The palace gates thundered open.
Soldiers scrambled out of the way as Leone strode in—
cloak torn from battle, boots stained with dirt and blood, expression colder than a winter grave.
Behind him marched General Kael, bruised and silent, holding the rescued child gently.
But it wasn't the girl that terrified the palace.
It was Leone.
The air around him felt heavier.
Sharper.
Predatory.
A servant whispered, trembling,
"H-He looks… different."
Another murmured,
"That isn't the prince we know…"
Leone ignored them all.
He marched straight toward the throne hall.
And every step echoed like a countdown to someone's death.
By the time Leone kicked open the throne room doors, the nobles were already assembled.
Chancellor Marthis stood confidently at the center—
robes pristine, beard perfectly combed, smirk firmly in place.
His eyes gleamed with fake concern.
"Your Highness! I heard the mission was… exceedingly difficult."
He gave a dramatic sigh.
"A pity you returned alive."
The court laughed.
Leone didn't.
He walked forward in absolute silence.
Not anger.
Not outrage.
Just… silence.
And it terrified everyone more than any outburst.
Marthis cleared his throat, trying to regain control.
"Ahem. Where is the ransom letter? Where are the invaders? Did they flee, perhaps? Did you fail—"
Leone cut him off with a single, soft sentence.
"You hired them."
The words didn't echo.
They detonated.
The nobles stumbled back.
Marthis went pale, then red.
"T-This is slander! Ridiculous! You have no pro—"
Leone snapped his fingers.
Kael stepped forward and dropped a bag at the Chancellor's feet.
It spilled open—
Mercenary badges.
Hundreds of them.
All marked with the symbol of the hired killers.
The court gasped.
King Aldric shot to his feet.
"Marthis… explain."
Marthis stammered, "Y-Y-Your Majesty, this is a setup! The prince is twisting things—!"
Leone stepped in front of him.
Slowly.
Almost gently.
He placed a hand on the Chancellor's shoulder.
"You know," Leone said softly, "the problem with snakes… is that they think no one sees them hiding."
Marthis trembled.
Leone leaned closer, whispering:
"And ironically, you chose the WRONG snake to play with."
Marthis tried to pull away.
Leone didn't let him.
Leone turned to the nobles.
"Chancellor Marthis hired mercenaries to kidnap me."
Shock.
Whispers.
Tremors.
But Leone wasn't done.
He pulled out another piece of evidence—
a small metal token with the royal treasury's stamp.
"The mercenaries were paid with royal funds."
A noble shrieked, "Treasury theft?!"
Another cried, "Treason!"
King Aldric's aura exploded in rage.
"MARTHIS!"
Marthis collapsed to his knees.
"Y-Y-YOUR MAJESTY, PLEASE—!! The prince—he's manipulating everything! He's—"
Leone crouched, fingers gripping Marthis's chin.
He forced the man to look into his eyes.
And spoke in a tone so soft it froze blood.
"Say one more lie…
and I will break your jaw in front of everyone."
Marthis's lips quivered.
He whimpered instead of speaking.
The court shivered.
The prince was no longer merely reborn—
he was rewired.
King Aldric finally stepped forward.
"Leonus," he said. "How far did this conspiracy run?"
Leone didn't take his eyes off Marthis.
"Far enough," he said.
"That someone tried to silence the last surviving witness."
The king stiffened.
"What witness?"
Leone rose slowly.
Reached into his coat.
And dropped the mafia-style parchment on the floor.
It rolled open.
Everyone read it.
WELCOME BACK, BOSS.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING.
– V
A suffocating silence swallowed the room.
Kael, standing behind, whispered in disbelief:
"…Someone… is calling him 'Boss'?"
The nobles trembled.
The king's jaw tightened.
"Leonus," he said, "what does this mean?"
Leone lifted his head.
His eyes were dead calm.
"It means this kingdom," Leone said softly, "is already compromised."
Gasps filled the room.
Marthis shook violently, whispering,
"I didn't know… I didn't know the sender… they said only that the prince had to disappear—!!"
Leone's voice became ice.
"You should've asked who you were serving."
Marthis broke.
He sobbed, "Please—Your Highness—spare me—!!"
Leone stepped back.
The court held its breath.
Would he kill him?
Crush him?
Execute him on the spot?
Leone simply said:
"No."
Marthis looked up, shocked.
Leone's expression was unreadable.
"The king will decide your fate."
A wave of shock rippled.
Marthis sobbed in relief.
Leone turned to leave.
Then paused.
Looked back over his shoulder.
And said:
"But if I ever see your face again…
I'll remove it."
Marthis fainted on the spot.
As the guards dragged the Chancellor away and chaos erupted in the court, Leone exited the hall silently.
Kael followed, still shaken.
"Your Highness… what was that letter? Who is V?"
Leone didn't answer.
Not immediately.
He walked down the hallway, steps echoing in cold rhythm.
Finally, he whispered:
"V is the man who betrayed me in my past life."
His voice hardened.
"And he's here."
Kael froze.
The torches flickered.
Leone continued walking.
His shadow stretched across the marble floor—
longer,
darker,
inhuman.
Kael called out:
"Your Highness! Where are you going?"
Leone didn't look back.
"Where all ghosts go," he said.
"To hunt the one who summoned them."
Kael swallowed.
"And who is that?"
Leone stopped at the doorway.
Half-turned, eyes burning like wildfire.
"Valerio."
The doors slammed shut behind him.