Then suddenly, the carriage came to a halt.
Prince Haruto frowned slightly.
"What happened?" he asked calmly. "Why did the carriage stop?"
A soldier hurried forward and bowed.
"Your Highness, another carriage is blocking our way."
Prince Haruto stepped out of the carriage. Aisha and Rin quickly followed behind him.
In front of them stood a beautiful golden carriage, lavishly decorated and shining under the sunlight. It completely blocked the road. People around began to gather, whispering as they watched.
The door of the golden carriage opened.
A young boy stepped out.
The moment he appeared, everyone lowered their heads at once.
"It's the Twelfth Prince of the Empire…"
Aisha stiffened and leaned closer to Prince Haruto.
"Who is he?" she whispered.
Prince Haruto replied quietly, "He is the Twelfth Prince of the empire. His name is Prince Shiro Karki. He's… popular among the nobles."
Prince Shiro walked toward them with a mocking smile.
"Oh? Look who's here," he said. "I thought you were dead. Yet here you are… how foolish."
Prince Haruto remained silent.
Prince Shiro's expression darkened.
"How dare you stand there using my family name," he sneered. "Did you forget? You're just a maid's child. You should remember your place.
His gaze then shifted to Aisha and Rin. His lips curled upward.
"Oh?" he said lazily. They're quite beautiful.He smirked. "How about working for me instead of staying with trash like him? How much do you want for them?"
Prince Haruto's eyes sharpened.
"For what?" he asked coldly.
"For my maids," Shiro replied casually.
"They are not for sale," Haruto said firmly. "They are my personal maids."
Prince Shiro laughed.
"You don't deserve them," he mocked. "Why are you even here? You don't know what's going on, you fool."
Prince Haruto took a step forward.
"What happened?" he said. "Say it clearly. Let everyone hear."
He reached out and grabbed Prince Shiro's wrist.
Prince Shiro's face twisted in anger.
"How dare you touch me!"
He shoved Haruto hard.
Prince Haruto fell to the ground.
Laughter erupted from the surrounding nobles and soldiers.
Aisha and Rin rushed forward to help Prince Haruto stand up. Aisha's hands were trembling with anger. She raised her hand, ready to strike
But Prince Haruto grabbed her wrist gently and shook his head.
"Don't," he said quietly. "We have no power here. If you act now, you'll only create trouble for us."
Aisha clenched her teeth… then slowly lowered her hand.
Prince Shiro looked down at him with cold eyes.
"You deserve that," he said mockingly. "Your position is on the ground—right where you belong. I still don't understand why you're here. Did you come to beg the empire?"
Prince Haruto frowned, still confused.
Prince Shiro laughed.
"I'm so happy Father made the right decision to remove those trash areas."
Prince Haruto's eyes widened.
"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "What decision did the empire make?"
Prince Shiro turned toward the crowd and raised his voice.
"Look at this piece of trash," he sneered. "He's trying to act like he doesn't know anything. I think he believed that if he came here, he could save them. What a fool."
Laughter erupted around them.
Prince Haruto clenched his fists.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Prince Shiro smiled cruelly.
"You'll find out soon. Your land will be destroyed. Everything there will be wiped out."
Prince Haruto froze.
Aisha's face turned pale. Her breath trembled.
…My Mother.
…The villagers.
They're all there.
Prince Haruto turned to her quickly.
"The empire can't do that," he said firmly. "I'll talk to him. I'll stop them. Don't worry, Aisha. I'll go and speak to the emperor."
Prince Shiro burst out laughing.
"Are you kidding me?" he mocked. "Trash like you visiting the emperor? Impossible. He'll never allow you to enter the palace."
He smirked.
"If you want to try, then go ahead."
Without another word, Prince Haruto turned and ran toward the palace. Aisha and Rin followed closely behind him.
After several minutes of running, they finally reached the Golden Palace—the Emperor's Eighth Palace, located at the very center of the capital.
The massive gates stood tall before them.
As soon as they tried to enter, palace knights stepped forward and blocked their path.
Prince Haruto spoke quickly, "I am a prince. You can check it. Here is my ID and royal emblem."
The knight glanced at the card… then threw it onto the road.
"How dare you come here," he said coldly. "You are not allowed inside the palace."
"Please," Prince Haruto said urgently. "This is important. Let me in."
"You can't," the knight replied. "If you stay here any longer, we will throw you into prison."
They shoved Prince Haruto aside and pointed away from the gate.
"Don't come here again."