Beyond the Throne: The Monarch's Return

Karan could hardly believe his ears at Ian's words. But the incredulous look on both the Second Prince's and the Duke's faces confirmed that he hadn't misheard.

Still, Ian continued to speak with an unsettling innocence.

"Why? Didn't you lock me in the basement to keep my brother and me apart? In a dangerous place with barely any air, too?"

The attendants in the drawing room muttered quietly, their voices thick with disbelief.

"Oh my God, what is this child saying? Did Young Master Karan really do such a terrible thing?"

"Isn't that blasphemy against the royal family?"

"Are you kidding? This could be considered an attempted murder if it's true…"

Karan felt absurd. Not only was Ian accusing him of attempted murder, but he was now claiming he was desperate to meet his brother?

'Wait… didn't you try to hide in the basement of the annex as soon as you heard the Second Prince was coming?'

That wasn't all.

"I was so excited to meet my brother, but when you locked me up, I was terrified."

'What are you talking about? I saw your face twist into disgust as soon as you heard the Prince's name!'

Karan glared at Ian, his frustration bubbling over.

"It's not fair! Why are you twisting things with such ridiculous lies?"

"But you did lock me in the basement."

"…!"

"You knew my brother was coming, didn't you?"

Ian feigned a sob, tears welling in his eyes. Karan was pushed to the edge, and could only glare at Ian in fury.

'This little brat is doing this on purpose…!'

And then…

"Tsk."

The familiar sound of a tongue clicking echoed in the drawing room. Karan instinctively turned his head. His father, the Duke, had made the sound, his eyes openly condemning Karan.

But not for locking Ian up.

No, the Duke's eyes conveyed a different message—one that accused Karan of exposing his own weaknesses by failing to manage the situation properly.

Karan seethed under his father's gaze.

'How dare you look at me like that!'

His father, the Duke, always favored his lazy older brother. Meanwhile, he, the genius, was treated like a pariah, as though his every move was a mistake.

Karan's frustration deepened.

Yes, locking Ian up had been a joke at first. But thanks to that, Ian had somehow gained power in that basement.

'I don't know what kind of power it is, but it surely wasn't a loss for him.'

That wasn't the issue now, though.

"Oh, really? That happened?"

The Second Prince's gaze turned cold and sharp.

Though the Second Prince didn't exactly side with Ian—his rival in the succession battle—it was only natural for him to take advantage of this situation.

'If Garcia is the opponent, the stakes change,' the Second Prince thought.

The Garcia family's support of Lavaltor was an eyesore, and Karan, the Duke's third son, was already known for his exceptional talent. If he could pull Karan onto his side, he'd have the support of both the Lavaltor and Garcia factions.

'I'd rather bring him into my fold than let him go to waste.'

The Second Prince's voice was dangerous as he spoke.

"Third Young Master, did you really lock my brother in the basement? The same brother who said he wanted to meet me?"

"…that…"

Karan's stomach churned, and before he could respond, Ian piped up.

"That's right, Brother. I clearly remember the Third Young Master slamming the basement door shut. He even called me a fool."

"Hmm. Even if you are the son of the Duke, you dare say such things to a member of the royal family?"

Karan was rooted to the spot while the attendants nervously watched the drama unfold.

Ian and the Second Prince put on a well-rehearsed show, pushing Karan further into a corner.

The Second Prince wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

"Even though your family has long been loyal to the kingdom, what you've done is a disgrace to the royal family. What do you think, Duke?"

At the Second Prince's question, the Duke raised an eyebrow, though his response was clear.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Shouldn't we adhere to the law?" The Second Prince pressed, smiling.

The Duke's eyes flickered coldly.

"So, you want to punish my son in my own home?"

A tense silence fell over the room, heavy with the threat of violence.

The tone of the Duke's voice was calm, but the words dripped with venom. He had no love for the Second Prince, especially when the man made himself at home in another's territory.

The Second Prince, sensing danger, quickly backpedaled.

"Well, of course not. I'm just asking for an apology from Duke Garcia."

The Duke narrowed his eyes.

'An apology... for all of this?'

The Second Prince was attempting to pit Karan against the Duke by forcing an apology. If successful, this would also undermine Karan's position.

The Duke hesitated, weighing the offer carefully.

'Politics is a game of give and take, but losing to the Second Prince would give him too much power. The Lavaltor faction would grow stronger.'

