The Extra Wants To Live

Carl spent the morning as usual, eating and chatting with Lilly.

In the meantime, Harman quickly used his own money to buy clothes.

Because he didn't have the right clothes, he couldn't bear to let Carl walk around while he couldn't see him.

After changing his clothes, Carl went outside with Catherine.

Wearing a red jacket, white pants, and black shoes, Carl looked quite cute.

However, he didn't look much like a royal because he tied his hair up and walked on his own feet rather than riding a horse or carriage. For now, it would be better to be this clumsy.

"I can finally see the capital of the empire," Carl said.

"Yes," Catherine replied, struggling to suppress her anxious feelings as she walked with Carl.

She was anxious because she couldn't predict how this meeting would proceed.

"Can you please open the door?" Carl asked.

"… Yes, Lord Carl."

The knights guarding the imperial palace were taken aback by the small new figure who was walking from afar.

They realized it was the 4th Prince Carl, and that he casually asked them a favor as if he were going for a walk.

They wondered if it was okay to do this, but there was no reason to stop it, so they opened the door to the imperial palace.

"Take care," Carl said.

"Yes, Lord Carl," the knights replied, bowing to Carl, who smiled and gently waved his hands.

After Carl passed, they closed the door again and looked at each other, confused about the situation.

Carl had come out a little early to see Himeln. He walked with anticipation, but soon lost interest.

The joy of the unfamiliar scenery lasted only for a moment.

There was nothing to see in the places where nobles stayed near the imperial palace other than carriages and mansions, and he quickly got tired of them all following trends and looking the same.

It seemed worse than the scenes of Europe that Carl, as Lucas, had seen on the Internet or on TV.

Or perhaps it was because he lived in the most luxurious imperial palace in the empire.

"What is Plaza Barriodos like?" Carl asked, walking faster out of boredom.

Catherine was a little surprised and a little relieved that Carl didn't know where the meeting place was or what it was like.

At least it seemed like he wasn't using it to press down on the Mold family.

"This is a square created to commemorate the feat of Emperor Bariodos, who decided and implemented the transfer of the capital to Himeln," Catherine explained.

Before Himeln, the imperial capital was heavily biased towards the east.

Bariodos pushed for the transfer of the capital to Himeln despite enormous opposition, creating the foundation for exercising dominance evenly throughout the empire.

"From Himeln, which is located at the center of the empire, light shines evenly throughout the entire empire. So, it is located in the center of Himeln so as not to undermine its significance."

"Didn't you say we shouldn't build a building near the imperial palace because the nobles were complaining like children to Emperor Bariodos?" Carl asked.

"That's the way it is," Catherine replied.

The imperial palace is located to the east of Himeln.

Naturally, the nobles' quarters are also located to the east.

However, the nobles, who had to abandon their entire base in the imperial capital because of Bariodos, could not bear to see a square honoring Bariodos being built right in front of them, so they made various excuses to relocate.

"Then there are also commoners."

"You can actually think of it as a place for commoners. Nobles have nothing to do, and the empire only provides formal maintenance and repairs," Catherine explained.

Carl nodded, thought for a moment, and then spoke. "Is that commoner really a commoner?"

Catherine's lips twitched at Carl's sharp question.

"The class is commoners, but most of them are very wealthy. Himeln's aristocratic society is very luxurious and full of luxury. Even nobles cannot afford all the expenses. Most of the commoners that can be found near the center of Himeln are those who approach the nobles and try to take over the noble class."

"Are they buying and selling titles?"

"You pay a lot of money to become a non-hereditary low-class noble. Nobles never give hereditary titles of nobility to commoners. If the situation is really urgent, there are times when people get married, but usually, it doesn't happen."

"Umm…," Carl mused, tapping his chin and looking up at the sky.

Catherine spoke urgently as a thought came to her mind. "Even though the Mold family has fallen and is powerless, they have never sold their title or lineage like that."

"Oh, yes."

The atmosphere became a little awkward.

Carl just didn't think this situation was very good.

Thinking back on the history Lucas learned, it seemed like the empire was on the verge of ruin.

