The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 125

Si-on wanted nothing to do with anyone in the royal family except for the current king.

So, just as he had done with Duke Lloyd, he didn’t bother trying to learn much about Crown Prince Philon either.

Just enough to know what everyone else did?

At best, he was aware of Philon at the same level as the average noble in the capital.

But that ‘average’ was the problem.

Unlike Duke Gio Lloyd, who was known for his refined speech and dignified conduct, Crown Prince Philon was notorious for his rudeness, arrogance, and a scandalous web of complicated relationships with women.

Put simply, it was like this:

A model citizen who donates to charity as often as he eats and whose past is an endless well of good deeds VS a club-hopping playboy who changes girlfriends three or four times a year and, while he hasn’t committed any major crimes, is constantly involved in scandals.

If two figures of similar wealth, social standing, and influence had reputations—one good and one bad—who would people talk about more?

No need to think. The latter, without question.

Regardless of who was more admirable or charming, when it came to attention-grabbing gossip, the scandal magnet had a clear advantage.

That was why, despite his lack of interest, Si-on inevitably ended up knowing ‘a little more’ about Crown Prince Philon than he did about Duke Lloyd.

“Just a big kid… and a puppet at that.”

That was the conclusion Si-on reached about Crown Prince Philon.

His behavior—the kind that was so infamous even Si-on had heard of it—was nothing more than that of a moody adolescent.

The problem was, Philon wasn’t some delusional teenager claiming to have a ‘sealed black flame dragon’ in his left arm. He was a crown prince with real, measurable power—including physical force.

A teenager suffering from a delusional phase would never actually ‘release’ his so-called sealed black flame dragon. But Crown Prince Philon? He could wield his power—his authority and wealth—however and whenever he wanted.

If there was any silver lining, it was that he hadn’t used that power to directly commit murder, rape, or robbery.

Still, Philon was constantly causing trouble, and his uncle, Earl Rundel, was always cleaning up after him.

Most nobles who knew Philon pitied Earl Rundel for this but also respected him greatly.

After all, who else could spend decades managing such a stubborn, hot-tempered disaster of a crown prince?

And despite Philon’s notorious arrogance, he still listened to Earl Rundel—at least to some extent. That alone was enough for others to hold the earl in high regard.

However, from Si-on’s perspective, their relationship was nothing more than that of a puppet and puppeteer.

In this world, especially among nobles, disciplining children through physical punishment was considered completely normal under the guise of ‘proper education.’

Slapping a child barely six years old, caning their arms or legs, even hanging them upside down and beating their back and buttocks—these were all standard practices to mold them into ‘proper nobles.’

Crown Prince Philon had been raised under these ‘educational’ methods for six or seven years by Earl Rundel until he left his maternal family for his coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen.

And that wasn’t even the end of it.

The very year Philon returned to the royal castle as an adult, Earl Rundel was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs and took up residence in the capital.

And what happened during that time?

“It was gaslighting, obviously.”

The proof was simple: Earl Rundel had been by Philon’s side for nearly his entire life, right up to the present—when the crown prince was about to turn forty.

If not, how else could one explain why Philon, as an adult, continued to rely on the very man who had beaten and punished him as a child?

That was why Si-on concluded that ‘handling’ Crown Prince Philon meant first getting rid of Earl Rundel—who could very well be called a Master of Puppets.

And how would he do that?

First, create a situation where the puppet and the puppeteer were together, then completely ignore the puppeteer and boost the puppet’s self-esteem.

Second, subtly suggest to Philon—who had spent decades unaware of his status as a mere puppet—that he wasn’t just a puppet, and the man beside him was beneath him.

Third, make it clear to Earl Rundel—the man who had spent decades gaslighting and manipulating his direct descendant of a former comrade-in-arms—that he wasn’t only below the crown prince but also below Si-on, and that Si-on knew exactly why he kept crossing the line.

Si-on was certain this would provoke some kind of reaction.

Of course, he hadn’t quite anticipated that reaction to be a sudden outburst of “Do you have a death wish?”

But that was actually a good thing.

Not just because Si-on enjoyed the thrill of something new after a long time.

The best part was witnessing Crown Prince Philon’s reaction to Earl Rundel’s outburst—Philon had clearly just seen his uncle’s ‘true nature’ for the first time in his life.

* * *

“W-what…?”

He was flustered. Completely flustered.

Of course, he must have always wondered.

Not just in his youth, but even now, as he approached his sixtieth year, he must have still felt confused, frustrated, and resentful.

His daughter had married a prince. That prince had outlived his eldest brother and nephew—who both died young—and eventually became the crown prince.

And yet, his father had never left his estate, choosing instead to live in quiet obscurity.

He must have struggled to understand that. Must have resented it.

That was why, the moment his father passed away and he inherited the title, he immediately threw himself into royal politics.

As the Minister of Internal Affairs and a Grand Lord of the kingdom—his influence was undeniable.

And to top it off, even the king himself carried a sense of guilt toward him—or, more accurately, toward the Rundel family.

But why hadn’t his father ever used that to his advantage?

The king felt indebted to him, yet his father had spent his entire life in self-imposed isolation. Why?

As one of the most powerful figures in the royal capital, he must have wondered about it countless times.

But he could never ask anyone.

Why? Because the king’s guilt was his trump card—it would have been foolish to openly share that information.

And yet, now, someone knew.

A young upstart—who had long posed as royalty but was definitely not of the ‘Salen’ bloodline—had just revealed it.

“Ah… was that supposed to be a secret? Hmm. Crown Prince?”

