I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [249]

"Today, why don't you tell me about your world?"

Inside Alice's room, the atmosphere was slightly different from usual. Typically, Nero would be the one regaling Alice with her stories, but today, Nero decided to switch things up.

As a side note, Nero's unrestricted access to Alice's room was a constant source of jealousy for Claire. Every time she saw Nero waltz into Alice's chamber, Claire could only stand outside, teary-eyed and biting her handkerchief.

Jealousy, after all, can reduce even the most composed to ruins.

"Huh? Talk about our world?" Alice blinked in surprise at Nero's suggestion. "Well… I suppose that makes sense. Sister, you've only just arrived in this world, so there must be a lot you don't know. Our world is probably very different from yours."

"So, is there anything specific you'd like to know? Although… I haven't really left the royal capital much, so there might be a lot I can't explain…"

Having spent her entire life within the confines of the heavily guarded castle, Alice had always been sheltered. Even the rare times she ventured outside, she was surrounded by an entourage of guards.

Alice was a good child, understanding that all the rules and restrictions were for her safety.

But precisely because she was such a good child, she evoked a sense of pity.

A girl who had never once acted willfully, gazing longingly at the sky through the bars she had willingly locked herself behind.

"You don't seem like royalty at all."

"Huh?"

Alice tilted her head in confusion, caught off guard by Nero's comment.

"You're the princess of this country, one of the most powerful individuals in the realm. And yet, you live so timidly, always treading carefully."

"In every world, there is a hierarchy. The weak look up to the strong, rely on them, and in turn, the strong govern the weak. This is an unchanging truth across all worlds. It's why so many people fight desperately to rise up—they want to avoid being controlled and instead experience the thrill of controlling others. This is the essence of 'power' and 'status.'"

"But you, as a princess who stands at the very top of this hierarchy, are overly concerned with the feelings of those beneath you. That's not how royalty behaves at all."

Nero's frank words were met with a rare show of defiance from Alice.

"T-that's not true!"

Alice puffed up slightly, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic trace of indignation. "What Sister Nero said isn't right at all! It's precisely because someone has power that they shouldn't misuse it. That power ultimately comes from the people, which is why it's important not to use it in ways that burden them unnecessarily."

Seeing the determined expression on Alice's youthful face, Nero suddenly chuckled.

"Umu! Well, what do you know? You can articulate your thoughts and convictions clearly. You're not as timid as I thought. Expressing yourself with such resolve—it's quite admirable."

Instead of being angered by Alice's retort, Nero praised her, throwing the younger girl completely off-balance.

"Uh… thank you, Sister…"

"And just like that, you're back to your usual self," Nero sighed with a hint of exasperation.

Alice's confidence seemed to crumble with just one compliment, leaving Nero at a loss.

"So… does that mean you were just pretending earlier, Sister? Or maybe you didn't actually mean what you said before?" Alice asked hesitantly, her cheeks flushed. "Were you trying to provoke me into speaking my mind?"

"No! I don't waste my time with roundabout methods like that!"

Crossing her arms, Nero's voice turned firm.

"Right is right, and wrong is wrong. If I like something, I praise it loudly; if I hate it, I throw it into the fire. I am an emperor, an absolute sovereign. I have no need for deception—everything I say is the undeniable truth!"

"Afraid of burdening the people? Wrong! Completely wrong! As emperor, it's natural to inconvenience the people! It's their duty to bear the weight of the emperor's whims!"

"As emperor, I must live more freely and indulgently than anyone else. Being willful is my privilege as well as my right—and bearing the consequences of my willfulness is the responsibility of my subjects!"

Nero's expression left no room for doubt, and Alice's resolve visibly wavered under her gaze.

Before Alice could respond, Nero continued.

"But you're right about one thing—the emperor's power does come from the people. And because of that, that power must ultimately be used to repay them."

To Alice, Nero's words sounded contradictory.

"Is something confusing you?" Nero asked, noticing the conflicted look on Alice's face.

"Um, it's just… Sister Nero, didn't you contradict yourself? You said it's fine to trouble the people, but also that we must repay them…"

"Umu! You think that's a contradiction?" Nero smiled confidently. "No! It's quite the opposite!"

"One-sided giving or taking creates the weakest relationships imaginable! If you try to do everything for others without troubling them at all, you'll end up achieving nothing!"

"Understand this: avoiding troubling others is a fantasy. The emperor and their people share their glory and their struggles!"

"The people entrust their power and love to the emperor, and in return, the emperor must bring them prosperity and happiness!"

"And I succeeded! Because I am an emperor! There is nothing I cannot do! That is my privilege as an emperor—and my duty as well! I grant my people the right to happiness and indulgence. And as their emperor, as their leader, as the bearer of all power, I must be the most indulgent and the happiest of all!"

"This is Rome! This is what Rome means!"

"Alice, princess of this country!"

Lowering her head, Nero's emerald-green eyes locked onto Alice's startled gaze.

"If even you can't grasp the shape of your own happiness, how can you ever hope to bring happiness to your people?"

It was as though Nero's words had forcefully flung open a door Alice had kept sealed deep within her heart.

Everything Alice had believed in was suddenly being challenged, and Nero's voice echoed endlessly in her mind.

"Besides, you've been so well-behaved all these years. Isn't it about time you indulged yourself, even just once?"

Nero's lips curved into a gentle smile as she continued.

"Don't overthink it. This country, this world—it won't collapse just because of one little act of selfishness from you."

"You're only twelve, aren't you? This is the perfect age to start being willful."

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