Beyond the Throne: The Monarch's Return

"What about here?"

Unlike the calm Ian, the expressions of Galon and Nathan were worth seeing.

The room was vast—so large that someone could easily run across it without encountering any obstacles. The living room was adorned with expensive-looking ornaments and gems, with a cabinet filled with luxury items. A terrace on the second floor offered a sweeping view of the Duke's mansion, flaunting the wealth and grandeur of Duke Garcia's estate.

However, none of these lavish details mattered, given the room's true state.

"What is this shabby barn?" Nathan burst out.

It wasn't exactly a barn, but Galon clicked his tongue and corrected Nathan.

"Nathan, it may look like a dirty barn, but it's a fine reception room. It's just been poorly managed."

"That's what I mean!" Nathan replied, agitated as he glanced around.

Though the room was originally grand, the years of neglect were evident. Thick dust blanketed every surface, and white cloths draped over the furniture gave the room an abandoned, ghostly atmosphere. Spider webs adorned every corner, adding to the feeling that this place had not been used for a long time.

Ian, unfazed by the others' reactions, simply brushed the dust from a desk and thought to himself, 'It's the same as before.'

The room felt cold and lifeless, much like it had during the ten years he had spent here in the past. It was as if time had stopped within these walls, leaving only memories of neglect.

More than anything, Ian knew what awaited him.

'I will be attacked here today.'

This was the first problem he had to face in this forsaken room. And yet, despite the imminent danger, Ian smiled.

"The room is dirty, but maybe they didn't clean it because we arrived earlier than expected?" he suggested lightly.

Nathan and Galon exchanged uneasy glances, knowing more about the room than they cared to admit. Nathan was particularly disturbed and glared at the servant who had guided them there.

"Who assigned him to this cursed room?" Nathan demanded, grabbing the servant by the collar.

"I… I don't know, Sir! I only follow orders…" the servant stammered.

Nathan turned to Ian with a grave expression. "Prince, this cursed annex is definitely a mistake. No one should be staying here."

But Ian only smiled again.

The Cursed Annex.

Although Nathan didn't say it aloud, Ian knew the story all too well. The annex had earned its notorious reputation as the room where the first Duke had resided—a place where many had died. Despite its prime location and expensive furnishings, something sinister lingered here. Rumors of ghostly possessions and tragic deaths plagued anyone who dared stay too long in this room.

'That's probably why they assigned me to this place,' Ian thought.

It was likely Heinley's cruel joke, knowing the room's dark history. The second son had no problem playing with Ian's life by sending him to a place like this.

"Bring the head butler right now!" Nathan ordered, still fuming.

"Are you planning to keep the prince in such a cursed place?"

He was ready to switch Ian's room immediately.

"If you don't bring him, I'll go myself!"

But Ian raised a hand to stop him.

"I'm fine, Sir Nathan. There's no way the Duke made a mistake. This must be the right room," Ian said calmly.

Nathan began to protest, but Ian's secret smile stopped him.

'Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot,' Ian thought, remembering the old quote. His life had been filled with tragedy, but now he was determined to see it from a different perspective.

In the past, Ian had been afraid to stay in this cold, foreboding place. He had visited the Duke daily, trying to escape the loneliness and fear this room inspired. But not anymore. Now, this room was his opportunity.

'The Duke's third son, Karan, uncovered the secret of this room.'

Karan had gained immense power from something hidden within these walls and had gone on to travel the continent with it. Known as the Adventurer King Karan, his legend had begun right here, in this very room.

What if Ian could discover that same secret? He could take that power for himself—enough to challenge the Duke and win the upcoming succession war.

'It must be somewhere in this room,' Ian thought, determined.

However, Ian also knew that his immediate challenge was to survive the night.

The assassin's motive was clear: they wanted Ian gone because he posed a threat to the Duke's power.

Squeak.

"Prince, be careful!" Galon suddenly blocked Ian as a part of the floor creaked ominously beneath his feet.

Ian couldn't help but smile at how unchanged everything was.

'Everything here is old,' Ian thought, remembering how, in the past, an assassin had fallen through the ceiling while trying to kill him.

At last, Nathan stormed toward the door, unable to take it any longer. "We're moving you to another room!"

But Ian only smiled bitterly.

'No, I have to stay here. This is the only way I'll survive the first night.'

Even though he had survived this ordeal once before, Ian knew this time could be different. Things were not unfolding exactly as they had in the past, and any mistake could lead to his death.

In fact, this room held more advantages than disadvantages.

Because of the rumors, the annex was deserted—no servants ever dared come here. It was perfect for someone who needed time to build strength in secret.

'I can lay low here, undisturbed, and build my power within the Duke's mansion,' Ian thought.

However, his bitter smile was misinterpreted by Nathan and Galon, who mistook it for quiet resignation.

"Take me to the head butler!" Nathan shouted, not willing to stand by any longer.

"Prince, don't feel like you need to tolerate this," Galon added. "I'll speak to the Duke myself."

Ian interrupted them with a simple request.

"That's not important right now. What is important is that I need your help."

Nathan and Galon looked at Ian, ready to follow his command, their expressions expectant.

"Please… help me clean this place," Ian said, smiling innocently.

Nathan nearly collapsed at the absurdity of the request.

***

"Are you alright, Chief?"

The head butler bit his lip at the words of the servant who was supporting his body.

He couldn't say anything. It was because he had just been severely beaten by the Duke.

But he picked up something more important than what he suffered.

"What about Young Master Heinley?"

"Well, that's…"

The servant was reluctant to speak. But he struggled to open his mouth as if he had no choice but to keep pushing.

