The morning had already arrived, yet Orlax remained seated in his place. He took out his phone and checked the latest news.
"It seems they have officially announced the emperor's death, and the city will be in mourning for two weeks. They also declared that I will be the next emperor."
After finishing the news, he quickly descended from the tower and made his way toward the palace, arriving at the gate.
There, the guards stood, seemingly discussing the emperor's death and recent events in the palace.
Upon seeing him approach, the guards immediately stood upright, no longer daring to show the disrespect they had displayed before.
"We greet Your Majesty."
They saluted loudly and clearly, bowing slightly—unlike a few days ago when they had not even shown a shred of respect or offered greetings.
Orlax raised his hand, signaling them to open the gate. Before entering, he used one of his skills to gauge them.
'[Loyalty Scale]'.
As soon as he thought these words in his mind, a transparent screen appeared before him.
[Loyalty: 50]
[Loyalty: 50]
'Their loyalty is decent, perhaps due to their fear.'
"Keep up the hard work."
After praising them slightly and patting their shoulders, he entered and glanced at the loyalty scale.
[Loyalty: 55]
[Loyalty: 55]
After dismissing the screen, he looked ahead at the path he was walking and the gardens lining both sides.
People had awakened early and were carefully tending to the gardens, plants, and flowers. The maids and servants cleaned the pathways, ensuring everything was spotless.
As he continued walking, his heightened senses allowed him to notice the gazes and overhear the whispers spreading among the people.
"The devil will become the new emperor."
"I heard that when the royal battle ended, he was found sitting on the throne, drinking the blood of his siblings and the emperor."
"I hope he doesn't destroy the empire."
Orlax ignored all the ridiculous rumors surrounding him and moved forward. He knew that if he reacted now, it would only worsen the negative image people had of him.
Upon opening the palace doors and stepping inside, he was met with the majestic sight of the grand, ornately decorated palace—a testament to the empire's greatness.
All the busy servants turned their gazes toward him, slightly bowing while trembling, then greeted him.
He raised his hand, signaling them to continue their work. Soon after, a tall, broad-shouldered, handsome man appeared before him. His well-trained physique was evident through his upright stance and poised posture. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder and bowed slightly.
"Good morning, Your Majesty. Your room has been fully cleaned and adjusted. Would you like to start with breakfast, or do you have other plans first?"
He spoke clearly and firmly before lifting his head, focusing his gaze on the fourteen-year-old boy, awaiting his response.
The man, dressed in a standard black servant's uniform with slight variations, was none other than Alex Reinhardt, the head servant of the palace. He was the illegitimate son of Marquis Reinhardt. Having left his home, he chose to become a palace servant, and due to his diligence and strength, the late emperor had taken a liking to him and appointed him as the palace's head servant.
"I will bathe first. As for breakfast, prepare the kitchen—I will cook my own food."
Orlax responded to his question and gestured for him to lead the way to his new room.
For Orlax, cooking had initially been a way to make his mother happy. Over time, he had come to enjoy it, making it one of the rare moments in his day that allowed him to relax.
Alex nodded and gestured for him to follow without asking any further questions.
Soon, they arrived at the door of a large room. Alex opened it and motioned for him to enter.
Upon stepping inside, Orlax admired the space. It was a vast room, almost like a house, spanning over 300 square meters. It contained a bedroom, a separate bathroom, and a wardrobe. The room was decorated with elegant artifacts and calming paintings, radiating tranquility and luxury.
After admiring it for a moment, Orlax headed straight to the bathroom for a bath. Meanwhile, Alex prepared fresh clothes for him, placed them on the bed, and left to set up the kitchen. He instructed Orlax to call for him if he needed anything.
Orlax removed his clothes, tossed them into a nearby basket, then approached a nearby mirror and examined himself fully.
Reflected in the mirror stood a boy who appeared to be around fifteen years old. His slightly long black hair was carefully combed back, and his crimson eyes gleamed as if they were crafted from blood. Despite this, his gaze exuded a calmness and maturity far beyond his years.
His facial features were striking, with remnants of childhood still visible on his youthful face.
As he lowered his gaze to his body, he found a frame sculpted through intense training—broad shoulders, a defined chest, and a six-pack abdomen. Yet, his body bore numerous scars, reminders of the torment he had endured over the years. They seemed to affirm his suffering.
After finishing his examination, he headed into the bath and submerged himself in the perfectly heated water.
