Chapter 11
Rudolph smiled at me. Then he took the final step and stepped onto my windowsill.
No sound at all.
He entered my room like a mirage and looked around. Then he lightly waved his hand.
A white light flowed from the tips of Rudolph’s fingers. The light split into two streams—one toward me, one toward him.
The light moving toward me wrapped around my neck in an instant. A chilling cold ran through the spot it touched.
Before I could think rationally, instinct already knew.
If I lied, this magic would cut my neck.
My hands and feet went cold, my mouth dried instantly.
“It’s okay. As long as I don’t lie… at least this magic won’t kill me.”
I tried to calm myself with that thought.
“I can do it, just like Imelda did…”
I recalled a scene from the original story—when Imelda met Rudolph and finished all three questions of Carlyle.
Rudolph looked at the girl standing before him.
She was really a foolish child. With so little to her name, she gave it all to the man she fell for at first sight.
The Asenbach Dukes had been destroyed by the emperor’s hand. Reviving them would not be easy, even for Rudolph. If it had been Gra, she would never have dreamed such a grandiose dream.
A child who didn’t know her own limits, wishing for something unattainable.
That’s how Rudolph defined Imelda.
A smile naturally appeared on his face.
“Alright. I’ll support your love.”
Surprisingly, it was genuine.
Rudolph thought his younger sister would fail to rebuild the Asenbach Dukedom and restore Tristan Asenbach’s honor. So he supported Imelda.
Is there anything more entertaining than a human struggling desperately?
For that amusement, he was willing to tolerate Imelda’s annoying behavior for a while.
“Do your best.”
With just those words, Rudolph left—quietly, as silently as when he came in.
Imelda muttered to the window he had left.
“I survived.”
Everything had gone according to her plan.
Rudolph came to her because he doubted her ambition. He underestimated her, didn’t kill her, and thought it would be fun to let her live for a while.
My goal today was to reach the exact same ending as Imelda.
A younger sibling so ridiculous and absurd that they’re somewhat entertaining.
Today, I would become that kind of sibling for Rudolph.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, brother.”
Recalling my goal gave me confidence. My voice answering Rudolph didn’t tremble, and I could even smile.
“Who should ask the first question?”
“Please, whichever you wish, brother.”
In the original story, Rudolph would probably go first. Thinking that, I answered, and he nodded before asking me directly.
“Did you expect me to come to you?”
The same first question as the original story.
But it was too ambiguous for me to answer directly.
I knew in the original story Rudolph suddenly visited Imelda. So I thought maybe someday this could happen to me too.
But I hadn’t expected him to come this quickly, right now.
“This is a difficult question to answer.”
I frowned slightly, and Rudolph spoke again.
“Have you ever thought that I would come to you someday?”
The question was now more specific, and I had no choice but to answer.
“Yes.”
Rudolph looked at me, intrigued.
“My turn now.”
I met Rudolph’s probing gaze head-on and smiled.
The real challenge began now.
Few people know this, but in Carlyle’s three questions, the more important part is the question, not the answer.
Answers are simple: yes or no. But the questions you ask reveal what you don’t know and what you want to find out.
Ask carelessly, and you end up giving away your own information. Ask too timidly, and you gain nothing.
This is a game of hiding your information while extracting the other person’s. That’s the essence of Carlyle’s three questions.
This was why I had an advantage over Rudolph in this game.
I asked Rudolph the first question.
“Do you hate Richard, brother?”
Silence fell in the room.
A small crack appeared in Rudolph’s perfect, doll-like smile. Beneath it, his deep blue eyes widened slightly.
If I wasn’t mistaken, he was genuinely taken aback.
“No.”
The surprise lasted only a moment. Rudolph quickly regained his composure and answered softly, as always.
I smiled brightly, as if overjoyed by his answer.
For some, that answer might be unexpected. But I knew the truth.
Rudolph had no capacity to love or hate Richard—or anyone else.
For him, emotions were just masks worn to imitate others. Inside, Rudolph Sol Esperusa was a withered, hollow tree, no matter how beautiful he appeared.
Why did I have the advantage over him? Simple. Unlike Rudolph, I already had information about him.
