HPTL Chapter 1.1
by Luci Pearl“It’s Your Highness’s child!”
Even within the Erenstein imperial family, revered by many of the empire’s citizens, the second prince, Roman Erenstein, was infamously known as the “Rogue Prince.” His lifestyle was undeniably debauched, earning him no shortage of unfavorable whispers among the public.
Born to the empress, who commanded the support of numerous factions, he nonetheless failed to gain the upper hand in the contest for the crown prince title against the first prince, Vincent Erenstein, a mere consort’s son. In the end, he was forced to relinquish the position.
And that wasn’t all. Even after Vincent’s ascension to crown prince, Roman continued to scale the lofty walls of the imperial palace day and night, indulging in gambling, drinking, and brawling—never bothering to conceal his identity.
The problem child of the imperial family.
Far from earning respect, the second prince’s daily antics, which began after he came of age, initially piqued the public’s curiosity. But years later, they had devolved into nothing more than scandals that tarnished the imperial family’s honor.
Perhaps that was why.
This morning, too, the second prince’s palace was as noisy as ever.
The day before yesterday it was gambling, yesterday it was fraud, and today it’s a ‘woman’ problem.
Unaware—or perhaps indifferent—of the servants and maids clicking their tongues in private, Roman Erenstein flashed a sly grin at the woman clutching her swollen belly and wailing at him.
‘So it’s that woman, huh.’
After taking a moment to recall her identity, Roman realized why her face seemed familiar as she boldly claimed pregnancy.
“Lady Estarote, daughter of Baron Estarote. So, what you’re saying is that the child in your womb is mine.”
The red-haired daughter of the Estarote barony, tears brimming in her eyes, cried out.
“Yes, that’s right!”
“Half a year ago, I slept with you, and I planted my seed in you—is that it?”
“Yes, exactly!”
“I see. So I finished inside you, and that led to your pregnancy, and now you’ve come here demanding I take responsibility.”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”
“Fascinating!”
“…!”
“By the way, Lady Estarote—could you repeat that damned nonsense in front of the Goddess Kaent?”
“…Pardon?”
The Estarote’s daughter, who had been listening to the second prince with her lips tightly pressed together, lifted her head. A deep smile curled at the edges of Roman Erenstein’s mouth as he casually spat out vulgar words.
“Didn’t hear me? Fine, I’ll say it again—it’s not hard. I’m asking if you could stand before the Goddess Kaent1 and repeat the bullshit you just spouted.”
“I-I…”
“You know, don’t you? The Goddess Kaent despises lies above all else. They say if you dare speak falsehoods before her, you might just lose your life.”
The face of the Estarote’s daughter turned ashen.
“What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”
Rising from his seat, Roman approached the trembling young lady. Gasp. She sucked in a sharp breath as he drew near, and Roman put on an expression of genuine concern before extending a hand to steady her.
“Here, Lady Estarote. Take a deep breath. If a pregnant woman gets startled, the baby might suffer. Especially since it’s supposedly my child—no less than the noble blood of our illustrious Erenstein imperial family—you ought to be careful in all things!”
“Y-Your Highness…”
Roman Erenstein, gazing at the shaken red-haired woman, suddenly let out an exclamation. He raised the corners of his mouth into a bright smile as their eyes met.
“Sometimes, I just don’t get it—why this pattern never changes.”
Though a low murmur, his voice was loud enough to reach the ears of the Estarote’s daughter. When she failed to grasp his meaning, Roman’s smile deepened.
“Haven’t you ever wondered, my lady? With how recklessly I live, why don’t I have a single child yet?”
The Estarote baron’s daughter clamped her mouth shut as Roman leaned in, his lips nearly brushing her ear. He whispered.
“This prince has no ‘seed.’”
Her eyes widened in shock.
With a heavy sigh, Roman continued.
“So your claim doesn’t quite add up. A woman bearing the child of a prince who—albeit secretly—has been diagnosed by the imperial physicians as incapable of fathering children! Are you truly certain, my lady? That this child is mine? Could you stand before His Majesty the Emperor and say your judgment outweighs that of the trusted imperial physicians? And really—did I even spend a night with you?”