“…Ah!?”

Philon, who had been staring at his uncle as if in a trance, suddenly snapped back to reality.

For the first time in a long while, he no longer looked like a bewildered twelve-year-old but like the middle-aged crown prince he truly was.

“Did you not know either, Your Highness?”

“I… I had no idea….”

“Huh. Strange. I thought Your Highness and Earl Rundel were more than just uncle and nephew… like, I don’t know? Partners?”

Si-on’s gaze swept between the prince and the earl, filled with unspoken meaning.

Under that sharp scrutiny, Philon’s eyes flickered strangely, while Earl Rundel grew visibly more agitated.

“S-shut up!”

Earl Rundel spat his words furiously, his voice shaking with rage.

Si-on smirked internally.

The notorious troublemaker was calm, but the man who had spent decades managing him was losing control?

It was proof that Si-on’s strategy had worked perfectly.

‘Alright, time to wrap this up.’

“And why should I?”

“W-what?”

“Do I look like someone who listens just because you tell me to shut up?”

“……!”

“Ah, right. There’s no one in Salen’s lineage that matches me.”

“T-that’s right!”

Earl Rundel’s expression turned fierce once more as he shouted.

“You bastard! Do you have any idea how grave a crime it is to impersonate a royal?! No matter how much His Majesty shelters you, if this gets out, not only His Majesty but also Duke Lloyd—”

“There is.”

“What?”

He had addressed him as ‘you’ instead of ‘you, sir,’ but Earl Rundel didn’t seem to notice.

“You said there’s no one in Salen’s lineage, from their early twenties to mid-thirties, who matches me? That’s to be expected. You’d have to go back another fifty or sixty years to find my name.”

“Ha! What kind of nonsense is that?”

At Earl Rundel’s scoff, the smile on Si-on’s lips vanished.

And then, the skill ‘Intimidation’ activated.

“Y-you, w-what…?”

Under the skill’s effect, Earl Rundel instinctively leaned back, his words faltering.

“Have you never wondered why the king acknowledges my existence without publicly recognizing me?”

“Ugh….”

Si-on’s piercing, indifferent gaze made Earl Rundel’s breath hitch, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

“I’m sure others besides you have also been curious about my identity and searched Salen’s lineage. But why have they all stayed silent? Have you never thought about that?”

“Hhng… hngh….”

Physically and psychologically overwhelmed by Si-on, Earl Rundel struggled to catch his breath.

But Si-on’s voice continued, and every word embedded itself deep into the earl’s mind.

“And lastly, aren’t you curious why the Information Guild calls me ‘Whale’?”

“What… what do you mean…?”

Earl Rundel was panicked and confused. His mind felt like it was being tickled—something was just within reach yet eluded him. At the same time, an inexplicable sense of dread washed over him, as if grasping it would be disastrous.

And then, Si-on’s detached voice struck his ears like an arrow.

“Whales live a very long time.”

“…!!!”

It was just one sentence. But that one sentence instantly unraveled the ‘something’ that had been gnawing at the back of Earl Rundel’s mind.

“The reason your father never left his estate until the day he died… was me. Even back then, I bore the Salen name, using my wife’s middle name as my surname.”

“Hhngh!!!”

“Gasp!”

Both Earl Rundel and Crown Prince Philon let out strangled sounds at the same time.

Any high-ranking noble of the Kingdom of Obla would know why ‘Salen’ was the most well-known among the royal family’s collateral branches.

It was because Princess Stella, who became the wife of Duke Si-on, was a Salen.

When Princess Stella left for the duchy upon marrying Duke Si-on, her older brother—the Hero King—had personally bestowed the Salen surname upon her.

And aside from Princess Stella, no female member of the royal family had ever used ‘Salen’ as a middle name.

Which meant…

“Y-you… a-are you saying…”

Are you saying you are the husband of that Princess Stella?

“I’ll overlook you, just this once. Because after this moment, we’ll never see each other again.”

“……!”

“So.”

Si-on’s voice was ice-cold as he addressed Earl Rundel, whose eyes were wide with shock and lips quivering.

“Just leave. Return to your estate and live out your days there, just as your father did. If you do that, nothing will happen to you. Never show yourself before me, nor before this friend of mine, ever again.”

“A-ah….”

“Go back and manage your estate. Rule over it well. If you do, only good things will come to you. Both you and your children, and your grandchildren as well, will continue to prosper as grand lords, just as you and your father have until today.”

“Ah… ahhh….”

In that instant, long-forgotten memories from decades ago stormed through Earl Rundel’s mind like a raging tempest.

He suddenly recalled a day from his distant past when a conversation about ‘Duke Si-on’ had come up by chance.

Why had his father’s face turned deathly pale as he angrily told him to shut up?

His father, usually a little gloomy but always composed as a noble, had been trembling uncontrollably that day, stumbling as he walked away.

Why had his father spent days after that incident in a state of extreme anxiety, snapping at his subordinates and even his own family?

That long-buried curiosity, which he had long dismissed as insignificant, was finally answered.

But the impact of that answer was anything but insignificant.

Swish.

Si-on rose from his seat.

He passed by Crown Prince Philon, who stared at him with wide eyes and dilated pupils, before walking toward the office door.

Gripping the handle, he pulled it open.

“Go. If you leave now, nothing bad will happen to you. In the name of Salen, and—”

Si-on turned to Earl Rundel, who stood frozen, his face ashen as if he had turned into a statue.

“In the name of Si-on, I promise you.”

Then your family will continue to prosper, and you will live to see the end of your days in peace.