Chapter 71: Is This a Dream?
Yulia strides towards her destination: Ascal’s lap as he sits.
Before Yulia can sit on his knees, Ascal stands up from his chair, causing Yulia’s eyebrows to twitch.
“Why are you avoiding me, Prime Minister Debrue?”
“The chair is uncomfortable.”
“…?”
In the Prime Minister’s office sits a chair adorned in variations of red and gold, with plush leather and expensive gilding—it looks costly, but Ascal dislikes it.
His body has grown accustomed to the minister chairs of the Evaluation Department; nothing else satisfies him now.
“I can’t work with this chair, Lia. Fetch me my chair.”
Ascal declares this boldly.
Yulia looks at her prime minister, dumbfounded.
Can someone’s personality change overnight?
‘After all, this is just a dream.’
Yes.
Ascal believes this is all a dream. There’s no need to cower before Yulia even in a dream. He truly becomes a warrior in the corner, or rather, a warrior in a dream.
“I will not work until you bring me that chair. And my shoulders are a bit stiff; I could use a massage.”
‘Ascal.’
‘What nerve!’
****
After scouring the entire empire for a minister chair, Ascal reviews documents while receiving the massage from Yulia.
Administration.
Military.
Diplomacy.
Intelligence.
All the reports that should be handled by the capable people of the empire have come to Ascal.
“What are the ministers doing that I have to do all this?”
While massaging Ascal’s shoulders, Yulia speaks.
“They are all incompetent. I started by cutting them off from the neck. The somewhat competent Minister of Magic was assassinated...”
Indeed.
The empire in the dream has already half-collapsed.
Just like something out of a novel.
And Ascal has no intention of working even in his dreams.
‘The best way to wake from a dream is, after all, to die.’
Ascal opens the window.
A breeze comes in.
It’s quite a high floor.
Ascal jumps out of the window.
‘Farewell, Empire.’
However.
Something soft lay on the ground.
As if it knew he would jump, a mat had been pre-positioned.
“Did you jump again, Prime Minister? It’s taxing on your body to keep doing this.”
The servant swept with a broom, as if it were a familiar routine.
“……”
Ascal trudged back up the stairs.
****
One must die to live.
Ascal had tried countless methods to end his life.
Drinking poison, self-harm, submerging in water while holding his breath, banging his head against the wall.
But each time, he failed.
Most attempts were thwarted under close surveillance, or, even if he nearly succeeded, a healing potion would revive him, reducing the ordeal to almost a farce.
‘Time to change tactics.’
If he stayed still, he might die of overwork in the dream—slowly and painfully.
That was out of the question.
****
At night, back in his own room, Ascal surveyed his luxurious surroundings. The bed was large enough for four people, and the walls were adorned with artworks.
“Such extravagance.”
Lying quietly on the bed, Ascal wondered: ‘What happens if I sleep in a dream? Do I dream within a dream?’
While he entertained such baseless thoughts, someone entered his room.
It was Yulia, wearing a robe... her bare skin visible.
“Coming to another man’s room at night can lead to misunderstandings, Your Majesty.”
“Is playtime over already? It was nice of you to treat me with such ease for once.”
Yulia walked barefoot to the bed and sat beside Ascal.
“You’ve been harming yourself again, Ascal.”
Even though she was older, Yulia was shorter than Ascal, so she looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with worry.
“You used to just run away from me, now it seems you’re tired of this world altogether.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then why? Why are you also trying to leave me?”
Yulia spoke sadly, then slowly leaned her head against Ascal.
Her appearance was so sorrowful that, unwittingly, Ascal began to stroke her hair.
“Don’t leave, Ascal. I can’t bear it if you, too, were gone. Please, I’m begging you. You, of all people, stay by my side.”
“Even if I’m not here, there are capable people around. People like Bernstein, Robin, Yorick.”
“Your jokes go too far. Bernstein’s a fraud, Robin was assassinated, and Yorick, he... he started a rebellion.”
It unfolds almost like a novel. If Yulia’s words hold true, then the empire within this dream teeters on the brink of collapse, threatened by dragons and rebels.
“If only I had found you a little earlier. Before the empire began to falter, if only I had known you a few years ago. How wonderful that would have been. Then, we could have worked together.”