I knew he had never truly felt anything other than curiosity. I knew he found life boring, and that he joined the throne struggle purely for stimulation, not for the emperor’s position.
I didn’t need to extract any information from him.
So all my questions were defensive, not offensive. Just a means to create the image I wanted.
“Now it’s my turn to ask.”
In Carlyle’s three questions, the order alternates after each exchange. So this time, I would ask first; the third round, Rudolph would go first again.
I put on a serious face and took a deep breath.
“Is there a chance the two of you will reconcile?”
I added hastily, as if afraid of making a mistake.
“By ‘two of you,’ I mean you, Rudolph, and Richard…”
“I understand.”
Rudolph cut me off mid-sentence. I noticed the slight annoyance in his tone.
He thought about the question longer than expected. Then finally said:
“It’s unclear what reconciliation even means. I don’t wish to discuss it further, so I will refuse to answer.”
Unexpected. I thought he would answer yes if it wasn’t 0%. Is Richard really that uncertain in his mind?
Well, given Richard’s temperament, that makes sense…
I tried to look confused and glanced at Rudolph, pretending not to understand.
Rudolph gave me a soft smile. But the angelic kindness he had shown when we first met was gone.
My heart raced.
Rudolph had begun to take me lightly. He was only halfway through, yet his interest in this game seemed to be fading.
It was inevitable. I had exaggerated my role as a younger sibling desperate to reconcile the older brothers.
Today’s goal: appear as a sibling with an absurd, impossible dream.
Nothing in the Esperusa royal family could be more ridiculous than this. Even Imelda’s original ambition to revive a traitor’s house seemed more realistic.
I shivered at the thought of how foolish I must appear in Rudolph’s mind.
Yes! I’m a fool! Naive, not worth serious attention! Watching a silly human’s futile efforts is fun, right? Ta-da, here I am!
“Then it’s my turn now.”
Rudolph said.
“Ah.”
I had been slightly excited alone, but his words brought me back to reality. Embarrassed, I cleared my throat.
“Yes, ahem… brother. Please ask your question.”
I must focus. Half the questions remained. Rudolph touched his cheek and pretended to ponder his question.
Quite irritating. He must have had all three questions prepared from the start.
But even this obvious act was beautiful, like a painting. That’s Rudolph Sol Esperusa for you.
His genes, making him irresistibly attractive, are truly terrifying.
“Are you Stella?”
The second question, after his performance of thinking, was also the same as the original. The smooth progress made me relax a little.
Stella.
A rare manifestation of an ancient god’s power among the Esperusa royal bloodline, or one in whom it manifests.
Only two living princes or princesses had manifested Stella.
The ninth prince, Elia Yule Esperusa, locked himself in Ivory Palace.
And…
Seventeen-year-old Princess Lucilia El Esperusa, whose first manifestation was still weak, but would awaken later and contribute decisively to Imelda’s victory.
Yes, that’s me.
The same power I used when gathering mushrooms in the forest to distinguish poisonous ones.
Of course, it’s more than just identifying mushrooms. It hasn’t manifested fully yet, and I only used it lightly.
In the original, Imelda wasn’t Stella. She used the refusal option to confuse information.
I couldn’t refuse. I am Stella, and it’s my trump card, not to be revealed yet.
“I refuse to answer.”
Rudolph nodded.
The turn came back to him. It was his turn to ask.
“Please ask the last question, brother.”
Rudolph pretended to ponder again, taking his time in serious contemplation.
I already guessed what question would come.
The first two questions were exactly as in the original story. The third would be too.
It had been difficult for Imelda, but easy for me.
“Do you want to become emperor?”
My answer, of course, was no.
I wanted only one emperor—Imelda Bel Esperusa.
“Ask quickly, and let’s finish this tiresome game,” I urged Rudolph silently, aware of the unpleasant energy around my neck.
“Alright, let’s do the last question.”
Rudolph finally spoke.
Perhaps it was just my imagination, but he seemed slightly hesitant. That momentary flicker melted into a smile, and when he asked me, his face was beautiful as ever.
“Are you Lucilia El Esperusa?”
Rudolph asked, with the same gentle smile and kind voice as before.
But that question was the most critical one for me.
“Ah.”
I opened my mouth slightly and froze.
I truly must not relax.
