why are you asking me anyway?" I asked in confusion, mentally preparing myself for whatever question she'll shot next.

"Hmm, why not? Besides," a finger popped out of her sleeves which covered her hand. I'll admit, that looks cute. "I'm getting to know you better. It feels like our friendship has been rushed before."

Well, that is true. The only thing I know about Eldest is that she's one of the Empress' trusted ally, given her age, I doubt it. But I guess I'll learn more soon about it. I also only know that she dyed her hair before, the light purple colored hair that I've seen the first time we met.

And also the fact that she's good at magic, she's intelligent, she's assigned as my tutor, she hates my albino twin brother and his ashbrown princess friend, she teases me for being a mama's boy, and the rest is something I do not know anymore.

Like, what is her last name? Is Eldest just her name? Was it even her real name? Where did she come from? I remembered Jamie telling me that she has her own estate either! Did she come off from a wealthy noble family?

The nobles earlier also gossiped about her, but I wasn't able to hear what they were saying. That must mean Eldest is not someone you can look down on, or she's just someone they can freely gossip about since the latter doesn't seem to be bothered at all.

Does she also have her parents around? Or is she already managing her own estate at the age when I first met her? That's too young tho!

"If you want to ask something, then ask away." I snapped back to reality when I heard her voice. Looking up to her, she have her arms crossed as she leaned on the wall. "So? Which is it?"

Thinking deeply, I re-organized my thoughts. "Ehem. First question, why is your name Eldest?"

She gave me a grimace, in which I frowned at. "You're the one who told me I can ask anything."

"Yeah sure. But I thought it was already obvious," she snapped, rolling her eyes. "I'm Eldest because I'm Eldest."

I gave her a blank look, not knowing what to feel. "....okay."

"Next?"

Huffing out a sigh, I decided to ask heavy questions like what I have in mind earlier. "How are you able to work under the Empress? Especially we're the same age."

"Ah, that." She looked up at the ceiling, forehead creased. "How am I supposed to tell you this? I bet you won't even understand."

Now that sounds like an insult. Is she saying I'm dumb? After all this time that I've been studying about history and other things?!

"Just spill it." I urged, in which she replied with a sneer.

"I'm a God."

My silver eyes stared at her golden luminous eyes. I can't see any lies from her gaze, but how am I supposed to confirm whether she's not messing with me or something?

I laughed awkwardly, before asking. "That's a joke right?"

"Do I look like a joke to you?" Eldest countered, a blank look of sheer disbelief on her face. There was a good solid 10 seconds of us staring at each others before I gave in.

"Okay, so let's consider that true and not just a case of a God-complex." I narrowed my eyes at her. "What God are you?"

She grinned, crossing her arms. "Take a guess, Clydeur."

Heh, now she's disregarded formality on me as soon as she revealed herself as a self-proclaimed God. I mean, I don't think she's lying now. Maybe that's why the nobles were gossiping earlier?

To be in the presence of a divine being such as her, that must be why even her name sounds a little uncommon.

"Well, the God of...Gold?" I was unsure why I had that idea, but it was worth the try. "I mean, everything around you is gold. From your eye color to hair color, even your magic emits golden flash."

"Well, does my mark seem gold to you too?" She pointed at the crescent moon mark under her one eye, in which caught my attention.

I never noticed it!

"Ofcourse you wouldn't." Eldest stated, as if she's read what is on my mind. "My mark only appears to chosen individuals, which is, in this case, you."

My mouth formed an 'O' shape, in awe of what she said. So I guess this is much more like a confirmation that she really is a God. Or a deity. They're the same, I guess.

"Then I guess I'm wrong about you being the God of Gold." I remarked, in which she nodded. Thinking deeply, I tried to think of what we've read and studied about the Sacred Temple.

There may be a clue about Eldest. Besides, the Sacred Temple is the only place I know who have knowledge about divinity and divine beings.

"Is your existence that well known?" I asked, since if she's famous then I can cross off the list of the lower ranked Gods.

She shrugged, as if not bothered whether she really is or not. "No idea."

I scratched the back of my head. How am I supposed to know? If I try to recite every single Gods there is, I might just waste time and who knows whether Eldest have such long patience.

"I'll give you a clue." I looked up to her again as soon as she spoke. "I'm a fallen deity."

"A fallen....deity?" I asked carefully, not wanting to offend a deity whose been fallen. I don't want another enemy, alright?

She nodded her head, not offended with my words, which made me sigh in relief. "There's a lot of us, but let's say I'm the one who stood on top. Hence, my name being Eldest."

"Then how about your name as Lady Athalia?" I fired another question out of confusion and curiousity. "I know it well that you're the one who had came up with that name for noble gatherings, but—"

I stopped midsentence, debating whether I'll tell her about my memories of the original Clydeur giving her that name the first time they met. That was the occassion of his coming of age ceremony, if I remember it correctly.

But maybe no, since I'll look suspicious again.

"But?" Eldest continued, eyes narrowed at me. "Are you doubting the origin of my pen name?"

I blinked my eyes. "Uh, yeah?" I mean, not at all, but I guess it would be better to go on with what she said instead of thinking about something else on the spot.

She held her chin in thought, silently processing the question. "Hmm, that's understandable. It's a name given to me a long time ago."

"Oh." Was the only response I've given as her words sank on my mind. A name given to her a long time ago? Then how did the original Clydeur know that and gave her that name?

No, I doubt he would know. It's not like a coincidence either. The way she emphasized her words of long time ago must mean there is something about it.

"The hunting event this year will probably go down in history books." Eldest commented to break the moment of silence in my room, eyes averted outside the huge window. "You'll probably be able to participate next time."

I nodded. "Yep." Lowering my gaze into the marble floor, I thought deeply as a hunch crossed my mind.

Is the long time ago she mentioned, the time when the original Clydeur gave her that name?

_____

While waiting for the next update, you may try my new historical-reincarnation story titled: You can check it out in my profile. Thank you for reading amd stay safe!

-ShaneRRR🧁