I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain-Chapter 144

Luke gently fiddled with the button as if it were something precious. Paul looked like he wanted to ask more, but he wisely held his tongue.

How much time had passed? The rumbling carriage came to a halt, and the scenery outside had shifted noticeably. A quick glance was enough to know they’d entered the grounds of the Welharun Imperial Palace. The palace gates opened, and rows of knights—presumably from the palace guard—lined up neatly on either side.

“Listen closely.”

Luke lowered his voice, his expression unchanging. At once, the three others snapped to attention at the commanding tone that brought immediate focus.

“From this moment on, we’re not soldiers. Remember that we’re Foreign Ministry delegates. Unless I give the order, absolutely no magic is to be used. Understood?”

“Yes.”

The three who disembarked from the carriage naturally took positions near the Foreign Minister. Of those who accompanied this delegation, Luke had been assigned the role of acting as the Foreign Minister’s personal aide. In truth, he’d asked for that role himself. To obtain evidence, he needed a connection to whatever Welharun’s palace was scheming, and there was no better excuse than being close to the Foreign Minister’s audience schedule.

“Hmph.”

The Foreign Minister still looked displeased to see Luke up close, but perhaps the warning Luke had given him during their last meeting had worked—he didn’t voice any complaints this time.

The palace guards raised their swords in a show of respect toward the Hainern delegation. At that moment, crisp footsteps echoed from the front.

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

A man bowed to the Foreign Minister. He looked young, yet mature, making it hard to pin down his age.

“I am Dante, aide to the First Prince.”

The Foreign Minister responded with a formal introduction. Luke had expected him to be a stuffy, crusty old man, but his actions and tone were concise and devoid of excess. Luke watched him curiously and followed as Dante led them onward.

“May I ask something?”

Luke, who was now glued to the Foreign Minister’s side, spoke in a low voice.

“What is it?”

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“That aide, Dante—have you seen him before?”

The Foreign Minister shook his head.

“As you know, the First Prince has been handling state affairs here. Every time I’ve come as part of a delegation, it was to greet the former Emperor. This is my first time meeting any of the Prince’s close aides.”

In other words, the Foreign Minister hadn’t visited Welharun since the First Prince began acting as regent.

“I’ll escort you to the audience chamber,” Dante announced.

The Foreign Minister nodded.

Delegations typically stayed anywhere from two weeks to a month in the host country. During that time, there would be meetings with the emperor, presentation of tribute gifts, welcoming banquets, and so on. When there were no official events, it seemed they would have relative freedom to move about.

This practice of delegation was meant to help nations experience each other’s lifestyles and cultures firsthand. True cooperation wasn’t just about exchanging tribute and seeking economic benefit—it was about lowering walls and forming sincere bonds of mutual understanding and friendship.

This had evolved into a formal system: delegations would visit each other’s countries and immerse themselves in their cultures.

Before long, they reached a massive set of doors. Dante opened them and made way for the delegation to enter.

The three-man detachment unit, along with Luke, the Foreign Minister, and several other Foreign Ministry officials, stepped into the audience chamber.

“......”

With every step, a strange sensation wrapped around Luke’s body. It felt desolate and suffocating, like standing in the middle of barren land.

Without lifting his head, Luke swiftly scanned the room. A white hall, lavish golden candelabras, and soaring columns hung with deep blue banners symbolizing Welharun—it all harmonized beautifully.

Unlike the rigid and solemn Hainern aesthetic, this space had a distinct warmth to it, perhaps an influence of the former Emperor, who was said to be a wise and benevolent ruler. That only made it harder for Luke to understand why this place felt so off—so subtly unnatural.

His gaze landed on a long blue carpet. As he walked along it, he stopped when the Foreign Minister came to a halt.

“We greet the noble Prince of our allied nation.”

The Foreign Minister bowed his head. Before the delegation left Hainern, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) they had received a formal communiqué from Welharun. The former Emperor, due to poor health, would not be receiving them; instead, the First Prince would represent the imperial family. They were also asked to keep this information from spreading to neighboring nations.

