TOPWL 01

Chapter 01 …

Prologue

It was a bleak night. The moon and stars had completely hidden themselves, leaving the imperial palace wrapped in far deeper shadows than usual. A long shadow stretched out before the residence of the 5th Prince.

‘No guards… missing entirely.’

Khalid clicked his tongue inwardly. Sure, his influence had dwindled, but he was still an Imperial Prince. Being this defenseless, it was a total miracle he’d survived this long. Khalid reached into his coat, pulled out a sleeping incense, and lit it. Wisps of smoke drifted lazily through the gaps in the door. As he waited for the incense to take full effect, Khalid thought back to his recent conversation with Basure.

‘Your Grace, do you truly believe Prince Reginald will ascend the throne?’

It was a surprisingly direct question coming from Basure, who was usually the picture of caution. Khalid set his teacup down before speaking.

‘…Most likely.’

The 2nd Prince, Reginald, was consumed by greed—and he had the backing to match it. Born to the Empress, and a dominant Alpha.

When the 4th Princess, also a dominant Alpha, died in a riding accident last year, Reginald became the sole dominant Alpha among the heirs. All that remained were the 3rd Prince, who practically worshiped Reginald like a god, the 5th Prince, who was an Omega, and the 6th Prince, who was still too young to have manifested.

‘In that case… if Prince Reginald decides Prince Judite needs to be taken care of, would Your Grace be willing to carry out the deed?’

Basure had spoken with obvious effort, as if forcing the words past a heavy lump in his throat. It was a request. It felt strange seeing Basure go out of his way to incur a debt over a life that was going to fade away regardless.

‘Your reason?’

‘…Nothing grand. You’re unmatched with a blade, so I figured you could make it quick.’

‘You seem quite fond of the 5th Prince.’

‘He is exceptionally clever.’

Yet both of them knew cleverness wasn’t enough. No matter how smart he was, he was just an Omega born to a common maid—not even a lady-in-waiting—and now he didn’t even have a mother to protect him.

‘Then why not ask me to save him instead?’

‘….’

Basure offered only a bitter smile. Khalid understood why he couldn’t bring himself to say it. The 2nd Prince would slaughter every last blood relative to take the throne, just as most emperors in the history of the Adenauer Empire had done before him.

‘I understand your wish. Consider it done.’

‘…Thank you.’

Ending his brief trip down memory lane, Khalid pushed himself off the wall. The incense he used was strong enough to knock out a full-grown man for three whole days; the prince wouldn’t feel a thing. Slipping the lock with ease, Khalid took a step inside.

Swish—!

An arrow came flying straight for the center of Khalid’s forehead. He snapped his neck back, dodging it by a hair’s breadth. The arrow slammed right into the far wall. The force was lethal enough to embed it deep into solid stone—if it had hit his head, he would have died instantly. Yet, he couldn’t sense anyone inside. It hadn’t been fired by a person, but by a tripwire mechanism attached to the door.

A faint smirk touched Khalid’s lips at the violent welcome. Drawing his sword, he casually strolled toward the bed.

Standing beside it, Khalid raised an eyebrow. Holding his blade vertically, he plunged it straight into the raised blanket in the center of the bed. Thump. The blade sank into something soft and dense. As he tried to pull it back, he realized the object was tightly gripping the steel. It wasn’t human flesh. Right then, the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

“……!”

Just before a dagger could pierce his nape, Khalid narrowly grabbed the attacker’s wrist. It felt so delicate it barely filled his grip, though the attack itself had been vicious.

The moment one wrist was caught, the other hand flipped around, driving a blade in at a bizarre angle. But the form was sloppy, and that wrist was quickly seized too. With both arms pinned, the attacker resorted to kicking. The struggle was desperately fierce, but entirely lacking in power.

Clamping both wrists with just a few fingers, Khalid slammed him against the wall. Trapped tight between Khalid and the wall, the 5th Prince glared up at him, his dark eyes eerily calm. His expression said he’d happily drive a blade into Khalid the second he found an opening.

“…….”

