The guards stationed at the inner palace were bustling due to the unexpected visit of the Third Prince. Especially, Shilder, who was in charge of the inner palace security, couldn’t hide his anxiety. Today was the scheduled date for the Frank faction’s goods to be brought into the inner palace.
If the rogue Third Prince caused a scene and the goods were discovered, it would be a disaster.
“Your Highness Ian, what brings you to the inner palace guard station?”
Shilder tried his best to hide his nervousness and greeted the Third Prince with a composed expression.
“Captain Shilder, I hope my presence here isn’t causing any inconvenience?”
“Not at all, Your Highness. We are honored by your visit to our inner palace guard station. Everyone will see it as a privilege.”
Despite Shilder’s efforts to appease Ian, he couldn’t deceive Ian’s keen eyes. His trembling smile didn’t match his non-smiling eyes.
“Continue your duties as usual. As a royal who has been assigned the role of tax inspector, I’m here to observe how the inspection of incoming goods to the inner palace is conducted. Would it be right for me to neglect my duties as a royal?”
“It is indeed a model behavior for the citizens of the empire.”
Ian patted Shilder’s shoulder encouragingly.
“And it’s because of diligent people like you who ensure the security of the inner palace that I can sleep peacefully in the palace.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. We will inspect and search thoroughly every day to ensure that no suspicious persons set foot in the inner palace. We always think of the safety of the citizens of the empire.”
Satisfied with Shilder’s response, Ian’s expression brightened, and Shilder let out a sigh of relief internally.
“Who else can we trust if not our inner palace guard?”
“Thank you, Your Highness. Since we are outside and the sun is harsh, may I suggest we move to the guard office? Allow me to escort you.”
“That won’t be necessary. I came to see how the guard station operates, not to be entertained. Please continue your duties comfortably.”
Shilder’s anxiety grew with Ian’s insistence on staying. He prayed that the Third Prince would leave before the Frank faction’s goods arrived via the Rose Inn.
Just then, a carriage approached the inspection point.
“Can you show me how you inspect a carriage? I’d like to see if there are any areas that can be improved.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Though Ian was watching, Shilder followed the principles since it wasn’t the goods from the Frank faction yet.
Several hours passed as Ian observed the inspections. Around lunchtime, Shilder signaled one of his subordinates.
“Your Highness, are you hungry?”
“Oh, is it already time for lunch?”
“Yes, Your Highness. We will escort you to lunch. Captain Shilder will remain here until the other guards arrive to take over.”
“Does the captain not leave even for lunch?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Our captain is particularly diligent during lunchtime.”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, the guard had to lie with a trembling voice. They knew from past experience that a successful day would bring extra income.
Knowing the Rose Inn’s carriage would arrive soon, Shilder prayed Ian would follow his subordinates to lunch.
However, Shilder’s wish did not come true.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be better to go for lunch?”
“No, I couldn’t leave such dedicated guards to eat alone.”
“But Your Highness, if it’s rumored that you didn’t have a proper meal, we would be ashamed before the Emperor.”
“That might be true. But there’s no need to worry.”
“Pardon?”
“I brought my lunch today.”
Ian proudly displayed the lunch box that Tom had packed for him. Shilder and his subordinates stood there with dumbfounded expressions.
Who would have thought the Third Prince would be so dedicated to inspecting the guard station that he brought a lunchbox in the scorching sun?
The lunchbox revealed a spread of luxurious foods, their aroma unmistakably the work of the palace’s head chef.
“If you’d like, Captain Shilder, you’re welcome to join me. I brought enough.”
Shilder couldn’t hide his astonishment. There was nothing to gain from dining with the rogue prince, and he feared it might provoke him.
“Your Highness, I’m not feeling well today, so I’ll skip lunch and continue my duties.”
“That’s too bad. The cook in the palace prepared this specially for me.”
“The offer itself is an honor.”
As Ian ate his lunch near the inspection point with the detector turned on, the awaited carriage finally arrived.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Relieved for a moment at seeing Shilder, Leff’s expression quickly darkened.
He wanted to mention the unknown group that had attacked their carriage and disguised themselves as escort guards to infiltrate the inner palace. But the sight of the dwarf man staring at him made him hold his tongue.
Seeing Leff’s dark expression, Shilder grew uneasy. Knowing that the Third Prince was watching him with a strange device, Shilder ordered his men to search the carriage, suppressing the rising feeling of unease.
“Search the goods.”
While pretending to inspect, Shilder approached Leff discreetly.
“The Third Prince is here personally inspecting the inner palace security, so we’ll have to be thorough. There’s nothing problematic, right?”
Praying for a negative answer, Shilder noticed Leff’s face pale at the mention of the Third Prince.
“Captain Shilder, this seems like a trap. On my way here, we were…”
Leff was interrupted by one of the escort guards, who approached and cut him off.
“Master, you need to come with me for a moment.”
