Second Life, I’m Dying Soon

Chapter 4 

Around noon, Cecil arrived at the Empress’s palace and came face-to-face with a reflection of himself. Despite the sudden luncheon request, the round table was lavishly adorned with delectable dishes.

“Go on, try it, Cecil. The chef put in special effort upon hearing you were coming. I wonder if it will suit your taste.”

The warm potage and grilled mushrooms served as an entrée, whetting his appetite. The veal, drizzled with butter and orange sauce, was perfectly cooked, its texture tender and succulent.

While Cecil’s plate changed multiple times, Empress Elizabeth had only a single dish of greens in front of her. Even then, she merely cut the vegetables into small pieces and ate them little by little.

Maintaining her figure had been a lifelong habit of Elizabeth’s. She was obsessively devoted to preserving her beauty.

As a result, even after all these years, she remained stunning. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman in the Verka Empire. The story of how she had captivated and ascended to the position of Empress through her mesmerizing beauty had become almost legendary throughout the empire.

Fifteen years ago, the current Emperor, Arnold, embarked on an imperial tour but was caught in a fierce snowstorm, forcing him to take refuge in a remote village. The place where he stayed the night, waiting for the storm to subside, happened to be Elizabeth’s home.

At the time, Elizabeth was a breathtakingly beautiful woman and a single mother raising a five-year-old child. Arnold fell for her at first sight, disregarding all obstacles and bringing Elizabeth to the imperial palace. The nobles strongly opposed the decision, but no one dared to defy the Emperor’s will.

The Empress at the time was a kind and virtuous woman. Rather than rejecting the mother and child whom the Emperor had recklessly brought into the palace, she embraced them wholeheartedly as part of her family.

A year later, however, due to lingering aftereffects of an epidemic, the frail Empress succumbed to illness and passed away.

Elizabeth, intelligent and ambitious, refused to let go of the opportunity presented to her. She skillfully seduced the Emperor, who was already deeply enamored with her, and eventually secured the position of Empress.

She wanted to make the Verka Empire entirely her own. The problem was that a successor had already been officially designated long ago. Crown Prince Alexis, despite his young age, was not easy to deal with. He constantly kept Elizabeth in check and carried himself with the dignity befitting an imperial heir.

Thus, ten years had passed since Elizabeth and Cecil entered the imperial palace.

With his mother’s rise to Empress, Cecil was naturally recognized as part of the imperial family. However, his surname remained “Adrian.” Though he enjoyed a life of luxury, he was never acknowledged as a prince. He was, in essence, a ghostly existence—neither with title nor position.

But an opportunity arose.

When Crown Prince Alexis turned seventeen, he left the empire to lead a campaign against the monsters. Seizing the chance, Empress Elizabeth began to reveal her true ambitions.

While Alexis was away, she focused on expanding her influence and schemed to elevate Cecil’s status. Over the next five years, Cecil, influenced by his mother’s relentless aspirations, gradually became obsessed with claiming the position of Crown Prince himself.

Well, that was a thing of the past now.

Cecil dipped his knife into the orange sauce and spread it over the perfectly cooked meat. Thinking back to those times, he found himself smiling faintly. Looking back, it had been an absurd ambition—why had he been so fixated on it?

Just then, the Empress broke the silence.

“A victory news arrived this morning. The Crown Prince will be returning to the palace soon.”

“I see.”

“How is he still alive after wandering the Black Forest for five years? Unlike his mother, he has quite a long lifespan.”

Elizabeth took a deep gulp of wine as if she had lost her appetite.

Cecil, in turn, placed his fork and knife down without making a sound. He rinsed his mouth with wine and carefully wiped his lips with a napkin. By now, imperial etiquette came naturally to him.

“He has dedicated five years to the empire. Shouldn’t you welcome him back with sincerity?”

“Welcome him?”

The Empress scoffed.

“On the contrary, we should teach him a lesson. Five years is a long time. He needs to understand how much the imperial palace has changed in his absence.”

In the previous timeline, when Alexis and his knights returned victorious after exterminating the monsters, they received a welcome that was worse than no welcome at all.

The subpar reception had been personally arranged by Empress Elizabeth. It was meant to demonstrate who truly held power in the empire now. This event had been the catalyst that turned Alexis and Elizabeth into outright enemies.

From Cecil’s standpoint, it was a situation that had to be prevented at all costs.

“We must not belittle the Crown Prince’s contributions. The Senate and the people of the empire all express their gratitude toward him. If Your Majesty were to publicly display hostility, what would happen then? It would be unreasonable and unseemly.”

