The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness

“Usurp the throne?”

In a room so quiet you could hear breathing, Aldrich’s voice was still hoarse and low, as if he were carefully chewing on the word.

“Quite brave.”

“Yes. Doing this takes a lot of courage. After all, if you fail, you lose everything completely. But I still did it, didn’t I? Even if I was forced into it.”

Albert took an exquisitely cut gemstone from inside his robe and tossed it casually.

The gem floated up. Then a bright, gentle radiance bloomed from within it, and # Nоvеlight # under that glow, the dim room was dyed once more in noble color.

It was a high-purity magic stone for illumination—and since it could shine, that meant...

“The forbidden spell... has been lifted?” In Aldrich’s cloudy eyes, the light of the magic stone was reflected as well.

“Surprised?”

Albert tilted his head, wanting to savor this emperor’s face of regret.

Unfortunately, on that gaunt, frail face that had wasted away to the extreme, it was already hard to make out any expression.

“You were too arrogant, Your Majesty.”

Albert stood, clasping his hands behind his back as he admired the magic stone floating overhead. It was only a magic stone, yet he looked at it as though he were admiring a dazzling crown.

“You believed the palace had a forbidden spell, and with the Royal Mage Corps and the Royal Knights guarding it, nothing could go wrong. That all of us were nothing but clowns dancing in the palm of your hand. So you meant to watch from the shadows, didn’t you—just as you once sat back and watched the royal faction and the noble faction fight.”

“But I’m afraid even you never imagined your body would deteriorate this quickly—so quickly that the situation would almost slip beyond your control. After all, what authority can a decrepit, dying emperor possibly have?”

“Of course, more importantly, you got one thing wrong.”

“...”

Aldrich fell silent and listened. Of course, it was also possible he simply didn’t have much strength left to speak.

Seeing that, Albert’s tone grew even more lofty. A certain flame that had been fermenting inside him for who knew how long finally broke through the layer of suppressed pretense and began to burn fiercely.

“You don’t understand. The foundation of this empire—this vast empire—is the nobles, the nobles whose veins run with glory! You are the emperor. You are the master of the empire. You should have stood on the same side as us, but you betrayed us! For the power in your hands, for the sake of ensuring no one could threaten you, you didn’t hesitate to let filthy lowborn crawl over our heads and let them defile glory. So you deserve to die.”

“Do you remember the covenant between the First King and us? The First King and the Blood of Glory together laid the empire’s foundation. They agreed to share the empire’s prosperity together. But you...”

Albert ground his teeth.

“...you wanted to kick us off the ship when the empire was at its most prosperous!”

“...”

Still there was only a long silence. Aldrich gave no reply.

“Those people...”

Albert sensed his own loss of composure. He reined in his emotions, his expression returning to calm. With his eyes lowered, he said, “Those knights, mages, the neutral faction, the great nobles—they were the empire’s most loyal people. They should have been loyal to you. Yes, we all should have been loyal to you. But you were so muddleheaded, so stupid, so selfish and arrogant, that you forced them to make the correct choice.”

“The outcome today isn’t because of anyone else. It’s because of you. Because of you yourself, Your Majesty!”

“...”

Albert spoke each word like an invincible siege hammer, intending to shake the heart of this dying old man.

But from beginning to end, there wasn’t the slightest change in Aldrich’s cloudy eyes. He simply listened quietly to Albert’s words, and then... raised his hand.

Albert, who had been speaking so arrogantly just moments ago, instantly showed a wary look and retreated several steps in succession.

Aldrich did nothing.

He merely stared at his own hand, which looked as if it might shatter at any moment and was difficult even to lift, and for reasons unknown, he gave a soft sigh.

“Indeed, as you said, I am a muddleheaded and incompetent emperor. In this life, I held only two identities, yet I failed to play either of them to the end—and that led to this outcome.”

“Do you understand now? If you understand, then please—”

“Kill me.”

“Wh—”

Albert stared, stunned. “What did you say?”

“I said, kill me.”

Aldrich closed his eyes.

“As long as I die, you can obtain everything you want, can’t you? Come on. Kill me. I won’t resist. I have no power to resist.”

“...”

Staring at Aldrich, who was so magnanimous in offering his life, Albert instead grew uncertain and suspicious.

For the moment, he didn’t even dare approach the imperial couch. He paced around the room, watching his surroundings warily in case there was a trap.

Of course there was no trap.

Because if this emperor still had the strength to lay traps, then he shouldn’t be here now—he should be on the chopping block, eyes wide, counting the heads of the Dion family.

After confirming there was no danger at all, Albert approached again. From inside his robe he took out a gemstone-inlaid dagger and slowly closed in on Aldrich.

In that moment, Albert suddenly felt something strange. Because now, as long as he drove it down with force, the most exalted emperor of this empire would die so easily—die by his hand.

But he still stopped.

“Where is it?”

“...”

“The King’s Sword. Where is it?”

“...”

“Don’t play dumb!”

Albert brought the dagger closer.

“A thousand years ago, to end that chaos, the First King and the knights of glory prayed beneath a golden tree for power. In the end, the heavens answered their prayer and bestowed the sword that symbolizes the sovereign... Where is that sword?”

“You also like listening to fairy tales like that?” Aldrich said.

“Fairy tales? You mean the royal family’s curse, and the backlash on your body, are fairy tales too? Don’t make me laugh, Aldrich! That sword let every emperor of the empire possess power far beyond an ordinary crowned ruler. You were able to kill the Silent Moon’s projection because you relied on that King’s Sword!”

Albert roared again, “Where did you hide that sword?!”

“...”

Aldrich still did not answer. As if ignoring the dagger that could take his life at any moment, he simply closed his eyes in indifference.

A vein pulsed at Albert’s temple. But there was nothing he could do. Because to someone already dying—someone who even actively sought death—what could you use to threaten him?

“Stalling is useless, you old thing.”

Albert straightened his attire, stood, and said with disdain, “I’ve prepared for so long. Do you think I wouldn’t have thought of even this? If all you can do is hide that sword, then you were doomed to fail.”

“...”

“How pathetic.”

Albert lowered his head as if mourning. “Once the emperor of the empire, the noble Aldrich the Third—now reduced to using such childish methods. It’s laughable.”

...

...

Soon, Albert walked out. The door shut. The two knights once again half-crouched and crossed their axe-halberds as if nothing had happened.

“You’re not killing him?” The maid, who had been silent all along, suddenly leaned close and asked, “The palace has basically already fallen under our control. As long as the emperor dies, no one can stop you from ascending the throne, right?”

“For now, I can’t lay a hand on him.”

Albert said, “He may be powerless, but he’s still the King’s Sword’s master. He’s the true emperor of this nation. If I touch him now, it will definitely trigger the King’s Sword’s passive protection of its master, and it might even identify me as an enemy. That would be troublesome.”

“Is that so?”

“So the order can’t be wrong. First, find that sword.”

Albert gave the door—once something he found indescribably splendid—one last glance. His lips curved slightly, and he let out a sneering laugh.

“Let’s go. Everything proceeds according to plan. Once we confirm our Emperor has truly become incapable of doing anything, there won’t be any problems at all.”