The red-haired woman grew paler with each of Roman Erenstein’s words. His eyes softened into gentle curves.
“In my memory, yes, you did enter my chambers that night—I won’t deny it. But it seems nothing happened afterward to justify this claim of yours.”
“What do you—”
“Look here, Lady Estarote.”
“…”
“Do you truly remember everything from that night?”
The Estarote’s daughter’s lips quivered uncontrollably. Roman smiled.
“Of course, if you’re confident about our night together and can prove it, then I…”
“Your Highness! I-I—”
“Shh.”
As the ashen-faced young lady tried to speak, Roman Erenstein pressed a long finger to her lips. He nodded a few times, his expression one of sincere pity.
“No need to say it—I already know.”
Roman clicked his tongue with a tsk tsk.
“Someone probably put you up to this. You’re a woman rumored to have spent a night with me, and someone who knew that approached you. The diagnosis from the imperial physician was a secret known only to me and His Majesty, so they figured if you claimed to bear my child, I’d have to accept it. Right?”
The Estarote’s daughter couldn’t muster a single word. Her trembling intensified until it seemed it might never stop, her face now the color of death itself.
Tsk.
Roman clicked his tongue again at the pitiable sight of the wretched woman.
“What a mess. You’re already pregnant, but it’s not my child. Yet, as a noble lady with a swollen belly, I can’t just ignore you as a prince of the empire. Ah! How about this?”
Roman Erenstein beamed brightly.
“I’ll kill the bold bastard who got an unwed lady like you pregnant!”
“…!”
“That way, we can protect your honor and your family’s, as well as mine. Isn’t that a brilliant idea?”
“Kyaaah!”
With a blood-curdling scream at his chilling words, the woman collapsed to the floor.
Bang!
“Your Highness, what’s happeni—Your Highness.”
Sven Felix, the second prince’s adjutant, burst through the parlor door and narrowed his brow at the sight of Roman Erenstein checking the unconscious Estarote’s daughter’s breathing with a hand under her nose.
Roman stood up after examining her condition.
“Call a physician to check on the young lady. If she’s fine, escort her back to her residence. If there’s an issue, she can stay in the palace for a while.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Sven Felix spoke.
“Leave matters like this to me, Your Highness. You don’t need to deal with them personally.”
Roman Erenstein grinned.
“But where’s the fun in that? For the sake of those working so hard to ruin my reputation, I’ve got to face them myself.”
“Does Your Highness even have a reputation left to ruin?”
Roman didn’t respond to Sven’s pointed remark.
Sven pressed on.
“And what’s this about not having ‘seed’?”
“You heard that?”
Roman glanced down at the unconscious Estarote’s daughter before whispering to Sven Felix.
“She’s more naive than she looks—fell for that nonsense so easily.”
Roman clicked his tongue again.
“See? She doesn’t even fully remember what happened that night, yet she claims to bear my child. So of course she’d believe whatever bullshit I throw at her.”
“…Hah.”
“Sven, we should stop drugging the women who come seeking a night with me. This is getting tiresome—how many times has it been now?”
“…”
“So, what’s the matter?”
Roman asked with a low chuckle, prompting Sven Felix to clear his throat. He revealed the reason for his urgent entrance.
“A messenger came from the Empress’s Palace. Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence at her palace whenever you have time.”
“I don’t have time, so I suppose I don’t need to go.”
“Your Highness.”
“Our dear Empress Majesty truly never tires, does she? The fight was over the moment Hyung-nim ascended to the crown prince’s seat, yet she still hasn’t given up. Remarkable, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Any other news?”
“What news do you mean?”
“You know what I’m looking for.”
Roman’s gaze darkened.
“It’s been seven years already.”
He muttered under his breath.
“Seven years of searching, and not a single hair in sight. Truly befitting the ‘Glory of the Empire.’ Even his escape is top-notch—should I be grateful he didn’t pull this during a battle?”
“…”
“Keep looking. If we don’t give up, we’ll find at least a strand of hair eventually. He’s essential to our ‘plan,’ so we must find him, no matter what.”
Sven Felix nodded at Roman Erenstein’s words.