Once he had relaxed for a bit, he carefully cleansed himself before emerging from the bath half an hour later.
He thoroughly dried himself, put on the neatly arranged clothes on the bed, then carefully styled his hair before leaving the room and heading toward the kitchen from memory.
On his way there, servants and maids bowed upon seeing him.
Ignoring them all, he reached the kitchen, where Alex was already waiting. As soon as he saw Orlax, he bowed slightly and greeted him.
"Your Majesty, everything in the kitchen is ready. If you need anything, just call one of the servants, and they will carry out your requests. May I have your permission to leave and resume my duties?"
"Yes, thank you. You may go."
"This is my duty. Excuse me, then."
After Alex left, Orlax rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and began preparing his meal.
Forty minutes later, Orlax looked at the dish he had prepared, admiring it.
'In my previous life, cooking eggs without causing a disaster in the kitchen was an achievement. Now, I'm making meals that would make even the world's finest chefs drool.'
He placed the prepared dish—a carefully sliced fried chicken covered in rich red sauce—on the plate. Alongside it, he had prepared a serving of rice and a salad.
The aroma filled the room, making it impossible for Orlax to resist any longer. He began eating his meal carefully and with satisfaction.
Fifteen minutes later, he finished his meal, left the dishes for the maids to wash, and exited the kitchen.
Orlax made his way to the emperor's office, instructing the servants to inform Alex to come to his office.
Following his memories, he reached the office, opened the door, and was greeted by a small room containing two armchairs and a desk with a carefully placed chair behind it. The room had simple yet elegant decorations, with bookshelves holding a respectable collection of books.
He walked to the chair behind the desk, sat down, and examined the documents requiring the emperor's review. However, he refrained from touching them, as he lacked the authority at the moment since he had not yet been officially crowned.
A few minutes later, he heard a knock on the door. Alex's voice came from behind the door, requesting permission to enter.
"Come in."
"Apologies for the delay, Your Majesty. What do you require of me?"
Upon entering the room, Alex bowed slightly, lifted his head, and awaited the young boy's words.
"No problem. You weren't late. I need you to summon the Grand Duke to my office. Tell him I wish to speak with him privately."
"Understood, Your Majesty. I'll go immediately. Excuse me."
Alex bowed slightly and left the room to fulfill the request. A few minutes later, he returned, with Armanthor walking behind him.
Once Armanthor entered, Alex gracefully exited, leaving them alone.
"Your Majesty, what is the matter you wished to discuss with me?"
Armanthor sat on the chair after a brief greeting and immediately inquired about the reason for his summons.
"I want to ask you a question, Grand Duke. What is your opinion of me?"
Orlax asked while crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for Armanthor's response.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but what is the purpose of this question?"
Armanthor looked at him with skeptical eyes, ensuring the reason for the request.
"There is no specific purpose. I simply wish to know your thoughts on me. Don't worry—just answer honestly."
"In that case, forgive me, Your Majesty. In my opinion, you are incredibly talented. Despite your talent, you work hard and put in tremendous effort in your training. However, on the other hand, I see a major flaw in your personality—you are extremely harsh. I still have doubts about what happened during the royal battle. Forgive my bluntness, but this is my honest opinion."
After speaking, Armanthor kept his gaze on Orlax, assessing his reaction. He was surprised to find that he remained calm despite his words.
"You assumed I would be angry because of what you said, didn't you? Why did you think that? How did you conclude that I am a harsh person? What do you really know about me, Grand Duke?"
Orlax locked eyes with Armanthor as if searching for something behind them.
"And regarding your doubts about what happened in the battle, I don't blame you for thinking that way. Even if someone had told me that's what happened, I wouldn't have believed it either. But I swear with all my heart that what I said is the truth. And if you are still skeptical, then observe me, get to know me well, so you can form your own opinion on what kind of person Orlax Tirshtain truly is. What do you think?"
Orlax leaned back in his chair, relaxing as he looked at Armanthor, waiting for him to process his words.
Several minutes passed before Armanthor spoke again.
"Alright, Your Majesty. As you said, I don't know you very well, so I will observe and get to know you. Now, shall we move on to the main reason for my summons?"
Armanthor gazed at Orlax thoughtfully, as if seeing him for the first time, wondering what the future held for the boy seated before him.
"As expected from the Grand Duke. The reason I called you is actually a personal matter."
"Go on, Your Majesty."
"I heard that your daughter Alice was born without the ability to see, is that correct?"