Karan's talents were well-known. He had a bright future ahead, and losing him was not an option for the Duke. However, the Second Prince was a dangerous player.

Just as the Duke's mind was spinning, Ian, who had remained silent until then, spoke up.

"What are you two talking about?"

The Second Prince smirked, mocking Ian.

"You don't get it? You're so slow. Do you really think you'll be acknowledged just because you think so?"

He laughed bitterly, but Ian wasn't intimidated.

"I understand. But why should my brother be the one to apologize and compensate? After all, I'm the one who was locked in the basement."

The Second Prince's face twisted with rage.

Ian, however, only smiled sweetly.

"I think an apology for locking me in is only fair. But I also think I deserve compensation for my suffering."

The Second Prince could only stand there, speechless.

"Don't you agree?" Ian pressed, continuing to play the role of the innocent child.

The Second Prince, unable to refute Ian's logic, turned to the Duke, expecting some kind of confirmation.

Ian's words were clear, and the Duke seemed amused.

"As per the Seventh Prince's wishes, I will discipline my son accordingly," the Duke said, eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and calculation. "Now, what kind of compensation would you prefer? Gold? Jewels?"

Ian's expression remained unchanged.

"I don't need gold or jewels. What I want is the right to handle Karan's punishment and education."

"What?" The Duke stared at him, incredulous.

"I mean it. This is an insult I've suffered, so I should be the one to handle his punishment. Don't you think that's fair?"

Karan, who had been quietly watching, now felt a rush of panic.

No… he wasn't a servant. He wasn't going to let this child punish him.

But to his astonishment, the Duke nodded.

"Very well. We'll proceed as the Seventh Prince desires."

Karan's heart sank.

"Then I'll go in first, Brother."

"…"

Karan, who had become sort of Ian's servant, gritted his teeth, and Ian got up with a bright face. However, the expression of the Second Prince looking at him was anything but good.

He looked as if he had been badly stabbed in the back.

He had no choice but to do so.

'How can I lose Karan in this way? That bastard.'

His plan to use Karan as a weakness to consolidate his position as heir to the throne had gone down the drain.

Actually, he was feeling angrier that he was being used by that kid.

'I was too shortsighted.'

For that reason, the Second Prince said in a harsh but low voice.

"Come to think of it, there will be a legitimation ceremony at the royal castle soon."

The Second Prince flashed a friendly smile.

"It's already late, so take a rest. Tomorrow, as an older brother, I'll tell you what you will need for the legitimation ceremony."

Ian snorted at his words.

His handsome face with a mad smile was no different from what he remembered in his memory.

'He's playing the good guy with that shitty personality.'

He had roughly predicted what the Second Prince would do tomorrow.

'It's obvious. He'll ask for a match using the legitimation ceremony as an excuse.'

With a high probability of it, he would teach him swordsmanship, which was his speciality. And it would not end with a simple confrontation.

'He is going to cut off my arm, pretending to make a mistake.'

That would eliminate one competitor.

Ian was already well aware of what the Second Prince had done to the other brothers in his previous life. 

As if his prediction was spot-on, the Second Prince gave an eerie look.

"By the way, don't take the knights with you. Knights are hardheaded and will say no to a lot of things. I just want to spend some good time with my brother."

Ian smiled brightly as if he was clueless.

"Okay, I'll let all the knights rest as you wish, Brother."

The Second Prince nodded and left as if he had finished his business.

Then, he whispered to the knights around him.

"Tell the other brothers. The youngest will not be able to attend the legitimation ceremony, so there is no need to prepare a robe."

Ian hurriedly bid the Duke goodbye and returned to his room.

Because he had some work to do.

'The Duke had permitted me to take care of Karan. It doesn't matter now. It would be fun to educate him thoroughly.'

The important thing was tomorrow morning.

He didn't mean to let it go as long as he knew the Second Prince's tricks. Rather, he intended to remove the Second Prince who wanted to eliminate his competitor.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy.

 'The Second Prince has swordsmanship skills worthy of his ferocious character. On the other hand, I'm still a beginner who couldn't do proper swordsmanship yet.' 

Moreover, he was only a skinny kid with a slim body.

However, Ian had a glimmer of hope.

It was none other than the one thing the Duke had always been interested in.

Ever since he dropped his blood in the underground passage and came out of the room, a suspicious wisp of smoke kept whispering to him.

[Are you ready now?]

The power Ian found in the basement. It was .