“Good evening, Your Highness,” Khalid greeted smoothly, as if making casual polite conversation.

“…Khalid Baldwin Meyer.”

“I’m honored you know my name.”

With a faint smile, Khalid wrapped his hand around Judite’s throat. A neck so slender it felt like it would snap with a slight squeeze.

‘How on earth did you survive the imperial palace with a neck this fragile?’

He applied pressure—just enough to cut off his air, but not enough to make him pass out. He wanted to savor the entertainment a bit longer. It had been a while since anyone had pushed him this far all on their own. How would he act when staring death right in the face? Khalid observed Judite with genuine curiosity.

“I was… hoping to speak… with you… I’m glad… we could meet… like this.”

Judite’s voice was raspy from the strangulation, yet his tone remained as calm as if nothing was wrong. Khalid’s eyes lit up. The fun of the moment made him completely forget he’d almost taken an arrow to the forehead seconds ago.

“What could you possibly want to talk about that makes you so thrilled to welcome a midnight intruder in your bedroom?”

“There’s… something… I wanted… to tell you.”

“Which is?”

“…When the hunt… is over… do you know… what happens… to the hunting dog?”

Judite didn’t ask him to loosen his grip, nor did he beg for his wrists to be freed. He just stared straight into his eyes and asked. Khalid instantly caught the implication and let out a laugh. The ‘hunting dog’ Judite was referring to was Khalid, and the ‘hunter’ was Reginald. Judite was asking if he really thought he’d be safe once Reginald took the throne.

“You seem to hold quite a low opinion of me, Your Highness.”

“How much of a difference… is there really… between a dog… and the person who has to watch its every move?”

He put himself down, but he didn’t deny it either. Thoroughly amused, Khalid decided to hear him out. He eased the pressure on Judite’s throat just a bit, allowing the prince to speak smoothly without stuttering.

“I know I’m not particularly smart. I have no physical strength, no backing, and I was never taught politics. But even someone like me can sit on the throne. Reginald is greedy, but he’s also a coward. The moment he takes the crown, he will get rid of you.”

Judite reached up and covered the hand holding his throat. A shudder ran through him as Khalid’s palm—surprisingly large for an Omega—completely engulfed his own.

“So choose me instead. I’ll be your puppet Emperor.”

Main Story

“It’s hot, it’s so hot. Mom…!”

Young Judite was sobbing. The heat went far beyond just being hot. As if burning everything in the room wasn’t enough, the inferno flickered its deadly tongues, ready to swallow the mother and son whole at any moment.

“It’s okay, Judite. It’s okay. Mom’s right here with you.”

The frail woman wrapped her slender body around little Judite, as if that alone could protect the child from the raging flames. Scorching air, thick like vaporized poison, filled their lungs. Judite kept crying out for his mother, his voice growing fainter and fainter.

“Judite, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I’m too weak to protect you…”

Tears streamed endlessly down the woman’s cheeks onto Judite’s face. In his fading consciousness, Judite could barely understand her words, but seeing her cry broke his heart. He reached out to wipe her tears away.

“Mom, it’s okay. I’m not scared at all.”

Not while I’m wrapped in your arms. Seeing how mature her little boy was trying to be, the woman wept even harder. After holding him close for what felt like forever, a sudden spark glinted in her eyes.

“If it’s over there…”

Holding Judite tight, she forced herself forward, step by agonizing step. Judite burst into a fit of coughing, unable to withstand the toxic smoke. The woman wrapped all her clothing around him, leaving him bundled up as he looked back at her with a confused face.

“Judite, you have to survive. No matter what.”

With those final words, she lifted Judite up and tossed him upward. Judite flailed his tiny arms and legs in midair before catching hold of something. Clinging for dear life, he looked back down. A massive pillar was falling right on top of his mother. Unlike Judite, who had lost his balance in a panic, the woman was staring straight at him with a soft smile.

Just as his irises flared a vivid crimson, his mind shot back up to the surface.

“……!”

Judite woke up drenched in sweat. Even though he had just opened his eyes, his heart was pounding wildly, as if he’d chugged a cup of pitch-black tea.