It sounds as if she’s referring to the current state of the Evaluation Department.
“Then, I would never wish to be an emperor again. I don’t want to kill my siblings with my own hands or execute someone day after day.”
Yulia Barba, the tyrant, was filled with regret.
Was she the tyrant, or did the empire make her one?
“For example, I could become your advisor, the opposite of now. If I could just make you coffee and watch over a peaceful empire and smile, I wouldn’t need anything else... I realized this too late.”
Yulia looked up at Ascal with tear-filled eyes.
“Ascal, shall we die together?”
Ascal shook his head.
“Indeed. Once one’s hands are stained with blood, one must bear the consequences to the end.”
Yulia then pushed Ascal onto the bed.
Internally, Ascal wondered if she enjoyed knocking people down, though he didn’t voice this thought.
“You should flee the empire, Ascal.”
Yulia’s hair tickled Ascal’s cheek as she looked down at him.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. The empire has already fallen. Damn Holy Kingdom, alliances, even mysterious organizations are thoroughly bent on destroying it. Not to mention the rebels and so-called heroes punishing the empire— I despise them even more.”
Hero.
In the novel, that’s the title of Sirius, the leader of the anti-imperial forces, blessed by the Saintess and chosen by the light.
“And the Senestia ducal family. I never dreamed that those who seemed to uphold strict neutrality were plotting such schemes.”
“The Senestia ducal family? That’s where Sushia is...”
“Don’t mention another woman’s name in front of me.”
Yulia grabbed Ascal’s arms and slowly moved her lips closer.
‘Why does this royal family always enjoy forcibly stealing kisses?’
Ascal struggled. But to think he could match the strength of Yulia, a swordmaster...
Yet, he did.
Ascal surprisingly escaped easily from Yulia’s hold.
“Really a swordmaster, Ascal? Your skill in escaping me is quite remarkable.”
“A swordmaster?”
“Yes. You’re one of the three great swordmasters of the empire, Ascal Debrue, descendant and head of the Debrue martial family. Did you want to reaffirm your own reputation?”
‘No, why am I a swordmaster?’
Ascal looked incredulously at his frail lower body.
...It turned out his body was no joke. A robust frame with only the essential muscles, built for practicality.
“They all call you the devil of the empire. A monstrous creature that epitomizes both literary and martial extremes.”
“That’s truly absurd.”
It appeared that this version of himself, who hadn’t entered the Evaluation Department, had continued to train in martial arts until he became a swordmaster.
Indeed, he had thought that swinging a sword in the countryside wouldn’t be too bad if no one had suddenly appeared to talk about the Evaluation Department.
...And what was Sushia doing in this place?
“So, what has become of the Senestia ducal house now?”
“They are supporting the anti-imperial forces. But we haven’t just been passive victims. We’ve captured one of their daughters as a prisoner.”
“Where is she?”
“In the dungeon.”
Ascal got up from the bed and quickly started to get dressed to go out.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be back from the dungeon shortly. Please wait here.”
It seemed quite cold.
Ascal picked up a blanket and wrapped Yulia in it. Only her face peeked out from under the blanket, and she grumbled.
“You’re not running away again, are you?”
“I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
“I’ll trust you. You’re coming back, right?”
****
Ascal hurried down to the imperial palace’s dungeon.
The guard, initially poised to block any intruders, immediately stepped aside upon seeing Ascal’s face. It was a free pass.
Naturally, after Yulia, Ascal was the next most powerful person here.
“Is Sushia Senestia here? Lead the way.”
“Understood.”
A torch-bearing guard guided Ascal.
And soon, through the bars, they saw a woman lying on the floor.
A gag was in her mouth.
“Why is that necessary?”
“...She was being too noisy.”
“Let it be.”
As the guard turned the key, the bars opened.
Ascal walked over and removed Sushia’s gag.
“Ugh, euh.”
“Get up, Sushia.”
Her face was dirty from not washing, her hair lifeless.
She was truly in a pitiful state.
“Hey, bring some warm water and a cloth.”
“Yes.”
Ascal dampened a cloth with the warm water brought by the guard and began to wipe Sushia’s face. When she regained her senses and saw Ascal’s face, she screamed.
“Aaah! The devil of the empire!”
“You’re consistent, even here.”
