In the original novel, Isaac and Gilbert had never directly fought.
Isaac, being more of a strategist, avoided physical confrontations.
He was fundamentally different from Gilbert, a martial artist to the core.
Even in this scene, Isaac had merely taunted Gilbert with a few sharp remarks and left the actual fighting to his subordinates—those dreary figures clad in black currently standing nearby.
“What have you done to Samuel?!”
“…”
Grinding his teeth, Gilbert turned to Samuel.
However, upon seeing him, Gilbert fell silent.
Contrary to his expectations, Samuel didn’t appear harmed.
Without any ropes or restraints, Samuel was rolling the candy Lee Chan had given him around in his mouth, visibly more relaxed.
Just moments ago, he had been terrified of Lee Chan, but a single piece of candy had shifted the atmosphere entirely.
“I’ve come to take Samuel back.”
“Hmm…”
Gilbert, who had momentarily been at a loss for words, quickly regained his composure and fixed his gaze on Lee Chan.
For his part, Lee Chan hesitated, sighing under his breath.
He would’ve loved to simply hand Samuel over and be done with it.
But Gilbert, seething with anger, wouldn’t let him off that easily.
‘Should I put up some resistance like in the original story? Then, when the opportunity arises, I’ll make my escape.’
Having decided, Lee Chan finally spoke.
“You arrived faster than I expected, Sir Gilbert.”
“Why did you do this?”
“Do you really not know? Is your brain entirely made of muscle?”
“…”
Gilbert’s expression darkened at Lee Chan’s mocking tone, mirroring Isaac’s demeanor in the novel.
Lee Chan swallowed nervously, feeling the tension rise.
‘If I’m going to act, I might as well play the part convincingly. That thought pushed him to imitate Isaac’s mannerisms as accurately as possible.’
Judging by Gilbert’s reaction, he’d succeeded a bit too well.
“Just because you’re called the Crown Prince’s dog doesn’t mean you have to believe it yourself, does it?”
“…”
Gilbert silently glared at Lee Chan, who continued channeling Isaac’s character.
At this point in the novel, the protagonist had already been reinstated as the Crown Prince, thanks to his achievements in the northern war.
Isaac, growing anxious, had kidnapped Samuel to provoke Gilbert.
Referring to the protagonist as the Crown Prince was the correct choice.
However, Lee Chan’s overly committed performance seemed to have only fueled Gilbert’s rage.
The menacing glare he received made Lee Chan press his lips into a tense smile.
He wouldn’t really hit me, right?
In the original story, Gilbert had gone berserk upon finding Samuel in a terrible state after Isaac’s mistreatment.
But since Samuel appeared unharmed now, Gilbert seemed to be holding himself together.
Still, kidnapping Samuel was a grave crime in itself. Gilbert might snap at any moment.
Sensing the growing danger, Lee Chan signaled to the black-clad men nearby.
Dream or not, getting assaulted by an enraged supporting character was not on his to-do list.
“Where do you think you’re going, Duke?!”
“I see no reason to tell you.”
“Duke Drake!”
As Lee Chan’s men rushed to intercept Gilbert, the latter drew his sword, yelling furiously at Lee Chan.
Ignoring the chaos behind him, Lee Chan turned and fled.
I just want to wake up from this wretched dream.
Unfortunately, no matter how much he willed it, he showed no signs of waking.
Leaving Samuel and Gilbert in the warehouse where he first opened his eyes, Lee Chan ran.
It might seem cowardly to an observer, but he didn’t care—it was just a dream, after all.
He was certain he’d wake up back in his world.
Yet, the next morning, after returning to the Duke’s mansion and falling asleep, he awoke still in Isaac’s body.
The same happened the day after, and the day after that.
Eventually, Lee Chan had no choice but to accept the truth: he had become Isaac Liam Drake.
* * *
Now, recalling the events after some time had passed, Isaac’s lips trembled.
‘If I had known then that it wasn’t a dream, I wouldn’t have done something so foolish.’
But what was done was done.
Now, his priority was preventing Gilbert from becoming his watchdog.
With a resolute look, Isaac stared at Gilbert and spoke.
“Sir Gilbert, your duty is to protect His Majesty.”
“…”
Gilbert’s gaze fixed on him, calmer than the first time they met.
Even so, the memory made Isaac pause involuntarily.
After a moment, Gilbert replied in a steady tone.
“I simply follow His Majesty’s orders.”
“…”
A model subordinate, loyal to a fault. It suited Gilbert’s character perfectly.
Yet Isaac couldn’t help but suspect his motives.
He doubted Gilbert was here solely because of an order.
“But…”
“Worrying about me so much, Sir Drake? I’m touched.”
“……”
“Still, I’d appreciate it if you could start drafting under my command, despite being moved by your sentiment.”
The protagonist’s smiling face remained flawlessly composed, but there was an odd sense of pressure.
Smiling while making threats was a tactic the protagonist often employed.
The protagonist had already decided to assign Gilbert as Isaac’s overseer.
Refusing would likely be futile.
Suppressing a sigh, Isaac bowed his head.
“I will follow Your Majesty’s command.”
“Good. You’re much more agreeable like this; it’s a pleasant sight.”
“……”
Damn it.
This protagonist really is a sociopath.
Isaac muttered curses to himself and slowly lifted his head.
The satisfied expression on the protagonist’s face left him feeling utterly disgusted.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave for now.”
“Alright, I’ll look forward to good news.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
By “good news,” the protagonist was referring to the wedding he planned to hold with Luinael.
Since Luinael was royalty, the wedding date had to be decided by diviners who would consult auspicious timings.
A royal wedding was a state affair, laden with elaborate and complex procedures.
Given that the protagonist had held a relatively modest coronation ceremony to reflect the chaos the country was emerging from, Luinael’s wedding would be an extravagant affair.
The surviving noble families who supported Trystan during the civil war would witness this wedding as a show of the imperial family’s power and authority.
It was meant to be both a celebration and a warning.
‘Which means I have to escape before the wedding happens, no matter what.’
Isaac couldn’t imagine standing at the altar under the watchful eyes of hundreds, if not thousands, in the capital.
He needed to leave the empire before the ceremony by convincing the system to acknowledge him as the protagonist.
With Gilbert now assigned as his watchdog, Isaac left the office, deep in thought.
“Isaac, are you alright? Did anything happen?”
“Ah.”
As soon as he stepped outside, Luinael rushed over to him, lighting up the atmosphere.
Isaac momentarily froze, a stupid expression plastered on his face, before quickly averting his gaze and answering.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened.”
“I’m sorry. I should have been with you.”
“It’s alright. There’s no need for that.”
“Still…”
Luinael, visibly uneasy, turned his gaze to Gilbert, who stood calmly behind Isaac.
His expression immediately darkened.
“Why is Sir Gilbert with you?”
“Well…”
Caught off guard, Isaac hesitated before explaining how he ended up with Gilbert.
He assumed Luinael already knew, but the surprise on Luinael’s face suggested otherwise.
Although both Luinael and Gilbert were close allies of the protagonist, their tense demeanor toward each other was unsettling.
In the original novel, their relationship had been neutral at best. Isaac sensed Luinael’s displeasure and carefully observed him.
“I see. If it’s His Majesty’s decision, I have no choice but to comply.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“However, you can rest assured that I won’t let your safety be compromised.”
“……”
Luinael even went so far as to provoke Gilbert, who had done nothing but stand silently.
What on earth was going on?
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