“Then what do you propose?”

“I will take charge of the banquet. It will be an occasion where a younger brother welcomes his elder brother, which provides ample justification. Even if the preparations fall short, the blame will rest on my inexperience, not on Your Majesty.”

Elizabeth seemed intrigued by Cecil’s proposal. She tapped her fingers lightly against the table.

“Fine. Since you are a member of the imperial family, this is a good opportunity to showcase yourself. If you need assistance, do not hesitate to ask. Felix will be of great help to you.”

Cecil gave a troubled smile.

“I believe Felix should rest for a while.”

“Why? There are few as capable as him. You know that as well, don’t you?”

“He has been coughing frequently lately. It could simply be due to his age, but I recently saw bloodstains on his handkerchief. I worry it might be an infectious disease.”

The former Empress had passed away due to an epidemic. Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth, who was extremely sensitive about illnesses, reacted with shock.

“What? Is that true?”

“I hinted at it subtly, but he insists he’s fine and tries to conceal it. He must know how much Your Majesty detests sickness. Even if you question him, he will surely deny it.”

“Absolutely not! He must be removed at once!”

“But Felix is my chamberlain.”

“What if it’s contagious!”

Cecil barely held back a laugh. Such an easy person to read. His mother reacted exactly as he had expected.

“And how do you plan to send him away?”

“I’ll take care of that somehow.”

“…It can’t be helped, then. Just make sure he spends his remaining days comfortably.”

With that, Cecil picked up his knife and fork again, slicing through the meat in large chunks. The food had already gone cold, but it was still unbelievably delicious.

Felix was expelled from the imperial palace in less than a day. Clutching nothing but a bundle of belongings and a land deed, the old man glared up at Peridot Palace, his face twisted with resentment.

Cecil stood by the window, watching the scene unfold. Seeing things go exactly as he had planned brought an unbidden smile to his lips.

If he continued changing things one by one like this, everything would eventually fall into place.

Tonight, the moonlight was especially radiant, casting a brilliant glow upon his head.

The next morning, Cecil woke up and immediately pulled off his shirt. The ancient number inscribed on his chest had changed to 999.

“Wow… how considerate.”

He hadn’t expected his death date to be displayed so clearly.

With a sigh, he picked up his clothes and put them back on. When he pulled the golden silk bell cord, the door swung open at once, and a group of young attendants hurried in.

Not just Felix, but even the palace servants had been replaced overnight. There were six in total, all young men ranging from their late teens to early twenties, each from minor noble families. He had deliberately chosen those without great ambition—kind, unassuming individuals.

Every single one of them had been personally selected by Cecil.

“I’m hungry.”

“We’ll prepare your meal immediately, Lord Cecil. The weather is lovely today—would you like to dine in the garden?”

“Mm, sounds good.”

Stretching lazily in bed, he resembled a sluggish cat. For someone who had just confirmed his impending death, Cecil looked remarkably refreshed.

Of course, that was because there was too much to do from now on. Wallowing in despair would only be a waste of the precious time he had left.

 

***

 

The entire empire was in an uproar. The crown prince and his knights had returned to the capital. As he rode at the front of the procession, the citizens of the empire showered him with flower petals and confetti in celebration. The atmosphere was nothing short of a festival.

The palace was no less chaotic. Preparations for a grand banquet had kept everyone frantically busy for days.

Meanwhile, Cecil enjoyed a leisurely tea time in his private garden. The sky was a flawless blue, and the camellia blossoms painted the landscape in vibrant hues. The serene scenery seemed to soothe his otherwise restless heart.

Just then, Leo, the new chamberlain of Peridot Palace, cautiously approached. Bowing slightly, he murmured discreetly into Cecil’s ear.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has entered the banquet hall.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

“You put in so much effort preparing for it… Won’t you at least attend?”

“They’d probably prefer it if I weren’t there. I have enough sense to know that.”

Cecil smiled and took a sip of his tea. Though he had added an excessive amount of sugar, the bitterness still lingered in his mouth.

“Would you like me to add some cream?” 

Leo, quick to notice, asked. Cecil merely shook his head in response.

In his previous life, he had attended the banquet. And what had come of it?

Though it was meant to be a celebration, the event had devolved into nothing but sharp insults and shouting. In short, it had been an absolute disaster.

But things were different now. This time, all the troublesome nobles who had caused problems back then were gathered here in this very garden, while the welcoming banquet in the main palace had been prepared without a hitch.

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