Shilder thought it was strange that the escort guard, who should have spoken respectfully, sounded threatening.
“Captain Shilder! That, that…”
“I’m sorry, Captain. I need to have a word with Master Leff.”
“Wait…”
Shilder tried to ask more, but the escort guard dragged Leff away to another carriage.
With things turning out this way, Shilder hoped Leff had hidden the incense and smuggled goods thoroughly. Leff, conscious of the Third Prince’s watchful eyes, checked the contents by stabbing the goods with a knife.
Even with a thorough inspection, nothing suspicious was found, and Shilder felt relieved. He felt like today’s blessing was with him.
“Captain, there’s nothing suspicious.”
“Only sugar. Nothing suspicious at all.”
Hearing his subordinates’ loud reports, Shilder also shouted loudly.
“Proceed.”
With the permission to proceed, Leff brightened and ordered his men to move the carriage quickly.
As the carriage with the rose emblem was about to pass through the inner palace gate, Ian, who had been watching from a distance, stepped forward.
“Wait a moment.”
Ian locked eyes with Wiz, who was disguised as an escort guard, and smiled.
‘Wiz came personally instead of sending a subordinate.’
At Ian’s sudden call, Leff and Shilder exchanged glances. Leff quickly approached Ian and greeted him respectfully.
“Your Highness, the Third Prince, it’s an honor to meet you. I am Leff, in charge of the goods from the Rose Inn. I didn’t want to disturb your meal, so I was trying to enter the inner palace quietly. Is that alright?”
“How considerate of you in such a difficult situation. But bringing dangerous items into the inner palace is unacceptable.”
“Excuse me? Dangerous items?”
Hearing the conversation, Shilder tried to support Leff.
“Your Highness, you might not have seen, but we thoroughly inspected the goods.”
“Thorough inspection? You mean just stabbing a few goods with a knife?”
Feeling wronged, Shilder responded.
“Your Highness, please trust our guard. We inspected more thoroughly than ever.”
“You make it sound like I’m the villain here. But if this is how it’s done, I have no choice but to be the villain.”
“What do you mean?”
Ian looked coldly at Shilder and asked.
“Captain Shilder, can you answer a question?”
“Please go ahead.”
“What is the punishment for someone trying to smuggle prohibited goods or contraband into the inner palace?”
Thanks to the detector, Ian had found not only incense but also contraband that a mere merchant couldn’t import.
‘Good thing I checked the permissible goods list before coming to the checkpoint.’
Shilder felt a jolt of fear but tried to maintain a calm expression. If it were discovered that he allowed the passage of incense and contraband, he would be executed.
“Since I’ve been on duty, such an incident has never occurred. If it did, the perpetrator would be executed.”
‘You never tried to catch anyone, so it never happened.’
Leff, overhearing the conversation, turned pale. The Third Prince’s words clearly pointed to the goods he was transporting.
“Then, let me ask you another question. What is the punishment for guards who fail to properly inspect and allow such merchants to pass?”
Ian’s continued pressure made Shilder’s calm expression falter.
“They would lose their position at the least and be executed if the crime was severe.”
Hearing Shilder’s answer, Ian stared him in the eyes and asked seriously.
“Then, do you think it’s okay to let these merchants pass? Or should we inspect again?”
Shilder made the fatal mistake of rejecting Ian’s last chance. If he reversed his stance, even the slim chance of being wrong could vanish. He clung to the absurd hope that the rogue Third Prince was just causing trouble.
“We conducted a thorough inspection. I believe it’s safe to let them pass.”
Resolute, Shilder’s voice didn’t waver. Hearing his response, Ian looked around and spoke.
“Interesting. I came to check how thoroughly the inspections of goods entering the empire are, and I didn’t expect so many to mock a royal.”
“Mocking?”
“What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”
Surprised by Ian’s words, Leff and Shilder paled.
“Mocking? Bringing a carriage full of incense that clouds the mind and smuggling goods a mere merchant shouldn’t be able to import is not only breaking imperial law but also mocking me!”
Ian’s roar chilled the air.
“Am I wrong?”
“Your Highness, what do you mean? What incense? What smuggling?”
“You still deny it. Then, I’ll show you. If you have eyes, you won’t argue. Bring that carriage.”
At Ian’s command, Wiz brought the carriage, and Ian stabbed it with a guard’s sword. White powder poured out.
Ian tasted the white powder on his finger.
“It’s sweet.”
“Your Highness, sugar is allowed in the inner palace. I believe there’s no issue with the goods in this carriage.”
Shilder tried to preemptively clear Ian’s suspicions.
Seeing Ian’s signal, Wiz and the guards began to pour out the white powder, revealing incense and high-end liquor only official palace-certified merchants could import.
“How about now? Am I still wrong?”
Shilder and Leff, unable to speak, felt their knees weaken.
Cliche Novel 