Nevertheless, the reason it has been maintained so well is probably thanks to Azgoth's skillful politics. And in the original, the next successor was Adrian, who was superior to Azgoth.

"Anyway, I understand. Then I won't be so noticeable there." Carl grinned and easily opened the buttons of his red jacket, flapping them.

He even rolled up his sleeves so that the sleeves of his shirt covered his jacket sleeves.

When Catherine, who was embarrassed, pursed her lips, Carl smiled like a child and said, "What do you think? Anyway, the only person here who knows that I am Carl is Lady Catherine. And what's the problem if you know? After all, I am a sickly and undignified 4th prince."

"Contrary to those rumors, Lord Carl is a great person."

"Thank you. But it's important that not everyone knows that." Carl smiled at Catherine's serious words and put his hands in his pockets.

Carl walked in an outfit and posture that no noble before the royal family should ever wear, smiling innocently like a child, and spoke in an excited voice.

"You'll look like a fool. You may think there is no need to be careful or keep in check. You know what I mean, right? Lady Catherine."

Catherine couldn't help but speak.

How could she dare open her mouth to Carl's words, which clearly saw through her initial displeasure and disregard for Carl?

Carl smiled brightly and took a shaky step.

The stupid and shallow 4th prince Carl is exactly what everyone wants and expects.

The current Carl just looks like a playful child from an unremarkable family.

And if there is someone watching Carl like this, he is most likely the eyes and ears of a snake-like sly bastard.

'Adrian, I'm sure you're watching.'

Carl is probably the person in this world who knows Adrian best.

Even Emperor Azgoth, who created Adrian, would not have been able to fully understand Adrian's inner state, but Carl, who knows the future through the original work, knows Adrian very well.

If he exposes himself to Adrian now, Carl's head will fall off before anyone knows. Even Azgoth cannot protect Carl from Adrian's darkest blade.

"Is that Plaza Barriodos?" Carl asked, pointing to the large statue of Emperor Bariodos visible from afar.

"Yes, Carl," Catherine replied.

She had now half given up on understanding Carl.

She couldn't figure out what he was thinking, but she knew for sure that Carl's feelings went much deeper than she thought she understood.

Catherine looked around the square, looking for her uncle Kurtval. She couldn't help but be very embarrassed because even though Carl had arrived, Kurtval was not in the square!

"Now, just a moment… Please wait a moment." Catherine moved from place to place in a state of urgency and looked around frantically.

However, there was no way that a haircut that did not exist could be created without that.

"Well, we're here earlier than we promised,"Carl said, looking at the pocket watch roughly stuffed into his jacket pocket.

He had come out early to see Himeln, but it was only natural that he ended up walking without actually looking at it.

Catherine was sweating profusely even in the cool fall weather and didn't know what to do.

For the first time in her life, Catherine felt like she wanted to run away and leave everything behind.

"Then let's sit down and wait."

"Oh that…," Catherine began.

Carl walked without a care in the world and sat down on the low railing surrounding the large statue of Emperor Bariodos in the center of the square.

No one would think he was a member of the royal family when they saw him wearing loose clothes, sitting cross-legged in the square, resting his chin, and looking at people passing by.

"Don't do that, sit next to me."

"How can I sit next to Lord Carl?"

"At Hillpin, you grabbed and pulled and pushed, right?"

"It was an unavoidable situation, so it could not be helped."

"Oh, so you can't follow me again this time?"

"No. Sorry."

Catherine, who had a history of being suspicious of Carl's orders and not following them, eventually sat down carefully next to Carl.

Unlike Carl, she sat with her back straight and didn't move a single inch.

Carl organized his complicated thoughts with a relaxed expression.

'Mold will be of great help to me, who has no foundation right now. At least there won't be a case of begging for help without the minimum number of troops like there was in Hilfin.'

This is a family that produced knights like Catherine.

Even if the number of people is small and the family is not powerful, there will be talent for great knights within the family.

'If I have the skills, I can attract them by making them knights as a formality. It would look like a childish prince who was so excited about the battle with the gnolls that he was picking up fallen nobles to increase his knights.'

Carl couldn't help but smrik at his own thoughts.