“You’ve come a long way.”

A stranger’s voice rang from ahead. Luke involuntarily tensed. He couldn’t explain why—only that it was a primal instinct of caution.

“Please, raise your heads.”

The voice was low and laced with cynicism. Cold, like a lake frozen solid in midwinter. Luke slowly lifted his gaze.

Seated in a throne adorned with gold and blue sat a man with an immaculate posture. The prince was young. His most striking feature was his deep wine-colored hair, like aged claret. Beneath well-shaped brows, his eyes curved into half-moons with a charming smile.

There was sharpness to his features, but a shallow dimple on his right cheek softened the impression. Just as Luke’s eyes traced his face, their gazes met. Normally, Luke knew several ways to coolly navigate a moment like this—but instead, he deliberately looked flustered and lowered his head.

He was merely a Foreign Ministry official. Making eye contact with a prince from a foreign nation and not reacting would have looked suspicious.

“I must apologize on His Majesty’s behalf for being unable to receive you. As we informed you in advance, His Majesty’s illness has left him unable to move, and thus I must greet you in his place.”

“Not at all. The Hainern Empire sincerely wishes Emperor Ferid a swift recovery.”

“Thank you. I’m sure His Majesty would be pleased to know of your goodwill.”

The prince slowly rose from his seat. The sound of his footsteps echoed evenly as he descended the steps.

“I am late in introducing myself. I am Heath Ferid, First Prince of the Welharun Empire.”

Heath stepped closer to the Foreign Minister. The Foreign Minister then introduced himself and gave brief introductions of Luke, the detachment team members, and the other Foreign Ministry officials.

“The journey must have been exhausting, no?”

That question wasn’t directed at the Foreign Minister. The voice was aimed at Luke, who stood closest to him.

“No, not at all. How could the road to our noble allied nation be tiring? I deeply appreciate your concern.”

A textbook-perfect reply. Heath grinned. It was a strikingly beautiful and alluring smile.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the Foreign Ministry delegation followed Dante out of the audience chamber. The official schedule would begin the following day. It was customary not to assign duties on the day of arrival, to allow the delegation to recover from travel fatigue.

Dante assigned each official their own room. He also conveyed a few rules.

The Foreign Ministry’s quarters were in a separate palace attached behind the main palace. They were free to move around inside, but entry to the main palace was strictly limited to official events.

Additionally, if they wished to go outside for personal time, they had to report to Dante and be accompanied by escorts. He claimed this was for safety, to prevent any possible risks—but Luke knew the truth. It was for surveillance and control.

While dinner was being prepared, Luke unpacked in his room. He hadn’t brought much, so it didn’t take long. With nothing else to do, he flopped onto the bed.

“...Heath Ferid.”

Luke repeated the name of the prince he’d just met. The man currently ruling Welharun in place of the former Emperor. The one who had allied with Nox and orchestrated everything.

To be honest, based on appearance alone, he didn’t seem the type to harbor such foul schemes. He even smiled easily and often. But Luke had felt a gut-level wariness toward him. Maybe it was just because he already knew about Heath’s collusion with Nox. Or maybe—it was something stranger. That prince...

Where was the leader of Nox? The crystal orb they’d tracked through Benzie confirmed he was in Welharun. He hadn’t achieved his goal yet, so he was still here. If he had truly allied with the prince, he might be closer than expected.

Then again, knowing Benzie had been caught and that Hainern was sending a delegation, he might’ve gone into hiding.

Either way, they had to get proof. Luke rubbed his face dryly and slowly sat up on the bed. At that moment, Theo’s button slipped from his pocket and landed on the sheets with a soft tap.

“......”

Luke gently picked it up and ran his fingers over it, as he had so many times before. It hadn’t even been a full day since arriving in Welharun, but already—he missed Theo terribly.