"First of all, he is undergoing treatment, but the wounds left on his face and teeth are severe, so it may not be healed for the rest of his life."

The head butler ground his teeth.

Unlike the other young masters, the second young master was the Duke's son that was personally raised by the head butler as if he was his own flesh and blood. 

'How dare you make my young master like that…'

His anger was directed at Ian, not the Duke. 

'You're making a big fuss over small things, Prince.'

He believed that all of this happened because Ian provoked the Duke.

However, based on the head butler's standard, Heinley's crime was not a crime.

Even now.

"That insignificant bastard…"

He grunted his dissatisfaction with Ian. 

In addition, there was an order from the Duke.

[He has quite a backbone, but for the sake of the cause, I have to keep him under my thumb as much as possible. Don't you think so, Head Butler?]

Now it was clear what the head butler had to do.

Unexpectedly, the servant worriedly asked.

"C-Chief… Is the prince's accommodation really okay?"

The head butler smiled lightly.

"I just heeded the order to give the prince the best room."

Of course, it was the second son, Heinley, who specifically chose the room. 

He thought that was the second young master's mistake, so he informed the Duke in advance.

[It's all the better. If he stays in that room, that energetic guy will relent a lot. I like it better if he is weak. He will come to learn a bit what fear is.]

As expected, the Duke was a thorough and terrifying person. He was a man who used not only his children but also the royal family as a card.

But the servant looked perplexed.

"Bu… But isn't that room where the mind of the person who enters it becomes strange? Not just one or two servants who have gone in to clean up and suffered a nervous breakdown… even the Duchess—"

"How dare you say that with that light mouth of yours."

"I-I'm sorry."

The head butler glared at the servant. 

He brought up the topic that should never be talked about in the Duke's castle.

'I thought you were good at work, but you're such a blabbermouth.'

However, he didn't show his annoyance at all.

"It doesn't matter if there's a problem. All the Duke needs is his bloodline."

The Duke said the same thing, too.

[In any case, he will go to the royal palace in a month. He just needs to look proper until the legitimation ceremony. After that, he will have to stay in this castle forever.]

The moment it was confirmed that Ian was a prince, he would not be able to leave the Duke's castle forever until the Duke said otherwise.

Unless he proved himself useful to the Duke.

'However, that will never happen, as long as he lives in such an isolated annex.'

If he continued to suffer like that, he would eventually come to his senses.

The head butler flashed a vicious smile.

"Oh, no need to send cleaning oil to that room. He said he was going to clean it up by himself."

"Excuse me? Wouldn't that be a little bit too much to handle on his own? Ah, the knights by his side…"

"Huh, there's no way those lofty knights can help such a thing! They're going out of the Duke's estate for today's training anyway."

Even if Ian was greedy and took the knights, they were too rigid and proud for the nobles and royal families to wrap around their fingers. 

'You're asking for something you can't even use, you idiot.'

If that's the case, he would be a plaything for the knights.

The head butler smirked and headed to the dining room.

But at that moment, the head butler did not see.

'Prince Ian. Well, now that I know what the Duke is up to, this job would be a piece of cake without the knights present.'

The bloody gaze of the servant who was supporting the head butler, no, the assassin.

***

"Damn. I'm so bad at cleaning up."

Nathan shook his hand, coughing at the rising dust. At the same time, he shouted at Galon, who cleaned steadily without saying a word.

"Hey! Galon! Say something! Does this make any sense? Why is a knight doing the cleanup?"

Nathan's displeasure was understandable.

A knight was the best force that royalty or nobles could have. To casually make the greatest force that could seize a castle with just a single person clean up…!

It was even more embarrassing that they had no choice but to follow him unknowingly because Ian was very good at giving instructions. 

In the end, Galon, who was cleaning with an apron on, clicked his tongue at Nathan's dissatisfaction.

"It can't be helped. This is a place where servants don't come often."

To be exact, there were no servants willing to come here.

No matter how much they were ordered to, there were no people loyal enough to Ian to risk their lives to clean up this place.

"This lunch, too! Did they bring this kind of thing just because it's called a meal?"

Soup and plain white bread.

Ribs with only a little bit of meat.

Of course, they were dishes that serfs and commoners could not see often. But it was unthinkable for knights who were familiar with high-quality meals.

No, he couldn't even eat it.

Ian ate with a calm face.

'As expected, the ingredients are of the highest quality.'

It was nothing compared to the meal he ate when he was a serf, and at least he now ate more than on the battlefield where food was scarce.

'Well, normally you would use the dining room in the annex.'

However, due to Ian's sudden visit, the chef was not ready. 

"The head butler must have done something. All of the Duke's retainers know that he cares about the second son. But what? He suddenly disappeared after meeting the Duke? It's funny."

Nathan bad-mouthed him in such an unknightly manner. Yet, it was possible reasoning because Nathan was faster than anyone else in terms of perceiving things and catching up to the news.

But this time he was wrong, too.

'There's no way this could happen. I think it was ordered by the Duke.'

Of course, it wasn't so bad in the past. At least they sent someone to clean it up.

But it didn't matter.

'This is much better. It's hard to find out what I'm looking for.'

To Ian, this annex was like a bonanza.

Well, it's best to find the power that Karan, the third son, gained, but even if he couldn't find it, what he could get here was overflowing.

'So, I will build my own power here within the Duke's castle.'

This was essential to deal with those vicious princes and princesses.

It was then.

Click.

'!'

Ian, who was cleaning alone, found something under the bed.

'I found it.'

Ian smiled.

He had not confirmed it, but it must be the thing found by Karan.

As he was having that thought.

Ian had no choice but to be surprised.

Knock, knock.

It was because someone was knocking on the door.