How did the Emperor manage to gather such capable individuals among so many orphans?

It wasn't as if the Emperor had hundreds or thousands of children, nor did he deploy knights to go out and search for them.

Players speculated. Somehow, the Emperor must have had a “certain method” to gather these talented children, and perhaps that “certain method” was related to Claire or other bloodlines of the Emperor’s offspring. I ended up entering this world before I could see the truth in the game.

But who would have guessed that this “certain method” involved “mixing his own blood”?

If that were the case, the Emperor must be an incredibly confident man. Actually, “confident” might be an understatement; “arrogant” might be a more fitting word. He seemed to assume that his children would naturally inherit his “outstanding abilities,” without question.

He would spread his blood as widely as possible… avoiding the nobility due to the political complications, and instead, spread his blood in places where no one cared, bringing back only those children who displayed exceptional abilities.

Hah.

I let out a faint chuckle.

The idea of “children of the Emperor” wasn’t something thought up only in the current Emperor’s reign. Previous emperors had kept such children close as well, and even emperors known to have “not done such things” still had elite personal guards.

This sense of pride in one’s lineage wasn’t limited to the Emperor but was shared by the entire imperial family.

Still, if that’s the case…

In the original storyline, I, who wasn’t supposed to be there, am likely not the “targeted child” the Emperor intended. Originally, Claire would have been the one in that position.

If the Emperor’s approach was merely to “sow seeds,” he likely didn’t pay much attention to the specifics of the partner. He probably just sent someone he trusted to keep an eye on where each child from these women ended up. The color of her hair—blue or black—wouldn't have mattered to the Emperor.

“Wow…”

Sitting in my chair, staring at the ceiling, I sighed in admiration at my own conclusion.

If some entity placed me in this world, they certainly put me in the right spot. Even managed to tie me up with a hidden birthright.

And as for the power I was given… Instead of a vague talent like swordsmanship that would require a lifetime of dedication to see results, I was given endless chances to correct my mistakes.

And even though the Emperor knows that my fighting style relies on that power, he still thinks I’m his daughter.

That’s right. The Emperor has mistaken me for Claire.

And it’s all because Lucas brought me, not Claire.

…I need to find Lucas.

---

Lucas probably doesn’t know he might be the Emperor’s legitimate son. To be honest, he didn’t bear much resemblance. Furthermore, judging by the circumstances, Lucas’s childhood as an orphan was likely as miserable as Claire’s.

He probably wouldn’t “naturally” consider himself of imperial blood. After all, who would imagine that, even if illegitimate, a child of the Emperor would be left to suffer in such conditions?

So, I needed to talk to Lucas, to find out why he chose me, and to understand what his past was like. Only then would I have the certainty I needed.

The damned Emperor had thrown that bombshell at me and then just laughed, saying, “Figure out the rest yourself.”

The problem was, I had no idea where Lucas was.

Bella and another sibling had already been deployed on missions. In fact, those two had remained largely anonymous, making them quite useful, so they were always busy. If Bella hadn’t been assigned a specific mission, I wouldn’t have seen her at all.

So, I went to find the only “sibling” I could meet immediately.

And that person was—

“Lucas?”

At the mention of Lucas’s name, Jayden’s brow furrowed instantly.

“How would I know where Lucas is?”

Fortunately, Jayden didn’t seem angry with me, but rather with Lucas himself. Abandoning his position without informing the Emperor was a show of disloyalty to someone like Jayden, the Empire’s strongest knight.

I looked up at Jayden’s golden hair, neatly divided in an 80/20 split.

Seeing him up close, his hair color looked quite similar to the Emperor’s and Alice’s. But using that as evidence would be difficult—golden hair wasn’t uncommon in the Empire.

Still… it was hard not to think differently after hearing that story and seeing such a shade of gold.

Though Jayden had rigorously trained in imperial swordsmanship, he, too, probably had a dark past, just like Claire or Bella.

Perhaps his obsession with elegance stemmed from that.

“I see.”

“Why? Did he do something to you?”

“No.”

At my response, Jayden shrugged and went back to packing. The way he fit his belongings perfectly into the massive trunk made me wonder how he managed to arrange everything like a puzzle.

Impressed, I asked, “Are you being deployed?”

“That’s right.”

Jayden nodded, continuing to pack.

“I was assigned to the north. Thanks to your recent achievements—”

He glanced at me, his expression openly proud. I nearly shivered at the sight but managed to hold it back.

“—we managed to wipe out an entire warlord faction, though similar groups still remain. Since we’re not officially at war with the autonomous state, we can’t deploy an entire army, but even one skilled irregular will make a huge difference in battle.”

With that, Jayden shut the trunk with a snap.

“The north…”

It was somewhat daunting to think that I would be the only child of the Emperor left in the palace, but then, an idea struck me.

“Do you have a means of transportation?”

“They want me to arrive quickly, so I’ll probably be traveling on a supply ship.”

A “supply ship” wasn’t an ordinary vessel. If we were near the ocean or a large lake, it might mean an actual ship, but on land, it referred to an “airship.”

While not as fast as the Dreadnought aerial battleship, which could reach 100 km per hour, the supply ship’s direct route without stops made it faster than a train in terms of actual arrival time.

“Would it be possible for me to join you on that ship?”

With only two weeks left until the end of the break, time was critical for me.

“Hm? Even though it’s a military supply ship… Not that I don’t trust you, but boarding it does require proper procedure. I registered a week ago, but for you…”

Not bypassing protocol with his authority showed Jayden’s “straight-laced” character. That’s probably why the Emperor used Jayden as a “public operator.”

“I have… an urgent matter.”

“An urgent matter, huh?”

Jayden’s expression turned serious.

“Is this related to an order from His Majesty?”

Uh…

Not exactly.

I could come up with another reason, but as a knight of the Empire, Jayden would definitely verify with the Emperor. Not because he suspected me, but because he would want a clear understanding to handle the mission properly.

“…”

“Sylvia?”

Seeing me fall silent, Jayden tilted his head.

…Alright.

In that case…

I’d have to exploit Jayden’s one weak spot.

I took a deep breath, calming myself as much as possible, then clasped my hands in front of my chest.

Looking up at Jayden wasn’t hard; he was taller than me, after all.

But the next part was.

“O…”

“O?”

Jayden repeated, watching as I hesitated mid-sentence.

“O…dear brother.”

I couldn’t bring myself to call him “oppa,” so I settled on a formal title that fit my character.

Yes, this is just part of my character; it’s not something I’m saying by choice.

At least, that’s what I told myself.

With Jayden frozen in place like a statue, I took another deep breath and said, “Dear brother… please?”

Jayden stared at me, mouth agape, then rubbed his forehead.

Just as I thought I’d failed…

Jayden let out a sigh, dragging his hand down his face, then touched his forehead again.

A faint smile played on his lips, his eyes glimmering with the look that said, “What a little troublemaker.”

“Oh dear.”

I immediately regretted what I’d said and seriously considered rewinding time.

“If my sister asks like that… there’s nothing I can do. Don’t worry, Sylvia. This ‘dear brother’ will take care of it.”

…I genuinely considered it.